This villa is very similar to the one she lived in when she was a child. Red walls, black-tiled spires, and white windows sticking out, typical of Victorian architecture. She wondered how old the villa was. She checked the house number, and yes, this was Lily Liu's home. However, was this house a deliberate choice for her, or was it just a coincidence?

Lu Ling suddenly felt scared.

She hadn't seen her in thirteen years. Exactly thirteen years, she was fifty-four years old. She wondered what she looked like at fifty-four, she wondered if she was happy now, she wondered if she had missed her in the past thirteen years. And if she misses her, she can go back to London for a few hundred pounds, a seven-hour flight. But apart from sending her Christmas and birthday presents, she never went back.

Never.

And why did she come here to see her? Was it just to tell her that I finally understood why you left your father, because he didn't change.

Lu Ling sat in the car for twenty minutes and felt his mouth dry.

The driver remained silent and did not ask her any questions.

The radio was on in the car, but the volume was low. The radio is playing songs that have been popular lately, and she can hear the players playing or humming in the dressing room in recent months.

"Is it possible, sir, that there was mineral water or alcohol in the car?" she asked.

Then the driver spoke, very politely: "Sorry, ma'am, there is nothing in the car." I can go buy it for you if you need it. ”

"Oh, thank you, thank you, I'll just go myself. ”

In this way, Lu Ling made a perfect excuse for himself and got out of the car.

It's evening. New York sunsets should be a common sight in vulgar Hollywood movies, but unfortunately it's just a row of unremarkable residential areas.

Lu Lingpestle stayed in place for a minute. Her shadow stretched long.

The villa was right in front of her, and she could go over and ring the doorbell, maybe she would open the door for her, or maybe her current husband would open the door, but perhaps, no one was home at all.

Anyway, she thought, she'd have to go to the convenience store and buy something to drink before she can make plans. She remembered that there seemed to be a convenience store just around the corner.

She hadn't had time to take off the heels she wore for magazine covers, and now the heels with a radius of two millimeters and a height of twelve centimeters were murdering her feet, and maybe not just her feet, but all her rational mind.

Finally, Lu Ling walked to the convenience store.

She went in and looked around, but there were no customers. Behind the counter sat a white-haired old man in his sixties and seventies who looked up at her. The old man's eyes lit up, as if he had something to say, but in the end he didn't open his mouth, just smiled politely at her and nodded.

Lu Ling also smiled at him and nodded.

After that, she found what she wanted in the freezer in the back. A can of cold beer and a small keg of Ben Jerry's ice cream. She wondered why she suddenly wanted to eat it. And when she hesitated to put it back—

"You still like the cookiedough flavor, but you don't have to ask someone to buy the beer for you. ”

Accents and voices all too familiar.

Lu Ling felt that the cold air in the freezer was heading towards her fingertips, and she didn't know how long she had been holding this stiff movement, maybe for more than ten seconds, maybe only for a second.

She turned around and saw her.

It was difficult for Lu Ling to describe how he felt at that moment. It was a face all too familiar, and she was sure she could recognize her at a glance even in the thousands of people, but it was so unfamiliar, it seemed like a fake.

She made a strange move. She put down her beer and ice cream and walked over and hugged her.

She never imagined that this would be her first reaction when she saw her mother thirteen years later.

Liu Lili was frightened, and the bread and cereal in her hands were thrown to the ground. But she also hurriedly hugged her daughter.

"It's not what I expected," she said, "but I'm glad you're willing to hug me, my dear Christine." ”

Lu Ling forgot that her mother was actually a very lovely woman. How could Lu Yungui let such a woman leave?

The next moment, she felt angry.

She let go of her, "I don't think you miss me, Mother. ”

This is very strange, since childhood, Lu Ling and Lu Yungui have always communicated in Chinese, and Liu Lili has always communicated in English.

In the end, neither of them bought anything.

Before coming out of the convenience store, the white-haired old man got up to greet Liu Lili.

"Lily, is that your daughter?"

"Oh yes, Richard, this is Christine, Christine, this is Richard. ”

"Hi Richard, nice to meet you. ”

"Hi Kristen, I wanted to say when you came in, how does it look like a younger version of Lily Liu. You are such a beauty, just like your mother. ”

"Oh, thank you, Richard. Lu Ling thanked him politely, not knowing what else to say.

"Richard, I'll come back later. Liu Lili added.

"Okay, see you later. ”

Until Lu Ling walked out of the store, he could still hear Richard muttering inside: "What a beautiful mother and daughter......" She smiled slightly, and then, the smile, little by little, was gone.

She walked down the street with Liu Lili. From time to time, people walking their dogs, running, or pushing strollers would pass by them, and Liu Lili would greet them familiarly, and even say a few words of greeting.

Almost everyone repeats a passage from Richard. And their eyes are full of wonder and friendliness.

"So you know the whole neighborhood, and they all know that you have a daughter in England, right?"

