Soaring Past the Constant Star [Rebirth] - Chapter 3

Many race tracks are often surrounded by a thriving automotive industry ecosystem, including museums, expo parks, and technology hubs. This distribution isn’t surprising, as the vast majority of fans who travel thousands of miles to watch a race are the primary target audience for these industries.

Near the hotel, there happened to be an automotive expo park.

Under the shroud of night, the park was empty of tourists, leaving only a few scattered locals out for a late-night run or a stroll.

The paths within the park were winding and secluded, and the moonlight appeared even dimmer as it was filtered through the lush canopy overhead. Although it was already late spring, the local nights remained somewhat chilly. Jiang Yue walked along in silence, intentionally stepping off the synthetic running track. Duan Xingheng followed him quietly, and for a moment, neither of them spoke to break the tranquility of the spring night.

From an objective standpoint, Jiang Yue was currently still a rookie driver who couldn’t even firmly secure his seat, and his performance on the track thus far had been mediocre. Compared to a naturally gifted six-time champion like Duan Xingheng, there was a vast gap in their personal achievements. Sports are inherently cruel, and ultimately, results are the only thing that matters.

If this were the real Jiang Yue from five years ago, he might have occasionally felt inferior when facing Duan Xingheng. After all, Duan Xingheng had introduced him to the sport and looked after him in every way in a foreign land during his ignorant youth. For many years, Jiang Yue had deeply relied on and looked up to him.

But different circumstances and experiences bring a different state of mind. Walking silently through the night with Duan Xingheng, Jiang Yue felt unexpectedly calm.

It wasn’t until his pocket vibrated that he broke his stride, though he didn’t stop, merely pulling out his phone to glance at the screen.

A new text message from his aunt appeared on the lock screen.

His aunt had learned that he hadn’t attended the evening gathering and had retired from the race earlier that morning due to an accident, so she sent a message to check on him.

Seeing his aunt’s concerned words, Jiang Yue’s expression softened unconsciously. He lowered his head, paused his footsteps slightly, and tapped the screen deftly:

[I’m fine, please focus on your work first, I’ll call you later.]

Jiang Yue had a bad habit, he didn’t like looking at messages, and sometimes he would procrastinate on replying even after reading them. Those who could get an immediate response from him were generally very important people.

His aunt replied quickly:

[It’s okay to retire from the race, it’s a blessing that you weren’t injured. Work hard for the next grand prix, go go go!]

The text was followed by a grinning face and a rose emoji.

Looking at those two emojis, a smile tugged at the corners of Jiang Yue’s lips, yet he felt a slight tightness in his throat. Having died on the track in his past life, he couldn’t imagine how heartbroken his aunt must have been.

Training a professional driver requires a massive amount of money, especially since the racing environment in Country C lags far behind its birthplace in Europe. It was his aunt who had overcome all difficulties to give Jiang Yue full material support. Due to the time difference and her busy work schedule, no matter how worried she was, she wouldn’t suddenly call him. Calculating the time, she should be busy with work right now.

Jiang Yue replied with a rose emoji as well. Just as the screen went dark, he saw Duan Xingheng standing politely a short distance away, quietly waiting for him.

“Why are you standing so far away?” Jiang Yue asked, puzzled.

Duan Xingheng let out a faint sigh, “The kid has grown up, he needs some privacy.”

Seeing his frivolous manner and remembering his steady, detached ‘official’ face in front of the media, Jiang Yue couldn’t help but think to himself: Closet pervert.

“What’s up?” Duan Xingheng leaned back in, naturally draping an arm over Jiang Yue’s shoulder. He was about 3 cm taller than Jiang Yue, making him among the tallest of the 20 drivers currently competing. After all, for a driver, being too tall is actually a disadvantage for driving.

“Who was that message from? You were smiling so happily, did you get a new girlfriend?”

“Yes.” If it were the old Jiang Yue, he would have found the question nonsensical, but for some reason, the current Jiang Yue felt like giving him a sharp retort.

Duan Xingheng tilted his chin slightly, a smile still playing on his lips, but his eyes were hard to read in the dark. Only the arm around Jiang Yue’s shoulder tightened slightly.

“Who is it?”

Jiang Yue met his gaze through the darkness. After a few seconds, he suddenly broke free from Duan Xingheng’s arm, ran a few steps onto the synthetic track, and looked back provocatively while running:

“Beat me in a race, and I’ll tell you.”

Fortunately, the park was silent at night, and no one else witnessed the childish behavior of these two grown men.

As an F1 driver, Jiang Yue’s physical stamina far exceeded that of an ordinary person. He sprinted forward along the track, feeling the night wind no longer gentle as it whipped against his face.

Duan Xingheng’s reaction was even faster. His footsteps followed close behind, and the pressure of his pursuit was no different from being a prey locked onto by a lion.

The pursuit of speed is etched into the blood and bones of every driver. On the track, Jiang Yue had never surpassed Duan Xingheng until the moment he died in his previous life, he had always been the one chasing from behind. Now that the roles were reversed, he felt his adrenaline surging and his heart pounding in his chest. The thrill washed away that hint of dread in his heart, allowing him to throw all concerns to the back of his mind, leaving only the lamplit track ahead.

