CYNTM CHAPTER 81

“Don’t avoid me…” Winston gently laid Hunter down and said softly.

Hunter didn’t respond, just turned his face and lightly touched Winston’s lips. “Just like the song you just sang to me… don’t ever leave me.”

Winston’s eyes darkened as he pulled Hunter’s shirt off.

He was in such a hurry as if the world would end in the next second and they would cease to exist. Time was compressed, and their embrace would shatter.

“…Before the final race, we shouldn’t…” Winston spoke in a hoarse voice.

He was practically clinging to Hunter, his breath scorching hot, yet he held onto Hunter tightly and tried to restrain himself.

Hunter raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth twitching, and replied arrogantly, “Screw the final race… Our last race is still far away!”

In the blink of an eye, Winston kissed him hard and urgently. Their lips and tongues entwined until they were almost set aflame.

Hunter absorbed the heat and strength of this man, feeling as though the past twenty years of his life had been wasted. He had never craved someone as much as he did now.

His breathing almost exploded, everything burning as if it would melt away.

“If I gave everything and you still didn’t love me… I used to think I couldn’t bear to destroy you… but I was wrong…” Winston spoke through gritted teeth as he slammed into Hunter.

“…What will you do?” Hunter’s heart raced.

“I’ll do it like this… fuck you to death…”

Winston’s actions were brutal this time and words were unnecessary. His silence wasn’t due to coldness, but because all his desires were held captive by Hunter.

Hunter was flipped onto the bed, fully aware of what was about to happen. Deep down, he had been longing for this moment for a long time. Even if it brought pain, it was something Winston was giving him.

Hunter reached to remove his pants, but Winston held him tightly from behind and pulled them off. The forceful tug made Hunter’s heart tremble.

Winston’s grip spread Hunter’s buttocks, and even the entrance felt a sharp pain as if it were about to tear due to Winston’s lack of control and mercy.

Hunter knew that this man had endured for too long, holding back his desire to possess him as his defenses gradually broke down and Hunter’s heart longed for him. When all this excessive patience combined, Winston went mad.

Even without direct contact, Hunter could feel the searing heat from Winston’s desire, like a star on the verge of exploding, needing nothing more than release.

But what penetrated Hunter’s body wasn’t Winston’s large, rigid member; instead, it was something moist. Then his entrance was nudged by something. Hunter immediately understood: it was Winston’s tongue and lips.

It was as if something ignited in his brain like the whole world was about to explode. Hunter never imagined that Winston would kiss him there!

“No… don’t… just come inside…” Hunter’s cheeks flushed as he stuttered, unable to continue speaking.

But Winston pretended not to hear, continuing to slide his tongue in and out, relentlessly stimulating the tense area. He licked and sucked until soft, wet sounds filled the room. The overwhelming sensations made Hunter’s body stiffen and his arousal followed suit.

Even though Winston was still far from Hunter’s most sensitive spot, Hunter couldn’t help but twist his hips. The maddening closeness made him want to resist, but Winston held him firmly and pulled him back. His tongue flicked up, hitting Hunter’s sensitive spot, making him hold his breath and clutch the pillow tightly.

Hunter’s hole began to feel wet. Instead of teasing him with two fingers first, Winston pushed all three fingers in at once. His impatience was palpable, and the body he had longed for was finally opening up to him. The intensity of desire made Winston lose control, and his fingers moved with increasing force. Hunter’s breathing quickened, and his mind spun wildly.

“Ah, ah.” Hunter raised his hand to cover his mouth. The sounds he made echoed in his ears, squeezing his heart.

His hair was tousled by Winston’s relentless thrusting. His passage tightened from arousal, squeezing Winston’s fingers. Winston curled his fingers deliberately and twisted them, driving Hunter to the brink of madness.

“Get in! You bastard, just get in!” Hunter pounded the pillow with his fists, tears streaming down his face. He knew Winston’s arrogance and the forceful curl of his fingers were meant to show that his body was ready, that he could take all of him.

Upon hearing Hunter’s words, Winston suddenly withdrew his fingers. The cool air rushed into Hunter’s exposed passage, making him shudder. But Winston quickly grabbed Hunter’s waist, guiding his thick, dark erection into place and thrusting it in.

