Chapter 1 Chen Hero and Cabral Arrive in Chengdu

Chen Hero and Cabral didn't arrive at Chengdu's Shuangliu Airport until after ten o'clock in the evening. By this time, his parents had been waiting at the airport for more than two hours.

Waiting for Chen Hero with them were many fans who had read the reports and made a special trip to see their idol, as well as numerous media outlets.

Chen Hero had just scored five goals in the game against Manchester City, and he had done it with such ease, turning powerful crossbows into dust with a smile. It was truly satisfying.

So at this time, his popularity had exploded.

However, Chen Hero didn't accept any interviews with the media, nor did he sign autographs for the fans. He simply waved to them as a greeting.

This time, he had come back to celebrate his father's birthday, which was a very personal matter. He didn't want to publicize it in the media, as if he had to use this method to show his filial piety. That would be hype, too hypocritical. In fact, Chen Hero had always disliked those who took private matters to the media, talking about them in front of the public. He always felt that those people were just using the public's curiosity and admiration for private emotions such as family and love to promote themselves and elevate their status.

Chen Hero wouldn't do such a thing. That's why he didn't mention to the media at all that he was coming back to celebrate his father's birthday. He felt that private matters were private matters. Since he claimed that the right to privacy should be protected, then he shouldn't be constantly exposing his family affairs in the media. If you rely on exposing your family affairs to promote yourself, then don't complain about the paparazzi digging up your privacy.

If it weren't for Martin O'Neill, many media outlets probably wouldn't have imagined that Chen Hero would make such a super turnaround, flying from England to China immediately after finishing the game, spending a day on the road, just to celebrate his father's birthday.

At the airport, Chen Hero hugged his parents and then introduced Cabral to them.

"My girlfriend, Christine Cabral. You can call her Christine."

"Uncle and Aunt, hello." When Chen Hero asked Dracula to find him a bodyguard, he had requested someone who could speak simple Chinese, so it was not surprising that Chinese phrases came out of Cabral's mouth.

After speaking, she went up and gave the two elders a hug. Fortunately, Chen Hero's parents were not short—otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to give birth to someone of Chen Hero's height—so when hugging, the tall Cabral didn't deliberately bend down.

Not only did their son fly back from thousands of miles away to celebrate his birthday, but he also brought back a tall, beautiful, and extraordinary girlfriend. The two elders immediately felt honored and beamed with joy.

After a simple greeting at the airport, the four of them left under the cameras of reporters and the cheers of fans.

Many passengers on the same flight then realized that there was such a big star among the passengers who flew to Chengdu with them…

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Chen Hero and Cabral rested at home for one night, which was the only night they could stay at home after returning to China this time.

They didn't get up until after nine o'clock the next day.

Actually, although it was said that Chen Hero was celebrating his father's birthday, it was actually very simple. He just booked a restaurant in advance. The restaurant would naturally make arrangements. Chen Hero's father's birthday was not a small matter, and the restaurant would not neglect it. So many things didn't need Chen Hero to worry about. It wasn't a wedding, so there weren't so many formalities.

Chen Hero didn't plan to make it too ostentatious, with convoys and performances.

When the time came, the family of four drove to the restaurant and greeted the relatives and friends who came to offer birthday wishes at the entrance. When the time came, they started the meal. At most, Chen Hero would go up and say a few words.

Next, everyone would eat, drink, and play whatever they wanted. Chen Hero, according to Sichuan customs, specially booked all the mahjong rooms in the restaurant. If it wasn't enough, there was a teahouse next door, which he also booked, so that the guests could play mahjong. They would have another meal in the evening, and that would be it—compared to those wealthy people and officials, Chen Hero's celebration of his father's fiftieth birthday was really too simple. Any ordinary person would celebrate their birthday like this. It couldn't be more low-key.

Chen Hero couldn't stay until the evening. After lunch, he and Cabral would leave to catch the flight from Chengdu to Beijing, and then transfer from Beijing back to Liverpool.

The time was so tight, just to come back and celebrate his father's birthday.

Every guest who came to the birthday banquet would praise Chen Tao for having a good son, a successful one.

Obviously, they felt that Chen Hero had made a name for himself and made a lot of money, so they would say that. At most, some people with a higher level of awareness would only feel that Chen Hero was winning glory for the country, so he was successful.

But Chen Tao didn't care about these things at all. His son was successful because he had traveled thousands of miles from England just to celebrate his birthday.

That was true success.

So before lunch started, Chen Hero held the microphone and said in front of his father, "Dad, happy birthday! I hope you live to be younger and younger!"

Chen Tao's eyes welled up with tears.

