Starting With Real Madrid

Gao Shen wasn't a big fan of coffee. It was too bitter for his taste.

He preferred tea.

But whenever he waited for someone, he somehow always ended up in a coffee shop.

He liked sitting by the window, watching the crowd bustling outside.

The pace of life in the capital was remarkably fast.

He would sit there, sipping a cup of coffee, watching people hurry by, driven forward by the traffic lights at the busy crossroads. Hardly anyone stopped, even for a phone call.

People were all the same.

Even Gao Shen himself, wasn't he constantly pushed forward by the relentless league schedule, unable to afford the slightest slack?

Sometimes he thought that if everyone in the world could suddenly stop being so busy, life might become tragic in another way.

It was like Zidane after his retirement: idle and adrift.

...

A set of hurried footsteps broke through his thoughts.

Looking up, Gao Shen saw Su Qing approaching.

She had started her new job.

At the end of last year, she passed the entrance exams to work for a central ministry in the capital. Not just any ministry, but one of the core departments managing the national economy, a position of real authority.

She had always been like this, excelling at everything she did.

Her tailored black-and-white business outfit perfectly highlighted her elegant figure and carried a sense of sophistication, paired with a natural warmth that made her approachable.

"You're really starting to look like a strong, independent woman," Gao Shen teased as she walked in.

He had to admit, her outfit surprised him. It suited her so well, complementing her temperament and demeanor.

Over the past two years, he had grown accustomed to seeing all kinds of beautiful women in Europe, but Su Qing remained uniquely special. Perhaps it was because seeing her again felt like reuniting with a long-lost friend.

"You always show up without telling me in advance," Su Qing said as she sat down across from him.

The waiter approached with the menu, but Su Qing raised a hand politely. "No need, thank you."

Once the waiter left, she turned back to Gao Shen and pulled out a pair of keys and an access card from her handbag.

"Here's the key and access card to the apartment. You go back first. I've got two meetings this afternoon and a document to finish, so I'll be a little late," she said, sliding the keys and card across the table to him.

"When I'm done, I'll pick up some food on the way back and cook. If you get hungry, there's food and drinks in the fridge and snacks in the cabinet. Help yourself, but don't make a mess."

With that, she stood up, ready to leave. But just as she turned, she seemed to remember something.

"By the way, your taste hasn't changed, has it?"

Gao Shen smiled. "I'll eat whatever you cook."

"Good."

She took a step, then hesitated again. "Do you even know how to get home?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized how silly they sounded.

After Su Qing began working in the capital last year, Gao Shen had bought a 200-square-meter apartment in a high-end residential complex not far from her workplace. It was a surprise for her, something to make her commute easier.

As for the old apartment near her university, that had finally been rented out, to a few of her juniors at school.

This would be Gao Shen's first time at the new place.

Still, Su Qing patiently explained how to get there: cross a few traffic lights, turn left, then head north for about two kilometers.

On most days, she biked to work, which was very convenient.

Despite her explanation, she still worried he might get lost and offered to take him there first, but Gao Shen waved her off.

"Don't worry, I'm not an idiot. I'll find it. You go to work."

"Call me if there's any problem," she added as she left.

...

After leaving the café, Su Qing paused by the window and reminded him once more to be careful on his way back.

Gao Shen couldn't help but laugh, feeling like he had somehow become her little brother under her care.

Before Su Qing decided to apply for the ministry exams, she had called him, seeking his opinion. Gao Shen could tell she was conflicted, but it was clear she wanted to pursue the opportunity. So, he encouraged her to go for it, just as she had encouraged him to chase his dreams abroad years ago.

He knew she had already made up her mind before calling him. She just wanted his support, and he gladly gave it.

That call had left him feeling inexplicably happy.

Even now, watching her busy and fulfilled, he felt a sense of joy from the bottom of his heart.

He had never believed that women should stay home and focus solely on domestic duties.

This wasn't a feudal society anymore.

After paying the bill, he grabbed his suitcase and walked out of the café, heading east.

As he strolled along, he admired the streetscape of the capital, enjoying the brisk autumn air.

Eventually, he spotted the bank Su Qing had mentioned and turned left, heading north for another half-kilometer until he reached the entrance of a high-end residential community.

Although he didn't know the exact building, he at least remembered the name of the complex.

That was when he realized a problem.

He knew the name of the community, but had completely forgotten the building number and unit.

"If I posted this online in a few years, people would roast me alive," Gao Shen muttered to himself. "What kind of person buys an apartment in the capital and doesn't even know what floor it's on? Total 'Versailles moment.'"

