Extra: A New Driver on the Road
Qu Tongqiu went with the flow and, at the “advanced age” of his early thirties, squeezed in with a bunch of teenagers and twenty-somethings to get a driver’s license.
He’d originally felt that buses and taxis were enough, and that riding a bicycle in his spare time was perfectly fine. But Qu Ke was filial—on his birthday, she actually bought him a car to drive. He panicked and hurriedly signed up for driving lessons.
Besides, Ren Ningyuan had gone to the United States on business during this period. Qu Tongqiu wanted to surprise him when he came back, to prove that he was still constantly improving himself.
He studied seriously and trained hard, dragging himself out onto the roads late every night to practice. In the end, effort paid off: he passed both the written test and the road test in one go.
But when it came time to really drive, he was still trembling with nerves. He even stuck a huge, eye-catching sign on the back of the new car reading “New Driver on the Road—Learner Vehicle,” afraid others might not notice.
Qu Ke said, “Dad, don’t worry. Even without the sign, with your speed, everyone can tell you’re a newbie.”
Over the next few days, in order to get familiar with the car, Qu Tongqiu insisted on taking the car out every day to buy groceries or run small errands, his license tucked carefully in his pocket, while Qu Ke sat beside him as his co-driver.
Once in the car, he gripped the steering wheel with both hands, stared straight ahead, chest puffed out, as if facing a formidable enemy.
The result: when he got home, his waist and back ached, his arms were so sore he could barely lift them, and his legs wouldn’t stop shaking.
“Dad, don’t be so tense. Relax. I’m here—if it really doesn’t work, I can take over.”
Qu Ke, barely having started driving, was already overtaking cars and cutting into lanes— a tiny female speed demon on the road. Qu Tongqiu had lectured her more than once, but she was bold and skilled; by now she could drive a sedan like a race car.
He had no idea which one of them she took after.
When Qu Ke’s vacation ended and Ren Ningyuan finally returned after his long trip, he was genuinely surprised to hear that Qu Tongqiu had already gotten his license.
And for the sake of pride, with his daughter no longer accompanying him, Qu Tongqiu finally decided to show his skills and drive himself to work.
The first time driving alone, he was extremely nervous, leaving sweaty handprints all over the steering wheel.
Before he left, Qu Ke clenched her fist and said, “Dad, be bold!”
Ren Ningyuan smiled and helped him close the car door. “Be careful.”
Qu Tongqiu was the kind of good father who hurried home as soon as it got dark. The drive usually took at most an hour, yet that day, by past eight o’clock, he still hadn’t come home.
The father and daughter at home took turns calling him again and again. No one answered. They called the shop and naturally got the reply, “He already left a long time ago.”
The two looked at each other in silence for a while, watching the clock hands move forward. Finally, Qu Ke couldn’t help saying, “It’s my fault for telling Dad to be bold…”
Ren Ningyuan interrupted her. “No. Tongqiu will definitely be careful.”
Qu Ke’s voice wavered. “But…”
“Stay home. I’ll go take a look.”
Ren Ningyuan put on his coat. Just as his hand touched the doorknob, the door opened from outside. The late-returning man was so cold he was hissing through his teeth. “Ah… I’m back late…”
Ren Ningyuan grabbed his hand at once. Beside them, Qu Ke let out a shout that was both relieved and reproachful. “Dad!!”
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
“Why are you back so late?”
“Well, I’m a new driver. It’s normal to drive a bit slowly…” Feeling the strength in Ren Ningyuan’s grip and seeing his daughter’s expression, he understood and hurriedly added, “I was really careful, honestly. Don’t worry about me. Have you eaten? Why haven’t you eaten yet? It’s bad to stay hungry so late.”
“What dinner!” Qu Ke stamped her foot. “You came back this late, we couldn’t reach you on the phone—how could we not worry?”
“I… I didn’t have a hand free to answer…” He’d been so nervous the whole way, wishing he had two extra legs. How could he spare a hand?
Qu Ke was on the verge of collapse. “Dad, you were already driving that slowly, and you still couldn’t answer the phone?”
He gave an embarrassed chuckle about his speed.
Usually, taking the bus took two hours. Driving himself home, it had taken him three full hours.
One reason was that he didn’t dare drive fast; the other was that he was too honest, constantly being cut off and overtaken, turning from a turtle into a snail.
“Dad, I think you’d better not drive to work. It’s not convenient for you at all—it just makes you exhausted. Why not take a taxi, or have a driver take you?”
