He was exiled to Dongguan and shot by two young women with promiscuous sexual harassment.

As darkness fell, a few lights came on in the training field.

Han Jun glanced at his watch: "That's all for today."

Yang Jiulang got out of the car, stretched his limbs, took out the two packs of Zhonghua cigarettes from his pocket, and handed them over: "Teacher Han, since we've already bought them, why don't you want them?"

Han Jun's face turned cold: "Take it back."

Yang Jiulang shuddered; he almost lost it.

"Didn't I tell you? Even though you're in the fast track class, I won't let you take the exam here if your skills aren't up to par." Han Jun put the whistle in his pocket. "But don't feel pressured, you're learning pretty fast."

Encouraged, Yang Jiulang perked up again: "Teacher Han, how about I treat you to dinner..."

"No need," Han Jun interrupted him. "Just focus on practicing driving. Go back now."

Yang Jiulang had no choice but to put the cigarette back in his pocket and gave an awkward smile: "Thank you, Teacher Han."

Han Jun waved to him, turned around and walked to another training vehicle to check its condition.

Yang Jiulang walked out of the training field and had just reached the main gate when his phone rang. It was a WeChat message from Even: [Engineer Yang, where are you?]

He replied with a voice message: "Just finished driving lessons, I'm at the driving school gate."

Even: [Send me your location.]

Yang Jiulang sent the location, and after about ten minutes, the red SUV drove over from the other side of the road and stopped steadily in front of him.

The car window rolled down, and Even sat in the driver's seat. His profile looked particularly striking and handsome under the streetlights.

"Get in the car," she said.

"Boss, what do you want?" Yang Jiulang asked.

"I should at least treat you to a meal!"

Yang Jiulang opened the passenger door, paused, and hesitated, wondering whether to put his feet in first or his buttocks in first.

"Come in quickly!" Even urged.

"Oh," Yang Jiulang grabbed the handle and threw his whole body in.

He chuckled and asked, "What are we going to eat?"

"How about we go eat seafood again? I think you really like it," Even asked.

"Okay, okay."

Even skillfully shifted gears and started the car, merging into the traffic.

Her driving style is just like her personality: crisp and efficient, without any hesitation. Changing lanes, overtaking, and braking are all done with fluid grace.

Yang Jiulang stole a glance at her. Her profile was very defined, with a sharp jawline, a high nose bridge, and short hair tucked behind her ears, revealing her small earlobes adorned with tiny diamond studs that were usually hidden by her hair and barely noticeable.

"What are you looking at?" Even suddenly asked.

Yang Jiulang was startled and quickly looked away, saying, "I...I wasn't looking at anything."

Even smiled slightly but didn't pursue the matter.

The car was quiet for a moment, with only the low rumble of the engine and the hum of the air conditioner. Yang Jiulang felt the atmosphere was a little awkward, so he started a conversation: "Boss, you drive really well. How long will it take me to be able to drive like you?"

Even chuckled smugly: "Driving is like eating and sleeping; practice makes perfect. The more you drive, the better you get. By the way, how was your first day of driving lessons?"

"It was alright. I only practiced for an hour, and the teacher praised me for making rapid progress."

Even nodded approvingly: "You're obviously a skilled driver."

Yang Jiulang smiled smugly.

"Why did you suddenly want to learn to drive today?"

Yang Jiulang told the truth: "Because I'm planning to buy a car."

Even glanced at him, her eyes holding an ambiguous expression: "Do you have a high salary?"

Yang Jiulang's salary barely exceeds ten thousand yuan, which is considered quite high in mainland China.

But after deducting living expenses, buying a car is indeed a stretch.

Not wanting to discuss the system, Yang Jiulang thought for a moment and then joked, "Boss, your understanding of the mainland is still stuck at the tea egg stage!"

Even chuckled and shook his head, saying, "Those people really should come back and take a look."

The car stopped at a red light, and Even couldn't help but turn to look at him, scrutinizing him intently for a few seconds: "You really look different today."

Yang Jiulang grinned: "There's a saying, I forget which one, something like 'a beauty emerges from the water,' which roughly means that once you find someone pleasing to the eye, you'll find them more and more pleasing to the eye the more you look at them."

