Chapter 79: “Kissing Me Will Feel Amazing”
Xie Shibai’s fingertips tightened slightly for a few seconds. He looked up and saw the camera pointed directly at them, and his heart seemed to settle back into place. He shot Lu Ciheng a glance. “Is that so?”
Lu Ciheng curled his lips. “Of course.”
Xie Shibai watched Lu Ciheng, studying him for a few seconds. His own lips curved up ever so slightly, his tone light and slow. “Then you’ll have to let it show a bit more.”
Lu Ciheng froze for a moment. His eyes stared fixedly at Xie Shibai. That pale, cold face was now graced with a faint smile, adding a different flair to his distant features—like a snow lotus blooming on an icy mountain. That smile was something only he could see, and it was directed right at him; only he was special. Those faint words carried a hint of idle flirtation.
He stared with dark eyes for a few seconds before his lips curled into a grin. “I will.”
When he finally showed it all, even if Xie Shibai regretted it and wanted to run, he wouldn’t be able to.
The netizens in the livestream heard their conversation clearly over the chaotic background noise of the cheering crowd.
[Xie-laoshi suddenly feels like a total flirt!]
[Ahhh, so sweet! Who gets it?! ‘Let it show a bit more’—how is that any different from Xie-laoshi proactively telling him to love him a bit more! He’s a spoiled kitten!]
[I feel like they really are a perfect match. Xie-laoshi has always seemed like a ‘calm’ person who is indifferent to emotions, while Lu-gou is the type who loves passionately. Indifferent people need someone who expresses their love intensely and fervently.]
[This is too good! Who would have thought that shipping a ‘crack ship’ back then would lead to a real one!]
[Wait, what are you guys even shipping? Didn’t they only join the show because they had no choice after breaking up? There are so many leaks online saying they’ve already split.]
[You actually believe what marketing accounts say?]
[Does anyone else feel like XSB is complaining that LCH doesn’t love him enough?]
[Nope, just you.]
It was easy to get swept up in the emotions of an F1 race on-site. Even during a practice session, the audience’s enthusiasm remained high. The roar of the racing cars and the surrounding shouts allowed one to escape the hustle and bustle, immersing themselves in this duel of speed.
The blonde man named Hudson came to find Lu Ciheng again. Xie Shibai learned from their conversation that Hudson wanted Lu Ciheng’s help to test the limits of a new model of racing car during this practice session.
Hudson knew opportunities like this were rare. It would be very difficult to catch Lu Ciheng again next time, so he simply gritted his teeth and filed an application. As long as Lu Ciheng didn’t drive the car until the engine exploded, he could do whatever he wanted.
Lu Ciheng agreed and asked Xie Shibai if he wanted to go along to see the team up close. Out of politeness, he also asked the other guest pairs if they wanted to join.
Su Xingran’s eyes lit up. He really wanted to go, but Lu Ciheng was his love rival after all. After hesitating for a few seconds, he figured he probably didn’t have much chance of winning anyway, and the chance to see the racing team up close was too good to pass up. He immediately agreed.
The other pairs agreed as well; watching the race and visiting the team’s base didn’t conflict with each other.
Led by Hudson, the four pairs went to the area where the team was located.
The team staff had been waiting for a long time. With Hudson’s advance notice, everyone was eagerly waiting to see the ring on Lu Ciheng’s hand.
When they actually saw the ring, there were shocks and sighs of admiration. But when they saw Xie Shibai standing next to Lu Ciheng, the sighs turned into pure astonishment.
They began discussing fervently.
“I didn’t expect it to be just like Hudson said. Lu really found his treasure.”
“His treasure is so beautiful. Are all Easterners this gorgeous?”
“Lu, how did you find such a beautiful sweetheart?”
“It’s making me a bit jealous. Where exactly did you find this sweetheart?”
Lu Ciheng replied calmly, “All it takes is being handsome plus personal charm.”
The gossiping staff: “…”
Xie Shibai, who heard the whole thing behind him: “…”
[Are these Lu-gou’s teammates?]
