Chapter 23: The Accident Orchestrated by Gu Mengyan

"Are you serious about this, or are you just getting back at me for teasing you earlier today?" Gu Mengyan looked at Chen Hao, her face full of doubt.

Chen Hao shrugged. "Why would I lie to you? I really am planning to resign."

"Why would you quit a perfectly good job? Don't you like it here?" Gu Mengyan was clearly baffled. "This is the best way for you to experience the virtual world! You still don't fully understand how the game operates, do you? Why give up now?"

Chen Hao shook his head. "Let's talk about it in the car."

With that, he started toward the parking lot. Gu Mengyan stamped her foot and hurried after him.

Once they were in the car, Chen Hao had just put the key in the ignition when Gu Mengyan climbed in and grabbed his hand before he could start the engine. "Wait, tell me everything before we go anywhere!"

"Oh, come on! Can't we talk as we drive?" Chen Hao looked at her helplessly.

But Gu Mengyan wouldn't back down. "No! Not until you explain yourself!"

She even reached for the car key, ready to pull it out of the ignition.

"Seriously? Are you rebelling again, you little rascal?" Chen Hao quickly yanked out the key himself and tossed it to her.

You couldn't blame Chen Hao for making a fuss—something like this had happened before, and the outcome had left him speechless.

It had been not long after he and Gu Mengyan had reconnected after several years apart. They were sitting in the car, discussing some issue—just like now—and Chen Hao had wanted to talk it out while driving. But Gu Mengyan had insisted on taking the car key, refusing to let him drive.

Chen Hao hadn't thought much of it at the time. After all, what could go wrong with pulling out a car key? He'd let her have her way, thinking it was harmless.

But he had seriously underestimated the chaos she could cause. Since Chen Hao was in the driver's seat and Gu Mengyan was in the passenger seat, she had to lean across him to grab the key. Standing just about 1.6 meters tall, she was small for Chen Hao's big SUV, and reaching over from the passenger side took some effort.

She managed to reach the key with one hand bracing near the gearshift and the other stretching for the ignition. She got hold of the key, but maybe she didn't have a good grip or something—her hand slipped, and as she clutched the key, she accidentally started the car. At the same moment, her other hand, resting near the gearshift, pushed the car into gear.

To make matters worse, Chen Hao had already disengaged the parking brake, preparing to drive. So, the engine started, the car was in drive, the parking brake was off, and most crucially, Gu Mengyan, having lost her balance, pressed down on Chen Hao's right leg—which was already on the gas pedal.

You can imagine the result.

The car shot forward immediately. Though it wasn't going fast, they were in a parking lot, and Chen Hao had parked head-in, right up against the rear of another car.

The distance between the two cars was very short. Even though Chen Hao reacted instantly, lifting his foot from the gas and stomping on the brake, his SUV was so powerful that even the smallest movement was enough to make it lurch forward uncontrollably. And so, Chen Hao's prized vehicle rammed straight into the rear of the car in front.

"You little menace! Look at what you've done!" Chen Hao scolded Gu Mengyan angrily.

Gu Mengyan, looking thoroughly embarrassed, climbed off Chen Hao and stared blankly at the scene before her.

It took several moments for her to come to her senses. By then, Chen Hao had already gotten out to check the damage, and she hurriedly scrambled after him.

"Wow! I always knew Young Master Chen drove something special! Look at the dent in that car's rear bumper compared to your car—yours is barely scratched. It's like smashing rotten fruit with a gold tooth!" Gu Mengyan joked, showing no sign of remorse.

Chen Hao was at a loss for words. Ignoring her nonsense, he walked around to the front of the other car and peered through the windshield.

"What are you looking for?" Gu Mengyan asked, puzzled. "Oh, I get it! You're checking if anyone's inside or if there's a dashcam. If not, we can just leave, right? The insurance company will handle it anyway."

Chen Hao finally lost his patience and grabbed her cheeks, pulling them apart with both hands.

