MM Racing Page 169
Page 169
The sun shone down on her without any obstruction. It was winter sunshine, which should have been warm and comforting, but at this moment it made her feel scorched and disoriented.
Her cheeks flushed red, and she turned around, both embarrassed and annoyed, to glare at Xia Mi, who was still grinning under the shade of the tree.
Lu Mingfei looked at Su Xiaoqiang, who was pushed out and seemed a little helpless, then at Xia Mi behind her with a "look how sensible I am" expression, and at Erii, who stood quietly next to Xia Mi with pure and innocent eyes, and understood.
Among the girls that Lu Mingfei took the initiative to acknowledge, there were Liu Miaomiao, Ling, Xia Mi, Erii, and Su Xiaoqiang.
Aside from Liu Miaomiao, whom he had just spent time with, Xia Mi and Erii had already had intimate moments alone with him.
Even on the way to Japan, the scene of embracing and confiding in each other among the clouds at an altitude of 10,000 meters is still vivid in my mind.
Only Su Xiaoqiang.
This once proud "little fairy" became the most awkward person in his life and the one who had the least opportunity to be alone with him after going through life and death with him.
She always used her coquettishness to cover up her shyness and her complaints to mask her expectations. Lu Mingfei was not unaware of her complex feelings—the desire to be seen by him and the fear of being ignored.
Lu Mingfei's gaze softened, filled with a hint of apology and understanding, and fell upon Su Xiaoqiang.
Su Xiaoqiang felt even more embarrassed under his gaze. Her hands unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes, her eyes darting around, but she dared not look at him, still forcing herself to say:
"What are you looking at! Xia Mi pushed me! I didn't want to disturb you... Ugh!"
Before she could finish speaking, Lu Mingfei gently interrupted her.
"Miaomiao, why don't you stay with them for a while?" Lu Mingfei looked at Liu Miaomiao beside him.
Liu Miaomiao was stunned for a moment, and looking at the situation in front of her, she instantly understood Lu Mingfei's intention.
Although she felt a slight sense of loss, she felt more understanding and a wonderful sense of peace.
She released Lu Mingfei's hand, a warm smile blooming on her face, and nodded gently:
"Yes, you two have a good chat."
As she spoke, she walked towards the group of girls, including Mai and Su Enxi, who were under the shade of a tree.
Lu Mingfei took a step forward and stood directly in front of Su Xiaoqiang, so close that he could see her slightly trembling eyelashes.
He smiled and extended his hand:
"The weather is so nice, Miss Su, would you do me the honor of walking with me?"
Su Xiaoqiang looked at his outstretched hand, then at the familiar, heart-pounding smile on his face—a smile that was both lazy and incredibly earnest.
That forced arrogance instantly deflated like a punctured balloon; her heart skipped a beat, and the blush on her cheeks deepened.
She glanced quickly at Liu Miaomiao, who was looking at her with an encouraging and gratified smile, and Xia Mi, who was under the shade of a tree with a "say yes, say yes" expression on her face.
Finally, as if she had nothing to lose, she suddenly raised her head and gently placed her hand in his palm.
"...Hmph! I'll just take this as keeping an eye on you! So that you... won't make Miao Miao cry again!" She turned her face away, her voice still carrying a hint of arrogance, but her feigned composure and undisguised joy betrayed her true feelings.
Lu Mingfei smiled and gently grasped her slightly cool but no longer resistant hand: "Alright, let Miss Su supervise. Let's go?"
Su Xiaoqiang didn't say anything more, but just let him lead her, walking faster as he led her toward the ice cream truck.
The sunlight shone on them, casting two new, very close shadows.
Under the shade of the tree, Xia Mi nodded in satisfaction: "Done!"
Liu Miaomiao's smile was gentle.
Erii: [Akatsuki-neechan, you seem happy too?]
Mai Shude crossed her arms, a hint of melancholy in her expression.
Su Enxi then pulled out her notebook again, her eyes sparkling with gossip, her pen poised to write.
This is a great opportunity to get to know the boss; we can't miss it.
Lu Mingfei held Su Xiaoqiang's hand and strolled casually along the lush green park path.
Unlike the gentle breeze and drizzle when she was with Liu Miaomiao, Su Xiaoqiang's steps carried a light and cheerful quality that she herself was unaware of.
The hand held by Lu Mingfei gradually became more compliant from its initial stiffness, but the blush on her cheeks remained vivid, like a ripe apple.
"Hey, you jerk... Lu Mingfei!" Su Xiaoqiang tried to make her voice sound as impatient as usual, breaking the brief silence. "Where are you taking me? Are you just going to leave like this?"
She tried to pull her hand away from his grasp a little, but the force was so weak as to be almost negligible.
Lu Mingfei stopped and turned to look at her, his face bearing that familiar smile—a smile that was both lazy and incredibly earnest.
"What does Miss Su want to do? You can't really expect me to go ride the carousel with you, can you?" he teased deliberately.
"Who, who wants to sit on that childish thing!" Su Xiaoqiang immediately reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her voice rising eight octaves and her cheeks turning even redder, "This young lady isn't that bored!"
“Well…” Lu Mingfei’s gaze swept around. In addition to people taking a walk, there were also several facilities in the park for people to rest or play.
