Chapter 273 The Truth of That Year

Tan Zheng owned a house in London, with many flowers planted in the front yard. Upon arrival, Song Ni looked at the nameless flowers and asked, "Why do you grow flowers here too?" "There must have been some already." Song Ni nodded, and before entering, she suddenly asked, "Can sunflowers grow in this weather?" Tan Zheng was silent for a moment. "You want to grow sunflowers?" Song Ni yawned. "Don't you like them?" Song Ni thought simply; if sunflowers could give Tan Zheng strength, then plant them. This year was for her that Tan Zheng came to England. Tan Zheng, however, did not think the same. He still remembered when Song Ni asked him why he planted sunflowers, and he had said it was for a little girl very important to him. Although Song Ni didn't say it directly, he knew she still cared about that little girl. Even though that little girl was herself. Song Ni didn't know that he had seen her back in her third year of high school. "Aren't you unhappy?" Song Ni was a bit tired. After entering, she sat on the sofa and closed her eyes slightly. "No, she's just a little girl. Do you like that little girl?" "I like her quite a lot." Song Ni:....... "The kind of liking a brother has for his sister? You wouldn't be so twisted as to like her in a romantic way, would you?" Tan Zheng frowned slightly. Why was liking someone romantically twisted? "Aren't you curious who she is?" Hearing this, Song Ni opened her eyes, rested her hands on the back of the sofa, and rested her chin on them. "Curious, yes. What good is curiosity? Will you tell me?" Tan Zheng paused. "I'll tell you later." Since Song Ni already knew about the events from five years ago, there was no need to hide the fact that he had seen her back then. "Tch." Song Ni simply lay down on the sofa. Tan Zheng found a blanket and covered her. He then went upstairs to unpack. When Song Ni woke up, it was completely dark. Vivian had called her, and when she didn't answer, she realized there were messages on her social media. Vivian was planning a party for her the next evening. Song Ni replied. The nights abroad were somewhat different from those back home, and where they were staying was far from the bustling city, making it too quiet at night. Song Ni got up and began searching the house for Tan Zheng. He wasn't downstairs, nor in the rooms upstairs, only a study remained. The door wasn't fully closed, and light spilled out. Tan Zheng was on the phone. "Even if I can still register now, what's the use? I'll be back on the track after just ten days of training?" Song Ni retracted the hand she was about to knock with. Tan Zheng was talking to Li Wen. "I retired five years ago, and new talents keep emerging. Why do you believe I can return to my original form with just training?" "As long as it's you, I believe." Tan Zheng let out a laugh. Seeing that he couldn't persuade Tan Zheng, Li Wen became angry and started scolding him. "For Xi Jinjiang, you've ruined your career. Is it worth it? Do you know why I'm calling you today? What happened back then wasn't that simple at all!" Li Wen was so angry that his voice was distorted. Upon hearing this, the smile on Tan Zheng's lips faded. "What do you mean?" "You were always extra careful about your diet before every race. Back then, they detected stimulants, doesn't that seem strange to you? How could you make such a low-level mistake?" Tan Zheng's brows furrowed. "I tested ten times, and every result was the same." "I'm not talking about the testing issue." "Then what do you want to say?" Li Wen opened his mouth, seemingly struggling. He knew clearly how much Tan Zheng had been tormented by the Xi Jinjiang incident over the years. Tan Zheng lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. "Just say it." Compared to Xi Jinjiang, Li Wen had always admired Tan Zheng more. "If the test results were positive, it means you ate something wrong. You were extra careful before every race, so you wouldn't accidentally eat something. Is there a possibility..." Li Wen paused. What he had heard might not be entirely accurate, but... "Is there a possibility that you ate something given to you by someone you trusted unconditionally, and therefore let your guard down?" After hearing this, Tan Zheng fell silent for a long time. Li Wen didn't explicitly state it, but he wasn't foolish and understood the implication. The cigarette burned down to its end, scorching the man's fingertips, but he remained indifferent, as if he felt no pain. He recalled that race five years ago. Xi Jinjiang, who had retired, did not return to his hometown to get married to Yu Wei. Instead, he stayed with Tan Zheng for training. In that race, there was a very strong competitor. Even Tan Zheng dared not slacken in the slightest. With Xi Jinjiang training alongside him, the efficiency would be much higher. During that period, besides the club's meals, he had also eaten quite a few things brought by Xi Jinjiang. They were all things Xi Jinjiang brought and ate at the training base. Tan Zheng trembled his hand and flicked the cigarette butt into the bin. "What are you trying to say? What did you find out?" Li Wen then told Tan Zheng what he had encountered that evening. As the chairman of the event, he often dined with investors and club owners. At today's banquet, the driver who had won that race was present. However, like Tan Zheng, that driver was now running his own club as an owner. During dinner, they talked about Tan Zheng, with the driver considering him still the most talented race car driver with the greatest potential to become number one. The driver, drunk, did not conceal his mockery of Tan Zheng. "Just a fool who was too sentimental." Li Wen didn't ask more at the time. When the guests at the main table moved to another place for entertainment, he overheard something. Back then, that person had approached Xi Jinjiang. It was probably about how Xi Jinjiang shouldn't have retired, how Xi Jinjiang was more formidable than Tan Zheng and deserved more attention. After that, he didn't hear anything else. But it was enough. He didn't believe Xi Jinjiang was entirely innocent in what happened back then. How Tan Zheng's sample was detected with stimulants, why Xi Jinjiang agreed to participate in this race after retiring... "What's past is past. The reason I'm telling you this is so you know that what happened back then was entirely Xi Jinjiang's own doing. You don't need to let yourself be trapped by someone like that and ruin your career. Tan Zheng, it's not too late, you're still young." Thirty years old, he might not have the quick reflexes of younger drivers, but that was for others, not for Tan Zheng. Li Wen truly regretted that Tan Zheng had ended his career because of such a brother. Someone like Tan Zheng should shine on the racetrack. He was born to be a god of the racecourse. "If you don't believe me, you can ask Paul." There was no need. Tan Zheng hung up the phone directly. His eyes were gloomy, and he did not want to believe Li Wen's words at all. Yet, his mind was telling him that this was the truth. During that time, besides the club's meals, he had only eaten what Xi Jinjiang brought. Bang! Tan Zheng slammed his phone down violently. The phone instantly shattered into pieces, and a dent was literally created on the floor. Song Ni, listening at the door, trembled with fear. She could only hear Tan Zheng's words and had no idea what had happened. Pushing the door open, Song Ni was about to ask what was wrong when she saw the scene inside and was immediately speechless.