It seemed Xiao Jie wasn't the only fool in the world. Here was another person, coming all the way from Beijing to Chongqing, drawn by nothing more than the word "Wind."
"Boss, boss! You won't believe this—I just saw something crazy! Who'd have thought our elegant and refined campus queen would be into extreme sports?"
"What?" Zhuifeng, still wearing his helmet, froze in surprise. "Campus queen?"
Following Maji's gaze, he instinctively turned toward the crowd and his whole body stiffened. "Xiao Jie?"
"Yep, she's now unanimously recognized as the campus queen by all the returning seniors and upperclassmen!" Maji stared at her, practically drooling. "By the way, boss, it seems like you know her, huh?"
Do I know her? Zhuifeng gave a self-deprecating smile. "Yeah, I do... Wait, what are you doing?"
Maji grabbed Zhuifeng by the arm and started pulling him forward. "Introduce me! I don't look bad, do I? You know what they say—don't let good water flow into someone else's field!"
"Ugh." Zhuifeng smacked the back of Maji's head. "Forget it! What, am I not a man? If I introduce her to you, that's exactly what letting good water flow into someone else's field would be..." Suddenly, Zhuifeng stopped in his tracks.
Maji tugged at him a few more times but gave up when Zhuifeng didn't budge. "Boss, what's the matter?"
Zhuifeng didn't respond. His expression darkened as his eyes fixed on a spot in the distance. Maji followed his gaze and saw Zhao Jie leaning in someone's arms, smiling as she spoke to him.
"Damn it! Who's that guy? What school does he go to? Coming here to steal the campus queen of Chongqing University? Boss, let's go. We'll take him down!"
Zhuifeng held Maji back, forcing a bitter smile. "Let it go. Who she likes is her choice—we can't interfere. Walk with me?"
"Alright." Seeing the sadness in Zhuifeng's eyes, Maji finally understood a little of what was going on.
The mountaintop was now a chaotic scene of noise and excitement, making it impossible to find a quiet place to calm one's mind. To make matters worse, Zhuifeng's outfit had already exposed his identity as the Wind God. No matter where he went, the crowd's cheers would immediately grow louder.
Giving up, Zhuifeng returned to the car lineup. He removed his helmet, leaned casually against a car, and let his thoughts drift.
"Maji, have you ever watched Autumn in My Heart?"
"Yeah, why?"
"What about Lavender?"
"Boss, come on, I'm a TV drama fan. Of course, I've seen them all."
Looking out at the crowd on the mountainside, Zhuifeng felt a pang of pain in his chest. "Do you believe in the kind of love those shows portray?"
"This…" Maji hesitated. He wasn't an idiot. He'd already noticed bits and pieces of Zhuifeng's feelings before, but now he was sure. "I don't know."
"I used to believe in it, but now…" Zhuifeng's voice trailed off.
"Boss, can you tell me your story?"
Zhuifeng's expression grew distant and wistful. "I met her when I was a kid... It was her promise that she'd wait for me to pick her up in a car that led me to street racing in the first place."
"So, boss, you joined that music competition for her too?"
Exhaling deeply, Zhuifeng nodded. "Yeah. I thought if I performed, she'd see me on TV. But I didn't realize the competition wouldn't even be broadcast. And with Lin Cheng's involvement…"
Maji remained silent, his eyes drifting toward Zhao Jie in the distance.
Seeing Gu Deping waving to him by the car, Zhuifeng let out a long sigh. Turning back, he gave Zhao Jie one last look and whispered, "I wish you happiness."
Maji thought he'd misheard, but the sound of soft sobbing grew louder and louder. Before he could react, the car door opened, and someone stepped out.
"Yaoyao? What are you doing here? Did you hear all that?" Maji stared at her in confusion.
Yaoyao stood frozen, tears streaming down her face as she gazed at Zhuifeng's lonely figure.
"Feng Ge…"
Zhuifeng turned around, startled to see her crying. "What's wrong, Yaoyao?"
"Feng Ge… will you remember me?" For some reason, an overwhelming feeling of parting forever washed over her heart.
"Of course. How could I ever forget a little sister like you?"
"…No! I don't want to be your little sister!"
Zhuifeng flinched. "You're still young… You don't understand—"
Before he could finish, Yaoyao threw her arms around him, clinging tightly.
Meanwhile, Zhao Jie was watching from afar. Her face grew pale, her steps unsteady.
"Xiao Jie, are you okay?" Li Ning quickly moved to support her. "What's wrong?" Following Zhao Jie's vacant gaze, she saw Zhuifeng and Yaoyao. "This…"
Wu Hao gave a bitter laugh. I guess I never had a chance to begin with. Just one kiss, and it's affected her this much? If she hadn't twisted her ankle earlier, I bet she would've walked over there already…
Zhuifeng finally pushed Yaoyao away, his face bright red all the way to his ears.
"Boss, no time to daze off—it's your turn," Liu Tang called out with a sly grin.
"Oh, right. I'll get going, then."
"Mm." Yaoyao, her face equally flushed, nodded lightly.
Putting on his helmet and settling into the car, Zhuifeng spoke into the earpiece. "Liu Tang, have you guys raced this route before? Any notable features?"
"Well…" Liu Tang thought for a moment. "The difficulty isn't much lower than the routes we use back at our home base. The difference is the visibility here is a little better. There are lots of sharp, dangerous bends. The road is only about 6–8 meters wide, with a mountain cliff on one side and a sheer drop on the other. Just like back home, there are accidents almost every week."
Zhuifeng shut the car door and smirked. "Great news."
"Boss, do you think you can win?"
"Come on! Haven't you heard what they're calling me?"
The crowd's chant of "Wind God" echoed across the mountaintop, louder than ever since Zhuifeng had taken off his helmet and revealed his identity.
"What are they calling me?"
"Wind God!" Everyone shouted in unison.
"And who gave me that nickname?"
"Us!"
"That's right. So trust me—trust your Wind God! No matter how strong or skilled this Japanese guy is, I'll drag him off his high horse. Got it?"
"…Yes!"
"Don't you dare lose faith in me! If you don't have faith, I can't race properly!" Zhuifeng added with an exaggerated shrug, feigning helplessness.
"Boss, we believe in you!" Liu Tang stepped forward, his voice firm.
"Yeah, boss, we trust you! Just go out there and show him what you've got!"
The group burst into laughter, their tension melting away.
"Boss, it's time!" Liu Tang reminded, checking the time.
"Alright. I'm off, then. Take care, everyone!"
The group groaned in exasperation. "Boss, what kind of line is that?!"
As Zhuifeng rolled up his window, Liu Tang hesitated. "Seriously, boss… Do you think you'll win?"
Zhuifeng thought for a moment before flashing a confident grin. "I don't know! But right now, I'm more confident than I've ever been! Because I have your support, and…" He pointed to the summit. "Their support. How could I not have faith in myself?"