Chapter 1 Zhang Jun's Silence

Zhang Jun still went to Milanello for training with Yang Pan and Kaka, but he was noticeably more silent than before, and he smiled less.

The atmosphere within the team was fairly normal, at least on the surface. No one accused Zhang Jun of doing something he shouldn't have done or saying something he shouldn't have said.

Ancelotti remained as expressionless as usual, neither seeking Zhang Jun out for a heart-to-heart nor expressing his dissatisfaction to reporters.

Everything seemed perfectly normal until two days before AC Milan's away game against Lazio in Rome, when Ancelotti announced the sixteen-man squad list, and Zhang Jun's name was nowhere to be found, neither in the starting eleven nor on the bench.

Facing over a dozen Chinese reporters, Ancelotti's explanation was simple and reasonable: "Zhang's current form obviously hasn't adjusted to a level suitable for the game, so he won't be participating in our match against Lazio. It's that simple."

Someone questioned whether this decision was related to the penalty incident in the previous game, but Ancelotti merely glanced coldly at the reporter and refused to answer.

※※※

Zhang Jun watched from the living room as Yang Pan packed his shoes into his bag. Yang Pan would be flying to Rome with the rest of the team early tomorrow morning to acclimatize to the pitch and prepare for the match the day after, a match in which he would play no part.

This was the first time since coming to AC Milan that Zhang Jun had missed an AC Milan game when he wasn't injured, sick, or on leave.

Yang Pan zipped up his bag, considering himself packed. Then, he poured himself a glass of water and returned to the sofa to sit down.

Next, he looked at Zhang Jun, and Zhang Jun looked at him. The two of them stared at each other, but neither said anything.

Yang Pan, looking at Zhang Jun's lifeless face, was the first to give in. He stood up, pretending to stretch: "I'm going to Rome tomorrow, so I'm going to bed. You should get some rest too..."

No sooner had Yang Pan gone upstairs than Zhang Jun received a phone call from a beautiful woman.

"Zhang, are you free the afternoon after tomorrow?"

The call was in English, and Zhang Jun didn't recognize the voice. "May I ask who's calling?"

"Ilaria, it's Ilaria. Have you forgotten me so quickly?" Ilaria D'Amico said with a laugh.

"Ilaria?" Zhang Jun was even more surprised after learning who it was. "How did you get my number?"

"Reporters know everything, hehe. That's not important. Are you free the afternoon after tomorrow, Zhang Jun?" Ilaria tossed her hair. Pippo had gone to shower after their intimacy, leaving her time to call Zhang Jun.

"The afternoon after tomorrow..." Zhang Jun thought about it. He didn't have any interviews or match duties. On a match day that would electrify all of Italy, he was as free as a retired old man. "I don't have any plans. What's up?"

Ilaria tilted her head, seeing the closed bathroom door, from which the sound of rushing water emanated. She sat back down and said into the phone, "Actually, it's nothing important. I just wanted to invite you to dinner, like a date."

Zhang Jun almost dropped his phone in shock. "A... a date? Are you kidding me? Ilaria..."

Ilaria laughed. "You silly boy, what are you thinking? In Italy, the word 'date' is very normal. It's not what you Chinese people think it is. I just noticed you've been down for the past two weeks, so I wanted to chat with you."

Zhang Jun was deeply touched. Ilaria was like an older sister to him, caring so much. "Okay, I'll go. Tell me the specific time and place. Uh, try to make the place a little secluded."

"Got it. I'm a reporter myself. I know what to do, hee hee!" Ilaria said with a playful laugh. "I'll text you the location when I've decided, okay?"

"Okay."

"Then, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Zhang Jun hung up the phone, finally feeling a bit of warmth. In this unfamiliar city of Milan, there was still a beautiful Italian sister who cared about him.

His relationship with the entire AC Milan team was currently strained, and he naturally couldn't feel the care of Yang Pan and Kaka.