Liu Lili smiled and turned her head: "I have lived here for thirteen years, and there will always be people who ask about my past." I think they'll have the feeling that they're finally meeting Lily's daughter, and I almost thought it was her fantasy daughter...... Oh, and I mean the people who don't look at ESPN at all, but in fact, there are quite a few people who know that you're already the manager of a Premier League club. I'm so proud of you. ”

Lu Ling was silent.

She realized that one of her most curious questions, she had answered in such a tactful way.

Liu Lili has no other children after remarriage.

"You're so beautiful. More beautiful than when I was twenty-eight years old. Even more beautiful than what I saw in the newspapers and on TV. By the way, that boy is in New York too, right?

"Yes. ”

"You ...... I heard Alex say......"

"That's none of your business. ”

"Definitely. Liu Lili pulled her hair, they had already walked to her door, "Robb is inside, he must be very happy to see you, you may not know yet, he is a fan ......"

"Mother!"

Liu Lili looked at Lu Ling. Her eyes were dark, just like hers.

"I'm sorry. I'm not going in. I'm glad to meet you. Lu Ling smiled. She bent her eyes and looked carefully at the woman in front of her.

She has medium-long straight hair, a lot of gray hair, and her skin is well maintained, especially around her eyes, and she doesn't look like she is in her fifties at all. She's still pretty, just like she remembers, but she's a little older. The figure is not out of shape, and it looks like a body that keeps exercising all year round. She wears dark jeans and a plain T-shirt. Casual and young.

She is so alive.

Lu Ling felt a pain in his heart, in England, in East London, there was a poor man whose left knee hurt until now when it rained and snowed - he had dried up his heart thirteen years ago. His mother had abandoned him, and now she was going to abandon him.

If not, she didn't know what else to do.

Lu Ling took a breath and asked, "Yoga or Pilates?"

"Do both. ”

"There's one more problem. ”

"Any questions. ”

"If you really miss me—at least that's what your gift tells me, why don't you go back to England to see me?"

Liu Lili's smile still hung on her soft and beautiful face, but there seemed to be something shining in her eyes, accompanied by the breeze, with the afterglow of the setting sun, she said: "Christine, I swore when I left London that I would never go back." I can't. …… I hope you understand me. ”

"But you're still in touch with him!"

"On the phone we can be friends. I need to know how you're doing. There's no way I'm really stripping him and you out of my life. ”

"You know what?"

"What?"

"You're selfish and living in your vulgar American movies. But I still wish you happiness as always, Mother. Good bye. ”

"Christine, wait a minute, I still have a lot to say to you, I know you've been having a bad time lately......" Liu Lili shouted behind her.

Lu Ling crossed the road, and her high heels made her miserable. But she had neither broken her foot nor broken heel, and she returned unharmed to the limousine provided by Lawrence Jr. She looked across the window at her mother across the road. She did get older, because from a distance, her whole body shrunk a lot. She waved at her. Lu Ling didn't know whether he was angry or peaceful. Maybe the two can really exist at the same time.

Liu Lili rubbed her eyes with one hand and beckoned with the other.

Lu Ling knew that his mother was crying.

She stopped looking at her and said to the driver, "Let's go back to Manhattan." ”

Drive through the neighborhood. The driver suddenly handed over a bottle of water from the front.

He added, "Ma'am, you have champagne and glasses next to you." ”

Lu Ling raised his head and saw the face in the rearview mirror, those somewhat old blue eyes full of wisdom and kindness. At this time, he was smiling and winking at her.

How could she be so naïve, how could there be no alcohol in Nate's car?

She said sincerely, "Thank you, sir. I don't know your name yet. ”

"Richard. ”

Oh, another Richard.

There may be many things in this world that many people are full of malice, but there is never a lack of kindness. Thank God if He really exists.

The last thing Lu Ling thought of before falling asleep in the car was that she didn't talk to Liu Lili about Lu Yungui gambling again, was this a tacit understanding? Or, for the two of them, this was actually a meaningless topic.

She wasn't trying to get comfort or support from her mother, she just wanted to see her, really.

It's just that she needs a little courage and an excuse.

****

When Lu Ling was shooting the cover of Newsweek, at 7 p.m. British time, a number of media outlets simultaneously revealed that the new contract between QPR Club and coach Kristen Lue was about to be reached, and the contract period could be as long as five years.

There was an uproar on social media.

An hour later, the FA's official website issued a statement that the investigation into Kristen Luke's alleged gambling/gambling activities officially began. Major media outlets have reprinted the news.

And at 9pm London time, a brief message was posted on the official website of Queens Park Rangers and on the official Twitter:

[The club has agreed in principle to offer head coach Kristen Lue and his coaching staff a new long-term contract, with further information to be announced in the coming days.] 】

Almost at the same time, the two owners of the club also updated their tweets, with Tony Fernandez writing:

[We unconditionally support Christine to clear her name, and now that Christine is not involved in her father's gambling/golfering activities, we all believe that she will be treated fairly.] 】

Nathan Neal Lawrence writes:

[It's shocking, the FA is releasing the news before the facts are confirmed, I think it's a disservice to Christine, sometimes the word 'alleged' makes everyone think she's already a sinner, when in fact she hasn't done anything wrong.] 】

At this point, although Kristen Lue has been questioned by many parties, at least the attitude of the QPR club management has been very clear - they will spare no effort to support the young talented manager.

