Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Stimulation

Xiaoyan carefully got into the driver’s seat, took off her shoes, and set them aside. She expertly adjusted the seat, observed her surroundings for a moment, and started the car. It seemed her previous claim about being a good driver wasn’t an empty boast. The moment she finally clicked her seatbelt into place, Zhang Yan already felt today’s trip was worthwhile. She really was born to be a driver.

"Senior Zhang Yan, where are we going next? Should we drop the car off at your place first?"

Silently withdrawing his gaze, Zhang Yan took out his phone and pulled up a location. "No need. Drive directly to this address. I rented a practice course to work on my driving."

Originally, Zhang Yan had indeed planned to park the car downstairs at his apartment complex and wait until he was more experienced before driving it. But since he had brought Xiaoyan along, and his current living situation wasn’t exactly presentable, he changed his mind on the spot and slightly adjusted his plan.

The Guoya started smoothly. It appeared Xiaoyan really did have excellent driving skills. However, this was a million-dollar luxury car after all. Even though Xiaoyan was confident in her driving, she remained overly cautious, her nerves constantly on edge. The car’s exterior was incredibly flashy; even though the vast majority of people couldn’t recognize the make, they instinctively kept a respectful distance. Nevertheless, the road was still full of unpredictable hazards—like electric scooters suddenly darting out of alleyways at intersections. Whenever that happened, both the delivery rider and Xiaoyan would violently jolt in shock, each breaking out in a cold sweat. As a result, Xiaoyan’s emotions were on a rollercoaster the entire way, her back completely drenched in sweat. Taking this dream luxury car out on the road wasn’t nearly as glamorous as she had imagined; instead, it felt like walking on thin ice!

All of this was actually part of Zhang Yan’s plan. The suspension bridge effect dictated that emotional arousal in a specific environment could heavily influence a person’s feelings of attraction. The anxiety and tension generated by other activities would often be misattributed to the partner beside them—a psychological phenomenon known as emotional transfer or misattribution of arousal. Letting Xiaoyan be the first to drive his beloved car didn’t just massively stroke her ego and effectively boost her baseline affection for him; it also meant that the various "little scares" she encountered along the way would trigger that very same emotional transfer. Coupled with the existence of the partner system, which allowed him to accurately monitor her mood, Zhang Yan basically had victory in the bag.

When they finally arrived at the destination, Xiaoyan parked the car steadily by the side of the road and let out a long, deep exhale. Her arms were stiff, and her knuckles were pale from gripping the steering wheel too tightly.

"Senior Zhang Yan, we’re here. I was scared to death the entire way."

Zhang Yan naturally grasped Xiaoyan’s hand and rubbed it gently. "Look at you, you’re sweating from all that stress. Even if you actually crashed and wrecked it, do you really think I’d do anything to you?"

Although Xiaoyan wasn’t repulsed by him holding her hand, the realization that her palms were currently sweaty made her pull away in a panic. She hurriedly fished a wet wipe out of her bag to wipe her hands and the steering wheel clean.

"Senior Zhang Yan, can I take a few pictures?" she asked. It was a rare opportunity to sit in the driver’s seat of a million-dollar luxury car. If she didn’t take a few photos to post on her Friends Circle, it would feel worse than death.

"Of course. Just don’t include me in the shots. I’m going to contact the person in charge here; feel free to take your time."

CLICK. CLICK.

Xiaoyan struck various poses inside the car, snapping dozens of photos from different angles. She planned to meticulously edit them when she got home before posting them online. Seeing that Zhang Yan was wrapping up his phone call, she felt a sudden impulse. She sneakily took a picture of his side profile, then said in a sweet, delicate voice, "Senior Zhang Yan, I want to take a few pictures of myself with the car. Could you help me?"

"No problem." Zhang Yan took the phone she handed him and got out of the car alongside her.

He glanced casually at the screen. It was already in camera mode, but the little gallery icon in the bottom left corner seemed to display a picture of him. Swiping slightly, he saw that it was just a single shot of his side profile, looking exactly like a candid photo taken out of hidden admiration. He wondered whether it was intentional or just a careless mistake, considering it was a candid shot that just "happened" to be the most recent photo. Zhang Yan chuckled softly and started directing Xiaoyan’s poses.

"You can get a bit closer to the car. Leaning against it slightly works too. A little more to the left—yes, just like that. Hold still..."

SNAP!

Although Zhang Yan’s photography skills weren’t stellar, he had practiced enough to at least pass muster. Taking a few extra shots would give her plenty of material to edit on her own later.

While Zhang Yan was taking photos for Xiaoyan, a man around thirty years old wearing a work uniform had already come out to greet them. However, he merely waited quietly to the side, not wanting to interrupt. Only when he saw Zhang Yan walk over to return the phone to Xiaoyan did the man hurry forward.

"A luxury car paired with a beautiful woman. Mr. Zhang is truly a young man of great promise. I am Mr. Zhang Xiang, the supervisor here."

This place was a driving school, which did occasionally rent out its grounds for people to practice on. Typically, a regular instructor would come out to handle the reception. However, Zhang Xiang had happened to be in his upstairs office. Seeing an unfamiliar luxury car pull up to their front door, he asked around and personally took over the hosting duties.

"Hello. Where is the practice course I rented?"

"This way, Mr. Zhang. I’ll find a practice vehicle for you first."

"There’s no need. I’ll just drive this one. I’d appreciate it if you could arrange a larger area for me."

Zhang Xiang hesitated for a split second before making a quick decision. "In that case, please wait a moment, Mr. Zhang. I need to go coordinate this."

"Sorry for the trouble. As for the price difference caused by the venue change, Supervisor Zhang, there’s no need to be polite. Just charge me the full amount." Changing the venue and arrangements at the last minute would undoubtedly cause trouble for the other party. Since Zhang Xiang had agreed to help him coordinate without a second thought, Zhang Yan naturally wanted to return the favor by making it worth his while financially.

Xiaoyan waited until the man left before hurriedly leaning in. "Senior Zhang Yan, you’re going to use this brand-new car to practice?"

Even though she had only "owned" this Guoya for a brief moment, Xiaoyan already wanted to cherish it like her own child. Hearing that Zhang Yan wanted to use it for driving practice made her undeniably anxious.

"Relax, it’ll be fine."

About ten minutes later, Zhang Xiang led Zhang Yan and Xiaoyan to an incredibly spacious course. As long as one wasn’t a complete amateur, practicing in the center meant they definitely wouldn’t hit the walls. Thoughtfully, the surrounding walls were also equipped with shock-absorbing materials. How effective they actually were was hard to say, but they certainly provided an extra sense of security.

"Thank you, Supervisor Zhang."

"You are too polite, Mr. Zhang. Do you need us to provide an experienced instructor to practice with you?"

"No need. I brought my own."

Zhang Xiang had noticed Xiaoyan accompanying him early on, but since he was unsure of the relationship between the two, he hadn’t presumptuously addressed her. Hearing now that this girl was just a driving companion left him a bit surprised. Perhaps it was just a quirky pastime of the rich.

As Zhang Yan adjusted the seat and settled into the driver’s side, Xiaoyan’s heart leapt into her throat. It wasn’t that she feared an accident, but rather she couldn’t bear the thought of seeing the car get scraped or scratched.

Zhang Yan was extremely satisfied with her nervousness.

"If we’re going for thrills, we might as well go all the way!" he thought. "When I drive, even I scare myself!"

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