Starting Now, Running to the Ends of the Earth

Sitting in the Maybach, Teacher Sun—or rather, Luo Si—rested with complete composure. "They're coming out," the driver in the front seat said. Sitting in the back, Luo Si lifted his eyelids. As the car window slowly rolled down, he saw six burly men escorting someone across the street not far away. "Here they come." The corners of Luo Si's mouth curved slightly upward. These people were indeed competent at getting things done. Once they returned, he might even give them a little reward... Yet after crossing the street, the six men continued forward with the person in the middle, their backs turned toward the convoy of Maybachs. Luo Si froze for a second. "Where are they going?" "Aren't we right here?" They had clearly seen the convoy, so why were they walking in the opposite direction instead of heading over? What was the meaning of this? Silence fell inside the car. It all happened very quickly. The six suited brutes seemed to have received an order, quickening their pace with every step. In the weeping night wind, Luo Si leaned his head out of the car window, just in time to see the six men respectfully escort the person in the middle toward a pastel-yellow Maserati. Then, a man in a black trench coat stepped out from their midst, revealing his face before getting into the car. Why was it a man? Luo Si frowned. And then, he saw the butterfly doors swing open, and a young girl in a white dress bowed her head to get into the car under the men's escort. Fang Xiaoxia! Fang Xiaoxia... got in the car? Why was she getting into someone else's car?! Luo Si could no longer remain calm, his gaze instantly turning piercingly sharp. Cuckolded right to his face?! Who had the audacity! What on earth were those six damned subordinates doing?! Yet this was no time to hold subordinates accountable. The moment Fang Xiaoxia got in, the Maserati's engine roared. Immediately after, the sports car launched forward, leaving behind a cloud of exhaust as it sped away. His view engulfed by fumes, Luo Si reacted without the slightest hesitation: "Pursue them! After them!" His low growl carried both shock and suppressed fury, prompting the driver to start the car at once. The two Maybachs in front and behind, along with the two vans bringing up the rear, received the command simultaneously. Their headlights flared like beasts awakening in the dark. The next second, with a thunderous roar, all four vehicles surged forward together. Like four frantic cuckolds who had just received the shocking news that their partners had stepped out on them... As they sped past the six suited men standing obediently by the roadside, the sliding doors of the two vans flew open with a clatter. Several large hands reached out and hauled the six men inside without a word of explanation. With a screech of tires, the two vans drifted around in place. The instant the rubber gripped the asphalt, the open doors slammed shut with a bang. The commotion naturally drew the attention of passersby. Thus, the classmates who had followed Fang Xiaoxia outside out of curiosity watched in astonishment as the Maserati MC20 was pursued in frantic haste by two Maybachs and two vans. "What is that...?" The students were utterly dazed. "Is that Fang Xiaoxia's family bodyguard convoy?" "Even the bodyguards drive Maybachs?" "Does Zijing Group even have this kind of clout? Fang Xiaoxia... who on earth is she?" Everything unfolding before their eyes defied common sense, setting off a storm of chatter among the classmates. The intended stars of tonight's show—class president Li Heng and arts commissioner Sun Jinyan, who had been completely upstaged—now found themselves ignored, trapped in the crowd with complicated expressions. Tucked away at the edge of the group, Li Wanwan, with her puffy-under-eye makeup, looked terrifyingly pale; paired with her dark-circle-style cosmetics, she resembled a haggard female ghost. Staring blankly at the trailing exhaust of that pastel-yellow Trident as it sped away, an identical realization dawned on all of them: after tonight, that marginal girl who had always been overlooked... With her departure... She would likely belong to a completely different world from them. "Hey... don't you guys think Fang Xiaoxia is actually really pretty?" Someone slapped their forehead as if snapping out of a dream. "How come I never noticed before?" "Yeah, seriously!" "Why was that?" Perplexed looks crossed their faces in unison. They looked at each other, utterly bewildered. Though she occasionally engaged in bizarre, abstract antics, when they thought about it now, a kindhearted girl who was that pretty and had even made gifts for them... How could they have subconsciously ignored her presence for so long? *Roar—* The Maserati surged forward like an unbroken wild horse. The scenery around them blurred and retreated, carrying