[Translation] The Story Untold (那个不为人知的故事) by Twentine (周爱华): Chapter 4

“Sir, Huaken Jinzuo. Are you going?”

The driver looked at her and hesitated. Yang Zhao thought he would refuse again, but after a moment of silence, he nodded and said softly, “Get in.”

Yang Zhao could hardly believe her ears. She said, “Great, wait for me! I have something to load.” She had to shout to make herself heard over the thunder and rain.

She didn’t even bother with the umbrella. She carried the box to the car, shoved it into the back seat, and got into the front passenger seat.

The windows rolled up. The door closed. At last, the heavy rain was shut out.

She was soaked all over, and the seat immediately became wet. She noticed it and said awkwardly, “Sorry, I’m really wet. I’ll pay you extra for the fare.”

The driver shook his head. “No need.”

He started the car and turned toward Huaken Jinzuo.

The drive was slow but steady. He was careful, probably afraid of stalling in flooded water.

Unlike the previous driver, this one said nothing. Apart from the rain and the wipers, there was only silence.

Her head felt heavy. She thought she might have caught a chill.

In a daze, she noticed the driver information card in front of the passenger seat and glanced at it unconsciously.

The ID photo is usually everyone’s nightmare, but this driver actually looked decent. The man in the photo had short, neat hair, a blank expression, sitting properly.

She looked down.

Chen Mingsheng

Vehicle number: J4763

J4763.

She silently repeated it. There was something vaguely familiar about those numbers.

Then she remembered.

J4763—that was the same license plate as the driver involved in her brother’s fight a few days ago.

She straightened up. From the corner of her eye, the driver was focused on driving and hadn’t noticed her.

Last time at the police station, Chen Mingsheng had stood in the shadowed corner. She had never seen his face clearly.

She wasn’t even sure it was him.

But she vaguely remembered his voice. In that noisy police station, his voice had been calm. He hadn’t argued with her.

Thinking of how he had just told her to get in, she now knew—the man in the corner that day was him.

When he rolled down the window earlier, he had paused—was it because he recognized her?

She felt slightly uncomfortable. He could have refused her ride, but he still let her in. He said nothing, as if he didn’t recognize her at all.

Or maybe… she thought darkly… maybe he was afraid she would ask for money.

As she was thinking, the car suddenly jolted and stopped.

They were already close to Huaken Jinzuo, but this wasn’t the driver’s decision—the taxi had stalled while crossing a flooded ditch.

A car that stalls in water shouldn’t be restarted.

She said, “Let’s try pushing it out. I’m familiar with this area—it’s not too deep, we should be able to push it out.”

The driver gripped the steering wheel, lost in thought. Only when she called him again did he react.

He said, “It’s close. You get out and walk.”

She replied, “It’s fine, I can help push.”

He shook his head. “No need. You go.”

She felt a little annoyed. She thought this man was stingy and difficult.

Fine, don’t need me then.

She took out the fare—exact change—and placed it in the tray in front of him without a word, then got out.

The rain was still pouring.

She took her box from the back seat. The driver did not move at all.

She closed the door and walked toward her apartment.

After walking a distance, she turned back—and saw that he was still sitting in the car.

“Strange…” she muttered, then sneezed and walked faster.

At the entrance of her building, she slowed down. She couldn’t shake off what had happened. That driver’s behavior kept circling in her mind, making her feel like she was the one acting wrong.

In the end, she placed the package in the security room at the gate, then turned back.

She felt like she might be going crazy.

She walked back toward where the taxi had stalled.

Almost ten minutes had passed. She wondered if he had already managed to move the car.

She turned a corner—and through the heavy rain, she saw a figure.

The driver, dressed in black, was pushing the back of the car alone, trying to get it out of the water. He wasn’t using an umbrella.

She walked closer unconsciously. He didn’t notice her.

Something felt off about the way he was pushing. Normally, people lower their bodies and use their full strength. But he was leaning to one side, using only the left side of his body.

And…

It felt like he didn’t have much strength.

He looked like he was struggling more than he should. Yet he didn’t seem weak—his build was actually quite strong.

After a moment, he went to the driver’s door, trying to turn the steering wheel.

As he walked those few steps, she finally noticed it.

He was dragging his right leg with his right hand. The leg was stiff, and every step looked difficult.

So that’s why…

No wonder the note had been passed to him through the police.

She walked over.

When she was about ten meters away, Chen Mingsheng noticed her and froze.

She reached the back of the car and said, “Let’s push it together.”

Rain poured between them. Neither could see the other clearly.

“You won’t get it out standing there,” she said.

He lowered his head, then limped over.

Only then did she realize he was quite tall.

With two people pushing, the car finally came out of the flooded ditch.

She rolled up her soaked pants and said, “Try starting it?”

He shook his head. “Water got into the engine. This car is old—if we start it suddenly, the connecting rod might break.”

She only knew how to drive, not mechanics. “Then what now?”

“Push it to the side. Call a repair shop.”

She scoffed. “A repair shop? In this weather? You think they’ll come? Tell me which shop is that dedicated—I’ll become their customer.”

He fell silent.

After a moment, he said, “You should go. I’ll handle it.”

“There’s nothing around here. It’s an undeveloped area. Where are you going to handle it?”

He looked at her. Clearly, he meant for her to leave—but she was pretending not to understand.

She wiped rain from her face. “My place is nearby. You can park the car and come take shelter.”

For the first time that night, his expression changed slightly.

He shook his head. “No need. Thank you.”

She said, “What are you afraid of? I’m not afraid of you.”

A childish provocation—but effective on men.

He frowned. “It’s not that. Just go.”

She said lightly, “Still holding a grudge?”

He looked up. She stood in the rain, watching him.

He understood—she had recognized him too.

He lowered his head and said quietly, “It’s not that. I’m preparing the money. I’ll return it soon.”

“I’m not here for your money.”

He didn’t want to talk further. He opened the car door to sit inside, but she blocked it with her hand.

“Are you refusing?”

“I can handle it myself.”

From her angle, she could see the top of his head. His wet hair clung together in stiff strands.

She suddenly laughed coldly.

“I’m not asking you.”

His body went still.

“Who did you rely on to get a taxi license?” she asked.

He froze.

“I don’t think disabled people are allowed to drive taxis in this country. And the police at the station seemed close to you—did they help you forge documents too? Bribes? Connections? Do you know what would happen if I reported this?”

His hand tightened on his right leg.

He turned. His eyes were dark, shining under the rain.

“What exactly do you want?”

She came back to herself and said calmly:

“I already told you. Park the car and come to my place to take shelter. If you don’t do it, then we’ll see.”