“Ah!” Hunter moaned, his body stretched open as Winston forced his way through, overcoming all resistance.

Hunter extended his arms in front of him as if doing so could help ease the powerful thrusts. His hands clenched into tight fists, while Winston lowered his head and gritted his teeth, enduring the overwhelming sensation. When he rubbed against Hunter’s inner walls, it almost made him release immediately.

Hunter didn’t expect Winston would be able to go in so deep. It felt like Winston had completely penetrated his body. His inner walls were rubbed hot and gripped Winston’s hard length as if everything inside him existed to accommodate it.

At that moment, the tight embrace of Hunter’s inner walls drove Winston crazy. He thrust again, pressing against Hunter’s hole so deeply it felt as if he was trying to fit his entire massive body inside.

Hunter couldn’t breathe, the veins on his temples bulged. His body trembled with each withdrawal as if everything inside him was being pulled away. He was both burning up and on the verge of breaking apart.

Winston’s thrusts at that moment were so forceful they nearly knocked Hunter unconscious.

“Relax… relax,” Winston spoke in a tone that was almost pleading.

Hunter’s breath was shaky as he exhaled, trying to relax. Winston seized the moment to pull out. The emptiness that followed made Hunter unconsciously chase after him, pulling back the desire that was slipping away from their connection.

Then Winston thrust in again, his presence like a blazing star, pushing deep and striking Hunter until he cried out.

But it was a cry of prolonged frenzy.

Winston thrust repeatedly, slowly but forcefully, until the area of their connection down to their stomachs was slick. As Winston pressed his body against Hunter’s, his rigid cock seemed to pierce through him, causing Hunter to cry out in surprise. Winston then embraced him, grabbing the back of his head to turn his face so they could share a passionate kiss as if the world were about to end.

Winston continued to move, releasing more fluid, and he could feel Hunter’s body responding, eagerly chasing his movements. He thrust in and out vigorously without worrying about Hunter tensing up again. He tilted his head back, savoring the ecstasy as if it were his last moment. With relentless pounding, Winston pushed Hunter out of his embrace only to pull him back in, allowing Hunter to fully absorb his desire, leaving no space between them.

Hunter moaned uncontrollably. The more forceful Winston’s thrusts became, the more seductive Hunter’s expression appeared. His lower body was completely drenched.

Winston hugged Hunter and flipped him over, twisting his massive length inside him. Hunter cried out in shock, and then his legs were quickly pressed against his chest. Winston thrust abruptly and continued dozens of times, both swiftly and powerfully.

Through the blurred view from this angle, Hunter could see where they were connected. The engorged dark member entered and exited his body, silvery lubricating fluid streaming in and out incessantly. The sight was overwhelming.

Winston almost buried himself completely, pounding in and out with wild abandon hundreds of times. Hunter couldn’t withstand such intense, extreme actions and ended up coming. But for Winston, this was far from enough. He released one of Hunter’s legs and turned him onto his side, placing one leg over his shoulder. Hunter lay on his side, feeling Winston’s thick manhood pushing in again.

“So tight…” Winston bit Hunter’s calf as he thrust forcefully.

Hunter’s mind reeled as Winston pounded against the deepest recesses of his consciousness.

“Ah!”

Winston thrusted madly, nearly breaking Hunter’s spine. Hunter’s body was tightly held and manipulated into various positions. His legs were pressed without restraint, alternately spread wide using different methods. Meanwhile, Winston constantly murmured his name, kissed him, and never paused the rhythm of his thrusts for a second.

The burning pleasure caused Hunter to lose himself completely. He only wanted to be ravaged, possessed by him…

He would remember Winston’s eyes, filled with bliss and utterly consumed by madness, their heated bodies pressed closely together.

Another wave of earth-shattering passion overtook him, kissing him from every angle. Hunter thought this was his limit, but the desire and hunger that erupted from him far exceeded his imagination.

“Let me… let me take a break…”

Hunter propped himself up and moved forward in a daze, but as soon as his hand grasped the edge of the bed, Winston pulled him back again. Fiery kisses rained down on the back of his head, and he was pressed against the wall at this angle, the force of it igniting a fire within him once more.

The scene from the movie that Hunter used to think was unrealistic came to life when Winston lifted him high and let him drop down, pressing tightly against him.