Fang Xiaoxia further and further away from her classmates. The clamor faded along with them, leaving only the rushing wind in her ears. The dim yellow streetlights dissolved into fleeting phantom streaks. The pastel-yellow Trident seemed to ride the waves of a surging Yellow River, tossing Fang Xiaoxia about as the wind whipped her hair, gradually clearing her foggy mind. She glanced left and right, suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious. "This car... must be really expensive, right?" "Maybe? I don't know what it's worth either," Bai Zhou replied earnestly. "Though it could probably be traded for several hundred packs of Four Delicacies instant noodles, no problem." Fang Xiaoxia: "?" What in the world were Four Delicacies instant noodles? The man beside her looked so solemn, as if he were genuinely contemplating the conversion rate. *Big bro, you're sitting in a Maserati! That's Neptune's Trident, not a pitchfork! It's like you can't stand by the floor-to-ceiling windows of a luxury penthouse overlooking the river and the sea, swirling a glass of red wine while plotting what time to hit the supermarket tomorrow so you can wrestle discounted eggs away from the old ladies, right?!* Yet the moment she remembered who was speaking, Fang Xiaoxia instantly made peace with it. Counting it up, this seemed to be only her third time meeting the boy before her. The first time, he was a mysterious trench-coat man in the restaurant's men's restroom. The second time, he was a mysterious assassin fleeing by leaping off a building in a naked apron. And the third time was right now. Every single time, he appeared in an unexpected place in an unexpected manner, saying bewildering, incomprehensible things that somehow still felt faintly profound. If other girls fantasized about a prince charming arriving in a luxury car like a savior from the heavens to rescue them at their lowest moment... Then the one Fang Xiaoxia had encountered was an "un-charming prince" who subverted expectations on every single front. *I can't take this anymore...* Looking at that handsome, earnest face, Fang Xiaoxia's mind overflowed with doubts. Having just escaped the class reunion, she was bursting with questions to ask. Yet the moment she opened her mouth, the howling gale rushed in, wildly tossing the hem of her white dress and her hair. Outside the windows, the city's neon lights stretched into twisted, chaotic ribbons of illumination. The needle on the speedometer climbed to a figure that made Fang Xiaoxia's heart skip a beat, and it was still rising. The engine let out a continuous, low roar. Like an elegant swan taking flight, the car weaved and changed lanes madly through the evening traffic, brushing past other vehicles by mere inches with every maneuver, drawing a chorus of screeching brakes and blaring horns. Fast—it was way too fast! She had never ridden in such a fast car in her entire life. Didn't he know the city streets had speed limits?! "Why are you driving so fast?!" Fang Xiaoxia's voice trembled. "Bro, could we maybe slow down a bit?" Catching a glimpse of Fang Xiaoxia's increasingly pale face out of the corner of his eye, Bai Zhou blinked. He understood immediately, recalling his own awkward nervousness when he had first ridden in Brother Liu's car. "Nervous, huh? Don't worry, listening to some music will fix that." Recalling Brother Liu's movements from back then, Bai Zhou found the audio control switch and turned it on. A lively melody poured out, drifting down the street alongside the howling wind: *"I can catch the moon~* *I will use countless dreams~* *To raise countless oars~* *With courage and wisdom as my oars~* *Rowing the moon boat sail~ing far away~"* Fang Xiaoxia: "..." The music made her head spin completely, making her feel as though she truly were sitting in a moon boat, hoisting oars of dreams and drifting aimlessly into infinite space. Yet she knew very well that she wasn't Lemon or Polyhedron, let alone Aike or Aixue from Happy Planet, because what guest from Happy Planet would disregard traffic laws and go tearing through traffic like this? This car was headed straight for Planet Dark! "It's not a music problem!" "It's..." Fang Xiaoxia's face was dead serious. "Do you realize you're doing one hundred and twenty on a street with a speed limit of sixty, and you're driving against traffic?!" "Against traffic!" By the end, Fang Xiaoxia was practically roaring. "What's against traffic?" Bai Zhou frowned in thought. "As long as I turn on the blinker, they'll know where I'm going and dodge out of the way in advance, right?" Under Fang Xiaoxia's gaze, as if beholding a god, Bai Zhou flipped the turn signal. However... A clacking sound echoed. The blinker didn't turn on, but the wipers on the windshield began sweeping at top speed, swishing back and forth so fast they left afterimages. Synchronized