Chapter 1 The Beginning

At the set of *Boy Meets Girl*, Malouda was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. Isabelle Karina was scheduled to film today, but when he went to her hotel room to call for her, there was no response. He had the service staff open the door, only to find the room empty.

He tried calling her several times, but couldn't get through. He was worried that something might have happened to her. The only saving grace was that director Carax, due to his fondness for Karina, remained calm and didn't lose his temper.

After six unsuccessful attempts, his seventh call finally connected. But the background was very noisy.

"Hello! Isabelle, where are you now?" In order not to disturb others, Malouda had to find a quiet place to talk to Karina.

"What? What did you say? Lilian, I can't hear you! Louder! Hello? Hello?" Karina was shouting just as loudly on the other end.

"I said, Isabelle, where are you! Everyone's waiting for you to film!" Malouda also shouted, but it didn't seem to have much effect.

"I can't hear you! Louder!"

"..." Malouda took the phone away from his ear. He really wanted to shout directly into the microphone, but he restrained himself. Then he hung up helplessly. It sounded like there was singing, shouting, and the sound of a broadcast. He had experienced this kind of atmosphere before, shortly after arriving in Florence, when they went to watch a Fiorentina home game. It seemed that Karina had gone to watch a soccer game. As far as he knew, Fiorentina didn't have a home game this weekend. Could she have gone to an away game?

God!

She had abandoned so many people and ran away without saying a word! Was this what she meant by being true to herself?

※※※

Ren Yudi looked strangely at Karina, who was deliberately pretending to speak loudly. "Your phone should have excellent sound insulation, right?"

Karina chuckled. "I forgot to set it."

"Who was calling?"

"Lilian, my agent. She's like my grandmother, asking where I'm going all the time, so annoying. Forget about that, let's hurry up and go to the box!" Karina took Ren Yudi's hand and walked towards the box in front. She wasn't wearing makeup today and was dressed very casually, so she believed that no one would recognize her here.

Ren Yudi had bought fixed boxes for himself in many stadiums, so he could go to Fiorentina's away games as well. He could also let friends use them, and arrange for players' families and so on.

After entering the box, Ren Yudi still asked worriedly, "What did they call about?"

"They wanted me to go back to filming. How could I? I'm already here..." Suddenly, Karina remembered that she had told Ren Yudi that she didn't have any scenes today, and quickly shut her mouth.

Ren Yudi stared at Karina without saying anything, which made Karina feel very embarrassed. She stood up from her seat. "Okay, since you want me to so much, I'll go back to filming..."

Ren Yudi suddenly reached out his hand. "Give me the phone. I'll call your agent."

Karina didn't know what Ren Yudi wanted to say, but she dialed the number and handed the phone to Ren Yudi.

※※※

Receiving Karina's call again, Malouda had to run back to the quiet place he had been in earlier. He knew that Karina would definitely call back, so he immediately said, "Hello, Isabelle! Come back quickly, we're all waiting for you!"

"Hello." It was a man's voice. Malouda was stunned.

"May I ask who you are..."

"I'm Ren."

"Ah! Mr. Ren, are you with Karina?" He said this cautiously, for fear of being misunderstood. What was he afraid of being misunderstood? Of course, he was afraid of being misunderstood as having an affair.

"Yes. She's with me. I invited her to Milan to watch the soccer game. But I'm sorry, I didn't know she had scenes today. But it might be too late to go back now, so I hope you can apologize to Mr. Carax for me and explain the reason. Also, I will ensure Miss Karina's safety, so please rest assured."

Ren Yudi's words were impeccable. Plus, Malouda knew that he had a good relationship with Carax, so what could he say? He could only nod and agree.

When Carax received this news, he smiled helplessly. "Lilian, it seems that your packaging of Isabelle isn't very successful. She doesn't look like a pure goddess at all, but more like a willful princess. Forget it, we won't film her scenes today. We'll film other scenes."

Without any blame, Malouda secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

※※※

"All settled." Ren Yudi returned the phone to Karina. "Now we can enjoy the game. But I still have a question... Your interest in soccer can't be this great. What made you willing to lie and escape work to come to Milan to watch the game?"

The fans of both teams were already in place, and they were just waiting for the players to enter the field. The stadium was very loud. Even in the soundproofed box, you could still clearly hear the fans' singing and cheering.

