Leon watched through the rearview mirror as the Ferrari crashed into the guardrail, feeling a twinge of sympathy.
"Poor guy."
"Isabella, you're really brave," Leon admired. Facing a speeding collision without flinching, not even breaking a sweat—Isabella was indeed formidable.
Isabella glanced at Leon. Was he mocking her? She remained calm not just because of her personality but also due to her rigorous training from a young age. But this guy, Leon, was even more of an enigma to her.
During the drive, she had been observing Leon's facial expressions. If he had shown even a hint of fear or hesitation, she would have avoided the collision; she wouldn't gamble with Leon's life. But his reaction had far exceeded her expectations.
Not only was he unafraid, but he seemed to be enjoying the thrill.
Leon? What kind of person was he?
Unaware of Isabella's complex thoughts, Leon looked at the highway signs and asked, "We're not going to the airport?"
"No. Father's men are waiting to intercept us there, so we'll drive straight to Xijing"
"Intercept?" Leon frowned.
"Yes," Isabella gave no further explanation.
Fine, the Xiang family never did things by the book anyway. Spending ten hours in a sports car with the cold and beautiful Isabella Xiang was something most of Leon's university peers wouldn't even dare to dream of.
The sports car arrived in a city in West Jiang Province around 1 PM. After parking in the Pearl Hotel's lot, Isabella got them a private dining room. The staff, seeing her cold and elegant demeanor, were cautious.
...
A silver Ferrari with a visibly dented front pulled into the Pearl Hotel parking lot. A group of disheveled young men and women stepped out, leaving the security guards staring in disbelief. It was their first time seeing a crashed Ferrari.
What's going on?
"Damn it, you got scared by a woman," the sunglasses-wearing youth, Zhang Jun, cursed. "If word gets out, I'll be humiliated."
The two men and two women with pale faces didn't dare to speak up.
Yes, they were the same group that had crashed into the guardrail trying to intimidate Isabella Xiang. Zhang Jun, thinking he had some connections, loved thrill-seeking. Now, he found the seductive woman beside him tasteless, cursing his luck. The Porsche beauty was leagues above her. And that lucky pretty boy? Damn.
Zhang Jun was sulking over not getting Isabella's number when his friend Hui suddenly shouted, "Jun, it's the Porsche! The Porsche!"
"What's the big deal? Haven't you seen a Porsche before?" Zhang Jun snapped, annoyed at his friends acting like bumpkins.
"It's that red 911," Hui insisted.
Could it be?
Zhang Jun saw the parked Porsche and raised his eyebrows. "Go ask."
"Have you seen the owner of that Porsche?" Hui asked a guard.
The guard was still puzzled by the scene, thinking these folks with their damaged Ferrari were show-offs. Seeing their excitement over the Porsche, he wasn't in the mood to be friendly. "A stunning woman in a red dress, with her hair up. Very cold and beautiful," he described Isabella vividly.
"Hey, this is fate," Zhang Jun sneered.
Inside, Leon and Isabella were having lunch when Leon's phone vibrated. It was from his friend, Michael Fang, who had been wondering where Leon had disappeared to after not returning last night and skipping classes this morning.
Leon picked up, only to hear Michael Fang's loud shouting, making him hold the phone away from his ear to avoid the noise. Isabella glanced over.
"Leon, what the hell! You didn't come back last night, and you missed classes this morning. The guys and I bet you went to see your girlfriend. But she said you didn't... Major disappointment, man."
The waitress overheard the conversation and gave Leon a surprised look, thinking he looked so decent but was secretly having meals with another girl behind his girlfriend's back. The calmness of the girl eating with him made her wonder.
"Cover for me. I'll be back later," Leon said.
"Of course I got you covered. Don't forget the social ball this weekend, man. We're counting on you and Lily."
"Got it."
Hanging up, Leon noticed the waitress's curious look, aware she was probably imagining things. He coughed and asked for a glass of water. Suddenly, the private room door opened, and a waitress led in the sunglasses-wearing youth and a crew-cut man.
"Sorry, these gentlemen insisted they knew you," the waitress apologized.
"Hey, what a coincidence! Meeting so soon, Ice beauty!"
The young man took off his sunglasses, revealing an ordinary face but with eyes that seemed to say, "I'm showing off, challenge me."
"Hey, having a meal?"
Zhang Jun casually sat down, showing no restraint as if they were old friends. Hui stood by, eyeing Leon and Isabella cautiously. He still felt uneasy about the couple, recalling their unnerving calmness on the highway.
Hui sensed they might have significant backgrounds but couldn't go against his boss. He hoped Zhang Jun's status would intimidate them.
"Here's my card," Zhang Jun said, placing a business card on the table. "Let's keep in touch?"
"Jun here is a top racer. If you're into racing, he can connect you with the best underground racers, including some elite Beijing heirs," Hui added, trying to show off Zhang Jun's connections.
But his hopes were dashed when Leon merely glanced at the card and Isabella showed no interest.
"They say having more friends is always good, right?" Zhang Jun looked at Leon, feeling uneasy under Isabella's cold gaze.
"Get out and close the door. Don't disturb our meal," Leon said impatiently.
Zhang Jun's face darkened. "No respect?"
"Come back when you stop crashing into walls," Leon said, chewing on a piece of grilled squid.
Stunned, Zhang Jun and Hui took a good look at Leon, who was dressed in an expensive casual suit, his demeanor similar to those elite heirs, but Zhang Jun couldn't recall meeting him.
After a moment, Zhang Jun stood up, leaving a cold threat.
"Fine. I'll get back at you for this."
Sure thing.
Leon barely glanced at him. Since they were about to leave, he didn't care. Besides, a family capable of deploying helicopters wouldn't worry about street racers. Isabella's cold indifference made that clear.
Outside the room, Zhang Jun was seething.
"Jun, let it go. This couple is weird," Hui advised.
Zhang Jun knew that, otherwise his temper would have flared up already.
"I said I'll get back at them, and I will. I've never been humiliated like this, not even by that crazy car king."