The 4.5-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine emitted a low, magnificent roar, then the revs quickly climbed, erupting into a high-pitched, passionate bellow!
The pure, unfiltered sound waves seemed to come alive, reverberating through the showroom, impacting everyone's eardrums and hearts.
For men.
This was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and blood-pumping symphonies in the world.
Sports cars were always an undying romance in a man's heart.
Although he couldn't immediately drive the LaFerrari he'd been thinking about.
This 458 was pretty damn good.
Ethan skillfully flipped the paddle shifter on the right side of the steering wheel, cutting into first gear. He tapped the accelerator and the engine let out a low growl, ready to pounce.
He turned his head sideways and raised his chin at Vanessa, who was still standing at the edge of the red carpet and seemed not to have fully recovered from the whirlwind changes of the day:
"What are you standing there for? Get in."
Vanessa snapped out of her daze.
She quickly jogged around the front of the car, opened the passenger door, and carefully slid inside.
The expensive all-leather seats felt luxurious to the touch, and the interior was filled with the intoxicating scent of leather and the residual heat from the engine.
Ethan pressed the accelerator and the car roared out through the gates of the Ferrari dealership.
In the passenger seat, Vanessa gripped the door handle tightly, her heart racing with the strong acceleration and deafening sound. Her blood seemed to be boiling.
But what made her even more uneasy was the mysterious, incredibly wealthy, decisively-acting young man next to her who seemed to look at her... differently.
Her mind was still in a state of high-speed but chaotic confusion.
All of this felt like some bizarre dream.
The car drove some distance down the busy street.
He glanced at the girl who still seemed a little tense next to him and said casually:
"It's still early, and we've been running around all afternoon. Want to grab dinner together? I just got to New York and I'm not familiar with the area. You could recommend a place and be my guide?"
When Vanessa heard this, she quickly waved her hand, her tone filled with sincere gratitude:
"I should be the one treating you to dinner! You helped me land two huge orders today."
She was about to continue but opened her mouth without speaking.
She suddenly realized that from the moment she'd agreed to get in the car, the initiative seemed to have slipped from her hands.
She understood Ethan's intentions perfectly well, and she'd acquiesced to Ethan's decision the moment she'd agreed to come out with him.
Whatever. One step at a time.
Ethan nodded:
"That works too. But I really don't know New York well, so you pick the place. So, where should we eat?"
Vanessa thought for a moment and suggested:
"How about hot pot! You down? I know a really authentic hot pot place."
She chose hot pot, first, because she felt it was more casual and down-to-earth, and second, because hot pot was lively—it could help ease the subtle atmosphere of the two of them being alone.
Ethan shrugged indifferently:
"Sure, I'll eat anything. Hot pot it is."
.....
Ten minutes later.
Authentic Hot Pot.
The brand new Ferrari pulled up in front of the hot pot restaurant with a smooth, slightly showy drift.
It immediately drew stares from everyone around.
Even in a big city like New York, Ferraris weren't exactly common.
Ethan calmly pushed open the car door and got out.
Vanessa looked a little self-conscious, keeping her head down as she quickly followed.
Under the baptism of all those eyes, the two walked into a hot pot restaurant packed with people and rich with spicy aromas.
Guided by the staff, they entered a relatively quiet private room, isolated from the hustle and bustle of the main dining area outside.
Vanessa breathed a sigh of relief.
At this point in time, Authentic Hot Pot wasn't as hyped up as it would be in the future.
In his previous life, various social media recommendations and influencer posts had people traveling across town just to try places that went viral online.
However, with its authentic broth base, high-quality ingredients, and relatively upscale decor, it had already built up a solid reputation among local foodies and become a popular hot pot spot.
Through the crack in the door of the private room that wasn't completely closed, you could still see the entire main dining area was packed at this hour.
As soon as she sat down, Vanessa couldn't help but turn sideways, looking at Ethan with bright eyes and saying with genuine admiration:
"I didn't expect you to be so young but drive so well! You're even better than most experienced drivers!"
Ethan's mouth curved into a playful smile. His body leaned forward slightly, his eyes landing on her face with a hint of mischief:
"Whether I'm really an experienced driver... you can't just take my word for it. You'd have to 'test drive' for yourself to know."
Vanessa blushed immediately. Of course she caught the double meaning in Ethan's words.
But unexpectedly, she wasn't as shy as she'd been at the Ferrari dealership.
After these few hours of spending time together, she seemed to have figured out some of Ethan's temperament.
He was very nice, but he liked to... flirt.
This understanding made her feel a little more settled, and even gave birth to a subtle tacit understanding of "getting it but not calling it out."
She glared at him reproachfully but didn't argue back. She just lowered her head with a smile playing on her lips and picked up her water glass to take a sip as cover.
Ethan stopped teasing her and naturally picked up the tablet menu to start ordering.
He didn't ask Vanessa what she wanted to eat.
Instead, his fingers swiped quickly across the screen, skillfully ordering various signature dishes and premium ingredients... There were even a few expensive seafood items that Vanessa had only seen in menu pictures and never dared to try.
Strangely.
Vanessa felt there was nothing wrong with him doing this. On the contrary, she felt Ethan was being more considerate this way.
This was typical "attracted to strength" psychology at work.
When the other person had overwhelming power and confidence, his "arbitrary behavior" would also be interpreted as charisma.
If some broke kid with no money in his pocket did this, he'd probably be labeled as "toxic masculinity" and "chauvinist."
Reality was just that double-standard.
As the dishes were ready, they arrived one by one.
The steaming nine-grid hot pot bubbled with bright red chili oil, its rich aroma spreading instantly.
Exquisite dishes were served one after another.
Through the rising steam, the two of them dug in.
After taking a few bites of the spicy, flavorful tripe, Vanessa's courage seemed to have been bolstered by the heat.
She took a small breath and couldn't help but sigh:
"You really showed me today what a truly rich person is like."
"Turns out really rich people are like you—you see something you like and want it, don't even blink, just swipe the card and it's done. Buying cars worth tens of millions of dollars."
She sighed softly, her eyes a little complicated, mixed with envy, longing, and a hint of self-deprecation:
"I feel like money in your hands is really just a number. People like us who have to watch every penny—we're living in completely different worlds."
Following Ethan around for most of the day, she felt like she'd been forcibly dragged into some bizarre golden whirlwind, witnessing firsthand the ultimate freedom that wealth could bring.
Her previous imagination of "rich people" seemed so pale and naive now.
Ethan listened to her down-to-earth reflection and picked up a bouncy Chaoshan beef ball with a calm expression, blowing on it before popping it in his mouth.
He chewed, a faint smile on his face, looking at Vanessa's cheeks that were slightly flushed from the spice, making her look even more delicate. He suddenly asked:
"So, do you want to live that kind of life too?"
Vanessa barely hesitated before blurting out:
"Of course! Who wouldn't want to live the good life?"
Her answer was completely straightforward:
"Especially in a place like New York. If you have money, you feel like you're the master of the city—go wherever you want, buy whatever you want. No money?"
She shook her head, her eyes flashing with a hint of gloom:
"Without money, even if you're standing in the middle of Times Square, you feel like an outsider who doesn't belong. Like the whole city is rejecting you."
Ethan smiled and said:
"So, like I said before. With what you've got, it really shouldn't be too hard to live like that."
She understood the deeper meaning in Ethan's eyes. The hand holding her chopsticks paused slightly.
The flush on her face seemed to deepen, and her eyes flickered, avoiding Ethan's direct gaze.
Ethan didn't continue. Some things only needed to be mentioned once.
.....
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