Chapter 626: A Meeting of the Eyes
"Bambi! Bambi! Bambi!"
In the midst of this lively scene, Candlestick Park instantly turned into a nightclub. It was as if everyone was completely lost in the festive atmosphere.
As the protagonist, Lu Ke was helpless and had a look of resignation. He spread his hands out. His expression was originally calm, but when he met Candice's bright eyes, his cheeks couldn't help but feel a little hot. He coughed a couple of times to hide his embarrassment. "Why did you come so suddenly? You didn't even say anything beforehand."
He was also going to ask, "You didn't wait long, did you?"
But before he could say it, the impatient Vernon slapped Lu Ke's back. "Bambi, no wonder you don't have a girlfriend. You're so clueless. You can't talk to a girl like that. Come on, let me give you a lesson on dating basics one day."
After saying that with a serious tone, Vernon turned to Candice and showed a wolf-like expression. He said sincerely, "Bambi is just an innocent little boy. Besides training, he doesn't know anything else. All his free time is spent on his playbook, so when he faces a girl, he's a little clumsy with his words. Please be more understanding."
"Hey, Vernon! You're the innocent one! Your whole family is innocent!" It was rare to see Lu Ke a little flustered. He widened his eyes and retorted in a depressed tone.
Candice's eyes flickered, and a big smile flowed out. She lightly glanced at Lu Ke and then looked at Vernon. She said gracefully, "But I like that kind of guy." Then she wrinkled her nose and snorted at Vernon. "I don't like slick talkers like you. There are too many of them in nightclubs, and their style is repetitive."
"Vernon! Vernon! Vernon!"
Everyone started to tease again, but this time, Vernon was the target. He was also helpless and tried to argue, but he found that his teammates didn't give him a chance. Candice's honest gaze made him even more flustered. He raised his right hand and pretended that nothing was happening. He scratched his head and looked away, as if he didn't understand what Candice's words implied.
Just when Lu Ke thought everyone had ignored the other part of Candice's words, Marcus started to yell again, "Candice likes Bambi's type! Hoo hoo, the girl has already confessed, Bambi. Aren't you going to do something about it?"
That one sentence instantly ignited the gossip soul of all his teammates. Seeing the teasing flame spreading toward him, Lu Ke had a flash of inspiration. He raised his voice and shouted, "Then why are you all still here being third wheels? Smart guys would have already left secretly and given us some private space. Are all of you who are still here idiots?"
"Bambi is going to confess! Bambi is going to confess!" Now the place exploded. The loud noises were endless. Everyone started to dance with their hands and feet, like they were at a hula dance celebration. They circled Lu Ke and Candice and danced. Aldon Smith shouted in an exaggerated way, "Run, or else Bambi won't find a girlfriend and he'll come after us!"
Whoosh, everyone scattered like a flock of birds. Only Logan's footsteps lingered behind. He shouted to Candice with a laugh, "Candy, Bambi is a good guy. Don't miss out on him. Remember to take good care of our Bambi." After saying that, Logan winked at Lu Ke and then ran away.
One second ago, the surroundings were noisy; one second later, it became deserted. In an instant, Lu Ke and Candice were standing alone. There was no one else around. The scene was like... like a couple secretly going on a date, hiding in an empty field, being all lovey-dovey.
Realizing this, the two of them became a little stiff. They awkwardly looked away, not knowing where to put their eyes. The flowing air of ambiguity made their hearts beat faster. In fact, both of them were a little confused, not knowing why they suddenly felt awkward or why things had progressed to this point. But they still didn't dare to look at each other.
For a moment, the atmosphere became calm and quiet again.
"Bambi, are you even going to do it?" From a distance, in the seemingly empty field, Aldon came out from a corner with a big stride and kept muttering. Then, one by one, everyone popped out, like in a game of whack-a-mole. Either there was no one, or everyone came out at once. Everyone started to chirp, "If you can't do it, I can give you a temporary lesson," "Candice, maybe you should take the lead," "This is too slow,"...
The noisy sounds had become a public nuisance. Lu Ke turned around and shouted back, "Shut up!" The thunderous voice echoed in the air for a long time. Everyone burst into laughter and scattered like birds. This time, it was finally truly quiet.
