143. The First Intimate Encounter

"What are you doing?"

"Get out!"

"I said get out! Did you hear me?"

Two middle-aged men, reeking of alcohol, were shouting from the side. However, due to the soundproofing of the car, Fang Chang'an and the others inside could barely hear them. The two men knocked on the window again, and seeing no response, they walked to the front of the car, pointing at Cheng Mengfei and Fang Chang'an while hurling drunken insults. They looked aggressive, menacing, and foolishly arrogant.

Shen Chengyan was busy with something; his phone rang for a while before he finally picked up. Cheng Mengfei looked at the two men blocking their path, took a deep breath, and turned to the slightly nervous Shen Mo. "Mo Mo, don't be afraid, it's okay. They wouldn't dare do anything."

"Mm."

Shen Mo nodded sensibly, then looked at Fang Chang'an. Fang Chang'an smiled at her. "Don't worry. By tomorrow at the latest, these two will be knocking on our door to apologize. They'll definitely bring something delicious. When you go to pick up your report card, remember to save some for me."

Hearing this, Shen Mo relaxed quite a bit. A smile appeared on her small face, and she pouted, acting annoyed. "All you ever think about is food!"

A faint smile also appeared on Cheng Mengfei's face. She finally heard the call connect and hurriedly asked, "Chengyan, where are you?"

She tried hard to remain calm, but her trembling voice betrayed her. Shen Chengyan grew concerned and asked, "I'm at Gou Zhu's place. What's wrong?"

"I..."

Cheng Mengfei felt a wave of grievances; her voice sounded like she was on the verge of tears, but she immediately held it back, sniffed, and said, "I got into a car accident..."

"Are you hurt? Where are you? I'm coming over right now!"

Shen Chengyan on the other end seemed to jump up instantly, then quickly softened his tone to comfort her. "Don't worry, don't be afraid, I'm on my way."

"No, I'm not hurt..."

Seeing he was worried, Cheng Mengfei hurried to explain, "Don't rush, I misspoke. It wasn't an accident, it was a near-miss. There was no collision, but the people in the other car insist I hit them and are demanding money."

"It's fine, it's fine, as long as you're not hurt. Where are you?"

Shen Chengyan comforted her repeatedly, and then she heard him telling someone nearby, "Feifei got into an accident..." followed by the sound of tables and chairs scraping across the floor as many people clearly stood up at once.

Fang Chang'an didn't know what to say, but from the perspective of an observer of this couple, Cheng Mengfei’s "bluff" was quite clever. Shen Chengyan, scared like that and then realizing it was a false alarm, would be so relieved that he likely wouldn't easily lecture her about driving alone again, or at most, he would just remind her in a few days; he certainly wouldn't blame her.

*A good trick. I'll note that down—might come in handy later!*

Fang Chang'an added some internal commentary, then turned to look at Shen Mo. She was focused on her aunt's phone call while glancing at the two drunks in front, her expression timid and truly heart-wrenching.

She was still young, after all. Worried that she might be traumatized, Fang Chang'an waved his hand in front of her face. Shen Mo looked over, puzzled. Fang Chang'an pointed to his own face and whispered, "Don't look at them, look at me. I'm better-looking than they are."

The little girl couldn't help but purse her lips, giving him a look that was half-coquettish and half-reproachful. Fang Chang'an smiled at her and whispered, barely audible, "Don't be afraid."

Shen Mo nodded firmly.

After Cheng Mengfei finished explaining the situation to Shen Chengyan, Fang Chang'an asked, "Uncle Shen, since there was no accident, this is extortion. Should we call the police? Oh, and since they're drunk driving, we should report that to the traffic police as well."

Shen Chengyan was a bit of a scholar, and Fang Chang'an feared he might be too much of a gentleman, so he offered a reminder.

Shen Chengyan replied, "I'll handle the calls. Just wait there for me; I'm already on the road. Twenty minutes at most."

"Alright."

Seeing Cheng Mengfei on the phone, the man with the dark mole on his chin walked to the side to make a call as well—it was unclear whether he was calling the police or someone else. The tattooed man remained in front of the car, pointing and shouting, exuding the aura of a local thug.

Shen Chengyan comforted Cheng Mengfei a bit more before hanging up. Seeing this, Fang Chang'an rolled down the window and heard the tattooed man saying, "You think you're something special just because you drive a BMW, huh? If I don't get your car impounded today, I'll take your last name!"

Fang Chang'an poked his head out slightly and shouted, "Brother, my teacher's husband has the same last name as you, so you might as well just take my teacher's last name instead—that would seem more sincere."

The tattooed man hadn't expected him to show his face. Seeing Fang Chang'an's grinning expression infuriated him. He stumbled over a few steps, trying to grab Fang Chang'an, but tripped and almost fell.

Fang Chang'an laughed. "Brother... oh, sorry, wrong generation. You said you wanted to take my teacher's son's last name, so you must be trying to claim him as your grandmother. I'd have to call you 'great-nephew.' Great-nephew, be careful! Stand steady!"

