CYNTM CHAPTER 87

Hunter was working out on the treadmill at the gym, with his fitness coach by his side.

“Hunter, you’re in great shape today! You’ve been well-behaved throughout the entire day’s training!”

“I’m not a kid! What do you mean ‘well-behaved’!” Hunter scowled in annoyance, flipping his coach off for good measure.

“Ever since Winston went back to England, you’ve been living alone for a month and waking up by yourself every day. Not once were you late!”

“He’s not my alarm clock!” Hunter stepped off the treadmill after finishing his last strides, wrapping up his warm-up and ready for the next phase of training.

“But without him, no one else can wake you up!” The coach wasn’t about to let it go.

Hunter rolled his eyes internally.

He couldn’t let the coach know about the promise he’d made to Winston.

The day Winston packed up to leave for England, Hunter felt an intense reluctance to part with him. He’d been used to being alone, but now he had someone to share meals with, sleep beside, and even “exercise” together. Adjusting to Winston’s almost obsessive schedule, Hunter had even considered abandoning Marcus altogether and following him to Ferrari.

He stuck close to Winston while he packed, squatting nearby and watching. When Winston organized the fridge for him, Hunter stayed by his side. Even when Winston went into the bathroom, Hunter trailed after him, only for Winston to press a hand against Hunter’s chest and push him back from the doorway.

“Do you know you look like a Labrador being abandoned by its owner?” Winston sat on the sofa with his arms crossed, watching Hunter.

“A Labrador? At the very least, I should be a Husky, right?”

“You know yourself well.” Winston leaned back slightly, a faint smile on his lips.

Hunter bristled inwardly. What Labrador! What Husky!

“Come here and sit.” Winston’s voice was gentle.

This was the tone Hunter found hardest to resist—it was enough to make him almost forget last night, when Winston had forcefully pushed him to sit down on the bed. The next time, when Hunter, feeling parched, tried to get up for some water, he ended up simply turning over and tugging the blanket up. Somehow, that small movement had sparked Winston’s desire all over again, and Hunter was pulled back in, leaving his legs and waist feeling as though they’d nearly been twisted to the breaking point.

His nutritionist kept wondering why Hunter was eating more than last year but hadn’t gained an ounce of fat.

Hunter was about to cry. Obviously, it was because he was burning so many calories at night!

“Oh.” Hunter crossed the room and sat beside Winston.

But Winston turned his face toward him. “I didn’t mean for you to sit there.”

Hunter’s heart gave a little jolt. He instantly understood where Winston wanted him to sit.

“I just sat there yesterday.”

“You can sit here with your pants on today.” There was a hint of teasing in Winston’s voice.

Hunter remained seated beside him. His waist was still a bit sore.

“Miss Annie is already on her way; she’ll be here in about ten minutes. Don’t you want to give me a hug before then?” Winston asked, turning his head slightly.

That familiar longing rose up in Hunter’s chest, and he moved to sit on Winston’s lap.

Face-to-face, feeling each other’s warmth and breaths, with Winston’s hands securely holding him, Hunter found that he really enjoyed this.

Winston tilted his head up and kissed Hunter gently.

“This morning, Marcus seemed a bit concerned when he heard I was heading back to England.”

“Concerned? About what?”

“That he wouldn’t be able to wake you up for your physical training and test drives. He kept asking what my secret was for getting you up in the morning.”

Hunter’s ears instantly turned red.

“I told him my method isn’t exactly something others can use.” Winston bounced Hunter lightly on his lap, making Hunter instinctively wrap his arms around his neck.

“I think you have zero self-control! What if I get hurt?” Hunter asked, giving him a very serious look.

“It probably started when I realized self-restraint was pointless. If I hadn’t held back as much as I did, I could have made you cry right there in the bathroom at the Spanish Grand Prix. I wouldn’t have needed to go through so much effort to get close to you.” Winston’s voice was soft, but just hearing it made Hunter’s lower back ache.

“How could self-restraint be pointless!”

“Your recovery rate amazes me. Besides, it’s only once a week.”

If counting just the “times,” it technically was once, but that “once” wasn’t exactly a single instance.

“Now, back to business. You have an alarm set for seven every morning. I’ll call you at 7:10. If you don’t answer, or if you sound sleepy, you’ll get a demerit. This will continue until Christmas break.”

“…And what happens if I rack up demerits?”

“Then I’ll use them here to settle the score.” Winston’s hand slid down slowly. Hunter squirmed and turning sideways, but Winston held his waist, pressing him back.

