Chapter 94 – Wu Shi Must Be Thinking of Me
During his karting years, Wu Shi had never interacted with Jules Bianchi—their age groups never overlapped.
Only after becoming friends with Leclerc did he learn more about this outstanding driver through Charles' stories.
Now, watching the crashed car being lifted away, an unease tightened in his chest.
He suddenly felt he should message Leclerc—just in case.
Thanks to his lead and his deep familiarity with Silverstone, his hands continued operating the car almost mechanically while his mind wandered elsewhere.
If there was a difference between him and a driver fully absorbed in the race, it wasn't skill.
It was spirit—or a sense of foreboding.
Achoo!
In the grandstands, Louise suddenly sneezed.
"Do you need a jacket?" Ophelia asked.
"No need." Louise rubbed her nose, then smiled proudly.
"Wu Shi must be thinking about me."
"???" Ophelia blinked. "Why?"
"He told me once that where he's from, sneezing means someone is thinking about you… or cursing you… or you're catching a cold."
Louise tapped her chin. "But I sneezed only once. So he must be thinking about me."
"…Couldn't it be Aunt Martina missing you?" Ophelia asked.
"!"
Louise stiffened like a startled cat, instinctively scanning her surroundings.
Nothing.
"Don't scare me like that!"
"Should we go find him after the race?" Ophelia asked.
Louise hesitated, then shook her head.
"Come on," Ophelia said. "He came all the way here. Saying a few words won't kill you. He won't scold you."
The grandstand at Turn 5 was packed with international students—many from China.
"Did you get the photo?" Zhang Guo asked his boyfriend.
"I did. Car #32. I've been taking a photo every time he passes," Li Zhenmin said.
"Zhenmin, send it to me later!"
"Of course, of course!"
"It looks like Wu Shi is going to win again! Two wins in a row—our Chinese talent is insane!" someone shouted.
They were genuinely thrilled.
Many were members of various university motorsport clubs, and after experiencing Europe's racing atmosphere, they naturally followed more series.
Before this, they mainly watched F1 or WRC.
But after hearing about Wu Shi yesterday, they immediately bought second-hand tickets and came as a group—determined to see the Chinese rookie in action and record first-hand data.
"Yes, but I can't go to Germany next," Li Zhenmin said.
"Germany? Perfect! I just got a research project that requires me to go there. Maybe I can… go early and catch a race?" someone said cheerfully.
The race reached its final laps. A sudden gasp rose from parts of the crowd—someone had gone off track.
But the students didn't see that incident.
They saw something else:
After ten laps of struggle, Verstappen finally overtook Jordan King for P5!
As the race neared its end, several cars slid into the gravel but far enough from the racing line that no yellow flags or safety cars were deployed.
"The race leader emerges! Wu Shi takes the checkered flag once again! With incredibly stable driving, the rookie claims his second consecutive victory!"
"Behind him is Ocon—the second-year driver secures another podium."
"Oh, and the car that went off earlier was Onidi."
Wu Shi drove into parc fermé, unbuckled his belts, and climbed out of the car.
After hugging the mechanics, he bumped fists with Alan.
"Congratulations on win number two," Alan said.
"Thanks."
Wu wiped his sweat.
This victory had been far easier than the first.
He had spent nearly the entire race thinking or chatting with Alan over the radio.
Reporters poured in—a rare sight for F3. Many had come specifically for Wu Shi, including several Italian outlets.
After the routine interviews, headlines exploded:
"Rising Star Claims Back-to-Back Wins!"
"Will the Chinese Prodigy Dominate F3?"
In China, fans clipped videos and uploaded them online.
It didn't cause a national sensation—motorsport was still niche—but within the racing community, Wu Shi's name was already everywhere.
He had no idea.
After dinner with the team, he was about to rest when his phone rang.
Louise?
Didn't they just talk yesterday?
He answered. "Hello, Louise."
"Um! I—"
"What's wrong?" Wu Shi sensed something off.
"Did you cause trouble again? Aunt Martina is not easy to deal with."
"I don't cause trouble every day!" Louise protested.
Then immediately regretted it—sneaking to Silverstone definitely counted as causing trouble.
This is Ophelia's fault! she thought. If she hadn't made that call, none of this would've happened!
"I remember you skipped tutoring to watch a race around Christmas, didn't you?"
He paused.
But… she didn't have tutoring this weekend.
That didn't make him feel any better.
"Louise. You're not here at the circuit… are you?!"
"—!!!"
Louise froze.
Ophelia, beside her, was stunned.
So this was what people meant by "twin telepathy."
"You really came all this way? Where are you? I'm coming over," Wu Shi said, exasperated but worried.
Despite the romantic image many people had of Europe, he knew the truth—it wasn't particularly safe.
For a teenage girl to travel cross-border alone was dangerous.
"I…" Louise faltered.
"We're at the Hilton Garden Inn Silverstone," Ophelia said, rescuing her.
"Ophelia!" Louise cried.
Hearing Ophelia's voice, Wu Shi finally breathed.
He knew her—much more sensible and reliable than Louise.
If the two came together, it was at least safer.
He informed the team. Alan, upon hearing it, immediately called a female mechanic to accompany him.
"Be careful. You still have a race tomorrow. My advice—don't stay out too late," Alan said meaningfully.
"…"
Wu Shi didn't know how to respond.
Many teenagers here were very open, already exploring relationships.
He, influenced by traditional Chinese upbringing, wasn't.
At the hotel, he found the room and rang the bell.
After ten seconds, the door opened—revealing a mature woman he'd never seen before.
He froze, wondering if he had the wrong room.
"You must be Wu Shi?" the woman—Caroline—asked.
"…"
"Haha—just kidding. Come in, our champion driver."
Caroline stepped aside, also letting the female mechanic in.
"Thank you. I'm Wu Shi. How should I address you, sister?"
"Oh, I'm Ophelia's older sister. Call me Caroline."