How A Ride-Hailing Driver Comes To Dominate The World? [EN]: Chapter 13

Really Can’t Hold Back Anymore—What’s Wrong with a Ride-Hailing Driver Having Some Money? (1)

The reason Wang Lixin asked Yang Chen if he ever regretted rejecting the girls who pursued him back then was because *she* was one of those girls.

Back then, Zhao Feifei was still an innocent girl, and Yang Chen was completely devoted to her.

At that time, Wang Lixin was a very…outgoing girl. She was beautiful, yes, but her style was more suited to a nightclub than a college campus.

For that kind of girl, a fling might be fun, but no serious man would consider her girlfriend material, right?

Wang Lixin confessed to Yang Chen multiple times, even staging a drone confession under the boys’ dormitory. The spectacle drew attention from the entire school.

Wang Lixin believed she had the looks, the figure, the fashion sense, and the family background to win him over with persistence.

Unfortunately, Yang Chen remained unmoved, even scolding her in front of the whole class.

From then on, Wang Lixin gave up entirely. She then cycled through boyfriends from her ‘backup’ list, changing them almost monthly, moving on when she’d had her fill.

Also from then on, Yang Chen and Wang Lixin had no contact beyond being classmates.

It’s been over a year since graduation. Yang Chen occasionally exchanged light-hearted banter in the class group chat, but never even an emoji with Wang Lixin.

Now, fate had brought them together again. Perhaps it was destiny.

Did Yang Chen regret rejecting so many girls who pursued him?

Back then, he wouldn’t have regretted it at all.

He and Zhao Feifei were deeply in love, inseparable. He was willing to turn away any fleeting romance for her sake.

Now, though, he did regret it a little.

After all, he’d invested six years of his youth and emotions, only to be betrayed by Zhao Feifei for money. Who wouldn’t regret that?

But no one can see the future. Good and bad experiences are all part of life, right?

Yang Chen knew Wang Lixin’s question had an ulterior motive, so he replied, “Regret what? I chose my path, didn’t I? Once you make a choice, you can’t regret what happens next.”

Wang Lixin wanted to hear that Yang Chen *did* regret it, that he regretted rejecting her. His answer annoyed her.

Wang Lixin said, a little put out, “Still, I have to thank you. Oh, and Kun Kun, you should thank him too.”

Zhang Jiankun looked puzzled. “Thank him? Why? I’ve just met him. He’s never done me any favors. Why should I thank him?”

Wang Lixin hugged Zhang Jiankun’s arm, rubbing against it playfully, making him flush.

“Because I was young and foolish back then, blinded by his looks, and confessed to him. But he already had a childhood sweetheart, and he didn’t just reject me in public, he *scolded* me. If he’d accepted me, wouldn’t I be stuck living a miserable life with him? And you and I would never have met! Don’t you think we should thank him?” Wang Lixin said, her tone calculated.

Zhang Jiankun smiled. “He scolded you, too?”

Wang Lixin pouted and nodded, looking aggrieved. “Yes! Even now, the memory stings. It was at a class meeting, with the head teacher and everyone else present. He called me names in front of everyone, saying I was a slut, shameless, and that I knew he had a girlfriend and was still harassing him. He was so harsh, I don’t even want to think about it. I was only nineteen! It’s normal to be attracted to handsome guys, right? He could have rejected me politely, but he humiliated me. Don’t you think?”

Zhang Jiankun nodded, then said to Yang Chen sternly, “Exactly! You can reject someone, but you can’t insult them. You shouldn’t have done that, brother.”

Though a long time had passed, Yang Chen didn’t remember exactly what he’d said, but he was sure he’d never called Wang Lixin a slut in front of everyone.

Back then, Yang Chen was shy, the type to blush if he spoke too long to a girl.

How could he have said such harsh things?

But it didn’t matter anymore. It was in the past, and he wanted as little to do with Wang Lixin as possible. He’d just say something to smooth things over.

So, Yang Chen quickly said, “It was a long time ago. I don’t remember what I said. If I said those things, I apologize.”

They were classmates, after all, and Yang Chen didn’t want to create bad blood.

