It was a crazy night—a crazy game, a crazy victory, a crazy celebration. The entire night was a frenzy. On campus in Westwood, countless students filled the streets, singing loudly, partying hard, cheering wildly, and getting drunk, as if it were the end of the world.
For the Pacific-12 Conference, the Rose Bowl was the highest symbol of football honor. For college leagues, the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl were the highest level of championships they could compete for. In other words, this was their Super Bowl!
You can imagine how important it was for the students of UCLA to win the Rose Bowl again after 25 years.
After the game ended, the official awards were announced. The Offensive Player of the Game was Logan Newman, and the Defensive Player of the Game was J.J. Watt. Afterward, all the Bruins players went up to the podium and held up the Rose Bowl trophy, which marked the end of the event. But the celebrating was just beginning.
Although he was only on the field for two minutes, Lu Ke was undoubtedly the most popular person on the team. He was the center of attention, with a wave of toasts, games, and celebrations. He was drinking one cup of alcohol after another. Lu Ke eventually blacked out and had no memory of what happened. When he woke up again, he found himself sleeping in a bathtub.
He didn't know where he was, but he was sure it wasn't his own apartment. More importantly, he didn't remember how he got there.
After getting out of the bathtub, he went into the living room, where a bunch of bodies were lying on the floor. The strong smell of alcohol made Lu Ke's stomach turn again, and his head was splitting. He didn't remember much from last night. Beer, red wine, whiskey, brandy, vodka... all kinds of alcohol were mixed and poured down his throat. He couldn't even remember when he blacked out.
Thinking back, the only thing he remembered was when he first arrived at the party. The members of the offense were brought up, and the Rose Bowl trophy, which was the size of a washbasin, was used as a cup, filled to the brim with alcohol. Then, the offense had to go around and drink all of it. This meant that the first person could drink the least. If the people before him weren't considerate, the last person would have to drink all the rest.
Lu Ke tried to sneak to the front, but he was booed and ended up being the last one. Fortunately, his teammates on offense had some conscience and didn't slack off on purpose. Even so, when it was Lu Ke's turn, there was at least 700ml of alcohol left—a mix of who knows how many kinds of alcohol.
After drinking all of it, Lu Ke was pretty much done for.
Although he was awake now, the throbbing pain in his temples and his unsteady steps made the world spin and sway. He weaved through the "dead bodies" in the living room, almost stepping on someone several times. It was like playing Minesweeper, a truly heart-pounding experience. He finally made it outside, but the bright California sunshine made him frown. He suddenly felt like he was a vampire.
He looked around dizzily and realized that he was still on campus. The building was a fraternity house, where rich kids would hold parties every now and then. Strictly speaking, it was a place where there were parties all year round, and you could always find alcohol and weed there.
The problem wasn't the fraternity, but... their celebration party yesterday was on the other side of campus. How did he cross the entire campus and end up here?
He stood there in a daze for a moment. The vampire finally got used to the sun. Lu Ke looked down and made sure he wasn't sparkling like the male protagonist from "Twilight," and then he felt at ease and started walking. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should jog home or take a taxi.
Then, a wave of nausea came over his stomach, which made Lu Ke choose the latter without hesitation.
He took out his phone and booked a taxi. Then he stumbled toward the taxi stand at the school gate. The United States was a country on wheels. According to a survey, the average person owned two cars, and you could get a driver's license at age sixteen. This was especially true in Los Angeles, where public transportation was almost non-existent, and taxis weren't very useful. Private cars were the norm. So, it was a rare occurrence to be able to hail a taxi on the street in Los Angeles. You had to book one in advance.
The taxi arrived about fifteen minutes later. Lu Ke got in and rode all the way back to his apartment, swaying the whole time.
As expected, Jay and Logan weren't home. He didn't know where they had passed out or when they would find their way home. Lu Ke went to the bathroom first and took a shower, changing out of his sour-smelling clothes. Then he made a simple sandwich and two fried eggs to comfort his hungry stomach.
After his stomach felt warm, the reality of the situation set in. He couldn't help but smile and hum a tune. The golden sunshine pouring through the window was even more beautiful at this moment.
