Thump, thump, thump.
He could faintly hear the sound of his heart beating against his chest. The short silence felt as long as a century. It was Lu Ke who broke the silence first. "To me, you're also a very charming person. Wait, this isn't the first time you've heard that, is it? If it is, you should consider changing your job."
His relaxed and teasing tone immediately eased the atmosphere. Candice couldn't help but laugh and retort, "Did you just realize that? Is your reaction time a little too slow? Are you sure you don't need to change careers? Is it okay for a quarterback to be so slow to react?"
"Shh, that's our secret. Remember not to tell anyone." Instead of refuting her, Lu Ke went along with it, which left Candice on the other end of the phone laughing and crying at the same time.
Knock, knock. A knock came from the door. Lu Ke called out, "Come in." Then he spoke into the phone again, "Sorry, I have some things to deal with here right now. I'll email you later. By the way, I watched the TV broadcast of this year's fashion show. Oh my gosh, you were the opening act? That was amazing! Congratulations!"
"Ha, now you know how silly your question was just now, right?" Candice also teased him back with a smile. After they said goodbye, she didn't delay and hung up the phone quickly. The phone rang with a busy tone and then returned to silence. But Candice was still sitting there, holding her phone, lost in thought. Her mind was blank, as if there were no thoughts at all, and yet it seemed like a million thoughts were tangled up without a beginning. She sat there, biting her lower lip, not moving at all.
"Candice? Candice!" The shouts in her ears grew from far away to close, and then exploded. But Candice still didn't react. It wasn't until a strong force hit her shoulder and broke her balance that Candice finally came to her senses. She saw her roommate, wearing fuzzy pajamas, with a gossipy look on her face. "What's wrong? What are you thinking about? Don't tell me you're thinking about a guy? Ooh ho ho?"
Candice grabbed a pillow from the sofa and threw it at her. "Yes, I'm thinking about your boyfriend. He actually chose a set of pajamas as a Christmas present? And a cute one at that? My God, are you sure he likes women?"
"Candice!" A roar, and then the two girls started a pillow fight. The scene was quite lively.
It was Sophie Brooks who came into the VIP lounge. Lu Ke was a little surprised. "Did those difficult journalists just give up like that?"
"I told them that they have to wait for the checkup results," Sophie said casually. "That's why we're here at the hospital today. Before we get the results, the team won't have anything to say."
In less than five minutes, Sophie successfully got the journalists to quiet down and gave a simple official statement. However, the journalists still didn't leave and were quietly waiting at the hospital entrance. They wouldn't give up until they got a result today.
"After the checkup, you can leave through the back door. Don't worry about the journalists." Sophie had come specifically to update Lu Ke on the situation. The team's break this week was relatively short, and they had to do their best to eliminate any off-field distractions to create a quieter and more relaxed environment for the players.
After giving her instructions, Sophie was about to leave. But then she noticed that Lu Ke hadn't changed his clothes yet, and a question popped into her mind. "I thought the checkup was about to start. Did the doctor tell you to wait here for a while?" As she spoke, Sophie noticed the piece of paper on the coffee table. Lu Ke had casually placed it there earlier.
A string of numbers and a name. After a quick glance, Sophie took in all the information. She shook her head repeatedly and said with amazement, "My God, do all professional athletes only think with the lower half of their bodies? You came here specifically for a checkup today. Please stay focused and don't cause trouble. Is that so difficult? One hour, two hours, and you can't even hold yourself back?"
Seeing that Lu Ke was about to retort, Sophie started to bombard him with questions like a machine gun. "There are more than 30 journalists gathered outside. They're waiting for a scoop, and your behavior could become a handle for them."
"Do you know that after yesterday's game, more and more people are paying attention to your every move? They all want to bury you, and you're now ruining your own career." Sophie went on and on, her anger rising. "At least in the hospital, please show some respect, okay?"
Suddenly, Sophie seemed to remember something, and her words came to a halt. She carefully looked around the room, as if she was worried that her intrusion had interrupted something good and that another person was still in the room.
Lu Ke, who had been quietly watching all of this, chuckled and ruthlessly retorted, "Wouldn't it be too late to start a checkup now?"
