Chapter 1 When Sharapova returned to the United States

When Sharapova returned to the United States, Zenit Saint Petersburg was playing Standard Liège away. She didn't care about this game because she already knew in advance that Chen Hero would not be playing.

Without Hero, she wouldn't care about Zenit's game at all.

She had her own troubles because she had to face her father's questioning.

Sitting in the mansion she bought with her own money, Sharapova sat on the sofa, expressionless, while her father stared at her angrily.

"Who is that man, Maria?"

"A football player," Sharapova said calmly.

"Wrong, let me add something for you, Maria. He is an unknown football player who plays in Russia and has no prospects."

Sharapova raised her eyebrows, but she didn't say anything.

"Why are you with him?" Sharapov, as a father, asked this with great pain, feeling like "expecting too much from someone."

"We shot an advertisement together, and then we got to know each other."

"You're lying, Maria. You knew each other before you shot the advertisement. He is the rumored boyfriend that the media reported before! Since you met him, you have learned to lie, Maria..."

Sharapova rolled her eyes in her heart at the sight of her father's heartbroken appearance. If he knew that she had even slept in the same bed with that "unpromising football player," what would he be like...

"We are friends, is there a problem with that?" Sharapova asked her father.

Sharapov was stunned for a moment, with an angry expression on his face: "Is racing together something that ordinary friends do?"

Sharapova thought about it seriously: "Well... it's a little closer than ordinary friends."

Sharapov was furious when he saw his daughter's indifferent attitude: "Don't get hung up on these details! I just want to know if you and him are really..." He didn't know what to say. He really didn't want to say that word.

"Are we what?" This time it was his daughter's turn to press him.

"Are you... are you the kind of relationship that is said in the newspapers!"

"What kind of relationship is said in the newspapers? I haven't read the newspapers these days, Dad."

"You know it yourself!"

"I really don't know, Dad." Sharapova spread her hands.

"You!" Facing his daughter, who looked like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water, Sharapov was helpless. He didn't want to continue to entangle with Sharapova endlessly on this issue, because he knew that his woman was definitely not as gentle and elegant as the outside world knew... She was actually a very temperamental girl with her own opinions.

If they quarreled like this, it would never end.

The father had learned this many times.

"You are the world's number one female tennis star, Maria..." He softened his tone and said to his daughter.

"I'm not anymore. I'm ranked outside the top ten now, Dad."

"I'm not talking about the WTA ranking! I'm saying that in terms of fame and influence, you are still the world's number one female tennis star, Maria. You have to cherish your reputation. I won't mention trivial things like racing. Hanging out with an unknown nobody will only make people think that you are demeaning yourself..."

"I don't make friends to raise my status, Dad."

"I know, I know, but your relationship with him has obviously aroused the speculation of the media... It's not just ordinary friends..."

"The media always likes to make groundless accusations."

"Maria! Anyway, you have to pay attention to your distance from such people, even if you are not for your own reputation. You also have to think about whether others will use you to promote themselves... The number of people who know you is obviously far more than the number of people who know him!" Seeing that his daughter would retort every sentence he said, Sharapov was very upset.

Using herself to hype himself?

Sharapova thought her father's words were ridiculous.

She didn't know when Chen Hero's birthday was, what zodiac sign he belonged to, which city in China his hometown was, what color he liked, what food he liked to eat, which idol he admired, and what he hated... She didn't know any of this information, but she was very clear that Chen Hero was not the kind of person who would use her to promote himself.

She didn't know why, but she felt that this Chinese boy, who was still an unknown nobody in the world, was a very confident person...

Such people don't need to promote themselves.

Thinking of this, Sharapova smiled.

"Dad, don't worry about my affairs." Sharapova stood up and stretched. "I'm tired, I'm going to rest first."

She walked upstairs barefoot.

Her father, Sharapov, stood there in a daze, not even thinking of stopping his daughter.

As a father who had brought his daughter to the United States since she was a child, relying on each other and working hard for tennis, he suddenly felt that his daughter had grown up and her wings had hardened...

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Zenit Saint Petersburg drew 2:2 with Standard Liège away, getting two away goals and already having one foot in the UEFA Cup main match.

But no one cared about this game. The media in Saint Petersburg and even Moscow only cared about the guy who didn't go to Belgium and didn't play in the game—Chen Hero.

Seemingly deliberately, Chen Hero scheduled the press conference to respond to the racing and relationship with Sharapova on the day of the game...

However, Chen Hero himself did not attend the press conference. He and Dekura hid behind the scenes and secretly observed. It was Vera Nikolaevna Ivanova who met with the media.