Seeing the man regain his balance and charge again, Fang Chang'an quickly ducked back inside and rolled up the window. The man kicked the car door in frustration and cursed at Fang Chang'an.

Cheng Mengfei was both frightened and nervous. She chided, "Why are you provoking him?"

Fang Chang'an laughed. "I was afraid he'd run off; it would be a hassle to look for him later. Besides, he kicked our car with so many people watching—the charge of 'picking quarrels and provoking trouble' should be well-established now."

The man with the mole finished his call and walked over, swaying. After exchanging a few words with the tattooed man, they both pointed at Cheng Mengfei and Fang Chang'an in the car, hurling threats with full confidence, occasionally pointing at the sky as if they owned the world.

Cheng Mengfei felt she was in the right and had some connections, so she wasn't easily bullied, but seeing them drunk-driving and still acting so arrogant made her feel a bit uneasy.

In front of the two children she needed to protect, she didn't want to show her weakness. Feeling the car was getting stuffy, she turned the key and started the engine, then switched on the air conditioning.

Fang Chang'an quickly reminded her, "Ms. Cheng, shift into gear first, and make sure the handbrake is up."

Cheng Mengfei said with a faint smile, "You're quite knowledgeable about this?"

Fang Chang'an laughed, "I've watched Uncle Shen drive many times."

As Cheng Mengfei started the engine and turned on the AC, the two men in front thought she was about to bolt. They instinctively jumped aside. Perhaps because they were too drunk, the man with the mole fell down, only to be dragged back up by the tattooed man, looking quite pathetic. Seeing the car hadn't moved, they returned to the front of the car and continued their arrogant shouting.

Shen Mo saw the man's clumsy fall and couldn't help but cover her mouth to suppress a giggle.

Fang Chang'an rolled down the window again and shouted, "Great-nephew, be careful not to fall! And tell me, you fat nephew, who do you know? You're so powerful?"

The bloated man with the mole didn't seem to hear the mockery clearly. He tilted his chin and pointed at Fang Chang'an. "You... just you wait and see—"

The tattooed man lunged forward to grab him, but being drunk made his movements sluggish. Fang Chang'an, prepared, had already retreated into the car and closed the window before the man could get close.

Then came another kick to the door. Perhaps fearing it was a BMW, the man didn't dare kick it a second time.

Cheng Mengfei sighed, amused. "Why are you so bored?"

"Well, we're waiting anyway. Teasing them is quite fun."

Fang Chang'an wasn't actually that bored; his main concern was that Shen Mo was too young and might be scared by the two drunks, so he did it on purpose.

He turned to look at Shen Mo. The little girl’s eyes were curved, clearly finding it funny. Though she still looked a bit tense, she was much better than before. At least he didn't have to worry about her not being able to sleep tonight.

Since Cheng Mengfei could only describe their location as "on the Wangmingji Road," Shen Chengyan had trouble gauging the distance. Fang Chang'an kept an eye on the time; only nine minutes had passed since the call when Shen Chengyan arrived.

A total of three cars pulled up. One was driven by Gou Zhu, who usually rode a bicycle; Shen Chengyan was in the passenger seat. Another was the middle-aged man who had just driven Shen Chengyan to Gou Zhu's place.

The last one was a police car, carrying Chang Chao and Zheng Qicheng, the head of the local police station.

The man with the mole and the tattooed man looked a bit nervous at the sight, especially with the police car there. However, they naturally weren't about to back down. Seeing Shen Chengyan arrive, Cheng Mengfei opened the door and stepped out. She still heard the two men saying sarcastically, "Oh, the police are here? You've got connections, huh? Which police station are you from? The town police want to arrest me?"

Chang Chao felt his temper flare, but Zheng Qicheng smiled and said, "Old Chang, don't be impulsive. Let the traffic police handle it. We need to establish there was no accident before we can talk about extortion. Law enforcement must be strict and standardized."

The man with the mole tilted his chin, looking at them through his nostrils. "Who are you?"

Zheng Qicheng remained smiling. "Zheng Qicheng."

The tattooed man seemed to have heard the name. His expression changed, and he whispered something to his companion. The man with the mole sized up Zheng Qicheng and let out a scoff through his nose. "Oh, a local tyrant?"

Chang Chao glared at the tattooed man, pointed at the police car, and sneered, "We're here specifically to deal with local tyrants!"

The man with the mole lit a cigarette and exhaled two puffs of smoke. "Hah," he scoffed. "Do you know Captain Wang from the Municipal Bureau?"

Before they could answer, he pointed his thumb at himself. "Last week, we were drinking together! You're trying to bluff me?"

Zheng Qicheng asked with a smile, "Which Captain Wang? What unit?"

Chang Chao couldn't be bothered to listen to the nonsense. Seeing Shen Chengyan talking to Cheng Mengfei, Fang Chang'an, and Shen Mo, he walked over.

Only when Shen Chengyan saw that everyone and the car were fine did he truly relax. He hurried to comfort Cheng Mengfei and Shen Mo. As for Fang Chang'an, he wasn't worried; this kid could remain calm even when facing an armed thug, so this minor conflict was just a trivial matter to him.

