To leave a certain impression on the people at the nursing home, Xue Rui had adopted a thuggish demeanor. He didn’t use honorifics when addressing the elderly, spat on the ground, and acted like he had no class.

Lin Ruoxi didn’t know what was wrong with Xue Rui, or with her grandmother.

The young girl looked flustered, feeling that something was off about the whole day.

Although the old woman wasn’t highly educated, she was far from stupid. Having lived in the village for so many years, what hadn’t she seen?

Recalling Xue Rui’s uncharacteristic behavior today, she instantly understood something.

It was the same in the village. Elderly people with many sons and grandsons in their family could hold their heads high and command respect wherever they went.

But those without male heirs might even have their relatives plotting to seize their property after they were gone...

The bigger the bastard, the more people feared you.

She knew that Xue Rui’s actions today were a declaration to everyone: This old woman has someone backing her, so you’d better watch yourselves.

"Grandma, Xue Rui isn’t usually like this," Lin Ruoxi hastily explained.

The old woman smiled, the wrinkles on her face deepening. "You don’t understand. He’s doing this for my own good."

’Xue Rui is a sharp one,’ she thought to herself. ’He understands human nature completely. My granddaughter is such a silly girl; if Xue Rui wanted to trick her, he would have done it and run off long ago.’

’For him to still be taking such pains to look out for an old woman like me... he’s a man she can rely on.’

"Huh?" Lin Ruoxi tilted her head, completely unable to figure out how being crude was for her grandmother’s good.

The old woman stroked Lin Ruoxi’s face. "Go with him."

"Okay. I’ll come visit when I have time," Lin Ruoxi said softly.

When Xue Rui saw Lin Ruoxi come out, her beautiful eyes were as red as a little rabbit’s. ’This girl... she’s still just a kid, after all,’ he thought to himself.

He reached out, pinched her nose gently, and pushed up the corners of her mouth.

Lin Ruoxi suddenly remembered that Xue Rui had done something similar before.

Xue Rui liked to see her smile, so she would smile for him.

She looked into Xue Rui’s eyes and gave a faint smile, like an apricot blossom blooming in early spring—pure and pristine white.

A smile slowly blossomed on her delicate face, her eyes glistening like a pool of autumn water.

The elderly residents watched this scene, feeling as if a new vitality had entered the nursing home, making them feel younger themselves.

Men are all the same; no matter their age, they all like eighteen-year-olds.

"It’s good to watch the young ones. I feel younger already," one old man chuckled.

"Sigh..." someone lamented.

"Old Zhang, what are you sighing for?"

"It’s a shame. The wild boars get all the good cabbages," the old man sighed.

Xue Rui’s brow twitched. ’How did I become a wild boar now?’

Qiu Mengze tried to stifle his laughter but finally couldn’t hold it in. "Haha, they’re calling you a wild boar."

The young girl’s expression froze. ’Wild boar?’

She had just been wondering what all that talk about cabbages and wild boars was.

"Xue Rui is not a wild boar," Lin Ruoxi corrected him seriously.

But for such a beautiful girl with a soft, sweet voice to intentionally put on a serious expression was just adorable, no matter how you looked at it.

Xue Rui draped his arm over the girl’s shoulder and guided Lin Ruoxi toward the exit. "Then are you the cabbage?"

"Cabbage?" Lin Ruoxi tilted her head, thought for a moment, and said with some uncertainty, "I guess I’m a cabbage when I wear my school uniform."

Xue Rui had once told her before she went on stage for a speech to think of the male students as radishes and the female students as cabbages.

Basically, everyone in a school uniform was a radish or a cabbage.

Those were Xue Rui’s exact words.

Xue Rui couldn’t help but laugh. He had no idea where her thoughts had wandered off to this time, but she still had that dazed and adorable look on her face.

"Come on, let’s go to the driving school and practice for Test 2 and Test 3," Xue Rui said.

Only two days had passed, and Chen Shen had already arranged everything. He had scheduled Test 2 and Test 3 for all three of them, back-to-back.

He couldn’t help but marvel at what a capable guy Chen Shen was, able to handle such a troublesome matter so easily—and for three people at once.

When he usually had meals with Chen Shen, he noticed the cuffs of the shirt under his plainclothes were frayed, yet he was still reluctant to replace it.

For Chen Tingting’s sake, Chen Shen lived quite frugally.

In reality, with Chen Shen’s abilities, if he wanted money, there would be an endless stream of it delivered right to his door...

But Chen Shen had his principles. He was serious and dedicated to his work...

However, Chen Shen wasn’t some rigid, pedantic person either. For example, he had helped him out this time...

’As expected, those who get by in the world aren’t inflexible.’

Qiu Mengze had been planning to go to an internet cafe, but when he suddenly heard Xue Rui mention practicing for Test 2 and Test 3, he couldn’t help but ask, "Didn’t the instructor say we can only practice once we’ve scheduled the test?"

"It’s scheduled. Test 2 and Test 3 are both on the 23rd, on the same day," Xue Rui said.

He was quite satisfied with this timing. They could leave Hedong right after finishing the tests.

"Holy crap!" Qiu Mengze was stunned.

He had asked his dad for 2,000 yuan before, and his dad had been reluctant, saying he wasn’t following the family’s arrangements.

As it turned out, he had met that relative a while ago, who said it was the same no matter where he registered. Even at his current Dongfang Driving School, it would be impossible to get his license in September; he’d have to wait until he came back for the next winter break at the earliest.

He had been lost, thinking that Coach Li from the driving school had lied to him too.

And now, today, Xue Rui was saying Test 2 and Test 3 were scheduled? In just a week?

He remembered being at the driving school a few days ago when Xue Rui made a phone call to someone...

"How did you manage that?" Qiu Mengze leaned in and asked.

