A crisp bell rang along with a rapid vibration on the couch across from Patrick. Zoe was lying quietly on his lap, and the sound made her raise her head smartly, and the pit bull whined twice, and Patrick quickly whispered "quiet" to Zoe as he put down his Kindle and stood up. Because he was in such a hurry that his toes hit the base of the coffee table carelessly. There was another thud, and the rapid physical pain made him gasp, but the vibrations and ringing were gone.

Lu Ling turned over on the sofa, the room was pitch black, and her eyes were misty as she looked at the bright mobile phone screen. The phone was from Simon, and she had pressed it by mistake, and she was going to call back later, maybe Simon would leave a message or send a message, and she wasn't very worried. Then she stared at the numbers on her phone, 10:42, and couldn't tell if it was daylight or nighttime.

"I was going to help you get rid of it. A soft male voice rang out.

Lu Ling slowly took the phone away and tilted his head in the direction of the sound. In those two seconds she realized everything. It was night, and she fell asleep on the couch at Patter's house.

Patrick stood still, the light of her phone screen shining on her face, her eyes still looking like a sleepy feline. He felt like he was in a dream, which was ironic, because she was actually the one who was asleep. A long time ago, he sat on the stairs waiting for her, with the light of his phone screen in his face, and she thought he was naïve. Patrick smiled silently at the thought of this. He took two steps, crouched down in front of her, and asked her softly, "Do you want to continue sleeping?"

Lu Ling then smelled the faint scent of citrus and wood, and she didn't know if it was shower gel, shampoo or cologne. Or is it ......

Patrick didn't wait for an answer, but a hand crept over his head. Her fingers ran gently through his hair like a comb, and when he stopped, he scratched at it again, and he couldn't help but laugh, not knowing what she wanted to do. It's just that it's very comfortable to the touch. "So it's not hair wax. Finally, she muttered, her voice a little hoarse.

Patrick chuckled and asked, "What?"

Lu Ling withdrew her hand, the screen of the mobile phone in her other hand was locked, and there was suddenly no light in the room. His face was so close that her vision was still outlined, and she could feel and hear his breathing.

"Nothing. She licked her lips, her voice still hoarse, "Why don't you turn on the lights, Pat?"

"I can go and open it now. Patrick whispered, but didn't move. Her face was a palm's throw from him, and he stared at the blurred outline, less and less sure of authenticity. Little by little, he came closer and heard her breathing not as even as it had been. He calmed down, his movements were no longer slow, he reached out and pinched her face, and asked with a smile, "Are you hungry?"

Lu Ling was silent for two seconds, still didn't answer the question, but suddenly said, "Zoe is lying on my feet." ”

"When did she pass?" Patrick's voice was full of disbelief.

"Just now. ”

Zoe snorted, as if knowing they were talking about her.

Patrick feigned displeasure, "You're always the one she prefers." ”

"It's weird, you've spent a lot more time with her than I do. ”

"yes, maybe it's because you're all girls. Patrick exhaled and asked again, "Tina, are you hungry, do you want to go back to sleep or ......?"

"Hungry!" she said, sitting up from the couch.

"I'm going to turn on the lights. Patrick stood up as well.

The whole house was lit up.

"You're so rich!" Lu Ling casually glanced at the house and sighed.

"Yes, you're so poor. How much do you need me to lend you, give me a number. Patrick teased her as he walked back.

"What about interest?" Lu Ling asked without looking up, teasing Zoe.

"I'll have to think about that. Patrick walked up to her, and she was really sitting there, in Barcelona, in this house. She turned her head and smiled mischievously at him. He didn't stop and headed for the kitchen.

Lu Ling put down Zoe and picked up the phone again. "You think first. If it's not bothering, please give me some food, whatever you want, I'm really hungry. Also, I need to call Simon back. ”

Patrick's voice was soon heard, "Pizza?"

"Damn ......"

"You can say anything. ”

"Pizza, thank you. ”

"Quick-frozen. ”

"Oh my God......"

"You can say anything. ”

"Frozen pizza, thank you, Mr. Amber. ”

"Yes, Your Majesty, it will be all right soon. ”

Lu Ling looked at Zoe and whispered to her, "Is he a good cook? I'm so worried he's baked. Zoe tilted her head and jumped off the couch. Lu Ling shrugged and dialed Simon's phone.

Simon, like her, had almost just woken up, they didn't talk much, and they made an appointment to have brunch together tomorrow, after which Simon had an informal meeting with several Barça executives. Lu Ling hung up the phone and smelled the aroma of cheese. She hadn't loved the taste so much in a long time.

