Chapter 42: So Near Yet So Far

A 0-to-100 km/h acceleration time of 5.6 seconds is already quite fast for such a massive vehicle, but this stretch of road was still too long. By the time the cars at the intersection had begun moving forward, Lin Ye had only covered half the distance.

If he missed her this time, there was no telling when he might run into her again. In fact, Lin Ye had previously gone to the hospital to ask the nurses and the head nurse.

However, their answers were entirely consistent: either they claimed to know neither Su Qing’s address nor her contact information, or they cited patient privacy policies that prohibited them from disclosing her details.

Seemingly sensing its master’s intense determination to catch up, the Tank 700 let out a deep roar that suddenly turned high-pitched.

The vehicle remained remarkably stable even at high speeds, which was the only reason Zhang Wen had managed to adapt to it so quickly.

He was even pondering in his mind what kind of blow Lin Ye must have suffered. He had been completely normal while waiting at the red light—surely he couldn’t have just lost his mind and suddenly felt like pushing his newly acquired car to its limits.

The moment the straight-ahead traffic light turned from green to yellow, Lin Ye successfully cleared the intersection and spotted the white Mercedes.

It was positioned six car lengths directly ahead of him. Judging by its trajectory, it would likely continue straight at the next intersection as well. All he needed to do was pull up alongside it at the upcoming traffic light...

Maneuvered by Lin Ye, the massive body of the Tank 700 proved surprisingly agile. It wove smoothly through the gaps between vehicles and finally came to a halt right beside the white Mercedes at the traffic signal.

Observing closely, Lin Ye noticed another woman in the front passenger seat of the other car. Her features were obscured, and he could only vaguely make out her hair, which appeared to be styled in large, tumbling waves. There was no helping it; the passenger-side window of that car had been rolled up long ago.

The driver’s side was even harder to see. Moreover, whether it was just his imagination or not, Lin Ye had a persistent feeling that the person in the passenger seat of that car seemed to recognize him.

She didn't even grant him a glimpse of her profile, leaving him with nothing more than the back of her head—otherwise, Lin Ye wouldn't have been able to tell her hair was wavy. At the same time, this ruled out the possibility that the passenger was Su Qing.

After all, Su Qing had been wearing her hair straight and dark just yesterday morning.

Now, however, the car had been definitively confirmed as the very same AMG Lin Ye used to drive, yet the people inside remained hidden. Even when Lin Ye rolled down his window, waved, and called out, he failed to draw the slightest attention from them, as if he were entirely invisible.

Leaning back against the driver’s seat as though all the strength had been drained from his body, Lin Ye thought that perhaps this was simply fate. Yesterday, he had no idea where Su Qing was, yet he had accidentally run into her at a coffee shop.

Today, he had laid eyes on her car. Right at this moment, the distance between him and Su Qing was probably separated by nothing more than two car doors. If the space between the two vehicles had been just a little wider, allowing him to open his door, he would have stepped right out of the car.

There is a grain of truth to the saying that the saddest thing in this world is not failure, but coming agonizingly close to success.

Gazing at the dejected Lin Ye and casting a brief glance at the white Mercedes on their left, Zhang Wen remained silent, a thoughtful expression resting on his face.

In the fading glow of dusk, the two cars stood quietly side by side at the intersection, waiting for the red light, as if time itself had frozen in that instant.

Their metallic surfaces reflected the final, fiery rays of the setting sun, and the distance between them felt close enough to sense each other's presence.

At that moment, as automobiles, they were far more than mere combinations of steel and paint—they served as temporary sanctuaries for two restless souls.

Inside the vehicles, the two men were each lost in their own thoughts, exchanging no words in the heavy silence.

The green light finally illuminated, shattering the delicate equilibrium. Accompanied by a gentle tremor of the engines, the two cars slowly pulled away, heading left and right in opposite directions.

At that moment, even the wind seemed to sigh over the impending separation. In the rearview mirror, the other vehicle’s silhouette gradually blurred before finally vanishing around the corner of the street.

A profound sense of emptiness welled up from deep within, gripping Lin Ye like an invisible hand and leaving him struggling for breath.

Inside the white Mercedes, the glamorous woman in the passenger seat watched the retreating Tank 700 fade away in the rearview mirror, a rather helpless smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"Did you see that just now? That young man looked so desperate he was practically about to jump out of the car."

Had Lin Ye been able to hear her voice at that moment, he would have noticed that it bore a striking resemblance to the voice of President Su, the woman he had spoken with over the phone previously.

The girl in the driver's seat lightly bit her lower lip and remained silent, her knuckles gripping the steering wheel turning slightly pale from excessive force.

"Is it really necessary to go this far? It’s not like he doesn't know your family’s background. Anyone with half a brain could tell you're wealthy the moment your dad gifted you a Mercedes right off the bat."

Twirling a strand of her hair around her finger, the passenger-side woman stared unblinkingly at the girl beside her, as if waiting for her to say something.

"...Although I haven't actually seen him more than a couple of times since I woke up, I know him. If you take him for the kind of man who can comfortably live off a woman, you're entirely mistaken."

The girl's lips curved into a somewhat helpless smile.

"I honestly wish he were someone with a weak stomach who wouldn't mind living off a woman. His pride is just way too stubborn... But truthfully, this is all your fault! If you hadn't been in my car, I wouldn't have had to hide from him like this!"

Bursting into laughter, the woman in the passenger seat reached out and playfully pinched the girl’s soft cheek. "Oh, really? I've helped you out with so much, and now you're pinning the blame on me."

After finishing work that evening, Lin Ye still made his way to the coffee shop. He took his usual seat by the window and ordered a cup of hot cocoa.

After dropping Zhang Wen back at his company that afternoon, Lin Ye had rushed off to inspect three potential properties, but regrettably, none of them met his standards—either they were far too damp or lacked adequate ventilation.

Fortunately, he still had three backup options left on his list. Since time had run out that afternoon, he would simply have to visit them the following morning after finishing his errands.

Was the person driving that car today really Su Qing? If so, why wouldn't she lower her window?

Lost in a swirl of wandering thoughts, Lin Ye remained completely oblivious to the fact that the barista behind the counter had secretly snapped three photographs of him.

Inside a villa somewhere in the city, a young girl sat by the floor-to-ceiling window bathing in the moonlight. As she looked at the three freshly received photos on her phone, her face lit up with a brilliant smile—the shots were precisely to her liking.

Back at the coffee shop, the barista stared at the message on WeChat containing the words "Your bonus for this month is increased by one thousand," a wave of excitement welling up in her clear eyes as she nearly jumped for joy.

Finishing the last sip in his cup, Lin Ye stood up and left the coffee shop. With his mind in turmoil, he knew he needed to find something to occupy himself.