CYNTM CHAPTER 76

“If you had never pursued me… Hey, can what you did even be called pursuing?” Hunter paused, feeling a bit wronged. “By now, I might have had a lot of dating experience. But even all those possibilities combined wouldn’t add up to how much I love you. Every time I see you, I just feel… oh my god… Besides this guy, I couldn’t possibly fall in love with anyone else. I don’t feel regretful at all because you love me too. So, don’t think about dueling anyone… that’s more suitable for me to think about.”

Winston looked at Hunter with his usual gentle smile.

A few seconds later, Hunter suddenly had a realization and punched Winston hard.

“You did it on purpose!”

“Did what on purpose?” Winston asked back.

“You deliberately made me confess my feelings for you!”

“Really? Was that a confession just now?” Winston’s calm expression made Hunter really want to punch him again.

“Actually, you and I are completely different from Pushkin and his wife.”

“How are we different?”

“Poetry was Pushkin’s life. His wife Natalia couldn’t understand or appreciate it. She just found it boring. She couldn’t feel Pushkin’s soul, so even if Pushkin thought he loved her, they could never truly be in love.”

“Ah! But you and I both love Formula 1 and appreciate each other!”

“Hunter, to Pushkin, poetry was everything. But to me, you are my everything, so you don’t need to think about dueling anyone.”

Hunter smiled with his eyes squinted.

“But you’re still longing for that bunny girl party, right? At breakfast today, I saw that smile on your face and thought you must have been imagining a bunny girl party with Russian beauties, right?” Winston asked.

Hunter choked, feeling like life wasn’t so beautiful anymore. Because whatever he was thinking, Winston knew, and there were no secrets left!

“So it’s true.”

“Bunny girl party or whatever, it doesn’t matter anymore!” Hunter quickly clarified.

“No problem. I’ll throw one for you after this race,” Winston said casually as if he were offering to buy a Coke.

Hunter immediately sensed trouble. “No… no need! Really no need!”

Winston was going to completely ruin his fantasy of bunny girls!

 

That night, while Winston was taking a shower in the bathroom, Hunter lay on the bed, texting Marcus as usual. At this moment, the phone on the bedside table rang.

Hunter reached over and answered it. A gentle woman’s voice came through the line.

“Hello, do you need any special services?”

“Special services?” The other party’s English was stiff, and Hunter didn’t quite catch on at first.

“Drinking, chatting, and of course, I can accompany you for the entire night as well.”

Hunter finally understood the nature of the call.

“Sorry, but I already have a lover, and I’m with them right now.”

Just as Hunter was about to hang up, the other person said, “Your voice is really nice. It’s a pity we can’t spend some pleasant time together.”

At this moment, Winston came over wrapped in a towel and sat on the edge of the bed. He watched as Hunter said “thank you” into the phone and reached out to put the phone back, exposing a glimpse of his waist under his T-shirt as his back stretched.

Winston slipped his hand underneath Hunter’s shirt and gently asked, “Who was that on the phone?”

“A call offering special services!” Hunter said with a wink.

Half-closing his eyes, Hunter felt comfortable with the light touch of Winston’s fingers.

“Really? Do you want special services? And you thanked her.”

Hunter crooked his mouth. Winston was at it again…

“She said my voice was nice, so I just responded politely!”

“She wasn’t lying about that. Your voice is really nice—especially when I’m the one providing the special services.”

Winston leaned over, nearly pressing down on Hunter. His hand slid down to tug at Hunter’s sweatpants.

“Hey! What are you doing?”

“Special services.”

Hunter shuddered. They had made such a mess on the night flight, and now they were doing it again?

Hunter suspected he might wither away in his twenties.

“Don’t you want it?” Winston whispered seductively in Hunter’s ear.

“Of course I do!”

How could he say no?

As Hunter drifted in and out of sleep, he heard someone whisper in his ear: Your voice is the most beautiful I’ve ever heard.

After spending two days in Moscow, they headed to Sochi.

The Sochi Autodrom is part of the Olympic Park, with views of mountains and the sea along its nineteen turns in each lap.

This time, the Marcus and Mercedes team were staying at the same hotel.

When Hunter ran into Ciel in the hotel lobby, he held up four fingers.

Ciel’s expression immediately darkened, and he pushed up his sleeves as if preparing to hit Hunter.

His teammate quickly pulled him back. “Hey, Ciel, what’s wrong?”

“Didn’t you see that gesture Evan Hunter just made?”