"Ow, ow! That hurts! Let go!" Gu Mengyan shouted, swatting at him.

"You really need some discipline! Do you even hear yourself? That's called a hit-and-run, you know!" Chen Hao released her, still fuming. "You can't just drive off after hitting someone's car! Who have you been hanging out with all these years?"

She scoffed. "Well, I wasn't the one driving! If anyone's running, it's you!"

...

"From now on, you're not leaving my sight for even a moment. Wherever I go, you go! Someone needs to teach you properly," Chen Hao ordered.

Gu Mengyan didn't argue. "But what are you looking for?"

Chen Hao sighed. "A phone number. Usually, car owners leave their contact info on the dashboard behind the windshield. It's so people can call them to move their car if they're blocking someone, or if something like this happens, so you can get in touch easily. I'm looking for the owner's number now."

"Come on, he's not unlucky—he's lucky! Most people don't want to involve the insurance company over a minor collision. It's too much trouble and wastes time, what with all the damage assessments and liability investigations. Plus, once you file a claim, your premium goes up next year.

So most people prefer to settle privately. But in this case, you hit the back of his car, and the damage doesn't look small. If you take it to a dealership, the repair bill won't be cheap.

If it were anyone else, they'd probably go through insurance. Private settlements can cost a lot, sometimes more than the increased premium. But you're different! As soon as the owner sees your car, your appearance, your expensive clothes, and the beautiful girl by your side—me, obviously—he'll know right away you're a rich young man in a hurry to take his girlfriend on a date.

So I'm sure he'll try to squeeze you for as much as he can! Maybe not extortion exactly, but he'll definitely try to milk you for all you're worth. Not only will he get the full cost of repairs, he'll probably pocket a little extra too!"

"You... You sound like you know this all too well. How is it you don't know about the phone number under the windshield?" Chen Hao stared at her in disbelief. "With all that expertise, don't tell me you've done this before—scammed someone this way?"

"No, no, never!" Gu Mengyan waved her hands frantically, but her shifty eyes made Chen Hao highly suspicious.

Just then, the owner of the car they hit appeared. He'd finished his meal and returned just in time to witness the scene, before Chen Hao had even called him.

Chen Hao knew instantly that this must be the owner, judging by the succession of expressions that crossed the man's face: surprise, confusion, anger, then delight.

Honestly, it was the first time Chen Hao had seen such a dramatic, Oscar-worthy display of emotion in real life. The man's expressions changed so quickly and so vividly that Chen Hao realized Gu Mengyan's prediction was spot on.

The owner was a chubby, ordinary-looking man, likely a typical salary earner. When he saw two people standing by his car, he looked puzzled; when he noticed the damage, he was angry; but seeing Chen Hao's attire, his anger turned to glee—the kind of look you give when you spot a fat sheep ripe for shearing. Chen Hao could guess what he was thinking: how best to make a tidy profit from this.

Annoyed as he was to be seen as easy prey, Chen Hao knew he was at fault. So he put on his most apologetic face and said, "I'm so sorry, sir. This is your car, right? My friend and I were careless and accidentally hit your car. Would you prefer to settle privately or go through the insurance company?"

After that, things followed the usual script—a little haggling over the price, and in the end, Chen Hao, eager to get back to teaching Gu Mengyan a lesson, simply pulled out his wallet and paid up.

After that experience, Chen Hao never dared argue with Gu Mengyan in the car again. So now, when she tried to grab the keys, he quickly handed them over to avoid another disaster.

But no matter how hard you try to avoid accidents, they always find a way to happen.

This time, though, the mishap befell Gu Mengyan herself.

Chasing after Chen Hao, she'd jumped into the car without bothering to close her door in her rush to grab the keys. When Chen Hao tossed the keys, her instinct was to reach out and catch them, leaning back without thinking.

With the door still open, she tumbled straight out, headfirst toward the ground.

"Careful!"