The turf of Vallecas Stadium still bore traces of last night's revelry, with red confetti dancing lightly in the morning breeze.
Lu Chuan pushed open the apartment door, carrying freshly bought breakfast, a faint tiredness still lingering in his eyes.
Last night's celebrations had stretched until three in the morning, the aftertaste of champagne still echoing in his mouth.
"Still dreaming?" Esther poked her head out from the kitchen, a mischievous smile on her face.
Lu Chuan put down the breakfast bag and walked towards her. "It feels like I've had a very, very long dream."
His phone suddenly rang, Carlos's avatar flashing on the screen.
Lu Chuan swiped to answer, and his agent's excited voice immediately came through.
"Lu! Do you know? BBC Sport spent a full ten minutes reporting on your goal! ESPN even called you 'the goal machine from the East'!"
Lu Chuan walked to the balcony, the Madrid sun shining on his face.
The streets were still scattered with celebratory streamers, the entire city still buzzing from last night's victory.
"There's even more explosive news," Carlos's voice lowered a few notches.
"Monchi, Sevilla's Sporting Director, just contacted Rayo Vallecano through official channels. They are very interested in you, Lu."
Lu Chuan's fingers tapped lightly on the railing. "It's too early to talk about these things."
"I understand, but this proves that your performance has been recognized by the La Liga giants."
Carlos paused. "Oh, and there's news from Red Bull. They've officially extended an endorsement invitation, hoping you'll become their football project spokesperson for Spain."
After hanging up the phone, Lu Chuan turned and returned to the living room.
Esther was sitting on the sofa, a laptop on her lap, the screen displaying reports from various international media.
"Look at this," Esther pointed at the screen. "A report from South Korea's KBS TV, they're comparing you with Son Heung-min."
On the screen, a Korean reporter introduced Lu Chuan's performance in fluent English.
The background continuously replayed the goal, each replay a silent coronation of his performance last night.
"Japan's 'Asahi Shimbun' is even more exaggerated," Esther switched pages. "They used a headline like 'New Hope for Asian Football'."
Lu Chuan sat beside her, watching the news footage constantly scrolling on the screen.
Reports from all over the world, commentaries in different languages, but everyone was discussing the same name — Lu Chuan.
His phone vibrated again; this time, it was a Twitter message from the United Kingdom.
Son Heung-min had posted a video on his official account.
"I watched Lu Chuan's winning goal, it was fantastic!"
Son Heung-min in the video smiled brightly. "He's a born striker, and I'm proud of him. I hope he continues to progress and bring glory to us Asian players."
Esther gently stroked Lu Chuan's arm. "How does it feel? To be watched by the whole world."
"A bit unreal," Lu Chuan answered honestly. "Last night I was still worrying about whether I could score, and today I've become a global focus."
"That's the charm of football," Esther closed her laptop. "One goal can change everything."
She stood up and walked towards the kitchen. "Wait, I've prepared a celebration feast for you."
Lu Chuan followed curiously, a strange aroma wafting from the kitchen.
A frying pan sat on the stove, the food inside a somewhat bizarre color.
"What is this?" Lu Chuan suppressed a laugh.
"My secret recipe spaghetti!" Esther proudly displayed the results in the pan. "I specifically looked up a tutorial online."
Lu Chuan carefully observed the food in the pan.
The noodles were a bit clumpy, the sauce was somewhere between orange and brown, and something that looked like cheese was sprinkled on top.
"It might not look great, but it should taste good," Esther explained, a little sheepishly.
Lu Chuan picked up a fork, twirled a mouthful, and tried it.
The noodles were indeed a bit too soft, and the sauce had a very peculiar taste, but the thoughtfulness contained within made him feel incredibly warm.
"It's delicious," he praised sincerely.
A glimmer of doubt flickered in Esther's eyes. "Really?"
"Really." Lu Chuan took another big bite. "This is the most meaningful meal I've ever had."
Lu Chuan smiled, finishing the last bit of noodles on his plate: "Let them make a fuss outside, right now I just want another plate of this."