[They look so shocked that Lu-gou actually left the single life.]
[“My treasure,” what a romantic way to put it.]
After a brief introduction, the other three pairs were led by staff members to tour the team’s facilities, while Lu Ciheng went to change into his gear for the test run.
Lu Ciheng wore a red-and-white racing suit. The suit hugged his waist, and his broad shoulders and firm abdomen—his inverted triangle body proportions—were revealed without reservation. The tight fabric outlined his superior physical condition.
Xie Shibai’s gaze landed on Lu Ciheng’s face, noticing that Lu Ciheng looked very good in red.
Although it was a practice session, pre-race adjustments were essential. Once all the preparations were done, Lu Ciheng put on his helmet. His dark eyes beneath the visor looked at Xie Shibai, and he waved his hand to signal that he was heading out.
Hudson arranged the best seat for Xie Shibai.
The racing cars entered the track in order.
When the race began, the cars that had been waiting for a long time roared. The moment the countdown hit zero, they slammed on the accelerators. The cars quickly left the grid, biting at each other’s heels and weaving through gaps to overtake and change positions.
Amidst the commentator’s gasps of surprise, an orange-and-white McLaren led the pack with overwhelming strength. Some people in the stands were already shouting Lu Ciheng’s name.
Xie Shibai watched the car that was leading with an absolute advantage, feeling a bit dazed. His gaze stayed fixed on it. On the team’s internal screens, the driver’s condition could be seen clearly.
He was calm and composed. Despite the madness in every maneuver that made people break into a cold sweat, he was completely at ease on video.
When the car crossed the finish line, cheers and screams echoed through the sky. A tall figure in a red-and-white racing suit stood up straight, facing the light as he walked through the crowd, smiling and waving at Xie Shibai.
Under the host’s excited commentary, Xie Shibai watched Lu Ciheng as he twisted the ring on his finger. He sent a message to Chen Yi, saying he would visit the therapy room as soon as they returned to the country.
It was as if he had made some kind of decision to thoroughly figure certain things out.
After the practice session ended, they went to the base together. While the other groups toured the facility, Potato the puppy won the hearts of all the base staff with its cute appearance, instantly becoming the group’s favorite. Lu Ciheng, meanwhile, needed to have his physical data tested again as a reference.
While waiting for the data, Xie Shibai merely stared at the racing car for a few seconds before Lu Ciheng immediately noticed and asked, “Xie-laoshi, do you want to try?”
Lu Ciheng continued with a curve of his lips, “I’ll be your navigator. And you can even drive it until the engine explodes.”
Xie Shibai’s eyes flickered. He shot Lu Ciheng a faint glance. “Are you up for it?”
Lu Ciheng raised an eyebrow. “Xie-laoshi, have at least a little more faith in me, hmm?”
Xie Shibai’s eyes were cold, but his lips curved slightly. “Then I’ll trust you enough to put my life in your hands. You’d better hold onto it tightly.”
Lu Ciheng’s breath hitched for a few seconds, and a chuckle escaped his lips. “It would be my honor.”
While Xie Shibai was changing clothes, Lu Ciheng ran the base’s track once more. Although he had driven it many times before, years had passed. Running a lap again would give him a better understanding of the track to eliminate any unprofessional accidents.
Xie Shibai finished changing into his racing suit. The same red-and-white style as Lu Ciheng’s made his skin look even fairer. His slightly long black hair brushed against the side of his neck. He lightly swept a lock of hair with his finger, his exquisite brows furrowing slightly as he felt his hair was getting a bit long. His cold face was exceptionally alluring against the red.
The collar of the racing suit happened to cover the bite mark on his collarbone. The form-fitting lines traced down, outlining his lithe waist and long legs wrapped in the fabric.
Lu Ciheng’s Adam’s apple bobbed. His dark, deep gaze was glued to Xie Shibai.