When everyone saw a tall woman with gold-rimmed glasses, her hair tied on top of her head, and wearing a professional suit walking into the venue, they were all collectively stunned.

Who is this beauty?

Is she the host...

Vera leaned slightly and moved closer to the microphone: "Hello everyone, I am Chen Hero's spokesperson, Vera Nikolaevna Ivanova. This is our first meeting. I believe we will be dealing with each other frequently in the future."

After speaking, she smiled slightly at the many media.

Chen Hero didn't know if this was his illusion, but he felt that the press conference site, which was mainly decorated in cold colors, became warmer, as if spring had arrived. He felt that the reporters must have felt like they were bathing in the spring breeze...

In fact, this was also the case. The reporters were all impressed by Vera's smile—this woman's smile had a natural affinity, as if it could melt all the ice. Their surprise was even greater—where did Chen Hero find such a beautiful and generous female spokesperson? Or is this kid really born with bad luck? First, he had an unclear relationship with Sharapova, and now even his spokesperson is a supermodel-level beauty! It's really enviable!

Dekura nodded. Vera's answer was generous and appropriate, neither humble nor arrogant. Especially the last smile, which had a natural affinity and was not pretentious at all. He felt that his training of Vera these days was a great success.

Only Chen Hero made a face next to him. This woman can show a charming smile to those reporters who are meeting for the first time, why is she so stingy with herself? For others, she is a warm spring breeze, but for herself, she is an ice beauty...

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There was nothing to say about the racing issue, because the person driving the car was not Chen Hero, but Sharapova, and the Saint Petersburg police's handling of Sharapova was obviously unrelated to Chen Hero. Chen Hero's spokesperson could not answer Sharapova's questions, and the reporters should ask Sharapova's agent.

So the main focus was actually the relationship between Chen Hero and Sharapova.

"They are just ordinary friends." Vera succinctly stated the relationship between the two.

To be honest, Vera didn't like this part, because she had a feeling that Chen Hero, this playboy, was messing around outside, and then she had to show up and rack her brains to clean up the mess and clear the relationship for him. This feeling made her very uncomfortable.

But as mentioned before, Vera Nikolaevna Ivanova is a person who separates personal emotions from work. On the surface, no one can see her true thoughts.

"Ordinary friends who give her their car to race with?"

"Yes, yes, ordinary friends who stayed an extra day just to see him in Saint Petersburg?"

Faced with the reporters' questions, Vera remained calm and replied steadily: "They are ordinary friends with a good relationship."

At first, when they saw Vera's charming smile, the reporters mistakenly thought that this was a relatively easy-to-talk-to, inexperienced, and easily flustered novice.

Who would have thought that Vera's performance was like a veteran who had been through many battles. Faced with the reporters' noise, her clear eyes were calm, and she maintained a polite smile on her face. This smile was far worse than the smile she had when they first met, like tea that had been brewed countless times, bland and tasteless.

No matter how the reporters made things difficult for her, threatened her, or used rumors to lure her, her defense was impeccable.

In the end, the reporters still failed to dig out any gossip they wanted to get from Vera's mouth.

Everyone could only helplessly accept the fact that "Chen Hero and Sharapova are really just ordinary friends with a good relationship."

This was their first confrontation with Chen Hero's spokesperson, which left a deep impression on them. Years later, when the entire European media knew that Chen Hero had a difficult spokesperson, the Russian media regarded this first meeting as an anecdote.

But now, they don't think that dealing with Vera is a very interesting thing, even though this woman is very beautiful and her smile is very warm, but behind it is an ice-like tough attitude. She is like Yashin among geniuses, blocking all the words and questions that may threaten her boss, giving her boss a quiet space.

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"How is it?" Dekura turned to look at Chen Hero.

Chen Hero knew that this person wanted to hear nice words.

But he was indeed very satisfied with Vera's performance. He felt that if he encountered any trouble in the future, he should just leave it to this woman. He could enjoy his leisure time, unless he wanted to play with it himself, then that would be another matter...

But he always had to pick a bone in the egg.

Otherwise, how could he be worthy of that woman's cold face towards him?

"Excellent defense, but no counterattack. Only defending, not counterattacking, can't win the game."

"Counterattack? If everyone were like you, there would only be endless quarrels." Dekura knew what Chen Hero meant—he was complaining that Vera didn't slap those reporters in the face, she was too gentle and passive, and should have taken the initiative to attack.

Chen Hero chuckled: "That's my style!"

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ps, thanks to "风中的蒲公英（^!^）" for the Alliance Master reward! (feng zhong de pu gong ying)