The teammate was baffled, “Yeah, I saw it! It’s not like he flipped you off. Why are you so worked up?”

“He’s signaling that he’s going to beat me for the fourth time at the Sochi race!”

His teammate looked puzzled.

Hunter, stepping into the elevator, smiled inwardly at Ciel’s reaction.

It was unfortunate that the Ferrari team’s hotel wasn’t in the same location. Since this was Winston’s first race back, he had to stay with his team.

The Sochi Autodrom had received mixed reviews. Some media and fans found the races dull due to the limited overtaking opportunities. However, drivers who had raced on this track knew that its wide corners could produce many interesting and unexpected results.

Hunter’s initial pit stop strategy for this race was a one-stop.

The media was abuzz because there was so much to look forward to in this race. Firstly, how would Hunter, who had won the last two consecutive races, perform in this one? Additionally, there was anticipation about whether Winston, who had withdrawn from previous races due to injury, could return to form. And of course, there was interest in how Owen and Ciel would fare.

Many media predictions suggested that this would be a peak showdown.

Compared to the tension before the Malaysian Grand Prix, Hunter was quite calm before the free practice session.

His driving was smooth, and his lap times indicated he was in good shape.

As Hunter finished the free practice session and everyone was preparing to head back to the hotel, he noticed Winston deeply engrossed in conversation with someone at the side of the track.

The person wasn’t a Ferrari staff member or Winston’s teammate but Chen Mobai from the Lotus team.

This Asian man had a calm and laid-back demeanor. Leaning against the sponsor billboard, he exuded a certain relaxed charm.

What truly surprised Hunter was Winston’s reaction. He occasionally nodded and even generously shared his opinions.

Hunter found it odd. When had Winston become acquainted with Chen Mobai?

Oh, right, Winston had previously spoken highly of Chen Mobai and even reminded Hunter to watch out for him when he substituted for Enzo in the Malaysian race.

If that was Chen Mobai’s first Formula 1 race, how did Winston know about his abilities?

Countless questions flashed through Hunter’s mind.

The Asian man across the track seemed to sense Hunter’s gaze. He raised his eyebrows slightly, his smile carrying a hint of inscrutable meaning.

Provocation, this was definitely provocation!

What made it worse was that when Chen Mobai turned his face back to continue chatting with Winston, Winston’s attention was entirely on him, completely ignoring Hunter, who was standing opposite them.

This inexplicably irked Hunter.

That evening, Hunter lay on the bed playing games as usual, but now upgraded from his phone to the tablet.

When Winston walked into the room, Hunter remained lying there, not bothering to look up.

Winston took off his jacket as he walked to the bed.

When Hunter felt a shadow looming over him, he turned to the side, clutching his tablet, and moved away.

Winston said nothing, simply lying beside Hunter and poking his cheek with a finger.

“What’s wrong?”

Hunter didn’t respond.

“With your temper, if I don’t keep asking you, you’ll definitely be stifled to death by your feelings. Why not just tell me what you’re angry about?”

Winston’s words made Hunter feel ridiculous. Winston had every right to make friends. He could certainly chat and exchange experiences with other drivers.

But… Hunter felt that Winston was different with Chen Mobai, as if he cared and respected him more than others.

“It’s nothing. Let’s go to sleep. We have the qualifying race tomorrow.”

Hunter felt he should be more magnanimous.

“Hunter, if you don’t tell the truth, you might not be able to participate in the qualifying race tomorrow.”

Winston’s fingers hooked into the waistband of Hunter’s sweatpants, making his intentions clear.

Hunter immediately turned and pressed down on Winston’s hand, then realized Winston was looking at him with a serious expression.

“I… I saw you talking with Chen Mobai from the Lotus team today. And you talked for a long time,” Hunter answered.

“So what?” Winston asked softly.

So… it really wasn’t a big deal!

“I watched you for a long time, and you didn’t look at me once. Then Chen Mobai saw me and raised his eyebrow at me with a smile, like this.”

Hunter turned to Winston and pulled up the corners of his mouth, his left eyebrow twisting into a strange and distorted shape.

Winston lowered his head and chuckled, burying his face in the crook of Hunter’s neck.

“What are you laughing at?”

You’re just laughing at how childish I am!

“I’m laughing at myself,” Winston replied.

“Laughing at what?” Hunter asked, confused.

“Back in Dubai, I didn’t know who you were texting, and it bothered me for a long time.” Winston raised his hand and gently played with Hunter’s hair.