His warm breath was right at Hunter’s ear, almost burning.

“So, Hunter, even when I’m not around, you need to wake up on time. If you get too many demerits, I’m afraid you won’t be able to fit anything else in your stomach this Christmas.”

Fit anything else…

The second Hunter caught the implication, he felt a strong urge to punch him.

Just then, the doorbell rang—Miss Annie had arrived to pick up Winston.

Winston stood, pulling Hunter up with him. As he leaned forward, he captured Hunter in a kiss.

Hunter tipped backward from the motion, his hands instinctively gripping Winston’s shoulders for balance.

Winston kissed him deeply, his tongue entwining with Hunter’s as though he wanted to claim every part of him.

After ringing the doorbell a few times with no answer, Miss Annie resorted to calling Winston’s phone. But Winston, still holding Hunter, showed no intention of breaking the kiss.

Eventually, Winston’s phone stopped ringing, only for Hunter’s to start up.

Winston sucked hard on Hunter’s lip, and though Hunter tried to bite back mischievously, he ultimately failed.

“I’m off. See you at Christmas.”

Winston turned and placed Hunter gently back on the sofa.

As he listened to the sound of Winston’s suitcase rolling away, Hunter felt a sudden emptiness settle inside.

For the first few days, Hunter didn’t take Winston’s so-called “demerits” seriously. On the first day, he slept until eight, while his fitness assistant hammered the doorbell so hard it sounded like it might break. When Hunter finally woke up, he found a message on his phone: “One demerit.”

The next day, he slept until seven-thirty, and his fitness assistant was just relieved he’d managed to wake up by then. But his phone showed another message: “Second demerit.”

By the third day, as the alarm went off, Hunter groggily sat up, nearly dozing off again while leaning against the headboard. But as soon as Winston’s special ringtone chimed, he jolted awake and grabbed his phone.

“I’m up!”

“Oh. I was just about to give you a third demerit. Then I wouldn’t have to take you skiing in Switzerland for Christmas—we’d just stay home, and you could spend the holiday in bed.”

There was a distinct chill in Winston’s voice as if Hunter could already feel the snowy mountains and icy slopes.

“I want to go!”

“Go, and stay in bed?”

“No, I mean go skiing!”

“Then don’t let your trainer keep learning what it’s like to try waking someone pretending to be asleep.”

Each morning after that, as soon as his alarm went off, Hunter would sit up, almost obsessively waiting for Winston’s call.

Until Christmas, Hunter didn’t receive another demerit from Winston.

Marcus and the training team were grateful to Winston, believing he had a positive influence that made Hunter more mature.

Finally, the Christmas holiday arrived, giving everyone—from the engineers to the strategists, and even the training team—a well-deserved break.

“Merry Christmas, Hunter.” Marcus gave him a big hug. “Got any plans for the break?”

“Going skiing in Switzerland!”

“Skiing… you’re going skiing with Winston?”

“What’s wrong? Do you want to come too?”

“No, no… I’d rather you two took a rocket to the moon! I need to make a call to Winston!”

“What’s up with him?” Hunter asked his fitness coach nearby.

“He’s probably worried you’ll get into some accident while skiing.”

After a ten-minute call with Winston, Marcus, who had looked tense at first, seemed noticeably more relaxed.

He walked over to Hunter, wearing an expression of resigned responsibility, patted him on the shoulder, and said, “Just don’t go too wild over Christmas.”

“Huh?”

“I know you’re young and can’t resist indulging, but going overboard now isn’t great for your health down the line.”

“Eh?” Hunter still looked completely baffled.

But the thought of seeing Winston soon made him feel as if he could fly. He rushed home, realizing that with Winston not around, he’d have to pack on his own.

As he opened his suitcase and started thinking about what he needed, a text came in from Winston.

It was a detailed list of clothes and shoes he’d need, with clear instructions on where each item was packed.

Hunter touched his nose with a smile and replied, What would I do without you?

It took Hunter quite a bit of effort to stuff everything into his suitcase. After spending so much time around Winston and watching him organize things, Hunter, who was usually messy, found his suitcase surprisingly tidy.

When he got outside, he spotted Shen Chuan’s car waiting, with his wife, Zhang Jingxiao, in the passenger seat.

Hunter loaded his suitcase into the trunk and asked, “Hey, where’s Little Xi?”

“Little Xi went back to China. Christmas isn’t a holiday there, so she’s working as a technical advisor for Ruifeng Motors.”

“What? She’s leaving the team?” Hunter lay down across the back seat.