The pain and fear were drowned in Winston’s intense kiss.

When he climaxed, Hunter thought he would have time to catch his breath, slowly descending from the height of 10,000 meters. He wanted to find his breath and heartbeat again. But the man who seemed so cold and aloof, as if he would never extinguish, turned to the side and kissed him.

The kiss, starting from slow comfort, gradually unveiled an uncontrollable desire for possession, making Hunter’s feelings completely shift. Winston controlled everything about him.

In the chaos and disorder, all principles were shattered, all laws cracked, leaving only the relentless thrusts of this man, who surpassed all the truths in the world.

If he had to die because of this man, Hunter felt… why not?

 

The eleven o’clock sun filtered through the curtains, casting light onto the messy bed. Hunter opened his mouth and furrowed his brow slightly.

Winston embraced him and stroked his forehead, which was a bit hot.

Hunter’s body was covered in marks, and Winston’s fingers brushed over the bruises near his Adam’s apple.

“Hmm…”

“I’m going to wipe you down with cold water again. You have a fever.”

“Mm…” Hunter clung to Winston, clearly not wanting him to leave. “Didn’t you already do that…”

Winston lowered his head and gently touched Hunter’s eyes, which were too tired to open. Once Hunter was asleep again, Winston slowly got up and moved to the window.

“I think I need a private doctor… Hunter has a fever.” Winston raised his hand and forcefully ran his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know who to call here in New York.”

“Fever… What did you do?” The other person’s voice was teasing.

“Erwin… His temperature is almost 39 degrees.”

Winston steadied his breath. His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried restrained intensity. He glanced back at Hunter, who was wrapped in the quilt.

“Are you out of your mind? Before the final leg of the Grand Prix… indulging like this?” Erwin was Chen Mobai’s English name, the man whose lazy tone had suddenly become serious.

“I need a doctor,” Winston said coldly.

“A doctor? The one I know is out of town for a conference, and would you even let a doctor see his injuries?” Chen Mobai retorted but received no answer from Winston.

“Well… as a friend, others might send you gifts like condoms, but what I’m offering is more practical.”

“What?” Winston narrowed his eyes.

“Do you remember the small box I gave you last time, the one I said had medicine inside that you should carry with you?”

“I remember. I still have it.” Winston quickly searched his suitcase, found the box in one of the compartments, and opened it. “It’s all in Chinese.”

“Hunter has no history of being allergic to anti-inflammatory medication, right?”

“I’m sure he doesn’t.”

“Crush the brown pills into powder and apply it to the wounds on his body. Give him the remaining two tablets three times a day. I’m giving you Chinese medicine. If there is no sign of improvement by 3 PM, you must take him to the hospital, no matter how much you don’t want his body to be seen by other men, OK?”

“Thank you.”

“By the way… if it’s not too much trouble… could you tell me how many times you ‘tossed him around’ last night to give him a fever? Racers usually have excellent stamina and physique…”

“I owe you one this time.”

After saying that, Winston hung up.

By three in the afternoon, Hunter’s fever finally subsided. Winston ruffled Hunter’s hair gently and sighed.

Hunter’s eyes fluttered open.

“Winston…”

“Hmm?” Winston leaned down to kiss him.

“I want to drink some water…”

“Okay, I’ll get you some.”

“I’m starving…”

“I’ll make something for you to eat.”

“Are we going to miss the plane to Melbourne?”

“Don’t worry about that. I called Marcus.”

“Mmm, okay…” Hunter’s voice was extremely hoarse, but suddenly he remembered something and abruptly sat up. The pain that shot through from his waist to his legs made him wince. “What did Marcus say?”

“He didn’t say much. I told him there was a small issue with our house, and if it wasn’t fixed, you wouldn’t be able to race with peace of mind.” Winston sat down beside him, gently stroking his ear.

“Oh…”

Marcus would never guess that this was just a lie told by Winston.

Winston handed Hunter a glass of water. Hunter looked extremely thirsty, tilting his head back and gulping it down in a few swigs.

“Slow down.”

The water he couldn’t swallow dribbled down the corners of his mouth, down his chin, and dripped onto the bedsheets. As his Adam’s apple bobbed, even the marks along his neck moved up and down.

