The vast mountain forest, lush and verdant, stretches endlessly with green that brings peace to the heart and captivates the soul.
Among the erald mountains, a winding and enigmatic forest road occasionally erges, a white car speeding by in a blur.
"Vroom vroom..."
Gusts of mountain wind rush in, accompanied by increasingly intense engine roars and the screeching sound of tires drifting against the ground, the words "Fujiwara Tofu Shop" flashing across the car body in an instant.
A lean young man grips the steering wheel with one hand, props his chin against the window with the other, calmly manipulating the wheel, brake, and clutch. The white car traces a perfect curve, effortlessly drifting around a terrifying bend while the cup beside him doesn’t spill a single drop.
"Boom..."
At this mont, a violet lightning bolt flashes across the cloudless blue sky, flickering unpredictably.
The next second, strange noises co from the road ahead. With the sound, fallen leaves swirl towards the speeding car, and the sll of burnt wood reaches his nose carried by the flowing breeze.
"What’s going on? Did lightning strike the forest up ahead?"
The young man furrows his brow, coordinating his hands and feet to slow the car’s speed.
Before long, he sees a large patch of trees by the roadside emitting black smoke and flas, as an unassuming figure stands roadside, seemingly attempting to save the forest.
"Screech..."
The car’s speed abruptly reduces, and it brakes to a stop by the roadside.
"Hey, it’s dangerous there. We can just call the forest fire hotline, hurry back here!" The young man gets out of the car and shouts.
Having just co out of Grey Space and accidentally caused the forest fire, Qin Shou tilts his head slightly, imdiately noticing the familiar car body and the equally familiar "Fujiwara Tofu Shop" lettering.
"Oh ho, Brother Monkey really arranged everything, not bad."
Qin Shou lets out a slight smile and casually waves his hand, prompting a sun shower to fall amidst the scorching midday heat.
"Clatter, clatter, clatter..."
The rain wets the ground, extinguishing the flas on the roadside.
"Eh? What a coincidence?" The young man looks bewildered.
"Brother, heading to the city?" Qin Shou steps forward to greet him.
Snapping back to reality, the young man glances at the deserted, winding road and nods.
"To the city. It looks like you can’t catch a ride here. How about I give you a lift?"
"Thanks. My last na’s Qin. What’s yours, brother?"
Without hesitation, Qin Shou opens the car door and gets in the passenger seat, smiling at the young man as he boards.
"Oh, my na is Fujiwara Takumi. Buckle up your seatbelt..."
"Fujiwara Takumi? That’s quite a peculiar na!" Qin Shou buckles his seatbelt as he chats casually.
Showing a hint of helplessness, Fujiwara Takumi replies, "Can’t help it. My dad worshipped gods recently and prayed for this na, thinking it might change my luck."
Saying that, he skillfully pulls up the handbrake, smoothly starting the car as scenery flashes rapidly past the window.
Qin Shou chuckles, "So, has your luck improved lately?"
Fujiwara Takumi shakes his head, "Sa as usual. Just delivering tofu every day, working for the family, dull as can be."
"Screech..."
As soon as the words fall, the car accelerates rapidly, executing a perfect drift around a sharp 90-degree turn. Inside the car, everything remains extraordinarily smooth, no hint of turbulence at all.
Qin Shou’s smile doesn’t falter, "But looking at your drifting skills, even without good luck, you should be able to make a na for yourself on the racetrack."
"Racing?" Fujiwara Takumi asks with surprise.
"Exactly."
"Forget it. Our family only has this beat-up old car, gifted by that charlatan—it’s no match for others."
Sighing, Fujiwara Takumi continues, "Plus, I’ve heard racing is a money-burning sport. Without deep pockets, you can’t afford it."
Qin Shou gives a calm smile, "These days, a man’s skills matter more than money. Money doesn’t need to be such a big deal."
"Skills?"
Fujiwara Takumi looks puzzled but notices Qin Shou’s serious deanor, dismissing the notion that he might be joking.
"What, don’t want to give it a try?" Qin Shou asks with a grin.
Fujiwara Takumi shakes his head, "Forget it. I can’t afford it."
"How about this, I heard there’d be racing teams competing at Qiuming Mountain in a few days. If you manage to beat them, I’ll sponsor you for official races."
"You?"
Fujiwara Takumi pauses, "But you don’t seem...well, forgive if this sounds rude, I don’t an it that way..."
Midway through his sentence, he hastily apologizes.
Qin Shou waves it off, "No worries. I’ll transfer so money to your card upfront, use it to modify the car. If you win the race, you’ll know whether I can back you up. Either way, you won’t lose anything."
Fujiwara Takumi’s expression shows so interest. He is sowhat confident in his driving skills.
"Buddy, we barely just t. Why would you think of sponsoring my race participation? Isn’t this a bit..."
Fujiwara Takumi is straightforward and voices his doubts without hesitation.
Qin Shou responds calmly, "The reason is simple: I found your drifting pretty cool. I’m just investing early—you don’t need to overthink it."
Fujiwara Takumi hesitates, "I’ll need to think about it before giving you an answer."
Qin Shou nods, "No problem. I’m staying at Love Apartnt. Think it through and co find ."
Fujiwara Takumi acknowledges with a sound, and silence falls in the car.
"By the way, where’s Qiuming Mountain?" He suddenly asks.
Qin Shou gestures toward the roadside marker outside the window.
"This mountain road here is Qiuming Mountain."
Fujiwara Takumi’s mouth stiffens, "That’s... that’s impossible..."
He’s run laps on this mountain road nearly every week, knowing full well that this is never what’s called Qiuming Mountain.
But now...
A ghost?
While contemplating, the car races downhill. Suddenly, Qin Shou’s voice pierces through.
"Kuo Hai, there’s a Benz ahead! Overtake it!"
"Huh? Why?"
"Your girlfriend seems to be in that car."
"What? Damn it, let show...wait, hold on, I don’t have a girlfriend."
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