Karina had been attracted by the fans' singing just now. She had leaned out to look around for a while. When she heard Ren Yudi's question, she turned around. "To better understand soccer, so that it's easier for me to create characters..."

Ren Yudi smiled and waved his hand. "Don't try to fool me with the kind of words you use to fool reporters."

Hearing Ren Yudi say this, Karina suddenly laughed. Ren Yudi was a little puzzled by her reaction. "What are you laughing at?"

"I just suddenly thought of that Krou in your team. When I said that, he answered me like that, just like you." Karina had a smile on her face when she mentioned Krou.

"Well, you're right. Krou and I are indeed a bit alike in some ways..."

Karina looked at Ren Yudi.

"There's still some time before the game starts, Isabelle. Would you like to hear a story?"

※※※

Krou sat in the locker room with a blank expression. Even being at AC Milan's home stadium didn't make him feel any different. Sabato was making his final arrangements before the game. This game was crucial for Fiorentina. If they wanted to have an easier time in the future, and give the team more room to maneuver when fighting on multiple fronts, then they had to win this game in order to widen the gap in points with AC Milan. In December, they were going to Tokyo, Japan to play in the FIFA Club World Cup. At that time, two league games would be postponed and rescheduled. Who knew what the standings would look like then? What they could do now was desperately try to score points and widen the gap as much as possible.

This season, Fiorentina had maintained an amazing form. They hadn't lost a game yet. And AC Milan had also shown their strength, with only one loss. Challenging Milan on their home turf, Sabato's team was under tremendous pressure.

If it was a game, they could save and load, but this was reality. If they lost, it would be too late to regret it. They had to win this game.

Despite these circumstances, which made the game seem very crucial and important, Sabato still acted arrogantly in the locker room. Everyone had been familiar with his method of boosting morale for years.

"Some words are annoying when said too many times, but I still have to say it: This is our home! We are the home team! There is no team on this planet that can stop us! None!"

"Yeah!"

When they were about to enter the field, Zhang Jun nudged Krou. "You've been having a lot of things happening to you recently. I don't want these things to affect your performance on the field."

Krou nodded. "Yeah. I know what I should do." He tucked his shirt into his shorts. The usually casual Krou never did this. He always left his jersey out because tucking it in made him feel suppressed and restricted.

Zhang Jun smiled. "That's good. Don't disappoint me, and don't disappoint someone else... Hehe."

Krou was about to ask Zhang Jun what he meant by that last sentence, but he had already turned around and walked to the front. Then he greeted Milan's captain, Ambrosini, and chatted about something casually.

※※※

"The story is over." Ren Yudi took a sip of his drink.

Karina seemed to still be immersed in the story she had just heard. She looked out the window a little blankly. Ren Yudi didn't disturb her. He had just told her everything he knew about Krou. He just wanted this woman to understand Krou a little more.

The live sound effects were clearly transmitted from the TV in the box. The fans' cheers suddenly grew louder. The players had entered the field!

The TV director was obviously aware of the recent Krou versus Kaka debate, so when the players entered the field, he deliberately lingered on Krou's and Kaka's faces for a few seconds, so that everyone could see these two people clearly.

Although she had put aside her work and followed Ren Yudi to Milan's San Siro stadium to watch the game, Karina was still a fake fan who didn't understand anything. Her eyes wandered between the TV screen and the field. But she couldn't understand anything at all. Apart from knowing that the white team was Fiorentina and the red and black team was AC Milan, and knowing that she should cheer when either side scored, she was purely watching the fun. However, this fun-watcher was quite involved. Whenever Krou appeared in the camera, she would pay extra attention, her eyes fixed on Krou, without paying any attention to the surrounding situation.

Ren Yudi, on the other hand, didn't pay too much attention to the game. He found that admiring the oblivious Karina at this time was more fun than watching the game.

※※※

Although there was still debate outside about whether Krou was one of the best attacking midfielders in the world, Basten didn't dare to underestimate this Chinese player at all.

It was ridiculous that reporters and fans outside had different opinions on Krou's value and status, but few of the most knowledgeable coaches dared not to take him seriously.