※※※

After hanging up with Zhang Jun, Ilaria glanced at the bathroom again, where the water was still running. She lowered her head and dialed a number. "Hello, Mr. Christiansen. I've already called him, and he's agreed. I don't think there will be any problems. Good, let's choose that place then. It meets his requirements—quiet and secluded, no one to disturb us. But sir, do you really think this will get him to reveal an exclusive scoop? Hmm, I understand. I'll do as you say. Then, I should have it edited by Monday. Alright, goodnight."

As soon as Ilaria hung up the phone, she saw Inzaghi standing at the door with a towel wrapped around his lower body, startling her. "Who were you on the phone with so late?" Inzaghi asked, looking at Ilaria.

Ilaria was a little flustered, but she quickly regained her composure, tossing her lover a dry towel. "Dry your hair. I won't let you on the bed until it's dry. I was on the phone with the boss at the station. He asked me to stay in Milan on Sunday to work overtime."

Inzaghi obediently took the towel and dried his hair, but frowned when he heard Ilaria's words. "Alessandro Christiansen? That guy..." He had met the general manager of Sky Italia and always felt that he looked at Ilaria with lust in his eyes, making him very uncomfortable. He had always been trying to persuade Ilaria to leave Sky Italia, since she still had shows on RAI and wouldn't have to worry about work. "So you're not going to Rome to watch my game?"

Ilaria breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that as long as she mentioned the boss's name, she could successfully divert Pippo's attention, and now there were no problems. Having resolved the immediate crisis, Ilaria jumped off the bed and walked naked to Inzaghi. "You silly boy, I can't help it with work. But I'll be cheering for you in Milan. It's your first start since your comeback. Perform well, mmm..." She gently kissed Inzaghi's still-damp lips, then walked gracefully towards the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower. You have to get up early tomorrow, so don't wait for me. Go to sleep."

Inzaghi turned his head to look at Ilaria's graceful figure, still savoring the intimacy he had just shared with her in bed. He had fallen hopelessly in love with this girl, who was only twenty-two days younger than him, after meeting her in the summer of the previous year. Although Ilaria had taken the initiative to pursue him, he had been happy to go along with it.

After countless frustrating relationships and scandals, Filippo Inzaghi had rediscovered the feeling of being in love with Ilaria D'Amico, and it was passionate love at that.

※※※

It was now lunchtime, and Sophie, after finishing her boxed lunch, planned to take a nap at her desk. However, the other people in the office were seizing this precious lunchtime to battle fiercely—at Landlords. The constant noise made it impossible for her to fall asleep. Usually, she would use music to drown out the clamor, but unfortunately, her MP3 player was dead today, as she had forgotten to charge it last night.

After struggling for fifteen minutes, the depressed Sophie finally decided to abandon her napping plans for today, and got up to fiddle with her camera.

In the blink of an eye, she had been working at this small newspaper for three months, and her internship was coming to an end. However, Zeng Yi wouldn't let her sign a formal contract, because he had already agreed with Li Yan to send her to Beijing, as an assistant and photojournalist to Yan Wei, Li Yan's former partner, to study sports photography and interviewing for a few more months.

Sophie felt a little reluctant that she would have to leave so soon.

The newspaper office wasn't big, but the colleagues inside were nice to her. Aside from being surprised at first when they heard that she was the girlfriend of soccer star Zhang Jun, they hadn't done anything to embarrass her. Everyone still treated her like an ordinary colleague, because making a fuss over every little thing was annoying.

At first, they would invite Sophie to play cards, but Sophie didn't know how to play, whether it was mahjong or poker. Later, they stopped inviting her, and she was happy to have some time to do what she wanted to do, to think about her worries.

Sophie was a little distracted today. She already knew about Zhang Jun's performance after the Milan derby, and it wasn't optimistic. She was often scolded by Zeng Yi for her absent-mindedness because of this.

Sometimes, Sophie really wished she could fly to Zhang Jun's side right now and spend these difficult years with him. However, after this momentary impulse, reason overcame emotion, because that idea was too unrealistic.

Zeng Yi walked over, and seeing that Sophie wasn't sleeping, decided to talk to her about serious business. "Things are pretty much settled in Beijing. You can report for work there in another two weeks."

