Football: What Happened To Going To The Nightclub? I Have To Score

"Ugh... my head hurts."

"Are you awake? Wait, I'll get you some honey water."

A cold, female voice echoed in Su Luo's ears. At first, it sounded unfamiliar, but then he recognized it. The voice was Josephine's—although she had a calm and distant tone, her voice was usually soft and sweet.

Su Luo's heart skipped a beat. He was afraid that when he woke up, he might find himself next to another unfamiliar woman. He had been in this situation many times before, where he woke up with a stranger beside him.

He had known Josephine, Taylor Swift, Erica, and other beauties... perhaps too well.

At this point, Su Luo had become accustomed to navigating his complicated relationships, but any new twists would only complicate things further.

Relief washed over him when he saw the familiar figure. It was really Josephine.

She must have returned from Paris last night. Meanwhile, Su Luo had been out celebrating the Premier League championship with his teammates, partying at a nightclub. He hadn't even thought about picking her up.

At the championship party, Su Luo had been the undisputed star of the night. He drank more than he should have, playing various drinking games with his teammates. Eventually, he blacked out after being escorted home by the club staff.

But what happened afterward? Did something else go wrong?

Su Luo, as a professional football player, usually controlled his drinking well. He rarely got drunk, but when he did, things tended to spiral.

Sure enough, Josephine stood there with a complicated look on her face, holding a glass of honey lemonade.

"Drink this. It'll help with your hangover."

"You came back last night? You must be exhausted from all those fashion shows lately. Take some time to rest here for a few days," Su Luo said casually, trying to maintain his usual calm.

"It's a pity you missed the championship yesterday. The party was really lively. You would have loved it..."

Josephine remained silent, her expression sad but resolute.

"I packed my things last night. If you're free later, I'll be leaving."

"Leaving? Where are you going? Do you have more work?"

Su Luo's heart sank as he had a bad feeling about what was coming. Something had happened—something big enough to make Josephine decide to leave.

By the dark circles under her eyes, it was clear she hadn't slept much, or perhaps hadn't slept at all. She must have been thinking this over for a long time.

Despite their hectic schedules and long-distance relationship, they had always been close. Aside from Su Luo's involvement with other women, there had been no major issues between them.

His gut feeling was right.

Josephine then shattered the silence, revealing the truth.

"I'm not the type of girl to play games or make you guess. Erica called last night, and we talked... a lot. As much as I love you, I can't take this anymore."

Josephine was usually sweet and kind, but once she made a decision, she was resolute.

"So... have I been 'outed' in Chinese?" Su Luo muttered under his breath.

Josephine continued, her voice trembling but firm. "You can be with Erica, or Taylor, or whoever you want. This has nothing to do with me anymore. I wish you happiness..."

Tears welled up in her eyes, and although she tried to hold them back, she couldn't. After all, they had been together for a long time, and feelings were involved.

In the end, she couldn't stop the tears. Josephine turned quickly and walked away.

"Wait!" Su Luo called after her, still wanting to stop her.

When a woman leaves, there's often a part of her that hopes the man will try to keep her from going.

But Su Luo, groggy from his hangover and with a pounding headache, struggled to get out of bed. By the time he managed to stand up, Josephine had already grabbed her bag and was driving away.

He tried calling her, but she had turned off her phone, leaving him no way to reach her.

That was it.

Su Luo took a deep breath. He knew he had to give her some time to cool off. Sooner or later, he would find a way to bring her back.

Now that things had come to this, he surprisingly felt calm.

He had faced worse—playing against giants like Bayern, Manchester City, and Atlético Madrid, coming back from desperate situations on the field. He could handle Josephine leaving.

There had to be a way to fix this.

He downed the honey lemonade in one gulp, then fumbled for his phone on the bed. When he turned it on, there were so many messages and missed calls that he couldn't keep up.

Most were from family and friends congratulating him on winning the Premier League.

Among them were several missed calls and messages from Taylor Swift.

"You didn't answer, so I'm guessing you're celebrating? I won't bother you."

"Sorry, I've been busy working on my new album and couldn't watch you win the Premier League."

"I definitely won't miss the Champions League final though. Love you! XXOO."

The "XXOO" was shorthand for "hugs and kisses."

Ordinarily, it wouldn't mean much, but in the context of the situation, it felt like something more.

Besides Taylor's messages, there were also messages from Ma Fanshu and Erica.

Ma Fanshu had congratulated Su Luo on his win and politely asked if they could meet up.

"I'll be at the Champions League final... If only I could see you then."

Josephine had likely seen this message. She understood Chinese, and Su Luo had once even taught her a few phrases.

Su Luo couldn't help but laugh at his own predicament.

Then he opened Erica's messages.

"I tried calling to congratulate you on your win, but no answer. Oh well, it's not important."

"Ugh, I miss you so much! I wish I could jump on you right now..."

Her messages got more explicit as they went on, referencing details from their last meeting, when they had done yoga in the VIP section of a nightclub.

That was likely the final nail in the coffin.

The timing of Erica's calls and messages seemed to match when Josephine found his phone. Erica had likely called after a night of partying, and Josephine must have answered the phone.

While Su Luo was still processing everything, Erica sent another message.

"I'm so sorry."

Su Luo immediately called her.

"Are you awake?" Erica asked, surprised.

"Yeah. Who knows what would've happened if I didn't wake up."

Erica began crying. "I'm sorry, Su. I didn't mean for this to happen. When Josephine asked me, I didn't know how to explain it..."

"Honestly, I didn't mean to cause trouble..."