Sophie's eyes widened, and she stared at Lu Ke without a hint of a joke. Lu Ke could only raise his hands in surrender. "This is just a phone number a nurse left for me. I don't plan to contact her, and she's not in this room." After saying that, Lu Ke added, "I thought this was a perfectly normal thing and nothing to make a fuss about. Or does a player have to report his bedroom business to the team during the regular season?"
"Of course not!" Sophie said anxiously, taking two steps forward. She then realized her slip-up. She said in a flustered tone, "It's just for you. Just for today. You should know that in the past two weeks, there has been enough attention on you. You're a hot commodity right now, and the last thing you need is a scandal. Otherwise, the advantage you built up from yesterday's game could be ruined. You have to be responsible for your own career."
Lu Ke didn't say anything, just slightly lowered his chin to show that he understood.
All of a sudden, it became quiet. One second, two seconds. Lu Ke then realized that it was his turn to respond. "Understood! No problem! By the way, I might meet up with an old friend later, a college friend, Emily Provo, a journalist from the New York Times. She's a woman. That should be okay, right?"
"Okay?" Sophie's eyes were filled with disbelief. "She's a woman and a journalist. How can you be sure she won't set you up? Maybe the final gossip story will be leaked by her!"
Lu Ke didn't retort, just nodded. But his well-behaved and innocent demeanor appeared meaningful in Sophie's eyes. It was always like this. Standing in front of Lu Ke, she always felt like she was at a disadvantage. It was a terrible feeling. Sophie bent down and picked up the piece of paper. She crumpled it into a ball in her palm and said self-righteously, "Forbidden! In the hospital, this is forbidden! You'd better not call her, and you'd better not go to any nightclubs or bars. Otherwise, the team's official stance will be very difficult to maintain."
Lu Ke still didn't say anything, continuing to nod to show that he understood.
Sophie's next words got stuck in her throat. She felt annoyed. "Say something. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand," Lu Ke finally said, as if he had just realized it. "I was just wondering, is the team's management this strict now? Should I talk to Jim? Or Trent? Because I'm a very diligent and dedicated player, the team can be completely at ease."
Sophie's eyes widened, and she stared at Lu Ke. "What are you implying?"
Was Lu Ke implying that this was her personal behavior? This, this was too ridiculous! She had nothing to do with Lu Ke. She didn't care about Lu Ke's off-field behavior. No, she didn't care about Lu Ke's behavior at any time. The reason she was so demanding was just to protect the team's interests and not to let the situation they had worked so hard to build up be ruined. That was all there was to it!
Lu Ke looked at the furious and exasperated Sophie. A smile appeared on his face, and he shook his head slightly. "No, I'm not implying anything. Don't worry, I'll comply."
His words sounded like a condescending compromise, as if he was coaxing a child. This made Sophie's breath catch in her throat. She couldn't spit it out or swallow it down. She just stared at Lu Ke, who raised his hands in surrender. Even without a sound, his expression and actions were full of endless meaning.
But Sophie had no way to retort because once she said it out loud, she would be at a disadvantage. So, she could only stomp her foot and turn to leave, leaving a sentence behind. "Hurry up and change your clothes and get the checkup." Finally, she walked out of the lounge quickly, out of sight, out of mind.
Bang. The door closed with a loud sound, as if Sophie was protesting.
But Lu Ke couldn't help but chuckle. He imagined Sophie standing in the hallway, which was truly hilarious.
"Sorry! Sorry!" Outside the door, Sophie was also regretting it. She quickly nodded and apologized. This was a hospital, and the sound of the door closing just now was too loud, echoing throughout the hallway. This was definitely rude. Even if no one complained, Sophie still had to apologize. Deep down, Sophie gritted her teeth. It's all because of that damn Lu Ke! All because of him!
She quickly walked to the end of the hallway, found the restroom, and threw the crumpled piece of paper into the toilet before flushing it all away.
As for Lu Ke, who was left in the lounge, after a little chuckle, he quickly straightened up and changed into a light and loose set of clothes to prepare for the checkup.
Everything today was so abnormal. The journalists, the nurse, Candice, Sophie, and even Emily. Was the impact of yesterday's game so huge that it changed the rules of the entire universe?
In just the time it took to change his clothes, the quick-witted Lu Ke had already written a sci-fi novel in his mind.
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