"It's not so bad..." Wang Xiao mumbled to himself as the throttle of the bike continued to be open wide.
The sensation of speed coursed through him, especially on the empty, unregulated streets of Pudong.
The wind became a living thing, tearing at his clothes and tugging at his hair as he accelerated, the exhilaration intensifying with every passing second.
The world blurred around him, and for those precious moments, he felt truly free.
But in the blink of an eye, his elation turned to stark fear as he noticed an approaching car on the narrow single-lane street.
"!!"
His reflexes took over as he instinctively slammed on the brakes and swerved to the left, narrowly avoiding a disastrous collision with the car.
He let out a breath of relief, his heart pounding in his chest.
But before he could fully process what had just occurred, an unseen force crashed into him.
*Boom!*
The front tire of the bike struck a pole with a jarring impact, bringing the bike to an abrupt and violent stop.
Wang Xiao was sent catapulting from the bike, his head making sickening contact with the unyielding pole.
!!
For several agonizing seconds, he lay there, unconscious and sprawled in an awkward position.
Blood oozed from a gash on his forehead, a crimson trickle that hinted at the severity of the injury.
"...mm..." Slowly, he began to stir, his body feeling alien and disconnected, like pieces of a puzzle not quite fitting together.
"Blood...?" His eyes widened in alarm as they fell upon the dark, spreading stain from the wound.
He hesitated for a moment, then slowly reached up to touch it, the warmth under his fingers making his skin crawl, a numb sensation coursing through his body.
Summoning all the strength he could muster, he managed to rise, a throbbing numbness in his head and a disorienting fog clouding his thoughts.
Clutching his bleeding forehead with one hand, he approached the fallen bike.
With a determined grimace, he mounted it, his fingers gripping the handles tightly.
The damaged machine felt heavier than before, the numbenes in his head intensifying with each jolt.
Yet, driven by the need to find help, he steered it shakily toward the nearest point where he hoped to find assistance.
______
Draped in a coat to stave off the unexpected chill that had swept in with the afternoon, Chen Meili, the receptionist of Velvet Shadows, let out a sigh of bewilderment.
The weather in Shanghai seemed to have taken an unpredictable turn, leaving her to ponder this sudden cold snap.
As she stood by the window, her eyes were drawn to a bike parked outside.
It captured her attention, and upon closer inspection, she recognized Wang Xiao as the rider.
Surprise flashed through her eyes momentarily, but she soon shook her head, a wry smile tugging at her lips.
The day was proving to be far more eventful than she had initially anticipated.
"How can this little boy have so much strength?" Chen Meili muttered to herself, her surprise evident. There was only one reason he could have come here for, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of warning for Lin Xue.
But hadn't he been with another girl whom he had brought just yesterday? It hadn't even been a day, and yet here he was again.
Regardless of his antics, Chen Meili had become adept at brushing aside Wang Xiao's absurd behavior, shifting the responsibility to his baby sister, Lin Xue, to handle. She knew that if either Wang Xiao or Lin Xue discovered her true thoughts about them, she'd likely get an earful.
However, to her surprise, Wang Xiao didn't make his way inside. Instead, he picked up a glass of water, and with deliberate slowness, began pouring it over his own head.
??
Chen Meili watched in bewilderment as the dried blood on his forehead slowly turned liquid, tinting the water a shocking shade of red. The sight left her and the others nearby startled and perplexed, a new wave of curiosity and concern washing over her.
!!
"What on earth are you doing!?" Chen Meili exclaimed, leaving her counter in a hurry and snatching the water from Wang Xiao's hand.
"Huh?" Wang Xiao turned to face her, furrowing his brow. "Just a small wound, cleaning it up," he explained matter-of-factly.
"What!?" Chen Meili felt an even greater shock. 'Cleaning it!?' Was he out of his mind?
Without wasting another moment, she took charge, pulling him inside and instructing him to stay put. "You wait here! Don't go anywhere, and for goodness' sake, don't try to clean it again!" she ordered, rushing into the establishment and causing a stir.
Wang Xiao was still somewhat perplexed. The injury had left his body feeling numb, and he couldn't sense any pain in his head. He assumed it was a minor scratch that he could easily wash off, maybe apply some medicine, and head home.
However, to the onlookers, his actions seemed almost like a reckless action of suicide.
Chen Meili swiftly returned, and behind her came another woman, Lin Xue, who naturally drew attention with her curvaceous figure.
As Lin Xue laid eyes on Wang Xiao sitting in the chai nonchalant like a thug while his head stained with drying blood, her eyes widened in a mix of shock and concern.
Simultaneously, another motorcycle was parked outside.
Wang Xiao had been absent for quite some time, prompting Fu Chao and Tan Weimin to set out to find him.
They finally arrived and pulled up, halting outside.
Lin Xue, rushing toward Wang Xiao, came to an abrupt sto, almost freezing in her tracks as she spotted the two additional males making their way inside.
She recognized them vaguely, but that was all.
"??"
Wang Xiao glanced at her pale face, taken aback, squinting his eyes.
Following her gaze, he noticed Fu Chao and Tan Weimin closing in on him, equally surprised by Lin Xue's sudden presence.
For Tan Weimin, this was his first time seeing her. He had only heard whispers of the beautiful proprietress of this place.
As for Fu Chao, he had caught fleeting glimpses of her shadow, but this was the first time he saw her clearly.
The captivating figure beckoned to both of them, stirring temptations within.
Lin Xue, regaining her composure, slowly walked up to Wang Xiao. "How on earth did you manage to injure yourself like this?" she asked, brows furrowed, trying to assess the extent of the injury beneath the blood covering his head.
The injury didn't seem overly serious, but the earlier water Wang Xiao had poured over the dried blood had given it a gruesome appearance.
"Come inside with me," she said, taking his hand and leading him indoors, leaving Tan Weimin and Fu Chao in a state of surprise.
"Take the bike back; I'll catch up with you all later," Wang Xiao instructed, tossing the bike keys toward Fu Chao, who caught them, still in a daze.
"Damn! What's going on with that guy!?" Fu Chao exclaimed, his mind racing.
He sighed deeply, attempting to calm his thoughts.
Tan Weimin was utterly bewildered. "Brother, how did Wang Xiao get so lucky? The proprietress seemed to treat him with great favor. I can't recall her even acknowledging our presence."
Fu Chao wore a bitter expression, shaking his head slowly. "I have no clue," he admitted, his gaze fixed on the trio as they disappeared into the shadows.