Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Renting a Car for Photos? The glacier-blue Bentley Continental GT had a uniquely stunning color, and Ruan Chutang's eyes lit up at the sight. She really liked this car. A man in a suit got out of the car respectfully and handed the keys to Ruan Chutang. "Miss Ruan, this is the car President Jiang gifted you." Ruan Chutang took the keys, feeling a slight stir in her heart. Jiang Shixu was indeed quite generous to her—this car would cost over four million to hit the road. "Thank you," Ruan Chutang said to the man. "You're too kind. If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way." The man gave a slight bow, his demeanor respectful. "Alright." No sooner had the man left than Ruan Chutang received a call from Jiang Shixu. "Is the car to your liking?" The man's tone carried a casual, leisurely air, as if he were asking whether today's meal suited her palate. A four-million-yuan car, yet in his words it sounded as ordinary as a head of cabbage at the market. Actually, for people at their level, giving such a gift to one's fiancée was a perfectly ordinary thing. Perhaps it was because she had lived too long in the ordinary world these past three years, becoming disconnected from her original circle, that receiving this car felt a bit hard to adjust to at first. Ruan Chutang said, "I love it. Thank you, Brother Shixu." "Glad you like it. I remember you like blue." Jiang Shixu's voice was deep, carrying a warm, almost hypnotic gentleness. Ruan Chutang couldn't help but feel a slight surprise. "How did you know?" From what she remembered, she didn't think she'd ever told Jiang Shixu what color she liked, had she? Jiang Shixu on the other end of the line seemed to let out a low chuckle. "That year I tutored you, your notebook and pencil case were both light blue." Ruan Chutang hadn't expected Jiang Shixu to notice even such small details. She did indeed love blue, and the moment she saw this light-blue Bentley, she'd been genuinely stunned by its beauty. "The moment I saw this car, I thought to myself that you'd definitely like it," Jiang Shixu said warmly. "Take it for a spin? This model is on the smaller side—perfect for a woman." "Mm, I'll try it out in a bit." After hanging up, Ruan Chutang got into the car but didn't immediately start the engine. She gripped the steering wheel, her emotions a tangled mess. Ruan Chutang had a driver's license and had driven quite a bit over the past three years. But she'd always driven Gu Zechuan's car—her own car was still gathering dust in the underground garage of the Jiangcheng villa. During those three years with Gu Zechuan, driving his car often felt more like being a designated driver than a girlfriend. Gu Zechuan liked to have fun. When he went out drinking and it wasn't convenient for him to drive, he'd make a call, and she'd have to go pick him up from wherever he was. She'd also heard from Gu Zechuan's friends that when he broke up with his ex-girlfriend, he'd waved his hand and gifted her a BMW worth over eight hundred thousand. Gu Zechuan knew her job required frequent travel—going to court, meeting clients, discussing cases—yet he'd never once mentioned buying her a car. It wasn't that Ruan Chutang coveted his cars, but when she put Gu Zechuan and Jiang Shixu side by side like this, the difference between caring and not caring was painfully obvious. Gu Zechuan's affection really couldn't hold a candle. Just as Ruan Chutang was lost in thought, staring off into space, she suddenly heard a startled exclamation. "Wow! This car is gorgeous! I wanted to buy this one before, but in the end I couldn't bring myself to spend the money." It was Chen Wan's voice. Through the car window, Ruan Chutang saw Chen Wan and Gu Zechuan not far away. The two were walking toward the car. Chen Wan hadn't expected to see her dream glacier-blue Bentley Continental right outside Gu Zechuan's doorstep. This was the car of her dreams that she'd longed for but never obtained. Although her family had been close friends with the Gu family for generations, her family could hardly be called wealthy—at best, they were comfortably middle-class. Business had been tough in recent years. Her father's company had been losing money year after year, and now they were counting on her marrying into the Gu family so the Gu Group could give them a helping hand. Seeing the car, Chen Wan made no effort to hide her admiration. She walked up, reached out, and touched it again and again, looking like someone who'd never seen the world. "Zechuan, take a photo of me." Chen Wan stood beside the car, using the window as a mirror to fix her hair. The car window was made of one-way glass—those inside could see out, but those outside couldn't see in. Ruan Chutang, in the driver's seat, tilted her head and watched Chen Wan like she was watching a monkey at the zoo. Just as Chen Wan was completely absorbed in checking her reflection, Ruan Chutang rolled down the window and met her gaze directly. "Hello." Ruan Chutang greeted her with a sweet smile. Chen Wan froze. "Ruan Chutang? Why is it you?" Chen Wan's expression looked as if she'd seen a ghost. Just then, Gu Zechuan also walked up to the car. Seeing Ruan Chutang inside, he furrowed his brow. "Why did you rent a Bentley?" He didn't even ask—he simply assumed on his own that Ruan Chutang had rented the car. Chen Wan snapped back to her senses, adjusted her expression, and put on a mocking smile. "Miss Ruan, are you renting a car for photos? From what I know, renting a luxury car like this for photos isn't cheap, is it? One photo probably costs you a month's salary, right?" Gu Zechuan's brow furrowed even tighter, his disgust undisguised. "Ruan Chutang, you rented this thing just for photos? Are you out of your mind?" Chen Wan smiled and said, "That's right, Miss Ruan. Everyone knows exactly how much you earn. Even if you take photos and post them on your Moments, others will only say you're vain. Why bother?" Ruan Chutang looked at Chen Wan with amusement. "You know so much about it because you've rented one before?" The smile on Chen Wan's face faltered. Because she had indeed rented one before. Back when those women in the socialite circle were showing off their cars and bags, she'd been envious and begged her father to buy her a luxury car. Her father said the family didn't have much money right now and told her not to compete with others. She couldn't accept that, determined to outshine those show-off women in her Moments, so she rented a Lamborghini to take photos. Thinking of this, the embarrassment and awkwardness of being seen through vanished, and Chen Wan suddenly felt relieved. She had rented a Lamborghini—that car cost over ten million, much more expensive than the one Ruan Chutang had rented. Although Chen Wan had indeed rented one, she would never admit it in front of Gu Zechuan. She lifted her chin, looking haughty as she replied, "I don't need to rent. The Lamborghini I drove abroad was much more expensive than yours." "Oh, really? How come I've never seen you drive it?" Ruan Chutang asked. Chen Wan lied without batting an eye. "Got bored of it. Those sports cars are flashy, sure, but they're not suitable for a girl. I just switched to a Panamera recently—I'll drive it over for you to take photos sometime, no charge." Her words were dripping with contempt. She did have a Panamera, but it was a second-hand one she'd bought from someone else. She had no choice—her family was nowhere near what it used to be. Her father's business lost money every year, and now even their villa was mortgaged. If it weren't for trying to hook Gu Zechuan, she wouldn't have been willing to buy a car just to save face. "Oh—" Ruan Chutang dragged out the syllable, replying, "So that's how it is. Weren't you just wanting to take photos? How about I lend it to you?" Chen Wan's face darkened. "No need." Gu Zechuan, who had been standing by, spoke up again. "Ruan Chutang, how come I never noticed before that you're so vain?"