The two reporters emerged from some corner, seemingly out of nowhere. In a flash, they raised their voice recorders high, aimed them at Lu Ke and Sophie, and shouted, "Bambi! Bambi, is this your girlfriend?" Without any regard, they threw a bombshell that exploded with a bang, making their heads buzz.
Girlfriend? Wait, girlfriend?
Lu Ke and Sophie were both stunned. They instinctively exchanged a glance, a look of shock and surprise in their eyes. But then, Marcus's joke from thirty seconds ago echoed in their ears: "Lu Ke and Sophie are sitting in a tree." They suddenly felt a little flustered and simultaneously looked away as if they had been burned.
"No!" Sophie immediately and frantically denied it, but her usual sharp tongue was suddenly tied in a knot. "Of course not. I mean, no!"
She kept repeating the same word, "No." Her mind seemed to go blank, unable to form any coherent statement. The idea was so absurd that it caught her completely off guard, and she didn't know how to respond.
Lu Ke, who was standing beside her, was a little stunned at first but then noticed Sophie's fluster and couldn't help but grin.
However, he politely controlled his smile and answered seriously, "Do you have to report a scandal every time you see a man and a woman standing together? Then next time you see two men standing together, are you going to report a coming out? Our team might be in a bit of danger."
Sophie was taken aback, then couldn't help but laugh, especially when she saw the two reporters' bewildered expressions. Her laughter was uncontrollable. The panic she felt a moment ago instantly vanished, as if by magic, and she regained her composure.
Lu Ke gave the reporters a big smile. "This is our team's assistant public relations officer, Ms. Sophie Brook. We're discussing work. So, please don't speculate wildly."
"Ms. Brook, is that true?" The two reporters didn't buy it and immediately pressed on.
"Yes, I am indeed the assistant public relations officer. You can ask me about team and game matters, but about my personal life, please forgive my rudeness, but it has nothing to do with work." Having calmed down, Sophie's words became sharp again. "Which newspaper do you work for? You should know that for professional athletes, the focus should be on their performance on the field. Our team is currently going through..."
Not only did Sophie answer, but she also started to fight back. As part of a professional team's public relations department, it was her job to protect the players' reputations and the team's standing, and she was doing so now.
Sophie gradually took control of the situation. At the same time, a few other reporters rushed over to the hotel entrance. It was clear that they had been waiting around the hotel, looking for an opportunity to interview, not about on-field performance, but about off-field private lives.
It wasn't difficult for reporters to find out the San Francisco 49ers' official schedule. So, they knew that there were still almost two hours before they had to go to the airport. Also, since Jim Harbaugh had not issued a no-leaving order, the players were free to leave the hotel to relax.
Compared to San Francisco, Philadelphia was a city with a deeper history and a more "American" feel. It was worth visiting.
In fact, many players had personal life problems outside of games. During these two hours, some would go to bars and drink heavily, others would go on a spending spree, or cause trouble on the streets. Such situations were countless in the league and were also the focus of reporters' off-field gossip.
At this moment, the reporters were waiting for just such an opportunity. So, when they saw Lu Ke and Sophie, their first reaction was a scandal. This had almost become their second professional instinct.
Now that Sophie had taken the lead, it meant that Lu Ke was no longer the focus. So, he quietly moved, trying to make himself less noticeable and get away from these gossipy reporters.
Before he could fully move away, the hotel door suddenly opened, and a warm breeze came out. Then, a tall and skinny black man appeared.
He was wearing a black hoodie, black sweatpants, and a pair of red sneakers. He had a black San Francisco 49ers hat on his head and a big pair of gold headphones around his neck. The simple outfit revealed his strong personal style, easily attracting everyone's attention.
One second, two seconds.
The reporters only hesitated for a moment before they swarmed him like wild animals, instantly engulfing the black man. Deafening questions came one after another.
"Colin, what are your thoughts on this game?" "Do you think you can get the starting position?" "What exactly happened in training last week?" "Why are you the team's fourth quarterback now? Is it because you haven't recovered yet?" "Are you confident you can play next week?" "The team lost this week, do you think you'll get a chance?"
