Chapter 47: Brake Danger

At the Gu residence, Gu Jinghan knocked on He Huanhuan’s door with a gossipy grin: “Sister Huan, hasn’t Han Mo come around to play with you for a few days now?”

He Huanhuan shot him a glare. “Mind your own business.”

She was already in a bad mood!

That damn Han Mo hadn’t come to see her again.

Not only had he stopped showing up, but his WeChat messages had dwindled down to just good morning and good night check-ins.

Who cared what time he went to bed or woke up?

She wasn’t his kindergarten teacher!

Gu Jinghan pushed the door open and slid in beside her, settling in with a sneaky grin. “You wanna know why?”

He Huanhuan looked up. “Why?”

“Because he doesn’t need you anymore!”

Gu Jinghan handed his phone to He Huanhuan. “Look, he’s back at the Han Corporation. See why he was buttering you up before? He was scared his dad would play favorites with Han Xuan, so he came around every day to suck up to the old man!”

He tapped the screen rapidly. “Man... that guy’s a cold-blooded beast.”

For over ten days straight, Han Mo had come by daily, acting like He Huanhuan’s loyal puppy.

Gu Jinghan had to admit he couldn’t have done it himself. Ruthless. Truly ruthless.

He Huanhuan didn’t get the ins and outs of their schemes. She frowned. “So now he doesn’t need to suck up to me? Because Han Xuan’s out of the picture?”

“Exactly!”

Gu Jinghan nodded. “Han Xuan’s too weak. Han Changyong won’t give him a chance to mess things up. The old guy’s getting frail and sick—the company has to go to Han Mo.”

He Huanhuan listened to Gu Jinghan rambling on, and the anger inside her started to boil.

“Do you have nothing better to do?”

“Huh?”

Gu Jinghan was just getting into it. He’d been about to explain how Han Mo would now have to secure his position at the company for real...

Why did she suddenly shut him down?

Weren’t they having a decent chat?

He Huanhuan stood up, grabbed him by the arm, and shoved him toward the door. “You got no work or what? I can’t stand useless rich brats!”

“I’m not a useless brat! I own a hotel, remember? Hey, hey, hey...”

Before he could explain, she forced him out the door.

The door slammed shut with a thud. He Huanhuan plopped back onto the sofa, restless and irritated.

So all that kindness from Han Mo had just been about getting back into the company?

Now that he was back, she was worthless?

She’d been nothing but a tool?

She’d always known Han Mo’s kindness had an ulterior motive, but now that it was real, she still felt pissed.

A line she’d once read online came to mind.

Don’t force your way into circles that aren’t yours.

It really was true. Look at how casually Gu Jinghan talked about it.

He didn’t see a problem at all.

And there was Gu Chacha, hooking up with Han Xuan as if it were nothing...

Money. Power.

That was what mattered to them.

Feelings? They were just useless extras.

He Huanhuan looked around the room and muttered, “So what if I was used? I didn’t lose anything!”

It wasn’t like she’d been the one fawning over Han Mo. She hadn’t lost a thing!

Yeah. That was it.

She flopped onto the bed, fuming, and stayed there until dinnertime. But her chest still felt tight and upset.

The more she thought about it, the more unfair it felt. Why should she just take it?

She grabbed her phone and, without a second thought, deleted Han Mo!

Screw it!

She wasn’t going to play their rich people’s games anymore!

She was just a broke, hot-headed girl. She was done!

Outside her door, Jiang Yulan knocked softly. “Huanhuan, dinner’s ready.”

“Not hungry!”

Jiang Yulan coaxed her. “Come down and eat a little. Skipping dinner is bad for your stomach.”

She rolled over, even more annoyed.

What bad for her stomach? She’d skipped dinner all the time before and been perfectly fine.

Sleeping didn’t require fuel. Why stuff herself?

Saving money for breakfast was the real priority.

Yeah, that was her real life.

Broke. Scraping by.

Cursing people out for a few bucks, then blowing it all on a bowl of spicy hotpot, savoring every bite as the ultimate happiness.

That was her.

She’d stayed in the Gu house too long. Gotten too used to luxury.

So long that she’d forgotten who she used to be—someone with no time or energy for this kind of girlish drama.

She shot up, threw the door open, and bolted downstairs.

Jiang Yulan jumped. “Eating a little later is fine. Your stomach won’t go bad that fast...”

But He Huanhuan ran straight outside and shouted into the yard, “Old Tang! Old Tang!”

Old Tang rode up smoothly on his e-bike. “What is it, miss?”

He Huanhuan snatched the e-bike from him. “Let me ride it!”

She was going to eat spicy hotpot.

She was a streetwise chick, and she needed her street food!

She desperately wanted to escape this lavish estate, to hit the clamoring streets and bury herself in a steaming hotpot joint, scarfing down a messy feast.

Before Old Tang could respond, she twisted the throttle to the max. The e-bike shot off like an arrow!

The wind rushed past her face, and a grin spread across her lips.

This was it.

Riding an e-bike, wind in her hair, racing toward her favorite bowl of spicy goodness.

That was her real happiness.

She found a random hotpot shop, ordered a giant bowl, and sat quietly on a plastic stool, eating.

She ate until dark, the bowl nearly empty.

She patted her stomach. Full.

Just as she stood to leave, a shadow fell over her.

She looked up, stunned.

It was Han Mo.

“What are you doing here?”

Han Mo held a number tag and sat down. “Wait for me. We’ll go together.”

She sat frozen in shock, watching him finish a whole bowl of spicy hotpot.

“You coming? It’s dark out.”

“Coming.”

She got up in a daze and followed him out of the shop.

Outside, parked next to her little e-bike, was that old BYD.

She asked, “Why are you driving this?”

Hadn’t he already gotten what he wanted? Why was he still driving that cheap car?

Why hadn’t he switched back to his luxury ride?

A long pause passed before he replied softly, “It drives pretty well.”

“Good to drive or not, it’s not right for you.”

A strange wave of grievance welled up in her chest. Angrily, she put on her helmet and swung onto her e-bike.

“I’m going home. Don’t contact me anymore.”

Then she added, “And stop driving my car!”

She’d picked this car. It was hers.

He wasn’t allowed to drive it.

With that, her e-bike shot off. The BYD immediately followed.

He Huanhuan accelerated in irritation, but there was no way an e-bike could outrun a car.

She yelled back, “Stop following me!”

Han Mo turned his head toward her. “Pull over first. I have something to say.”

He Huanhuan ignored him. “What’s there to say? Are we that close?”

“Just stop first.”

“None of your business!”

She sped up even more, making Han Mo anxious. “Don’t ride so fast. It’s dangerous.”

A red light was coming up. He was afraid she’d lose control and run straight through it.

Sure enough, she didn’t slow down at all. He turned again and shouted, “Huanhuan, red light. Stop.”

He didn’t see it coming—from his right, a van was hurtling straight toward him, accelerating fast.

“BANG!”