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Looking at Chloe's resentful little eyes, Lance realised he seemed to have been a bit distant from her lately.
Their last date in Cologne went very smoothly; they were almost at the point of confessing their feelings before parting ways, but recent matches had been too intense.
Lance had been completely focused on football, and their budding relationship had cooled down considerably.
"Are you here for an autograph too?"
Chloe didn't speak for a long time, so Lance had to try to lighten the mood with a joke to avoid an awkward atmosphere.
"I don't want your autograph, hmph."
Hey! This girl!
"Who was it who queued up at the training base for an autograph? Aren't you my fan anymore?"
"Not for a long time! I was blind back then."
The young girl playfully lifted her chin, revealing the beautiful curve of her neck.
"Well, that makes me sad."
"I... hmph!"
Chloe instinctively took half a step forward, genuinely thinking Lance was upset.
Lance hadn't replied to her messages and hadn't initiated any chats.
She was just being petulant.
How could she not be his fan?
The match where Lance scored the winning goal to eliminate Barcelona left the girl so excited she stayed up all night.
Soon, Chloe realised that Lance was just pretending.
"Ahem... these are your revision materials. Besides the key points the teacher marked, there are also some notes I took."
Thinking about how Lance was hot and cold, unpredictable with her, Chloe ungraciously handed over the tote bag full of materials.
The last time, her hints were so obvious!
Was this guy an idiot?
His mind was full of football! Full of matches!
Or... was he not interested in her at all, just wanting to mess around like other professional players who go clubbing and partying?
"Thank you."
Chloe, feeling conflicted and about to leave, heard Lance suddenly speak after looking at the materials she handed over:
"Oh? So you were specifically waiting for me to come?"
"Nonsense! No way!"
Chloe's eyes darted nervously to the side.
"Then how did you know I was coming to pick up materials today?"
"I... I accidentally overheard Ms Carlsen (the lecturer) talking about it."
"Oh?"
Lance took a step closer, looking at the rabbit-like girl with interest.
"You care about me that much, huh?"
"I do not!"
"Then have you missed me lately?"
"I told you, no... Ah!!!"
There was a step at the edge of the car park. Chloe's heart was pounding, and she didn't notice what was behind her.
She missed a step, and her heart jumped into her throat.
In an instant, she was pulled back, colliding with Lance's firm chest.
Feeling the girl trembling in his arms, Lance almost wanted to hug her tightly, but ultimately held back.
Girls abroad are not as open as depicted in American dramas and films, especially girls from Catholic families like Chloe.
"Thank you."
Coming to her senses, Chloe just wanted to escape.
"Here are your materials. I'm going back now... Oh, right, don't push yourself too hard with training and matches lately. Also, pay attention to your academic revision, or you might not graduate."
Chloe still couldn't help but turn back to show some concern for Lance.
Lance had originally planned to go straight back to revise quickly, so that academic revision wouldn't affect the final two crucial matches.
But the intimate contact with the girl just now, Chloe's faint scent, and her soft touch, inevitably stirred something in Lance's chest.
"Wait! You need to revise too, right? Why don't we go to my flat together?"
"Ah? This..."
"It's settled then. Let's go, let's make good use of our time."
"Wait... Hey!"
Before Chloe could refuse, Lance pulled her into the passenger seat.
In a daze, Lance had already buckled her seatbelt for her.
The car door was sealed, the accelerator pressed, and Chloe was forcibly 'abducted' by Lance, both nervous and expectant.
She had never been to a boy's home before in her life.
She nervously and curiously surveyed Lance's room, her nerves constantly taut, fearing Lance might suddenly do something out of line.
The room was much cleaner and tidier than she had imagined, and the faint fragrance in the air eased Chloe's tension considerably.
In Germany, after 16, as long as both parties consent, there are no legal issues.
However, Catholic families are stricter in their upbringing, and Chloe worried her elderly father wouldn't be able to handle it if something were to happen.
Her left and right brains wrestled for a long time, and Chloe's chaotic inner drama played out continuously.
She even imagined one day being discovered by her father, pregnant, sparking a modern-day "Romeo and Juliet" drama.
Her old father, a school board member, was the most old-fashioned. He had no good impression of professional players and would never agree to her being with one.
At that time, she would fight hard, and after the child was born, she believed her father would gradually accept it...
"Chloe, what are you thinking about?"
"What?"
"I mean, how do you solve this problem? Did the teacher mention any other approaches?"
"Oh, oh, oh, it's like this..."
"Why are you so silly today?"
Lance looked at Chloe, always feeling she wasn't very bright.
Had all her talent gone into modelling, leaving her with insufficient IQ points?
"You're the silly one!! You can't even do such a simple problem!"
Chloe pouted and gave Lance a coquettish glare.
It turned out that Lance's heart truly only held football.
When he said revision, he really meant just revision, without any ulterior motives.
For some reason, none of Chloe's anxious fears came true, and she even felt a little disappointed...
Even if Lance had other extraneous thoughts, he probably wouldn't have time to indulge them during this period.
That day, when he invited Chloe to his place, his initial intention was genuinely just for her to revise with him.
Chloe had, after all, attended the classes and had decent grades at school.
Having her help could greatly improve efficiency, and by explaining problems, she could also solidify her own knowledge, benefiting both of them.
It wasn't until Chloe left that Lance realised: was Chloe giving him an opportunity when they were discussing problems earlier?
Otherwise, she wouldn't have stayed so close without moving away, instead blushing and continuing to explain.
But there was no time to dwell on these thoughts; in an instant, the most crucial final match of the Bundesliga was upon them.
Lance had to compose himself and focus on this last game!
If they messed up the final match, all the season's efforts would be in vain.
The brothers had fought so long; they deserved the best possible ending!
"Guys, you've had experience winning championships. How wonderful did it feel to lift the Salad Bowl last season?"
"It felt great!!"
"Exactly!! Relish that feeling, savour the taste of victory! Today is the final battle! We must keep the championship in Leverkusen!"
"Bayer 04!! Bayer Leverkusen Allezzzzz — —"
With an unstoppable momentum, all of Bayer Leverkusen's players walked out of the changing room with fierce determination!
"Remember! We are a great club, the Southern Star of the Bundesliga! We disappointed the fans last season, but this season we still have a chance to take it back! Never give up until the very last moment! No matter what happens on the other pitch, we must perform at our best and fight for honour!"
With only a theoretical chance of winning the title, dependent on Bayer Leverkusen's result, Bayern Munich's players were still full of morale.
The Premier League had its 93:20 title miracle. What if Bayern could do it too?
At the same time, the two title-contending clubs stepped onto the pitch simultaneously!
"CCTV!"
"Dear viewers, you are now watching the final match of the 14/15 season German Football Bundesliga, Round 34."
"Due to only a 1-point difference between league leaders Bayer Leverkusen and second-place Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga title suspense has been maintained until the very last round!"
"Will Bayer Leverkusen successfully defend their title?"
"Or will Bayern Munich successfully turn the tables and reclaim their glory?"
"The match has already begun!"
"All teams kicked off at the same time!"
"In 90 minutes, the answer will be revealed!"