On the coastal road, a rapidly speeding black Bentley was at a T-junction. Across the railings was a stretch of sea, and approximately 200 meters away from the railings, the Bentley car came to a halt...
The driver was a young girl, her wide eyes filled with sorrow. She gripped the steering wheel tightly, turned her body around, and her sorrow-filled eyes transformed into hope, as she said softly to the man in the backseat, "Uncle Lu, do you love me?"
The man in the backseat had a handsome face, one that could rival any popular male star. His tailor-made Italian suit emphasized his extraordinary status. He let out a soft sigh, seemingly used to this question, his tone exuding helplessness, "Shen Tong..."
Ji Shen Tong let out a self-mocking chuckle. She had always liked his voice, but now, those words from his lips hurt her.
Ji Shen Tong turned away, not looking at him anymore, but fixed her gaze on the sea ahead.
The sea waves rolled layer upon layer, she seemed to be able to hear the sound of the waves crashing.
The sorrow in her heart grew more intense. Lu Jing Chen had been kind to her, saving her from dire situations, even if he didn't love her, he should at least like her, she thought.
"Do You love me?" She refused to believe that Lu Jing Chen didn't love her. Otherwise, why would he spoil her this much?
Ji Shen Tong didn't cry or throw a tantrum, like a criminal awaiting sentencing. Even though she knew the answer from Lu Jing Chen, she still stubbornly waited.
"What I feel for you is nothing more than the affection a senior has for a junior."
His words were like a sharp sword piercing her heart, it hurt so much...
That kind of pain was not fatal, yet it was more unbearable than death itself. It gradually extended to her limbs, gradually making her feel cold.
Ji Shen Tong trembled, shaking all over, as if a person on the brink of death was searching for a last glimmer of hope, "We are not really uncle and niece! You know I've always liked you!"
"Or is it..." her face paled as she said something even she didn't believe, "Or is it... is it because of the Ji family? If the Ji family collapses, I won't have any value anymore?"
When she didn't hear Lu Jing Chen's response, Ji Shen Tong once again tasted the feeling of extreme pain and despair. This feeling was as though her life would end in the next second.
She thought she would never experience such pain again...
The person she loved was either dead or had left. Once placed on a pedestal by everyone, Ji Xintong has now plummeted to such a level, and the man in the car who shared no blood relation with her became her only reliance.
"Do you want me?" She almost fell into despair and no longer dared to ask him about "love".
Her voice suddenly turned cold, a tone Lu Jingchen had never heard before.
"I want to get married."
A simple sentence, a clear answer.
Ji Xintong dismissed his words, she only wanted to hear "yes" or "no".
"Do you want me then?" She raised her voice, eager to hear his response.
Lu Jingchen closed his eyes, concealing the emotions at the bottom of his heart. Yet, one could still vaguely see the pity reflected in his eyes. How reluctant he was to hurt this girl, only he knew.
"Xintong, don't be stubborn, you're still young. When you grow up, you will find someone better than me."
Admittedly, when it comes to this girl, Lu Jingchen was always patient.
But, could Ji Xintong hear any of this? All she knew was that the only person who treated her well didn't want her anymore. Her entire world seemed to collapse.
"Do you want me? Do you?" She asked twice, her voice saturated with tears.
Pressing him so hard, Ji Xintong knew that even now, Lu Jingchen didn't want to speak harshly to her. But didn't he know that silence at such a moment is the most painful?
She was in so much pain, she was even having trouble breathing. Right now, she was desperate for an outlet to vent.
Without a second thought, she hit the gas. The aggressive sound of screeching tires filled Lu Jingchen's ears almost instantly. The black Bentley roared to life like a beast unleashed!
The speed, too fast! Even though Lu Jingchen promptly grabbed the handle behind the co-pilot seat, his body involuntarily rocked back due to the inertia.
The engine's noise and the tires' friction piercing through the car windows were particularly harsh.
"Tongtong, hit the brakes quickly. You'll hurt yourself like this," he said, his tone as gentle as usual, as if this dangerous move was just a child's play.
He knew that at this moment, Ji Xintong needed his guidance.
Lu Jingchen's voice penetrated her eardrums, reached her heart, just like an antidote that brought back her sanity.
Look, even in this dangerous situation, this man still thought about her.
The speeding Bentley forced the newly recovered Ji Xintong to slam on the brakes. Slightly terrified, she couldn’t believe her own impulsiveness! But what truly froze Ji Xintong to the core was… it seemed like the brakes were failing!
Ji Xintong quivered, her face nearly drained of blood, and yet she still attempted multiple times to brake.
“The brakes…” Ji Xintong’s trembling voice squeezed out the distorted words, when suddenly she heard Lu Jingchen's reminder from behind her...
“Watch out, there's a car on the right!”
As Ji Xintong spotted the car on the right, her mind went blank, choking on the words “failure”. Seeing the two cars about to collide, a surge of helplessness, fear, and guilt washed over her…
She wished she could stop all this, but she was powerless to do so.
I'm sorry, Uncle Lu, I don't want you to die.
“Brakes are failing,” she spoke these five words out, filled with despair. The remorse present in that statement was something only she could deeply comprehend.
In the confined space of a Bentley, Lu Jingchen, with his tall stature, found it difficult to even straighten up. He crouched over, maneuvered around the front seat, and enveloped Ji Shentong's head with his arm.
Ji Shentong could only feel a tightness around her neck and shoulders. Her head was pressed against Lu Jingchen's chest, his embrace was so heavy.
"Uncle Lu, I'm sorry, this catastrophe is my fault, but you still chose to give me a chance at survival."
"Shentong, close your eyes, don't be afraid."
At that moment, Ji Shentong's heart was filled with deep regret...
Her throat constricted and amidst the ensuing disaster, the accumulating guilt prompted her to speak her final words: "Uncle Lu, I'm sorry, I love you..."
"Bang!"