“No, just for two weeks. I forgot to mention, the MIT alum who’s been helping us build those mathematical models is Chen Mobai.”

“What? That guy doesn’t look like an MIT grad at all!”

“Well, you don’t exactly look like someone who could win an F1 Grand Prix,” Shen Chuan replied with a laugh.

“Looks like next season, you and he might end up as teammates,” Zhang Jingxiao dealt the finishing blow from the front seat.

“Oh no… That guy’s going to mock me every day!” Hunter clutched his head, looking like he might explode.

“Relax, Little Xi is fair-minded. If Chen Mobai actually bullies you, she’ll make sure he pays for it,” Zhang Jingxiao assured him with a smile.

“Oh, and by the way, your future teammate heard you’re going skiing in Switzerland with Winston and sent something for the trip. See? He’s trying to be friendly.” Shen Chuan passed a box back to Hunter.

“… What is this?” Hunter eyed the Chinese characters on the box with confusion.

“It’s the same medicine you used last time you had a fever.” There was a hint of ridicule in Shen Chuan’s voice.

“Last time I had a fever…”

Hunter was usually in great health and rarely caught colds, so the last time he had a fever was…

He immediately choked on his own saliva.

The box of medicine suddenly felt like it was burning his hands.

“So, Chen Mobai isn’t that annoying after all, is he?” Zhang Jingxiao added.

Hunter rolled his eyes internally.

Not that annoying? More like even more annoying!

After a long flight, he finally arrived in Geneva.

As he left the airport, Hunter suddenly realized he hadn’t brought his gloves. He’d meant to pack them, but somehow they were still lying on his bed.

Rubbing his hands together to keep warm, he looked around for Winston.

“Why aren’t you wearing gloves?”

The usually cool voice now felt warm in the cold air.

Standing in front of him, Winston wore a khaki ski jacket, his legs as long as ever. A dark knitted hat tucked his hair back, making his features look even more defined.

Without any words, Hunter stepped forward and kissed him.

Winston, in the middle of taking off his gloves, looked momentarily surprised by the kiss. But he quickly wrapped his arms around Hunter.

Under the teasing and sucking of Hunter’s tongue, Winston’s initial restraint melted into passion. His fingers tangled in Hunter’s hair, and as their kiss deepened, Hunter’s head tipped back, fully supported by Winston’s hand.

Winston angled his face, kissing him with an intensity that seemed to want to consume Hunter entirely.

A loud “clatter” interrupted them as Hunter’s suitcase toppled over.

Winston finally let him go, and as Hunter opened his eyes, he could feel the fiery intensity in Winston’s gaze.

After being apart for so long, even a spark between them could ignite a fire.

“Let’s go.” Winston took Hunter’s hand and started to put his gloves on him.

Hunter chuckled.

“One glove each is fine!” He slipped one on his left hand and kept his right hand clasped with Winston’s.

Winston’s palm was hot, quickly spreading heat to Hunter’s cold fingertips.

Surrounded by endless fields of white, Hunter wore sunglasses and chatted excitedly with Winston about everything that had happened recently. But when he mentioned Chen Mobai becoming his teammate, his expression soured.

“Did you know he kidnapped Little Xi?”

“I wouldn’t call it kidnapping. More like mutual attraction.” Winston’s lips held a slight smile. “Like you and me.”

“No way! You’re way better than Chen Mobai.”

“Mm.”

“Which ski resort are we heading to?”

“You’ll see when we get there,” Winston answered.

Hunter assumed they were going to Villars Ski Resort, where they’d be surrounded by other tourists flocking to Switzerland to ski. But Winston drove past the bustling areas. After they switched to a snowmobile and rode further into the snow-covered landscape, with only pristine scenery around, Hunter asked suspiciously, “Which ski resort are we going to?”

“I rented a private ski resort,” Winston replied.

“Eh? Wouldn’t it be more fun to ski with tourists?” Hunter asked, tilting his head.

“I don’t like crowds. Besides, weaving around tourists makes it impossible to fully enjoy it,” Winston replied.

That was classic Winston.

The snowmobile took them to a two-story cabin nestled in the middle of the snowy plain.

Winston grabbed Hunter’s luggage and stepped off, while Hunter couldn’t wait to run over and open the cabin door.

Inside, thick wool carpets covered the floors, and a faint crackling came from the fireplace.

Warmth, like something from another world.

The sound of the door closing came from behind him.

Hunter turned and flopped backward onto the carpet.

“This place is amazing!”

