Si Jiangchen squinted his beautiful peach blossom eyes and looked at me. Bai Wei also glanced at me following his gaze, and tightened her grip on Si Jiangchen's arm a bit more.
The atmosphere was like that of a legitimate girlfriend asserting her sovereignty over a mistress.
Feeling extremely embarrassed, I quickly turned my head, just like a thief suddenly caught in the act.
"Mr. Si, I'm afraid the car can't get in," the driver reported with a worried look on his face.
"Don't worry. We can just walk in!"
I slung my bag over my shoulder and took a look at the winding dirt road ahead. Back in northern Henan, I once lived in an abandoned small village in Funiu Mountains with my grandpa for some time. I was quite familiar with such rough village paths.
"Yeah! We can't waste any time. It's already getting late," Bai Wei nodded in agreement with my suggestion although she could hardly stand steadily. "We can't delay A Yuan's business."
Then she sighed regretfully and said, "It's all my fault. I was in such a hurry that I should have changed into a set of mountain-climbing gear."
"Sister Bai Wei, it's not your fault," Wei Yuan quickly waved his hand when he saw Bai Wei looking so dejected. "Who would have thought this lousy road wouldn't even allow a car to pass?"
Bai Wei was dressed in a high-end custom-made dress. Her form-fitting skirt and high heels would make her tired even if she just walked a few steps in the corridor of an office building, not to mention on a dirt road.
"Are we going to walk?"
I thought if I didn't stop them, we might not reach Feng Zhenzhen's home even when the sun set.
Unexpectedly, just as I was about to set off, the driver stopped me. "Miss Du, the Feng's place is still very far away. The person who gave us directions just now said it would take half an hour by car!"
The driver was also very frustrated. He wondered what kind of vehicle could drive on this road when it was said to be a half-hour drive!
Just then, a deafening sound of metal collision came from afar. An agricultural tricycle bounced all the way at full speed and finally slowed down and stopped beside our car.
"Folks, are you going to the upper village of Dayu Village?"
There were a man and a woman in their forties or fifties sitting side by side in the driver's seat of the tricycle. Seeing us standing by the road, they took the initiative to strike up a conversation. "A nice car like yours can't get up there."
"Yes! Uncle, we're going to the upper village," I quickly stepped forward with a big smile on my face. "Could you give us a ride?"
"Sure, come on. We're going the same way," the uncle and the aunt were extremely enthusiastic. They immediately pointed to the cart behind the tricycle and said with a smile, "You can squeeze four people in there."
"How can this be possible?!"
The driver was shocked. How could Mr. Si possibly sit in such a rusty vehicle?!
The uncovered cart would bump on this mountain road. If anything happened, who could take the responsibility!
He regretted not listening to the assistant's advice and bringing a few bodyguards. They could have carried the car up the mountain...
"Then you figure out a way here. I'll go and check the situation first," I said, feeling embarrassed by the atmosphere. Then I quickly climbed onto the tricycle. My jeans only cost 45 yuan each. If they got dirty, I could just throw them into the washing machine. They were not like the clothes of the other people present. Even the driver of Si Jiangchen was wearing a suit from Sheraton.
Just as I climbed into the car like a monkey, a hand reached out from behind me. "Pull me up."
"Um..."
I turned my head and saw Si Jiangchen's long legs already on the way up. He held my wrist without much effort and then sat down beside me.
"Wait, I'm going too!"
Bai Wei had been frowning and hesitating. When she saw Si Jiangchen get on the tricycle, she naturally didn't want to be outdone. She stood beside the car, but since she was wearing a form-fitting narrow skirt, she couldn't climb up like me. So she tilted her head slightly and pleaded with Si Jiangchen, "Jiangchen, help me!"
Si Jiangchen leaned out halfway and put his hands around Bai Wei's waist. With a gentle pull, he lifted her up.
"Thank you," Bai Wei said with a charming smile.
...At this point, Wei Yuan couldn't put on the airs of a second-generation playboy anymore. He had no choice but to follow us onto the tricycle obediently.
The tricycle started moving. Along the way, Bai Wei kept screaming because of the bumps. I noticed that Si Jiangchen didn't look too good either. The hand that was holding the edge of the cart had tightened its grip.
"Living in luxury..."
Looking at his slightly frowned eyebrows, these four words popped into my mind.
I was used to riding this kind of tricycle that people in Beijing called "san beng zi". Although the bumps made my butt hurt, seeing the other three pampered and noble elites turning pale because of the bumps, I almost burst out laughing in my heart.
Unexpectedly, the next second, Si Jiangchen pulled me into his arms and made me sit on his lap.
"Let you play tricks," he said, biting my earlobe with gritted teeth.
...This bastard got on the tricycle on his own initiative. How could he blame me for playing tricks! It was really a case of finding a pretext to condemn someone!
My face flushed red. I wriggled a bit and then stopped struggling when I saw Bai Wei looking at us with a constipated expression. I sat there obediently in Si Jiangchen's arms, acting like a perfect "leg weight".
Of course, I knew that Bai Wei was eyeing Si Jiangchen. But this silly woman probably didn't know that if she wanted to get close to Si Jiangchen, she might have to bear the consequence of turning into a zombie at any time!
Bai Wei stared at me for a few seconds and then turned away to look at the boring scenery along the road.
The "san beng zi" finally reached the upper village of Dayu Village after a crazy bumpy ride.
On the dirt road, there were disorderly villagers' courtyards.
"Thank you, uncle. Here's the fare for the ride," I said with a big smile as I jumped off the tricycle and stuffed 20 yuan into the uncle's hand.
"Child, it's on the way. Why do you need to pay?"
The uncle and the aunt both looked honest and kind, which was why I felt so safe taking their ride.
Seeing that I insisted on paying, the aunt took out four huge wild black plums from the cab and gave them to me.
I took them and thanked her. The aunt pointed at Si Jiangchen who was helping Bai Wei get off the tricycle and whispered to me, "Little girl, your boyfriend is really handsome. Don't let someone else steal him away."
"Um... Thank you, aunt. I... I'll be careful," I said, feeling my face blush all the way to my ears. I never thought of Si Jiangchen as my boyfriend. He was just being curious because I was the first one who had had intimate contact with him and hadn't been infected and turned into a disgusting zombie.
"Aunt, could you tell me where Feng Zhenzhen's home is?"
I didn't want to continue this embarrassing topic.
"You? Going to Feng Zhuzhi's home?"
The aunt's face obviously showed a moment of surprise. She shook her head and said, "Good girls should stay away from that family. That family is doomed!"
"Yes, little girl. You all seem to be people of status from the city. It's better for you to have less to do with them," the honest uncle also showed extreme disgust on his face when he talked about the Feng family.
"Thank you, uncle and aunt. I'm Feng Zhenzhen's colleague. I need to check some information with her," I didn't tell the truth. In this world, things like ghosts and gods were still too likely to be regarded as something strange.
"Then you should be careful. We live in the yard on the slope up there. If you need anything, just come and find us," the aunt pointed to a yard on the slope in the distance and told us. Then she started the tricycle again and drove away with a "rumbling" sound.
"What are you looking at them for?"
Seeing me standing there stupidly watching the tricycle leave, Si Jiangchen put his arm around my shoulder. "They're dying. You can't save them."
"What are you talking nonsense about?!"
I quickly turned my head and looked at Si Jiangchen.
Just now, although the couple looked honest, there was always a sense of disharmony. Now, being reminded by Si Jiangchen's words, I finally realized that there was a look of impending death on their faces!!