The day after her father's funeral, he went with her to her father's old apartment.

Most men in this world please the father of the girl they love because he wants to marry her. Nicholas didn't know if he was better than pleasing Alex, and if flattery meant flattery and groveling, he didn't. He hadn't even met her father a few times. Moreover, Nicholas never told her that he was actually a little uncomfortable seeing Alex. His gaze would unconsciously look at Alex's knees. He had always wondered which one it was, and he was a little afraid to know. And this, neither for himself nor for Alex, is a good topic.

There are some memories that Nicholas generally chooses not to remember, which will make the pain come alive and then more continuous. Even though she tells people that when someone so important in your life leaves you in some way, it's painful, and that pain has a continuity and repetition, but, eventually, all the pain will find peace.

Nicholas doesn't need peace, he needs control.

At that time, he went with her to her father's old apartment, not only to accompany her through her sorrows, but also to see the room of the young girl Christine.

His father's relics were many, and he sorted them out with her. Although it took a lot of time and effort, it was worth it. She didn't throw a lot of things, but she said she probably wouldn't look at them again. She probably just didn't think she should throw it. Subsequently, they went to her room.

The room was ordinary, but very unusual. Standing in the center of the room, Nicholas seemed to be able to imagine her sixteen-year-old lying on her bed in a floral dress reading a tactics book. He could even hear the music, and even imagine her sixteen staring at the pages and frowning.

"Pat comes to me almost every day with his ball. Sometimes he talks more, sometimes less. And sometimes I really don't want to pay attention to him. For example, he would tell me about the plot of the Disney Channel cartoon he was following, and he had just finished reading the first few books of "Hotrain Your Dragon...... Oh my God, I wish he hadn't had a sister, but a brother, so he wouldn't have come to me all the time. Luckily, he quickly felt that those things were childish, and he talked less and less, and I think you were like that when you were a kid, you were very careful about whether you were cool or not at a certain age. Obviously, watching cartoons and talking too much is not a very cool thing. ”

Because he asked Patrick about his childhood, she told him that. He smiled and said, "I am the first child in the family...... My parents put a lot of pressure on me, both football and schoolwork. Later, Lola always said that my control ** was raised by my parents at a very young age. I don't think so, it's more innate. Oh about what you said, yes, I've probably been nine years old. The boys want to be cool. ”

Nicholas didn't really mind talking about Patrick, he just didn't like it. But he found that her life after the age of sixteen was filled with the boy's name. That's not something he can change, and she can't change it herself.

"He doesn't like to leave you. You were neighbours when you were kids, then you were on the same team, and then he moved to Knightsbridge himself, so he asked you to rent an apartment near Knightsbridge. Not to mention that you moved to Surrey, he simply moved across the street from your house. ”

After Nicholas said this, he realized something.

He had always thought that it was just Patrick who depended on her, but in fact she was also dependent on Patrick. There is an unparalleled sense of intimacy and trust between these two people. Whether in the romantic sense or in the other sense.

The latter, of course, Nicholas knew all along. Because of this, he couldn't get her to kick Patrick out of her life. That's not fair to them. It's just that they are so close and trust each other so high, and it's unfair to themselves.

This, of course, made Nicholas uncomfortable. Out of control.

She didn't respond to his words. She flipped through her old books in front of the bookcase. He walked up behind her, hugged her, and kissed her on the pinna. He saw the dust on the book, and saw the beauty of her handwriting on the pages. He watched with her and laughed together. Because of her insights when she was younger. She turned back to him and said, "When you look back, you can always see the shadow of stupidity." I think when I was thirty-five years old, I would have thought that I was stupid now. ”

"People make mistakes, and the mistakes are different at every age. ”

She agreed: "Yes, but all human beings make mistakes, at any age. There is no absolute rationality, there is no absolute maturity. And from our industry...... Seventy-year-old Ferguson would have thought sixty-year-old Ferguson stupid. ”

Nicholas let out a laugh, and then he kissed the top of her head. His gaze finally fell on a box at the top of the bookcase.

"Oh, I never knew you liked puzzles. ”

She took a few steps back, looked at the box, and then smiled and said, "It was given to me by a Korean boy when I was seventeen years old." He and I had the best math in school, ahem, what a typical ......," she teased.

