Qimeng originally thought she could maintain a relatively calm mindset for the gathering; she couldn't say she'd be unflappable in the face of unexpected events, but at least she could face them with composure.
Seeing Qin Miao's unlucky demeanor, she could only think of it as a situation that's more dramatic than a funeral, with a slight sense of pity.
But why does this guy have such a way of asking for a beating?
"Qin Miao! Go to hell!"
Without another word, Qimeng reached out and pinched a small piece of flesh on Qin Miao's arm with her nails.
"Ow ow ow! Damn, it hurts... I was wrong, I was wrong, let go, ow ow ow!"
Angrily, Qimeng showed no mercy, and Qin Miao was literally in pain, jumping up off the ground.
After he jumped up, of course, Qimeng couldn't pinch him anymore, but she still looked at Qin Miao with a less-than-kind gaze.
Rubbing the place she pinched, Qin Miao sucked in sharply: "Was that necessary? I was just joking, did you have to go so hard?"
Feeling somewhat satisfied after Qin Miao's big reaction, Qimeng still warned, "Some jokes shouldn't be made lightly, or else I might break your legs."
Qin Miao pursed his lips and, still rubbing his arm, sat down next to Qimeng, yet this little distraction seemed to lighten his mood considerably.
"If we really win, what do you plan to do with those stakes?" Qin Miao asked, shimmying his backside slightly away from Qimeng after sitting down.
"The class monitor said that the truth or dare after winning cannot be refused. But if you win and use this game as a joke bet to confess to someone, do you think they'd agree?"
"Think about it in reverse; if someone did this to your girlfriend or used a joke to threaten you, how would you feel?" Qimeng answered with another question.
She knew what Qin Miao was thinking with his question; he just wanted to clutch at that last bit of fleeting hope, to win the championship and then confess to Fan Yue.
"Things have come to this; don't overthink it, let it go; how can youth be without a few regrets?" Qimeng turned to press down on Qin Miao's dry, but not fully dry, hair, messing it up.
Qin Miao pushed Qimeng's claws away, but to be fair, her words did shatter his last shred of wishful thinking.
"Suddenly, I feel a bit melancholic..." Qin Miao exhaled: "When they show it on TV, this is where someone lights a cigarette to fit the mood, and now that I've graduated, even Zhao can't control me anymore."
Upon hearing this, Qimeng pulled out her phone without a second word, and right in front of Qin Miao, she started dialing his mom's number into the phone.
"Damn!"
Qin Miao's face of melancholy instantly turned into one of terror.
"No, no, no, sis! I was joking; it's not that serious."
Though his mom was generally unconcerned with his personal life, even letting him game all night after exams as long as it didn't interfere with responsibilities,
when it came to certain principles, she genuinely would get angry.
Qimeng shot Qin Miao a look but didn't actually make the call; once Qin backed down, she ended the call and said in a didactic tone, "You're not that young anymore; you need to have your own judgments and principles. If there's something you shouldn't touch, then never touch it."
"Yeah, you're right."
Qin Miao nodded submissively.
"Don't let it happen again!"
...
"Alright, let's go down and get ready." After chatting for a while more, Qin Miao felt it was about time to head down and prepare for the competition.
Qimeng also stood up, collected the tissue she had used as a mat, and followed Qin Miao.
The two went downstairs, and after Qin Miao threw the trash in his pocket into the garbage can, they walked to the edge of the track.
Looking at the two-seater go-karts, Qimeng curiously asked Qin Miao, "Why don't these go-karts have seatbelts?"
"Not only do the two-seaters lack them, but the single-seaters don't have seatbelts either."
Qin Miao explained: "That's because these go-karts have a low center of gravity, and these are entertainment go-karts, so their speed isn't fast, plus the track is short, making rollover rare, so seatbelts are not necessary."
"Moreover, if you install seatbelts, you'll need a roll cage; I guess for cost reasons, they don't equip with these."
"Why do seatbelts require a roll cage?"
Qin Miao patiently explained: "The seating position in a go-kart is quite low; without a roll cage, if you strap yourself in with a seatbelt and flip over, your body would be fixed to the car, potentially making your head the first contact with the ground, supported by your neck."
"And then: crack!"
"So now you understand why these go-karts don't have seatbelts?"
"Got it." Qimeng's eyes filled with enlightenment: "You know so much, NT desk mate!"
"If you didn't add that last part, I'd probably be much happier."
As they chatted, the two arrived at the track's edge, where several classmates were already seated in two-seater karts, mostly paired as one male and one female team.
Of course, there were also teams of two boys or two girls.
"Pick a car."
Qimeng looked around and casually pointed at a number 18 go-kart.
Since all these cars looked the same in appearance and paint, and the car damage and tire wear weren't evident to the novice Qin Miao, he simply went along with it.
After both putting on their gear, they approached the two-seater kart.
"Who goes first?"
Without thinking, Qimeng said: "You go first; I want to see if your so-called esports-level driving skills work in real life."
Qin Miao didn't mind, since he wasn't very concerned about winning or losing the race; he still felt a void in his heart, wanting to finish quickly and return to his games.
Though Qin Miao's thoughts had an escapist tint, you couldn't expect an 18-year-old to be extremely perceptive or self-disciplined.
"Alright."
After agreeing, Qin Miao sat in the driver's seat first.
This kind of two-seater go-kart was essentially a single-seater with an extra section added to include another seat.
The driving experience and a single-seater kart are almost the same.
Once Qin Miao sat securely in the driver's seat, Qimeng also plopped down with a "hey ho."
Due to the kart's constraints, when Qimeng sat down, her long, slender legs were placed on either side of Qin Miao's body.
Today, Qimeng wore a white pleated skirt and sports shoes, her fair thighs openly displayed on either side of Qin Miao's body, making it tempting to reach out and test their feel.
Only then did Qin Miao realize belatedly that Qimeng's legs were quite nice-looking.
Previously, all of Qimeng's great figure was hidden beneath her baggy school uniform.
"All set!"
Seated and having adjusted her position, Qimeng patted Qin Miao on his helmet, signaling she was ready.
Although Qin Miao had raced ten laps before the others arrived, those were single-seat karts.
This kart, while sharing the same tires, engine, and frame as the single-seater, had a longer wheelbase and someone additional at the back, adding at least 70 pounds, so Qin Miao needed to readjust to the kart's handling.
"Are you seated properly?" Qin Miao asked before starting.
"Yup!" Qimeng nodded, leaning back and gripping the handle of the rear seat.
Receiving the signal, Qin Miao floored the gas pedal.
Initially intending to start as he would in a single-seat kart, flooring the gas and quickly adjusting the car's posture during slide, Qin Miao wasn't sure if it was due to the increased wheelbase or extra weight from Qimeng.
This two-seater kart smoothly accelerated in the engine's roar, without a hint of sliding.