"Thank you, Brother Zeng."

Zeng Yi nodded. "You have to work hard when you get to Beijing. You really have a talent."

Sophie was a little surprised. This was the first time she had heard Zeng Yi praise her so explicitly. She looked at Zeng Yi with wide eyes, puzzled.

Zeng Yi was a little embarrassed by her gaze. "I'm going now. You should get some rest. You have an interview assignment this afternoon. Oh, right, here, borrow this." He placed his MP3 player on Sophie's desk.

Sophie certainly understood Zeng Yi's meaning, which was for her to listen to music so she could fall asleep.

"Thank you, Brother Zeng."

Zeng Yi waved his hand gently, saying nothing.

Sophie put on her headphones, turned on the MP3 player, and lay down on the desk again. The music started soon, and she fell asleep quickly.

※※※

While Yang Pan and Kaka were warming up at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, facing the boos of the Lazio fans, Zhang Jun was having a low-key "date" with Ilaria D'Amico at a Western restaurant.

"Sorry, I'm late." Ilaria sat down in front of Zhang Jun, and also flicked her hair. When dating, you should always deliberately be late. From this point of view, Ilaria entered the state very quickly.

"Ah... it's okay. I've only been here for ten minutes." Zhang Jun said this absolutely not out of a desire to comfort a woman, but because he had only arrived ten minutes earlier than Ilaria. He had left very early, but because he wasn't familiar with the streets, he was afraid of keeping Ilaria waiting.

Ilaria smiled at Zhang Jun. "Would you like to eat something?" While speaking, she took the menu from the waiter.

Zhang Jun shrugged. "Whatever. You seem very familiar with this place. This is my first time here."

Ilaria looked at the menu, and then said to the waiter, "Two set meals, please!"

While Ilaria was speaking to the waiter, Zhang Jun was looking out the window. Now that the waiter had left, he was still looking out the window, completely unsure of how to start a conversation.

Ilaria looked at Zhang Jun's awkward appearance and found it somewhat amusing. He really was a little brother who hadn't grown up yet. She decided to be more proactive. "Is this your first time dating a woman who isn't your girlfriend?"

Zhang Jun's face turned slightly red. "I... I guess so."

"Then let's try it today. How about going to a hotel later?" Ilaria winked her charming eyes at Zhang Jun with a smile.

"This... Ilaria..." Zhang Jun's face turned even redder.

"You silly boy, I'm just kidding." Ilaria reached out and tapped Zhang Jun on the forehead. After interacting with Zhang Jun a few times, she liked this twenty-four-year-old young man more and more. This kind of liking wasn't that kind of love between a man and a woman, but more like the love of an older sister for her younger brother. She always regarded this somewhat shy Chinese boy as her younger brother.

After understanding Ilaria's meaning, Zhang Jun smiled embarrassedly, but he quickly fell silent again.

Ilaria knew that Zhang Jun hadn't been in a good mood lately, and his relationship with the team wasn't satisfactory. According to Pippo, Zhang Jun now felt like someone who was isolated, and he wouldn't try to break the barriers between them himself.

But today, she wasn't here to help Zhang Jun deal with these problems. In fact, she was merely carrying out "superior orders" to interview Zhang Jun under the guise of a date, and to dig up some "inside information." This inside information referred to the depths of Zhang Jun's heart.

Many reporters who had interviewed Zhang Jun knew that his attitude towards the news media wasn't very good. His polite smile was a symbol of keeping people at arm's length. Of those who talked about Zhang Jun in newspapers, magazines, television, and radio every day, how many could understand his inner thoughts?

Ilaria couldn't either, so this time she intended to see it. His smile, his sadness, his pain, his helplessness, in short, everything. She wanted to understand everything clearly.

But... how should she start the conversation?

Ilaria remembered the little story Zhang Jun had told about his successful comeback after recovering from his injury in the Netherlands. In it, he was very grateful to his girlfriend. It seemed that this girl named "Sophie" must be someone he cared about a lot, so she would start with her.