"But you didn't fight, did you?"

She tilted her neck slightly and said slowly, "He likes puzzles, he likes me, he thinks I'll like puzzles." Math and puzzles do have some similarities, requiring a high degree of patience, a lot of thinking, and a lot of detail...... The process is beautiful, and the results are very rewarding. ”

"I want to know why you didn't spell? I think you'll like it. In fact, it's a lot like being a manager and building a team. ”

"There was no chance. ”

"What do you mean?"

"People and people, people and things, sometimes it is not an absolute relationship of liking and disliking. Need an opportunity. I didn't find an opportunity to fight. He probably thought I was smart, so he didn't treat me as a beginner, and just gave me 1,000 pieces of Van Gogh's "Starry Night", and the cover of the box was that picture. I naturally want to have a full time and a proper mood to do this. It's just that I already had football tactics in my life at that time, and I didn't really need a thing like that to seek peace or anything. ”

"That sounds right. Nicholas stared at the box for a moment, then looked at him with a smile, "Still, a very romantic gift." The boy may expect you to like him as you do the puzzle. Every time you pick up a slice and get stuck, it's like you're taking a step closer to the depths of his soul, to him. ”

She smiled and shook her head, "Puzzles require a lot of concentration. ”

"Does he know you didn't fight?" Nicholas asked with a self-deprecating laugh, "He knows." You must have told him. Maybe you didn't want it from the beginning, but he was insisting. Still, babe, you didn't throw it either. ”

"Because I think I'm probably going to like it, I mean the puzzle, not the boy. It's okay to leave it there. I've said it all, but I just don't have a chance. ”

After they broke up, Nicholas often remembered what she said. He wondered if there was an opportunity for him and her to have a fairy tale ending. But what happened in Nyon proves that there is another opportunity for them to become the opponent of fate.

Or maybe it was a long time ago.

The happy birthday song was still ringing in his ears, and Nicholas opened his eyes and blew out the candles. He was thirty-nine years old.

Lola asks him what he wants. Nicholas frowned, but did not answer. Lola made a "Christine" lip shape. He just smiled and didn't say anything.

"We won't eat you today, maybe we'll save it until Christmas."] ”

"Oh, we're not going to eat me today?"]

I didn't make it to Christmas that year, and I won't have any Christmas in the future.

The next day, in England, was Boxing Day matchday, but in La Liga, it was already a two-week off-season. The players are on vacation, and so are most of the coaches.

However, Nicholas decided to go to the office in the afternoon.

After lunch, Penny snoozes in her rocking chair facing the garden. She's getting older, and a lot of grace is disappearing. Nicholas kissed her on the forehead before leaving, and told her that he wouldn't be here in the evening.

Penny didn't open her eyes, she just said, "She's not that much like you, and if you think so, you'll soon forget about her." ”

Nicholas smiled and left the house. Why do all his relatives still feel that he is sad and should choose to forget?

He doesn't grieve, at least not at all.

In the Real Madrid manager's office, on the TV screen, a Premier League match is about to begin.

****

Phil's eyes were fixed on the opposite goal.

Boxing Day, the 18th round of the Premier League, the QPR home match against West Ham, began.

Phil glanced at the manager outside the white line and ran forward.

A lot of people say that thinking too much can be a hindrance. Phil never dared to boast that his strength was thinking, and a classmate once laughed at him when he was in school for having a brain size about the size of an earthworm. But the earthworm can never be in the state he is in: the brain seems to be completely shut down, except for this part about football.

The orange-red winter Premier League ball was at Phil's feet and he dribbled forward. Leon in front and Genk on the right. But Phil thinks he can shoot. He hits the ball with his right foot.

West Ham's goal. Goalkeeper Joe Hart. 30 yards away.

All of Phil's nerves seemed to be focused on that foot, and everything around him ceased to exist.

A second later, he saw the ball fly into the net.

QPR scored in just four minutes of the opening period.

Phil didn't celebrate. His teammates rushed towards him, and he looked at the figure on the sidelines again, clapping and clenching her fists at him.

