The sun was beginning to set when it was time for Lin Yi to leave.
His suitcase rested beside the car in the driveway while Elizabeth helped him make sure everything was packed. The quiet beach house that had felt so alive earlier now carried a softer mood.
Reality had returned.
Lin Yi had a flight to catch with the team. The trip to Houston for the All-Star weekend couldn't wait.
Elizabeth closed the trunk after placing the suitcase inside. When she turned around, Lin Yi was already standing close to her.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
His eyes drifted briefly to her hand. The diamond ring caught the light as she absentmindedly touched it.
Lin Yi smiled softly.
Bending at the waist, he cupped her face gently with both hands and kissed her—slow, deliberate, a promise pressed against her lips. When he drew back, his dark eyes held hers steadily.
"Sorry," he said quietly. "Proposing and then leaving you right after isn't exactly the romantic ending I planned."
Elizabeth shook her head lightly.
"It's fine," she said.
"I'll make it up to you," Lin Yi added.
Elizabeth nodded, her throat tight with emotion. "I know you will. You have never broken your promise."
Before he could say anything else, Elizabeth stepped forward and jumped into his arms. Lin Yi lifted her effortlessly, hands sliding beneath her thighs to support her weight.
She wrapped her legs around his waist, and he cupped her ass firmly, cradling her with quiet possession.
Their mouths met again—this time deeper, more urgent. The kiss stretched, tongues touching in slow exploration, breaths mingling as her fingers threaded through his black hair.
When they finally parted, both breathing unevenly, Elizabeth rested her forehead against his.
"I will be waiting for you," she whispered.
Lin held her gaze for a long moment, then lowered her gently to the ground, his hands lingering at her waist until she found her balance. He brushed a final kiss across her temple, then opened the driver's door and slid inside.
After one last look at her, he got in and started the engine.
She watched the car pull away slowly down the long driveway. Her left hand rose instinctively; her thumb traced the new ring on her fourth finger, turning it once, twice, feeling the cool metal and the unfamiliar weight of it.
She stood there until the sound of the engine faded entirely, the breeze lifting strands of her brown hair across her cheek.
Then, with a small, private smile, she turned and walked back toward the house.
. . .
By evening, he was already on a team flight headed to Houston.
Traveling with him were Chris Paul, Klay Thompson, David Lee, and the two Greens, Draymond Green and Danny Green.
At the beginning of the season, Yao Ming had already announced that he would not participate in this year's NBA All-Star Game. The league respected his decision and left him off the voting list entirely.
Lin Yi understood the real reason.
It was not just about rest.
Houston had been Yao's home for years. When the Knicks visited earlier in the season, many Houston fans were already emotional seeing him in another jersey. If Yao had returned to represent New York during All-Star Weekend in Houston, the reaction from the crowd might have been... complicated.
Lin Yi joked privately that Houston fans might bring knives for him if that happened.
Back to the present.
Lin Yi himself would be returning to the NBA Slam Dunk Contest this year, and expectations were already sky-high. Ever since his historic quadruple-double, fans had been speculating about what he might pull off.
The truth was, last year's dunk contest had been painfully dull. Even David Stern had struggled to defend it.
Officially, the league never blamed Lin Yi.
Unofficially, everyone knew the problem.
He had raised the bar too high.
Klay Thompson and Tyson Chandler were both attending their first All-Star Game, and they could barely sit still on the plane. The excitement on their faces was obvious.
Lin Yi glanced over at Chris Paul and shook his head with a quiet smile.
"Remember when we were like that?" Lin Yi said.
Paul chuckled. "Man, after a few of these weekends, it's basically the same schedule every year."
Klay turned around immediately.
"Hey," he protested. "You two could at least pretend this is still special."
Tyson nodded in agreement.
"Seriously," he added. "Some of us are enjoying our first trip."
Lin Yi raised his hands in surrender.
"Alright, alright," he said. "Enjoy it while it's new."
Meanwhile, Draymond Green would play in the NBA Rising Stars Challenge. Danny Green and Klay Thompson were both entering the NBA Three-Point Contest.
Ironically, the three-point contest was the only major All-Star event Lin Yi had never won.
He had considered entering it this year, but since he was already competing in the dunk contest, he decided not to waste extra energy.
There would be plenty of chances in the future.