The harsh and sharp questions rained down on him. Even as a bystander, Lu Ke couldn't help but frown, as if he could feel the heat and pain.
The man who appeared was Colin Kaepernick.
This year's draft was widely considered a great year for quarterbacks, and the competition was fierce. Kaepernick was a second-round pick, the 36th overall, and the sixth quarterback to be selected in the draft. He was definitely a highly anticipated player.
When Alex Smith was unexpectedly injured, Kaepernick was forced into the starting position. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him to become a savior, leading the team out of a slump and into a bright future. But the reality was cruel. He not only lost four preseason games but also lost the starting quarterback competition.
The future star from the draft had, in less than six months, become the team's fourth quarterback, even behind Scott Tolzien. The situation was incredibly poignant.
Without a doubt, Kaepernick was another hot topic for gossip, especially since the San Francisco 49ers lost this week. The quarterback competition was bound to be brought up again. After all, the current starting quarterback was just an undrafted rookie who had only played four complete games, and his foundation was still unstable.
So, Kaepernick, who was originally planning to go out for some air, instantly became the target of the reporters, hounded like a stray dog.
Lu Ke and Sophie exchanged an unexpected look. Lu Ke spread his hands, indicating that there was nothing he could do, but Sophie couldn't stand by. Protecting the team's players was her job. So, Sophie could only let out a helpless sigh. Without any further hesitation, she walked up quickly and started to maintain order.
More and more reporters gathered, and the surging crowd was endless. The group surrounding Kaepernick was like a cotton candy, getting bigger and bigger, which left Lu Ke speechless. He had no idea where these reporters had come from; they were like ghosts.
Looking at the impenetrable hotel entrance, Lu Ke decided to give up on the idea of a frontal assault. He quickly walked down the stairs and绕 to the side street of the hotel, planning to enter through the back door.
The noise behind him was still deafening and chaotic. It was incredible even as a bystander. The other players in the hotel lobby had also noticed the commotion at the door and gathered at the floor-to-ceiling windows to watch the excitement.
"Bambi, can I have your autograph please?"
Suddenly, a voice exploded in front of him. After the attack from the reporters just now, Lu Ke instinctively took a big step back. He turned to look ahead and realized that he had been looking back and not watching where he was going. He was about to run into someone, but he stopped in time.
After his moment of relief, Lu Ke noticed the young girl in front of him. She was wearing a bright blue baseball cap that covered most of her face, but it was enough. Her mouth, her shoulders, her waistline, her long legs... most importantly, the sunny aura she exuded was so familiar that he recognized her with just one glance.
Candice Swanepoel. A familiar yet strange person. Familiar because they had known each other for a long time, and strange because it was so unexpected to meet her in Philadelphia.
"Hey, little beauty, what are you doing here?" Lu Ke's smile brightened.
Candice pouted, looked up, and said with a questioning expression, "Gosh, how did you recognize me? My disguise is so low-key today. I bet even photographers wouldn't recognize me."
"Because you're Candy." Lu Ke's answer was so simple yet so illogical that Candice's shoulders dropped in defeat. "Okay, I can't argue with that answer. Luckily, you didn't say you'd recognize me even if I were just ashes, or 'young love' would turn into 'The Sixth Sense'."
"Are you sure it's not 'The Exorcist'?" Lu Ke's joke made Candice laugh happily. "Haha, I like that joke. I'll tell the Victoria's Secret Angels next time, haha." Her hearty laughter instantly made the Philadelphia sunshine more beautiful.
Lu Ke looked back at the dense crowd of reporters. "Let's get out of here, or in the next second, we'll be honey."
"Honey? Are they bears?" Candice immediately caught Lu Ke's humor, and the two of them walked forward, laughing and chatting.
The two reporters standing among the crowd, their peripheral vision accidentally caught Lu Ke and Candice walking away. Their pupils constricted slightly.
Wait, isn't that... Candice Swanepoel? But why do Lu Ke and Candice know each other?
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