CYNTM CHAPTER 52

“Aside from racing, you’re the only one worth spending time on.”

Hunter felt his heart heat up at that moment.

“Using that as your criterion for a partner, don’t you think it’s a bit harsh?”

Winston returned the phone to Hunter with a slight smile, a smile that made Hunter feel deeply valued. Could he dare to be bolder because of it?

“Aren’t you going to read my messages?”

“I’m not that bored.” Winston resumed his usual cool demeanor.

“I wouldn’t demand my partner to treat me to the most expensive dinner or stay at the fanciest hotel. That’s what men do.” Hunter looked earnestly into Winston’s eyes.

I need you to understand, really understand… Winston, I want more than what you’re offering now.

“So what’s your standard?”

“To commit to lasting love, regardless of the outcome.” Hunter lay back under the covers. “I know, this is harder to achieve than the priciest dinner or hotel.”

“Indeed.”

“Do you know what I imagined when thinking about staying at places like the Burj Al Arab?” Hunter turned to look at Winston. Winston looked back with a gentle expression, not as sharp as on the racetrack.

I want you to look at me the way I look at you.

“Oh, what did you imagine?”

“Hugs, kisses, wild sex… That’s what makes it worthwhile!”

“You are really crude.”

“Why not? Isn’t that what hotels are for?”

“I thought you’d say… something like lying in bed, where, when I look at you, you’re looking at me.”

Hunter froze. Why… why did Winston always know what he was thinking, even his deepest secrets he’d never told anyone?

“But speaking of hugging, kissing, and sex, your technique is probably so bad that not even money can save you.”

“What? My technique is bad! You haven’t even tried, so how would you know!” Hunter immediately sat up.

“Ha, just mentioning your poor technique and you get riled up. I’ve experienced your technique before.” Winston looked at Hunter, lightly touching his own lower lip with his finger and slowly moving downwards. Just as Hunter was about to see his tongue, he stopped.

It was as if his blood had stopped flowing, his heart pounding.

“I… I was drunk back then! I didn’t know what I was doing!”

“Oh, so kissing requires thought?”

“One day, you’ll be blown away by my skills!” Hunter pointed directly at him.

“I’m always amazed by your skills.”

Hunter felt that Winston’s answer was insincere. “Hey! Are you looking down on me? Don’t you also lack experience?”

“My experience is much richer than yours. I’m always prepared, and I’ve simulated it in my head thousands of times.”

Winston reached out and patted Hunter’s head, causing Hunter’s dissatisfaction to spike. He quickly turned and straddled Winston’s waist.

“What’s the use of simulations! Why don’t you give it a try! My technique is definitely worth more than your mental simulations!”

Hunter lowered his head slightly and looked down at the other person with a sense of superiority he had never experienced on the track.

Winston looked surprised. Hunter knew this was the first time he had gone beyond what Winston expected. But that surprise also made Hunter nervous.

“What nonsense are you imagining? I was simulating the Grand Prix in my head.”

“…” Hunter really wanted to punch this guy.

“But as for other things… I wouldn’t mind letting you try…”

Winston tilted his chin up, exposing the elegant curve of his neck to Hunter’s eyes. At that moment, Hunter realized why he had kissed Winston’s neck when he was drunk.

“Try to please me… drive me crazy.”

Winston looked at Hunter, his gaze was so restrained that Hunter couldn’t determine if Winston was truly expecting something or just teasing him again.

All he knew was that the man in front of him was sexy as hell.

Just as Hunter was lost in thought, Winston suddenly thrust his hips upward, nearly causing him to fall. All his romantic thoughts were shattered as a pair of hands firmly grabbed his waist.

“Is that all you’ve got?”

“Hey! Don’t underestimate me!”

Hunter, who had been hesitant, now felt he had to kiss this guy!

He held Winston’s shoulders firmly and aimed to kiss him without thinking twice. To his surprise, Winston deliberately turned away, trying to push Hunter off, causing Hunter’s cheek to brush against Winston’s face instead.

Hunter propped himself up with one hand to maintain his balance and continued to chase after Winston’s face, but before he could succeed, Winston suddenly lifted his hips again with such force that Hunter was thrown off.

As soon as Hunter collapsed onto the bed, his face was pressed into the covers. Before he could react, he felt a weight on his lower back—Winston had rolled over and sat on top of him.

“Damn it! Get off me!” Hunter tried to sit up, but Winston pressed down with his whole body, making Hunter’s chin hit the pillow again.