In this game, AC Milan specially arranged for Ghanaian midfielder Sulley Alimuntari, who was excellent at intercepting in midfield, to defend Krou. He had transferred here after the end of last season. Gattuso was already thirty-two years old, and the twenty-six-year-old Muntari would be a very qualified successor.

What pleased Basten was not only his defensive ability, but also that he was not inferior in connecting the midfield and launching attacks.

Krou really felt the pressure that this black player brought him.

It was strange. When he was at Udinese last season, he didn't think he was that great. How come he was like he had taken a stimulant after transferring to AC Milan?

Or... because of the recent events, did he want to prove something?

Prove that he could successfully defend Krou one-on-one, prove that Krou was not a great attacking midfielder, was he trying to suck up to Kaka?

Krou sneered from the bottom of his heart.

There were too many people in this world who wanted to defend him one-on-one, but few could succeed. Was he afraid of another one?

※※※

There was no movement in his upper body, at least that's how it looked to Muntari. But Krou's feet were quickly crisscrossing below, passing the ball through Muntari's legs!

The Fiorentina fans in the stands screamed their traditional scream. And Karina in the box also screamed. She widened her eyes and stared fixedly at the TV screen, her mouth agape in disbelief. Krou's movement just now made her think that this person had no joints in his lower body, and was twisted almost beyond the limits of human capability...

"Oh my god, how did he do that..." Karina couldn't help but mutter to herself.

"That's his talent," Ren Yudi commented. At the same time, he felt a little jealous: What's this? I could do that back in high school...

※※※

Krou's technique was indeed outstanding, but his speed had become a key constraint. Muntari and other Milan players could easily catch up to him, unless Krou passed the ball out.

Fiorentina's offensive organization core was Krou, and Muntari defended Krou. AC Milan's offensive organization core was Kaka, and Mascherano defended Kaka. The first half ended with a 0-0 score. Neither side had gained an advantage. During the halftime break, Milan's fans booed in dissatisfaction. They thought the team wasn't playing well, because they couldn't do anything to Fiorentina at their home stadium.

Karina couldn't help but yawn during the halftime break.

After all, a game without goals was very dull in the eyes of an amateur, especially because Krou's performance was limited due to Milan's emphasis on defending him. The only moment that made her scream was that one time.

"Do you find it boring? Soccer games are often like this. Don't just look at the highlight reels, they're very exciting. In reality, they are mostly very dull."

Ren Yudi was explaining to Karina, but Karina turned her head and stared straight at Ren Yudi. Ren Yudi was confused by this look. "What's wrong?"

Karina smiled sweetly. "It's nothing. I just think that you are actually a man who knows how to care for girls, and you're also rich. Why are you still single?"

Ren Yudi was made to feel somewhat passive by Karina's smile just now. He had to admit that there was a reason why Isabelle Karina could be called "the most beautiful woman in France."

"Hehe, some things can't be forced, so I don't force them. What, do you fancy me?"

This time, Karina laughed out loud. But apart from laughing, she didn't say anything.

They were all joking. They knew it clearly.

※※※

Not only the fans were dissatisfied with the team, but Basten was also dissatisfied with the team's performance. The team had spent more energy on how to defend Fiorentina's offense in the first half, rather than how to break through Fiorentina's goal. This made him a little annoyed. Why did they have to play like they were on the road at their home stadium?

During the halftime break, he reminded his men again and again to attack.

Sabato praised the team, including Krou. Although they drew in the first half, he was convinced that the team would win the final victory in the second half. There was no reason, it was just that this undefeated team was in good shape.

※※※

While walking towards the field, Zhang Jun took the opportunity to pull Krou aside and chat with him. "Hey, Krou, your performance in the first half wasn't very active. You should be more excited in this kind of game..."

Krou looked at Zhang Jun, but he didn't say anything.

"Um, is it because that Muntari's defense is preventing you from playing?" Zhang Jun rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Is that Ghanaian so strong? It seems we should consider changing our tactics..."

A cold light flashed in Krou's eyes. "I'll make them look good in the second half." After saying that, he quickened his pace and walked out.

Zhang Jun chuckled behind him.