His eyes unintentionally glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost eleven. A thought suddenly flashed in his mind. Lu Ke had felt like he was forgetting something, and now he finally remembered: Mom and Dad! They were still at the hotel and would be driving back to San Francisco in the afternoon. He had completely forgotten about them!
After the game ended last night, Lu Ke only had time to say hello to them and didn't even have time to talk before he joined the celebration.
After quickly finishing his sandwich, Lu Ke went downstairs and found his old Chevrolet in the parking lot. For the past half year, Lu Ke had gotten used to jogging to and from school. The Chevrolet was only used when he went to the supermarket every week or so, and it had completely lost its favor.
When Lu Ke was sixteen, he, like most of his classmates, got his driver's license. To celebrate, Lu Zheng-ze gave him a very "American" birthday present, a used car that belonged to Lu Ke. Lu Zheng-ze had chosen this navy blue Chevrolet. It was only $15,000, a very fair price, and it was a very stable car. When Lu Ke came to Los Angeles for college, this car was his companion on his solo journey.
After starting the engine, he left the apartment with ease and drove to Chinatown in downtown. After parking the car, Lu Ke was about to enter the hotel when his phone in his pants pocket rang. It was Jiang You-ning. "Mom, I'm here, I'm here," Lu Ke said in a fluster. His clumsy demeanor showed no signs of the dominance and power he had on the field, revealing his true nature as a young man. "I'm sorry, I woke up too late. You guys haven't left yet, have you?"
"Lu Ke, Lu Ke." Jiang You-ning chuckled and called out to him twice, stopping his apologies. "We're eating brunch at the restaurant across the street. Don't come to the hotel, just come here."
"Across the street?" Lu Ke turned around and looked. He saw the restaurant across the street. He was standing alone in the parking lot, and he was easy to spot. "I see you guys. I'll be right over." After hanging up the phone, Lu Ke walked over quickly. He was about to cross the street when he noticed a warning look from the window. He immediately hit the brakes and obediently went back to the curb. He walked to the crosswalk and then crossed the street.
He pushed open the glass door of the restaurant, and a bell jingled. Lu Ke saw his parents sitting in a booth, their faces filled with relaxed and pleasant smiles. They happily waved to him.
Jiang You-ning waved to Lu Ke. Before her son could sit down, she asked with concern, "Are you starving? It's not long until lunch, so you can eat a big brunch."
Breakfast? Did a sandwich, fried eggs, and milk count? But seeing his mother's expectant eyes, Lu Ke smiled and nodded. "I really am starving. I barely ate anything last night..." Lu Ke stopped mid-sentence. He seemed to have let a secret slip.
Lu Zheng-ze deliberately put on a stern face and said seriously, "Some things are better left unsaid."
Lu Ke nodded obediently. Jiang You-ning, however, couldn't help but smile. But she didn't call out her husband's bluff. She waved to the waiter and ordered breakfast for Lu Ke. Then she said, "Congratulations! Congratulations on finally realizing your dream. You not only played in the game but also won the Rose Bowl! I knew you could do it!" She turned to her husband, who was silent. Jiang You-ning nudged Lu Zheng-ze's arm with her elbow. "What do you think?"
Lu Zheng-ze cleared his throat, remembering his loss of composure last night. He seemed a little embarrassed and stiff. In the end, he said earnestly, "You played very well, but you can't get too arrogant. You still have to keep working hard..." He stopped halfway through his sentence, as the tone of a parent came out again. Lu Zheng-ze realized it himself and cleared his throat again, abruptly stopping and changing the subject. "Anyway, last night was truly amazing! You deserved it."
Lu Zheng-ze said with a firm tone. He looked at his son in front of him. From a baby who was learning to talk, he had become a man who stood tall, who had realized his dream with his own two hands and his own hard work.
He knew that as a father, it was his responsibility to tell his child that there was a difference between dreams and reality. While chasing a dream, you also had to be grounded. Otherwise, it would be like a castle in the air, a mirage. It would be beautiful, but the higher the expectation, the greater the disappointment.
However, Lu Zheng-ze didn't want to extinguish that dream. It wasn't because he was an idealist but because he had witnessed the entire process from the very first day. He knew how much effort and sweat Lu Ke had put in to get to where he was today, more than anyone else.
"You deserved it!" Lu Zheng-ze genuinely believed that.
AR and my bag... heartbroken.
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