“Your skills really are top-notch, getting pinned down in just one second. Even women would find it lacking in challenge.”

Winston leaned down to whisper in Hunter’s ear, the warm breath making Hunter even more tense. He tried to push himself up with both hands, but Winston held his hips down, pressing him into the bed. As he struggled, Winston managed to pin his buttocks, making it impossible for him to get up.

As Hunter struggled, Winston’s hand stayed firmly on his buttocks, making it impossible for him to lift himself despite his efforts.

Hunter struggled desperately for a long time, but no matter how much he wriggled, he couldn’t shake Winston off, which made him extremely frustrated.

“Let me up! Let me up!”

“It’s past eleven. What do you want to get up for? Just sleep.” Winston’s voice sounded lazy.

“I want to get up!” Hunter slammed his fist into the pillow.

“Want to keep playing?”

“Not anymore!”

Just wait, I’ll get you next time!

“Why do I feel like you’re plotting revenge?”

“I couldn’t catch up to you even in my next life! I’ve decided to be content with the present!”

Don’t let me find a chance! I’ll pin you down until you can’t lift your head!

Winston lifted his leg and lay back in his original spot.

Hunter sighed in relief as the weight lifted off him. Today’s bath was a waste because now he was sweaty again. He aimed a kick at Winston to vent his anger, only to have his ankle caught.

“Damn it! Do you know everything I do!” Even such a sudden move like that, and he still managed to defend against it!

Hunter tried to pull his foot back, but Winston held on tight.

“Of course, I know what you want to do.”

“You know shit!”

I want to kiss you, bite you, do improper things to you, do you know that?

Don’t think you know me so well!

“Oh, then how did I catch you?” Winston’s thumb drew circles on Hunter’s ankle, making Hunter’s mind spin along with it. Hunter sat up, trying to pry Winston’s fingers off, but Winston lifted his leg higher, causing Hunter to fall back onto the bed.

So frustrating!

Without caring anymore, Hunter used his other leg to kick Winston’s arm, but Winston’s knuckles gripped his ankle. No matter how Hunter kicked and struggled, it was useless. Winston simply sat there, calmly watching Hunter struggle like an immovable mountain.

Hunter was almost completely horizontal. After a dozen seconds or so, Hunter gave up. He pulled the quilt over himself and pouted, “If you want to pull, then pull, I’m going to sleep!”

With that, Hunter pulled out a pillow and placed it under his head.

Having only slept briefly on the way to Dubai, Hunter was exhausted. Once he relaxed, he quickly fell asleep. His breathing became even and deep, one hand resting by his ear, looking like a child.

Winston slowly released Hunter’s ankle and sat beside him.

He gently clasped Hunter’s hand that was resting on the pillow. Hunter’s freed leg curled up as Winston leaned closer and lightly touched his lips.

Hunter didn’t react at all.

Winston wrapped his arm around Hunter’s shoulders and his other hand supported Hunter’s waist, almost holding him horizontally back to his sleeping position.

All the lights in the bedroom were off. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the stars cast a faint light on the undulating waves.

Winston leaned in to gently hug Hunter, his fingers playing with Hunter’s hair.

Hunter stirred and lifted his leg, unceremoniously draping it over Winston’s waist, with his entire arm resting there as well. Hunter’s face pressed close to Winston, his nose nuzzling Winston’s shoulder as if seeking the most comfortable position.

Winston lifted Hunter’s leg and turned to face him. He raised his head and lightly kissed Hunter on the upper lip, gently sucking on it. As if awake, Hunter’s tongue pressed against the seam of Winston’s lips. Winston’s fingers gripped the edge of the quilt, and his shoulders tensed.

Hunter slightly parted his lips, his gentle breath brushing against Winston’s lips along the pillow. Winston frowned and leaned in again. He had intended to bite Hunter’s lower lip but ended up not using any force. Instead, he held it gently, his teeth brushing against it in a light kiss.

Hunter, lying on his side, slightly raised his chin as if offering himself to the other person. Winston gently placed his hand on Hunter’s forehead but finally clenched his fists and slowly pulled back.

Thus passed the first night in Dubai.

Hunter woke up at nine in the morning. He rubbed his eyes and saw Winston standing by the bed, about to put on a T-shirt. Just that one action made his muscles stretch in a way that was mesmerizing to watch.

“Since you’re awake, go wash up. Who was it that said they wanted to go to the water park?”