“No, no. It’s fine. I’m a bit faster than a bicycle, a bit more comfortable than the bus—that’s enough.” It was a gift from his daughter’s filial heart; no matter what, he had to make good use of it and not waste it.
“But I’ll worry about you.”
“It’s really okay…”
“Then I’ll go with you again tomorrow.”
“No need—you have classes, don’t you?”
Qu Ke said firmly, “If no one’s with you, then don’t drive.”
“Huh? That won’t do…”
Ren Ningyuan, who had been silent the whole time, put both hands on the man’s shoulders and, with the air of the head of the household, backed him up. “Let him drive. If he doesn’t practice more, he’ll never get used to it.”
“But—”
“Your dad’s a grown man. He’ll be careful.”
Qu Ke finally gave in, though she still muttered, “Do you really trust my dad that much?”
At bedtime, seeing that Ren Ningyuan didn’t seem upset at all, Qu Tongqiu felt relieved and climbed into bed.
But once he took off his clothes, Ren Ningyuan still worked him until his waist nearly broke—moaning and panting until well past midnight. It was even more exhausting than driving those three-plus hours.
The next day, Qu Tongqiu had to go to work much later than usual. Fortunately, he was now half an owner of the takeout shop. The other half-owner, for some reason, fawned over him all day long, tail wagging furiously, so being late wasn’t a big deal.
Near closing time, an unexpected guest appeared in the shop: Ren Ningyuan.
Boss Qu personally came out to greet this distinguished visitor.
“Why did you suddenly come by? Are you eating here?”
Ren Ningyuan smiled. “No. I’m just handling something nearby. Little Ke said she wants to go out for Hunan cuisine tonight. Give me a ride.”
A chill ran straight up Qu Tongqiu’s back. “Y-you want me to drive you?”
As soon as Ren Ningyuan sat in the car, before even starting the engine, Qu Tongqiu was already drenched in sweat.
“Ren Ningyuan…”
“Yes?”
“I… I don’t drive very well…”
Ren Ningyuan smiled. “It’s fine.”
All of Ren Ningyuan’s drivers had top-notch skills—no matter how fast they drove, you could drink in the car without spilling a drop. A newbie like him stalled when nervous, rolled backward if he stopped on an incline. With Ren Ningyuan sitting there, it felt like a private being inspected by a general; he was so tense he almost forgot how to press the accelerator.
Afraid of getting into an accident while driving Ren Ningyuan, Qu Tongqiu drove with extreme caution the whole way, keeping a fixed distance, slowly following the flow of traffic, not daring to relax for a second.
Even when overtaking drivers mocked him—“Why don’t you drive even slower?”—he was completely unaffected, muttering to himself, “One thousand one, one thousand two…” (the two-second rule).
Ren Ningyuan watched him with a smile. “Mm. That’s a good mindset.”
The drive was utterly ordinary, but at least it was safe all the way. With Ren Ningyuan’s guidance, they also managed to find the restaurant smoothly.
Just as they were about to arrive, the weather turned uncooperative and rain began to fall. The rearview mirror blurred, and Qu Tongqiu panicked completely. Entering an open-air parking lot, already bad at reversing, he didn’t know whether to look forward or backward, his legs going weak.
“Can you back it in?”
Ren Ningyuan leaned close and spoke by his ear. In an instant, Qu Tongqiu’s ears burned and his mind went blank. When he came back to himself, the car was already in the space—only he had driven straight in nose-first. He was so embarrassed his face turned crimson.
Ren Ningyuan laughed. “That works too.”
Qu Tongqiu felt both awkward and ashamed.
“Really. Reversing isn’t easy. This is better than causing danger.”
“Mm…”
He’d practiced so hard, yet still wasn’t even qualified to be his driver.
Ren Ningyuan looked at him. “You drove well today. Safety is what matters most.”
“Mm…” Qu Tongqiu said stiffly. “Tonight… I’ll practice more when we get back…”
With a faint smile, Ren Ningyuan leaned over. “That’s fine. I’ll teach you.”
Qu Tongqiu was flustered by the favor. “Ah…”
“Do you trust my skills?”
“Mm…” This sound came purely because his lips were being kissed, his mind short-circuiting into blankness again.
When Ren Ningyuan straightened up, he said, “Tomorrow, I’ll still go with you to work.”
“Uh…” Qu Tongqiu was still dizzy, red-eared and flushed.
“Get your skills up early,” the man’s smiling face always left him dazed. “From then on, I’ll be counting on you.”
“Eh…”
“Don’t you want to drive for me?”
Qu Tongqiu snapped fully awake almost instantly. “I do!”
The man smiled and reached down to take his hand beneath the seat.
