Addiction to Temptation: His Mischievous Sweetheart Captivates Him-Chapter 286: No One Is Born a Winner

Natalie Vaughn hadn’t realized how perceptive Jennings was.

She asked him a question.

"Do you hope he will make a comeback?"

Without any hesitation, Jennings nodded.

"Yes."

He dreamed of competing with Zane Thorne on a real racetrack.

Natalie didn’t answer directly but looked up at the warm sun in the sky.

"See, gloomy days won’t last long; the sun will always come."

Accompanying Zane to the training grounds these few times, she clearly felt he was much happier and more energetic than before, almost as if he had become several years younger.

She liked this version of Zane.

Doing what he loved with such unrestrained joy, his entire being seemed to glow with happiness.

Zane walked over, and Jennings tactfully went to find Jay Sterling.

"What were you talking about?"

Natalie raised her hand, pointing toward the warm sun in the sky.

"Discussing today’s good weather."

Zane:....

Natalie shrugged slightly, turning her head to look at Zane sitting beside her, and asked.

"How long will you train today?"

Zane loosened his protective gear.

"Are you getting impatient?"

"No, but you shouldn’t train so intensively with your hand."

Otherwise, the nightly medication would be in vain.

Although Zane planned to return to the racetrack, he wasn’t as reckless as before. Now that he had Natalie, he needed to train sensibly and take care of his body. Natalie also noticed that since Zane started training, his smoking had decreased significantly.

Indeed, the burden of guilt he carried for five years was gone, the heaviness lifted, and he didn’t need cigarettes or alcohol to drown his sorrows anymore.

During this time, Natalie had also hired an aunt to start preparing meals for Zane to restore his stomach’s health.

Soon, it would be the day of Jay Sterling’s competition. Several people needed to go to Eldoria two days early to acclimate. It was Jay’s first international event, and he was a bit nervous.

Outside of acquaintances from the club abroad, Natalie was the person he trusted the most.

"Nina, will you be coming with us this time?"

Seeing Jay’s rare nervousness, Natalie asked.

"What’s the matter? Are you afraid of competing overseas?"

Jay rubbed the back of his head.

"Not really, just... the unfamiliar place, and I can’t understand what they’re saying, so I don’t have much confidence."

Natalie slightly furrowed her brow. After all, Jay was merely a young man who had just reached adulthood, getting along well with his friends back home. But here, aside from training, he could only talk to her.

However.....

"I probably can’t make it in the next two days; I need to accompany my teacher to watch a show, but I’ll be there on the day of the competition to cheer for you guys."

"Oh, okay then."

Jay was a bit disappointed, and the light in his eyes dimmed. Natalie nudged him with her elbow.

"I know you’d like me to go with you, but I really can’t help it. Mr. Thorne will be with you, and you can talk to him about anything."

Jay chuckled twice.

"Never mind, I’m afraid if I talk to him, he’ll scold me."

Natalie laughed out loud.

"It’s not that bad; your Mr. Thorne is very soft-hearted and gentle."

Jay’s eyes widened instantly.

"Nina, do you realize what you’re saying?"

Mr. Thorne, soft-hearted? Mr. Thorne, gentle?

Although he was naive, he wasn’t dumb. He had never seen Mr. Thorne being gentle. Ha, could he compare to Nina?

Not even close. If it were soft-hearted and gentle, to them, it would be a facade!

Natalie, seeing Jay’s disbelief, repeated herself.

"I’m serious."

Jay touched his nose, not knowing how to reply.

"If you don’t believe it, go and test it out to see if your Mr. Thorne is a gentle person."

Jay followed Natalie’s suggestion.

"How should I test it?"

Natalie thought back to her interactions with Zane; whenever she showed a little vulnerability or revealed that she wasn’t in a good mood, Zane would always gently coax her.

"Just say you’re too nervous about the competition and can’t sleep."

Jay was curious, wondering if Mr. Thorne’s gentleness was reserved only for Nina.

"Okay."

Jay went to find Zane and returned with a bitter expression three minutes later.

Natalie:....

"What happened?"

"I asked Mr. Thorne as you suggested, and he said that if I can’t sleep, I should practice a few more laps. If I’m this nervous over such a competition, how would I ever win a championship?"

Natalie:...

"I’ll go talk to him for you."

Natalie went to find Zane and returned, frowning three minutes later.

Jay was puzzled.

"Did Mr. Thorne scold you too, Nina?"

Natalie shook her head.

"He said that this competition isn’t the most top-notch, it’s just like competing at home. There’s no need to be nervous, but if you want to win a championship, you must learn to adjust your mood and state before a competition."

Jay blinked.

"And then?"

Natalie looked at Jay, resting her chin on her hand.

"I think what he said makes a lot of sense."

Jay:...

He felt like this couple was playing him, and he had evidence.

Natalie laughed.

"Just kidding. You’re still young, so being nervous is understandable, but you really do need to learn how to adjust your emotions and state, Jennings. If you want to win, you have to get to that point."

Jay also understood the logic, but there were so many truths in the world. How many of them could one actually follow? Even if possible, it would take time.

Natalie had evidently thought of this as well.

"How about this, I’ll accompany you on a ride. You taught me how to ride a motorbike earlier, now let’s have Coach Sterling check the results."

Young boys needed recognition, and Natalie calling him Coach Sterling instantly lifted Jay’s spirits.

"Alright."

Natalie informed Zane.

Zane was a bit tied up and glanced at Jay.

"Remember to be safe."

Natalie made a reassuring gesture.

"Don’t worry, we won’t go far."

The section of the road where the motorbike could be ridden wasn’t long.

After changing clothes, the two of them set off.

Jay rode fast, and Natalie couldn’t keep up, so she followed him at a distance. Wherever Jay went, Natalie followed.

About half an hour later, Jay finally stopped.

As he removed his helmet, the worry on his face had vanished. He looked at Natalie, who had just stopped.

"Nina, it seems like you need more practice."

Natalie took off her helmet, shook her hair a few times casually, and fixed it.

"How can I compare to you? I’ve only just learned, so it’s normal to find catching up with you difficult."

Jay paused, contemplating Natalie’s words over and over.

Seeing his serious expression, Natalie smiled and continued.

"No one is born a winner or born to take championships, not even your Mr. Thorne. You all say his talent is extraordinary, but even he had to undergo a lot of training before competitions and wasn’t able to compete against veteran racers at first. But people progress, and as long as you strive hard, you’ll get closer to what you want."

"Jennings, do you really believe you can’t compare to Jennings?"

Natalie understood everything clearly.

Since Jennings came to the club, Jay had become less confident. Jennings was only three or four years older than him, but had participated in many competitions and won many championships, even being called the second Zane Thorne.

With such comparisons, it was normal for Jay to doubt his abilities, especially after competing with Jennings.

Jay lowered his eyes, Natalie’s words resonating deeply with him.

He asked.

"Nina, can I surpass him?"