Chapter 31: Racer No. 1, Qin Yichi

Dormitory 609 for girls erupted in fury when the roommates heard what had just happened.

Slamming her hand on the table, Sheng Lulu cursed out loud, “What! Ji Xian actually cornered you on the stairwell? Isn’t that straight-up harassment?!”

Chen Meixiang pondered for a long while before reaching a conclusion. “When you were chasing after him, he couldn’t be bothered. Now that you’ve stopped, he’s the one getting anxious? Damn, isn’t that just pathetic!”

“Hmm…” Qiao Zhen lay listlessly on the table, nibbling at her jelly, her eyes drifting to her own wrist.

She couldn’t help but remember the feeling of Qin Yichi gripping her wrist, his fingers gently caressing her skin.

So hot.

Yet so comfortable.

Frustrated, she buried her head into her arms, her breathing a little uneven.

Yun Yue’s words slowly pulled her back from her thoughts: “We women need to have our own careers, make big money, and one day hire a dozen male models for a night!”

At the mention of careers, everyone perked up.

Yun Yue loved to dance; her dream was to become a dance teacher and, hopefully, open her own studio to earn a fortune.

Sheng Lulu wanted to make a living as an illustrator, designing game concept art, and she dreamed of collaborating with her idol one day.

Chen Meixiang enjoyed experimenting with makeup and often posted videos on social media—two of them had gone viral with over ten thousand likes. She was determined to become a beauty influencer with a million followers.

When the three turned to Qiao Zhen, she quietly clenched her fist, her soft voice carrying a hint of resolve:

“A singer.”

Perhaps even she hadn’t expected that, in her previous life, she really would stand on stage, shining beneath the lights.

She’d never reached great heights, but there were still many fans who supported her, who cherished her.

That alone was enough.

A glimmer of starlight flickered in Qiao Zhen’s eyes.

With the encouragement and support of her roommates, she found the courage to sign up for the amateur singing and dancing competition—the registration was wildly popular, open only to non-professionals.

Chen Meixiang hugged her affectionately. “Little Zhen, don’t forget us when you’re rich and famous! Don’t you dare leave us behind when you make it big~”

Sheng Lulu nodded in agreement. “Our Zhen is destined to conquer the music world!”

Hearing this, Qiao Zhen felt a little guilty, bowing her head and mumbling, “Nothing’s set in stone yet… What if I don’t even make it past the online audition…”

Besides, who knows? Maybe she’d end up working in postpartum care for sows in the future.

For a whole month, Qiao Zhen was busy practicing, not returning to the dorm until 10:30 each night. Even her roommates said she’d gotten much thinner.

Then, on November 10th—Qin Yichi’s birthday—Qiao Zhen took special leave.

It happened to be a Sunday, and everyone had planned to gather at seven in the evening to celebrate.

At midnight, their ten-person group chat exploded with messages.

Niuwang (Niu Yifeng): [Happy birthday, “Brother Ma Ye,” love ya! *kisses*]

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Zhang Yuge (Octopus): [Congratulations! Happy birthday, and may you soon win the heart of your beloved!]

Qiangzi: [Seven o’clock tonight at the XX private room—don’t be late, mwah~ *rose*]

Then, out of nowhere, it turned into a meme battle, with countless silly stickers flooding the chat, pushing the message count over 99+ in an instant.

Qiao Zhen was already dozing, struggling to keep her eyes open as she forced herself to stay awake.

She clicked into her private chat with Qin Yichi and, right at midnight, sent:

[ෆ(˶'ᵕ'˶)ෆ Happy nineteenth birthday! Wishing you joy every day~]

She attached a cute sticker—an orange kitten holding a cake, its face full of stars.

The moment she sent it, her eyelids were about to force “shutdown.” She was just about to turn off the lights and sleep, when her phone chimed.

Qin Yichi replied instantly: [Are you free tomorrow at six in the evening? I want to take you somewhere.]

Six o’clock?

Qiao Zhen rubbed her tired eyes and replied sluggishly: [Will it be with the others?]

Wasn’t the dinner planned for seven?

Two more messages arrived immediately, lighting up her screen:

[No.]

[Just the two of us.]

!!!

Qiao Zhen, still half-asleep, stared at the messages in a daze, then read them again, wide awake now.

She fixated on those four words—“just the two of us”—her heart fluttering as if a kitten were pawing at it.

A feeling called “anticipation” quietly crept into her heart, all the more vivid in the silent night.

Her fingers hovered over the screen for a few seconds before she typed: [Alright! Where are we going?]

Qin Yichi: [It’s a secret.]

Huh???

“…” What’s with the mystery.

Qiao Zhen turned off the lights and put her phone away, lying in bed, her mind swirling with guesses about this “secret.”

The more she thought, the more alert she became, her eyes as round as saucers.

Forty minutes later.

She was still wide awake.

Why? Why couldn’t she sleep at all!

Curling up under her blanket, Qiao Zhen twisted and fumed in silence…

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That afternoon, Qiao Zhen put on an ivory knit sweater and a long skirt, leaving the dorm half an hour early.

Following the location Qin Yichi had sent her, she arrived at the racing training base.

Qin Yichi had been consistently training there, coming to the base whenever he didn’t have classes.

The roar of engines flooded her ears, low and powerful. Even standing outside, Qiao Zhen could feel the energy, her spirits lifting.

On the closed-loop track, dozens of motorcycles flashed by like silver dragons, too fast for the eye to follow. Qiao Zhen felt dizzy just watching and had to tilt her head up to the screen, which happened to focus on the lead rider.

Clad in a red-and-black racing suit, the man wore a jet-black helmet. Leaning into the curve, he nearly hugged the ground with his body, exuding an overwhelming sense of aggression and control.

He was like a wild blaze, raging across the track, the scent of gunpowder thick in the air.

That was Rider Number 1—Qin Yichi.

His team: Infinite FanatiCiSm—a name that suited Qin Yichi perfectly.

Qiao Zhen craned her neck, eyes glued to the screen, momentarily dazed.

Qin Yichi’s final time was 6:28.41, placing him first in his group by a wide margin.

He was so fast.

His skills were incredible!

For reasons she couldn’t explain, Qiao Zhen felt an inexplicable pride and joy welling up inside as she stared at the leaderboard.

Last year, Qin Yichi had already won the youth division gold medal, earning the title “prodigy rookie.”

With his humility and rigorous training, it was no wonder that, in her previous life, he qualified to represent the country.

Ten minutes later, the young man emerged in a black windbreaker, his features sharp and striking, standing before Qiao Zhen brimming with confidence.

He hadn’t expected her to be waiting at the door already, his voice low and a little hoarse: “Why are you here so early?”

It seemed he’d deliberately washed his face—the cool droplets traced down his skin and settled at his prominent Adam’s apple.

A wild, untamable aura radiated from him, filling the air.

At that moment, he tilted his head back for a drink of water, his Adam’s apple moving visibly along his throat, drawing the eye.

Qiao Zhen watched, a little dazed, a blush blooming on her cheeks.

So sexy.

She wanted to bite…

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