Erica usually had a bright, confident personality on the football field, but outside of it, she was still just a young girl—barely 19.

In a typical Chinese family, she'd just be a college sophomore.

Su Luo knew Erica well. She wasn't manipulative or deceitful. She was simply too naïve and straightforward for her own good.

Josephine had managed to pry everything out of her in just a few words.

"I underestimated her."

"What?"

"Nothing. I don't blame you for this."

"Is Josephine still there? Let me explain it to her again... I don't want you two to fight because of me."

After Josephine left, Su Luo wasn't in the best mood.

Sensing his frustration, Erica teased him, nearly bursting into laughter.

This was the first time Su Luo had seen Erica like this—someone who wasn't afraid to joke around, even in a serious moment.

"What are you laughing at? I'm stressed out, didn't sleep at all last night, and you're still laughing," Su Luo said, exasperated.

"Okay, okay, relax. Don't worry about it," Erica replied, smiling. "I'm not mad. By the way, do you have any games coming up?"

Su Luo decided to shift the conversation. "Yeah, I have an internal trial. If I make it, I'll represent Germany's U20 team in the European Athletics Championships."

"Wow, that's amazing! You've got this!" Su Luo encouraged her.

"Of course, I've got this! It's mine for the taking!" Erica said confidently.

She always exuded confidence on the field.

"Will you have time to come watch me in the Champions League final?" Su Luo asked, curious.

"Definitely! I wouldn't miss it!" Erica replied, excited.

After exchanging a few more words, Su Luo hung up the phone. His thoughts drifted toward the upcoming Champions League final. He knew that Josephine, Erica, Ma Fanshu, and even Fufu would all be there.

And Josephine…

He wasn't sure who to focus on, or if he should make any decisions at all. Perhaps he wouldn't choose anyone, at least not right now.

"I'll just take it one step at a time. No need to rush," Su Luo thought to himself, confident that Josephine hadn't completely left him—at least, not permanently. There was still hope for redemption.

As for the final match itself, Su Luo had already made up his mind. Chelsea was going all out.

Four days later, Chelsea, fresh off their Premier League win, faced Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final. It was Barcelona's last stand. Messi, Suarez, Busquets, Rakitic, Piqué, and Mascherano all started.

However, Iniesta and Umtiti, who had performed poorly in the previous round, didn't even make the squad. Iniesta was simply too old to keep up with the pace and physicality of Chelsea. Enrique, Barcelona's manager, replaced him with Arda Turan. As for Umtiti, Enrique didn't even bother trying to salvage his performance, opting for the experienced Mascherano instead.

For Barcelona, it was now or never—do or die.

From the first whistle, Barcelona launched a furious attack, desperate to score an early goal. Their pressing was relentless.

Within the first 20 minutes, Arda Turan had committed three fouls—every one of them on Su Luo.

"The referee blows the whistle again, this time it's Rakitic!" the commentator shouted.

"Barcelona's defense is wide open, spread thin from all the high pressing."

"If Su Luo makes a quick pass, Barcelona could lose the ball, and it's likely we'll see a tactical foul by Su Luo."

"Rakitic receives a yellow card."

"However, something seems different about Su Luo today—he's holding onto the ball more than usual."

"There was an aggressive passing opportunity just a moment ago that could've found Hazard."

"Maybe Su Luo is being cautious, which is understandable. After all, Chelsea lead by three goals and aren't in any rush to score."

"But holding onto the ball more means more physical challenges from the opposition!"

"...Chelsea regain possession and pass the ball back to Su Luo!"

"Beautiful footwork! Su Luo cleverly pulls the ball past Rakitic!"

"Su Luo!! Breakthrough!"

"He's been fouled again! Messi from behind—he's thrown in a hard tackle, taking Su Luo down! Su Luo is lying on the grass in pain!"

"Even Messi's tackle was brutal—this shows just how much pressure Barcelona is under!"

In the stands, a young woman suddenly gasped, her voice lost amid the roar of the crowd.

It was Josephine.

Even though she had left Su Luo days ago, she hadn't been able to leave London. Her firm had arranged an event, making it difficult for her to leave right away. When she found herself with tickets to the Champions League semi-final, tickets she had booked long ago to support Su Luo, she decided to go.

"Would've been a waste not to..." she had told herself.

But now, seeing Su Luo writhing in pain on the field, her heart raced with worry. She had tried to convince herself that she no longer cared, but the truth was, she still missed him.

After a tense minute, Su Luo gritted his teeth and slowly stood up, preparing to take a free kick.

Josephine sighed in relief, a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"Why am I even worried?" she thought to herself, torn between her feelings. "It's not like I have anything to do with him anymore…"

Still, she couldn't stop herself from watching every move he made.

Su Luo walked to the free kick position, about 30 meters away from goal. Just before his run-up, he glanced toward the stands—right where Josephine was seated.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Was it just a coincidence? Su Luo looked around again, then motioned for the fans to get louder.

The crowd erupted, the stadium a sea of blue.

The noise was deafening, the atmosphere electric. Su Luo smiled, brimming with confidence.

With a steady approach, he swung his leg, striking the ball with precision.

"The buildup has been immense—Su Luo is ready!"

"He takes the shot!"

"...and it's a GOAL!"

The ball sailed into the top corner of the net, unstoppable.

Stamford Bridge exploded with cheers! A wave of blue swept across the stadium like a tsunami.

"An unbelievable long-range free kick! Su Luo scores again! Chelsea now lead Barcelona by four goals!"

"He's guiding Chelsea, step by step, to the Champions League final!"

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