“Heh, little one, look here,” the man in the baseball cap said, his voice laced with amusement. “I’m driving you, yet you ask how you got in the car before you even ask my name. That seems a bit rude, don’t you think?” The cap held the steering wheel with his left hand, while his right pressed the button for the rear left window. The window slid down with a whoosh, and a sudden gust of wind roared in, turning Sakurako’s already messy hair into something resembling a bird’s nest, the howling air blasting into her ears like a banshee’s cry.

“I don’t want the wind! Roll up the window…” Sakurako managed to shout over the noise, clutching at the locks of hair the wind had whipped into a frenzy. She frowned, thinking how unreasonable this man was. She had asked who he was moments ago; if he refused to answer then, why was he now turning the tables and calling her impolite?

The man in the cap shook his head and raised the window halfway, leaving the top section open. He said to Sakurako, “Don’t you find this strong wind hitting your face exhilarating? And accompanied by that wild, howling sound? An ordinary highway certainly can’t offer you such a high-class experience.”

Hearing this, Sakurako leaned up slightly, glanced at the speedometer, and saw the needle pegged at 170 kilometers per hour! Xiao Shu, who was barely eighteen and couldn't even get a license, had never dared take Sakurako for such a wild ride. Usually, when she rode in a car, it was a rare taxi or occasionally hitching a ride in a classmate’s family car. The thought of doing something this reckless had never crossed her mind.

But now, the man in the cap had stomped the accelerator to the floor, pushing the car to its absolute limit. The ravines, fields, low trees, and pale clouds on either side blurred past like arrows shooting backward. A powerful torrent of air rushed through the half-open window, stirring up a feeling that was suspiciously close to an adrenaline spike.

Sakurako was still an inexperienced girl, raised with strict manners and always careful to adhere to propriety; breaking rules always made her uneasy. Now, relying on common sense, she knew this Cap Man was speeding excessively and warned him, “Slow down, please. It would be safer.”

Even though Sakurako voiced her concern and adopted an expression clearly showing she wasn't enjoying the ride, the man ignored her, keeping his foot firmly on the gas pedal. He didn't slow down even when navigating several sharp turns. Sakurako stared through the windshield at the road ahead, startled several times as she thought the car was about to fly off the curve ahead, shrinking into a ball of fear each time she anticipated a collision. Yet, at the very last second, the man in the cap would gently guide the steering wheel, nudging the vehicle back onto its proper track. A girl who loved driving might have been utterly captivated by his unparalleled technical skill. However, our Sakurako was not that kind of girl. She felt not a hint of coolness from him; instead, this man seemed like a terrorist, miles away from the gentleman she held dear in her heart, Xiao Shu. In the end, she couldn't bear being in his car anymore and sat huddled in the back, quietly sobbing. Only then did the man slow down and pull over onto the emergency shoulder.

“Are you alright?” The man in the cap reached into the tissue box, pulled out a sheet, and offered it to the tearful girl.

Sakurako slapped his hand away, sobbing, “I want to go home. Take me back to where you picked me up.” The tissue slipped from his grasp, fluttering down to settle on the floor mat.

The man in the cap leaned over to retrieve the tissue, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it into the ashtray. He turned back to the wheel, his tone carrying a slight edge of displeasure. “I was tasked by your parents to bring you to your new home. Does it really mean nothing to you who I am?”

At these words, Sakurako suddenly realized she had behaved poorly. Though she still didn't understand the situation, this person had driven her all this way and even offered her a tissue out of kindness. Not only had she rejected the gesture, but she’d knocked the tissue away—that was genuinely unreasonable behavior on her part.

So, she quickly wiped her tears, her expression softening as she spoke pleasantly, “I’m sorry, I got a little emotional just now. May I ask your name? And what new home are my parents having you take me to? They never mentioned anything about moving.”

For more novels, visit storyread.net.