Chapter 35 – Narrow Road Collision

Meanwhile, in the underground parking lot, the voice-activated lights flickered on and off, while a conspicuous sports car parked steadily within its designated space.

Nie Hang closed the windows and turned his head to address the passenger seat. “Brother Yuan, we’re here.”

Qiao Yuan slowly opened his eyes. “So fast?”

“It wasn’t congested today,” Nie Hang unbuckled his seatbelt and asked, “What do you want to do? Are you going to sleep a bit more, or go straight up?”

“No sleep, it’s too late.” Qiao Yuan yawned and opened the car door.

Nie Hang followed him out, and Qiao Yuan curiously asked, “Is there something else?”

Nie Hang scratched his head. “No.”

Qiao Yuan laughed. “If there’s nothing, why are you following me?”

“Uh, Brother Yuan,” Nie Hang was unlike his usual straightforward self, instead, he stuttered, “I just remembered… didn’t I get blackout drunk at the brothers’ gathering yesterday? When I woke up this morning, I found out that I’d called you several times in the middle of the night, and you even answered…”

The smile in Qiao Yuan’s eyes grew heavier as he hugged himself and watched Nie Hang silently.

Nie Hang cleared his throat. “I just wanted to ask, did I say anything I shouldn’t have?”

Qiao Yuan countered, “What could you have said that you shouldn’t have?”

“I’m asking because I don’t know!” Nie Hang anxiously stomped his foot, “I saw that our call lasted over ten minutes, I thought something must’ve happened, scared the shit out of me.”

Qiao Yuan burst into laughter, shaking his head. “Relax, we didn’t talk about anything. Out of the ten minutes, you were sleeping for nine of them.”

Nie Hang let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good, that’s good. Sorry for interrupting your sleep. Next time, just hang up if you want.”

Qiao Yuan waved his hand. “It’s fine, I was also worried that you might need something from me.”

“Alright, now I’m relieved.” Nie Hang patted his chest to calm himself down. “You should head up now. Bye!”

Qiao Yuan reminded him, “Be careful on your way back.”

Nie Hang turned around and got back into the car, skillfully making a turn out of the parking space. Before leaving, he didn’t forget to press the horn as a signal.

Qiao Yuan didn’t leave right away, standing there watching the Mustang disappear into the dark depths of the garage. The smile on his face gradually froze, then vanished, finally transforming into an expression of tenderness.

Bian Ji had a rare day off today, waking up early and waiting outside Yan Ankuo’s building before eight o’clock. Ten minutes later, Yan Ankuo descended the stairs wearing a neatly tailored suit, carrying the lapel chain that Bian Ji had gifted him last time.

“Why are you here so early?” Yan Ankuo pulled open the car door and naturally sat in the front passenger seat, adjusting the seatbelt with ease this time. “I told you about flexible working hours, no rush.”

“You definitely catch the earliest shift.” Bian Ji lightly teased. “Workaholic.”

“I can hear you,” Yan Ankuo seriously reminded him.

Bian Ji pursed his lips, not responding.

Yan Ankuo noticed the scent, it was the silver mountain spring fragrance he had given him last time, praising, “This fragrance suits you well.”

“Thank you,” Bian Ji smiled. “It smells nice.”

The two didn’t force any conversation in the car, chatting casually as if they were old friends.

“When are you flying?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

“In that case, you should rest well tonight.”

“Certainly, you should too.”

“I can’t take a break, I’ll be working overtime tonight.”

“Is there a new case?”

“It’s still the case from Yunnan. After the retrial, the defendant started playing hide-and-seek, refusing to pay compensation. My client wants to apply for compulsory execution.”

Lawyers couldn’t reveal too many details about cases to people unrelated to them, so Bian Ji didn’t pry further, simply reminding him to “be careful”.

What was supposed to be “dropping someone off to work” ended up becoming “accompanying someone at work”, and it lasted for quite some time.

Whenever Bian Ji wasn’t flying, he would squeeze out a whole day, doing nothing else but sitting in the coffee shop below the law firm, watching movies. When he estimated that the law firm was about to close, Bian Ji would send a message to Yan Ankuo, telling him that he was at a fast-food restaurant and asking if he wanted to come down for a meal together.

That day, Yan Ankuo was extremely busy and didn’t know how he was going to handle lunch. Seeing the message, he quickly replied, “[I’ll be there in five minutes.]”