"Oh, by the way, I have a new proposal." Esther put down her fork, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "A new bet."
Lu Chuan stopped chewing, looking at her curiously.
"If you can lead the team to promotion to La Liga, I'll..." Esther paused deliberately. "Learn to cook an authentic Chinese dish for you, like Kung Pao Chicken?"
Lu Chuan was amused by her serious expression.
He pretended to ponder for a moment with a serious face.
"That's not enough," he shook his head. "If I do it, you have to wear my record-breaking number 12 jersey and watch an entire night of match replays with me."
"An entire night?" Esther's eyes widened.
"Yes, from my first match at Rayo Vallecano all the way to the last," Lu Chuan extended his hand. "Deal?"
Esther took his hand. "Deal. But if you can't do it, you have to write a song for me."
"Write a song?" Lu Chuan raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Did you think I didn't know your little secret?" Esther smiled triumphantly. "I heard you humming in the bathroom, and the melody was quite good."
Lu Chuan's face flushed slightly. "That doesn't count, I was just humming casually."
"Anyway, it's settled," Esther stood up, kissed him lightly on the cheek. "I'll clean up the kitchen, you go check those congratulatory messages."
Lu Chuan returned to the living room and picked up his phone.
The screen showed hundreds of unread messages, congratulations and interview invitations from all over the world.
Among them, a video call request from his parents stood out.
He answered the video call, and his parents' excited faces appeared on the screen.
"Son!" His mother's eyes were filled with tears. "We watched the live broadcast of the match, it was amazing!"
"Your last goal, it scared us all," his father tried to control his trembling voice. "It wasn't easy, son."
"Mom, Dad, I just did what I was supposed to do," Lu Chuan's voice was a little choked.
"No, you did something we never dared to imagine," his mother wiped the corner of her eyes. "Now everyone in the neighborhood knows we have a son who plays football in Spain."
The video call lasted for half an hour, his parents asking in detail about his living situation, reminding him to take care of his health, their words full of concern and pride.
After hanging up the video call, Lu Chuan found Esther standing at the kitchen door, quietly watching him.
"Homesick?" she asked softly.
"A little," Lu Chuan nodded. "But I know I have to walk this path myself."
Esther walked over and sat beside him. "You're not fighting alone."
His phone rang again; this time it was Carlos's second call.
"Lu, there's a special invitation," Carlos's voice was excited. "Red Bull wants to arrange a video conference; they have a special proposal."
"Now?" Lu Chuan looked at the time.
"If you're available, their Marketing Director is already online and waiting."
Lu Chuan looked at Esther, and she nodded in understanding.
A few minutes later, the Red Bull Marketing Director appeared on the laptop screen.
This was a man who looked to be around forty, with blond hair and blue eyes, dressed in a well-tailored suit.
"Lu, it's a pleasure to meet you," the Director's smile was very warm. "First of all, congratulations on your amazing performance last night. That goal was simply a work of art."
"Thank you for your praise," Lu Chuan responded politely.
"We at Red Bull are always looking for athletes who can represent the spirit of pushing limits."
The Director continued, "Your never-give-up lone brave spirit is the perfect embodiment of our brand philosophy."
Lu Chuan listened carefully to the introduction, understanding the specific details of the endorsement contract.
"In addition to the regular endorsement content, we also have a special idea."
The Director's eyes sparkled with excitement. "We know you and Miss Esther have a very close personal relationship, and her influence in Spain is also not to be underestimated."
Esther heard her name and leaned closer to the screen curiously.
"We are very hopeful that in the future we will have the opportunity to facilitate a cross-industry collaboration between the two of you."
The Director's proposal surprised both of them. "For example, a blockbuster film that can ignite all of Spain, perfectly combining football and film."
Lu Chuan and Esther exchanged glances. This proposal was indeed very appealing, but it also meant that their relationship would be completely publicized.
"This proposal is very interesting," Lu Chuan responded cautiously. "But we need time to consider it."
