"Are you sure it's okay? Don't professional sports teams require strict discipline? Aren't there strict time and travel regulations? You've been out alone for so long. If the coach finds out, that's probably not good, is it? This is only your first year in the league," Candice Swanepoel said with a worried expression.
Lu Ke put away his smile, his face straight and serious. "Isn't it a bit too late to be worried now?"
Candice blinked, her eyes full of concern. But then she caught the mischievous glint in Lu Ke's eyes and realized what he was doing. She gritted her teeth and stared at him, showing her protest.
Lu Ke knew when to stop. His serious expression softened. "We have two hours of free time. After you get to your workplace, I'll take a taxi back right away. Don't worry, everything will be fine. I strongly suspect that Logan didn't even notice I left."
"Haha, he can't be that dense, can he?" Candice laughed heartily. Lu Ke's two college roommates, Logan and Jay, both knew Candice and had eaten with her a few times.
"Girl, this is your destination, but there's a huge crowd ahead. It's going to be tough to park. Can we just stop here and you two can walk the rest of the way?" The taxi driver's gruff voice broke the conversation in the car, and he asked them kindly.
Lu Ke and Candice both turned their heads and looked out the front window. They saw a bustling crowd ahead.
It was a regular street with buildings on both sides that had a European, retro architectural feel. You could vaguely see a coffee shop sign, but there were no special landmarks. But at the intersection, there was a huge crowd of four or five hundred people, all seemingly watching something.
"No problem, we can get out here and walk," Candice said, nodding in agreement after collecting her thoughts.
Lu Ke handed his credit card to the driver, exclaiming, "Are you sure this is your workplace? Why are there so many people? I thought it was just a photoshoot."
"Uh... I'm not sure what's going on either. But according to the notice I received, the shooting location is here." The lively scene in front of her was quite unfamiliar, and Candice also hesitated. "If the driver didn't take us to the wrong place, then this is our destination."
"I didn't! Girl!" The driver's protest came next. "Absolutely not! Believe me, I know every street and alley in this city. I've lived here my whole life. There's no way I could get lost. This isn't New York, where every street looks the same and has no character."
Everyone thought that the cities on the East Coast were friendly, but in reality, New York, Boston, and Philadelphia had a love-hate relationship, with the most sarcasm and contempt for each other. The cities on the West Coast, like San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Seattle, were much friendlier and closer.
"I trust you, as a San Franciscan trusting a Philadelphian," Lu Ke said, taking back his credit card and patting the driver's seat. Then he opened the car door and got out with Candice, one after another. After closing the door, they walked away.
The driver in the driver's seat was stunned. He thought about what Lu Ke had just said, and a light bulb went off in his head. He immediately climbed into the passenger seat and shouted through the window, "Hey, you're that Chinese kid from the San Francisco 49ers! Right? Right! I listened to the game on the radio today. You played well! It was a great game!"
The driver shouted without thinking, and the pedestrians on the street gave him strange looks. At that moment, the driver saw Lu Ke give a thumbs-up, which made the driver laugh heartily. "He's an interesting guy." Then he got back into his driver's seat, released the handbrake with a satisfied expression, and drove away.
Strictly speaking, the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers weren't arch-rivals.
Furthermore, in Week 2 of this regular season, the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Dallas Cowboys—the Eagles' arch-rivals. To an Eagles fan, the 49ers were a friendly and lovable team. Of course, the most important thing was that the Philadelphia Eagles won the game today.
Lu Ke and Candice walked side by side. The closer they got to the crowd, the louder the noise became. The chattering and lively discussions came and went. You could clearly feel the excitement and anticipation from everyone. Even without any curiosity, they couldn't help but slow down their conversation to find out what was going on.
As a result, more and more people started watching.
Lu Ke cast a confused look at Candice, and she innocently spread her hands, indicating that she had no idea either.
"Candice!" A shout came from behind them. Candice and Lu Ke both turned around and saw a beautiful woman approaching.
She had a curvaceous figure and a graceful demeanor. She was wearing a simple white T-shirt and light blue jeans with a light brown suede jacket. Her slender blue high heels highlighted her long and shapely legs. Her long hair was tied in a high ponytail, revealing her round and sweet face.