This was too damn impressive. His relative was also a driving instructor, and everyone, no matter where they were from, said it was impossible to book the tests on such short notice. But Xue Rui had done it.

Xue Rui put on a melancholy expression. "Do you have any idea what price I paid to schedule this test?"

Lin Ruoxi looked curious and turned her head to look at Xue Rui.

’Did he have to spend a lot of money?’

’If Xue Rui was upset about the cost, she could just give him her own money...’

"What price?" Qiu Mengze asked.

"I had to sell my good looks," Xue Rui said with a pained expression.

"Huh?" Qiu Mengze gave him a strange look, leaned back slightly, and sized Xue Rui up and down.

’What good looks does this guy have to sell?’

Lin Ruoxi shuddered. ’What part of him did Xue Rui sell?’

’His good looks?’

The young girl frantically looked Xue Rui over.

Xue Rui chuckled and pinched the girl’s cheek. "Stop looking. My ’good looks’ aren’t a physical thing. It was just having a meal with Chen Tingting."

Qiu Mengze ground his teeth. He understood now. He knew who Chen Tingting’s father was; he’d even arrested a group of hooligans last time...

"Damn it, that’s so infuriating," Qiu Mengze cursed under his breath.

Chen Tingting was just as sweet and cute. Countless guys dreamed of having a meal with her, and Xue Rui was actually reluctant?

This guy... his tone was filled with the tragic air of a hero marching to his sacrifice, as if he were the one getting the short end of the stick.

He suddenly didn’t feel like talking to Xue Rui anymore. If they kept talking, his blood pressure was going to skyrocket.

The three of them arrived at the driving school.

The June weather was as scorching as a furnace. It was just after ten in the morning, and the sun hung high in the sky, so bright that people didn’t dare to look up at it.

The driving school was the same as usual. Many people were practicing under the blazing sun, some students were resting in the shade, and the instructors wore large straw hats, cursing under their breath.

Lin Ruoxi was a little nervous. She was afraid of being yelled at.

"Let’s go find Coach Li," Xue Rui said.

At that moment, Coach Li was chatting with a few colleagues, holding a transparent, double-walled glass mug filled with a large amount of floating goji berries.

"Old Li, is that beauty one of your students?"

The young man glanced over enviously after speaking. ’It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a beauty of that caliber,’ he thought. ’She has a graceful figure and is even taller than me.’

’What a pity. Beauties like her always tend to choose older, uncle-type instructors.’

In truth, Xue Rui had chosen Coach Li because he’d seen him brewing goji berries in his thermos...

Xue Rui knew that driving instructors these days often liked to take advantage of female students. Choosing an older one, plus having him there to keep an eye on things, was the safest bet...

"Let me teach her." The young instructor rubbed his hands together and stuffed a few packs of cigarettes into Coach Li’s hand.

’Even just chatting with her or touching her hand would be nice,’ he thought.

Coach Li sneered and tossed the cigarettes back.

"See that tall boy next to her? That’s her boyfriend."

Anyone could see their relationship at a glance.

"Tch, what’s that matter?" the young man said with a disdainful look. ’They’re just students. How could his moves possibly compare to mine?’

He’d stolen countless girlfriends, and he tried to stuff the cigarettes back into Coach Li’s hand.

Coach Li chuckled. "You just got your ass kicked a while ago. Have you already forgotten your lesson?"

This kid loved poaching other people’s partners. One of these days, he was going to get his legs broken.

"So I took a beating. He still paid me five thousand. I slept with his wife and he gave me money for it. Totally worth it," the young instructor said, feeling no shame at all.

But he sensed something was off. Coach Li’s gaze was fixed on the young man, completely ignoring the top-tier beauty.

’Could it be... that guy is special?’

"Old Li, tell me about it," the young man said, his tone becoming serious.

"That group, they only just passed Test 1 two days ago. Now they’re already scheduled for Test 2 and Test 3 next week," Coach Li said.

"For real?" the young man asked in astonishment.

"Check it yourself if you don’t believe me. I only just found out this morning. Two days ago, that kid made a phone call..." Coach Li recounted what had happened two days prior.

He had initially paid it no mind because the procedures were becoming more and more standardized. You had to wait at least ten days after passing Test 1 to schedule the next one. The system was rigid, and on top of that, you had to queue for test appointments these days, which meant waiting until at least August or September...

But even systems are managed by people.

And with a single phone call, Xue Rui was able to break the rules...

After listening, the young man swallowed nervously. He knew exactly what this implied.

’He had just been thinking about stealing his girl. Thank god he found this out beforehand...’

He didn’t dare offend someone like that. At best, he’d lose his job. At worst...

Coach Li smiled. ’This kid was so brazen a moment ago. How did his eyes become so clear all of a sudden?’

"I’ll let you have her. You can teach her," Coach Li said generously.

He thought to himself that even if he offered, the kid would absolutely not dare to accept now.

"No, no, you should do it. I’m not experienced enough," the young man repeatedly declined. He didn’t want to get into trouble with someone he shouldn’t offend just because he couldn’t keep his hands to himself.

"You don’t want the cigarettes?" Coach Li chuckled.

"Consider it the price of a lesson..." the young man sighed.

He suddenly felt that he couldn’t go on like this. What if one day he really got himself into deep trouble?

"They’re here." Seeing the group slowly approaching, Coach Li went forward and offered Xue Rui a cigarette.

If he left a good impression now, he’d have a connection he could rely on if he ever ran into trouble in the future.

They were all in the same small city. You’re bound to run into each other sooner or later.

"I quit." Xue Rui waved his hand, refusing.

Seeing Coach Li’s attitude, he had to have found something out.

"Coach Li, can we practice today?" Xue Rui asked with a smile.

"You can. We’ll start right now."