“I’ll get up right away! Super fast!”

To be honest, the breakfast at the Burj Al Arab was underwhelming, which left Hunter disappointed. But the water park was surprisingly lively.

Hunter and Winston went to the changing room to put on their swim shorts. As they came out, Winston glanced at Hunter and asked, “Who bought those swim shorts for you?”

“Huh? I just bought a random pair.”

Men’s swim shorts were like underwear; there was no need to fuss over the style!

“They’re loose,” Winston said nonchalantly, making Hunter feel unexpectedly self-conscious. Looking at Winston’s figure, especially that bulging part, made Hunter’s throat dry up.

“Let’s go.”

Winston walked out first, and Hunter followed.

The fun part of this water park was that visitors sat on swimming rings and were pushed up to the top by the water, then slid back down from the peak.

As soon as they reached the starting point, Hunter heard countless screams.

This couldn’t be more dangerous than F1!

But Hunter quickly realized how naive he had been.

As the water pushed Hunter’s swimming ring higher, he was nestled in the hole in the middle of the ring. With each splash of water, Hunter’s swim shorts threatened to slip off.

“Oh my god—” Hunter wanted to reach down to hold his swim trunks, but letting go even for a moment meant risking falling out of the ring.

Having been pushed up so high, letting go now would be no joke if he fell!

Before coming here, Owen had specifically advised him to buy swim trunks one size larger. Hunter suddenly felt sure that Owen had set him up to make a fool of himself! He really shouldn’t have trusted Lawrence Owen!

Just as he was nearing the top, Hunter relaxed a bit, and his swim shorts really flew off!

They pathetically caught around his calf. Fortunately, there was a constant stream of tourists moving forward, or else Hunter would have lost all his dignity!

Winston had been pushed ahead long ago. Hunter wanted to shout for his help but thought it would be embarrassing and there wasn’t much Winston could do anyway. He could only cry silently, praying that no one would notice him after he slid down!

As he slid down the spiral slide at high speed, he was completely unprepared for the moment he hit the water.

Oh no—his trunks had fallen into the water!

Hunter had no choice but to hide in the middle of the ring to cover himself, then reached into the water to try and find his trunks. But he couldn’t find them, and more people were coming down. The only consolation was that it seemed he wasn’t the only one to lose his swim trunks…

At that moment, Winston used one hand to pull his ring towards Hunter, the water reaching his waist.

“What’s wrong?” asked Winston.

“I… lost my swimming shorts…” Hunter whispered, pressing close to Winston.

“When did you lose them?” Winston seemed to frown, but at least he didn’t sound accusatory.

“When I came down,” Hunter felt super embarrassed.

“When you hit the water, there was a force pushing them off, so they probably got thrown somewhere farther away.” Winston glanced ahead.

“So what do I do now? I can’t just walk out of here naked, can I?” Hunter felt like crying but couldn’t shed any tears.

“Who told you to buy such a large size?” Winston huffed.

“…I didn’t realize they were that big…”

“Didn’t realize? They looked big at first glance.” Winston pushed his ring towards Hunter. “Hold this for me. I’ll try to find them.”

“With so many people, how are you going to find them?”

As soon as Hunter finished speaking, Winston bent down and dived into the water. His movements were both graceful and powerful, and although it lasted only a moment, it was quite a feast for the eyes.

Ten minutes passed, and Hunter stood holding the ring, waiting for Winston to return. If Winston couldn’t find the trunks, Hunter figured he could at least borrow a towel from the park. Just then, Winston swam back against the flow of people, seemingly holding something in his hand.

“Take it.” Winston tossed the swimming shorts, nearly hitting Hunter in the face.

Hunter fumbled and missed them. They fell back into the water. Just as he was about to grab the drifting shorts, Winston retrieved them again.

“Do you want me to find them for you again?”

“No, no, no! To find them like this, you really are like Aladdin’s genie! You can make any wish come true!” Hunter didn’t forget to flatter him.

Winston slipped Hunter’s swimming ring from his head. At this height, it was still faintly visible that Hunter wasn’t wearing swimming trunks. Winston held out the shorts and said, “Put your legs in.”

Hunter quickly lifted his legs, sliding into the swimming shorts in an instant. Feeling Winston’s fingers slide up his thigh as he pulled up his shorts, especially when he adjusted the back, almost like he was embracing his waist, made Hunter’s heart beat erratically again.

“Let’s go.” With that reminder, Winston pulled both of their rings toward the shore.