There might be a class reunion or alumni event someday. It would be awkward if they couldn’t stand to be in the same room.

Seeing Yang Chen apologize, Zhang Jiankun didn’t press the issue.

Still, he wanted to stand up for his girlfriend.

So, he asked mockingly, “So, you and Xiaoxin were classmates? That means you graduated from the Marketing Department of Haicheng University of Finance and Economics. How did you end up driving a ride-hailing car?”

Wang Lixin chimed in, her tone carefully crafted, “Yang Chen, don’t mind my boyfriend, he’s very direct. But he has a point. You graduated from a decent university. Shouldn’t you be sitting in an office somewhere, working as a clerk or something? Aren’t you wasting the country’s educational resources?”

Damn, she was taking it to a national level! That was laying it on thick.

Yang Chen didn’t think there was anything shameful about earning an honest living, no matter the job, as long as it was legal and ethical.

So, he replied honestly, “I resigned recently and haven’t found a new job yet, so I’m driving a ride-hailing car in the meantime.”

Wang Lixin perked up. “Honey, didn’t you say your company was looking for a planner?”

Zhang Jiankun knew exactly what Wang Lixin was doing. “No, you misheard. We need a *clerk*, not a planner. Not just anyone can be a planner, but the requirements for a clerk aren’t high. Mostly printing documents, serving tea, and cleaning. Do you think you could handle that, brother? If you think you’re up to it, I can put in a good word for you.”

Wang Lixin quickly added, all smiles, “Kun Kun works at Heyun Advertising Company. He’s the planning department manager now. If you worked there, I could ask him to look out for you. We’re old classmates, after all. I’d definitely help you, past grievances aside.”

Heyun Advertising Company?

Yang Chen had single-handedly defeated Heyun Advertising Company to win the Hongxing Group advertising contract.

A defeated opponent was acting arrogant? Shameless.

But Yang Chen wasn’t with Jingyan Advertising Company anymore, so there was no need to bring it up.

Yang Chen knew exactly what Wang Lixin was up to.

She wanted to use her boyfriend to get revenge for being rejected and humiliated back then.

Yang Chen stuck to his principle of not making things difficult with classmates and replied with a smile, “Thank you, but I like driving a ride-hailing car. I don’t need a clerk job.”

Wang Lixin dropped the pretense, her smile vanishing. “Yang Chen, you’re a graduate of the University of Finance and Economics! It’s embarrassing for our school to have you driving a ride-hailing car. How much can you even make doing that?”

Yang Chen’s smile also disappeared. He replied calmly, “I haven’t been doing it full-time for very long. I don’t know how much I’ll make in a month. But it’s enough to support myself. Thank you for your concern. Everyone makes their own choices, and you can’t generalize. I don’t think it’s embarrassing for a graduate of the University of Finance and Economics to drive a ride-hailing car. There are Tsinghua University graduates who sell pork [a common saying referring to educated people taking on unconventional jobs]. There are also graduates from top universities who betray the country and harm their own people. I’m not hurting anyone by driving a ride-hailing car, and I don’t think it’s shameful.”

Yang Chen had reached his limit.

If Wang Lixin and Zhang Jiankun dared to continue their nonsense, Yang Chen wouldn’t hold back for the sake of being classmates. He’d give them a bad review.

But some people are like that. Once they feel superior, they always try to put others down.

The more you tolerate, the more emboldened they become.

Wang Lixin continued, “Why are you so unambitious? No wonder your girlfriend broke up with you after six years. Any girl would leave a boyfriend with no drive. I really have to thank you for not accepting me back then. I dodged a bullet!”

Zhang Jiankun quickly chimed in with a smile, “Honey, didn’t you just say it? We should thank him. If he’d accepted you, we wouldn’t have the wonderful life we have now.”

“That’s right. Hee hee…” Wang Lixin said, looking smug.

Yang Chen couldn’t take it anymore. He opened the car window to get some air. The car was stuffy, and his chest felt tight. He was starting to feel sick.

Wang Lixin immediately said, “Why are you opening the window? It’s hot! Aren’t you uncomfortable?”

Damn it, I can’t hold back anymore!