Rebirth: Controlled Nuclear Fusion

Part 146：Do You Know Me?

Jiang Fan and Chu Ruoxi walked hand in hand along the street, their fingers intertwined.
The warm yellow streetlights cast their shadows on the ground, which stretched and shrank in ever-changing patterns.
As they turned left, Chu Ruoxi's eyes immediately caught sight of the brightly-lit name of a nearby budget hotel.
For some unknown reason, her heartbeat quickened, and her face flushed crimson.
"Hmm, Chu Ruoxi, why's your face so red? Did you drink too much just now?"
Jiang Fan lightly touched her face and noticed the warmth.
He couldn't help but feel the soft, delicate smoothness of her skin, and reluctantly withdrew his hand.
The touch of Jiang Fan's hand made Chu Ruoxi's heart flutter, her face becoming even more flushed.
She gently lifted her gaze, and their eyes met.
They gazed at each other with tender affection, an invisible pull drawing them closer.
Just as they were about to kiss, the distant roar of an engine broke the silence.
A sports car raced toward them, its sound unmistakable. A car enthusiast would immediately recognize it as an Aston Martin DBS, boasting a 5.2-liter V12 engine and 725 horsepower—truly a king among sports cars.
Trailing it were five or six more sports cars, each valued at around two million yuan.
Chu Ruoxi pouted in frustration as the cars zoomed past them, interrupting her precious moment with Jiang Fan.
Jiang Fan, amused by her cute pout, couldn't resist pinching her rosy cheek.
"We should go, you've had quite a bit of red wine, the breeze might make you dizzy," he said gently.
"Mm," Chu Ruoxi nodded in agreement.
As they passed the budget hotel, she couldn't help but glance inside, her mind racing with thoughts of how to suggest to Jiang Fan that she wanted to spend the night with him.
But as a girl, this was difficult to bring up.
And besides, Jiang Fan, being as oblivious as he was, hadn't shown any signs of interest in her beyond a casual relationship.
Should she give him a hint?
As she pondered this, she feigned exhaustion, speaking in a soft voice, "Jiang Fan, I... I'm a little tired, I can't walk anymore."
She cast a discreet glance toward the hotel.
To her surprise, Jiang Fan responded immediately.
"Then I'll carry you."
"But it's still quite far from the school! How about... we don't go after all?" Chu Ruoxi said, her face flushing with embarrassment.
"Not going?"
Jiang Fan turned his attention to the hotel they had just passed.
The thought of being alone with her in a room stirred his heart, and his breath quickened.
Looking at Chu Ruoxi, standing gracefully in her long dress, he felt an overwhelming rush of desire.
There was no exaggeration in saying that Chu Ruoxi was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, though his experiences with girls were few.
As he understood her intentions, Jiang Fan felt a wave of nervousness. Had he been too blunt?
She had once told him that men liked reserved girls.
At that moment, a car drove past them, the female driver's voice startling him.
"Jiang Fan?"
A seductive girl sitting in the backseat perked up immediately.
"Where? Where?"
"I Fei, why are you so excited about Jiang Fan's name? You still have feelings for him, don't you?"
"He's a charming young man, and I'm a pure-hearted girl. It's perfectly normal for me to like him."
"Ha! A pure-hearted girl who's had more than ten boyfriends?"
Qiao Yifei ignored her and peered out the window.
Sure enough, she spotted Jiang Fan with a girl at the side of the road.
"Xiaoyu, pull over, pull over!"
Xia Xiaoyu slowly parked the car by the side of the road.
"I Fei, what are you doing? He already has a girlfriend!"
Qiao Yifei scoffed.
"What's wrong with that? I've had over ten boyfriends before!"
With that, she opened the car door and got out.
Xia Xiaoyu intended to stop her but didn't manage in time.
It was an awkward situation, and she didn't want to get involved.
"Well, let her do as she pleases. I'll wait in the car."
...
After some intense inner deliberation, Jiang Fan finally decided to take Chu Ruoxi to the hotel.
"Jiang Fan!"
A woman's voice called out from behind.
Jiang Fan was puzzled. He didn't know many people in Kyoto, and it seemed unlikely that he would run into someone he knew at this hour.
He turned around to find a tall, alluring woman standing before him.
Her deep-V neckline caught his attention immediately.
It was Qiao Yifei.
Chu Ruoxi looked at the woman's sultry figure with a sharp gaze, filled with animosity.
She had always considered herself one of the more attractive girls among her friends, but compared to Qiao Yifei, she felt somewhat inferior.
Though she trusted Jiang Fan, she couldn't help but worry about other women trying to seduce him.
"Jiang Fan, who is she?"
Chu Ruoxi's voice had turned cold, her eyes fixed on Qiao Yifei.
Before Jiang Fan could answer, Qiao Yifei cheerfully spoke up.
"I'm Jiang Fan's senior, I was the one who personally welcomed him when he first came to Kyoto! Isn't that right, Jiang Fan?"
Qiao Yifei said, throwing a flirtatious glance at Jiang Fan.
She slyly watched Chu Ruoxi's reaction from the corner of her eye, delighting in the visible frustration on her face.
Hmph, little sister, you're no match for me!
Jiang Fan quickly explained to Chu Ruoxi.
"Ruoxi, this is Qiao Yifei, the niece of Uncle Qiao, and also a student at Huqing University."
"Qiao Yifei?"
The name sounded familiar to Chu Ruoxi, and she quickly realized.
Back when they weren't yet dating, when she added Jiang Fan on WeChat, he had mistakenly thought she was Qiao Yifei.
Had it not been for her, Chu Ruoxi would never have known Jiang Fan's true feelings, and they wouldn't have gotten together so quickly.
With that thought, Chu Ruoxi's resentment disappeared, and she smiled warmly at Qiao Yifei.
"Ah, so you're Qiao Yifei, the famous senior. I've heard a lot about you!"
Qiao Yifei, hearing this, was slightly taken aback.
"You know me?"