Xinyuan smiled as he stepped on the accelerator with a smug look on his face. Qiao Ruo snapped her eyes closed as hard as she could, fearing that if she opened her eyes, the worst would have happened. With both hands, she held the sides of her car seat, continuing her prayers in silence. She didn't want to die, at least not yet. Yet, Xinyuan carefully calculated his next moves.
His hobby of racing also played a part in the impending success in losing the pursuers. Switching course to another unpopulated lane assisted him to reduce the number of cars that were trailing after him by half. Then he continued to make a skilful, pre-planned swerve down a foreign route, that was highly unanticipated by the enemy. Eventually, his victory reduced this number to nil.
When Qiao Ruo opened her eyes again, she was relieved to see that they were safely parked in a secluded spot away from the busy roads of the city.
"We have to go to my parents now, before more henchmen of Li Yao or Ye Nantian arrive," Xinyuan said, switching the gear of his vehicle to resume their road journey.
"How do you know who sent them?" Qiao Ruo asked.
"If you observed, the vehicles pursuing us had an emblem," Xinyuan informed Qiao Ruo. "Ye Nantian's surname is ye, meaning leaf, so his emblem was a green leaf, and Li Yao's emblem is a red flower."
"You must be exceptionally sharp to notice that," Qiao Ruo commented.
"The Xia family has enough spies around for us to have known this a long time ago," Xinyuan said, and a wave of silence fell over them as he donned his sunglasses, focusing on his driving.
Xinyuan's home in the city turned out to be as large as a castle. Qiao Ruo wondered if he lived there often, as the grass outside his abode appeared to be not regularly maintained. A pair of kirin statues flanked the red door of the castle-like residence, and parked in the garage were three posh-looking cars. Though she wasn't very up-to-date on the automobile industry, she knew enough to know those brands cost a lot.
"Brother Lun, do you normally live here?" she stepped out of the vehicle, stunned by the enchanting sight before her.
"We normally reside in City N," he explained. "But the Xia family needs to have a presence in City A, don't we?"
She shrugged, following him to the entrance. "Who takes care of the residence here when you are in City N? Wait, what do the Xia family do, exactly, other than hotels and laundry?"
"To answer you, the Xia has originated from a generation of 'not-so-nice' people, but we have changed for the better. Although I am adopted, however, I do regard the Xias as my genuine family. My adoptive grandfather left his illegal ways and went to become an honourable businessman. However, don't be surprised if you do run into some such people affiliated with the Xia family, sometimes such dealings are inevitable."
She pondered for a few moments, and he patted her on her shoulders, a gesture she perceived as an intimate action, but something Ya Lun would do from time to time when they were little.
"Brother Lun, what do you think about it? Is it safe having such people around?"
"Call me Xinyuan, or Yuan," he hushed. "In society these days, we have to protect each other. The Xia family will protect you well; after all, it's what we owe you."
"Owe?" she looked flabbergasted at his speech.
"You'll know after you speak to my adoptive parents," he explained. "It won't take long, I promise. My parents are people of few words."
She nodded, and watching Xinyuan key in a six-digit passcode on a panel on the red door, gathered her courage and followed him into the castle.
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