After a full day of painful withdrawal...
Venti's attempt to quit drinking ended in failure.
...
Lu Chen looked speechlessly at Venti, who was sipping Erguotou while reading a driving manual. The scene was simply unbearable.
On the day they got the new car, Venti truly hadn't touched a drop of alcohol.
But the price was—without his spiritual support, Venti had been completely out of it all day and couldn't focus on a single sentence of theory for Subject One.
Forget passing the exam—just watching him scratch his head in frustration, it was clear he couldn't even enjoy his meals.
By breakfast the next day, Venti sheepishly brought a bottle of liquor to the table.
Everyone shot him mocking looks.
Venti offered this excuse:
"I only promised not to drink and drive! Right now, I'm still learning. A little drink is good for body and mind, and helps me study better!"
"Really, stop laughing!"
"Trust me!"
...
Now, back to the present.
Noticing Lu Chen watching him, Venti looked up and gave an awkward smile.
Then—
Gulp, gulp, gulp—another swig of liquor, head back down to read basic traffic rules.
Lu Chen curled his lip, saying nothing. He had already pinned his last hope on Miko.
She really couldn't be underestimated. Though she usually seemed lost in the world of light novels, detached from reality, Miko apparently had a natural talent for driving.
After getting clearance from Zen Zhang's family, Lu Chen signed both her and Venti up for driving school.
Miko had flown through Subject One and was already preparing for Subject Two.
Lu Chen had a hunch—he was witnessing the birth of an Inazuma driving prodigy...
On a bright afternoon, the whole household gathered along the road down the mountain.
Miko sat in the driver's seat, full of confidence, rolling down the window to toss a playful wink at everyone.
"Relax! Guuji is taking the wheel herself—just watch!"
Subject Two involved small road tests: backing into parking spaces, parallel parking, and the like. Lu Chen had drawn two white lines on the wide road to serve as a parking spot.
Standing in front of the A8, Lu Chen patiently instructed:
"Shift into reverse, go slowly, watch the mirrors, and don't cross the lines."
"Got it!"
Miko eased on the gas, keeping the car moving slowly. While checking the mirrors, she gradually turned the wheel.
Before everyone's eyes, the car parked perfectly between the two narrow white lines—excellent spacing, not even touching the lines.
"She doesn't look like a beginner at all..." Lu Chen was stunned.
Even he, after not driving for ages, had felt a bit rusty when first getting behind the wheel.
Miko really was a natural-born driver!
Lu Chen applauded enthusiastically.
Miko basked in the applause, grinning smugly.
Through the window, she shot a teasing look at Venti, who was standing to the side.
"Tch! That's nothing!" Venti huffed with disdain.
"You've been at it for over a week, and some people haven't even passed Subject One yet~"
"I—" Venti raised his left hand with his study materials, wanting to defend himself. But after a moment's thought, he put them down.
Then he raised his right hand, clutching his wine jug. The alcohol didn't seem to be helping as much as he thought... actually, it was starting to feel like drinking was holding him back from learning to drive...
Everyone stared at him. Venti's expression tensed, then turned solemn.
Once again, he swore:
"I'm quitting drinking!!"
"Oh." Lu Chen nodded silently.
As long as you're happy.
Seeing no one believed him, Venti snorted, set the metal jug on the roadside, and stormed back toward the villa.
His retreating figure looked exceptionally determined.
The others continued watching Miko practice. After mastering all of Subject Two's exercises, she seemed unsatisfied with driving slowly—her fox-like eyes narrowed mischievously.
Then, without a word, she rolled the window back up.
Lu Chen immediately sensed something was wrong and hurried over.
"Hey, hey! What are you doing? Don't do anything reckless—"
Miko raised her enchanting eyes and gave a dazzling smile.
Then—she floored the gas pedal.
With a roar, the tires squealed against the pavement, smoke rising as the car shot forward like an arrow.
By the time Lu Chen reacted, a cheerful "Woohoo~" came from the driver's seat. The car was already speeding away.
Everyone watched as the car disappeared from sight. Ei looked at Lu Chen, worried.
"This is a downhill road... will Miko be okay?"
Lu Chen thought for a moment. The Ling Shan Bay villa district sat on a long slope. To get down, you had to navigate a winding mountain road—not exactly beginner-friendly.
"If she crashes, she brought it on herself." Lu Chen snorted. As punishment, he decided—no fried tofu tonight.
"Alright, that's enough. Time to prep for dinner." Lu Chen waved his hand to signal everyone back home.
Ei still looked worriedly toward the road.
"Come on! Once she's had her fun, she'll come back on her own." Lu Chen dragged her back home.
...
On the winding road down the mountain, a slow-moving delivery van was making its way down.
Will Wang, in charge of delivering food to the sales office, gripped the wheel listlessly. The sea breeze and beautiful scenery outside barely caught his attention.
After all, driving this route every day had long made him numb to it.
Bored, he turned on the radio. It happened to be playing a foreign song.
What was it called again? Anime-obsessed Will Wang vaguely recalled it being a track from a racing anime.
Huh? What was that sound behind him?
He heard the roar of an engine and instinctively glanced in the rearview mirror.
A silver A8 was barreling down the road at 180 km/h, clearly annoyed at the van ahead, blaring its horn impatiently.
"Damn!"
"Think money makes you king?!"
Will Wang snorted coldly.
Just then, the radio hit the climax of Deja Vu.
Driven by the adrenaline-pumping rhythm, Will Wang impulsively floored the gas.
"Think you can pass the Driving God of Ling Shan Bay? Not a chance!"
"On corners, we're all equal!"
But the van had barely started accelerating when the A8 darted into the inner lane, flying past him in an instant.
The tires screeched sharply.
The A8 traced a perfect silver arc around the mountain curve.
"That—!"
"The gutter technique!!"
"So cool..."
By the time he came to his senses, the silver A8 had already sped far ahead, leaving the van in the dust.
Staring at the vanishing taillights, Will Wang couldn't help but sigh.
"Could it be...?"
"The new Driving God of Ling Shan Bay..."
"Has arrived?"
...
A month later, at Haizhou College.
Lu Chen and Ei walked side by side through the noisy campus.
Though the summer heat had grown even more stifling, the boys and girls showed no sign of stopping their playful antics.
The tree-lined path radiated youthful energy. Lu Chen's gaze swept past the boys and landed on the girls' swaying skirts.
Just then, a playful pair of students ran by. The girl's pleated skirt fluttered in the breeze, offering a fleeting glimpse of spring.
Suddenly, the air seemed to chill. Lu Chen quickly averted his gaze.
They were on their way to the main sports field.
When they arrived, they saw the school team already gathered below the podium.
The coach waved eagerly at them—as if they were the last ones still missing.
...