After confirming the other party hadn’t noticed us, Bingying and I quickly rushed towards the taxi behind.
We pushed aside the person who was about to get in, saying, “Sorry, we’re in a hurry. You’ll have to wait for the next one.”
The passerby was about to erupt in anger.
However, upon seeing Bingying, their expression hastily shifted into a smile. “Not at all, not at all, Miss Bing, please, go ahead. Oh, by the way, could I trouble your father with my matter…”
“Who are you?” Bingying retorted without a hint of politeness.
She slammed the car door shut, and the taxi immediately bolted forward like a wild horse unbridled, leaving the passerby standing dumbfounded in place.
“Oh, little lady, where are you off to in such a rush? Could it be with a boyfriend?” The driver, a man nearing fifty, chuckled, observing us in the backseat through his rearview mirror.
“N-no, it’s not like that! We’re not…” Bingying flailed her arms in a panicked display.
The old driver exhaled a puff of smoke, speaking wistfully. “I understand, I understand. I’ve seen a thing or two myself. It’s good for young people to have some passion; don’t wait until you’re old to regret it, or it’ll be too late. And you, young man, as a guy, you need to be proactive about these things. Don’t wait for the girl to bring it up herself. Look how pretty your girlfriend is; she must have many admirers, right? You really need to cherish your girlfriend, don’t let her run off.”
He clearly seemed like a man with a past.
‘But Uncle, are you campaigning for ‘Most Beautiful Driver’ or something? We haven’t even said anything, and you’re already spouting life advice? Could you please pay attention to the time and place?’
Seeing Bingying’s face grow increasingly red, I interrupted the garrulous driver in a low voice. “Follow that taxi ahead. Not too far, not too close. Price is no object.”
“Hmm? What’s this about?” The driver’s brow furrowed, and his voice dropped. “While you two don’t look the type, you’re not doing anything illegal, are you? If so, I, your uncle, would have to step in.”
“No, it’s not like that, we’re investigating… Mmph!”
I clamped a hand over Bingying’s mouth, then calmly delivered the excuse I had already prepared. “Actually, my girlfriend and I were out shopping when we suddenly spotted her sister with an older man.
My girlfriend is very worried and wants to follow them to see if she’s being misled by someone. But you know how stubborn teenage girls can be, so we plan to secretly protect her. If she really is being deceived, we’ll have a way to keep her safe.”
“Oh, so that’s what’s going on! You should have said so sooner! When it comes to driving, I’m absolutely top-notch. Back in the day, I was a police officer, specifically driving patrol cars. It didn’t matter if those fugitives were in a Mercedes or a Ferrari, I always caught up and arrested them, hahahaha!”
The driver’s face, which had been clouded, brightened instantly. Carried away by the moment, he began recounting his past, bursting into boisterous laughter at the peak of his self-satisfaction.
‘No, I think you were just plain jealous.’
“So, what happened? How did you end up as a taxi driver?” I asked casually.
“Later, I resigned, of course… Hey, what kind of look is that?! It really wasn’t because of drunk driving! I only had a tiny bit that day! It didn’t affect my work at all! Believe me! That criminal was driving too fast and got into an accident and died on his own! It really had nothing to do with me!”
‘I hadn’t even said anything yet.’
“Anyway, due to a bunch of things, I simply resigned and went home to take care of my daughter. Ah, hold on tight, I’m going to speed up now!” True to his reputation as an experienced driver, he didn’t forget his professional duties even while chatting.
“Oh, right, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to pretend to be your boyfriend earlier… Bingying?” I turned my head and whispered.
“Hehehe… Girlfriend, girlfriend, girlfriend…”
‘Congratulations! Bingying has evolved into a repeater!’
‘It seems she won’t be much use for now.’
“Young man, where do you and your girlfriend go to school?” The driver’s mouth hadn’t stopped since we got in, occasionally striking up a conversation with me.
Absorbed in contemplating the case, I truly had no time to indulge his chatter, yet I couldn’t outright ignore him. I could only respond vaguely, pretending to listen intently.
“Xingjiang High School,” I replied without lifting my head.
“Xingjiang High School… Oh, wait, Xingjiang High School?! That’s a prestigious school, you know. Are you two some kind of second-generation elites? No wonder that man earlier ran off when he saw you.”
‘No, only the one beside me is a second-generation official. I’m just borrowing her prestige.’
However, explaining it would be too much trouble. I simply hummed a noncommittal ‘Mhm,’ neither affirming nor denying.
Yet, the driver paid no mind to my little trick. He suddenly grew excited, glancing around as if afraid of being overheard before lowering his voice to ask, “Look, we’ve been chatting for so long, we’re practically good buddies now…”
‘Who’s good buddies with you? You’re the only one talking!’
“…Since your parents are both important figures, could Uncle ask you about something?” he inquired mysteriously.
‘What? If you’re asking about stock prices or lottery numbers, I’d recommend you ask Xiao Jianai instead; she’d be more reliable.’
“Have you two ever heard of… the Witch’s Game?”
‘…What is that?’
Presumably, he’d gleaned the answer from my expression. A flicker of disappointment crossed the driver’s eyes, but he quickly masked it with boisterous laughter. “Hahaha, it’s nothing, nothing! Uncle was just joking with you! Hahaha!”
‘No. He was definitely hiding something.’
Afterward, the old driver continued to babble, and Bingying, having recovered from her ‘repeater’ state, joined the conversation.
It was as if our previous exchange had been merely an illusion, as if nothing had truly happened. Yet, I keenly sensed that the atmosphere inside the car was becoming unusual.
‘The Witch’s Game… I feel like I’ve heard that term somewhere before.’
‘I seem to have forgotten something important.’