Of course, there is still no shortage of fans in the QPR fan base who are worried about the team -

What if the manager does face a six-month or even a year-long ban?

If the ban is really issued, it will be disastrous for Kristen Lu not only to be unable to direct the game, but also to be denied access to the training ground and locker room.

****

By the time we arrived in Manhattan, it was completely dark. Lu Ling woke up groggily, and a strong feeling of hunger hit. Then she remembered that she hadn't eaten anything for almost the whole day.

There were a couple of missed calls and a couple of new messages. She prioritized the return of Patrick's call.

"Pat, I just woke up, and I'm on my way back, and it seems like I'm stuck in a bit of traffic. ”

"I just woke up. How's it going?"

Lu Ling didn't know how to answer, she pursed her lips, "It's hard to say." I'll tell you more when I get back. ”

"Okay. What do you want to eat at night?"

"Oh, don't mention it, I'm really hungry. You can order everything on the menu and I'm not going anywhere tonight and eating everything in the room. ”

Patrick's laughter came over the phone, she missed him for a moment and couldn't wait to see his smile.

"I remember someone saying that they wanted to compensate me and could cut back on some dinner times?"

"Perhaps. "I'll see you later, Pat." ”

"See you in a moment, baby. ”

Lu Ling hung up the phone, and she found that she was still a little unaccustomed to him calling her that way every day.

Traffic jams continue. Finally, they turned around the busiest neighborhood.

Lu Ling looked out the window, what she saw, she saw a donut shop, which was her favorite donut brand. She felt like she couldn't wait any longer.

So she asked Richard if it was convenient to park nearby, and Richard said no problem.

She got out of the car. Bought the doughnuts she had been dreaming of for a few minutes.

She took a satisfying bite, feeling the softness and sweetness.

When I looked up, I saw Nick.

Is Manhattan a very small place? Or is New York a small place? Or is it simply too small?

The Spaniard is not alone, he is surrounded by Sofia. Sophia pushes the stroller, and little Diego lies in it, asleep.

Lu Ling wrapped a doughnut in his mouth, and with surprise and embarrassment, he greeted: "Hi, Nick." Hi Sophia. She lowered her eyes and lowered her voice, "Hi, Diego." ”

It was the first time she had met Diego, he was so beautiful, it was their child.

Lu Ling raised his head, and the expression on Nicholas's face was normal. Sophia was okay too. It seemed that she was the only one who was surprised and embarrassed.

After the pleasantries, Nicholas asked, "Are you in a hurry?"

Lu Ling held a doughnut in his hand and didn't know how to answer.

Sophia smiled and said, "I'll go to the restaurant first." Goodbye, Christine. ”

Then, she walked past them with a stroller.

****

Nick sat across from her. Wearing his favorite black shirt with an open neckline.

Lu Ling looked at her watch, in five minutes, she would definitely get up on time, she planned so.

"It turned out that Sophie didn't like Liverpool, she thought it was too boring. Coupled with her job change, she moved to Manhattan with Diego. ”

"You didn't tell me on the phone that you were in New York. ”

"Do you care?" he said as he took a sip of his coffee and smiled.

Lu Ling staggered his gaze and asked, "So you can accept that your son is so far away from you?"

"Sophie is a mother. I have to respect her decision. She'll take him to Liverpool when she has time, but I probably don't get to come to the United States. Of course, I can also coach teams in the major leagues. ”

Lu Ling laughed. She looked at her watch again.

"Someone is waiting for you?" he asked, casually raising his eyes.

She didn't speak. I drank half a cup of coffee in one go.

She looked up behind Nick.

They seem to be recognized, with someone holding a cell phone pointed at them.

Nicholas followed her gaze and looked back.

When he looked back, he raised an eyebrow and said, "Just a cup of coffee." But it can be misunderstood. ”

What is the misunderstanding?

It won't be a pleasant topic.

Lu Ling looked out the window, the car was waiting for her, and Pat was waiting for her.

"Nick, I have to go. I'm glad we can sit down and have a coffee. ”

This time, he didn't speak.

Before getting up, Lu Ling still asked a question: "...... that phone call in the morning?"

"What's wrong?"

"You know what I'm going through......"

"Oh Christine, you're a big girl, I'm sure you can handle that. Nicholas shook his head as if her question was ridiculous.

Lu Ling shrugged his shoulders, maybe he was right.

She stood up, and he stood up.

I was ready to say goodbye, but no one spoke.

He suddenly turned his face sideways and kissed her on the cheek.

It's the kind of normal meeting between friends or a kiss when saying goodbye.

But that's not the way they did.

Could it be that they are friends now?

Lu Ling looked at him puzzled.

But he just blinked and said, "Think about it, I mean Zixiang's deal." Holgate is really good. ”

"Don't think about it. She replied to him.

After that, Lu Ling crossed the road and returned to the car. 166 Reading Network