Even paused, her face slightly flushed, and she glared at Yang Jiulang before saying in a coquettish voice, "That's not what I meant."

At Xinwang Seafood Restaurant, handsome men and beautiful women sat facing each other at the window seats in the bustling lobby on the first floor, attracting the attention of those around them.

An older woman wearing an apron brought over the menu. Even took it, flipped through it, and ordered steamed lobster with garlic, steamed turbot, and stir-fried crab with ginger and scallions. She also thoughtfully ordered half a dozen oysters for Yang Jiulang.

"That's enough, that's enough, you can't eat that much." Yang Jiulang quickly stopped him.

Even closed the menu and said to the older woman, "That's all for now, and another pot of Tieguanyin tea."

The waiter left, and the two sat facing each other, creating a slightly awkward atmosphere.

To break the awkward silence, Yang Jiulang took a sip of dishwater and asked, "Boss, besides work, what are your hobbies?"

Even tilted her head, gently rubbing the rim of the cup with her fingers: "Work out, watch TV, read a book."

What kind of books do you like to read?

"I've been reading 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' lately. Everyone says it's good, but I find it really hard to read," Even said with a smile.

Yang Jiulang smiled knowingly: "Reading books shouldn't be as difficult as doing homework."

"You've seen it too? What did you think of it?"

"I've read it several times, and I've finally finished it," Yang Jiulang thought for a moment. "I didn't really feel anything after reading it, just a sense of relief that I'd finished my assignment. But there was one sentence in it that I thought was pretty good, and I've been keeping it in mind ever since."

"What did you say? Tell me if I've seen it or not?" Even pressed on.

"The gist is: Everyone is lonely, and they try their best to dispel that loneliness in their own ways, but in reality, they are only prolonging it. Loneliness is the Creator's curse on those who live in groups; embracing solitude is the only way out."

Even paused for a moment, holding his teacup, and murmured, "Enjoying solitude, enjoying solitude, a hundred years of loneliness, sigh~"

With a long sigh, Yang Jiulang knew that she must be thinking of something, so he remained silent and did not disturb her.

After a moment of sadness, Even leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on the table, propping her chin up, and stared at Yang Jiulang, asking, "Engineer Yang, do you think I'm lonely or isolated?"

This question is a bit ambiguous.

Yang Jiulang thought for a moment and said seriously, "You must be lonely. Loneliness is passive, but solitude is an active choice. You chose to come all the way from Taiwan alone, bearing such great pressure in this unfamiliar place. Not everyone can do that."

Even remained silent for a few seconds, gave a bitter smile, and shook her head slightly.

The food arrived, and Even pinched an oyster and put it in Yang Jiulang's bowl: "Eat up, it must be hard driving with a female instructor."

Yang Jiulang was stunned and stared at the beautiful woman opposite him with a puzzled look, wondering if she was doing it on purpose or not.

Even's eyes darted left and right, then she suddenly covered her mouth and burst into giggles...

I enjoyed the meal very much; it was relaxing and plentiful.

After finishing their meal, the two did not leave immediately, but instead strolled along the seaside path to digest their food.

Under the moonlight, Yang Jiulang looked at Even's exquisite profile, which was as perfect as a manga character.

Even looking back at Yang Jiulang, she saw that he had his collar turned up, and although his back was slightly hunched and he was wearing glasses, he no longer looked weak like before. A manly aura was faintly emerging from his calm eyes.

On the way back, the radio was playing a very old Cantonese song, Jacky Cheung's "Li Xianglan".

"The spring breeze is vexing, why is my heart vexed by the spring breeze...?"

Yang Jiulang leaned back in the passenger seat, listening to music and looking at the street scene outside the car window.

The nights in Dongguan are not as noisy as the days. Neon lights flicker with an ambiguous glow, street vendors are packing up, and occasionally groups of two or three young men and women walk by, chattering away.

"What are you thinking about?" Even suddenly asked.

Yang Jiulang smiled and shook his head.

He was thinking about those two little lucky cats.