He rubbed his face against the soft wool.

Winston sat down beside him.

Hunter lifted his hand to take off his glove, but then Winston’s near-whisper reached his ear.

“Wait.”

Supporting himself with one hand near Hunter’s head, Winston slipped his fingers into the edge of Hunter’s glove.

His fingertips traced slowly up Hunter’s wrist, gliding deeper into the glove as if controlling every sensation. Even the fine blood vessels in his palm seemed to throb faintly.

When Winston’s fingers reached Hunter’s, they curled slowly around his, and the glove slid off, landing soundlessly on the carpet.

Hunter’s throat felt dry, knowing exactly what Winston’s gesture meant.

“Do you really like it here that much?” Winston whispered softly. And before Hunter could respond, Winston was already leaning over him.

The ski jacket was unzipped, and Winston’s kiss began its descent.

The cabin wasn’t cold to begin with, but soon, Hunter felt the air grow almost unbearably hot.

It had been so long since they’d indulged themselves like this. Their breaths and body heat mingled, Winston’s thrusts were rougher than that last night before they parted, with a force that made Hunter’s bones feel on the verge of breaking. Clinging to the wool carpet, Hunter couldn’t stop the tears that started to well up.

Winston’s tongue brushed against the corner of Hunter’s eye, and with every crackle from the fire, Hunter felt his heart race, as though it might burst from his chest.

He let go of the wool carpet, wrapping his arms tightly around Winston’s neck.

The intensity of the night made Hunter suspect that Winston had deliberately chosen this remote cabin for their getaway.

Time blurred until Winston scooped him up and carried him slowly upstairs.

Still catching his breath and a little dazed, Hunter rested his chin on Winston’s shoulder. When his back met the softness of the mattress, he thought he might finally rest a while, expecting Winston to handle the cleanup. But it was clear Winston had something else in mind.

“Remember, you still have two penalties.” Winston’s voice was cool, with a hint of something ambiguous.

Hunter hadn’t even finished thinking, “I’m screwed,” when Winston’s lips were on his again.

When the madness overwhelmed him, Hunter’s gaze drifted to the flawless white snow outside, realizing there was nowhere to escape.

By the time they finished the second time, Hunter was thoroughly exhausted.

When Winston turned him over again, he finally pleaded for mercy.

“Just let me rest for a moment…”

Hunter reached out, barely gripping the headboard before Winston caught his wrist and drew him close again.

The entire room was filled with Winston’s breath, and Hunter, wanting to see his face, reached back to touch him. Sensing his intent, Winston turned him around, nearly startling Hunter to tears—only to meet him with a wave of fervent kisses.

Winston drained every last bit of Hunter’s energy, leaving him to sleep until the following afternoon.

When he staggered downstairs, he noticed that the once-messy carpet on the first floor had already been tidied up. Part of him felt a little regretful.

Entering the kitchen, he saw Winston cooking, one hand holding a pan while the other cracked an egg against its edge. The angle of Winston’s wrist was something Hunter could never tire of watching.

“You’re awake,” Winston turned with a slight smile.

“You went too far,” Hunter grumbled.

“Well, since you made it downstairs on your own, I guess I didn’t go far enough.”

“Hey!”

Winston brought over a plate, and as he passed Hunter, he brushed a light kiss over his ear.

“We could use this holiday to see just how many times it would take before you actually couldn’t get up.”

“I’m not testing that!”

A week later, Hunter received a call from Marcus.

“Hunter! Merry Christmas! So, have you learned to ski yet?”

Hunter felt like a sword had just pierced his heart.

“Not exactly…”

“No way! With your athletic skills, you haven’t picked it up after a whole week!” Marcus’s voice held a hint of smug amusement.

Hunter wanted to roar that he hadn’t even had the chance to go skiing yet!

“I’ll learn, don’t worry!”

“Hahaha! Well… just make sure to stay safe!”

Hunter raised a suspicious eyebrow; the way Marcus said “stay safe” sounded oddly pointed.

He elbowed the man beside him. “Hey, what exactly did you tell Marcus?”

“He was worried I might take you skiing and you’d get hurt, so I told him not to worry, that you wouldn’t have much time for skiing.”

“What do you mean, wouldn’t have much time for skiing?”

“Isn’t the point of this holiday for us to spend time together?” Winston replied with a faint smile.

It was at that moment that Hunter finally understood the true meaning of this so-called Christmas getaway.

He wasn’t even sure if they had enough food in the fridge—he’d never had a holiday that burned so many calories!