Cycling: Racing into the Headwind

Chapter 128: Chapter 104: The Last 3 Most Important Races of the Year

"Am I nervous?"

"I’m not nervous—"

Upon hearing he was going to her house for dinner, Huang Chong, who was actually in a complete panic, decided to play stubborn and refused to admit it in front of Chen Junyi.

But he couldn’t help but wonder:

’Why is my heart rate shooting up just from hearing I’m going to her house for dinner?’

’And this nervousness is completely different from what I feel during a race.’

’Back at the Asian Championships, I didn’t even have this kind of reaction when I was in a final sprint against Yevgeniy—’

He rubbed his nose and continued:

"Even though it’s not a holiday, I didn’t give your parents a heads-up that I was coming for dinner.

Just going to your house like this, showing up empty-handed... it’s so rude.

No, no, you have to let me stop by a supermarket first. Even just buying some fruit would be better than nothing!"

Huang Chong couldn’t bear the thought of showing up empty-handed and strongly insisted that Chen Junyi let him get out of the car to buy something.

However, Chen Junyi ignored him, kept driving toward her home, and tried to dissuade him:

"Don’t waste your money. We have fruit at home.

Besides, my parents know you’re coming for lunch, and they’re happy to have you. I told them ahead of time.

Just relax and come eat. Coach Li and the others are arriving in Hangcheng this afternoon, and you have to train with the team!"

Huang Chong was sick with worry.

’This is all so sudden, I’m completely unprepared!’

Then, after Chen Junyi parked downstairs from her apartment, he insisted on running to a nearby fruit shop in the complex. Only after buying several pounds of expensive fruit did he dare to go inside.

Seeing his reaction, Chen Junyi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

’This guy, really... I’ve never even seen him this flustered during a race. Why is he so awkward about meeting my parents?’

She wasn’t in a hurry to go in. She just stood by the car, arms crossed, waiting with an amused expression for Huang Chong to run back with the fruit, then teased him:

"Was all that really necessary? It’s just a meal. Making such a big deal out of it will just make my parents think you’re weird, you know!"

Seeing her teasing him, Huang Chong lowered his voice and said:

"You, with your foreign education, you’ve been completely led astray by that straightforward Western mindset.

As a junior, of course I can’t show up empty-handed.

It’s called basic courtesy. Don’t you get it!"

At his words, Chen Junyi let out a rare, playful "Tch!" before leading Huang Chong home.

The first person Huang Chong saw after walking in was Zhang Wanqing, who was carrying a dish from the kitchen to the dining room. He quickly smiled, went up to greet her, and handed over the fruit:

"Hello, Auntie. I just got back from the competition at Qiandao Lake and didn’t have anywhere to eat, so I had to take the liberty of bothering you—

I was just passing the fruit shop downstairs and saw their fruit looked fresh, so I picked some up. Please make sure you and Uncle eat it!"

"Oh, you silly boy. Coming to our house for a meal, why would you buy fruit!

You went to Qiandao Lake to compete, not for a vacation. Don’t worry about all these formalities.

From now on, whenever you’re in Hangcheng, you can come over for a meal anytime, okay? Junyi’s father was an athlete too, so this Auntie knows what you can and can’t eat.

Come, come, put your luggage down. Nannan, go pour Huang Chong a cup of tea. Let him rest for a bit. We’ll be ready to eat soon!"

Faced with Zhang Wanqing’s warm welcome, much of Huang Chong’s nervousness instantly vanished.

’I have to say, Chen Junyi’s mother is a classic Jiangnan woman—gentle, cultured, and considerate. She really knows how to ease the tension.’

Huang Chong nodded. When he went into the living room and saw Chen Mingyuan, he naturally greeted him politely as well.

Chen Mingyuan had known for a while that Huang Chong had secured an Olympic qualification spot for the country ahead of schedule at the Asian Championships.

As a retired athlete and a good friend of Zhang Guowei, and with his daughter insisting on following Huang Chong around to do data research on Road Cyclists, he was naturally very concerned as a father.

He had even been quietly following Huang Chong’s race results for the past few months.

So, when Huang Chong visited this time, he was much more easygoing.

After all, the young man was truly outstanding. Not only had he won a slew of domestic league championships, but after representing the country and competing against top athletes from all over Asia, he still managed to secure a precious Olympic slot for the nation.

That was no easy feat.

He smiled and nodded, telling Huang Chong to sit and rest. He was also much more talkative than the first time they’d met.

He even took the initiative to chat with him for a while about road cycling competitions.

When he learned from Huang Chong that as soon as the National Championships ended, he had to go to Wenzhou for another competition, and then to Qinghai to face riders from Europe as part of the National Team, his concern was plain to see. He said frankly that being a Road Cyclist was no easy job and even told Huang Chong to be mindful of balancing work and rest and to avoid overexertion.

Seeing Chen Mingyuan act like a completely different person toward him this time, Huang Chong breathed a huge sigh of relief internally.

’Looks like getting good results has really helped my personal image.’

Soon, he sat down for dinner with Chen Junyi and her parents. He discovered that Zhang Wanqing had prepared a huge spread of dishes, and every single one was something he could eat.

There was chicken, various kinds of seafood, and more—it was a magnificent feast.

He wasn’t stupid. One look at the menu told him that they had clearly known he was coming for dinner in advance. They might have even deliberately arranged for him to come, which was why they had prepared everything so meticulously.

He looked across the table at Chen Junyi, who was eating with small, delicate bites, clearly a sign of her good upbringing, and couldn’t help but think:

’Good thing I didn’t listen to this girl and show up empty-handed.’