Winston wiped the corners of Hunter’s mouth, his knuckles lingering there.

“Huh?” Hunter asked in a raspy voice. His voice was soft but carried a hint of doubt.

Winston’s eyes darkened, and he suddenly pushed Hunter back down onto the pillow. Hunter felt dizzy and disoriented, and his bones and muscles felt like they had been disassembled. The impact caused Hunter to groan in pain.

Even the corners of his eyes welled up with tears.

“Sorry…” Winston leaned down, his forehead resting gently against Hunter’s. “I couldn’t hold back…”

Hunter paused, thinking of the numb and aching parts of his body. He spoke in a pitiful tone, “I want to do it again too… Apart from some positions that were scary… I felt… really good…”

Hunter’s voice was as soft as the buzzing of a mosquito.

Winston froze but Hunter could feel that his body temperature was rising.

“Really… Then which position made you feel scared?”

Winston’s breath hovered between Hunter’s lips, causing Hunter to feel aroused.

“When… when you lifted me up…”

“But I liked it a lot because when you’re scared, you hold me tighter, and down there, it gets even tighter.”

Winston couldn’t help himself and kissed Hunter’s lips. His hand slipped under the quilt, and soon, Hunter furrowed his brows.

“Don’t touch me… it hurts…”

It took a long while before Winston exhaled and went to the bathroom.

Hunter turned to his side in pain, watching Winston’s back with an evil smile.

“You’ll have a day like this too.”

At that moment, Hunter suddenly realized what Owen meant when he asked him to time how long Winston stayed in the bathroom when they went on vacation in Dubai.

“This guy Owen…”

This time, Winston was in the bathroom for almost an hour. Hunter, leaning against the headboard, couldn’t help but use his hoarse voice to urge him.

“I’m hungry! I want to eat! Come out already!”

It was clear that Winston had no intention of answering him.

Hunter licked his lips and continued to yell. After all, his throat was the only part of his body that could still barely function.

“I’m starving… I want to eat a cheese omelet…”

Winston still ignored him.

“Winston, why haven’t you come out yet! If you keep going, you’ll break it!”

Two seconds later, a suppressed and slightly irritated voice resonated through the door with surprising clarity.

“If you say one more sentence, I’ll come out and fuck you to death.”

Hunter froze and immediately shut his mouth.

Last night, Winston had been gentle at first, but toward the end, he was so intense that Hunter thought it was a miracle he survived.

After more than ten minutes passed, Hunter finally heard the sound of water running in the sink.

The man was about to come out, so Hunter immediately shrank under the quilt and covered his head. It wasn’t until he had gone downstairs that Hunter peeked out from underneath.

There wasn’t a single undamaged spot; it was too horrible to look at.

If they did it again… well, half a round more, and he might actually die.

“That was close…”

Hunter decided that he’d play with fire less often in the future.

The consequences of obtaining something were usually disastrous.

Hunter didn’t understand that before, but now he did.

Ten minutes later, Hunter caught the faint aroma of food wafting in.

Winston walked in holding a plate and sat down beside him.

“You’re injured there, so I didn’t put bacon in the omelet.”

“Mmn!” Hunter reached out to take it, but when he held the plate, he found that his arm was shaking.

Despite being the arm that grips the F1 steering wheel for over two hours and makes countless turns without any issues, now it was sore as if lacking exercise… It must be because he had hugged Winston too tightly yesterday… and for as long as racing multiple laps…

“Let me feed you.”

Winston took the plate, used a fork to spear a small piece of the omelet, and fed it into Hunter’s mouth.

“Is it delicious?”

“Mm… it tastes just like the Mexican cheese chicken roll from that place I eat at a lot!”

Winston gave a faint smile.

Hunter then understood that Winston had made this, trying to match the flavor he liked.

After he finished eating the entire roll, Winston looked at him and said, “Take some medicine later and get some more sleep.”

“Yeah…”

But once the fever subsided, Hunter was wide awake. He lay bored on the bed, playing with his phone with one hand. Winston had gone to pick up a package in the afternoon.

Several minutes later, Winston returned, carrying something that looked like a magazine.

“What’s that? A magazine you subscribed to?”

“Rossi sent it. It’s the photo album from our shoot.”

