Chapter 39: IF Line [Extra] Part 2

Zhou Jinsheng’s gaze slid over the sports car already prepped on the opposite side—a red body sprayed with flamboyant, eye-catching colorful paint. He spotted Yu Xiao standing nearby and couldn’t help raising an eyebrow at Chi Xianli. “You really found a new racer?”

The Ring Mountain Track was extremely challenging, full of sharp turns, steep inclines, high-drop narrow sections, flanked by dense forests, sheer cliffs, and rugged mountains. A single run through it was heart-pounding. To date, few people dared to race Zhou Jinsheng on it.

Chi Xianli glanced over too. That sports car was clearly heavily modified at great expense. He racked his brain but couldn’t come up with a fitting candidate. “Didn’t see it myself. Probably real.”

Zhou Jinsheng finished changing into his racing suit and bent down to slide into the sports car.

Zhou Jinsheng turned his head slightly, sensing something. In the endless night, he peered through the car window at another sports car. As if feeling his gaze, the person opposite suddenly rolled down the window and removed their helmet.

A face he’d seen just that daytime clearly emerged in the darkness.

Shen Yu parted his lips and mouthed to him: “Wanna race?”

Zhou Jinsheng raised an eyebrow, his gaze like dark mist settling on Shen Yu’s lips.

The race kicked off quickly. The group of rich second-gen kids could barely contain their excitement. The crowd buzzed, all eyes locked on the two cars lined up at the start.

The starter’s flag whipped down—

The two sports cars shot forward like arrows loosed from a bow, one red and one black, streaking into the track like lightning!

Heartbeats pulsed in sync with the engine roars. The black sports car seized the lead, surging out of the straight starting stretch first and into the twisting mountain road.

Shen Yu gripped the steering wheel tight, eyes glued to the car ahead.

The sports car tore down the narrow mountain road. At one turn, the red sports car suddenly gunned it, brushing past Zhou Jinsheng’s car. Tires screeched against the pavement as it overtook swiftly.

The two cars flew at breakneck speeds, trading positions back and forth. One black, one red, they plunged into the steep downhill stretch. The red car eased off on the slope to keep stable. Right then, a black blur flashed in view—the black car pounced on the opening and overtook in an instant!

The two cars chased neck-and-neck, soon hitting the final sections.

Zhou Jinsheng was clearly a racing veteran. Once he gained the upper hand, he clamped down on control, giving Shen Yu no room to pass.

Shen Yu narrowed his eyes. Distant lights flickered; he spotted the sign up ahead.

Hairpin Turn.

Nearly 180 degrees—an almost complete U-turn.

The night wind tousled his black hair. His eyes burned like flames tearing through the dark. Shen Yu licked his lips.

He’d always loved a good gamble.

The hairpin’s turning radius was tiny; drivers had to brake hard to avoid spinning out and flying off the track.

Up on the mountaintop viewing platform, just as everyone figured the black car would keep the red one pinned and the win was sealed, the red car didn’t slow—instead, it accelerated straight into the hairpin ahead.

The crowd went slack-jawed in shock.

“Fuck? He’s speeding up??”

“Crazy. Oh my god.”

Gale-force winds howled. The red car blew past the black one, diving into the hairpin section first. Adrenaline flooded Shen Yu’s veins. Inches from sailing off-track, he wrenched the wheel hard.

The turn was brutal—a do-or-die sharp pivot. Tires spat fierce sparks across the asphalt, then the car rocketed out of the bend even faster!

The onlookers’ hearts nearly stopped.

Wind roared in his ears, gravity shifting wildly. Shen Yu’s heart hammered, blood boiling through his veins. He felt like a lump of dough; without the seatbelt, he’d have been hurled right out of the car.

He slammed the throttle and brakes, scraping clean through the bend.

Under his control, the red sports car hung airborne for a heart-stopping moment!

The viewing platform fell into stunned silence.

Yu Xiao cracked a smile. “Reminder, folks—you can breathe now.”

Dead quiet shattered into pandemonium.

“Fuck, that’s insane! Yu Xiao, where’d you dig up this madman?”

“Watch it.” Yu Xiao frowned faintly. Under a barrage of stares, he dropped the bomb: “That Shen Family guy.”

“???”

Shen Yu wrestled the car steady in a hurry. The section was tricky—another bend loomed right away.

In the rearview, the black car blasted out of the hairpin like an arrow, closing fast. Approaching the bend, Zhou Jinsheng nailed the exit line, forcing Shen Yu onto the inside. Shen Yu floored it, cursing under his breath.

Amid gasps from the crowd, the red and black cars pulled off flawless drifts in sequence, tires carving glowing arcs of fire across the ground.

They hit the final straightaway. Shen Yu hugging the inside, the black car used the slipstream to reel back in quick.

Shen Yu arched a brow and mashed the pedal to the floor.

The cars ran dead even, the red one edging a nose ahead. Cheers erupted as it blasted across the finish.

Shen Yu nailed a slick drift at the line, bringing the car to a halt.

The black sports car pulled up right beside him.