"Hey, Miranda." Candice smiled brightly, ran forward, and greeted the other woman with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "What are you doing here? Did I arrive late?"
"No, no, I just went to the coffee shop to get a cup of coffee. God, I had a terrible night's sleep last night." The woman raised her right hand and rubbed her temple. Her fair and slender fingers were slightly upturned, and her feminine charm was captivating.
In contrast, Candice's personality was open and direct. Her carefree demeanor was boyishly crisp and sunny. This feminine side was genuinely not a common sight, at least not for Lu Ke.
Candice seemed to have immediately sensed Lu Ke's thoughts. Just a moment ago, when Lu Ke left the taxi to go to the supermarket, he had told her to "be a lady." Lu Ke would always poke fun at a friend with a unique feminine charm. Candice was already used to it, so she immediately glanced at Lu Ke and said with her eyes, "Shut up!"
Lu Ke had an innocent expression, indicating that he knew nothing.
The woman standing by them immediately caught their eye contact and said with a smile, "Candice, who is this...?"
"Oh, this is Lu Ke, my friend. Lu Ke, this is Miranda Kerr, my colleague," Candice introduced them.
Miranda Kerr was one of the most famous models for Victoria's Secret. Last year, she officially married "Lord of the Rings" actor Orlando Bloom, and she had given birth to a son earlier this year. In just eight months, Miranda had already gotten back in shape and returned to work.
"Lu-ke?" Miranda's pronunciation was a little uncertain, and she looked at him with a polite and friendly expression.
Lu Ke shook Miranda's right hand. "Lu Ke. You should lower your tone. That's the correct pronunciation."
"Lu Ke." Miranda's tone was still a little strange, but it was very close. Lu Ke opened the palm of his hands and made a gesture like fireworks blooming. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Miranda lowered her chin like a lady and smiled brightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you too."
"Miranda, what's going on here? Why are so many people gathered here all of a sudden?" The loud noise came again, interrupting their conversation. Candice's attention also shifted, and she asked curiously.
Miranda just laughed. "Because Adam Levine came to visit. You know, Maroon 5 fans are always crazy. He came to visit Anne Vyalitsyna, who has a photoshoot here. You know that, right?"
Anne Vyalitsyna, a Russian supermodel and also a Victoria's Secret model, was dating Adam Levine, the lead singer of the pop-rock band Maroon 5. Their relationship was very high-profile and well-known. It was worth mentioning that the two met at a "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit party.
The reporter who was looking for trouble today worked for "Sports Illustrated."
Lu Ke and Candice both had an "aha!" moment. Candice was used to it and shrugged, mouthing the word "often." Lu Ke understood what she meant: it seemed that Adam visiting Anne on set was a common occurrence, and they were all used to it.
"This time, Erin Heatherton also has a photoshoot here, but luckily, her boyfriend didn't visit. Otherwise, it would be even crazier here," Miranda said meaningfully, winking at Lu Ke and Candice, but she didn't continue to gossip. "I'm going in now. How about you?"
"Right, I'm going in too." Candice patted Lu Ke's arm. "Take care! Good luck with the next game! I believe in you!" With that, Candice gave Lu Ke a playful wink and then quickly followed Miranda's footsteps. The two beautiful women walked away and disappeared into the surging crowd.
After watching Candice and Miranda leave, Lu Ke didn't stay any longer. He turned back to the street and waited for a moment before hailing a taxi. As he opened the car door, a person rushed out from the side, trying to get in first.
The person's so-called lightning-fast speed was only to himself. He probably thought he was very fast.
But in Lu Ke's eyes, the speed was incredibly slow. He simply reached out his right hand, and with a gentle pull, he grabbed the person's shoulder. "Hey, buddy, this is my taxi. If you need one, wait for the next one."
The person turned his head abruptly, about to speak, and then saw a tall and strong man, like an iron tower, standing beside him. The powerful sense of oppression hit him. This immediately left him speechless and flustered.
"Leo! Leo!" A burst of enthusiastic and crazy shouting erupted from behind, following him like a thunderclap.
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