On the sunny afternoon, Hua Linzhen, who rode her bicycle as fast as a racing car, made an impressive drifting turn at a street corner. With joy in her heart for her improved drifting skills, her youthful exuberance shone radiantly on her youthful face.
While her waist-length black ponytail fluttered in the wind, Hua Linzhen elegantly turned the corner.
"Ah——Watch out, move away! I'm going to crash!" Hua Linzhen's wide eyes bulged in alarm, as she saw the green SUV just a meter away, screaming with fear.
"Bang!" Even as she slammed on the brakes while twisting the handlebars to change direction, the swiftly moving bicycle's front wheel still crashed passionately into the hood of the SUV.
The vehicles collided in an instant. Due to the excessive speed, Hua Linzhen, who was on the bicycle, was thrown off balance by the impact, swinging forward and backward and then falling to the right.
"Bang…"
In the middle of the fall, accompanied by a painful landing noise, Hua Linzhen's right leg and arm violently scraped against the rough cement asphalt.
"Ouch... Holy cow! Who parked their car here!" Hua Linzhen, dressed in a short sleeve and shorts, exclaimed in pain as she fell to the ground, immediately showing her combative spirit by flipping herself back up.
Hua Linzhen, out of habit, first looked at the car's license plate before looking up. Her anger immediately ceased upon seeing the red 'military' character at the beginning of the plate. She did not even have the interest to look at the plate's remaining numbers.
"Military, military vehicle!" Hua Linzhen's little brain boomed, her angry face instantly stiffening while her wide eyes slowly turned towards the windshield.
When she saw a person sitting in the driver's seat, her knees went weak and she thought of running away.
Oh, mom!
What a lucky day!
She had somehow hit a military vehicle!
To be clear, she had somehow foolishly crashed into a military vehicle!
On the scorchingly hot midday sun, there weren't many pedestrians or cars. Zhao Jinkun got out of his car to buy a pack of cigarettes and just returned to his car, without having the chance to start the car.
Suddenly, a figure and a vehicle burst out from the front, and amid the flurry of hair in the wind, he saw the person and the car suddenly fall right in front of his vehicle. He was slightly taken aback, and his handsome face paled instantly.
The car window was left open. Zhao Jinkun intended to get out of the vehicle, but he heard Hua Linzhen angrily scolding him as a jerk. He paused, looked forward through the windshield.
There was a girl, with a long ponytail tied up, staring wide-eyed at his license plate, then lifted her eyes to look at him, her face showing despair.
After their gazes met, Zhao Jinkun quickly got out of his car. Hua Linzhen immediately looked at his shoulder insignia, and her legs gave out immediately.
Two bars and two stars!
A Lieutenant Colonel in the army!
This was a senior military officer who was not to be messed with!
She glanced once more at his youthful and handsome face. Such a young senior officer must have been a ruthless, and heartless figure!
Filled with thoughts of regret, Hua Linzhen's rigid face twitched a few times.
After her brain froze for a few seconds, Hua Linzhen suddenly seemed very chirpy and a radiant smile blossomed on her face.
"Heh-heh... sir, your car wasn't damaged at all! There is not even a single scratch!" Hua Linzhen immediately pointed at the jeep with the military license plate and confidently said.
From the cool drifting, to the crash, to the anger, and to the despair when seeing the military plate, Hua Linzhen's emotions rose and fell like a roller coaster in just a few seconds. Only then did she have the chance to take a good look at the young man dressed in olive green military uniform.
He was at least 185 cm tall, eyes set underneath resolute brows, a straight nose, and thin lips. By looks alone, he was a refined and gentle young master.
The upright military uniform added a strong, masculine quality to his gentle demeanor.
Especially his pair of gentle yet sharp black eyes, made Hua Linzhen realize, that although this man appeared benign and harmless, he was definitely not as easy to deal with as he seemed.
"What's the rush on the road?" Zhao Jinkun didn't even look at his roadster, but briefly examined Hua Linzhen's right knee and right arm, shocked at the sight of the blood seeping from the torn skin. But his tone of voice remains calm and free of accusation.
Looking at Zhao Jinkun's kind-hearted gaze, Hua Linzhen's heart beat out of fear. If he found out she was speeding to practice drifting, he might just take her to the police station.
"The brakes are broken!" The inspiration flashed, and Hua Linzhen suddenly pointed to her bicycle which appeared excessively small in comparison to the SUV, nodding in affirmation.
