East Road, Lanjing City.

Jiang Yao drove a brand-new Porsche Panamera down the road. The noon sun beat down on its glossy paint, the pure black body reflecting a halo-like, rippling light. Its beautifully streamlined form and the soft roar of its engine were enough to set any man’s heart racing.

The frequent stares from passersby were a testament to the extraordinary luxury of this birthday present.

Wearing a mask inside the car, Jiang Yao could clearly feel people’s eyes on her. Occupants of nearby cars would occasionally roll down their windows to get a better look. Most were young people, but there was also a considerable number of middle-aged men.

They were all looking at the car.

Some were even taking pictures.

Jiang Yao didn’t dare open her window. She just focused on driving, afraid someone might try to talk to her and ask questions about the car.

’I’m almost there,’ she chanted silently to herself.

Socially anxious people have a distinct trait: their anxiety diminishes greatly when they’re with someone they know, because they can talk to a familiar person. Conversely, if they go out alone, they become completely withdrawn, barely saying a word the entire time.

When she went to the dealership, aside from the necessary steps to handle the paperwork, she had only said three things.

They were:

"No pictures, please."

"Don’t peel this protective film off yet."

"Can I drive it away now?"

After that, she left the dealership.

Because the task ahead was so overwhelming, Jiang Yao couldn’t possibly handle it alone. She had no choice but to drag Wan in to help. Her muttered ’I’m almost there’ referred to the fact she was about to arrive at Wan’s apartment complex.

It was almost three o’clock.

Jiang Yao turned off the engine and parked on the side of the road to wait, taking out her phone to report her progress to her sister.

A moment later, as she was scrolling through her phone, Wan called. After she answered, Wan sounded confused, asking where she was. Why couldn’t she see her at the complex gate? Had she gone to the wrong place?

"How could I get it wrong? I’m by that bus stop sign. Hold on... I’ll turn on my hazard lights, take a look."

"I... I see it. Holy crap!!"

Jiang Yao looked from side to side. A few seconds later, Wan’s face appeared outside the car window. Her eyes were wide with surprise like a rabbit’s, and she peered at the person inside the car over and over, looking like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

Jiang Yao pulled her mask down first.

"It’s me."

She unlocked the doors.

"Damn, comparisons will be the death of me," Wan exclaimed, making a big fuss the moment she pulled the door open, before her butt even hit the seat. "New car? No way. This afternoon I was bummed about not snagging a Meituan coupon, and now I meet up with you and you’ve picked up a new luxury car? Do you have any consideration for your friend’s feelings?"

"Of course I do."

"When did you buy it? Why didn’t you say you were getting a new car? Another Porsche? You and your sister really love this brand," Wan said, poking here and there, her eyes shining. "You haven’t even peeled off the protective film! These seats, this space! Oh, this is awesome!"

"I didn’t get a new car. This is for our young master at home. It’s a birthday present."

Jiang Yao thoughtfully fastened the seatbelt for the hyperactive Wan before starting to drive again.

"??? Is this how you rich people live? You’re not even married and you’re already giving cars as gifts? Isn’t that a little too extravagant?"

"I couldn’t help it. I didn’t plan on giving him something this nice at first. Didn’t I ask you a while ago if you knew anything about cars? Who knew... Ugh, forget it. I didn’t really have a choice."

"What do you mean you didn’t have a choice? Don’t tell me your little boyfriend demanded it?"

"Absolutely not. My young master is still completely in the dark about it. He has no idea."

Wan looked around the car’s interior, curiously pressing icons on the screen. She selected a song to play, and her eyebrows danced to the rhythm of the music.

A look of pure enjoyment was on her face.

"So," Wan said, staring at Yaoyao, "how much did it cost in the end?"

"Uh... over 1.4 million."

"!? How much?"

"You heard me right. That’s how much."

Jiang Yao knew she would react like this; she was prepared for it. But even so, the sheer volume of her friend’s voice made her ears ring.

"You paid for all of it?"

"How could I? I don’t have that kind of money. My sister paid for more than half of it. She helped pick out some extra options for our young master, but I’m not sure about the specifics."

"Rich lady... what a flex! Do you know my salary is seven thousand, Yaoyao? You know that, right? If I wanted to buy a car like this, I’d have to work for one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight... anyway, countless years! But you guys just go and buy one to give away like it’s nothing. There’s no justice in this world! I’m so jealous of your young master!"

"I wish it were as easy as you make it sound," Jiang Yao said, giving Wan a helpless look. "I had to grit my teeth when I paid for it. It wasn’t a casual purchase at all; it took almost all of my savings. It’d make more sense to say that about Ningning. She’s the one who’s really rich."

"It’s kind of weird, the two of you chipping in for a gift together," Wan said hesitantly, scratching her head.

"What’s weird about it?"

"Maybe it’s because you’re twins dating the same boyfriend. Anyway, no one else does that."

"Maybe."

"So what’s the deal with you guys? Is there still no resolution?"

"Not yet," Jiang Yao said, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. "We’re waiting for our young master to give us an answer, aren’t we? He said he would soon. We have to at least wait until after his birthday is over. I can’t push him too hard, or it’ll turn a happy occasion into an unhappy one."

"You’re just so considerate, aren’t you? Tsk tsk tsk."

"Don’t look at me like that. My sister thinks the same way."

"So what happens if he breaks up with one of you? How do you split the car?! You both chipped in. Wouldn’t one of you be at a huge loss, having put in both feelings and money?"