Chapter 43
Chapter 43: Cycling Celebrity
Me?
Lin Shen bit the chopsticks he had just used to put rice in his mouth, looking slightly bewildered.
Then he reacted quickly, half-jokingly saying, “Of course I can! As long as Sister Nan is willing.”
“Hmph.”
Qin Yuenan curled her lips disdainfully, quietly lowered her head to eat a few bites of rice, seemingly deliberately avoiding this sensitive topic.
She knew Lin Shen wasn’t serious, so she wasn’t serious either.
“Where do you want to go cycling this weekend?”
“I’m busy this weekend.”
Lin Shen looked somewhat apologetic.
“I made plans with friends to have barbecue. How about we reschedule for next week?”
“Where?”
“Old Wei Barbecue on Shouning Road.”
Lin Shen chuckled.
“I heard online that their crawfish tastes pretty good, so I want to try it.”
“Oh.”
The speaker was casual, but the listener took it to heart.
Qin Yuenan quietly memorized the name “Old Wei Barbecue.”
After dinner, she drove Lin Shen home.
“Good night, Sister Nan.”
“Good night.”
After watching Lin Shen carry the box upstairs, Qin Yuenan didn’t leave immediately but sat in the car in a daze.
The soothing music in her ears made her thoughts gradually drift.
♪ My love for you is such a clear and solid faith~ ♪
…
Qin Yuenan’s mind kept replaying Lin Shen’s expression when she asked “Can you handle it?”
Surprise, bewilderment, and a trace of fear.
Clearly Lin Shen was somewhat afraid of dating.
Was it because his last relationship broke his heart?
Qin Yuenan’s mood became inexplicably irritated, and she hit the gas pedal, speeding away.
“Whew—!”
After moving the box upstairs, Lin Shen eagerly opened the packaging and carefully read through the road bike’s instruction manual.
Giant TCR?
Lin Shen wasn’t familiar with this bike’s value, so he curiously looked it up online.
The result was shocking.
Thirty thousand?
Lin Shen scratched his head, feeling somewhat confused.
Advanced-level top carbon frame, Shimano Ultegra R8000 mechanical shifting, and Giant SLR-2 carbon fiber wheelset.
Although these were all incomprehensible English terms, just from the bike’s lightweight feel and quality mechanical components, he could tell something.
This thirty-thousand-yuan bike was worth every penny!
“Sister Nan is really generous.”
Lin Shen couldn’t help but sigh.
“To find a cycling companion, she actually gave me such an expensive road bike?”
Rich sister’s moves are always so lavish!
Lin Shen began happily assembling the road bike, screwdriver in his left hand, wrench in his right, tinkering away.
“Done!”
An hour later, Lin Shen clapped his hands and stood up, wiping sweat from his forehead with his arm, admiring his newly assembled creation with satisfaction.
The bike’s lines were smooth and natural, the carbon fiber covering gave it both lightness and style – full of mechanical beauty.
“Let me take it downstairs for a test ride.”
Lin Shen wheeled the road bike down in the elevator and rode two laps around the residential complex, secretly impressed.
Expensive things were indeed worth their price.
The Giant TCR was incredibly smooth to ride, whether in handling or acceleration/deceleration.
He adjusted the seat height to the most comfortable position and took a few photos to send to Qin Yuenan.
[Lin Shen: Sister Nan, you have great taste. It’s so handsome!]
[Qin Yuenan: I’m glad you like it. Do you need me to buy cycling gear for you?]
[Lin Shen: No need, I’ll pick my own. Thanks, Sister Nan.]
Lin Shen replied, then went upstairs and leisurely lay in bed, opening JD.com and Taobao, while also joining a Shanghai cycling group through Xiaohongshu.
As a beginner, learning from experienced riders was the most convenient approach.
[Deer Seeker: What equipment do beginners need for cycling?]
Soon, enthusiastic netizens replied.
[Cycling Abel: Helmets are essential – I recommend brands with MIPS protection systems. Then cycling clothes, gloves, and jerseys. I suggest installing a bike computer, lights, and reflective strips on your bike.]
[Cycling Abel: Oh right, also water bottle holders and a pump. What bike do you have? Make sure to choose compatible accessories.]
[Lin Shen: photo.jpg]
When Lin Shen posted his road bike photo, the group exploded.
First came a series of question marks, followed by countless sounds of dismay.
[Endless Cycling: A beginner riding a Giant TCR Adv Pro 1 Disc?]
[Hill Climber: Are cycling entry barriers this high now?]
[Looking for Partners DM: That’s obviously fake, kick him out.]
…
Messages flooded the group instantly, with most people doubting Lin Shen’s photo, and quite a few directly attacking him.
Of course, there were also kind and helpful group members who gave enthusiastic advice, making the previously quiet group chat suddenly active.
[Lin Shen: Thanks!]
Lin Shen took many useful suggestions from the group, then posted a cycling video to prove he wasn’t faking.
Immediately, the group’s tone changed.
Those who had confidently claimed Lin Shen was showing off now went silent.
The remaining messages were all admiration and praise, with words like “rich guy” and “boss” appearing frequently.
Lin Shen saw this and couldn’t help but smirk slightly.
Being a rich guy for the first time felt pretty good!
Lin Shen opened Taobao, planning to buy cycling gear based on group members’ advice.
Then he received a message on Xiaohongshu.
[No Cilantro: Hi! Are you a cycling beginner? I am too, and there’s so much I don’t understand. Would it be convenient to add WeChat to discuss things?]
?
Lin Shen was initially puzzled, but from her username and profile picture, he could analyze her true intentions.
Sure enough, clicking into her homepage revealed various socialite-style photos.
Heavily made-up face, full makeup even while cycling, as if afraid sweat would ruin her look.
Her hot figure in tight cycling clothes looked curvy and sexy.
Obviously photoshopped.
Lin Shen immediately lost interest and felt somewhat puzzled.
A thirty-thousand-yuan road bike was enough to attract women to approach him?
Lin Shen had some understanding of the cycling community and had heard about some of its “messy” aspects.
This kind of bourgeois hobby was easily targeted by people with impure motives.
Because most cyclists were wealthy with free time and maintained fit, healthy bodies.
After all, if overweight people wore cycling clothes, they’d look like Michelin tires.
Most people wouldn’t want to appear that ugly.
Therefore, while cycling exercised the body, it often came with high risks beyond sports.
For example—
STDs! Syphilis!
Just thinking about it gave Lin Shen goosebumps, so he directly rejected her.
[Deer Seeker: Not convenient]
Exiting Xiaohongshu, Lin Shen carefully selected cycling equipment on Taobao, spending about five thousand yuan total.
Not cheap, but definitely not expensive either.
If it were the old Lin Shen, he would never touch such money-burning hobbies.
Now, with four hundred thousand in savings, he naturally wanted to live it up.
Not indulging would be a disservice to all the apps he’d cracked!