Chapter Nineteen: A Stunning Beauty

Brother Chen was a kind-hearted man, but he was also skilled at playing the subtle game of Tai Chi in conversation. Though he repeatedly said, “Don’t waste your breath arguing with dogs,” and never explicitly stated it, he still hinted that Gu Yin should take on those students.

When Gu Yin returned, he found several people waiting at his driving practice area.

“The coach who brought them over just now was Ma Jixiang. He said you agreed to take on his students,” said Sister Liu from the Santana.

Gu Yin pursed his lips and glanced over at them.

There were five students: four middle-aged women and one middle-aged man, all seemingly over fifty years old.

“Damn it,” Gu Yin cursed silently.

It wasn’t just about being a coach. Anyone who had learned to drive knew that men generally learn faster than women, and younger people learn faster than their elders.

The most dreaded by coaches were those older women…

This wasn’t discrimination, just stating a fact: nationwide, women over thirty or forty who learn to drive usually take at least half a year to get their licenses.

Ordinarily, most people who focus on learning can get through it in just over three months.

But those older women…

Especially in small towns, many with limited education and terrified to drive on the road, some took four to five months if they were quick, and others dragged on for one or two years.

Some would fail the road test multiple times and resort to bribing at the vehicle administration office.

Coaches dreaded such students. And Ma Jixiang had just sent over four of these “exceptional flowers.”

“If I really coached them, it would be a real headache…”

Taking a sip of jasmine tea, Gu Yin shook his head, thinking how lucky he hadn’t planned to teach them.

Indeed, Gu Yin had no intention of helping Ma Jixiang with his students.

Though Chen had put in a good word for him, Gu Yin was not the type to swallow his pride and suffer quietly—otherwise, he wouldn’t have left the driving team and returned to his small hometown.

He was someone who only took what was fair, never giving anyone face.

“Your students for me? Fine, take them.”

He didn’t care.

He wasn’t going to teach them.

They were all registered under Ma Jixiang’s name. If they failed the exam or had complaints, they would come after Ma Jixiang, not him.

They were all just workers at the driving school. If a coach complained to the principal, the principal might ignore it, but if students complained, the principal couldn’t just sit on his hands.

As for the principal giving him a hard time?

He couldn't care less.

At worst, he could quit and drive ride-share cars every day.

If someone got bullied to this extent and still didn’t fight back, they would only be bullied forever. Learn to endure hardship, and you’d suffer forever.

“Hello, coach…”

These middle-aged men and women were actually quite polite. After greeting them one by one, Gu Yin invited them to the old Santana.

“You practice on your own. Just have them sit in the car and chat with you while you practice,” Gu Yin told Sister Liu.

“Huh? Not letting them practice?” Sister Liu asked.

“Well, if you want to teach them, go ahead,” Gu Yin rolled his eyes.

“Then... forget it. I can’t even reverse park properly without crossing the line; I can’t teach others,” Sister Liu replied.

Gu Yin was speechless.

When they returned to the Jieda car, the angry fat woman, Mengmeng, had calmed down thanks to Xia Qianyi, but she still insisted on not getting out of the car, wanting to keep an eye on Gu Yin to prevent him from making any moves on Xia Qianyi again.

Gu Yin rolled his eyes so hard it felt like they might pop out.

Thus passed the day’s driving practice quietly.

The morning light was dazzling, the sunset pleasing to the eye. As the distant sky gradually took on a gradient of orange and red, the day’s training finally drew to a close.

“I’ll take you back,” Gu Yin said.

The driving school was in a remote area, where taxis were hard to get. Usually, new students were accompanied and sent back by Gu Yin to the pickup point.

“Can you take us a bit further?” Fat Mengmeng wasn’t shy about asking to be driven back to the city.

“That’s too far; I’m not going,” Gu Yin waved his hand. “I have a part-time job tonight.”

“?” Fat Mengmeng glanced at him. “Your car’s already smashed up like that. How can you do any part-time jobs?”

You have no idea how many people are desperate to drive our Qianyi and still can’t get the job!

Gu Yin was speechless.

He felt insulted.

“None of your business,” he rolled his eyes.

“We’ll pay you,” Xia Qianyi said understandingly. “Just like ordering a ride-share.”

“Alright, that works,” Gu Yin agreed.

After locking up the Jieda coach car and greeting the students, clocking out, Gu Yin took Xia Qianyi and Mengmeng into his gray BYD Qin and drove away from the driving school.

Autumn had arrived, and the nights were getting darker earlier. It was just past 5:30 p.m., yet the sky was already dimming.

Gu Yin took a box of xylitol gum from the car, popped a piece out, and savored the sweet jasmine flavor blooming on his tongue, feeling much more relaxed.

“Are you keeping it all to yourself?” Mengmeng noticed that Xia Qianyi also wanted some and reached out. Gu Yin didn’t stop her.

“Did you use to smoke?” Xia Qianyi suddenly asked.

Gu Yin was slightly taken aback. Looking up through the rearview mirror, he saw the orange-red light casting a glow on the hood of the sweatshirt she had just put back on. Only her smooth chin was visible, but somehow Gu Yin felt as though her gaze was piercing straight through him.

“No, I don’t have that bad habit,” Gu Yin shook his head.

“As far as I know, eating sunflower seeds or chewing gum are ways longtime smokers use to distract themselves and control cravings,” Xia Qianyi said softly.

“How do you know so much about this?” Gu Yin didn’t answer directly but instead teased, “What, do you smoke too?”

“What are you talking about!” Fat Mengmeng exploded again. “Our Qianyi would never smoke!”

More barking ensued...

Gu Yin lost interest and focused on driving.

The driving school was located east of a remote village, so leaving it meant driving along a country road. It was golden October, the harvest season. Cornfields were filled with busy farmers, and occasionally a harvester could be seen.

The evening sunlight bathed the already golden fields. The faint scent of burning straw filled the air, oddly comforting.

Suddenly, Gu Yin recalled a song he dreamt of last night.

He hummed it quietly as he drove.

“Under the distant blue sky, waves of golden wheat…”

The girl in the backseat listened, slightly turning her head, curious.

…