As the weather gradually warmed up, Bian Ji took out his newly purchased long-sleeved T-shirt. His hair was neatly combed, eye-catching among the crowd. Yan Ankuo could spot him easily.

“Haven’t left yet?” Yan Ankuo sat down in front of Bian Ji with his food tray.

Bian Ji smiled. “Didn’t have much to do in the morning, decided to enjoy the scenery nearby.”

Yan Ankuo obviously didn’t believe him, but he didn’t push the matter, giving the suitor enough face. “After we finish eating, I’ll take you to see the rooftop, it has a great view.”

“Okay.”

The two didn’t eat slowly, accustomed to their busy lifestyles, they almost forgot how to savor the process of eating.

They finished in less than twenty minutes. Yan Ankuo then asked if they should go upstairs, and Bian Ji happily agreed. They headed to the adjacent building and took the elevator straight to the top floor.

The rooftop often hosted outdoor collaborations or exhibitions, packed during holidays, but surprisingly quiet during weekday afternoons. Yan Ankuo led Bian Ji to sit on a bench on the rooftop, where they could gaze into the distance and see the faint silhouette of the Oriental Pearl Tower.

“Do you come here often?” Bian Ji asked.

Yan Ankuo shook his head. “Occasionally, when I’m tired from work, I come up here to breathe.”

Bian Ji followed the direction of his gaze toward the distant landscape. “The view is quite nice.”

Bian Ji was courteous throughout the day, maintaining social distance. People who came by mistook him for a client.

Once the working hours were over, Bian Ji immediately said, “It’s half past one, Attorney Yan, go back to work.”

“Just like that?” Yan Ankuo looked at him with a smile. “Waited for three hours, just for a twenty-minute lunch?”

Bian Ji was puzzled. “What else?”

Yan Ankuo retracted his smile, gazing deeply into his eyes and asked seriously, “Mr. Bian, that’s not how you chase someone.”

Bian Ji scratched his head. “What’s wrong?”

Yan Ankuo was amused. “Making the person being chased too comfortable, he might think twice before agreeing.”

“Should’ve said earlier! No problem, I’ll chase you for a few more days.”

Yan Ankuo laughed, shaking his head. “Alright, I really have to go back to work now.”

“Alright! See you tonight!”

“Will you still be waiting this afternoon?”

“It’s not specifically for you,” Bian Ji pointed at his phone. “Just so happens I have nothing to do today, I wanted to finish watching the movie, it’s a trilogy, quite long.”

Yan Ankuo helplessly said, “Then I’ll try to finish work earlier.”

Bian Ji waved his hand. “No need to rush, you focus on your work.”

Naturally, Yan Ankuo didn’t listen to Bian Ji’s words. When it was time to leave work, he picked up his coat and computer bag, ready to go.

Even Zhou Tianrui couldn’t stand it anymore. Just as he was about to find Yan Ankuo for a meeting, seeing his hurried appearance, he curiously asked, “Do you have a date tonight?”

“Yes, I made plans with someone.” Yan Ankuo explained and then asked, “Did you need something?”

Zhou Tianrui waved the folder in his hand. “Yes, five minutes, then you can go.”

Yan Ankuo glanced at the clock, helplessly sending a WeChat message to Bian Ji saying he might be slightly late, then followed Zhou Tianrui into the office.

“What’s up.” Yan Ankuo sat on the sofa, taking the folder from Zhou Tianrui. “Another case from Wenshun?”

“Yes, it’s still the same one from last time.” Zhou Tianrui sighed. “Old Liu has already done most of the preliminary work, but then the child suddenly fell ill today, and his father-in-law just passed away. He really can’t afford to focus on this case.”

Yan Ankuo took the folder, flipping through it briefly. “The case offers 1.5 points in total, just give Old Liu 0.5, and take it on yourself.”

This time, Zhou Tianrui’s tone was firmer than before. Indeed, the law firm currently only had Yan Ankuo left who could handle family law cases and had a clear schedule. Now that his current cases were settled, there was no reason for him to refuse. Yan Ankuo helplessly said, “Then give me the materials first, I’ll look at it at home.”

Zhou Tianrui nodded, seeing his eager departure, he waved his hand. “Alright, go ahead.”

When Yan Ankuo left, the office was still brightly lit. Everyone was surprised to see him leaving work so early, “Attorney Yan, leaving on time today?”

“Made plans with someone, I’ll be back tomorrow.” Yan Ankuo explained.

