Taxi driver: Found Sugar Daddy

As the taxi weaved through the late-night traffic, Lu Siyan's mind raced. He glanced at the driver, her face illuminated by the streetlights, trying to reconcile the image of the elegant woman from the party with the slightly weary-looking taxi driver beside him.

"So," he began, trying to sound casual, "you said you heard my name at… a car accident?"

"Yeah," she replied, her voice flat, focused on navigating the road. "It was… a few days ago. Right in front of your office building. I was… passing by when it happened."

Lu Siyan's eyebrows furrowed. "You mean… when my bike got crushed?"

"That's the one," she confirmed. "I saw the whole thing. Nasty business. I heard someone call you Siyan. Seemed like a… memorable name."

"Memorable enough to… track me down?" he asked, a hint of suspicion creeping into his voice.

"Look," she sighed, glancing at him briefly. "I'm not some kind of stalker, okay? I'm a taxi driver. I pick up people. Sometimes… interesting people."

"Interesting people like… software engineers?" Lu Siyan asked, recalling her earlier comment.

"Exactly," she said. "Guys who work at big companies. Guys who… have connections. You know, the kind of guys who can help a girl out."

"Help you out how?" Lu Siyan asked, his skepticism growing.

"With… my career," she said vaguely. "I'm trying to… get ahead. This city is tough. You gotta… hustle."

"Hustle by… driving a taxi and… changing your appearance?" the AI whispered. "That's one way to climb the corporate ladder."

Lu Siyan ignored the AI. "So you… recognized me from the car accident," he said. "And you decided to… pick me up?"

"It's called networking," she said with a shrug. "You never know who you might meet. Besides," she added with a sly smile, "you looked like you could use a ride."

"I could have taken a bus," Lu Siyan pointed out.

"Sure," she said. "But then I wouldn't have had the chance to… introduce myself."

"Introduce yourself as… Lin Mei?" Lu Siyan asked, recalling the party.

She paused, her grip tightening on the steering wheel. "Look," she said, her voice hardening slightly. "I'm not going to play games with you. I'm trying to make a living. And sometimes… you have to be… resourceful."

"Resourceful enough to… impersonate someone else?" Lu Siyan asked.

"I didn't impersonate anyone," she said defensively. "I just… used a different name. It's not a crime."

"It's… misleading," Lu Siyan said.

"So what?" she retorted. "Everyone's got secrets. Everyone's got things they don't want people to know."

"Like… changing your face and disappearing?" the AI whispered. "Or maybe… being a secret agent from the future?"

Lu Siyan just shook his head. He didn't believe her. He didn't trust her. But he also didn't have any other answers.

"Look," she said, her voice softening slightly. "I'm just trying to… get by. I saw an opportunity, and I took it. Is that so wrong?"

Lu Siyan didn't answer. He didn't know if it was wrong. He just knew that he felt… uneasy. He felt like he was being manipulated, that he was caught in a web of lies and half-truths.

"Here's your stop," she said, pulling the taxi to the curb.

Lu Siyan paid her, his mind still racing. He stepped out of the taxi and watched it drive away, the red taillights disappearing into the night. He looked up at his apartment building, the familiar facade offering little comfort.

He had a feeling that he was going to be seeing a lot more of this mysterious taxi driver. And he had a feeling that it wasn't going to be pleasant.

"So," the AI whispered. "What do you think? Secret agent? Time traveler? Or just a really good actress?"

Lu Siyan sighed. "I have no idea," he said. "But I have a feeling I'm about to find out."

****

As the taxi pulled to a stop outside his building, Lu Siyan was still replaying the evening's events in his mind. The strange encounter with Lin Mei, the lottery win, the garden drama… it was all swirling together into a confusing mess. He paid the fare, a nagging feeling that he was forgetting something crucial.

"Wait a minute," he said as he was about to get out. "Earlier, in the car… you… " He trailed off, a blush creeping up his neck. He vaguely remembered a… moment. A kiss. A very unexpected, and rather forceful, kiss. Had that actually happened? Or was it just a figment of his imagination, brought on by stress and maybe a little too much lukewarm beer?

"You… you kissed me," he finally managed to say, the words coming out in a near whisper.

The woman, who had been looking at her phone, glanced up at him, her expression unreadable. "Did I?" she asked, feigning surprise. "Oh, dear. I'm so sorry. Must have been the… excitement of the evening. You know how it is. Sometimes… things just happen."

"Things like… peeling off your face and disappearing?" the AI whispered. "Or maybe… turning into a werewolf under the full moon?"

Lu Siyan ignored the AI. He was still trying to process the kiss. It had been… unexpected. And… not entirely unpleasant. But also… completely out of the blue.

"It's okay," he mumbled, still unsure if he was more embarrassed or confused. "It's just… I didn't expect…"

"Expect what?" she asked, her eyes twinkling. "A little… affection? A little… appreciation for my driving skills?"

"Appreciation that involves… kissing random passengers?" the AI whispered. "That's a new business model."

Lu Siyan just shook his head. "Never mind," he said. "It's… fine."

He got out of the taxi, still feeling slightly dazed. He watched the taxi drive away, the red taillights disappearing into the night. He looked up at his apartment building, the familiar facade suddenly seeming less comforting, more… ominous.

"Maybe I imagined it all," he muttered to himself. "Maybe it was just a… hallucination."

"Maybe you're just losing your mind," the AI suggested. "Or maybe… I'm losing mine! I mean, a woman peeling off her face? That's crazy! Even for me!"

Lu Siyan sighed. "You're right," he said. "It's… impossible."

"Maybe… maybe I'm just tired," the AI whispered. "Maybe this… host… is making me stupid."

Lu Siyan ignored the AI and headed inside, his mind still reeling. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was forgetting something. Something… important.

He reached his apartment and collapsed onto his bed, exhausted. He closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind. And then he remembered.

The kiss.

He sat up, his heart pounding in his chest. He had been kissed. By a woman who had then… peeled off her face and disappeared. It was all so bizarre, so surreal.

He reached for his phone, intending to call Wei and Zhang, to tell them about what had happened. But then he hesitated. What would he say? "Hey guys, I just got kissed by a woman who then turned into… something else?" They'd think he was crazy.

He sighed and put his phone down. He was on his own with this one.

As he lay in bed, he thought about the kiss. It had been… forceful. But also… strangely… intoxicating. He couldn't deny that he had felt… something. A spark. A connection.

"Maybe she's a succubus," the AI whispered. "Or a vampire! Or a… really good kisser!"

Lu Siyan groaned. "You're not helping," he muttered.

He closed his eyes, trying to forget about the kiss, about the woman, about everything. He just wanted to sleep.

Meanwhile, in a completely different part of the city, the taxi driver, now changed back into her elegant party attire, was looking at a photo. It was a photo of her… kissing Lu Siyan. She smiled, a hint of… something… in her eyes.

"My first kiss," she murmured to herself. "And I gave it to… him."

She frowned slightly. "He owes me," she said. "He owes me big time."

She tucked the photo away and picked up her phone. She dialed a number.

"Hello?" she said. "It's me. I need you to do something for me. It's about… Lu Siyan."

She paused, listening to the voice on the other end.

"Yes," she said. "He's the one. He's going to be… my sugar daddy."

"A sugar daddy?" the AI whispered. "That's her plan? She wants him to… pay for her expenses?"

Lu Siyan, who had finally drifted off to sleep, stirred slightly. He dreamed of… marshmallows,rotten noddles. And fire. And a woman with a thousand faces.