“Want to go again?”

Hunter immediately shook his head. He didn’t want to risk losing his swimming shorts again and couldn’t guarantee they’d be found every time!

“Then let’s head back. This afternoon we’re going to the desert safari.”

“Awesome!”

“Just be careful your trunks don’t get blasted off again.”

“Huh? Can desert safari really blast off your trunks?”

“Is your brain okay?” Winston glanced at him and then walked ahead.

Only then did Hunter realize Winston was teasing him about losing his swimming shorts.

After lunch, Winston drove Hunter to the edge of the desert. The sand had a slight reddish tint and was undulated like the sea under the wind. Seeing this scenery for the first time, Hunter couldn’t help but exclaim.

“Winston! Take a picture of me!” Hunter tossed his phone to Winston and then struck a V-sign pose with his fingers.

“You look silly, you know that?”

“Okay… Are you going to take the picture or not?”

“Change your pose, and I’ll take it.”

“Do you have something against the V-sign?”

Hunter thought for a moment and then spread his arms wide. Winston took the picture and tossed the phone back.

“Wait for me!” Hunter quickly followed.

The two joined a group for the desert safari, many of whom were young. With Winston’s striking appearance, it didn’t take long for some college girls to approach him, asking for help with taking photos or other such excuses. Under normal circumstances, no one would refuse such a request, but Winston slightly bowed his head and said, “Sorry, I’m not good at taking photos.”

Hunter almost burst into laughter.

The girls looked disappointed. Hunter, who had been angry a moment ago, suddenly realized that Winston’s dislike of taking photos was also an advantage.

At that moment, a young man suddenly exclaimed, “Ah! You’re Vann Winston—Winston from the Ferrari team! I’m a fan!”

“What? You mean that guy is Winston, the one who has won several championships?”

The phrase “won several championships” indicated he didn’t follow Formula One regularly. Winston won individual race titles, but the overall championship was determined by accumulating points throughout the season. Last year’s champion was Ciel, and the year before that, it was Owen.

Of course, Winston had a strong chance of winning the cup this year, being only two points behind Owen.

But this also showed that even people who didn’t follow F1 had heard of Vann Winston!

“Can we take a photo with you?” The fan pulled out his phone.

Hunter felt a deep sense of empathy for the fan. Why did he have to like Winston of all people?

As expected, Winston lowered his head and gave the standard apology, “Sorry, I don’t like taking photos.”

The fan looked disappointed, but perhaps Winston’s cool image had ingrained itself in people’s minds, so the fan didn’t seem upset.

“Being on this safari with you is already an honor for me!”

Oh my, a die-hard fan!

Hunter stroked his chin enviously. When would he have die-hard fans of his own?

“Aren’t you Evan Hunter from the Marcus team?” The car enthusiast finally noticed Hunter.

“Ah, yes.”

“All of Winston’s fans know that you’re his best friend. I started noticing you from the Montreal Grand Prix! By the Silverstone race, I was truly impressed! You’re so awesome! There were people on the forums who didn’t understand why Winston cared about you, but after each race, you showed us something new! Everyone is really looking forward to the day when you and Winston become teammates!”

“Not rivals?” Hunter laughed.

Perhaps because Hunter was more approachable than Winston, and because he was standing closer to him, the car enthusiast kept sticking to Hunter and chatting nonstop. The guy was quite cheerful, and Hunter didn’t find him annoying at all. He even secretly shared some of Winston’s habits, like what type of cigarette he smoked before a race, or how he liked his steak cooked.

Just then, the tour group began dividing into vehicles. Winston opened a car door and called out loudly, “Hunter—”

“Oh! He’s calling me! I forgot to tell you, he hates being late!” With that, Hunter ran towards Winston.

The convoy of cars followed the undulating dunes as if traveling on waves. Hunter, who was initially full of excitement, began to feel disappointed.

“This isn’t thrilling at all.” He turned his head to look at Winston beside him.

Winston’s face was calm, suggesting he felt the same way.

The driver of the dune buggy, said in English with an Arabic accent, “Don’t worry, young man! The excitement is coming soon!”

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The author has something to say:

Winston: We’ll come back to the Burj Al Arab water park later.

Hunter: Why? I don’t want to come back!

Winston: I’ll rent out the entire place and buy you new swimming trunks.

Hunter: …Thanks?

Winston: You just need to perform your swimming trunks falling off act.

Hunter: …I can’t have a normal conversation with you.