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Chapter 018 Attachment
Xu Xizhou didn’t expect to meet Lu Rong every time he had a meal. The most surprising thing was that the person behind Lu Rong was actually Zhang Yan.
Perceiving his gaze, Zhang Yan raised his eyebrows provocatively and softened his eyes when he turned to Lu Rong.
Could it be… the person who loved Lu Rong to death in this life became Zhang Yan?
“Mr. Zhuang.” Lu Rong greeted Zhuang Jingchun with a smile, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes.
“Meeting here is also fate. Why don’t we share a table to eat together?”
Xu Xizhou’s expression froze, and when he was thinking about how to refuse, Zhuang Jingchun looked at Lu Rong with a slight smile, “Okay.”
They changed to a quiet private room.
Zhuang Jingchun was sitting on Xu Xizhou’s left, and Lu Rong was sitting on his right. Opposite him was Zhang Yan who stared at him from time to time.
The tea was delivered. Before the waiter could do anything, Lu Rong got up and picked up the teapot. He quickly filled Xu Xizhou’s cup.
“Xiaozhou, are you going to compete abroad soon?”
Xu Xizhou couldn’t figure out what Lu Rong meant, so he took a sip of tea absently and hummed perfunctorily.
“It will disgrace the country if you spend money buying a spot.”
Zhang Yan couldn’t help but make a sarcastic remark when he saw Lu Rong’s attentiveness to Xu Xizhou.
“I heard you are a rally driver?” Zhuang Jingchun played with the cup in his hand and suddenly raised his head to look at Zhang Yan opposite, with a hint of sarcasm in his green eyes, “may I ask, have you won the championship once in all these years?”
Zhang Yan choked. He drove the rally just for fun. He used the best car every time and invited the best engineering team, but he has never been on the podium once. Zhuang Jingchun’s question was no different from poking his scar.
“Rally racing is not the same as F2. You are not a racing driver. What do you know?” He retorted stiffly.
“Since you have only driven rallies, what qualifications do you have to evaluate an F2 driver?”
“You—” Zhang Yan was left speechless by his words.
Xu Xizhou felt extremely happy as he saw Zhang Yan’s deflated look. He poked Zhuang Jingchun’s leg under the table, and whispered, “Thank you.”
Soon, the porridge and snacks they ordered were served. Just as Xu Xizhou was about to move his chopsticks, Zhuang Jingchun picked up a shrimp dumpling and put it in his bowl.
Xu Xizhou was flattered. Zhuang Jingchun had never served him food. After thinking about it, he also picked up a shrimp dumpling and put it in Zhuang Jingchun’s bowl.
Looking at the streamer with only one shrimp dumpling left, Zhang Yan let out a curse.
Lu Rong looked at this scene with a gloomy expression. If he was not mistaken Zhuang Jingchun seemed to glance at him unintentionally after he finished picking up the shrimp dumplings, and that look was definitely provocative.
“Xiaozhou, do you want some porridge? Let me serve you a bowl.” Lu Rong stood up.
Xu Xizhou waved his hands repeatedly, wanting to reject Lu Rong’s kindness. However, the latter who didn’t take no for an answer took his bowl and quickly filled him with a bowl of porridge.
Zhuang Jingchun pulled the corner of his mouth, suddenly handed his bowl to Xu Xizhou, and glanced at the radish puffs[1] on the other end.
Xu Xizhou understood and quickly picked up two radish puffs for him.
Zhuang Jingchun raised his hand again and pointed to the middle position.
“Young Master, you have a really terrible character.” Xu Xizhou complained, but he still scooped up a bowl of fish porridge and handed it to him.
Lu Rong’s face turned black as he watched this scene.
“Mr. Zhuang should be careful when eating so as not to swallow fishbones.”
“The steamed dumplings in this store are not bad, but the dipping sauce has a sour taste. Can Mr. Lu tell me where the sour taste comes from?”
The two of them crossed verbal swords for several rounds. Xu Xizhou was busy eating with his head down and didn’t listen at all.
“Xiaozhou, tell me when you will compete, and I will come to see you then.” After leaving the restaurant, Lu Rong finally found a chance to talk to Xu Xizhou alone.
“No need, it’s very troublesome to go abroad. Aren’t you in college? How can you have so much free time?”
“I’m a freshman now, and I don’t have many classes. I can always find some time, and I’m also very interested in racing.”
Lu Rong looked at him eagerly and said, “Tell me when the time comes. I will apply for a visa in advance and buy a plane ticket to see you.”
Lu Rong’s tone was sincere as if he cared about him. Xu Xizhou I didn’t know how to answer for a while. He can’t refuse an audience who likes racing.
“Let’s go.”
While he was at a loss, Zhuang Jingchun came out of the bathroom and grabbed his shoulder very naturally.
After leaving the restaurant, Xu Xizhou breathed a sigh of relief. He turned his head and looked at Zhuang Jingchun’s hand that was still on his shoulder. On this winter night, the temperature of that hand seemed extraordinarily warm, and Xu Xizhou became a little greedy for a while.
He hesitated for a while, and didn’t make a sound to remind him, but quietly leaned in Zhuang Jingchun’s direction.
A week later, Xu Xizhou flew to England. He first went to school to go through the registration procedures. After receiving the teaching materials, he went directly to London, preparing to participate in the winter test of the lightning team.
One month before the start of the season every year, each team will test the new cars developed one after another. Silverstone is the most frequently chosen venue for the British Grand Prix. It is famous for its ultra-long straights and high-speed corners. It is an excellent track for testing the performance of racing cars.
Two days before the winter test, Xu Xizhou checked into a local hotel and started to get in touch with his team. He was no stranger to his teammate. The two of them had participated in the competition together. Their name is Howard. He is a tall, thin, blond German. He is three years older than Xu Xizhou and has a much calmer personality. He was also on the podium last season and performed well.
On the day of the test, Xu Xizhou drove to the track ahead of schedule. The team manager saw his nervousness and said something to comfort him. Yuan Mu also specifically made an international call to remind him to remember to adjust his mentality.
But Xu Xizhou knew in his heart that he was nervous because he hadn’t touched the steering wheel of an F2 car for several years. Although he had run laps in a simulator before, the real track conditions were rapidly changing, and he had been participating in some low-level races in the last few years of his life. The gap of a few years cannot be closed by making up for it.
After the technical meeting with the engineer, Xu Xizhou went into the lounge alone. He did some stretching exercises, glanced at the mobile phone on the table out of the corner of his eye, and suddenly felt an urge to call Zhuang Jingchun.
The two of them seemed to be on the same wave. Suddenly, the mobile phone on the table rang. He was overjoyed and hurried over to the phone. It really turned out to be a call from Zhuang Jingchun.
“It’s only a pre-match test. Just try your best, and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. I have a day off tomorrow, and I’ll go to the team to take a look.”
Xu Xizhou didn’t speak, just quietly listening to the man’s voice. At this moment, he suddenly felt very satisfied. At least he was not alone here. Someone was paying attention to him and supporting him.
“What happened? Are you so nervous that you can’t speak?”
“No, I was just thinking… Lu Rong paid the bill last time, and I seem to still owe you a meal.”
“It’s good that you’re self-aware.”
Xu Xizhou laughed. After talking with Zhuang Jingchun, the heavy pressure in his heart seemed to have eased a lot.
Coming out of the lounge, the pre-match interviews also started. Xu Xizhou didn’t want to be on the camera, and always avoided the reporter’s camera. He finally found a secluded place. However, as soon as he sat down, a sarcastic voice suddenly came from behind, speaking fluent English.
“Coward, you still dare to return to F2?”