Besides, Stephen Curry was also participating this year.
Before boarding the plane, Klay had dramatically thumped his chest and announced to the entire locker room:
"I got this. Steph is about to learn what real shooting looks like."
Lin Yi had long grown used to the rivalry between Klay and Curry.
Still, he had to admit he was curious.
If both of them caught fire, it could turn into a serious showdown.
As for the rest of the field?
Lin Yi joked to Paul during the flight.
"If those two get hot, everyone else might as well start discussing who finishes third."
Paul laughed.
"Cold-blooded."
Not long after the Knicks' All-Star group arrived in Houston, Lin Yi's phone rang.
The caller was Shaquille O'Neal.
This year's Rising Stars Challenge was once again coached by O'Neal and Charles Barkley.
Lin Yi initially assumed Shaq was calling to ask for advice. He was even preparing to negotiate a consulting fee.
But the moment the call connected, O'Neal immediately began yelling.
"Lin! What the hell did you say on TV?"
Lin Yi blinked.
"What are you talking about?"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" Shaq barked. "That interview with Kobe!"
Ah.
Lin Yi suddenly understood.
The shark had watched Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
"Shaq, relax," Lin Yi said calmly. "That was a good thing. Kobe literally said you were the best teammate he ever had."
There was a long pause.
Then Shaq grumbled.
"You don't understand. What happened between him and me… him and me… that's complicated."
Lin Yi tried to follow the explanation but eventually gave up.
Half the sentences made no sense, and the rest were drowned out by Shaq's emotional ranting.
In reality, after watching the interview, Shaq had nearly gotten emotional.
Seeing Kobe Bryant speak so seriously had made him reflect. After all, they had fought side by side for years.
Then his son ruined the moment.
Sitting beside him, 12-year-old Shareef O'Neal suddenly said.
"Dad, it's all your fault!"12-year-old
Shaq froze.
"What?"
"It's all your fault!" Shareef repeated. "If you hadn't fought Uncle Kobe for the number one spot, the team would never have broken up!"
Shaq stared at his son in disbelief.
"If it weren't for you," Shareef continued dramatically, "I wouldn't have gone to school in Miami. I wouldn't have broken up with Nina. And Uncle Kobe would still be winning championships in Los Angeles!"
Shaq felt his soul leave his body.
The worst part was that he knew exactly why his son was acting like this.
Shareef's idol had always been Kobe.
When Shareef was in elementary school, he had once written an essay titled My Uncle Kobe.
All the other kids wrote about their fathers.
Shareef wrote about Kobe Bryant.
Even worse, the teacher praised the essay.
Apparently, the teacher was also a Kobe fan.
She even complimented Shareef for having "the courage to recognize his father's shortcomings and appreciate the greatness of others."
Shaq had stared at the ceiling that day, silently questioning life.
And just when Shaq was still recovering from the emotional damage, Shareef added another blow.
"Dad, I want to train with Uncle Kobe this summer."
Shaq nearly dropped the phone.
"But son," Shaq tried to reason. "Your father is the most dominant center in NBA history! Why would you train with Kobe?"
Shareef shrugged.
"Our coach says you don't really understand basketball."
Shaq froze again.
"What?!"
"Coach said when you're a big brawn guy," Shareef continued. "Only knowing to bully in the paint, no finesse, unlike Uncle Lin and Kobe."
Shaq's expression darkened.
Shaq sighed deeply into the phone.
"Lin," he muttered, "I lived under Kobe fans' shadows for half my career. Now I have to deal with Lin fans too?"
Lin Yi laughed.
Before hanging up, Shaq tried one last time to defend himself.
"Listen," he said proudly. "When your Uncle Lin first came into the league, he asked me for advice all the time. I taught him plenty."
Shareef spoke again.
"But Dad… Uncle Lin plays way cooler than you."
Shaq went quiet.
For several seconds.
Then the line disconnected.
. . .
Meanwhile, All-Star headlines had shifted overnight.
What had originally been dominated by Lin Yi's quadruple-double was suddenly replaced by a different story.
Kobe and Shaq Reconcile.
Lin Yi saw the headline and shook his head.
So it was possible to steal his spotlight after all.
Apparently, all it took was the reunion of the most famous duo in Lakers history.
. . .
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