Just as Su Li was about to turn the corner, a little girl suddenly darted out from the sidewalk.
Su Li was genuinely startled, instinctively slamming on the brakes. Fortunately, since she was at an intersection, her speed was low, and she managed to avoid the child. She was just about to step out to check on the situation when she heard a loud "bang"—she had been rear-ended.
Su Li rolled her eyes; her previously pleasant mood, which had been as refreshing as a spring breeze, instantly turned overcast. She sighed, unbuckled her seatbelt, and got out of the car.
The moment she stepped out, the little girl's mother caught up, hugged her child tightly, and said apologetically, "I am so sorry. My child is small; I looked away for a second, and she thought I had already crossed the street, so she rushed out in a hurry. If you hadn't slammed on the brakes, I honestly don't dare think of the consequences. I'm so sorry—I even caused you to get rear-ended. Please, let me know if I need to cover any damages."
The mother's eyes were filled with guilt and worry, and she glanced at Su Li's car from time to time. Perhaps she realized the vehicle was expensive, yet she still bravely offered to pay. Su Li could see the woman’s agitation and appreciated her sense of responsibility. She shook her head and replied, "It's fine. As long as the little one is safe, that’s all that matters. Please, take the child and go. It’s busy here—do be careful."
The mother nodded repeatedly, thanked Su Li profusely, and hurried away with the child.
After dealing with the situation, Su Li turned to look at the car that had hit her. At a glance, she thought to herself, *Great! Why is it that whenever I go out, I keep running into luxury cars?* Even at a glance, it was obvious that the owner was no ordinary person. Although Su Li felt annoyed, her expression remained calm.
The person inside the car was quite interesting; the fault was clearly his, yet he sat there as if rooted to the spot, refusing even to step out.
Su Li walked over and inspected the rear of her car. Fortunately, the impact was minor—there was no serious damage, just an obvious scrape and a shattered taillight. Following the principle that less trouble is better than more, she decided to handle it through insurance. She was primarily worried about future complications; otherwise, she would have just driven off. She realized that if she left without speaking to the driver, what should have been his liability for the rear-end collision could be twisted into a hit-and-run, making it her fault. If the driver of the black car reported it to the police later, it would be a headache.
Thinking this, Su Li walked up to the black car and tapped lightly on the window.
The window rolled down. As their eyes met, Su Li’s eyebrows arched slightly, and her gaze flickered. She couldn't help but marvel inwardly; even having seen countless handsome men in her past life, she had to admit that this man was the cream of the crop.
The man appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six. He had a healthy, bronzed complexion and sharp, deep-set facial features that looked like a Greek sculpture. His dark, profound eyes, high-bridged nose, and perfectly shaped lips gave him an air of wild, unrestrained, and sexy charisma. Even though she had lived two lifetimes, she had to admit that this man was truly god-like. Su Li was genuinely stunned by the stranger.
As they stared at each other, the atmosphere grew slightly awkward. She silently scolded herself—*Will he think I’m some kind of airhead for staring?*
Gathering her composure, Su Li said coldly, "Sir, did you just get your driver's license? Are you still in the probationary period? The most basic rule at an intersection is to slow down and maintain distance. How did you manage to rear-end me?"
Lu Xiuyun looked at this incredibly beautiful woman. Even her casual clothes couldn't hide her graceful figure. Her long, black, lustrous hair fell over her shoulders like a waterfall, the slight curls at the ends adding a touch of playfulness. Her skin was as white as snow, delicate and smooth, and her features were like a carefully crafted piece of art. The inherent nobility she carried showed that she was not only well-educated but also possessed excellent genes. Such beauty and temperament were rare even among the elite ladies of the Four Great Families of Capital.
Unlike Su Li, Lu Xiuyun had seen all sorts of storms in his time; a small fender-bender meant nothing to him. He had come to Haining for a vacation to clear his head. Although he wasn't familiar with the route, it was truly embarrassing to have rear-ended someone with his driving skills. He had been driving when his phone chimed as he turned the corner; he had instinctively glanced down at it—otherwise, this little mishap wouldn't have happened.
He had intended to get out of the car, but the driver of the front car had beaten him to it. When he saw that it was a woman, Lu Xiuyun—who had always been slightly "allergic" to women—didn't know what to do. He couldn't handle communicating with women; he had grown up with almost no female presence around him. Even when attending necessary social events, he kept his distance from the so-called socialites, as he found women synonymous with trouble—in his eyes, they were all much the same, besides being foolish and spending their days doing boring things. His best friend had even suspected he had some special preference.
Seeing him stare at her in silence, Su Li couldn't help but wonder if such a handsome man might be an idiot. *That can’t be right; if he can drive, he should be mentally sound. Is he a mute?* A dark line flashed across Su Li’s mind, and she asked tactfully, "Sir, can you understand what I'm saying?"
Lu Xiuyun saw the expression on her face—as if she were looking at a fool—and felt speechless. *To think that I, Lu Xiuyun, the eldest son of the Lu Family, head of the Four Great Families of Capital, am being treated like an idiot by a woman?* A hint of a wicked smile appeared on his face. Using his uniquely charming voice, he replied indifferently, "Of course I understand. I am a normal person."
Su Li turned her head away, feeling very annoyed. *You’re a "normal person" who doesn't speak for ages?* However, her face gave nothing away. She said directly, "Great. Since you can understand, would you mind stepping out to check the damage to your car? If it’s not too serious, we can just handle it through our own insurance. Does that work for you?"
Lu Xiuyun was surprised. He had expected the woman to demand compensation. Of course, since he had rear-ended her, he was at fault and compensation was due. Yet, she was suggesting he look at his own damage and handle it through insurance if it wasn't severe.
From the moment she stepped out of the car, he had noticed she went straight to the little girl. She had shown a completely different face to the child and the mother, with an attitude clearly warmer than the one she was showing him now. *Women are truly strange creatures,* he thought. *If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe she and the woman from a moment ago were the same person.*