Rebirth in a Shura Field, but in an Abstract Version

A week passed quickly amidst the sweltering heat and the chirping of cicadas.

During this period, Gree Electric Appliances' stock price fell further, but fortunately, Wang Zhe acted quickly, avoiding further losses. Meanwhile, with Wasu Media, which had recently undergone a relisting, about to resume trading, he had also prepared his funds, holding no positions and waiting for it to rise.

For Wang Zhe, who was already an experienced driver, the driving school's third and fourth driving tests were just a formality.

In mid-July, Wang Zhe successfully obtained the little black booklet.

The first thing he did after getting his driver's license was not to go home and share the good news, but to call Jiang Di.

"Hey, you've got your driver's license. Grab your car keys and come downstairs."

Concise and to the point, yet exuding domineering power.

Ten minutes later, the two met in the parking lot downstairs in the residential complex.

Jiang Di was wearing a cool tank top and hot pants, waving a car key in her hand, as excited as a puppy waiting to go for a walk.

"Quick, quick! Let me see your driver's license!"

Wang Zhe handed her the little notebook he had just received.

Jiang Di flipped through the photo and glanced at it. The boy in the photo had delicate features and bright eyes.

"Cool!" she exclaimed, then shoved the car keys into Wang Zhe's hand and pointed to the silver-gray van next to them, "Look, that's my dad's car, a Wuling Hongguang!"

Looking at the somewhat worn-out bread cart in front of him, with even some mud spots on its body, Wang Zhe couldn't help but smile.

In his previous life, he had driven several different cars, including his own and those of his colleagues, both gasoline and electric, but he had never actually driven the legendary Wuling minivan.

"Get in the car."

Wang Zhe opened the driver's seat door and got in.

The car's interior was simple, even rudimentary. The seats were worn, and a half-open pack of tissues sat on the center console. A faint smell of cheap cigarettes filled the air—not the smell left by Jiang Di, but the smell of her father, Jiang Peng's, cigarettes.

Wang Zhe adjusted the seat and rearview mirror, inserted the key, started the engine, pressed the clutch, and shifted gears.

The engine emitted a somewhat rough roar.

Jiang Di sat in the passenger seat, leaning to the side, her hands supporting her chin, staring intently at Wang Zhe.

Before starting, Wang Zhe glanced at her and reminded her, "Seatbelt."

"Oh..." Jiang Di then fastened his seatbelt.

In their previous life, after getting married, Wang Zhe and Song Zhiyi bought an electric car. That car would sound an alarm if the front seats weren't secured with seatbelts, but this old Wuling car naturally didn't have that feature.

Wang Zhe released the handbrake, gently pressed the accelerator, and the car started steadily, sliding out of the parking space.

Although I was used to driving automatic cars in my previous life, I recently practiced driving automatic cars for my driver's license test. For an experienced driver with a lot of driving experience, it wasn't too difficult.

At this moment, Wang Zhe's movements were fluid and effortless, without any of the hesitation or awkwardness typical of a novice driver. His timing for shifting gears was perfect; the steering wheel seemed like an extension of his body, pointing precisely where he wanted it.

The Wuling Hongguang drove onto the road outside the residential area.

"Wow……"

Jiang Di looked at Wang Zhe, who was holding the steering wheel with one hand and casually resting the gear shift with the other, and his eyes practically sparkled with admiration.

"You look so cool driving!"

The girl's compliments, though late, finally arrived.

"My dad always drives loudly and yells, and he likes to swear. How come you drive so smoothly, even more smoothly than my dad? And you look way cooler driving this car than my dad ever did!"

Wang Zhe stared straight ahead, skillfully overtook a slow-moving Corolla, and laughed, "If I, a handsome eighteen-year-old, am not as good-looking as a guy in his forties, then what have I accomplished?"

Upon hearing the "elder brother" joke, Jiang Di couldn't help but grind his teeth: "Yeah, little uncle..."

The car drove onto a relatively empty riverside road. The wind blew in through the half-open car window, ruffling Jiang Di's hair.

In a great mood, she took out a pack of women's cigarettes from her pocket, pulled one out, and handed it to Wang Zhe.

"If he had a cigarette with him at this moment, he would be even cooler."

Wang Zhe glanced at the slender cigarette being offered to his lips.

He slightly opened his mouth and bit the cigarette filter. But he didn't reach for the lighter; he just left the cigarette dry in his mouth.

He held the steering wheel with one hand and rested the other on the window sill, a smoky cigarette dangling from his mouth. He turned his head and raised an eyebrow at Jiang Di.

"How is it? Handsome, right?"

Sunlight streamed through the windshield, gilding his profile with a golden hue. The youthful rebelliousness and the mature composure of a seasoned man blended perfectly within him, and the cigarette added a touch of roguish charm.

Jiang Di's heart skipped a beat when she saw this.

She nodded vigorously, her eyes glazed over: "Handsome!"

Wang Zhe smiled, took the cigarette from her, handed it back, and then asked:

"How long will this pack of cigarettes last?"

Jiang Di paused for a moment, then thought for a second: "That depends on how well I have money. If I just got some pocket money, or if I hit the jackpot like last time, I'll probably smoke a pack a week. If I don't have much money, then it's hard to say. I might be forced to quit smoking for a while and have to mooch off other people."

Wang Zhe frowned.

One pack a week—for a high school girl who's not even eighteen yet, that's not a huge smoking habit, but it's not insignificant either.

"Could we reduce the frequency a bit?" Wang Zhe asked, "Like, once every two weeks?"

Jiang Di looked at him with some surprise: "What? You don't like girls who smoke? But I saw you smoking just now and you didn't seem to mind, and my cousin and the others all smoke..."

In her social circle, smoking seemed to be a symbol of personality and a sign of maturity. She always thought Wang Zhe wouldn't mind, after all, the first time they talked was when he asked her for a cigarette.

Whether I like it or not is secondary.

Wang Zhe slowed down the car, turned his head, and looked at her carefully.

"The key is, look at what's written on the cigarette pack."

Jiang Di lowered his head and looked at the cigarette pack in his hand, on which was printed a line of small print: Smoking is harmful to your health.

"These words aren't just printed for show. You're young now, so you won't feel it. But I don't want you to have health problems later. It's not good if your lungs turn black."

In the past, if it were her parents or teachers saying this, Jiang Di would definitely roll her eyes impatiently, thinking they were old-fashioned and meddling. Especially her father, who was a heavy smoker himself and still had the nerve to tell her what to do?

But at this moment, hearing Wang Zhe speak in such a calm yet concerned tone, she felt as if something had struck her heart.

Soft and sour.

He wasn't criticizing me for not studying hard enough, nor was he disciplining me for the sake of saving face. Was he actually worried about my health?

Jiang Di tightened his grip on the cigarette pack.

Looking at Wang Zhe's profile, she suddenly felt that the cigarette in her hand had lost most of its appeal.

"Oh..." Jiang Di looked at Wang Zhe with bright eyes, "Then I'll listen to you. I won't smoke when I'm with you. If you're not around, I'll smoke less and try to quit altogether, okay?"

A satisfied smile appeared on Wang Zhe's lips as he reached out and ruffled her hair.

"So sweet. That's my good niece."

"...Take your hand away! You've ruined the atmosphere!"

"Such a strong reaction? I thought you were already cooperating."

"You can play along when it's a joke, but please don't do this when I was feeling so touched and romantic just now!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.