"We all wish him a speedy recovery."
"As for my performance, extra time was a big factor. If Viana had still been on the pitch, the Dutch team would have lost even worse. What I did was only a small part of what Viana usually does."
The reporters found it hard to believe.
Was Kai really not proud of himself at all?
Was the humility of Eastern people really this terrifying?
Why couldn't he just brag a little like those arrogant British superstar players?
This kind of answer wasn't explosive at all!
How were they supposed to write a headline with this?
A reporter quickly changed the topic.
Reporter: "What about the striker position? What impact will the injuries of Hélder Postiga and Hugo Almeida have on the team? Cristiano Ronaldo played as a center forward in the second half, but everyone could see he looked uncomfortable in that role."
Kai: "Yes. Ronaldo's technical style makes it difficult for him to play as a traditional center forward. I think Lourenço has received too few opportunities. He's fully capable of playing that position."
"We should give Lourenço enough credit."
Reporter: "What about Ricardo Quaresma? What do you think of his performance today?"
Kai: "Superstar. He's an absolute superstar! As long as he's on the field, he's the biggest threat to the opponent. The Dutch players know that too, and that's the key reason we managed to break the game open in extra time."
"With Quaresma beside you, every teammate feels relaxed. Because the defenders can never focus all their attention on you."
Another reporter immediately shouted:
Reporter: "Alright, let's talk about Hathaway. Are you certain about your relationship?"
Kai froze for a second.
"Hathaway? Wait… where's Hathaway? Is she leaving? I need to go find her!"
Kai pushed through the crowd of reporters and ran toward the stands where Hathaway was sitting.
Someone had come all the way here to support him. The least he could do was say goodbye properly.
Fortunately, Hathaway and Heather Matarazzo hadn't left yet.
"OH!!!"
The Portuguese players watching nearby immediately began cheering like crazy.
Only Cristiano Ronaldo looked unhappy.
Damn it.
That kid had actually fallen in love.
Little Kai, why the hell did you lie to me?
Is this what you call "just ordinary friends"?
"With such a beautiful girlfriend, Mr. Kai will definitely be in trouble in the future," Miguel Veloso said beside Ronaldo, shaking his head and sighing.
The "secret methods for growing taller" he had taught Kai were probably about to become useless.
Ronaldo suddenly realized something too, his brows tightening.
If a guy did it too often, his nutrition wouldn't keep up…
and he wouldn't grow taller!
In the stands, Heather Matarazzo tactfully looked at Kai and said to Hathaway:
"Annie, I'm going to the restroom. I'll wait for you outside."
"Hey, don't—" Hathaway started nervously.
But in the end, she didn't stop her.
That alone revealed her true feelings.
She didn't want to leave.
But now that only the two of them remained, Kai and Hathaway suddenly didn't know what to say.
"Uh…"
They spoke at the same time, then both gestured for the other to speak first.
"I'll go first," Hathaway said bravely. After all, she was older.
"Our scenes in the Czech Republic are finished, and we're flying back to the United States tomorrow."
"I'm not sure about the rest of my schedule yet, but I'll probably be very busy. If I have time… I'll watch your games."
Kai smiled gratefully.
"Well… there's been some news about us recently. I guess you haven't heard about it yet."
Kai then told her about the media rumors.
Only then did Hathaway understand why Director Garry Marshall had suddenly imposed strict closed management on the film crew.
Hathaway looked a little flustered.
"This… I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble. You're playing in such an important tournament, yet the media keeps bothering you because of me. I really…"
Kai quickly shook his head.
"No, no. As long as it doesn't affect your filming, it's fine."
"I have a pretty mature understanding of the media. I have my own rhythm, and I won't be affected by their comments. So you don't need to worry."
Hathaway looked at him with admiration.
"Your mentality is really mature."
"I know many people in the entertainment industry who suffer because of the media. Some even fight with each other over rumors. It's terrible."
"I can really see the wisdom of Chinese culture in you."
Kai grinned.
"That's definitely the best compliment I've received today."
Hathaway laughed.
"And your goal celebration speech was the best gift I've received this year."
The two continued chatting and laughing until—
"Kai! The team bus has been waiting for you for ten minutes already."
"If you want to run all the way back to the dorm, I can go tell them to leave without you."
Cristiano Ronaldo stood at the player tunnel entrance, his face full of jealousy.
Hathaway immediately looked embarrassed.
"Sorry… I've taken up too much of your time."
Kai scratched his head awkwardly.
"No, I'm the one who kept you talking for so long. Your film crew must have been waiting too. Let me walk you there."
Hathaway didn't refuse.
The two walked through the underground corridor to the parking area.
After Kai escorted Hathaway to the crew's vehicle, he finally turned and ran toward the team bus.
To punish him, the team bus deliberately drove forward slowly, forcing Kai to chase after it.
The reporters outside the parking lot burst into laughter while snapping photos like crazy.
The Portuguese team really knew how to cause chaos.
The Next Day's Headlines
"6–3! Portugal advances to the semi-finals with unstoppable firepower!"
"Netherlands defeated in extra time! Portuguese youngster Kai scores twice and wins Man of the Match!"
"Best goal of the match! 1-vs-4 solo strike! The Chinese-Portuguese star shines in the European Youth Championship!"
"Heartbreaking defeat! Netherlands holds Portugal to a draw in regular time but collapses in extra time!"
"A costly victory! Portugal U16 core Viana and striker Almeida injured! Semi-final hopes in danger!"
"Medical report released! Viana requires surgery and could be out for five months! Almeida expected to miss at least two months!"
"Cristiano Ronaldo struggles at center forward! Can Lourenço step up?"
"Reason behind Kai's extra-time explosion revealed! Rumored girlfriend Anne Hathaway appeared at the stadium to support him!"
"A public declaration of love! After scoring, Kai promotes Hathaway's first movie — The Princess Diaries!"
"Romantic moment! Kai and Hathaway chatted intimately in the stands for half an hour after the match!"
"Breaking news! Kai, who has never been late to training or matches, almost missed the team bus for the first time!"
"Why was the hero of the match nearly left behind by the team bus? It all started with a beautiful woman!"
News after news flooded the European media that day.
From sports pages to entertainment headlines.
The popularity of Kai and Anne Hathaway kept rising, feeding off each other.
The momentum was incredible.
The Princess Diaries was expected to finish filming in less than a month.
However, due to distribution scheduling issues, it originally wasn't planned to be released until July or August next year.
That schedule wasn't perfect, but it wasn't bad either.
After all, it was enough to give the famous director Garry Marshall proper respect.
But now…
Because of the massive attention the film was receiving in Europe, the distribution company suddenly had a new idea.
Should they take the risk…
and release it this year instead?
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