63. The Journey Along the Way: A Transformation as Melodious as a Song

Half an hour later, Chen Sufen was behind the wheel, while Bai Haonan, slumped in the passenger seat, struggled to undo his shirt. He saw that the blood had clotted but reopening the wound made it throb with sharp pain. “You could’ve at least suggested we find a hospital first!” he grumbled.

Chen Sufen kept her eyes on the road. “Last semester, a few boys in our department got into a knife fight. The police immediately notified every major hospital's emergency room to be on the lookout for the wounded. We should keep driving—once we’re far enough from here, we can just find a small clinic to get you stitched up.”

Hearing the word “stitches,” the burly ex-professional athlete shrank back a little. “Forget it. I’ll just keep it wrapped and let it heal on its own. It should be fine, as long as I don’t use too much force.”

Her tone softened, “That’s why you can’t drive. I’ll go with you, and we’ll be back in a few days.”

Bai Haonan mumbled in resignation, “Just my damned luck...”

She teased him like an older sister, “Don’t jinx it! Knock on wood, will you?”

He laughed, actually spitting three times in the corner of the car to ward off bad luck.

Chen Sufen’s face seemed to glow. “When I took those girls back, they were in awe. They said they’d never seen anyone so manly!”

Bai Haonan scoffed, trying to move his arm. “A bunch of girls—if any of those big shots wanted to, a single call would’ve settled everything. Only a fool like me would get physical. Look at the state I’m in. What did the police say?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. Since you gave me the keys, if things got out of hand, I’d have taken the girls and slipped away right away. We’d already pulled out onto the road before I saw the police cars go by. The fewer people who know you, the better. Even if they track Qiao Yingna to the medical university, that’ll be tomorrow’s problem. Did you leave that bastard outside?”

He nodded. “I just dumped him outside a police station. Hopefully Qiao won’t get dragged into this.”

Even on the highway, she glanced over at him. “She called me—said she and the festival director had already met the police and were safe. But I told her not to contact us and hung up right away.”

Bai Haonan watched the occasional lights from rural homes flicker past, as if everything in Rongdu was fading behind them. “That’s good, then.”

Chen Sufen seemed to sense his mood, grinning playfully. “That phone card was just for secret contact with you. While waiting in the car, I pulled it out and tossed it. No one knows I’m connected to her. Clever, right?”

He rolled his eyes. “The police are ruthless. If they want to find you, they will. But there was no time to think about that. All my IDs are fake anyway. Qiao’s already dealt with the police before—if she insists we’re just roommates and she doesn’t know who I am, she’ll be fine. We’ll see if the sponsor dares to hassle her again.”

She looked at him admiringly. “From the way she sounded on the phone, I think she’s head over heels for you. You’ve won her heart now!”

He dismissed it. “What would I do with it? Use it as a side dish for drinks? It’s not like we’ll ever see each other again. She’s got a bright future ahead—even if she doesn’t sing, she could be a doctor. As for me, I’m just a lowlife. If you’re tired, take a break. Or let me drive again. Honestly, the thought of running off to a new place excites me. You could just get off at the next exit and head back in the morning.”

She cut him off. “Get lost! It’s not often I get to slip away and have some fun. I’m a little jealous of your outlaw lifestyle. Maybe I should just go on the run with you. Free as a bird. If worst comes to worst, I can still busk for food on the roadside.”

Bai Haonan burst out laughing, showing not a trace of a fugitive’s anxiety. “Get out of here! I’m better off alone...” He suddenly remembered something and started rummaging through the glove box, finally pulling out the shaving kit he’d stashed there for just such an occasion. Right there in the speeding car, he sprayed shaving foam onto his face and began carefully shaving with one hand. “See? I’ve always been ready. If I ever need to run, just shave off the beard. After the toll station, we’ll swap out the Rongdu plates, and no one will ever know where that bearded Liu Hao went. Ha! I’ve had a blast these past few weeks.”

With a lecherous grin, he acted as if the bright prospects he’d left behind in Rongdu meant less to him than his womanizing exploits. And to say such things in front of another woman—clearly, he considered her a true comrade.

She rolled her eyes, but the indulgent affection in her gaze matched his foolish smile. It wasn’t until he’d just about finished shaving that she suddenly realized, “Hey, if you go to Niu’s place without the beard, you’ll be recognized easily—he’s still connected in those circles!”

Bai Haonan hesitated, then glanced at his reflection in the sun visor mirror. “Too late now. Should’ve just trimmed it short...” But he was never one to worry, and instead stroked his chin with some vanity. “But you have to admit, growing a beard really worked. I only realized how much it changes your appearance after seeing Messi with and without one. Plus, now I can match this face to the fake ID I stole.”

She hadn’t known about that. Leaning in, she peered at the ID card and giggled. “Wang Jianguo... So you’re a college student too? We’re about the same age, then?”

He wasn’t buying it. “Cut it out, trying to get close to me. Go hang out with your little friends.”

But she had an idea. “If the police investigate your injured hand, you’ll need a few days to recover so it’s not obvious. And didn’t you say your beard grows fast? Let’s just find a quiet little place off the highway and lay low for a few days. Once things have calmed down, then we’ll head to Niu’s. What do you think?”

All his experience outside the nightclub scene had been gained in the last two months, so he considered her suggestion. “Actually, that does make sense. Damn, what’s up ahead? All I know is this highway leads to West Guizhou.”

She gave him a look of disdain. “Don’t you know how to use the map on your phone?”

He wasn’t embarrassed at all. “All those years on the team, do you think I ever needed to look at a map? If it wasn’t for traveling to away games, hitting bars, and hooking up, I wouldn’t even know how to use GPS.”

She rolled her eyes with the superiority of the well-educated, her eyes darting slyly. “Let’s just keep driving for now—at least out of this province. Then we’ll find a small, out-of-the-way town to get off the highway. It should be somewhere cut off from the news, so your little mess won’t end up on the police wanted list...”

Suddenly, he remembered the tall woman in uniform and shook his head to dismiss the thought. He was on the run, after all!

But while most people would be frantic on the run, he had a female driver by his side. Bai Haonan couldn’t help but glance over at the driver’s seat.

Even though it was autumn, Chen Sufen still preferred her high-slit athletic shorts, her legs on display, which looked especially attractive from this angle.

Bai Haonan quickly looked away.

Outside, night had deepened, as dark as if ink had spilled across the sky, but there was the faintest glimmer of light on the horizon.

Just like the future ahead.