He wasn't the sentimental type, but his tear ducts were particularly developed these past two days, because he was easily moved. His once unpromising son, who had made him sigh countless times, had finally grown up…

This was more fulfilling than nurturing him to make a lot of money and become famous.

Chen Hero obviously saw the tears in his father's eyes, and he was also a little emotional, but this wasn't the time to hug each other and cry. It was a birthday celebration, so everyone should be happy. What was there to cry about?

So he quickly changed the subject, "But even if you're younger, don't forget about my mom!"

The whole hall laughed.

Hero's mother scolded from the side, "Don't talk nonsense!"

Chen Tao was also amused by his son's antics, and he immediately stopped feeling emotional, his expression and mentality returning to normal.

In this way, the birthday banquet finally didn't let "tears" become the theme.

Cabral stood next to Hero's mother, watching the harmonious scene of the three people, with a smile on her face, but suddenly thought of her own family.

Although their family wasn't rich, and although her younger siblings always had many things that bothered her, the family was still together, wasn't that happiness?

Hero was so filial to his parents, he was a kind-hearted person, so he should be able to accept her family, right?

Cabral had always been unwilling to talk about her family matters in front of Chen Hero, because she was worried that Chen Hero might not be able to accept her big family. Because from her observation of Chen Hero in their daily interactions, Chen Hero wasn't the kind of guy who was particularly patient and loving.

So she didn't mention it. She had even thought it through. If Chen Hero really couldn't accept it, then she would break up with him. After all, to her, family was more important than love.

She didn't expect that Chen Hero seemed to have changed. He was starting to become more mature and more loving.

This reassured Cabral a lot. At least for now, she didn't have to worry about losing this relationship.

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After celebrating his father's birthday and having lunch, Chen Hero and Cabral said goodbye to everyone and then took a taxi to Shuangliu Airport.

In the car, Cabral finally had the opportunity to talk about her impressions of this short trip to China.

"Chinese people celebrate birthdays so lively… so many people came!"

This time, Chen Hero's father invited forty tables. The people who came included Chen Tao's classmates, relatives, business friends and partners, and some clients. Because Chen Tao was a local in Chengdu, his network was quite extensive. There were also some people who came for Chen Hero, so there were naturally even more people.

Chen Hero smiled.

"We Chinese people just like热闹 (rè nào, lively atmosphere), so you'll always feel a buzzing in your ears in restaurants." Many people take pride in Westerners talking quietly in restaurants, but liveliness is in the nature of Chinese people. The dinner table is an important occasion for Chinese social interaction, so it's difficult to ask everyone to be silent or lower their voices when eating. Different countries and different ethnic groups have different cultures, so there's no need to demean one to elevate another. The key is that you have to do as the Romans do. When you go abroad, you respect their etiquette, and in China, you follow Chinese rules.

Cabral nodded, "But I think this feeling is pretty good. My family… has always been so noisy since I can remember. There are a lot of people, the house is small, everyone is crowded together, and it's especially lively during meals…"

Chen Hero listened silently, because in his memory, this seemed to be the first time Cabral had taken the initiative to talk to him about her family.

Unfortunately, Cabral didn't say much.

She turned to look at Chen Hero, "Today reminded me of my home, it's very亲切 (qīn qiè, warm and welcoming), I like it."

Seeing her so tender, which was rare, Chen Hero reached out and hugged her, letting her lean against his chest.

"If you like it, then I'll take you here often in the future. This summer, after my season is over, we'll go back to China and have a good time. I guarantee you'll fall in love with this country!"

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Chen Hero and Cabral arrived in Beijing from Chengdu without any major problems, only half an hour late. Chen Hero had fully considered the privacy issue of delays when booking the tickets, so the time in between was ample, so there was no need to worry that if they were late here, they would miss the next flight.

When they boarded the plane from Beijing to Liverpool, it was 7:30 p.m. Beijing time on January 1st. Half an hour later, the plane would take off. Currently, the plane was taxiing, the fuselage shaking slightly.

More than eleven hours later, they would arrive in Liverpool. The landing time would be 10:30 p.m. local time in England on January 1st.

And the game was on the 3rd, so Chen Hero would still be able to make it to the pre-match training on January 2nd. It wouldn't delay the home game against Newcastle.

Strictly speaking, Chen Hero did take two days off, no more. From the evening of December 30th to the evening of January 1st, a full two days.

He scored five goals in the game against Manchester City before coming, successfully returned to China, celebrated his father's fiftieth birthday after returning to China, and also seemed to have invisibly narrowed the distance between himself and Cabral. Now, it wouldn't delay the game against Newcastle.

Chen Hero felt that his plan was just too perfect!

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ps, today is four updates~~