“What?” Hunter was stunned for a few seconds before he remembered Winston had asked him seriously then if he was dating.

“I’ve wanted to sleep with you for a long time.” Winston’s hand slowly moved down Hunter’s neck. “You couldn’t see that, so how could you expect to notice that I was unhappy with you constantly texting someone?”

Hunter gave a small humph.

“Back then, I was jealous of Owen and even thought about bumping him off the track. But he’s skilled and didn’t give me the chance. Now you’re dissatisfied with Chen Mobai, just like I was with Owen. You think you’re being childish, so I must have been childish too.”

Hearing this, Hunter felt embarrassed.

“But I don’t mind you disliking Chen Mobai. In fact, I hope you dislike him so much that you knock him off the track,” Winston whispered in Hunter’s ear.

“Why?” Hunter sat up, looking puzzled.

Winston propped himself up with one hand and kissed Hunter lightly on the lips, as if afraid of things getting out of hand.

“You still haven’t said why!” Hunter said seriously and tugged at Winston’s collar.

Winston looked down and smiled. “You never believe the things I tell you about our past lives.”

“Even though I don’t believe it, I like hearing it,” Hunter said, tilting his head back slightly.

“In the past life, I lost you. Owen and Ciel retired one after another, and only Chen Mobai remained as my rival.”

Hunter saw deep loneliness in Winston’s eyes. It was as if the world was vast, passionate, and unrestrained, but Winston’s heart was the only thing that remained cold.

“Currently, he has many hesitations and concerns, but he still possesses many technical strengths worth learning from. A good opponent helps us grow. By learning what he excels at, we can turn it into a weapon to defeat him. Don’t you think that’s interesting?”

“Is he really that technically skilled?” Hunter showed a look of disbelief, then said seriously, “If that’s the case, I’ll make sure to pay him back in full for all his skills!”

Seeing Hunter’s sincere expression, Winston’s smile widened.

“Oh… and he was the first to tell me to enjoy life while I can.”

“What?” Hunter looked confused.

Winston turned his face and kissed Hunter on the lips. “Thanks to his reminder, I’ve decided to enjoy life to the fullest from now on.”

 

It was only the second day of the qualifying tournament, but Hunter felt the atmosphere was a bit strange.

For instance, when he ran into Donald in the hallway, the guy gave him a bright yet awkward smile.

“What’s up? Is Sauber having another T-shirt pool party after the race?”

“Pool parties are nothing now…” Donald waved and walked away.

Then in the restroom, Hunter encountered Owen. The dude still looked like he needed a good smack. As Hunter stood there relieving himself, Owen peeked over and said, “Oh, little Hunter is quite cute!”

Hunter immediately tried to cover himself, but he was mid-stream and couldn’t.

“What… what are you doing!”

“I forgot, only Winston can look!” Owen laughed as he walked away. “Oh… I forgot, I didn’t realize your tastes were so… unrefined.”

Unrefined? What was unrefined?

Hunter remained bewildered.

When Hunter exited the restroom, he bumped into Ciel, who regarded him with regal contempt. Hunter initially wanted to flash four fingers at him but restrained himself… because Ciel already looked angry enough, and Hunter didn’t want to get punched before the race.

Hunter vaguely recalled that a few years ago, one of Ciel’s ex-wives had an affair with a driver from a small team. Ciel had beaten the guy up before a race, and it took a lot of effort from Mercedes to smooth things over.

Hunter definitely didn’t want to end up like that.

“I won’t let you get away with this! And I won’t sway my hips at you!”

“Huh?” Hunter was confused again.

Why would you sway my hips at me? I have no interest in that!

Hunter walked past a vending machine where he happened to run into Chen Mobai from Lotus.

Chen Mobai was holding a drink and turned around with that same smirking expression.

This was the first time Hunter had seen this Asian man up close. Despite his lazy demeanor, there was a subtle strength about him.

“Hey, Hunter.”

“What’s up?” Hunter stopped and looked at him.

“Who do you think will win this race?”

Surprisingly, Chen Mobai’s English was fluent and unhurried, yet calm.

“Me, of course.” Hunter recalled what Winston had said about making Chen Mobai suffer in this race.

Chen Mobai smiled, “Oh, we’ll see.”

Hunter didn’t say more and turned to leave.

The qualifying rounds began in what Hunter felt was a bizarre atmosphere, though Marcus and the technical officer thought everything was normal.