He first led Xie Shibai through a familiarization lap of the track. Driving a racing car wasn’t difficult, especially with a former professional driver as a coach. Xie Shibai put on his helmet and sat in the car. When he gripped the steering wheel, it felt as if he could feel the whistling wind.
The helmet’s seal was very good, blocking out most of the surrounding noise. When Lu Ciheng’s voice rang out, it was so deep it felt like he was speaking right into his ear, making them tingle.
“Is Xie-laoshi ready?”
Xie Shibai gave a soft “Mm.” With Lu Ciheng’s voice as the background, the sudden G-force of the car’s acceleration hit him.
Lu Ciheng said, “Xie-laoshi, don’t speed up at the start. We’re entering the first turn soon. After the turn is a very long straight—you can speed up appropriately then.”
Under Lu Ciheng’s command, Xie Shibai entered the turn and accelerated. The whistling wind was blocked from his ears. The sudden increase in speed caused his adrenaline to spike. He could clearly see the track ahead, the wind fighting the resistance as the car surged forward.
Everything around them receded rapidly. The helmet blocked most of the wind noise, leaving only Lu Ciheng’s steady commanding voice in his ears. It was as if only this one sound remained in the world, tightly entwined with him, inseparable.
Xie Shibai gained more and more control over the car, and his speed became faster and faster. The background blurring past was now difficult to catch. Eventually, even without Lu Ciheng’s instructions, Xie Shibai would accelerate, immersed in the primal thrill of extreme sports.
The body heat generated was high. Between the wind resistance and the heat from the car itself, it was easy to get dehydrated. It grew hotter and hotter. The scorching temperature caused a thin layer of sweat to break out on his face, dampening the black hair inside the helmet and sticking it to his pale cheeks. The breath from his slightly parted red lips was also hot.
As the car took a sharp turn at high speed, the tires let out a sharp “skree” sound. The tires’ powerful grip held firm, and in the next second, the car roared onto a new stretch of track.
When the car reached the finish line, Xie Shibai’s adrenaline was still surging. His palms were trembling slightly due to his body’s excitement. After taking off his helmet, the tips of Xie Shibai’s hair were damp, and his hairstyle had become a bit messy.
The moment he took off his helmet, he saw Lu Ciheng, who had been waiting for a long time.
When Xie Shibai’s feet touched the ground, he could still recall the feeling of disregarding everything for speed. The effect of adrenaline made a safe environment feel somewhat dull.
No wonder extreme sports were addictive.
This feeling would linger until the person couldn’t resist going for the next extreme thrill.
Xie Shibai unzipped his racing suit. The wind blew in, bringing a cool breeze, but the symptoms of his addiction to speed had not yet eased. He even started to feel unaccustomed to the feeling of standing on solid ground.
Lu Ciheng handed an opened bottle of water to Xie Shibai. After Xie took it, Lu stared at him, his thumb reaching out to wipe the thin sweat from Xie’s temple.
Because Xie Shibai was sweating, the scent hidden between his skin and flesh became more pronounced. Some people smelled bad when they sweated, but Xie Shibai didn’t. Lu Ciheng leaned in, feeling the heat and fragrance radiating from Xie Shibai.
He pressed his tongue against his canine tooth, his dark eyes deep as he spoke unhurriedly, “Xie-laoshi, do you want a method to shift your focus?”
When a person’s emotions are too excited, they need a physical object to shift their focus.
Xie Shibai’s eyes looked dazed for a second. Realizing what Lu Ciheng meant, he nodded twice. “Mm.”
Lu Ciheng chuckled low, leaning in close to Xie Shibai’s ear. His tone was leisurely. “The method is… kiss me.”
Xie Shibai’s eyes widened slightly. He hadn’t expected this kind of “shifting focus.”
Lu Ciheng’s thumb lightly grazed Xie Shibai’s full lips. Their noses brushed as he nudged him, his deep gaze filled with a hint of suggestion. His voice was slow. “Kissing me at a time like this will feel amazing. Xie-laoshi, want to try?”
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