Hua Linzhen didn't blink, confidently stating her case. This caused Zhao Jinkun to take a closer look at the twisted bicycle, his keen eyes quickly noticing that the brakes seemed perfectly fine.
Taking advantage of Zhao Jinkun's scrutiny of the bicycle, Hua Linzhen promptly bent down to manage the bicycle, not sure whether it was still usable or not.
"Hehe…well, sir, you must be very busy. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave!" Hua Linzhen, trying to look pleasing, pushed her bike and prepared to leave.
"Wait!" As soon as she turned the bike around, with Zhao Jinkun now facing the bike's rear end, he commanded her to hold still.
"Sir! I can't afford to pay you! I spent my last penny on an ice cream!" Hua Linzhen froze, assuming that Zhao Jinkun was demanding compensation, she pleaded with a troubled look.
"Who said anything about you paying?" Zhao Jinkun's eyes were slightly smiling; this little girl in front of him, managing to express so many emotions in just a few seconds, was undeniably cute.
Why was he asking her to stop if he didn't want compensation?
She very much wanted to ask that question, but feeling intimidated by his military status, she just put on a bitter face and looked at Zhao Jinkun, questioning him with her eyes.
"What are you trying to do? Please mind you that I'm not a piece for sale!" Waiting for Zhao Jinkun's response, Hua Linzhen was shocked when he pulled out a black wallet and casually took out some banknotes, prompting her to immediately stop him.
A respectable military officer, who had the decency of a human being, tried to pull off such a despicable act in broad daylight!
"... Who's trying to buy you?" Zhao Jinkun's refined face turned slightly dark, eye corner twitching as he gazed at the startled Hua Linzhen.
At such a young age, what could he possibly want from her? Did he appear unsatisfied?
"Take it for the bike repair," Zhao Jinkun stated, stepping forward and extending several banknotes toward Hualin Qin.
"A gentleman does not live on charity!" Hualin Qin glanced at the portrait of Mao on the banknotes, lifted her chin slightly, and retorted with a defiant attitude.
She had no plans to keep her bike with its current state of disrepair.
With his slender fingers holding the money, Zhao Jinkun's outstretched hand remained still in front of Hualin Qin.
"Charity binds the receiver; I will fix my own bike!" Hualin Qin had never seen anyone insisting on financially compensating the person responsible for the accident. Her bright eyes sparkled with stubbornness as she suspected a plot behind his actions.
Having to crane her neck to look up at the tall Zhao Jinkun diminished her imposing aura.
"If you don't take it, you're not going anywhere!" Zhao Jinkun insisted, his tone becoming demanding.
Although Hualin Qin had hit his bike, both him and his bike were in good shape. Conversely, Hualin Qin's bike was worse for wear and she was slightly injured, not to mention she was a student.
Hualin Qin's heart fluttered. The officer before her had a soft and warm look, but the flash of sternness in his eyes a moment ago suggested he wouldn't hesitate to take extreme measures if she didn't accept the money.
Hualin Qin was not an obstinate person. Adhering to the principle of flexibility, she glanced at the portrait of Mao again.
Raising her eyes to meet Zhao Jinkun's somewhat mysterious gaze, she suddenly reached out and grabbed the banknotes from him.
"Free stuff is always good! I'll use it for ice cream!" Hualin Qin pushed her bike away after grabbing the money, murmuring under her breath with clenched teeth.
Although she was not short of money, since he insisted on giving it to her, she might as well treat herself to a good meal.
"What did you say? Ice cream?" Hua Linzeng spoke quietly, most people probably wouldn't hear her, yet Zhao Jinkun, with his exceptional ears, heard it crystal clear.
Under the scorching sun, Hua Linzeng suddenly felt a chill down her spine.
"No! I didn't say anything!" As if chased by a wild dog, Hua Linzeng grabbed the bike handle with her left hand, clenched the money-holding right hand onto the bicycle frame, picked up the folded bike, and ran.
"..." Watching Hua Linzeng's brisk steps as she hoisted the bicycle and dashed off, Zhao Jinkun stared stunned at her petite figure.
While bicycles aren't too heavy, Hua Linzeng seemed quite thin without a robust look, yet she managed to carry the bike and run away!
"She's like a runaway wild leopard cub, her fighting spirit is probably stronger than the average boy." After watching Hua Linzeng sprint fifty meters away and anxiously look back as if worried Zhao Jinkun would chase her, Zhao Jinkun couldn't help but laugh, giving his comment.