The next day was Saturday, the person who could make Attorney Yan go through such lengths to meet was intriguing to everyone. “Hope your date goes well, Mr. Yan, when can we meet your girlfriend?”

Yan Ankuo ignored them, only saying “Have a pleasant weekend,” then entered the elevator.

Bian Ji had already turned on the car’s air conditioning in the parking lot to refresh the air. Yan Ankuo felt that his thoughtfulness seemed ingrained in his bones, a muscle memory developed through long-term training.

The two chatted idly in the car, as if they had known each other for a long time, not needing to search for topics.

Yan Ankuo leaned against the passenger seat, half-closing his eyes, completely relaxed.

“Today’s bridge traffic is terrible, shall we check another route?” Bian Ji opened the map, pointing at one of the recommended routes. “I see there’s a small road here, but it’s very narrow. Which one do you want to take?”

Yan Ankuo opened his eyes, glancing at the map, indifferent. “Which one is longer?”

Bian Ji quickly judged and concluded, “The narrow road, we’ll have to detour to the north.”

“Let’s take that one then.” Yan Ankuo said.

Bian Ji raised his eyebrows, looking at him with a smile. “Why?”

Yan Ankuo maintained a dignified facade. “If it’s longer, fewer people will take it, surely it won’t be congested.”

“Oh~” Bian Ji didn’t expose his ulterior motives, playing along. “So it’s to avoid congestion.”

“And what did you think?” Yan Ankuo subtly tossed the question back.

How astute Bian Ji was, he didn’t take the bait. “Who knows.”

Yan Ankuo, having lost the upper hand, fell silent. Bian Ji then switched the navigation to the alternative route, driving towards the smaller road.

Shanghai had many dilapidated residential areas that clung to the sides of skyscrapers, some of which had become dangerous structures. They were scattered in corners or even the center of the city, squeezing out many country lanes in the midst of the metropolis. Alongside the roads were illegally parked vehicles, and even street vendors selling goods on the ground.

Due to the narrowness of the road, it was difficult for cars traveling in opposite directions to pass each other. Skilled drivers would default to treating it as a tidal lane, switching usage direction during morning and evening peak hours.

As Bian Ji drove, he remarked, “I never thought that in 2024, there would still be such roads in the urban area.”

Yan Ankuo lazily commented, “The city keeps moving forward, but some people stay behind.”

“It’s quite dangerous,” Bian Ji warned, “Good thing it’s not night, there aren’t even street lamps here. You should try to avoid this road in the future.”

“I wouldn’t take this road alone.” Yan Ankuo said offhandedly.

Bian Ji seized on the loophole in his words. “But you would with someone else?”

Yan Ankuo chuckled lightly, “Isn’t it all about who it is?”

“Ah,” Bian Ji pressed on, “With whom?”

Yan Ankuo was tickled by his questions, losing his composure. He turned his head away, feebly commanding, “Focus on driving.”

Bian Ji stopped teasing him, turning up the volume of the car music a bit, muttering to himself, “This road is really hard to drive on, if a large car comes from the opposite direction, we’re screwed.”

Yan Ankuo frowned, “tsk”: “Don’t jinx it.”

“Alright, alright,” Bian Ji spat to the side several times, “Forget I said anything.”

People often inadvertently invite misfortune upon themselves (bad luck version). Hardly had Bian Ji finished speaking when a sports car appeared from the opposite direction.

Bian Ji cursed inwardly, “Fuck,” starting to slow down while slowly steering to the right.

However, the other party showed no intention of yielding. Not only did they not decelerate, but they even charged straight at them.

Seeing the other vehicle’s license plate, Yan Ankuo suddenly realized something was amiss and hastily instructed Bian Ji to brake. “Wait — “

Before he could finish his sentence, the sports car speeding towards them suddenly accelerated!

Bian Ji’s mind blanked for a moment, not having time to think too much, he sharply swerved to the side, instinctively shielding Yan Ankuo’s head with his arm.

“Bian Ji!” In that critical moment, Yan Ankuo warned him not to endanger himself, “Be careful!”

“Ahh — “

With a bang, the airbags deployed, the car window glass shattered everywhere, and the massive impact nearly knocked both of them unconscious.

Since Bian Ji was closer to the point of collision, his head buzzed loudly, gradually losing his hearing. His last memory was Yan Ankuo’s anxious shouts in his ear and the chaotic, alternating red and blue lights of police cars appearing.