He turned back and saw Candice's half-smile. The happiness in her eyes came out. The awkward atmosphere instantly dissolved, and they returned to the familiar rhythm between them. Nothing seemed to have changed. That faint sense of a connection appeared again, and Lu Ke couldn't help but laugh dumbly.
"Logan is still the same as before. He likes to joke, but he always gets shut down when he's around you," Candice recalled the fun stories from her college days. Lu Ke's two roommates were funny people.
Lu Ke smiled and spread his hands, shrugging his shoulders. "He never learns. After so many lessons, he's still a sore loser. Oh, Jay is a sports reporter now. He often hangs around us. After today's game, he said he wanted to do an exclusive interview with you."
"Apparently, after this game, everyone wants to do an exclusive interview with you." Candice's eyes were filled with a smile. Bathed in the sunset, she was glowing.
On a whim, Lu Ke's words slipped out, "Does that include you?"
The ambiguity hidden in his words suddenly took on a pink hue from the sunset. The air started to flow gently.
The two of them looked at each other. The emotions flowing in their eyes were like gentle waves hitting the reef. The light and quiet sound made them feel a sense of longing. In January in San Francisco, the wind was howling. The magnificent sunset in their eyes was like a dazzling and beautiful flame, creating a bit of summer's cicada chirping and humidity, surging in their minds.
Candice was the first to lower her eyes, hiding the emotions deep within. With a slightly tense voice, she said in a forced cheerful tone, "Of course. Otherwise, I wouldn't have waited here for 90 minutes."
But as soon as she said it, Candice realized her spoiled and dependent tone. The ambiguous atmosphere not only didn't disappear but became even more intense. Candice could only secretly pray that Lu Ke hadn't noticed the deeper meaning in her words. She carefully looked up and met Lu Ke's gaze. She saw a teasing smile in his clear black and white eyes. Candice's cheeks flushed slightly. To hide her embarrassment, she raised her leg and kicked Lu Ke hard, complaining coquettishly, "Stop having crazy thoughts!"
Her coquettish scolding made Lu Ke's eyes become even more profound. His warm gaze seemed to carry a temperature, lightly jumping on her skin. Candice's mind couldn't help but become flustered. She bit her lip, widened her eyes, and shouted angrily, "Bambi!"
Then, Candice raised her right foot again.
But this time, Lu Ke lightly dodged it. A big smile appeared on his face, and he laughed happily, as if he had uncovered a secret. His mood instantly became bright and radiant.
Before Candice could get angry again, Lu Ke took a big step forward and completely eliminated the distance between them. Their close proximity made the air between them hot and boiling. The warmth of his breath made her heart pound. Her mind seemed to be completely blank, yet at the same time, it was filled with countless thoughts.
Candice instinctively held her breath. All her words and emotions disappeared in an instant. She stood still, completely stiff, as if even a slight movement could reveal her emotions. Even the scent of the man in the air became hot.
But even while holding her breath, Candice could still smell the faint scent. It was a dry and fresh citrus smell. The refreshing scent of sports body wash was mixed with a faint smell of sunlight. It was everywhere, penetrating everything. This made Candice grit her teeth and continue to hold her breath.
Lu Ke's eyes overflowed with a smile at her childish and innocent actions, but he didn't continue to tease Candice. He actively changed the subject. "Why did you come here? Aren't you busy lately?"
But Candice still didn't speak. She just widened her eyes and gave Lu Ke a wary look. The next second, Lu Ke suddenly leaned in, and his face suddenly got bigger in Candice's eyes. Caught off guard, Candice let out a low gasp, and then her breathing became smooth again. But because she had held her breath for too long, her cheeks also had a faint pink blush. This made Candice feel a little embarrassed.
Seeing that Lu Ke was about to do something again, Candice quickly took a step back, creating some distance. That scent finally disappeared. Although her heart was still beating irregularly, her brain at least started to function again. "...Vacation." Candice finally found her voice again. "It's a vacation right now. We still have some time off before the four fashion weeks in February begin."
The words were on the tip of her tongue, but Candice couldn't say them. It was a matter of course: It was a vacation, so Candice came to San Francisco to watch Lu Ke's game. But after the teasing just now, the ambiguous atmosphere seemed to be slowly fermenting. The words were stuck in her throat, and even her eyes became evasive.
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