"Of course, I completely understand," the Director nodded. "We are not in a hurry. The important thing is that we value your authenticity and infectiousness."
After the video conference ended, the room fell into a brief silence.
"Their proposal is very tempting," Esther was the first to speak. "But it means we can no longer keep secrets."
Lu Chuan held her hand. "Are you ready to face the crazy media?"
"For you, I'm ready for anything," Esther's eyes were firm. "It's just..."
"Just what?"
"I just hope that the outside attention won't affect our relationship," Esther's voice was a little worried. "Sometimes too much exposure can ruin the most beautiful things."
Lu Chuan pulled her into his arms. "No matter how the outside world changes, we must remember the initial beauty."
The two embraced quietly, enjoying the peaceful afternoon.
Outside, Madrid was still bustling, but in this small space, time seemed to stand still.
In the afternoon, Lu Chuan's social media account followers surpassed the one million mark.
The comment section was flooded with congratulations and support from all over the world, with texts in different languages converging into a sea of praise.
Esther lay on the sofa, browsing through these comments. "Look at this one, from a Japanese fan, he wrote a poem for you in Japanese."
"Read it to me," Lu Chuan lay beside her.
"I don't understand Japanese, but the accompanying picture is beautiful," Esther turned her phone towards him. "It's a scene of cherry blossoms in full bloom, with your name written on it."
Lu Chuan looked at the kind messages, a warm current welling up in his heart.
These strangers, because of one goal, expressed their support and love for him; this feeling was both wonderful and warm.
"Oh, by the way, I just posted an update," Esther admitted a little sheepishly.
Lu Chuan immediately sat up. "What update?"
Esther opened her social media page, displaying the most recently published content.
It was a screenshot of Lu Chuan's goal moment last night, accompanied by a crown emoji and a tiger emoji.
"That's it? No text?" Lu Chuan examined it carefully.
"I think sometimes not speaking is more powerful than speaking," Esther explained. "And if you look at the comments, everyone is guessing about our relationship."
Lu Chuan scrolled through the comments and indeed found a wide variety of fan speculations.
Some thought it was just a congratulation between friends, some suspected their relationship was unusual, and others directly asked if they were dating.
"You're playing with fire," Lu Chuan shook his head helplessly.
"I just want the whole world to know that I'm proud of you."
Esther hugged his arm. "Even if I can't say it publicly, at least I can express it this way."
In the evening, the two decided to go for a walk.
The streets of Madrid were exceptionally beautiful under the setting sun, orange-red light spilling over the ancient buildings, creating a dreamy atmosphere.
They chose a relatively secluded path, hoping to avoid potential media attention.
But even so, passersby still recognized Lu Chuan, asking for photos and autographs.
"It seems it will be increasingly difficult to take a quiet walk in the future," Esther remarked while waiting for Lu Chuan to finish signing.
"This is the price of fame," Lu Chuan said after signing the last autograph. "But I won't complain, these are all people who support me."
Walking home, both fell into thought.
Everything that happened today made them realize that life was undergoing drastic changes.
Honor, wealth, attention—these all came pouring in, but at the same time, they brought new pressures and responsibilities.
"No matter what happens in the future, we must remember how we feel today," Lu Chuan squeezed Esther's hand. "Remember this simple happiness."
"I will," Esther squeezed his hand back. "And I believe the best is yet to come."
As night fell, the two returned to the apartment.
Lu Chuan brewed a pot of tea, and they sat on the balcony, watching the distant city lights.
"Tomorrow is another new day," Esther murmured softly.
"Yes, new challenges, new opportunities," Lu Chuan took a sip of tea. "But no matter where I go, I will never forget my original intention."
From afar came the singing of Rayo Vallecano fans, those loyal supporters seemingly still celebrating last night's victory.
The singing echoed in the night sky, reminding Lu Chuan that his journey had only just begun.
The twelve-game winning streak was just the beginning; a bigger stage awaited him.
And in this upcoming future, with Esther by his side, everything seemed even more beautiful