Sophie Brook stood with her feet together on the edge of the practice field, looking at Lu Ke toying with the football. A flash of admiration crossed her eyes, but the smile on her lips was playful and teasing. "You should have a life."
She was teasing Lu Ke for being too hardworking and having a dull personal life. Compared to the other players enjoying bar life, he was boring.
"Is that just friendly advice, or do you want to be a part of it?" Lu Ke raised an eyebrow and asked in a serious tone. But the underlying flirtatiousness of his words was undeniable.
Sophie was surprised and her lips curved upward. Her white teeth bit her bright red lower lip lightly, and her clear blue eyes slowly narrowed as she looked Lu Ke up and down.
Lately, the news about Lu Ke had been a hot topic. Almost every media outlet was paying attention to the Chinese quarterback—his life, his past, his resume, his performance. Every small detail was enough to become a heated topic of discussion. But looking beyond all the hype, people were confused because these reports only focused on shocking headlines, dramatic twists, and popular trends. No one was actually discussing Lu Ke as a person.
What kind of person was he?
Without this core, all the reports felt inauthentic. They only captured a flashy image: the unknown practice player who, in the blink of an eye, became a star quarterback who dominated the first week of the regular season and the first Chinese player in NFL history. That was all.
As an assistant in the San Francisco 49ers' media department, Sophie graduated from the University of Southern California's School of Journalism last year. After interning at a public relations firm in New York for eight months, she successfully applied to the 49ers' media department and became part of the team's public relations, news, and publicity team.
Sophie didn't like Lu Ke. It wasn't personal, but because Lu Ke was from UCLA and she was from USC.
The two schools were football rivals and direct competitors in many other areas. Just seeing "UCLA" on his resume was enough of a reason to dislike someone. This was a common occurrence in the United States.
However, Lu Ke's focus and dedication, both on and off the field, over the past six weeks had left a deep impression on Sophie. She didn't like Lu Ke—that was one thing. Her appreciation for the starting quarterback's professionalism was another. But with that one short sentence, all of her good feelings immediately crumbled.
"I didn't know you were in a frat, too," Sophie said with a flash in her eyes, raising her chin and responding provocatively.
Members of Ivy League fraternities in the US are known for their love of mischief, parties, and, of course, flirting with women. Lu Ke's joke wasn't harmful, but Sophie's response was a deliberate attempt to be confrontational.
"You're lumping a lot of people together," Lu Ke said with a smile, without arguing. He gave a slightly exaggerated expression, as if to say, "You don't need to treat all men as a public enemy just because of one joke."
Smart, witty, and humorous. Sophie tried hard to control her expression, but the smile on her lips still rose slightly. Her teeth bit her lower lip again, but the smile bloomed freely. There was a unique charm in her bright eyes and white teeth.
Lu Ke knew when to stop and brought the topic back to a more serious note. "I'm so far behind. I have to use my personal time to catch up. In China, there's an old saying: 'The clumsy bird flies early.' What's more, I'm the only person of a different skin color on the entire field. I think I need more than just one beer."
There was no self-pity in his words, but rather a clear understanding of himself. The confidence and determination in his voice came out as a faint light in his dark eyes.
The smile on Sophie's lips paused for a moment as she stared blankly at his eyes. She remembered how calm and experienced Lu Ke was when he was dominating the game in the last game. The real Lu Ke, hidden beneath the media reports, seemed to be revealing himself.
A gust of wind blew by, and Sophie shivered, snapping out of her thoughts. She lowered her eyes and mumbled to herself, "Damn Bruins." Then she put on a professional smile. "If you can keep up the performance you had in the first game, the whole city will go crazy for you."
Lu Ke shrugged and tossed the football in his hands again. "It looks like I'll have to double my training today, or someone will be disappointed." On the surface, he was talking about the fans. But his eyes were on Sophie. However, with his open and honest demeanor, Sophie couldn't retort, or it would look like she was guilty of something.
A hint of a smile flashed in Lu Ke's eyes, and he changed the topic without continuing to joke. "Do you need something? I'm going to the gym now." Strength training had to be done in the gym. It was still three hours until dinner, and Lu Ke planned to get back in time for it.
"Oh, right!" Sophie gritted her teeth and exclaimed in frustration. The reason she rushed down was to intercept Lu Ke. "I'll walk with you to the gym. We can talk on the way. It'll save some time."
Lu Ke tossed the football into a nearby cart and pushed it toward the wire gate of the practice field.
Sophie looked back and then quickly walked over, opening the gate. Her high heels made her movements a bit clumsy, but she still managed to help. Lu Ke smiled, said "Thanks," and then pushed the cart out. He quickly came back and helped Sophie close the gate.
The strong wind made Sophie's slightly curled hair messy, and her flowing skirt didn't help. Sophie was a little flustered. Then she noticed that Lu Ke had silently changed his position. His tall, broad figure blocked the wind, providing some relief from her predicament.
Although everyone said Lu Ke wasn't strong enough, to Sophie, an athlete's body still seemed incredibly tall. His broad shoulders blocked most of the evening sun. Sophie's smile was a little embarrassed, and she explained casually, "Milo chewed up my sneakers, and I didn't have time to buy new ones today."
She paused and then added, "Milo is my dog."
"You scared me. I thought you meant your boyfriend." Lu Ke said this off the cuff and then couldn't help but laugh. Sophie rolled her eyes but couldn't help but laugh along with him.
As they walked toward the gym, Sophie brought up the real reason she was there. "Before you joined the team, did you have a criminal record or a history of school discipline?"
For football players, violence is part of their lives, so a criminal record or disciplinary action is a normal thing. As long as it wasn't a crime committed during the season or a star player breaking a league rule—like domestic violence—it usually wasn't a big deal.
But Lu Ke's situation was a bit special. He was Chinese. There was no precedent in the entire league to refer to. What's more, the issue of racial discrimination could never be avoided. The San Francisco 49ers were handling this situation for the first time ever, so they had to be fully prepared. They wanted to do their own investigation before any problems arose to avoid being caught off guard and to prevent any issues before they even started.
"So that's what this is about. No," Lu Ke answered simply. "At least not that I remember. If necessary, I can go home and ask my parents if I ever broke a neighbor kid's head when I was little." Then Lu Ke saw Sophie's annoyed expression, and he chuckled. He said seriously, "I can look up the contact information for my old schools, and you can double-check. But I'm pretty sure I'm what you'd call a bookworm."
"A bookworm?" Sophie looked at Lu Ke up and down in disbelief. Quarterback and bookworm were probably the two most unrelated words. Even the most counter-type Hollywood movie wouldn't have a character like that.
"Why else do you think I joined the football team?" To attract girls. Lu Ke's answer made Sophie laugh and cry at the same time. When she thought about it, she couldn't argue.
So, Sophie started to complain. "It seems to be working. I guarantee you, a lot of girls in San Francisco are hoping for your attention."
"To keep up this momentum, I'd better start training." Lu Ke handed the cart full of footballs to the equipment manager and pointed to the gym not far away. He said with a smile, "Any other questions?" After Sophie gave him a positive answer, Lu Ke left without hesitation.
From a distance, Sophie heard Lu Ke's words carried on the wind. "Don't keep staring at my back. I might get the wrong idea."
Sophie opened her mouth, about to retort, but the next moment, the heavy wooden door of the gym closed, cutting off their connection. Sophie could only clench her fists in frustration and resentment.
As an outstanding graduate of journalism, Sophie had great confidence in her abilities. But in this brief exchange, she had repeatedly been outsmarted, and the feeling was... frustrating. What was going on?
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