※※※

"Before this game, the two people who were highly anticipated by the people didn't perform very well, AC Milan's Kaka and Fiorentina's Krou. Especially Krou. Kaka still had two threatening shots, but apart from one wonderful dribble from Krou, we didn't see any of his highlights!" The TV commentator was seizing the last time to do a summary of the first half. In his opinion, the second half of the game should become more exciting. After all, these two teams were old rivals on the Serie A field in recent years.

Neither of them could accept a draw, especially a 0-0 draw.

The whistle for the second half sounded quickly, and the two people in the box also ended their chat and turned their attention back to the game.

As the game progressed, the expression on Ren Yudi's face gradually became serious. As the chairman of a club, he still had to worry about the team's fate. If they couldn't take down Milan in this game, then the games after that would be difficult to play. And the team would be distracted when they went to Tokyo, so they wouldn't be able to play well in the FIFA Club World Cup.

He was in no mood to joke with Karina now.

Likewise, Karina understood Fiorentina's situation. Now she was staring at the TV screen all the time, but not just at Krou alone.

※※※

Sabato paced anxiously on the sidelines, considering whether to make some adjustments. On the other side, Basten also got up from time to time and came to the sidelines, making gestures towards the field.

The scene was still slightly dull. Neither side had many good opportunities to deliver a fatal blow. Perhaps it was because this game was too important for both sides, so the players and coaches were a little timid.

Krou passed the ball out again. This time, Pazzini received the ball. He shot the ball at the first opportunity, but shot it wide. A sigh sounded in the stands. For Fiorentina, who were playing away, there weren't many opportunities to shoot in the penalty area. If Pazzini wasted them all like this, then the outcome of the game would be unfavorable for Fiorentina.

Sabato decided to make a substitution. Donadel came on, replacing the opportunity-wasting Pazzini. Fiorentina played with two defensive midfielders, further curbing AC Milan's increasingly fierce offensive surge in the second half, and providing Krou with a backing to play with peace of mind. At the same time, after there was one less person in the frontcourt, Krou's space would be larger, and he would have more opportunities to display his skills.

Because Fiorentina had Mascherano, this midfield monster, for the past few years, Donadel didn't have many opportunities to play. But in Sabato's opinion, he was a very good substitute player, and what was commendable was that he was so loyal to the club even when he didn't have many opportunities to play, and never caused any trouble.

Perhaps, it was because of Fiorentina's success in the past two years. He also knew that he could at least win a championship here. If he went to other teams, he might not get anything.

Sabato's substitution had an immediate effect. Donadel and Mascherano formed two iron gates in the midfield, successfully blocking most of AC Milan's attacks. Kaka was caught in the rotation of the two defensive midfielders and had no room to play at all. On the other hand, Krou's pressure was greatly reduced because he had two defensive midfielders with excellent defensive ability and the ability to distribute the ball with long passes behind him. In addition, there were fewer people in the frontcourt after Pazzini was substituted, and he had more running space.

For players like Krou, he was more threatening when he ran, because his fancy dribbling moves needed to be completed while running, and once he ran, his opponents would be even less able to grasp his next move.

Sure enough, after Krou received a pass from Mascherano, he first pretended to pass the ball to Joaquin, tricking Muntari into shifting his center of gravity. Then he suddenly started running in the completely opposite direction. Just when Muntari quickly caught up with his amazing physical fitness, Krou suddenly stopped again and used his left foot to tap the ball from behind to the right, as if he was going to break through from the right.

Muntari was indeed an African, and his physical fitness far exceeded Krou's. Despite being tricked the first time, he still twisted his body suddenly and stretched his foot out to tackle the ball.

And Krou once again gave Muntari a good lesson on soccer skills. His left foot, without retracting, pushed the ball, which was originally tapped to the right, back to the left. Muntari lost his balance completely and could no longer make any reaction to this move.

He could only watch Krou turn around smoothly and run past him calmly.

If his speed was not as fast as others, then the best way was to knock the opponent down completely. This was Krou's creed.

※※※

This time, Karina in the box couldn't help but cheer again. Unknowingly, she had become a loyal Krou fan.

※※※

After passing Muntari, Krou looked up at the people. AC Milan's players and commentators thought he was going to pass the ball again. But because Pazzini had been substituted and there was only one Zhang Jun left on the front line, Krou's intention to pass the ball was easily detected. When he looked up, two people immediately surrounded Zhang Jun.

