CYNTM CHAPTER 84

“So, should we have a drink to celebrate?” Hunter flashed a big grin.

“How do you want to celebrate?”

“A party?” Hunter suggested.

Winston looked at him in silence.

Hunter laughed harder, waving his hand. “Hahaha! Do you even know what time it is? What kind of party could we throw now? And with that expression of yours, any party would die on arrival!”

“Sure. Make it to the top five in the next race, and I’ll throw a party for you,” Winston replied, catching Hunter by surprise.

“I want a pool party.” Hunter raised an eyebrow.

“Deal.”

Hunter paused, then gave Winston’s shoulder a punch. “It’s settled, then. And if I get lucky and beat you, you’ll have to swim in the pool for my amusement!”

“Fine.”

“Hey, I mean no swimsuit, brother.” Hunter laughed meaningfully as he strode into the hotel ahead of him.

“We have nearly two weeks between this race and the next one. Got any plans? Flying straight to the next stop?” Hunter asked as they waited for the elevator.

“Doesn’t matter to me.”

“Aren’t you British? You could go back to the UK for a bit of rest.”

“Resting’s the same anywhere.”

“Then how about coming with me to New York? My friend Blu’s putting together a team for a street dance competition, but one of his trio had to drop out at the last minute. I told him I’d join if I could make it back. Wanna come watch?” Hunter asked.

“You can street dance?” Winston tilted his head.

“Are you kidding? I’m a great dancer!”

They stepped into the elevator. Just as Winston stopped in place, Hunter suddenly dropped down, planting one hand on the ground and swinging a leg in front of Winston with perfect rhythm. His foot tapped the elevator wall without a sound, and the elevator only gave a gentle shake. With a quick spin, he was back on his feet.

As the doors opened, Hunter stepped out backward, still facing Winston. “So? Are you coming to watch?”

“Yes,” Winston replied.

“Huh? You said yes?”

“What else should I have said?”

“Something like criticizing me for not focusing on my career.” Hunter shrugged.

“You danced well. Street dancing works all your muscles and improves coordination. Why would I criticize you for it?”

Winston’s response was calm.

Hunter broke into a grin. “I’ll book your ticket! You can crash at my place. How about we leave tomorrow morning? Or do you need to check with the Ferrari team?”

“Tomorrow morning works.”

“Haha, I love how straightforward you are!”

Hunter had thought Winston’s agreement was just politeness, but it turned out he was serious.

That night, Winston sat alone, leaning back against the bed’s headboard.

The curtains were tightly drawn, leaving the spacious hotel room in darkness, except for the faint glow of the digital clock by the bed.

He tilted his head back slightly, closed his eyes, and replayed the moment in his mind: Hunter, one hand on the ground, spinning right past him.

The hem of Hunter’s T-shirt had fallen, revealing a stretch of his waist, with the toned muscles of a young man who looked lean yet strong from special training.

It was nearly midnight before Winston finally lay down.

The next morning, Winston waited in the hotel lobby with his bag, but after ten minutes, there was still no sign of Hunter.

He called him, only to hear the younger man on the other end, sounding unsure of what to do.

“Sorry… I thought it’d only take ten minutes to pack, but somehow, everything won’t fit…”

“Which room are you in? I’ll come help.”

“1750…”

When Hunter opened the door, looking distressed, he was met with Winston’s neutral expression, making it impossible to tell if he was angry or not.

“Where’s the suitcase?” Winston asked quietly.

“Over there…” Hunter pointed at the suitcase piled high with a chaotic mess of clothes, impossible to zip shut.

Winston knelt beside it, flipped the suitcase over, and emptied everything onto the floor.

“Uh…”

In no time, Hunter’s clothes, shoes, and personal items were being neatly folded and packed back into the suitcase.

“Wait! Those are my underwear…”

“Unwashed?” Winston tilted his head slightly, twirling the waistband of a pair around his finger with an innocent look.

“Uh… guys don’t really wash those often, right?” Hunter replied, uncertain.

Winston folded them, placed them in a plastic bag, and tucked them along the side of the suitcase.

“Wash them when we get to New York.”

“Fine…”

With that, Hunter managed to catch the flight to New York on time.

