Fox in the Penalty Area

After coming out of Hu Lai's room, the two of them sat and chatted in the living room downstairs, telling interesting stories about their past student days, as well as interesting people and things in their respective clubs.

During this process, Li Qingqing was often amused by Hu Lai, laughing until she burst into tears.

They couldn't continue talking for a good day, and were interrupted by Li Qingqing's laughter again and again.

At this time, Hu Lai was speechless, and spread his hands: "Is it that funny? I feel like you never stopped laughing tonight..."

Li Qingqing finally stopped laughing, shook his head and said: "No wonder people say you are the founder of the cross talk football genre... I don't think you need to work hard to move your position on the court, just tell jokes to your opponents and make them laugh." If you go down, you will naturally be unguarded!"

"What do you think of me? Let me tell you, I'm a serious player!"

Upon hearing Hu Lai's words, Li Qingqing laughed again: "Are you serious?"

"Where am I not serious?"

"I'm afraid that your opponents don't agree with your seriousness!"

Hu Lai was about to refute when he heard the ringtone of the WeChat video.

From Li Qingqing's mobile phone.

The two looked at the screen at the same time, and found that what appeared on it was...

"dad"

"Isn't it? You're still doing ward rounds?" Hu Lai blurted out his surprise.

Li Qingqing glared at him, then picked up the phone and walked aside to make sure that Hu Lai would not appear in his video screen, and then connected the video call.

Soon there appeared the face of her father Li Ziqiang.

"dad?"

"Are you still asleep, Qingqing?"

"Nope."

"Oh, aren't you at home?" Li Ziqiang frowned slightly, "It doesn't look like your apartment..."

"Oh no, I'm out there. What's the matter, Dad?"

"It's nothing.

I came to my grandparents today, they want to see you. " Li Ziqiang waved to the side as he spoke, and soon Li Qingqing's grandparents appeared on the screen.

Li Qingqing greeted them, shouting very sweetly: "Grandpa and grandma!"

"Hey, dear Qingqing!"

Hu Lai watched Li Qingqing chatting with her family through mobile phone video, and he silently turned his mobile phone to silent.

Then I eavesdropped on Li Qingqing chatting with her family.

From Li Qingqing's recent situation to the daily life of the two elders, grandma even complained about Li Ziqiang to Li Qingqing.

"...Your dad came here today and brought another bag of fruit. We haven't finished eating what he brought last time... In the end, he just threw it away! Do you think it's a pity? What a waste!"

Li Ziqiang's excuse sounded next to him: "Mom, you spoiled those oranges, they're moldy..."

"Isn't it good to have two more?" Grandma complained.

"Everything else in the same bag is moldy, only those two are good, but even if they look good, how dare I let you eat them..." Li Ziqiang was very helpless.

Li Qingqing covered her mouth and smiled: "Grandma, I will teach you a way. Next time, you should eat all the fruit before my dad comes, otherwise he will throw it away next time!"

At the same time, she glanced at Hu Lai very covertly. Seeing that he was swiping his phone with his head down, she didn't know if he had heard the conversation just now.

Grandma asked: "Qingqing, are you still living in that apartment alone?"

"Ah? That's right... I'm alone..." Li Qingqing thought that her little actions had been seen by her grandma, and she felt a little guilty, and she seemed unconfident when she answered.

"You're not too young, so why don't you find a boyfriend?"

"Oh, grandma, I'm only twenty-three years old..."

Li Qingqing didn't expect her grandma to ask this question. It would be okay if it was normal, but the point is that she is not the only one in this room now!

So she was embarrassed.

"Twenty-three years old is not young. In two years, I will be twenty-five. Twenty-five is only five years away from thirty. Let me tell you Qingqing. Once you turn twenty-five, that time will pass." It's so fast..."

Li Qingqing peeked at Hu Lai again, and found that he was still lowering his head, not sure if he heard it or not...

The grandma over there is still talking endlessly: "...you are from a girl's family, and you are still alone in a foreign country..."

Li Qingqing was afraid that his grandmother would say something even more outrageous, so he could only interrupt her: "Grandma, you already know that I am in a foreign country, so should I find a foreign boyfriend?"

Grandma froze for a moment, then shook her head: "No, you can't find foreigners... I heard that they have a strong smell..."

"Then I'm surrounded by foreigners, so I just don't look for it." Li Qingqing praised her wit.

"Aren't they all foreigners... Hey, I think that who..."

"Okay, okay, look what you're talking about..." Before grandma finished speaking, grandpa leaned into the screen and snatched the phone away, with his face still facing out of the screen. "Don't worry about Qingqing's affairs. She is so tired from training and competing every day, how can she have the time to find a boyfriend?"

After blaming his wife, grandpa looked at Li Qingqing: "Don't take your grandma's words to heart, she's just like this...your grandma is also worried about you."

"I won't, grandpa." Li Qingqing replied obediently with a smile. "I have been abroad for so many years, I am used to it, and there is nothing to worry about."

"It's getting late, should you go to bed? Let's not talk about it...Ziqiang, do you want to talk to Qingqing?"

There was no sound outside the screen, Li Ziqiang may have just waved his hand.

Grandpa turned his head and waved his hand at the camera: "Good night, Qingqing!"