Krou glanced up, but didn't pass the ball. He pushed the ball forward and continued to dribble!

The Milan players were caught off guard. Brazilian center-back Alex rushed up to defend, but this kind of rush was the easiest to get past. Krou flicked his ankle and slipped past Alex with the ball. This was a beautiful move. Krou almost brushed past Alex, but Alex couldn't stop him, not even in time to reach out his hand.

After breaking through Alex, Krou didn't pass the ball or continue to dribble. He shot directly from the arc of the penalty area!

In fact, the moment he shot, Zhang Jun had run to a very good position. As long as he passed the ball, it would be a one-on-one against the goalkeeper.

But Krou, who had been passing good balls to his teammates throughout the game, suddenly went solo. He chose to shoot!

※※※

"Score a goal for me when the time comes?"

※※※

Milan goalkeeper Abbiati jumped up with all his might, but Krou's shot, like his dribbling, was extremely tricky! The ball had almost no spin in the air and flew into the goal, brushing against the goal post with a swish.

"Goal! Goal!!"

"Goooooooooooal!"

"Too beautiful! Krou scored with a wonderful long shot!"

"No one could have imagined that Milan's defenders would stand there like fools, watching the ball go into the goal. Abbiati tried his best, but he was still a little short... Fiorentina took the lead against AC Milan on the road!"

The Fiorentina fans cheered loudly. For a time, they became the masters of the San Siro stands.

And Krou, who had scored a goal, was rarely excited. He broke free from Zhang Jun, who wanted to come up and hug him, and then jumped up suddenly, waving his arms forcefully.

But soon, Krou suddenly realized: What am I excited about? It's not the first time I've scored a goal...

He awkwardly put down his waving arms and stood there blankly, until Zhang Jun came up laughing and hugged him tightly.

At the same time, just as Krou shot the ball into Milan's goal, Ren Yudi was startled by a scream from beside him. Karina jumped up from her seat ecstatically, waving her arms and cheering for Krou's goal like a standard fan.

It wasn't until she found that Ren Yudi was staring at her that she put down her arms a little embarrassed and stuck her tongue out at Ren Yudi. "Fiorentina scored a goal, but you don't seem happy at all."

"That's because for me, there are too many moments like this. But you, your performance just now was very unexpected. What made you so excited?" Ren Yudi rubbed his chin, knowing the answer but still asking.

Karina looked up, trying to look at the sky, but what came into view was the ceiling and the ceiling lights. "Cough cough!" She had to pretend to cough twice. "Who else could it be, your number 10."

"Hmm, that doesn't surprise me," Ren Yudi continued to pretend to be profound. "It seems that Krou's spring is coming."

Faced with these words, Karina couldn't refute or admit them, so she just looked at the TV and giggled foolishly.

※※※

This goal made Krou feel a chill down his back, because he was startled to realize that in the moment before he shot, what appeared in his mind was actually that hateful female celebrity, who smiled and said to him: "Score a goal for me when the time comes?"

Then he shot a shot that was absolutely theoretically a dead corner as if he was possessed.

Was he possessed by a ghost? He would never let such irrelevant things appear in his mind during a game. Damn it! These things recently are really annoying! The movie should be finished soon...

The game continued. AC Milan tied the score ten minutes later. The goal was scored not by Kaka, but by Gilardino. The assist was given by Yang Pan.

Milan's goal caused the San Siro to erupt in cheers belonging to the home team, while Karina in the box sighed softly. Ren Yudi next to her still didn't show any expression, which made Karina very suspicious as to whether Ren Yudi cared about the team's life or death at all.

※※※

Today's game was actually destined to belong to one person. That person wasn't Kaka, Yang Pan, Zhang Jun, or Gilardino.

When Krou was being questioned and had troubles both on and off the field, he needed a game to prove himself again and get rid of his troubles.

So, AC Milan very timely appeared on his list of opponents.

Then, we can only say very regretfully: Poor AC Milan, poor Basten.

Just less than three minutes after Milan tied the score, Fiorentina launched another attack. This time, it was Zhang Jun who was dribbling the ball. Zhang Jun's dribbling and Krou's were two completely different styles. Krou paid attention to the subtlety and fanciness of his technique, and liked to pass the ball over and over again, even liking to pass the same player twice, so his speed of advancing was slow. Zhang Jun's dribbling relied on amazing speed and a series of smooth feints at high speed to break through the opponent's defense. Krou's dribbling was more ornamental, while Zhang Jun's was more threatening.