"I see that you seem to care a lot about your girlfriend..." Before Ilaria could finish her sentence, Zhang Jun nodded. "It's not 'seem to care,' it's that I care. You may not know, Ilaria. Sophie is the most important person in my life. My current position is inseparable from her."

"Then... what kind of girl is she?"

"Uh... I can't really say. Very good, very good anyway." Zhang Jun scratched the back of his head lightly.

"The last time we did a program together, you were constantly praising her. I think being loved by you so wholeheartedly must make her a very happy girl."

Zhang Jun waved his hands quickly. "No, no. I'm the one who's happy."

Ilaria smiled. What a sentimental person.

"I know you haven't been having a very smooth time lately..." After a brief chat, the atmosphere eased somewhat, and Ilaria decided to get down to business.

Zhang Jun's expression immediately changed from happiness to sadness. He still couldn't let go of his father's death, and that feeling would always find him in the dead of night.

Ilaria decided to strike while the iron was hot and delve into Zhang Jun's heart. "I'm very sorry about your father's matter... But I don't think you need to always wallow in this kind of grief. After all, life must go on..." Ilaria found that she couldn't continue, because there were faint tears in Zhang Jun's eyes.

"I know, I know you're right. Everyone advises me to look forward, and that life must go on... But sometimes I can't control my emotions, like... like now." Zhang Jun sniffed and wiped his face with his left hand. He was trying hard not to cry in front of Ilaria.

※※※

"Beautiful! Filippo Inzaghi! This is his second goal of the season, scoring in consecutive games!" The Sky Italia commentator shouted excitedly. "Pippo, who has recovered from his injury, is in great form! The Lazio defense is like nothing in front of him! He received a pass from Kaka in the penalty area, turned and shot, and the ball went past goalkeeper Peruzzi's feet and into the goal!"

At the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Inzaghi ran wildly in excitement. In more than two months, he had never felt as happy as he did today. What could be more exciting than this kind of performance?

"Lazio put up a very stubborn performance today, holding off the powerful AC Milan for sixty-nine minutes. But it has to be said that Inzaghi was too outstanding. Kaka's pass wasn't a good opportunity, but Inzaghi turned it into a goal! The 'Super Pippo' of the past is finally back!"

"I think many of Pippo's fans have been waiting for this day for a long time, right? Andriy Shevchenko and Filippo Inzaghi, the Milan forward line that made countless teams tremble with fear, is finally complete!"

The more than ten thousand AC Milan fans who had traveled to the Stadio Olimpico with the team were the happiest people at this moment. They shouted Inzaghi's nickname in unison, cheering for their idol.

"Pippo! Pippo!! Pippo!!!"

Yang Pan was warming up on the sidelines, waiting for Ancelotti's call at any moment. He looked at Inzaghi's excited face, feeling a little headache. Zhang Jun and Filippo were both very excellent forwards. If he were the head coach, he wouldn't want to give up either of them. Now that these two people were about to "fight" for a starting spot, what should he, who was caught in the middle, do?

Yang Pan didn't end up playing in this game. Although Lazio stubbornly tied the score in the seventy-fifth minute, the in-form Inzaghi shattered Lazio's last hope with a follow-up shot. That was in the eighty-seventh minute, when Shevchenko took a powerful shot from long range, the goalkeeper fumbled, and Inzaghi successfully made a follow-up shot, locking in AC Milan's 2-1 victory.

Ancelotti, who intended to strengthen the defense in the last five minutes, replaced Seedorf with Ambrosini, who was more balanced in attack and defense.

And Inzaghi, who scored two goals alone, was also named the best player of the match after the game, becoming the most popular person in European football this weekend.

※※※

For a long time, Ilaria didn't speak, and Zhang Jun finally managed to keep the tears inside his eyes. "My father taught me how to play football since I was little, and he cultivated my interest in football. Even when I chose to give up my studies to play professional football, he was the first to encourage me. Many times, he felt less like a father and more like my friend. Now, whenever I see football, I will definitely think of my dad. I can't forget, I can't pretend to be okay. I don't know if this is very cowardly..."

