We Barely Know Each Other, but I'm Living with a Stone-Faced Mechanic! - Chapter 45

“Hurry and get up. Don’t stain the bed.”

With his nose pinched shut, Qin Zheng seemed to have forgotten how to use his mouth.

Afraid of getting blood on Tao Ying’s hand, he quickly pushed it away and covered his nose with his own.

He could taste blood in his mouth now, making speech even harder.

He patted Tao Ying’s waist and mumbled indistinctly, “Get up first.”

Only then did Tao Ying realize that in her panic, she had planted herself directly on his lap.

Every humiliating moment of her life seemed to happen in front of this man. Numb with embarrassment, she stood.

Qin Zheng laughed softly.

“What are you laughing at?” Tao Ying snapped. “Your nose is still bleeding.”

He hurried into the bathroom.

The bleeding stopped within a minute or two.

As Tao Ying straightened the bed, she said, “The air really is dry. I’ll turn off the air conditioner for now.”

Air conditioning removed moisture as it cooled, and her own throat felt dry and irritated.

Qin Zheng said nothing. He alone knew why his nose had started bleeding.

Tao Ying loosely gathered her long hair. “I’ll go buy breakfast. You get ready.”

“Let’s eat outside together,” Qin Zheng said. “I’ve had enough of being cooped up in here all night.”

Tao Ying opened the window halfway and frowned. “It’s still raining, but much less than yesterday.”

“Wash up first. I’ll look for the nearest gas station.”

She agreed and went into the bathroom.

Once they were ready, they went downstairs together. A new shift had taken over reception.

Qin Zheng led Tao Ying to the same breakfast shop he had visited the previous day. It was not crowded. The rain had discouraged most guests from leaving their hotels.

They chose seats near the entrance. Qin Zheng told Tao Ying to order whatever she wanted while he fetched the complimentary side dishes.

She ordered two baskets of soup dumplings, two bowls of congee, and two eggs.

When Qin Zheng returned, she said, “This is enough for me. Order more if you need it.”

He added six pork-and-corn pot stickers.

He finished eating before Tao Ying. After paying, he chatted with the owner and asked about the route back to Lincheng.

“You still need to use the Linwan Expressway,” the owner said. “That road sits on higher ground.”

“Is the route complicated?” Qin Zheng asked.

“Not really. Enter the expressway from Qingxikou here in town, continue straight to the Shuangzhou Interchange, then transfer to the Canglan Expressway toward Lincheng. Stay on the main route and it’ll take you all the way there.”

“How long will it take?”

“Depends on the roads. If everything goes smoothly and you can drive at normal speed, a little over three hours.”

That was not too long for a detour.

“I’d leave right after breakfast,” the owner added. “If the rain keeps falling, it’ll only become harder to get out.”

Qin Zheng agreed. He turned and discussed it with Tao Ying. She was anxious to return to Lincheng and visit the cemetery, so naturally she said yes.

He made the decision immediately. “We’ll check out, collect the luggage, go straight to the gas station, then follow the route he gave us back to Lincheng.”

“All right.”

They returned to the hotel, packed, and checked out.

At the entrance, they ran into several young people. Seeing the suitcases, one asked casually, “Hey, where are you two going? Did the road reopen?”

“We’re taking a detour back to Lincheng,” Qin Zheng answered honestly.

“You’re from Lincheng too?” The young people exchanged glances. “Could we follow you?”

Qin Zheng looked at Tao Ying, then asked, “How many of you? Where did you come from?”

“Five. We went to Hangcheng for the exhibitions. One of my friends studied art.”

Qin Zheng nodded. “So you’re in two cars?”

“Mm.”

He looked at Tao Ying. She nodded.

“Fine. We’ll travel together.” Qin Zheng checked his watch. “I’m going to the gas station first. Meet us at Qingxikou.”

“Sounds good.” The young man leading them readily agreed. “Let’s exchange contact information. If something else happens on the road, we can help each other.”

“All right.” Qin Zheng took out his phone, saved the man’s number, and exchanged names as well.

After refueling, they did not wait long at Qingxikou before the other two vehicles arrived.

They greeted one another with their horns. Qin Zheng took the lead, and the three vehicles sped toward the expressway.

The journey went smoothly. After three hours and fifteen minutes, they finally reached Lincheng.

Once they left the expressway, Qin Zheng sounded his horn to signal that he was splitting off. His phone rang immediately afterward.

The young people wanted to treat him to a meal, but he declined.

Then he called Xiao Fang and asked her to order food for delivery upstairs.

“Hungry?” he asked Tao Ying after ending the call.

“No. I ate quite a lot this morning.”

“Eat a little anyway. How are you getting to the cemetery this afternoon? Want me to drive you?”

“No.” Tao Ying shook her head. “I’ll take my own car.”

The weather in Lincheng was poor as well, though it was not raining.

By the time they reached home, the food was already arranged on the table. Tao Ying ate a little, then hurried to her room to change.

Qin Zheng stood, still worried. “Drive slowly.”

“I will.”

After Tao Ying left, Qin Zheng lost what remained of his appetite.

He wandered through the shop downstairs, then drove back to the family estate.

He had asked Shao Mingyu about the expressway accident, so his family already knew he had been trapped on the road.

He had reported that he was safe while buying food, but he still needed to show his face and reassure them.

The old master of the Qin family had also returned home after a spell of recuperation at the hospital and spent every day asking about him.

Qin Zheng was close to his grandfather. The old man had raised him as the future heir, with both high expectations and genuine affection between grandfather and grandson.

As for Qin Heng, he did not have the temperament to lead a family enterprise. He could remain an idle prince.

At three that afternoon, Tao Ying reached the cemetery.

Only Li Meijuan stood below the steps leading to the grave.

After laying down a bouquet, Tao Ying softly called, “Mom.”

Li Meijuan stared at the photograph on the headstone. “I’ve been waiting for you for five hours.”

Tao Ying’s heart lurched. Suffocating pressure followed. She instinctively stepped forward to support her mother.

Standing there for five hours was exactly the sort of thing Li Meijuan would do.

Li Meijuan had grown stubborn and extreme over the years. Tao Ying was accustomed to it.

Li Meijuan shook off her hand. Anger flared in Tao Ying at once, but when she caught sight of her father’s photograph, she forced it back down.

“Mom, what exactly do you want me to do?”

“Stand here and reflect. All these years, whenever I told you to go east, you went west. Ask your father whether you’ve done anything right.”

Li Meijuan limped away.

Strength left Tao Ying. She sank to her knees, and her tears darkened the dusty ground.

Li Meijuan had tormented her beyond endurance. Whatever Tao Ying did, she would never receive a single approving look from her mother in this lifetime.

She rose and stood in the place where Li Meijuan had waited. Punishing herself, she remained there for another five hours because she did not know where else to go.

After dark, the cemetery became eerie and desolate.

Tao Ying dragged her stiff legs back to the car.

She sat quietly, waiting for the discomfort to ease. For one moment, she wanted to surrender.

Perhaps she should simply obey Li Meijuan and marry anyone her mother considered acceptable.

Her phone rang. Tao Ying saw the caller’s name but did not answer.

She did not know whether she would start crying if she heard Qin Zheng’s voice.

Her chest felt so tight and painful she could barely breathe. She lowered the window and took several deep breaths.

Two hours passed before sensation returned to her legs and she could safely drive.

Bitterness filled Tao Ying. Emotion pressed against her throat, demanding release.

She stepped on the accelerator and drove to a loud, restless bar.