In the 44th minute, John sent a cross, and Phil pressed two people in the box and scored with a header. Phil still didn't celebrate.

Benjamin and Patrick looked at each other, both feeling strange. Patrick hugged Phil and walked back to Benjamin and asked, "Did anything happen to you when you took him home last night?"

Benjamin smiled and shook his head. Phil only said one thing to him when he got in the car last night. "You're even more stupid than I thought. He knew what Phil meant, he could have ignored it, but he responded to his words. "It's not what it seems," he said. ”

Subsequently, the QPR ended the half with a 2:0 record.

"I'm not Phil Warren anymore. These were the words that Phil whispered in Lu Ling's ear before the start of the second half. Lu Ling looked at the back fixedly. The tall QPR7 has already stepped out of the aisle.

In the 69th minute, Patrick's clever pass came, and Phil was left unguarded. He could have pushed the ball into the net, but instead opted for a powerful volley. It is still smoothly connected to the network.

It was Phil's first hat-trick in the Premier League.

This time, he celebrated wildly, he ran, he ran, and then lifted his shirt.

He had a T-shirt in it with two lines of words on it.

The first line of words is a name:

Phil Beasley

The second line is a sentence:

Give it to my baby girl

Everybody knows what Phil means.

Lu Ling laughed on the sidelines, and also understood the meaning of that sentence. He is indeed no longer Phil Warren, his name is Phil Beasley. Beasley must have been his mother's last name before she changed her surname to Warren.

Also, Phil Beasley loves his daughter Tianna very much.

Phil hugged every teammate, from Patrick to Benjamin. He ended up hugging the manager on the sidelines.

Lu Ling saw the normal Phil again.

"Boss, am I on fire today?! ”

Lu Ling patted him on the back and responded to him seriously, "Your performance this time, the frogman can only kiss your ass." ”

On Boxing Day, QPR relied on Phil Beasley's first hat-trick to beat West Ham 3-0 to win the Christmas title.

After the game, Jacob said to Fill: "I was scared when I saw you lift your shirt, I thought you had Hy Alays Me written on it like Balotelli......"

"Jake, you're so stupid, why the would I imitate someone else?"

"Didn't you still imitate Pat's celebratory moves?" Leon walked over and patted Phil on the head, "Beasley." ”

Phil liked the title and didn't care about his head being patted as he laughed and looked at Patrick as he got dressed. He deliberately asked, "Pat, that celebration, can I do it next time I score?"

Patrick looked at Phil and tapped his chin, "You can try." After he finished speaking, the voice in the locker room was briefly quiet, and many teammates looked at him. Patrick didn't care, and raised an eyebrow at Phil defiantly.

Phil muttered, "You still mind......"

Patrick chuckled. It's not a question of mind or not, that's what he gave her, just what he gave her. He cleaned up, looked at the time, and said that tonight would finish the conversation that was left yesterday. He was kind of looking forward to it.

****

Patrick looked at the box on the cabinet in the doorway. The wrapper has been opened, but the box has not been opened. The box is scarlet red and very delicate. There was no puzzle on the outside of the box, except that the transparent part showed that it was indeed what they had guessed. And judging by the size of the box, there are at least 1,000 pieces of puzzle inside.

Lu Ling also glanced at the box, then he looked at Patrick and asked, "What's wrong?"

"baby, you know that Ben has requirements for the quality of everything. As far as I know, a finely crafted puzzle isn't cheap at all, plus this one looks like an exclusive ......," Patrick said and smiled, "Of course, he's Hamilton, and there's no way he's going to go to a regular store and buy a normal picture puzzle for Christine Lu." ”

Lu Ling looked at him with a smile. "So what?"

Patrick raised an eyebrow, "Aren't you curious? ”

Lu Ling shook his head, "If I were curious, I would have dismantled it a long time ago." I don't want to know. ”

Patrick was silent, standing in the doorway, never moving.

"Are you jealous again?" Lu Ling had already walked towards the living room, and she turned around to tease him.

"It's not. Patrick looked at her and smiled, his voice a little low, but soft. "A pretty girl told me that she didn't think there was a man more attractive to her than I did. She wouldn't say such things lightly. If she did, I know what that means. ”

Lu Ling walked over and hugged him, "This is my boy." He hurriedly hugged her tightly.