Dazzling lights pulsed. The pair had lit up tonight’s Ring Mountain Rally Race. Engines thundered together, packs of modded sports cars pouring onto the track like rivers of fire weaving through the mountains and glow.

Zhou Jinsheng popped his door first, swinging long legs out and striding to the red sports car.

An intensely imposing shadow fell over the window. Shen Yu flicked up his eyes and saw Zhou Jinsheng.

Zhou Jinsheng stood with hands in pockets, watching Shen Yu climb out of the sports car.

Shen Yu swung open the door and stepped down. He still wore those black pants with decorative clasps from earlier that day on his lower half, topped with a red-and-black racing suit. The wide collar bared half his pale shoulder and neck.

Shen Yu crossed his arms, leaning his waist against the car’s sleek lines. He raked a hand through his messy hair, exposing his full forehead and striking brows and eyes.

Truth be told, Shen Yu hadn’t had such a rush racing in ages.

Teetering on the edge of life and death, his emotions hit rare highs, locked in peak exhilaration. With his vibe shifted, he radiated a stunning allure.

Shen Yu’s eyes landed on Zhou Jinsheng, satisfaction swelling for this new little bro who kept delivering surprises. He eased his brows and said to Zhou Jinsheng, “Nice driving. Race again sometime when you’re free?”

“Can do.”

Zhou Jinsheng leaned in close all of a sudden, propping one arm beside Shen Yu. His body heat ran high, radiating vigorous warmth. In the tight space, his chest rose and fell with each breath, chasing off the mountaintop chill.

The scorching aura wrapped Shen Yu up instantly—not so cold now. Zhou Jinsheng said evenly, “But one condition.”

Shen Yu eyed him with casual poise. Having slotted Zhou Jinsheng as his little bro deep down, a big bro had to look out for the little guy—so he didn’t mind the proximity. He lifted a brow. “What condition?”

“Next time, wear a helmet.” His voice dipped low.

Shen Yu: “…”

Wasn’t that a weird ask from a little bro?

Shen Yu furrowed his brow a touch. He chased thrills; flirting with death delivered unmatched highs of living bliss and satisfaction. Lately, he’d pushed extreme sports harder and bolder, dodging death a few times—each caught with a grounding from his parents.

Until his recent deep-sea dive, when he forgot to ping Father Shen and Mother Shen. They’d finally hit their limit and shipped him straight back home, hoping he’d chill out.

But who was Shen Yu? Even back home, there was fun to chase.

They matched heights pretty even. With Shen Yu slouched lazy against the car, Zhou Jinsheng loomed taller.

From Zhou Jinsheng’s top-down view, the pale, straight lines of Shen Yu’s shoulders and collarbones pulled the racing suit into a graceful curve. No undershirt underneath—a strip of white skin dipped into shadow.

Zhou Jinsheng’s gaze darkened. That dream face sprawled in a pool of blood flashed again. His heart clenched like never before. He lowered his eyes slow, coaxing softly: “Helmet cuts the noise. Without it, doesn’t it get too loud?”

Shen Yu raised a brow. “I kinda like those noises.”

Roaring winds, feverish cheers and claps—every surge of emotion and passion sparked from him.

Zhou Jinsheng switched angles: “Helmet shields your eyes too, gives better track vision. Might even shatter the speed record.”

Sounded legit. Shen Yu wavered. “Fine. I’ll try it next time.”

“Good.”

Mists and night closed in from every side. A mountain gust blew through, biting cold. Summit temps always dropped low. Zhou Jinsheng eyed him, then straightened up abruptly, shrugging off his jacket and draping it over Shen Yu.

Shen Yu got bundled up tight, lapsing into silence for a beat.

Sure, he was chilly—but did he look that pathetic?

Eh, chalk it up to little bro loyalty.

Shen Yu could swear no little bro before had clicked so perfectly: breakfast covered, club stuff handled—even homework done!

Shen Yu was buzzing.

“Wait—”

Club activities that day had drained him hard, leaving a thin sheen of sweat. Fresh from a shower, Shen Yu perched on the toilet lid in a stall, clad in a new black thin sweater that hinted at his pale waist and abs.

The young man sat ramrod straight, back jammed hard against the water tank behind him. His long legs in black pants with decorative clasps splayed wide and pathetic to either side. Amid the dizzy haze, he frowned faintly and voiced a sincere question:

“Do bros really help each other out with stuff like this?”

Zhou Jinsheng crouched on the floor tile, one hand working open the decorative clasps on the pants and slipping inside. He raised a brow. “Feels good?”

…Yeah. It really did.

Shen Yu nodded.

A smile curved Zhou Jinsheng’s handsome face, voice husky low. “If it feels good, that’s what matters.”

Fine. Little bro was just helping out.

And honestly? Thrilling as hell.

Nothing like the adrenaline blast of deep-sea dives or canyon flights.

Beyond the rush, pure pleasure—dopamine pumping, endorphins flowing. Every craving met.

Felt amazing.

Maybe crank the thrill higher next time?

Just one tiny gripe: Shen Yu tensed up, head thrown back to the ceiling, thinking—

Gonna need another shower after this.