However, at a bend, Duan Xingheng acted like a hunter who had been plotting from behind, waiting for the right moment. Seizing the opportunity, he displayed terrifying explosive power, closing the gap instantly and grabbing Jiang Yue around the waist from behind.

“Stop fooling around,” he panted, his hot breath brushing against the back of Jiang Yue’s neck, “Your legs are covered in bruises, do you think your brother is a pushover?”

Jiang Yue also panted to calm his heartbeat, held firmly in Duan Xingheng’s grasp. The scent of greenery from the man behind him felt like a net, wrapping him up tightly. Just as he started to feel a bit uncomfortable, he felt a tickle at his waist. Duan Xingheng had actually taken the chance to tickle him. He immediately began to struggle while trying to suppress his laughter.

“Speak,” Duan Xingheng said in a mock-threatening tone, “Who is it?”

“No!” Under the assault on his waist, Jiang Yue let out a short laugh but still refused to yield.

Little did he know that in Duan Xingheng’s eyes, Jiang Yue hadn’t laughed like this in a long time.

Jiang Yue was essentially a kid he had watched grow up. He had been stubborn since he was young and was prone to being too hard on himself. His hard work, struggles, and frustrations had all been seen by Duan Xingheng. The kid had been driving for four years and finally seemed to have reached a transitional period.

Duan Xingheng had been through it and understood it perfectly. This hurdle isn’t easy to clear, but if you do, you reach a new level. Most people, however, never make it to the higher step and simply sink, bidding farewell to this arena.

Competition in this sport, with only 20 seats is unimaginably fierce, with many talented and well-backed rookies watching like hawks from below. Without convincing results, one is quickly pushed out. Therefore, it is an extreme test of a driver’s talent and personal qualities, yet the factors determining who stays go far beyond that. Running a team requires massive capital and technical support, and beneath the surface, there are far too many hidden complexities.

From his initial debut to his subsequent setbacks, Jiang Yue had fallen and picked himself up countless times. He had improved a lot, reaching the threshold of being a consistent points finisher, but his contract for next year was still undecided, placing him at the center of a storm.

Though the kid appeared normal on the surface, Duan Xingheng knew he hadn’t been sleeping well lately.

A few days ago, he learned that the influencer he had once forced offline had resurfaced and secretly contacted Jiang Yue. It was a critical moment, and in his urgency, Duan Xingheng had spoken too harshly, failing to consider the kid’s feelings and making him angry.

But looking at Jiang Yue’s state now, he had at least been forgiven.

“Still trying to fool your brother?” Duan Xingheng used both arms to ensure Jiang Yue couldn’t break free, saying with a smile, “It’s your aunt, isn’t it?”

By the light of the streetlamps, he saw that Jiang Yue’s left ear, adorned with two earrings, had turned red.

Jiang Yue himself didn’t notice it, though. He stopped struggling.

“You knew and still messed with me?”

“You only have that kind of expression when you’re messaging your mom or your aunt.”

“What kind of expression?”

Duan Xingheng let go, only to see Jiang Yue turn back and look at him out of the corner of his eye.

“Then what about when I’m messaging you?”

This counter-question was unexpected. Duan Xingheng raised an eyebrow as Jiang Yue dropped the line, “I’m tired, let’s sit for a bit,” and walked over to a park bench on the nearby lawn.

Jiang Yue’s breathing had evened out. Across from him was a small stone bridge with water gurgling underneath, and above them, weeping willows swayed slowly in the wind.

The small bridge and flowing water at night actually had a certain charm.

Duan Xingheng sat down beside him. Having had their fun, they now returned to silence.

After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Yue’s voice rose in the evening breeze.

“Duan Xingheng,” he called out.

Even though Duan Xingheng was five years older, he never called him “brother.” It was as if doing so would make him feel a head shorter in terms of presence.

“Hmm?” Duan Xingheng hummed in response.

Another moment passed.

The wind picked up, making the leaves rustle. Just when Duan Xingheng thought there would be no follow-up, Jiang Yue’s voice suddenly rang out again:

“I want to beat you, just once.”

“Beat” was a word with a very broad range. In fact, Jiang Yue had many strengths that weren’t inferior to Duan Xingheng’s, such as his fashion sense or his badminton skills. Even when they went fishing together, even though Duan Xingheng was the one who introduced him to it, Jiang Yue always caught plenty, while Duan Xingheng often went home empty-handed.

But Duan Xingheng wouldn’t play games with this sentence.

He knew exactly what Jiang Yue meant.

Winning only has meaning in a competition that both parties value immensely.

“Then you’d better work hard, you’re still a long way off.”

Duan Xingheng’s reply wasn’t polite at all.

“From the time you were eleven until now, you’ve never beaten me, even in go-karts.” He narrowed his eyes as if reminiscing, “Not to mention your current team, the car is mediocre, the strategy often fails, and the pit stop times are inconsistent.”

Jiang Yue neither agreed nor disagreed. But he knew that every word Duan Xingheng said was true.

Even though he had lived five years longer, making him the same age as the current Duan Xingheng, he still didn’t have absolute certainty of winning against Duan Xingheng at his peak, even if they drove cars with identical performance.

He was no longer at an age where he didn’t know the heights of the heavens, yet he still said with utmost seriousness:

“I will win.”

He turned to meet Duan Xingheng’s gaze, his eyes not wavering in the slightest.

“So until then, you must wait for me.”

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