Zhang Jun unexpectedly retreated to the midfield to get the ball, disrupting AC Milan's defensive deployment, and then his series of lightning-fast breakthroughs disrupted AC Milan's defense. There were two players defending him in front of him, not to mention one player on each side and behind him.

For a time, AC Milan sent four players to defend him, which showed the prestige of the World Cup Golden Ball and Golden Boot winner.

Just when everyone thought that Zhang Jun would forcibly break through and then shoot, he passed the ball.

Krou was a little surprised when he received the ball.

We can imagine that Zhang Jun alone attracted four of the opponent's defensive players, so how many people would be around Krou at this moment? The answer was one. When almost all the defenders rushed up to defend Zhang Jun, only left-back Felipe stayed behind in case of an accident. Now he was only one step away from Krou. As long as he rushed over, he would be able to block Krou's shot or breakthrough -- now no one would think that Krou would still pass the ball in that position.

Despite being somewhat surprised by Zhang Jun's pass and not being prepared enough, Krou immediately showed people what was meant by "genius".

At the same time that Zhang Jun passed the ball, Felipe was already rushing towards where Krou was, wanting to block the shot at the first opportunity. But Krou didn't shoot. He used the inside of his right foot to gently flick the ball that Zhang Jun passed from the left... The ball drew an arc and flew past Felipe, looking like a pass, but there was no one there, who was he passing to? Or was it a mistake?

Just when Felipe thought he had defended successfully, he saw Krou running past the left side of his body, in the completely opposite direction of the ball. Did he still want to play a two-on-one? But at this time, who would give him a wall pass?

There were not a few people who had the same idea as Felipe. Even many Fiorentina fans thought that this must be Krou's mistake.

But at this moment, the ball landed, and then an incredible change of direction occurred -- the ball, which was originally flying to the right, bounced to the left in full view, which was exactly the direction that Krou was running!

He completed a two-on-one wall pass by himself!

This time, even the Milan fans in San Siro burst into huge exclamations.

Having broken into the penalty area with such a strange method, what Krou had to do next was much simpler. When facing goalkeeper Abbiati, who rushed out in a hurry, he very lightly performed a chip shot, and the ball flew over the desperate Abbiati's head into the empty goal!

"Itsgoooooooooooooooal!!! Krou Lee——!"

"The ball is in again! AC Milan had just tied the score less than three minutes ago, and Fiorentina once again surpassed the score! Terrible Fiorentina, they don't have any nervousness about playing away at all. Today is not Basten's holiday. Krou's series of actions before this shot are simply amazing! He is the 'Magic' Johnson of the soccer field!"

"Two goals. Krou broke the Milanese's hopes of winning. There are now less than ten minutes left in the game. Who was it who said before the game that an attacking midfielder who won't score goals isn't a good attacking midfielder?"

This time, Krou, who scored a goal, didn't show much excitement. He returned to that Krou Lee who was neither proud in victory nor discouraged in defeat. But, his outstanding performance had conquered AC Milan's fans. They all stood up and applauded Krou's goal! This was a rare occurrence in the stands of San Siro...

Even Ren Yudi stood up and applauded Krou in the box, while Karina was completely conquered by Krou's performance just now... She didn't know what to say at all, forgetting to applaud, forgetting to scream, just staring blankly at the figure on the TV screen.

※※※

Krou's second goal completely destroyed AC Milan. Fiorentina finally won the three points they had planned for on the road. They remained undefeated so far this season, while widening the gap with the second and third place teams in the league.

Fiorentina in these two seasons had been called a "phenomenon" by the people, who believed that everyone from the owner to the players of this team were "phenomenal" figures.

And Krou, the "phenomenal" player in the "phenomenal" team, also used this game to prove that he was not weaker than Kaka, and was even stronger than Kaka in some aspects.

Italian famous soccer reporter Cagliani commented on Krou in his column in *Milan Sports Daily*:

He is a genius, so we can't use ordinary people's standards to demand him. Unlike Zhang Jun, who enjoys the pleasure of shooting and scoring, he enjoys the pleasure of using dribbling to tease the opposing defenders, passing them over and over again. So, those who still doubt Krou's ability, please remember, for Krou, it's not that he can't shoot, it's just that he doesn't want to shoot.