“Really? I want to see!” Hunter ignored the pain in his back and propped himself up as Winston placed the album beside the pillow.

Hunter flipped through it eagerly.

The first page showed him holding a rose while Winston leaned in to bite the rose on his shoulder.

His expression was indescribably ambiguous and sexy.

Hunter swallowed hard; a wave of heat flowed to his lower body.

As he turned the page, there was a photo of Winston hugging him from behind. A tie covered Hunter’s eyes, and Winston’s hand forcefully pressed a rose toward him.

Suddenly remembering how Winston had done what he wanted with his body the previous night, Hunter’s ears turned even redder.

At that moment, Winston lay on his side next to Hunter, his hand slipping under Hunter’s blanket, doing things… no one would ever believe were actually done by Vann Winston.

“Do you… do you want to do it again?” Hunter’s heart fluttered. Looking into Winston’s hungry ice-blue eyes, he felt his entire body heat up.

“If we do it again, I’m afraid I’ll really end up fucking you to death.”

“Then why are you putting your hand in there!”

“Because the real me is right next to you, but you’re getting excited over a picture?” Winston leaned in and retorted.

Hunter felt so hot that he thought his blood might boil over.

“I want to drink some water!”

“I’ll help you with it first, and then get you some water.”

When Winston finished speaking, he buried his head under the blanket, driving Hunter crazy!

Early the next morning, Hunter sat up and twisted his shoulders from side to side. Winston had already gotten up a while ago. Hunter put on his pants and T-shirt and went downstairs, finding something baking in the oven while Winston, talking on the phone, was slicing fruit, seemingly making juice for Hunter.

“Thanks to the medicine, his fever has gone down.”

Hearing Hunter’s footsteps, Winston said goodbye to the person on the other end and turned to look at Hunter, who had his hands in his pockets and his head tilted.

“Are you okay?”

“I think I’m alright,” Hunter moved his shoulders and twisted his waist. “Except for a bit of swelling down there… it doesn’t seem to hurt elsewhere anymore.”

Hunter leaned over to see Winston’s phone, but Winston had already tucked it into his pocket. “What kind of medicine did you give me? It’s amazing!”

“You shouldn’t take medicine randomly, but… with how fast you’re recovering, I’m starting to feel like all my past endurance wasn’t worth it.”

Winston turned around and leaned against the sink, looking at Hunter.

There was a kind of ambiguous look in his eyes that made Hunter’s heart skip a beat.

“Your… your endurance was definitely worth it! And what if I still had a fever?” Hunter suddenly felt he should have stayed in bed, pretending to be very pitiful.

“Dummy,” Winston said with a faint smile as he bent down.

Hunter felt like a feather had tickled his heart, making it feel itchy.

As Hunter sat at the dining table, eating the pie Winston had baked, he spoke with admiration, “How can you do so much! I can’t do anything like this.”

“Just use your phone to look up the recipe. As long as your IQ is fine, you should be able to do it.” Winston handed him a glass of fruit juice.

“So… does that mean my IQ is a problem?” Hunter suddenly found the apple pie less appetizing.

Winston smiled but didn’t answer.

Although Hunter loved spending time like this, the final race was still the main focus.

They flew to Melbourne the next day.

Marcus picked them up himself and gave Hunter a big hug as soon as they met.

“Oh, you poor kid… is your kitchen all fixed now?”

“Huh? Kitchen?” Hunter turned to look at Winston with uncertainty, who was carrying both of their bags.

“Yeah, Winston told me the microwave exploded when you were heating up popcorn! The microwave broke, and the whole kitchen blew up! You were so upset you had to run around looking for someone to fix it…”

Hunter looked at Winston.

You came up with such a ridiculous excuse?

“Uh, yeah, the kitchen is fixed now.”

If you’re worried about my kitchen, you should be more worried about my waist!

“Well, let me take Hunter back to the hotel and drop you off, Winston.”

“Thank you.”

Marcus spoke while driving, “Sometimes I feel that time really flies. In the blink of an eye, Hunter has gone from a rookie who made basic mistakes on corners and lines to a favorite to win the championship.”

“Thanks for remembering my dark history.” Hunter glanced at Winston beside him with a shrug.