with the rhythm and beat of "Moon Boat," the wipers looked like two glowsticks cheering Fang Xiaoxia on. Fang Xiaoxia: "..." "I swear, your license is definitely getting revoked after tonight." The girl gripped the grab handle tightly, her knuckles turning white. She felt her face going numb from the rushing wind. "Now I reasonably suspect you're drunk and out of your mind... Exactly which driving instructor taught you how to drive?!" "A driver's license? What's that?" Bai Zhou turned his head in confusion. "I'm driving my own car; why do I need someone else's permission? How could there be such a logic in this world?" Saying that, he glanced at Fang Xiaoxia. "Besides, don't you remember? You're the one who taught me. You showed me... in *Horizon*." "When did I ever teach you—what do you mean in *Horizon*?!" Fang Xiaoxia's face instantly went white. "That game where you overtake and crash into cars, of course." Things had reached this point, so there was no need to hide it. Bai Zhou said offhandedly, "You like it a lot, don't you? I watched you play a few times and learned." Fang Xiaoxia: "?" *What is this guy even talking about?!* Right then, the song over the car speakers reached its climax: *"Goodbye, Mama~ Tonight I am sailing far away~* *Don't worry about me~ I have oars of joy and wisdom~* *When you wake up, please don't tell anyone~* *I'm rowing my moon boat across the Milky Way~"* Fang Xiaoxia: "..." Could the lyrics stop being so eerily fitting? Sitting in this car skimming the ground, she genuinely felt like she was about to blast off the face of the Earth, complete with the sensation of waving goodbye to her mother. Tomorrow morning when Mom woke up, her dear daughter's soul might actually be huffing and puffing while rowing a boat on the moon... Just then, a piercing red glare abruptly flashed ahead, drawing closer and closer in Fang Xiaoxia's vision. "Red light! It's a red light!" Fang Xiaoxia's eyes widened. "We have to stop!" Bai Zhou said nothing, only slamming his foot onto the accelerator. *Since when were traffic lights such an obstacle?* With nearly brute-force insolence, beating the cross-traffic before it could even start moving, the yellow sports car shot through the intersection with a whoosh, drawing a chorus of enraged curses and startled shrieks. A vehicle suddenly loomed in their field of view. Bai Zhou's expression remained unchanged as he yanked the steering wheel hard, narrowly dodging the car while nearly scraping the roadside guardrail. It was a hair-raising brush with disaster. Fang Xiaoxia was scared half out of her wits. "Lightning drift!" Bai Zhou said calmly. "You taught me that one. Later, we'll try the razor-blade overtake." "What on earth are you talking about?! Aaargh..." Fang Xiaoxia felt the world spinning around her. Because the car's momentum caused it to lose a bit of control, Bai Zhou kept turning the wheel to adjust the angle. The vehicle weaved through the intersection, finally regaining its footing just before it slammed into the median strip. The tires let out sharp screeches against the pavement, the immense centrifugal force hurling Fang Xiaoxia violently against the car door. "I suggest fastening your seatbelt," Bai Zhou offered as a friendly reminder. "It'll be safer that way." "No, I don't think a seatbelt can save me anymore..." Though her words were defiant, Little Fang still obediently buckled up. But the moment she clicked it in, she screamed into the roaring wind at the driver focused on the road, "Pull over!" At this moment, facing Bai Zhou, all the romance and fantasies in Fang Xiaoxia's mind had vanished without a trace. "I want to get out! You're an illegal taxi!" *This isn't a ride to Happy Planet at all!* "Proposal denied." Bai Zhou shook his head. "Why don't you look behind you?" "Behind me?" Fang Xiaoxia looked back. Behind the seats were a small plush toy and a few boxes of sundries. "I mean in the rearview mirror." "What could be in the rearview mirror?" Puzzled, Fang Xiaoxia obediently looked over. One glance was all it took for her to spot something amiss, prompting her to look several more times in disbelief. "Why are those cars also running red lights and driving against traffic?" In the mirror, two Maybachs and two vans were speeding in tight formation, aggressively tailing the Maserati. Amidst the traffic of this neon-lit city, five cars driving against traffic were extraordinarily conspicuous, led by the pastel-yellow Maserati breaking the waves at the front. Fang Xiaoxia's throat bobbed, and an exceptionally bold suspicion that she desperately wished not to believe arose in her heart: "Those cars... couldn't be chasing us, could they?" "Congratulations, that 'couldn't' is exactly right," Bai Zhou confirmed. "We're on the run. Do you understand what being on the run means? When you're on the run, you can't stop for even a single