After Falling for the Handsome CEO - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: I’ll Drive You Back Tonight

Shen Jin followed silently, tightening his grip on the wooden stick. He was, deep down, quite nervous; after all, he had never dealt with a situation like this before.

Just then, the figure ahead stopped and crouched down in front of the bicycle. The person seemed to be staring at something, poking at it a few times while muttering under his breath, “That’s strange, why did it suddenly…”

Shen Jin didn’t wait to hear the rest. Summoning every ounce of strength he possessed, he charged forward. He swung the wooden stick high and roared with righteous fury, “You godforsaken thief!! Stop right there!”

“Huh?” The person froze. Hearing the shout, he looked up just in time to see a stick swinging down toward him. His pupils shrank, and he scrambled to the side to dodge. “What are you doing?!”

Shen Jin snapped back, “What am I doing? Bringing you to justice! We’re going to the police station!”

Fearing the thief might counterattack, Shen Jin took advantage of the man’s retreat and lunged again. He swung the stick once more, but the man reacted instantly, delivering a swift kick to Shen Jin’s knee. Shen Jin’s balance broke, and he tumbled forward.

As he stumbled, the man caught him easily by the waist, steadying him. He laughed, sounding genuinely amused. “Attacking someone from behind with a stick in the middle of the night to ‘bring them to justice’? Since when did the local customs become so… aggressive?”

Shen Jin sucked in a sharp breath. The pain from his existing injuries flared up, causing him to lose all strength. The “mighty hero” of a moment ago vanished, replaced by an embarrassed youth. He hurriedly pushed the man away and struggled to regain his footing.

“Hmm?” When the man saw his face clearly, he seemed surprised. Then he smiled. “What a coincidence. This makes twice I’ve caught you today.”

“Ah?” Shen Jin froze. His guard, which had been up until a second ago, crumbled as he recognized the man’s face. He stood paralyzed for a moment before instinctively backing up two steps. “You… you-you-you…”

He couldn’t mistake that sharp, handsome face—he had just seen it at the hospital today! It was the kind stranger who had helped him up, but now… he was a bicycle thief?

Shen Jin’s head was a chaotic mess. He pointed a finger, stammering “you” repeatedly without being able to form a coherent sentence, and could only glare.

The man was the first to laugh. He brushed the dust off his clothes. He also possessed a pair of “phoenix eyes” that curved slightly as he spoke with a hint of mock dissatisfaction. “What about ‘me’? You think you’re in the right for hitting me? How can you be like this? I’ve helped you up twice today. Even if you don’t thank me, you shouldn’t try to bash my head in, right?”

His tone was full of complaint, yet his eyes were dancing with mirth. It was impossible to tell if he was actually angry; it felt more like he was sharing a private joke.

Shen Jin felt a wave of shame. The man had a point—he had helped him at the hospital. But wait… no! Since when was a thief in the right?!

Shen Jin snapped back to his senses, his stuttering gone. He pointed directly at him. “You’re a thief who stole my bike! You think you have the right to complain?!”

“A thief? Stole your bike?” Bai Yujin was utterly confused. Just as he was about to argue, his gaze fell on the bicycle. A realization seemed to dawn on him, and the corner of his mouth twitched. “This bike… is yours?”

Shen Jin immediately grew wary again, watching him closely. From the man’s reaction, it was clear he had hit the mark. The man sighed. “I thought Muer had suddenly bought a piece-of-junk bike… I mean, I thought her taste had become… unique. I had nothing to do, so I took it for a spin. I didn’t realize it belonged to you.”

Before Shen Jin could process this, the man offered a charming smile. “It’s all a misunderstanding. You must be Muer’s tutor. Hello, I’m her brother, Bai Yujin.”

Shen Jin was instantly petrified. “Huh?”

Bai Yujin ignored his shock. He nudged the bike with his foot, frowning as he spoke to himself. “Though, I have to say, your bike is really not durable. I only rode it for a few minutes and the tire blew out.”

Shen Jin’s eyes went wide. “What?”

Before he could finish being horrified, Bai Yujin smiled again, sounding quite impressed. “It’s quite resilient, though. Even after the tire popped, it seemed like it could still move, so I kept riding. But now, it won’t move at all.”

Shen Jin: “…”

His heart felt like it was being trampled by a stampede. He couldn’t say a word; he just stared at the man, feeling a sudden surge of “chest pain” from sheer stress.

Caught under that gaze, Bai Yujin felt a twinge of guilt. He rubbed his nose awkwardly and flashed a brilliant, dazzling smile, attempting to charm his way out of it. “Am I handsome?”

Shen Jin: “…”

This person…

“Fine, my bad.” Realizing his charm wasn’t working, Bai Yujin rubbed his nose again. “You’re Shen Jin, right? I’ve heard my mother and sister mention you. I’ll have someone fix the bike and send it over tomorrow. Tonight, I’ll drive you back.”

Before Shen Jin could wrap his head around this sequence of events, Bai Yujin had already pulled up in a flashy red sports car. The door swung open automatically. The man laughed, “Come on, get in. Where do you live?”

“No-no-no, that’s not necessary!” Shen Jin stammered, shaking his head with an awkward smile. “Since it was a misunderstanding, I’ll just take it to the shop. I don’t want to trouble you.”

Bai Yujin dismissed it with a grin. “It’s no trouble. It’s late and it’s not safe. It’ll only take a moment.”

“No…”

Before Shen Jin could finish his refusal, Bai Yujin cut him off, his voice more firm this time: “Get in.”

“Oh…” Shen Jin complied woodenly. He figured he might as well; the man clearly didn’t find it a bother.

The car had a faint, pleasant fragrance. It was incredibly comfortable—thousands of times better than his rock-hard bicycle seat. Remembering that he had mistaken this man for a thief, Shen Jin felt another wave of mortification.

As the sports car merged onto the highway, Bai Yujin chuckled. “Where do you live? I’ll set the GPS. I’ve been abroad for years, so I don’t know the roads. I’m afraid if I take a wrong turn, you’ll think I’m a human trafficker and try to drag me to the police station again.”

Shen Jin was too embarrassed to respond. He looked away and whispered his address. “…It’s at East End.”

Screeeech—

The sound of the brakes was ear-piercing.

Bai Yujin turned to look at him. “Where did you say?”

“…” Shen Jin was startled by the sudden stop. He quietly repeated the name. “East End.”

Bai Yujin: “Where?”

Shen Jin: “…East End.”

“Oh, East… East End. I see, I see. The city’s ‘godforsaken’… ahem…” Bai Yujin pulled his gaze back and stared at the road ahead, carefully weighing his words. “That’s… nice. East End, huh? Simple folk, very diverse, not many rules… very free-spirited.”

Shen Jin: “…”

From Bai Yujin’s reaction, Shen Jin was certain the man regretted offering the ride. After all, someone at the top of the social ladder would never have set foot in a slum like that.

But seeing how the man refrained from saying anything insulting and was instead struggling to squeeze out a few compliments, Shen Jin couldn’t help but find it funny. His tense expression broke into a sudden, genuine smile.

Watching through the rearview mirror, Bai Yujin found himself momentarily dazed by that unexpected smile.