“And Owen and Ciel, before you know it, this is their fifteenth year in Formula 1.”

“What’s wrong? Why are you suddenly bringing this up?”

“Because you’ve been quite busy these past two days, I haven’t told you. Two days ago, during an interview with Mr. Cacho, Owen hinted that he might retire.”

“What? Why would he retire? Just because he’s 36? But his physical condition and decision-making are still in top form!”

“Maybe he wants to retire while he’s still at his best. The end of a hero’s journey can be pretty sad,” Marcus said.

Hunter opened his mouth but didn’t say anything.

“Which hotel is the Red Bull team staying at?” After a long pause, Winston spoke.

“Huh? The same hotel as us,” Marcus replied.

Winston turned to Hunter and said, “Go find him. You’re holding back so much; if you don’t pour out all your grievances to him, you won’t be able to finish this race perfectly.”

“Thanks.” Hunter hadn’t expected Winston to say something like that.

This time, Winston didn’t accompany Hunter and let him go to Owen’s room on his own.

When he knocked on the door, Owen’s familiar voice came through.

“A beauty? If it’s not a beauty, I’m not opening the door.”

“I’m not a beauty, but I am your fan.”

Owen was silent for two seconds on the other side of the door. When he opened it, he saw Hunter standing with his hands in his pockets.

“Yo, it’s you.”

“Yeah, it’s me.”

Hunter walked in, and Owen grabbed a bottle of mineral water from the mini fridge and tossed it to him.

“Why did you suddenly come running to see me?” Owen asked with a smile, leaning against the windowsill.

Compared to over ten years ago, when Hunter first saw him race, this man hadn’t changed at all.

But if you looked closely, you’d see he actually had changed a lot.

His eyes lost their obsession with victory and defeat and instead held a touch of detachment.

“I’m here to confess to you.”

As soon as Hunter finished speaking, Owen started coughing.

“Are you… are you okay in the head? Or are you here to get revenge on me? Aren’t you and Winston getting along really well?” Owen quickly waved his hands.

“I’m afraid if I don’t say it now, I might not get another chance to talk to you again.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you know why, even though I know every time you help me, you definitely have the intention of playing tricks on me and watching the fun, I still choose to believe you every time?” Hunter looked at Owen with a serious expression.

“Oh? And why is that?”

“When I first learned about Formula 1, I was seven years old. At that time, you and Ciel were still striving with the Lotus team. You two worked together to make Lotus the champion that year.”

“Thanks for reminding me that you were seven that year. I’m almost sixteen years older than you,” Owen laughed.

“I had a poster of you and Ciel in my room,” Hunter said.

The smile on Owen’s face gradually faded as he looked at Hunter with seriousness.

“…Thanks.”

“What I wanted back then was to have a day when I could compete with you on the same track and experience your excellent skills. This is a convergence of time and experience. No one can overthrow the era you built. I can’t do it, neither can Winston. We might surpass your scores, but we can never surpass everything you’ve built.”

“Hunter…”

“Do you know what makes me happier than getting an F1 license? It’s that you and Ciel are still on the track! Who knows how hard I tried in the first three races, but the more I tried, the more ridiculous the results became. But… I want you and Ciel to know that a kid has been chasing behind you for more than ten years.”

Owen looked at Hunter with a surprised expression in his eyes.

“Owen, we will all be surpassed eventually. In the past, even at the age of fifty, there were still people who continued to be Formula 1 drivers. But with the innovation of technology, focus and physical strength have become the limit, but you also know in your heart that you haven’t reached your limit yet…”

“I’m just tired, Hunter. I’ve been racing for over ten years. It’s been one of the most important times of my life. And besides the roar of engines and racing tracks, I find that… I’m not sure what my goal is anymore.”

Owen came over and patted Hunter on the shoulder.

“But are you willing to give up the era you and Ciel built like this? How can you be sure that someone will take over from you?” Hunter looked at Owen with eyes full of strength, making Owen’s tired heart feel rejuvenated at that moment.

“Or are you afraid of being overtaken? Are Winston and I really so scary that you want to step down from your pedestal before you fall off?” Hunter asked.

“Brat, why are you so annoying?” Owen said, exasperated.