Lu Ling finished eating a medium-sized pizza by himself, even eating the corners. She licked her fingers, satisfied. "I was worried at first that you were going to steal a piece or two of my ......"

"I found out. You are very protective of your food. Patrick laughed.

"Anyway, I'm proud of you as your good buddy and possible future manager of the club, and I know how much you love pizza. Lu Ling said that he understood that he should get to the point. "You know what I'm here for, Pat. She looked him in the eye.

Patrick looked at her, too. The eye can read far more information than one might think. It's just that sometimes when you get the information, the brain stores it there first, and it doesn't have time to process it. He looked away and lowered his head. In his left hand he held a glass of vegetables, protein powder, and milk, a mixture of vegetables, protein powder, and milk that she had just admired and disgusted. Naturally, it wasn't delicious, but he needed it and was used to it. Most footballers have a limited career and are at their peak for a short time. Good professional habits day after day and year after year will make him more likely to realize more possibilities in this dream field. He loves food and alcohol, that's a love of life, but he loves football even more, like, he loves her.

Lu Ling's gaze fell on Patrick's blonde hair, on the bridge of his nose, and on his fingers. She knew what he was thinking, she just needed to ask herself, did she really know?

"Tina......" Patrick called her name, looking up and asking for her. "Come to my bedroom. ”

****

Lu Ling was tired of waiting outside the door. "Hey, you let me come to your bedroom and shut me out, how many POs/do you need to hide?"

"I didn't po/!I'm not hiding them!" Patrick shouted from the bedroom.

Lu Ling couldn't help laughing, she could imagine how much he struggled. "You're twenty-three, and I'm not your mommy, you don't have to hide it, I totally understand. ”

"Damn it, Tina, I'll say it again, it's not hiding po/!"

"Then you admit that you have a po/huh?" Lu Ling roared as he grimaced at Zoe.

The door slammed open, and Patrick looked angry and helpless.

"You look me in the eye and tell me you don't have a po/. Lu Ling continued to tease him.

Patrick glaciously stared into her eyes and said with great certainty, "I don't have a PO/." Seeing the surprise in her eyes, he turned his gaze away triumphantly, "I just use my phone to watch, I don't have to hide, Tina, we didn't live twenty years ago." ”

Lu Ling was choked. He really didn't need to hide. She glanced at Zoe, then at him, and said malicefully, "Or do you have Amber in the house?" ”

"Do you really think so, why would I do that?" asked Patrick with a half-smile.

Lu Ling really pondered for a certain moment just now, of course she knew that it was impossible, it was just a joke. So she casually said, "That's your bedroom is plastered with pictures of me, and you have to hide it so I don't see what kind of perverted stalker you are." ”

This time, Patrick looked embarrassed. Lu Ling was also embarrassed. Fortunately, this only lasted a few seconds. The two looked at each other and smiled.

Then, he looked into her eyes and said very seriously, "I'm not a psychopathic stalker, and I don't have your pictures all over the room, but there are some things I don't want you to see." If you insist, I can show you, the question is do you really want to see it now?"

She hesitated and shook her head.

Patrick wasn't surprised, he raised his eyebrows and invited her in.

The door to the balcony was open. The wind is blowing. Compared to the air conditioning in the house, the wind was too warm. Fortunately, it is no longer hot.

Lu Ling walked to the balcony step by step, as if something was pulling her. Barcelona night in summer. Many years ago, when she was younger than Pat is now, she used to get drunk on the streets of this city. She couldn't remember how many cups of Long Island Iced Tea and how many mojitos she drank that night. But she remembers being rejected by Barcelona. I remember that night there were no stars, and I remember the dance music in Spanish that she didn't understand at all in her headphones. I remember the hangover feeling of flying back to London the next day. Many years later, Pat came here. She also revisited the same place. The spire of the Sagrada Familia is still vivid, and the mournful chirp is not known whether it is a dream or reality.

Pat says he doesn't feel like he belongs here. She actually understood. She didn't pretend she didn't understand, she just felt that it wasn't the right time.

I'm not ready. I'm not ready.

"Tina. ”

Lu Ling turned his head. The wind blew through her hair. She didn't know why, at this moment, her eyes were full of tears.

"We're going to win a lot of trophies together. He said firmly. His eyes are the same as those of the summer when Queens Park Rangers were promoted to the Premier League. He walked over to her and threw his fist at her, "best mates"

Lu Ling clenched his fist, and then pressed against that fist, "no and forever" 166 reading net