Of course, the near-miss had scared him to death. Especially after hearing the details from Cheng Mengfei and Shen Mo, he felt a lingering fear. He couldn't help but add, with a stern tone, "Look, I told you not to drive alone! If it hadn't been for Chang'an coming along, what would have happened to you and Mo Mo?"

Cheng Mengfei knew she was in the wrong, but being scolded in front of the two younger ones made her feel embarrassed. She lowered her head and said, "I know."

"As long as you're all right, let's not talk about this now."

Shen Chengyan knew this wasn't the time. He sighed, then smiled and patted Fang Chang'an on the shoulder. "Good lad. Calm under pressure—you're destined for great things."

Fang Chang'an laughed. "Uncle Shen, don't praise me, and don't blame Ms. Cheng. If it weren't for me, Ms. Cheng wouldn't have driven out."

"That has nothing to do with it. She would have snuck out to drive anyway even if you hadn't come. It's a good thing you followed."

Shen Chengyan sighed, realizing the conversation was circling back to his wife. To avoid having his wife hold it against him later, he changed his perspective. "Well, it was a false alarm and a good lesson learned. That's a good thing."

Cheng Mengfei said discontentedly, "I'm never driving again, happy now?"

"It's not that I don't want you to drive, it's that you need more practice. Don't rush to drive alone."

As Shen Chengyan was trying to reason with his wife, he saw Chang Chao walking over and stopped. He could say that in front of Fang Chang'an, but Chang Chao was truly an outsider.

"Are you all right? Minor incidents happen when driving."

Chang Chao offered a few words of comfort and then whispered to Shen Chengyan what the man with the mole had said. Shen Chengyan scoffed. "That's it? Just name-dropping some captain—who knows if it's even real—and they have the nerve to drunk drive and extort people?"

He glanced over. "I'm going to see today who exactly is giving them the confidence!"

Cheng Mengfei didn't want to cause trouble and still felt that her own driving error had triggered the incident. She whispered, "Let's just let it be."

Shen Chengyan said, "Don't worry. Let's wait for the traffic police."

The man with the mole was making another call on the side. Shen Chengyan watched him, calm and composed.

It took about twenty to thirty minutes from the county seat. Since Shen Chengyan had already called the police, the traffic police arrived about ten minutes later.

The two officers stepped out, didn't waste words, and after understanding the situation, ordered the man with the mole to take a breathalyzer test. The man refused, waving his arms. "What are you doing? Who are you? Do you know who I am? Who sent you?"

A younger officer walked over and asked him to blow into the device. Whether it was out of guilt or his usual arrogance, the man shoved the officer, causing him to stumble, and turned to run. He was immediately caught by the two officers and forced to take the test.

The tattooed man was more cooperative and took the test without a fuss.

A middle-aged officer who looked like the captain walked over and told Shen Chengyan, "82. It's drunk driving!"

"Is drunk driving this arrogant these days?"

Shen Chengyan nodded and handed him a cigarette. The officer sighed. "It's time to crack down on this. It's fortunate that no major accident occurred."

Both cars had dashcams, and the scratches on the side of the other car clearly weren't caused by a collision between the two. Since there was no accident, and the other party was suspected of extortion, it was too far to take them back to the county seat, and the town police station was closer. After communicating, Zheng Qicheng and Chang Chao took both men back.

Even as he was being shoved into the police car, the man with the mole was still yelling, "You dare arrest me? Just you wait... if I don't make you pay, I'm a son of a..."

Chang Chao finally lost his patience and gave the guy a kick. "I don't have a disgraceful son like you!"

Seeing the two villains taken away by the police, Shen Mo finally relaxed. Watching the scene, she seemed to think of something. She giggled, stood on her tiptoes, and seemed to want to say something.

Fang Chang'an noticed and, being understanding, leaned over. The little girl covered her mouth with her hand and whispered happily into his ear: "Why does this person like to be someone else's son so much? And he keeps getting rejected..."

Listening to her soft, sweet voice in his ear, Fang Chang'an felt her breath tickling his ear, making it itch. He couldn't help but turn his head.

Shen Mo hadn't expected him to turn; she was so close she couldn't dodge. Fang Chang'an turned his head, his lips brushing lightly against her delicate, pink cheek. The sensation was soft and smooth, like jade or cream, touching his heart in an instant.

Fang Chang'an's heart skipped a beat. He looked at Shen Mo, and she looked back at him. Their eyes met, and she quickly looked away like a startled fawn. Her fair, crystalline face was instantly flushed with a rouge-like blush. She leaned back, pulling away, but accidentally bumped into Cheng Mengfei. Cheng Mengfei was fine, but Shen Mo stumbled, falling backward.

Fang Chang'an reached out to grab her arm. Cheng Mengfei turned around, saw she had almost fallen, and quickly steadied her. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

Shen Mo shook her head. Fearing her aunt would notice, she didn't dare look at her. However, Cheng Mengfei was an experienced woman; seeing that even the tips of Shen Mo's ears were red, she immediately looked at Fang Chang'an with suspicion.