In the first session, Hunter could feel the intense competitiveness. Each driver seemed to be holding their breath, and Hunter even wondered if this was the final lap of the finals instead of just a qualifying race.

After the first qualifying session, Hunter was in fifth place, with Ciel temporarily holding first.

The second round remained fierce. Hunter noticed that everyone seemed to be using Winston as a benchmark, striving to surpass him. Even Donald was pushing himself to the limit. Winston, however, remained consistently strong, keeping his lap times in the top three. Hunter managed to overtake Chen Mobai, moving from fifth to fourth place.

The final qualifying session offered no respite. The commentators remarked on the fierce competition, making the final rankings unpredictable. With fifteen minutes left in qualifying, Winston had dropped to third place. But in the last few minutes, he pushed hard and surpassed Owen and Ciel, securing pole position.

Ciel came in second, Hunter third, followed by Owen and Chen Mobai.

The main race was set to start three hours later. As Hunter searched for a place to smoke, he overheard Ciel and Owen talking.

“What the hell? How could you let Winston take pole position!” Ciel’s voice sounded like he was about to explode with anger.

“Well… you didn’t get pole either,” Owen’s voice was still lazy.

“Am I the same? I gave it my all!”

“So did I! The task of catching up to Winston is all yours now!” Owen said earnestly, patting Ciel on the shoulder.

“You’re not worried at all?”

“What’s there to worry about? Losing just means a little sacrifice, right? It’s a rather novel experience!” Owen responded.

Hunter tilted his head, feeling like there was some crucial piece of information he was missing.

Owen turned around, saw Hunter, and waved with a smile. “Hey, Little Hunter!”

As soon as Ciel saw Hunter, he hid his expression and snorted softly.

“Don’t mind him. He’s just unfriendly like that.”

Hunter knew that any information he tried to get out of Owen would likely be a lie, so he decided to continue looking for a place to smoke. When he reached a certain corner, he found Winston already sitting there.

Winston had his hands resting on the steps, his head slightly tilted back as if he were visualizing every twist and turn of the Sochi track.

Hunter quietly sat down beside him, turning his head to watch him in silence. For some reason, seeing Winston’s profile made Hunter feel calm and strong.

“Are you just going to sit there staring at me without doing anything?” Winston asked with his eyes closed.

Hunter chuckled, pulled out his cigarette, and gently nudged Winston with his elbow. “Got a lighter to share?”

“Didn’t you say you were going to replace smoking with kissing?” Winston asked softly.

With a smile, Hunter stood and approached Winston, bending down to lightly kiss him on the lips.

“Is that all?”

“You said it yourself. This way, you’ll think of me on the track, race to the finish line faster, and the sooner you finish, the sooner you can kiss me again,” Hunter said with a grin, squinting his eyes.

Winston put an arm around Hunter’s waist, not too tightly, and said, “Okay.”

“Are you nervous?” Hunter asked, resting his chin gently on Winston’s head.

Although nervousness wasn’t Winston’s style.

“Because this time, I must win the race,” Winston replied with a slight smile.

“Oh… It seems like Owen and Ciel are feeling the pressure too.”

“I’m not racing to beat them, but you.”

As soon as Winston said that, Hunter’s heart skipped a beat.

Yes, the era of direct competition between him and Winston had finally arrived.

A surge of strength seemed to radiate from his heart, threatening to burst from his fingertips and spread in all directions.

The main race at Sochi began, and the drivers took their positions. Hunter looked at the red Ferrari in front of him, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the steering wheel.

“Hunter, you’re in a good mood!” Marcus’s voice came over the radio, carrying a teasing tone. He didn’t seem as nervous as he had been before, to the point of having a heart attack, which left Hunter feeling a bit disappointed.

“That’s because Winston is back in the race!” Hunter replied, his excitement evident.

Marcus looked over at Shen Chuan with a hint of helplessness. “Doesn’t Winston’s return mean a lower chance of winning the championship?”

Shen Chuan smiled slightly. “For Hunter now, the track is more like an amusement park. A good opponent makes him enjoy and have more fun.”

Marcus shook his head with a smile.

As the race at the Sochi circuit commenced, the atmosphere was charged with the roar of engines. The media, who had previously criticized the track for being too tame, were now singing a different tune.

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The author has something to say:
Winston: You have a beautiful voice.
Hunter: Really?
Winston: It sounds different when I kiss you and go inside you.
Hunter: …