His gaze finally settled on a sparsely populated game stall not far away, where people could throw darts to shoot balloons. "Try that? Let's see how good Miss Su is."
Su Xiaoqiang followed his gaze and saw a common park attraction with several brightly colored balloon targets hanging on the backdrop.
A competitive glint flashed in her eyes, her earlier embarrassment vanished, and her chin lifted slightly.
"Hmph, this kind of little game? I could score them all with my eyes closed! Let me show you what real skill is."
Chapter 162 The Road and Su Xia
"Oh? That's amazing?" Lu Mingfei raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise, and pulled her towards the stall. "Then I'll wait and see."
The stall owner, a middle-aged man, greeted the elegantly dressed "couple" warmly as they approached.
Without saying a word, Su Xiaoqiang immediately asked for the highest darts game.
She picked up the heavy dart, weighed it in her hand, took a deep breath, and aimed at the first balloon.
Whoosh! Snapped!
The dart landed firmly on the support at the edge of the balloon, and the balloon remained intact.
Su Xiaoqiang: "...!" The smug expression on her face froze for a moment.
"Ahem, just warming up, nothing more!" she forced an explanation, and aimed again.
Whoosh—the dart went a little too far off course, not even touching the edge of the target cloth.
"..." Su Xiaoqiang's face instantly turned bright red, her hand holding the dart trembled slightly, and she felt that Lu Mingfei next to her seemed to be laughing.
"There's something wrong with this dart! It's too light!"
"Really?" Lu Mingfei moved closer and stood naturally behind her, reaching out to gently place his hand on the back of her hand holding the dart, helping her adjust the angle and posture.
The masculine scent and the warmth from his palm made Su Xiaoqiang stiffen abruptly, almost causing her to drop the dart.
"Don't shake," Lu Mingfei's deep voice chuckled in her ear, his breath brushing against her earlobe. "Aim at the bullseye, relax your wrist, like this..."
He took her hand and demonstrated a standard throwing posture, "...exert force."
Whoosh! Snapped!
This time, the dart hit the center of a red balloon with a crisp pop!
"Ah! I got it!" Su Xiaoqiang exclaimed in surprise, completely forgetting the embarrassment from before and Lu Mingfei behind her. She turned around excitedly to look at him, her smile as bright as a child's.
Lu Mingfei was also touched by her pure smile and nodded with a smile: "Yes, Miss Su is indeed amazing."
"Of course!" Su Xiaoqiang's confidence soared, and she broke free from Lu Mingfei's hand to start throwing herself.
Although there were still some mistakes, he clearly found his rhythm and popped several balloons in a row.
With each successful hit, she would let out a happy gasp, her eyes sparkling, and the arrogance and confidence that belonged to the "Little Fairy" returned to her face.
Under the shade.
Watching Su Xiaoqiang having so much fun, especially her undisguised smile of surprise when she hit the target, Liu Miaomiao couldn't help but smile too.
"Xiaoqiang... is really easy to make happy."
Xia Mi excitedly and silently pumped her fist: "Yay! Xiao Qiang hit you!"
Erii: [Akatsuki-neechan, you're laughing so loudly.]
Su Enxi took notes and commented as she went:
"Boss's tactical shift successful! Effectively reduced the target's defensiveness, physical contact achieved!"
"Results: Very positive! Target emotions: Excitement, confidence, and happiness!"
However, Mai Shude crossed her arms and leaned against the tree trunk, but there was no smile on her face.
Instead of focusing intently on the surroundings as before, her gaze lingered more on Lu Mingfei and Su Xiaoqiang's hands as they interacted, then slowly swept over Liu Miaomiao's gentle profile, finally settling on Zero, who stood silently guarding like a knight in the distance.
Deep within her eyes, a complex emotion, difficult to describe, surged... a hidden loneliness and self-mockery.
Yes, they can all stand in the sunlight like this, holding his hand, being made to laugh by him, being awkwardly comforted by him, or quietly guarding him.
Even Su Xiaoqiang, who was at a loss when she was pushed out just now, is now immersed in her own happiness, which is warmed by Lu Mingfei's body.
Liu Miaomiao's gentle embrace, Su Xiaoqiang's current spoiled joy, and Ling's silent yet undeniable presence of protection...
Even Xia Mi and Erii, they had already been designated a place in Lu Mingfei's heart.
And what about her and Su Enxi?
Mai Shude glanced indifferently at Su Enxi, who was writing furiously beside her with a look of intense research.
Chip Girl seems completely absorbed in her role of "observing the boss's romantic behavior," temporarily ignoring her own situation.
The two of them were more like the most special people around Lu Mingfei.
They shared his deepest secrets and dealt with his most difficult problems, yet they seemed forever separated from the boundary called "intimate relationship".
The boss had never said anything to them like he had said to Liu Miaomiao or Xia Mi.
There were no promises, no intimate interactions, and not even a clear, "claimed" identity.
They remained simply "Jiu De Mai" and "Su Enxi," all-around capable housekeepers and logistics managers, his "own people" whom he could absolutely trust...
But they are only "one of our own".
Watching others receive candy in the sunlight while I can only stand in the shadows, even though I helped run that candy store.
A bitter feeling welled up in Mai Shude's heart.
This sorrow is not jealousy, but a sense of melancholy that comes from a clear understanding of one's own position.