I started as a spirited young man, and the system made me a male god.

Chen Fei had just hung up the phone with Shen Shaoting when Jiang Che, sitting opposite him, noticed the anxious expression on his face.

"What's wrong?" Jiang Che put down his chopsticks. "What happened? You don't look well."

The two of them had been busy all day with company mergers and property matters, and were just sitting down to eat.

Chen Fei didn't answer immediately. He quickly swiped his finger across the screen, found the store manager Song Xingpeng's number, and dialed it.

During the brief pause while waiting for the call to connect, he said to Jiang Che in a few words, "Wait for me, I have something urgent to take care of."

The phone rang six or seven times before being answered. Song Xingpeng's sleepy, indistinct voice came from the other end: "Who...who is it? So late..."

"Manager Song, this is Chen Fei." Chen Fei got straight to the point, his tone not exactly friendly. "Excuse me. May I ask if your store has any team-building activities tonight?"

"Team building?" Song Xingpeng seemed still a little confused, repeating himself before speaking more clearly, his voice tinged with doubt, "Oh... you mean that? It's a dinner and karaoke event organized by several high-performing chain stores, it's not mandatory. What's wrong, Mr. Chen?"

"Meng Sixian is here too." Chen Fei's tone turned serious. "She just called and said that several male colleagues kept trying to get her drunk. What's going on? Is this the kind of team-building atmosphere you have at your store?"

On the other end of the phone, Song Xingpeng seemed to have fully woken up:

"This... Mr. Chen, please don't worry, let me explain. I know about the team building event tonight, but I told Sixian that her personality isn't suited for that kind of occasion, and that she should rest and not go."

But she said she wanted to go and see what it was like, to get a feel for the atmosphere. I thought they were all colleagues, so I didn't insist on stopping her. I immediately called to ask! Honestly, these employees…”

After listening to Song Xingpeng's explanation, Chen Fei had a general idea of ​​what was going on.

It seems the problem wasn't with the store; it's more likely that Meng Sixian went to an unfamiliar place and was pressured to drink by some insensitive colleagues, which she couldn't handle and panicked.

The reason for going might be... because of some other emotions?

Thinking about some of her recent subtle changes, Chen Fei sighed inwardly.

"Manager Song, could you please contact them?" Chen Fei's tone softened slightly. "Tell them to be mindful of their behavior. I'm going to pick up Meng Sixian now."

"Okay, okay, I'll call right away! Mr. Chen, I'm so sorry to have troubled you! I promise I'll handle it well!" Song Xingpeng agreed repeatedly.

Even if Chen Fei hadn't bought three cards at the store, he would still handle this matter properly.

Meng Sixian is the key person in his store right now. If she quits because she's unhappy, then there will be no sales.

Chen Fei hung up the phone, looked at Jiang Che who had been watching him, and summarized in the simplest terms: "A friend of mine was pressured to drink by her colleagues during a team-building event, and she got scared. Shen Shaoting and I are going to pick her up now."

Jiang Che's eyes flickered. Her sixth sense told her that this friend was the girl in Chen Fei's phone album who was not Lu Ziyue, but a very pretty cosplay girl.

Seeing the anxiety and worry in Chen Fei's eyes, a complex emotion swept through her heart, but she didn't show it on her face. She simply asked, "Do you need me to come along? It's good to have more people to help each other."

"No need." Chen Fei shook his head, stood up, picked up his coat draped over the back of the chair, and said, "Shao Ting and I will go. We'll pick them up and leave, and we'll contact you later."

Jiang Che nodded and didn't insist any further: "Okay, then be careful on the road. Call me anytime if you need help."

"it is good."

Chen Fei quickly left the restaurant and got into his car.

I fastened my seatbelt, started the engine, and the car smoothly merged into the nighttime traffic.

He glanced at the navigation; it was about a 20-minute drive from the KTV address that Shen Shaoting had forwarded.

He didn't floor the accelerator.

On the one hand, judging from Song Xingpeng's reaction, the matter was not serious enough to pose a personal danger; it was more that Meng Sixian was unable to handle that situation and panicked.

On the other hand, he did have some other thoughts in his mind.

Meng Sixian has been acting a little strange lately.

Since he got together with Shen Shaoting and Lin Jingyi, his WeChat conversations haven't been as natural as before. Not long ago, he added a lot of male photographers, and now he's taking the initiative to go on team building activities.

Chen Fei originally planned to have a good chat with her when he went to Shanghai for the comic convention at the end of the month, so as to get closer to her.

Unexpectedly, plans don't always go as expected.

The car drove smoothly on the main road.

The phone connected via Bluetooth in the car rang; it was Lin Jingyi.

Chen Fei pressed the answer button.

"Brother Fei," Lin Jingyi's gentle voice came through the phone, "I've finished work here. Are you home yet? Ask Shaoting what she wants to eat tonight. I'm passing by the shopping street, so I'll grab some food to take home."

"We're not home yet." Chen Fei looked at the road ahead. "Meng Sixian's company team-building event didn't seem to go well. She called Shaoting, and Shaoting contacted me. We're on our way to pick her up from the karaoke bar."

"Huh?" Lin Jingyi was clearly surprised on the other end of the phone. "Sister Sixian? What happened to her? Is it serious? I'll go with her!"

"No need, Jingyi," Chen Fei said gently. "It sounds like she was scared by her colleagues' encouragement to drink. She should be fine. Shaoting and I will pick her up and come right back. You must be tired after filming all day, go home and rest."