After landing, Hunter took Winston to his small apartment by taxi.

“Um, my apartment’s pretty small… and kind of messy, so don’t mind it.” Hunter smiled sheepishly as he unlocked the door.

As soon as they walked in, they were greeted by a pile of pizza boxes stacked on the coffee table, half-empty cola cans scattered around, and a faint smell lingering in the room.

“Oh, right! I just remembered! I left in a hurry for the airport right after eating pizza last time and forgot to take out the trash!”

Hunter turned to see Winston, head tilted, silently observing him.

No matter what, when a guest—especially Winston—saw such a messy scene, Hunter felt embarrassed and quickly grabbed a trash bag to start cleaning up.

“Looks like I should’ve booked a hotel for you.” Hunter glanced at Winston with a hint of concern while tidying up.

“No worries. This suits your style.” Winston set down his luggage, walked over, and efficiently tossed all the trash into a garbage bag.

In no time, the living room was spotless.

“Thanks. Are you tired? You can rest in my room while I finish cleaning up.” Hunter scratched his head.

“Mm. And don’t forget to wash your underwear, or it’ll start growing mold.”

“Mold? Really?”

“Want to find out?” Winston shot him a sidelong glance as he twisted open the door to Hunter’s room.

“Uh, no. I’ll pass…”

Winston had an inexplicable authority that made Hunter complete all the chores he’d been too lazy to do before.

Winston stepped into Hunter’s room.

The room had a boyish charm, but it lacked something typical of a young man’s room.

The bedsheets were blue-striped, and a faint scent of laundry detergent hung in the air. Above the bed was a small wall lamp, and on the nightstand sat a few Formula 1 race car models.

The curtains were also blue-striped, and when sunlight filtered through them, it made the room feel like it was filling with waves of blue ocean.

Winston was indeed a little tired. He bent down to slip off his shoes and noticed something under the bed.

Half an hour later, Hunter returned after washing his underwear and found Winston lounging at the head of the bed, holding a magazine.

And not just any magazine—his Playboy that he’d stashed under the bed!

“Where…where did you find that?”

“Under the bed,” Winston replied.

To top it off, the page Winston had opened featured a bunny girl in a rather sexy pose.

“I never thought you’d be interested in reading a magazine like this, haha… But I guess all men like these, right?”

“I don’t,” Winston answered.

“Huh? Then why are you looking at it?”

“I was just trying to figure out what exactly you find so appealing about this kind of magazine.”

With that, Winston handed the magazine back to Hunter.

“So, did you figure it out?” Hunter asked eagerly, sitting down next to Winston and tilting his head curiously.

“No.”

“Haha, what a shame!”

“Aren’t you going to stash it back under your bed? Without your Playboy collection holding it up, I’m afraid the bed might collapse.”

“Hehe, no worries! I take one or two out to enjoy now and then, and my bed hasn’t collapsed yet!”

Eager for more, Hunter flipped open the magazine.

Winston simply turned over, ready to sleep.

But after only a few pages, the fatigue from the long flight caught up with Hunter too. He hesitated, then tucked the magazine back under the bed and lay down with his back to Winston’s.

Before long, Hunter’s breathing steadied as he drifted off.

Until a phone call jolted him awake.

“Hey! Hunter! Are you in New York yet? We’re waiting for you to rehearse! When are you coming?”

Hunter rubbed his head as he sat up. “Huh? I’m already in New York… I’ll head over right now… Eh, how did I fall asleep?”

Mumbling to himself, he got up, grabbed some loose clothes and a T-shirt from the wardrobe, and glanced over at Winston.

“I’m going to rehearsal! Come along! They’ll be shocked to see you!”

“Shocked by what?” Winston sat up.

“A world-famous racer watching them street dance!”

“Aren’t you a world-famous racer?” Winston countered.

“I… hehe…” Hunter scratched his nose.

“Let’s go.” Winston stood up.

“Wow, how does your hair stay perfect after a nap?”

“Because I don’t thrash around in my sleep like you do.”

Just as Winston finished speaking, Hunter’s laughter rang out from behind him.

“What’s so funny?”

“Oh, nothing.” Hunter waved his hand. “I just suddenly felt like we’re friends.”