"Don't let her get away! Grab her!"

Several burly men in black suits vaulted over the road barrier, shouting as they chased after a woman in a white dress ahead of them.

The woman sprinted like a hare, but compared to the muscular pursuers behind her, she was clearly at a disadvantage.

Liu Sisi's hair was disheveled, her breath ragged. Clutching her handbag in one hand and a pair of five-centimeter heels she had just kicked off in the other, she dashed frantically across the street, weaving through the crowd.

The men were closing in fast, ready to cut her off at any moment. Panic prickled down her spine, every hair standing on end.

Just then, a car passed by.

Liu Sisi desperately waved her hand, and the vehicle slowed beside her. Without hesitation, she yanked the door open and threw herself inside.

"Drive! Hurry, go now!" she screamed, her voice trembling with fear.

The car sped off just as the men reached it, panting heavily. They chased after the vehicle for a short distance before finally giving up.

Liu Sisi leaned against the car window, finally able to let out a long sigh of relief.

After running for so long, her throat was parched. She absentmindedly grabbed a bottle of drink from the front seat, twisted off the cap, and gulped it down in one go.

Only when she had drained the last drop did she realize something was off—the fruity flavor carried a faint, bitter hint of alcohol.

A strange, burning sensation surged through her body.

Panicked, she snatched up the bottle to check the label. It had descriptions in both English and Chinese—turns out it was an imported cocktail.

No wonder she hadn’t noticed; the taste was so similar to fruit juice.

Today was just her unlucky day. First, she discovered her bank card was missing—no prizes for guessing her gambling-addict brother was behind that. She had gone to confront him about the debt, but not only did she fail to get her money back, she ended up being chased through the streets by his creditors.

Lost in her thoughts, the car suddenly came to a stop.

Only then did Liu Sisi realize she had forgotten to tell the driver her destination.

She peered out the window—nothing but desolate scenery.

Flustered, she turned to the driver beside her. "Hey, where are we?"

"The outskirts," the middle-aged driver replied casually.

"What? The outskirts?"

Liu Sisi was stunned. "Wait—I never said to take me to the outskirts! You—"

The driver, clad in a crisp blue uniform, simply said—

"I'm just a designated driver from the bar. My job is to take customers wherever they want to go. This car isn't mine—it belongs to the passenger in the back."

"What? There's someone in the back?"

Liu Sisi twisted around in the passenger seat, craning her neck to peer behind her. Sure enough, a man who appeared heavily drunk was sprawled across the backseat, propping his head up with one arm, his face obscured.

"Uh… is he okay?" She sighed inwardly. When luck ran bad, even drinking cold water could choke you.

The middle-aged driver shrugged helplessly. "What else? He’s wasted." Then he frowned. "Wait, you’re not with him? Then why’d you stop his car? I thought you knew each other—figured I could clock out without a worry."

With that, the driver stepped out of the car.

Liu Sisi scrambled after him, her legs wobbling like she was walking on cotton—probably from accidentally downing that foreign liquor earlier.

Panicked, she called after him, "But what about him?"

The driver chuckled. "Not my problem! I did my job—time to go home!"

"And—and what about me?" she pressed.

The driver gave a noncommittal wave.

"I've got my own way home to worry about, how should I know what you should do?" With that, the driver strode off angrily.

Liu Sisi staggered back to the car and yanked open the rear door.

A man lay curled up on the backseat, fast asleep, his breathing deep and even.

The pungent stench of alcohol hit her like a wall—just how much had this guy drunk? He was sprawled motionless, dead to the world.

Liu Sisi gave his leg a couple of sharp kicks. When he didn’t stir, she climbed into the car.

"Hey... wake up!"

The man shifted his arm away from his face and blinked at her groggily, his eyes unfocused.

"Sis... I... wanna... see the stars..."

"More like you'll be seeing ghosts! What stars? It's overcast today!"

Her head was growing heavier by the second, and the sky outside the window blurred into a hazy smear. If she wanted to get out of here anytime soon, she had to wake this guy up—she didn’t know the first thing about driving.

Liu Sisi leaned closer and finally got a good look at him. He was actually quite handsome—thick brows, sharp phoenix eyes, a straight nose—the kind of face that turned heads.

She gave his cheek a couple of light pats. Still no response.

Grabbing his arm, she tried hauling him upright. But instead of pulling him up, she lost her balance and tumbled onto him, landing right on top of his chest.

Forehead met forehead. Lips met lips.

Her face flushed crimson, and she scrambled to push herself up—only for the man to suddenly lurch, sending her sprawling onto the car floor.

"Who... who are you? You look familiar," the man murmured, his fingers lightly brushing her cheek.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing? You've got the wrong idea—I'm not who you think I am!"

The sleek black car was swallowed by the misty veil of the night, its shadowy form exuding an even more alluring aura.

Suddenly, the woman's sharp cry pierced the air—"Damn it! You've mistaken me for someone else!"

The man's low reply followed instantly—"Too late now. Might as well see it through."

The car swayed slightly under the force of the wind, hinting at the tempest raging within.

An hour and a half later, the vehicle finally settled back into stillness, as if nothing had ever disturbed the quiet of the seductive, enigmatic night.