The complex, developed by a well-known state-owned enterprise, had excellent facilities and professional management.

When Gao Shen mentioned Su Qing's name to the security guard at the gate, the man's eyes lit up in recognition.

"Are you her boyfriend?" the guard asked, scrutinizing Gao Shen like a teacher grading a student.

"No, just a classmate," Gao Shen replied, chuckling awkwardly.

But his answer only seemed to confirm the guard's suspicions. "You're her classmate from kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, and high school, huh?"

"Excuse me?" Gao Shen was baffled.

Do I have a girlfriend?

Wait—how come I don't know about this?

"That girl is something else," the guard said. "Last time, a young man in a luxury car came by with a huge bouquet of roses for her. She turned him down, saying she already had a boyfriend. Childhood sweethearts, apparently been classmates since kindergarten, always going to school and coming home together."

Hearing this, Gao Shen scratched his head.

It seems… she might have been talking about me?

Whatever the case, he decided it was best to roll with it.

The guard, satisfied with Gao Shen's polite demeanor, checked the access card, registered his ID, and let him in.

"She's a good girl," the guard called after him. "Be good to her."

Gao Shen could only smile and nod.

...

Around seven o'clock, the doorbell rang.

Gao Shen opened the door to find Su Qing carrying several large bags. She had clearly stopped to buy groceries on her way home.

He helped her carry everything into the kitchen. She excused herself to her room, returning a few minutes later in comfortable loungewear. Pulling out packets of dried meat and potato chips, she handed them to Gao Shen.

"Have some snacks if you're hungry. Dinner will be ready soon," she said before heading into the kitchen.

Gao Shen leaned against the doorway, watching her with a bemused expression.

"I don't remember you cooking much before," he remarked.

"Our office has a great cafeteria," Su Qing replied as she busily unpacked ingredients. "If you ever get a chance, I'll take you there to try it."

"Looking forward to it," Gao Shen said with a grin.

She had bought beef and shrimp, two of Gao Shen's favorite foods.

"How did you know I love stir-fried beef with green peppers and boiled shrimp?" Gao Shen asked, surprised.

"Auntie told me," Su Qing replied without looking up, referring to Gao Shen's mother.

Gao Shen chuckled and didn't press further, though he noticed how focused and a little flustered she seemed.

"Let me help," he offered.

"No need. Just go watch TV. It'll be ready soon," Su Qing insisted.

"Do you seriously think of me as a guest?" Gao Shen asked with a laugh.

Unable to argue further, Su Qing relented. "Fine. The house is yours anyway. If you're a guest, wouldn't that make me a squatter?"

"Smart answer," Gao Shen joked.

He took over cleaning the shrimp his favorite food but his skills were rusty from lack of practice.

As Su Qing marinated the beef nearby, she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and smiled softly, a smile Gao Shen didn't notice.

...

Gao Shen hadn't experienced this kind of homey atmosphere in a long time.

In Europe, he lived alone in a large house. Though he had housekeeping services, it always felt empty. Cooking for himself never seemed worth it, so he often settled for simple meals meant for one person.

But tonight, it was different. Sitting at the dining table with Su Qing, sharing a meal, peeling shrimp for each other, and reminiscing about their childhood or their hometown, it all felt warm and comforting. They even talked about her work, and Gao Shen found himself genuinely interested in her stories.

Unknowingly, a feeling of belonging a feeling of home started to form in Gao Shen's heart.

"Am I getting old?" Gao Shen wondered to himself, amused by the thought.

Dinner stretched on until after nine o'clock.

When it was time to clean up, Su Qing wouldn't let Gao Shen help no matter how much he insisted. She forced him to sit back and relax while she tidied up the kitchen.

"Let me do something, at least," Gao Shen protested.

"If you want to help, come downstairs with me to take out the trash," Su Qing replied with a smirk.

So Gao Shen accompanied her downstairs, taking in the greenery and well-maintained surroundings of the residential complex.

When they returned, Su Qing immediately set about preparing the guest room for him.

"Next time, give me a heads-up before you come back," she complained lightly. "I would've cleaned up the room earlier. Otherwise, you'll have to sleep in the living room."

"The living room's fine with me," Gao Shen replied nonchalantly.

Su Qing shot him a mock glare before heading off to finish cleaning.

Sitting alone in the living room, Gao Shen glanced at the open door of the guest room and smiled to himself.

He had never imagined Su Qing could have this domestic, caring side to her. She felt so different from the professional, independent woman she appeared to be in front of others.

In the quiet of the moment, he found himself pondering which version of her he liked better.

Just as he was lost in thought, his phone buzzed with a call from Italy.

***

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