Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Clean Seats

"Oh no, this is bad!"

Xiaoyan realized something terrible the moment she stepped into the women’s restroom. "Could he have already noticed?"

She was fraught with anxiety, but after thinking it over, she realized she hadn’t had any better options at the time. If she had just left it alone, there was a chance Zhang Yan wouldn’t notice and it would air-dry naturally. But if she had made any obvious movements, she would have been caught red-handed! That would have been even more awkward.

Even so, the mere possibility of being discovered made Xiaoyan want the ground to swallow her whole. How was she ever going to face him again?

In a fit of pique, she forcefully rubbed the wadded silk in her hands and wrung it out. "I can’t wear this for now, but I don’t have a spare. What should I do?"

After hesitating a few times, she simply couldn’t bring herself to put it back on. Not only would the dampness be incredibly uncomfortable, but it would also be even more obvious the moment she sat down. She had no choice but to carefully fold the fabric, wrap it in toilet paper, and stuff it into her purse.

Although there were a few marks on her skirt as well, the material was very thin and quick-drying. As long as she washed the specific spots, a little breeze would take care of the rest. Fortunately, the skirt she wore today wasn’t too short, so the chances of accidentally exposing herself were low—though sitting down still posed a slight risk.

"Forget it. If it’s him, even if he sees something..."

After dawdling for a long time and wandering around a well-ventilated area for several laps, Xiaoyan finally returned to the driving practice area.

The breezy sensation was quite novel to her. Coupled with the thrilling fear of being exposed at any moment, that strange feeling surfaced in her heart once again. She even entertained the thought of finding a secluded spot to expose herself just to try it out!

"What is wrong with me today? I’ve been a coward since I was little, so why do I keep having these dangerous thoughts!" Shaking her head, she walked toward Zhang Yan with a nervous heart.

"You’re back. Let’s stop practicing for today. It’s about time we grab something to eat," Zhang Yan said.

"Okay, sounds good." Hearing him finally take the initiative to invite her to dinner, Xiaoyan felt a surge of joy. This meant their relationship had taken another step forward!

However, her good mood instantly collapsed the moment she got into the car and took the passenger seat.

The leather seat cushion was perfectly clean.

Completely spotless! There wasn’t a single water stain!

Xiaoyan forced herself not to look at Zhang Yan’s expression. She silently turned her head to look out the window, deciding to play dead for the time being.

But how could Zhang Yan let her off so easily?

"Were you not feeling well earlier? You were in the restroom for quite a while."

Logically speaking, it was inappropriate to ask such a private question out loud. However, Zhang Yan had already checked the backlog of system notifications and knew the progress of Xiaoyan’s feelings for him, so he naturally felt emboldened.

Sure enough, upon being asked such a personal question, Xiaoyan didn’t show the slightest hint of anger. Instead, she looked incredibly flustered, like a little girl whose secret had been discovered.

"Y-yeah, I think I was a little carsick. I just got some fresh air, and I’m all better now."

Zhang Yan suddenly leaned in closely. His lips were so near they were almost brushing against the shell of her ear.

"Did you wash them?"

The quiet whisper exploded in Xiaoyan’s mind like a clap of thunder. Extreme shame shattered all her remaining modesty to pieces.

"I-I don’t know what you’re talking about..."

"I think you definitely washed them."

Zhang Yan’s voice grew even deeper, and his hot breath fanned against her intensely, as if pouring straight through her ear canal and into her heart.

Under the dual assault of the deep-seated shame in her heart and the tickling sensation by her ear, Xiaoyan instinctively shrank back. But the space inside the car was limited, and she quickly bumped against the window, leaving her with nowhere to escape.

Zhang Yan followed her like a shadow, pressing close. "So, are you wearing them right now, or..."

Under the mounting pressure, something inside Xiaoyan seemed to snap. Throwing caution to the wind, her shyness suddenly vanished. She cast aside her evasive posture and looked Zhang Yan straight in the eyes, a strange glint flashing in her gaze.

"If you really want to know so badly, why don’t you feel for yourself and find out?" she purred.

Zhang Yan was surprised by her reaction.

During their past interactions, his impression of Xiaoyan was that of someone who loved to use little tricks to flirt, but would become shyer than anyone else when things got real—the standard type who loved to play with fire but completely lacked the nerve to follow through.

But now, it seemed she was gradually becoming able to shed all her shame in front of him. It appeared that some sort of change had occurred within her while he wasn’t paying attention. Perhaps it was related to her being "secretly in love." That was the only guess he could make for now.

Faced with this bold version of Xiaoyan, Zhang Yan ceased his advance. He leaned back into the driver’s seat and calmly started the car.

"I’m not going to do that. I’d have to wash my hands afterward. Besides, I prefer it when you tell me yourself."

He might not match her when it came to actual driving skills, but on this particular track, there was no way a grown man like him was going to be the loser.

Sure enough, Xiaoyan didn’t continue the banter. At this speed, any further escalation would cross straight into censored territory.

Along the way, Zhang Yan gradually regained his feel for driving. Although he drove very slowly, he was incredibly steady.

In Xiaoyan’s eyes, however, Zhang Yan wasn’t driving slowly because he was a novice. She assumed he was doing it on purpose, simply wanting to show off his luxury car on the road a bit longer.

In truth, the stunning, rarely-seen Guoya did attract many pedestrians to stop and take photos. Xiaoyan thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of being watched and admired.

Sitting in the passenger seat, she finished retouching the photos she had taken earlier and posted a nine-grid collage of the luxury car to her Friends Circle. Just a moment before hitting send, though, she remembered something in the nick of time and blocked Chi Xinyue from seeing it.

Watching the rapidly climbing likes and reading the comments filled with envy and praise, Xiaoyan’s vanity was once again immensely satisfied.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yan, who was steadily adapting to the road conditions, began to ponder the partner system.

He still hadn’t pressed the button on the prompt box, and it was entirely because of the system’s question: [Do you accept her feelings?]

If this were a game or a trivial online quiz, Zhang Yan wouldn’t have hesitated at all. Accept it and move on; what was the big deal? It was just words, nothing serious.

But this was Brother Tongzi asking.

Why would it ask, "Do you accept her feelings?"

Honestly, it was very strange. If the partner system was activated, it was activated. At most, a simple notification should have sufficed. Yet, it required him to accept her feelings before he could bind her as a partner and distribute the exclusive funds.

This couldn’t help but make Zhang Yan a little worried. If he clicked the ’accept’ button, would his true emotions be influenced by Brother Tongzi’s supernatural power?

Therefore, the key issue was whether, deep in his heart, he actually wanted to accept Xiaoyan’s feelings.

In other words, he had to figure out if he was willing to give her some basic affection in return, rather than treating it like his deeply intimate encounters with a certain nurse—a purely transactional exchange where everything ended the moment the clock stopped.

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