"I'm... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up your sadness..." Ilaria apologized quickly, but in fact, she was very happy inside. As long as the topic continued like this, she would be able to know many things that other reporters didn't know, and those would all be exclusive scoops!

"It's okay, you don't need to mind, Ilaria. These are all my personal matters..."

Ilaria's heart sank when she heard these words. So he still regarded her as an outsider after all. So, the idea that she could see through Zhang Jun's heart was so naive.

Zhang Jun's heart was far from something that an outsider like her, who had only chatted with him a few times, could understand. Ilaria realized with some sadness that it seemed impossible for her to use a date to get Zhang Jun to talk.

As a result, this "date" really became a date.

The two of them chatted casually about all sorts of things, trying to avoid touching on those easily sad corners.

When they noticed that it was getting late, they realized that it was time to say goodbye.

After paying the bill, the two of them stood at the door to say goodbye to each other. They were walking in completely opposite directions, otherwise, they might have been able to walk together for a while.

"Thank you for specifically coming out to listen to my nonsense, Ilaria."

"You don't need to thank me. I was the one who called you to ask you out." Ilaria winked at Zhang Jun.

"Oh... that's right." Zhang Jun scratched his head. "Well then, goodbye, Ilaria." He turned to leave.

"Hey!" Ilaria had something she wanted to say to Zhang Jun, so she called out. But when she saw that Zhang Jun had really stopped and turned around, she suddenly couldn't say anything.

"Is something the matter, Ilaria?"

"Uh... goodbye, Zhang Jun."

"Okay." Zhang Jun nodded and walked towards the Hummer Jeep parked by the side of the road.

Ilaria stood on the other side, watching him pull open the car door, get in, and finally start the car and drive away slowly. As the car drove away, she could still see Zhang Jun reaching out and waving out the window.

She had originally wanted to say some words of encouragement to him, but suddenly remembered that he was Pippo's competitor, and as a result, she said nothing. From this date, it could be seen that Zhang Jun was a somewhat naive and simple child. For example, he had never doubted her motive for suddenly asking him out, nor had he thought about whether her identity as Pippo's lover would harm him.

Perhaps it was as some media had said, Zhang Jun hated Pippo because Pippo had taken his starting position. But Ilaria would add a sentence of her own: That kind of hatred was limited to football, that's all.

"The motivation for playing football?" Zhang Jun stirred the coffee in his cup. "I want... to play football happily, make many friends, and then continue to play football with them. I think that's what you call motivation, right? Although there will be some changes now, overall that's it."

"A very good ideal, Zhang." She had even praised him with a smile at the time.

Looking back now, she could only admire her acting skills.

Professional football isn't as simple as you think, just playing football with your friends and being happy. Many things that you don't want to understand are happening every day, you just don't see them.

So, take care, Zhang. You can't always meet only good people your whole life.

※※※

"Did you get the shots?"

"Yes, according to the time and place you said, they were indeed dating there. I photographed everything, not missing a single movement. Both photos and videos are available..."

"Alright, you talk too much. This is your payment. Leave the film behind. Don't let me see you again in the future."

"Hehe, easy, easy. Deal!"

※※※

When Yang Pan rushed home directly from the airport, Zhang Jun was in the kitchen making dinner.

"You're back just in time, just in time for dinner. Fortunately, I made enough, otherwise you'd only have instant noodles tonight." Zhang Jun said, looking at the surprised Yang Pan.

Yang Pan was indeed a little surprised. Since arguing with Zhang Jun that day, this was the first time he had seen Zhang Jun say so much in one breath.

"What's wrong? Your face looks bad. Did you play the full ninety minutes today?" Zhang Jun turned to tend to the beef in the pot.

Yang Pan's lips curled up, smiling. This unlidded toilet was finally willing to open its lid? He threw his bag on the ground and walked straight to the dining table, grabbing a piece of fried egg with his hand and putting it in his mouth. "No, I didn't play... Inzaghi, he..." He was considering whether to tell Zhang Jun this news.

But Zhang Jun didn't react at all. Yang Pan looked at his back, not knowing what his expression was at this moment.