second, or the bad guys behind us will chop us into mincemeat." "I don't understand!" Little Fang's face was terrifyingly pale. "I just went to a class reunion! Why are they chasing me?!" This was completely different from what she had imagined. How had things suddenly turned out like this? Just moments ago, it had been an unforgettable class reunion. At her most humiliating moment, the most unexpected person had extended a helping hand, leaving all her classmates with an extraordinarily cool departing silhouette. You couldn't dream up a more satisfying scene. It was supposed to be such an unforgettable, joyful beginning... How had it suddenly turned into this? It was certainly unforgettable, but Fang Xiaoxia suspected her lifetime might end up frightfully short—she might get catapulted out of the car in the very next second. Fang Xiaoxia was just an ordinary person leading the most ordinary of lives. What was happening right now was completely beyond her comprehension. Those were Maybachs... luxury cars hailed for traveling through time without ever stopping. A single wheel from either of those Maybachs behind them was worth more than her miserable life. What made her worthy of being pursued by people like that in a high-speed chase? Dark clouds gathered overhead as rolling thunder rumbled through the overcast night sky. A hint of moisture tinged the air. Even the city's neon lights seemed to grow more vivid in the damp vapor, before blurring into streaks of light flanking the speeding sports car. A storm was brewing. "Actually, I should tell you..." Bai Zhou said, "Saying goodbye to your classmates means you have to say goodbye to your past, too." The pastel-yellow Maserati MC20 sped wildly along Nanxing Avenue, heading straight out toward the suburbs. He fled and they pursued; the elegant yellow swan seemed to have nowhere left to fly. As the speedometer approached one hundred and eighty... Rain began to fall from the sky. It was merely a drizzle. The blurred streaks of neon lights grew hazier, and the pavement of Nanxing Avenue steadily dampened. "One more block and we'll hit the elevated highway." Perched on the hood of the car, Miss Crow remained poised with her hands clasped behind her back, resembling a massive humanoid hood ornament. "You can go faster." "Copy that." Bai Zhou floored the accelerator. Gripping the steering wheel with both hands, the ultimate sensation of acceleration pinned him to his seat. At this moment, he felt as if he were truly skimming the ground in flight. In his ears were only the roar of the engine and the rushing wind. Letting adrenaline seize control of his brain, there was no need to think at this moment. Only one feeling remained in his heart: Exhilaration. Mad, untamed exhilaration! "The reason I showed up tonight was to find you before they did." Amidst the buffeting wind, Bai Zhou's voice rang out clear and distinct: "Because you're not ordinary, Fang Xiaoxia." Just like the hazy dreams Fang Xiaoxia had had countless times, just like the day a certain boy who lived saw an owl carrying a magical letter, tapping on the window in the middle of a rainy night... Bai Zhou turned his head, looking seriously at the girl in the passenger seat who was desperately holding down the fluttering hem of her white dress. "This world isn't what you see. Behind it, there are many things... that you can't even begin to imagine." "And among them, some people have set their sights on you." "We have to escape." Fang Xiaoxia was still bewildered, but she could at least hear the danger laced within Bai Zhou's words, and she instantly tensed up. "Then what should we do now?" "What do they plan to do to me? What are you going to do?" "Who knows? Frankly, there are a lot of things I don't quite understand either," Bai Zhou said with a shrug. "But the part of the truth that I do know is already cruel enough for you." If someone were to learn that the environment they grew up in was mostly fake, that they were merely a caged bird being observed by others... What would happen? Bai Zhou had experienced it once, so he knew how agonizing that feeling was. *Roar—* In the drizzling rain, through the neon-lit city streets, the Maserati beneath them roared, turning into a streak of brilliant yellow light. Other cars swerved out of the way, and the cursing din of the crowd and traffic was thrown far behind in the blink of an eye, leaving not even a whiff of exhaust in sight. Like a certain naval admiral's Yasakani no Magatama, nothing could stop it—because nobody could stop light. "But I'm trying. I'm trying to help you escape this bullshit world and ruin those bastards' schemes." "Until then—" Behind the steering wheel, Bai Zhou gave his answer with a calm expression: "Sorry, but starting now, you're my hostage." "Until the dust settles, you can only stick with me—and run to the ends of the earth together!"