Lin Jingyi was silent for two seconds, then sighed softly, her voice filled with worry: "Alright then... Be careful. Let me know when you pick up Sister Sixian."

"Okay, sure," Chen Fei replied. He hesitated for a moment before asking, "Jingyi, I've been feeling lately that...Sixian seems a bit strange. Ever since...well, ever since she started dating you guys, she seems a little uncomfortable. What do you think is the reason?"

A longer silence followed on the other end of the phone.

The only sounds coming from the car stereo were a faint electrical hum and the sound of the wind outside the window.

If it weren't for the fact that the screen still showed that the call was in progress, Chen Fei would have almost thought that the signal had been lost.

After a long while, Lin Jingyi's hesitant voice rang out again: "I feel... Sister Sixian probably likes you."

Chen Fei's fingers tightened slightly around the steering wheel.

He was originally only 70-80% sure about this, but after Lin Jingyi said that, he was now 90% sure.

Lin Jingyi continued, her voice very soft, as if she were carefully sorting out her thoughts:

"But her hometown is quite traditional, and she herself is quite simple-minded. So, seeing you and us might have made her feel confused and conflicted."

I want to get closer, but I also feel I shouldn't, or I don't know how to face it. That's probably... how it is? I can't really say, it's just a feeling.

Chen Fei hummed in agreement.

Lin Jingyi's feeling roughly matched his own guess.

A gentle girl like Meng Sixian, raised with traditional values, would be at a loss and might even act out of spite when faced with such a complex emotional situation.

"So what do you think I should do?" Chen Fei asked, his voice carrying a seriousness he himself didn't realize.

This time, Lin Jingyi answered very quickly, so quickly that Chen Fei felt she had thought about the question herself.

"I think that no matter what it is, keeping things to yourself can easily lead to overthinking and problems. As long as the two people are willing, they can find an opportunity to talk things out, and maybe everything will be fine. Even if the outcome is not satisfactory, at least you won't have to torture yourself."

Open your heart and communicate honestly.

Chen Fei pondered these words.

Previously, it was Shen Shaoting and the others who took the initiative; this time, it was his turn to take the initiative.

"I understand," Chen Fei said, having made some plans in mind. "Thank you, Jingyi."

"You're welcome." Lin Jingyi's voice softened. "Then... you drive first, be careful. Sister Sixian should be off tomorrow, right? I'll go to Heytea later to buy two cakes. We can invite Sister Sixian over tonight for dinner."

Chen Fei felt a warmth in his heart. Lin Jingyi was always so thoughtful and considerate.

"Okay, text me when you get home."

"Okay, be careful on the road."

After ending the call with Lin Jingyi, Chen Fei slightly increased the speed of the car by pressing down on his foot.

The night breeze blew in through the half-open car window, making his thoughts clearer.

Just then—

[Ding! Host detected to have entered continuous driving mode, triggering scenario mission: The Path to Becoming a Veteran Driver!]

[Task requirement: Accumulate a total safe driving mileage of 100 kilometers.]

[Mission Reward: Unlock the skill "Man and Machine as One" (possess the driving abilities of a top-tier race car driver)]

[Advanced Goal: Accumulate 300 kilometers of safe driving.]

[Advanced Reward: 100 million RMB Car Purchase Fund (Can only be used for vehicle purchase)]

[Long-term goal: For every 1000 kilometers of accumulated safe driving mileage, you can draw ownership of a random brand/model vehicle! (The system guarantees the legal source)]

[Note: There are countless roads, but safety is the most important. Follow driving rules, and you'll be chasing luxury cars.]

The system notification suddenly rang in his mind, startling Chen Fei slightly, before a surge of joy welled up inside him.

This system really delivers exactly what you need.

In the afternoon, he felt that the car was not very comfortable to drive, and besides, with more business and bigger occasions in the future, having a better car would indeed be more convenient.

Moreover, this "man and machine as one" skill sounds very practical.

However, despite his surprise, Chen Fei quickly regained his composure.

The most important thing right now is to pick up Meng Sixian.

He glanced at the newly appeared mileage counter on the system interface, which had begun to slowly increase, and then turned his attention back to the road.

About ten minutes later, Chen Fei's car stopped in front of the brightly lit KTV, where music could be faintly heard.

As soon as he got out of the car, he saw Shen Shaoting getting out of another taxi not far away, her steps a little unsteady.

"Shaoting," Chen Fei called out and quickly walked over.

When Shen Shaoting saw him, her eyes lit up for a moment, but then she frowned and her walking posture was noticeably unnatural.

"What happened? Did you hurt your foot?" Chen Fei looked down.

"It's nothing," Shen Shaoting waved her hand, trying to sound relaxed. "The high heels I wore during filming today were absolutely awful; they rubbed my heels and caused blisters. It's a minor issue; it's more important to talk to Sister Sixian first."

Seeing her wince in pain but still trying to endure it, Chen Fei didn't say anything more, but simply reached out and supported her arm: "Slow down, it won't take a minute or two. Do you know which private room we're in?"

"Sister Sixian sent me a message, it's in room 708." With Chen Fei's help, Shen Shaoting steadied herself and looked up at the dazzling KTV sign. "Let's go, let's hurry and pick them up."

The two exchanged a glance, said nothing more, and went inside together.