She figured it out, and he hugged it for a while before letting go.

"And what were you thinking?"

Patrick gave one last glance at the box. "It's a bit ironic. ”

"What do you mean?"

Patrick shrugged his shoulders, "Since Ben gave you the puzzle, he must have liked it himself." He was born with everything...... I mean, jigsaw puzzles are a game from scratch, like ......"

"It's like mathematical reasoning. ”

"Yes, but what I'm trying to say is that it's like he ...... you," Patrick said, staring into her dark eyes, "he's falling, and he's looking forward to your fall." He definitely wants you to finish this work, and he wants you to get closer to him little by little in the process of completing this work......"

Lu Ling burst out laughing, "It's so strange." ”

"What's wrong?"

"Nick said exactly the same thing to you. After Dad's funeral, we went to that old apartment. He saw the puzzle in my room that the Korean boy had given him. ”

"Oh yes?" Patrick was a little surprised, but he smiled a little instead, "because that's the trapper's mentality." Men hunt women, but it is useless to take the initiative and also need to be induced. He said that the corners of his mouth curled even more, "I used different methods with Nicholas, but we both succeeded. ”

Lu Ling didn't like the word trapper. She looked at him and frowned.

Patrick knew exactly what she was feeling right now. "I know you don't like to be taken prey, and trust me, I don't like it either. But you know what I mean. ”

Lu Ling laughed, she decided to ignore this. She looked at his face, his eyes. Suddenly, she raised her hand and rubbed his blonde hair, even though she felt the wax, she didn't care. She saw the smile in his eyes. He put his arms around her waist again, leaned closer, and asked softly, "What do you want to say?"

"You've grown up. …… The hair is not so blonde. ”

Patrick burst out laughing. He pressed his nose against her and whispered, "IOOD AY?"

"Yes. This color flatters you well. Lu Ling looked into his eyes again, and then lowered her eyes to his lips, she wanted to kiss him, she knew that he was the same. But as she told Bill, she needed some time. As for now, she has to solve a misunderstanding first. So she came out of his arms again and said seriously, "Pat, I told you, I don't think you've done anything wrong, it's true. I was heartbroken, but you were heartbroken. ”

Patrick smiled lightly, but didn't speak.

"When you were with Amber**, I also had some ambiguities with Nick. You dated Amber, and I later reconciled with Nick. You're my Pat, how could I not know what feelings you have for me. I know on my thirtieth birthday when you gave me the Tina to tell me that you love me so you have to let me go far. And you know I'm the proud captain. She said silently, laughing, "It's like what we said to each other when we broke up, ish you every success...... But that quote is really a good blessing. ”

Patrick took the girl's hand. "I think I understand why you're hesitating. ”

"I'm not done yet. Lu Ling also grabbed his hand, and they clasped their fingers. "But I have a damn stupid little girl in my heart...... The little girl naively thought that her father would hurt her, that her mother would hurt her, and that Nick would hurt her...... And Patrick-Amber won't. That's why I cried for a long time on Nate's plane, and that's why I told my dad I didn't like you anymore. ”

Patrick bowed his head. "You're not right, Tina. It's your dad, mom, and Nick, but Patrick-Amber can't. He looked up and found everything he was looking for in her eyes. "Do you believe me?"

"You are the person I trust the most in the whole world. ”

Patrick hugged the girl, and it was a very soft hug. He whispered in her ear, "Trust me, Tina, trust me, Tina." He knew she had to make some choices, he just didn't tell her, he had already made them. He's not a superhero, and he doesn't need to save the world. But he wanted to be her hero, even though he knew she wouldn't like to be protected by him. More on that later.

Then, Patrick let go of her, changed his expression, changed his tone, "Is there still a turkey from last night?"

Lu Ling smiled slyly, "Oh, that stupid big bird, I haven't had time to throw it yet, I'll throw it now......"

"Hey, Tina, you know what the naughty result is! I can't do anything right now, it doesn't mean I never get a chance to ......"

……

****

After Boxing Day, Nicholas was in a bad mood. Because something went wrong with Pierre Jonkay's recall. 166 Reading Network