“I’m not likable to begin with. It’s because I’m annoying that you want to teach me a lesson, isn’t it? And the only place you can teach me a lesson is on the track! Once you leave here, I can laugh at you for the next ten years for losing and not fighting.” Hunter turned his head to look at Owen. “36 is still very young.”

“Alright, Hunter. How about we make a bet?” Owen said with a slight smile, looking at Hunter.

“What kind of bet?”

“For the final race, if you overtake me, overtake Ciel, and win the championship, I’ll continue to race next year until you surpass Ciel and me in the points standings. After that, we’ll retire successfully and hand over the competition to you.” Owen adjusted the crooked collar of Hunter’s shirt. “This bet has no traps—just win or lose.”

“Okay,” Hunter replied.

His tone was so resolute that it made Owen wonder if Hunter had already won the race.

“Now you can go back. I’ll recharge my batteries and make sure you don’t take me down. I desire life after retirement too much,” Owen said with a faint smile.

“Just you wait!” Hunter made a slicing gesture across his throat.

As Hunter left the room, Owen called out, “Don’t let Winston know you confessed to me. I’m afraid he might kill me.”

Hunter gave him the middle finger.

As he exited, he bumped into Ciel.

“Hey, brat! Watch where you’re going!”

“I know!” Hunter headed toward the elevator without looking back.

“What’s with the brat?” Ciel looked at Owen and said.

“He came to deliver a challenge to me.”

“Oh, is it because you mentioned to Mr. Cacho that you wanted to retire?” Ciel asked as he helped himself to a bottle of orange juice from Owen’s mini-fridge.

“Yeah.”

“Owen, do you remember that time when we drank together and promised to retire together?” Ciel asked, looking down.

“I remember. We got our F1 licenses on the same day of the same year and month, and we joined Lotus on the same day.”

“So, while watching your interview with Mr. Cacho, I kept wanting to ask you a question.”

“What question?”

“Did I annoy you? After being rivals for over ten years, are you tired of being my opponent?” Ciel continued to stare at the orange juice in his hand.

“Why are you bringing this up suddenly?”

“You know my marriage failed. I have two children, but they barely remember me. I’m a proud person, so I have no friends. If there comes a day when I have to leave Formula 1, I’ll be very lonely. I always thought you would be a lifelong rival and the only one in the world who understands me,” Ciel said.

“Even now, I am still your lifelong rival and the one who understands you the most, Ciel. Being your adversary is the greatest honor of my life.”

Ciel’s fingers twitched as he looked toward Owen.

“So our era must end beautifully. We’ll ensure that those who take over from us remember us forever,” Owen said.

“Of course.” Ciel raised the corners of his lips, his eyes burning with a fierce determination.

 

Suddenly, Hunter didn’t want to go back to his room at all. The four walls would make him feel oppressed. Something was surging in his mind, and he couldn’t achieve true peace without exhausting all his energy.

He grabbed a pack of cigarettes, walked to the streetlight outside the hotel, leaned against the lamppost, and lit a cigarette.

At that moment, someone appeared next to him. He could smell the familiar scent of men’s body wash and aftershave.

Hunter turned his head, squinting and smiling at the other person.

“You always show up when I’m free. You show up when I’m in a bad mood. Now, even when I’m just a little lonely, you show up again.”

“So, did you talk to Owen?”

“Yeah. Owen and Ciel represent an era of Formula 1. What do you think is the best way to pay respect to this era?”

“Defeat them,” Winston replied.

“I like you being like this.” Hunter continued to smile with his eyes narrowed. “In this race, I’ll give it my all. Don’t lose to me easily, Vann Winston.”

“Don’t get too cocky,” Winston said with a faint smile.

The Albert Park Circuit is a street track with no corners exceeding ninety degrees. The layout of the track is smooth, and the view in the middle of the circuit is the beautiful lake.

Before the free practice session, the team held a technical meeting.

Hunter paid close attention to all the tactical advice and track analysis. The engineering team, led by Shen Chuan, had finished adjusting the car to fit the unique characteristics of this track.

---

The author has something to say:
Hunter: I’m thirsty!
Winston: I poured so much into you yesterday, and you’re still thirsty?
Hunter: …I’m hungry…
Winston: I have some left, do you want it?
Hunter: …

Translator’s note:
The next chapter is the last!