These two goals made all the voices against Krou disappear at once, and from then on, no one would doubt Krou's ability anymore.

At the same time, Karina, who used to come to watch Krou's training, suddenly stopped appearing, and no longer spoke about the relationship between the two of them. It seemed that she put all her energy into filming the movie, and the paparazzi who had been lying in ambush around Krou's house day and night saw that they really couldn't dig up anything, so they had to retreat.

Krou's life returned to peace overnight, everything was as if nothing had happened. It was just that Krou always felt vaguely that something was missing in his heart.

As for what it was? Sometimes Krou couldn't say for sure. He could only stare blankly at the sky outside the car window on the way home.

※※※

Malouda was a little strange as to why Karina didn't go to the training base to watch Krou train, but he couldn't ask. Karina had looked quite hardworking recently, which made director Carax very satisfied. He couldn't touch other people's privacy, in case he stimulated Karina and she disappeared again like last time, he would really have no way to explain to Carax.

It should be known that the movie shooting had now entered a very critical moment. There was no position that could be short of people, let alone the female lead?

Winter in Florence came quickly. November had passed, and Florence still maintained an undefeated record in this month, standing proudly among the heroes. December had two important games for Florence -- the FIFA Club World Cup. This was the first time that Florence had participated in an intercontinental event. Considering that the opponents were not too strong, this championship was naturally regarded as being in the bag by Sabato.

Just as the team was about to set off for Tokyo, Japan, the movie *Boy Meets Girl* completed all the shots taken in Florence. Next, they had to return to France to shoot the remaining parts. The arrival of this crew had added a lot of different colors to the team and the city, but now it was time to say goodbye.

Logically speaking, the crew, who had spent some time with the team, had to go to say goodbye to the team before leaving. At the same time, the players in the team had to make some kind of expression.

Karina's farewell was something that many players didn't want to see, because although the time was short, the players all liked this star who didn't have much of a star attitude. In fact, many people regarded her as an ordinary pretty girl, she was more lively and more likeable than those so-called stars.

Karina was hugging and saying goodbye to all the players who were present. Everyone else was very cooperative, but only at Krou's place, Krou was like a wooden stake, letting Karina hug him, but he didn't show any expression.

And Karina didn't show anything unusual. After hugging him, she went to say goodbye to the next player.

There were also many sports reporters and entertainment reporters present. In the past few months, the rumors about Krou and Karina had been spread everywhere, but none of the parties had come out to admit it.

In the reporters' opinion, perhaps this was just one of Karina's many scandals, and it would soon be submerged in other news, or it would soon be replaced by new scandals. This most beautiful woman in France never lacked admirers, and Krou, who didn't understand the romantic mood, was obviously not suitable for the romantic French beauty.

Even the Fiorentina players felt sorry for the two of them. They had thought that Krou would definitely stand up bravely and confess to Karina in the end, or Karina would confess proactively... No matter who it was, in short, it should definitely not be such a plain ending.

Unfortunately, what was the use of saying these things when people had already left? They were not Krou, and they could not make decisions for Krou.

Perhaps, these two months were just a chance encounter in the lives of the two of them, as simple and normal as brushing shoulders with pedestrians on the street.

※※※

"A Tao, when are you going to Tokyo?" Youyou asked Xiang Tao, who was next to her, during dinner. Krou was eating silently without saying a word.

"The day after tomorrow, I guess."

"Oh, then give me the clothes that need to be washed. Krou, did you bring your clothes?"

Krou pointed to the basket by the door. The dirty clothes inside were piled up like a small mountain.

After Xiang Tao saw it, he sucked in a cold breath. This was even more than last time. "Hey, Krou, don't you have a washing machine?"

"Too lazy to use it." Krou's answer was very in line with his personality and status.

"..." Xiang Tao was speechless. Who told him to be saddled with such a neighbor?

"Alright, it's actually okay, anyway, I have a lot of time at home all day long. Krou, did you empty your pockets?"

"Forgot."

"Then I'll check again." Youyou seriously checked the clothes one by one. A card