"Yeah, Inzaghi scored twice in the game, and we won 2-1 against Lazio."

"Oh." Zhang Jun just responded with a sound, without any other expression.

"Zhang Jun..." Zhang Jun's reaction made Yang Pan dare not relax, because this attitude was too ambiguous. Was he indifferent, or unwilling? Or was he trying his best to suppress the hatred in his heart? Yang Pan didn't know.

"Which plate do you want, Yang Pan?" Zhang Jun turned around, holding two plates filled with beef in his hands.

"Uh? Um... whatever."

Yang Pan decided not to delve into this issue for now. Eating was more important. After all, from the current situation, things were getting better little by little, weren't they?

※※※

Zhang Jun still went to Milanello for training with Yang Pan and Kaka every day, just like usual. The smile on his face was increasing little by little. In the eyes of others, he was gradually recovering from the blow of his father's death. His relationship with his teammates and the coach wasn't as strained as it had been the previous week. Especially with Inzaghi, he was already able to greet him when they met.

For Zhang Jun, a stubborn person, this was not an easy thing to do!

"Thank God, Zhang Jun is finally back to normal!" Kaka made a cross on his chest.

Li Yan and Galliani were observing the players' training on the field while chatting. "It seems that Zhang Jun has figured it out, and knows where he went wrong." Galliani was quite satisfied with Zhang Jun's recent performance.

Li Yan nodded noncommittally. He knew how stubborn Zhang Jun was. Had he weighed things up and decided that his future at AC Milan was more important?

If that was the case, how was he going to compete with Inzaghi, who was in good form and trusted by Ancelotti? Just relying on his performance in training and the little time he had as a substitute?

No matter how you try to make up for it, the cracks that have been created can't be completely erased. They will always leave more or less, deeper or shallower, marks in people's hearts. And these marks will affect your future.

※※※

"Ilaria, how did you do with the task last time?" Alessandro Christiansen called Ilaria into his general manager's office. Because the following conversation wasn't something that everyone could hear, it had to be kept confidential. Otherwise, if it got out, it would definitely add a lot of unnecessary trouble to the station, and even add a huge disaster to his own future.

Ilaria D'Amico sat across from the general manager, and she shook her head. "I didn't get any valuable information."

"Didn't get any valuable information?" Christiansen frowned. "Don't tell me you were just talking nonsense with him for more than two hours?"

"According to your arrangement, I was on a date with him, Mr. Christiansen."

"You..." Christiansen stared at Ilaria and asked, "You wouldn't be deliberately hiding something, would you?"

"Why would I hide anything, Mr. Christiansen? To him, no matter how close I get to him, I'm just an ordinary friend, an outsider. Do you really think that just because of a few interviews and a few phone calls, he would tell me everything? Mr. Christiansen." Ilaria wasn't afraid either, looking at her superior, Mr. Alessandro Christiansen.

"Then... alright, you can go. Go back to work." Christiansen lowered his head and waved his hand.

Ilaria also got up to leave very simply.

After watching Ilaria close the door, Christiansen picked up the phone on the desk and dialed a number.

"How have you been considering the matter I mentioned last time? Those photos are definitely genuine, and this price is very reasonable. You have to know that you're not the only ones interested in these photos... Um, then it's settled. You transfer the money to my account, and the photos will be sent to you. Happy cooperation."

"Hello, about the video... Okay, transfer the money to my account, and the video will be yours..."

※※※

Zhang Jun knew that he would be starting in the league game the next day. This didn't mean that he had successfully regained his starting position. On the contrary, it showed that Ancelotti valued Inzaghi more. In order to prepare for the Champions League in the middle of next week, Ancelotti needed the main players to get enough rest. In this home game against the weak team Brescia, Zhang Jun would form a forward partnership with another substitute, Borriello. Kaka, Shevchenko, and Inzaghi would be absent. Yang Pan was still sitting on the bench. Not even letting him start in such a game, maybe Ancelotti felt that Yang Pan's role after coming on as a substitute was greater.

