Chapter 927: A Fluttering Heart
A gust of wind came, and Emma Watson felt a sharp pain in her eyes. There must have been some dust or sand that got in, and now the tears wouldn't stop. She tried to open her eyes, but it hurt even more, leaving her helpless.
Just then, a low, warm voice reached her ears like a ray of light in the darkness, guiding her to slowly move forward. She carefully opened her eyes, but all she saw was a blurry, watery image. She could only make out the faint outline of a face. She couldn't even see the features clearly.
Then, she focused on a pair of eyes.
They were like obsidian stones, black and white, focused and intent. They gave off a faint but bright light, passing through the layers of mist and reflecting deep in her eyes. She could hear a low murmur in the distance. A gentle breeze blew across her eyes, a faint warmth with a slight hint of mint, like a spring breeze in March.
By reflex, she blinked, and the foreign object seemed to have finally been blown away. Her vision gradually became clearer, and she saw the handsome face in her eyes. She could even see his pores. She was so taken aback that she just stood there, staring blankly.
She could smell his warm, faint scent under her nose, with a hint of fresh soap.
She had felt it vaguely during the show, but it was too faint to catch. It felt like someone was gently stroking her skin with a fluffy weed. Now, that faint scent was finally clear and so close.
There was no perfume, just a clean, fresh scent of soap, like a forest in the morning, with green oxygen dancing under the crystal dew. She could occasionally see golden sunlight penetrating the treetops, as if a fairy was dancing.
All the memories of their encounters came rushing back—the chance meeting on the plane, his politeness at the airport, the vitality when they met again, and everything that happened during the show. These fragments of memory came like a storm.
She held her breath before she even realized it.
Her heart began to race, her cheeks began to flush, and the fluttering in her chest made her panic. To hide her awkwardness, she could only clumsily hold her breath like a child, afraid that any little sound might give away her nervousness.
She lowered her eyes and saw Lu Ke's legs spread out to maintain eye contact. It was a little funny but also very gentlemanly, and it made her heart beat even faster.
"..." The face in front of her opened its mouth, as if asking her something, but Emma just stared blankly. She couldn't hear a single thing, only saw his lips moving. Time and space seemed to stand still. Then, a look of concern appeared in his eyes, and he gently patted her on the shoulder. This small gesture instantly broke the spell, and everything returned to normal.
"Are you okay?"
Emma's ears finally heard the sound of words. She could feel her cheeks getting hot and started to wonder if she was blushing, looking like a... a girl in love. The innocence and warmth of a first crush made her want to scream.
But the problem was, she was long past the age of a first crush.
Thump. Thump. Thump. She could hear her own heartbeat, and then his low voice mixed in, coming closer. "...Emma? Emma!"
Emma quickly lowered her head and then raised it again. She clumsily and awkwardly tucked her loose hair behind her ears and stuttered, "Uh, good... I'm fine... I'm good, I'm... um, I'm okay." She secretly looked up and glanced at the man, trying to put her thoughts together. "Thank you. Thanks for the help."
"No problem, it was nothing," Lu Ke said politely with a smile. He then reached into his pocket. He was going to take out a tissue that Lola Cash had given him in the dressing room to wipe off sweat.
But remembering that the support scarf he had given her before the show was nowhere to be found, Lu Ke took a step back to give her some space. He nodded to her assistant, Alex Watson, who was rushing over. "Some debris got into Emma's eye. She might need to clean it out. I'll go ahead and greet the staff, and you guys can take your time."
From his experience, Emma not only needed to wipe her tears but also needed a touch-up, which would take a while, so Lu Ke decided to go ahead. After he finished speaking, he nodded politely to Emma again and turned to leave.
Emma was a little flustered and anxious. She took two steps forward, trying to call out to Lu Ke, but the words got stuck in her throat. She just bit her lip tightly and stomped her foot in frustration.
The assistant standing next to her was completely clueless.
This time, Emma didn't take too long. A little after Lu Ke arrived at the field, Emma followed, and the staff immediately started working quickly.
Today's exclusive interview was not for a sports magazine but for Vanity Fair, one of the highest-selling entertainment magazines in the United States. Every year, they hold a party called "Oscars Night" after the Academy Awards, which is one of the most prestigious events in Hollywood. Everyone wants to be on the guest list, which shows the magazine's influence.
Since the goal was to get a lot of publicity, they couldn't just stick to sports magazines. They needed to broaden their reach and step outside the safe world of football. So, Vanity Fair was the best choice.
The interview started quickly.
The interview process was not difficult at all. The questions were relatively standard and routine, such as what made Emma start watching football, Lu Ke's thoughts on women participating in football, some interesting facts about football, and some advice on watching a game. There were no aggressive or intrusive questions. The interview was completed with ease.
But after the interview, Lu Ke and Emma had to take photos for the magazine.
This immediately reminded Lu Ke of his miserable experience with Under Armour last year. Taking photos was not his comfort zone.
So, the entire photo shoot was filled with laughter. Even Emma couldn't help but be amused and joined the photographer in teasing Lu Ke. "Maybe you should change the theme to zombies. A zombie theme would definitely suit you." "Aren't you a professional athlete? Why are your limbs so uncoordinated?" "Don't look at the camera. You're not going to challenge it to a fight."
Amidst the laughter, the photo shoot lasted for almost thirty minutes before it was finally over.
And it was just to take three photos.
Lu Ke was soaked in sweat and a complete mess, which made all the staff on site burst into laughter. The atmosphere between Emma and Lu Ke also became more relaxed.
Standing on the side, Emma watched as Lu Ke said goodbye to the staff because he had to go back to training. Even though it was a day off, he still had training to do. The smile on Emma's face slowly faded as her joyful mood sank.
She watched Lu Ke, waiting quietly for him to walk over. He had a somewhat innocent, sunny smile on his face. "Thank you for your hard work today. There were many things I wasn't familiar with, and I appreciate your help. If there were any mistakes during the photo shoot, please forgive me."
Lu Ke kept a respectful distance and, after speaking, smiled again. "Well, this is it for today. I hope you have a great day."
Seeing that Lu Ke was leaving without any hesitation, this was the second time today. Emma finally couldn't hold back and called out, "Lu Ke."
But after Lu Ke stopped, Emma was at a loss for words. A million thoughts rushed through her mind, but she didn't know what to say. For the first time, she felt so clumsy. More importantly, her pride and self-respect were protesting, not allowing her to be the one to back down.
Under Lu Ke's confused gaze, Emma hesitated for a long time and finally said, "Can I come to Candlestick Park this week to watch a game?"
Lu Ke was even more confused. Why? Why is she asking for my permission? If she wants to come to Candlestick Park to watch a game, she can just come. Why would she tell me?
But Lu Ke wisely didn't ask, to avoid lighting a fire. He said seriously, "Not this week."
Instantly, Emma's smile froze. Her face clouded over.
Lu Ke then explained, "It's an away game this week. We're going to New Orleans. If you want to watch a home game, you'll have to wait until next week. No, next week we're going to St. Louis. That's another away game. You'll have to wait one more week until we come back home."
Emma gritted her teeth. She was furious at Lu Ke's answer. That's not the point!
However, Emma held back this time. She cleared her throat and said, "Okay, I understand. I'll go watch a home game next time you're back at Candlestick Park."
"The fans would be very happy to have you," Lu Ke said with a big smile. He then waved goodbye again and turned to leave without any hesitation.
Emma stood there, her eyes lingering on Lu Ke's back. She watched him walk away, a hint of nervousness and loneliness in her expression.
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