Zhang Jun wouldn't care what the head coach was thinking. He only knew that the opportunity to prove himself again had come. He would use Brescia to "demonstrate" to Ancelotti: In terms of scoring goals, he wouldn't lose to anyone.

The news that Zhang Jun would be starting spread back to China, and many people were relieved. During this period of time, Zhang Jun had been depressed both on and off the field, causing many of his fans to worry about him.

Many people hoped that Zhang Jun would cheer up through this game and find confidence against Brescia.

Just like before, every time someone doubted him, he would stand up and use practical actions to prove that they were all wrong.

This time, please prove to those who doubt you and attack you, Zhang Jun!

※※※

"Zhang Jun, you don't seem very happy." Yang Pan saw that Zhang Jun didn't have a smile on his face during breakfast, which wasn't like him before. "You're starting in today's game."

Zhang Jun nodded somewhat cautiously. "I think... it won't be too late to be happy after I score a goal."

"Oh." Yang Pan grabbed the newspaper from the side. He didn't have to go to training today, so he could enjoy a leisurely breakfast. Reading the newspaper could help him understand the major events happening every day, and also help him improve his Italian skills, killing two birds with one stone.

Seeing Yang Pan spreading out the newspaper, Zhang Jun frowned. He had never approved of reading while eating. "Hey, Yang Pan, it's not good to read the newspaper while eating."

"Mmm, I know, I know. I only do this once a week..." Yang Pan drank a mouthful of milk nonchalantly.

Zhang Jun shook his head helplessly. It was always like this. He would advise him whenever he saw it, but Yang Pan wouldn't listen. He was just saying it anyway. After all, everyone had their own way of life. As long as it didn't pose a threat to others, he had no reason to demand others to meet his standards. Just like Yang Pan never interfered with his way of playing football, even though he had suffered some hardships for it. He also never interfered with Yang Pan reading the newspaper while eating, even though he might choke or get something in his throat...

"Cough! Cough cough!" Yang Pan, who was reading the newspaper, suddenly coughed violently, scaring Zhang Jun across from him.

"What's wrong? Did you choke? I told you not to read the newspaper while eating..." Zhang Jun quickly took out a napkin and handed it to Yang Pan, so that he could wipe the milk stains from the corners of his mouth, and also took the newspaper from his hand.

Just as he was about to put the newspaper aside, he caught a glimpse of his own photo.

※※※

"Honey, are you up yet? You don't have a game today, so go back to sleep for a while." Ilaria was standing at the door to get the newspaper when she heard a series of footsteps coming from the corridor behind her.

Inzaghi, with messy hair, hugged Ilaria from behind, put his nose to her fair neck, and murmured, "How can I sleep peacefully if I can't see you?"

Ilaria's neck was tickled by Inzaghi's breath, and she couldn't help but twist her head and laugh. "Stop it, if you can't sleep, go wash your face. I'll go make you something to eat."

Inzaghi obediently let go of Ilaria, but also took the newspaper from her hand. "You go ahead and get busy, I'll find you in the dining room when I'm done." Before leaving, he gently bit Ilaria's earlobe.

As Ilaria blushed, Inzaghi had already entered the bathroom with the newspaper. Sitting on the toilet, he opened the newspaper and went straight to the sports section. But he was stunned, Ilaria's smiling face appeared before his eyes.

This was a photo that looked like it had been taken secretly. In a rather stylish restaurant, his lover, girlfriend, fiancée, Ilaria D'Amico, was smiling happily, and the black-haired kid sitting across from her was actually...

※※※

Zhang Jun held the two ends of the newspaper tightly in his hands. He actually saw a photo of himself and Ilaria on their date last Sunday afternoon in the sports section!

In the photo, he and Ilaria were sitting opposite each other, and Ilaria was touching his forehead with her hand, with a smile on her face. This looked extremely ambiguous!

Compared to the ambiguous vagueness of the photo, the headline was much more straightforward:

Zhang Jun's Date with Ilaria!

The subtitle was even more shocking: Perhaps Pippo, who has regained his starting position on the field, will lose his love in the dating game?!

With a "rip," Zhang Jun's hands trembled, and the fifty-page newspaper was torn in half.