"Good night grandpa, good night grandma, good night dad!" Li Qingqing said good night one by one before ending the call.

Then she turned her head to look at Hu Lai who was bowing her head: "Did you hear everything?"

Hu Lai laughed dryly: "Your grandma and my mother really look alike..."

Li Qingqing frowned: "It's weird for you to say that, it seems to call Aunt Xie old."

"No, it's to say that your grandma is young." Hu Lai quickly defended.

Li Qingqing laughed and looked at the phone again: "Ah, it's really getting late, I have to go..."

"Go? Where are you going?" Hu Lai was surprised, "Is there still a plane back to Paris so late?"

"What, I booked a hotel."

"Retire, live here!" Hu Lai blurted out with a wave of his hand.

But after saying this, he froze himself.

Now it's just him and Li Qingqing, Morikawa Junpei is not here, it means they are alone in the same room, but he asks her to stay... Isn't it good?

What would Li Qingqing think of this?

Does she feel that her purpose is impure?

Thinking of this, Hu Lai was embarrassed.

When he was embarrassed, Li Qingqing said: "It's okay, I'll go to the hotel to stay."

Hu Lai saw that her tone was normal, with a smile on her face, and she didn't seem to be offended by her outspokenness just now, so she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, good. Then I'll take you to the hotel..."

After speaking, he stood still.

"Then let's go?" Li Qingqing didn't refuse, and went to the door to pick up the suitcase.

"Okay, let's go." Hu Lai followed behind her.

※※※

Leeds is not big. Although Hu Lai lived in the suburbs, he drove to the hotel very quickly. In less than 20 minutes, he sent Li Qingqing to the hotel gate.

"I'm leaving." Li Qingqing unbuckled her seat belt, turned her head and said to Hu Lai.

"great, see you tomorrow."

"Well, see you tomorrow."

When Li Qingqing turned to open the door, Hu Lai stopped her again: "Hey..."

Li Qingqing withdrew her hand and looked back at him: "Huh?"

"Goodbye." Hu Lai waved to him.

Li Qingqing smiled slightly: "Goodbye."

When she opened the door and got off the car, the doorman had already taken out the luggage from the trunk, and led the way, leading her into the magnificent hotel lobby.

Hu Lai was in the car, turning her head to watch her back through the revolving door and towards the front desk.

A feeling of loss suddenly came to my heart.

He regretted a little, why he didn't have a firm attitude and just let Li Qingqing stay. Anyway, there are still vacant guest rooms, and they are not really in the same room, so what is there to worry about?

Besides, he and Li Qingqing have known each other for so many years, why did they suddenly become awkward?

※※※

Li Qingqing took out her passport and online booking voucher and went to the front desk to check in.

"Ms. Li?" The front desk clerk held up his passport.

Li Qingqing took off her peaked cap and mask, and asked the other party to compare the photos to verify her identity.

"Thank you." After the comparison at the front desk, he lowered his head and checked her in.

Li Qingqing put on the mask again and put on the peaked cap.

Then stand in a daze.

The hotel was booked together with the air ticket. From the very beginning, she never thought that she would go to Hu Lai's house, let alone spend the night at his house.

So this should be a normal ending.

but……

If I didn't insist on staying in the hotel at that time, would he really keep me?

Or suddenly laughed meanly and said, "Are you serious?"

With that bastard's character, the latter seems really possible...

Thinking of this, Li Qingqing turned her head to look at the hotel gate. To her surprise, Hu Lai's car did not leave, but stopped outside the gate with the brake lights on.

She suddenly said to the front desk clerk who was doing business: "I'm really sorry, I have something urgent and I can't check in, is that okay?"

Although the other party was surprised, he still maintained a professional smile and returned the passport with both hands: "Of course, I hope to serve you next time. I wish you a happy day."

"Thank you. I'm very sorry..." After Li Qingqing took her passport, she pulled up the suitcase and strode towards the door.

※※※

It stands to reason that it seems reasonable for Li Qingqing to come to Leeds and stay in a hotel.

Isn't it normal that she doesn't live in a hotel?

So what's wrong with booking a hotel in advance?

Yes, nothing wrong.

Then you are entangled here!

They don't live in the hotel, so why should they stay with you?

Hu Lai thought about it and felt that this was right.

He laughed at himself, only then did he realize that he was still parked at the gate of his hotel.

So he prepares to leave.

Just as he was putting his hand on the gear lever, there was a knock on the passenger window.

He turned his head to look, and saw Li Qingqing leaning over and gesturing to him to open the trunk.

"Forgot something?" Hu Lai asked while opening the electric rear door.

Then through the rearview mirror, I found that Li Qingqing had put her box back!

The next thing he saw was Li Qingqing closing the trunk, walking back to the co-pilot, opening the door and getting in.

"What's wrong?" he asked in surprise.

Li Qingqing lowered her head to fasten her seat belt and said, "There is a problem with the hotel system. I don't know why there is no reservation information for me. The room is full, so I can't stay today."

After fastening her seat belt, she looked up at Hu Lai: "So I can only live at your place."

The latter stared at her blankly without responding.

Li Qingqing tilted her head: "What? You are not welcome?"

Only then did Hu Lai realize: "Welcome, welcome, warm welcome!"

At the same time, he stepped on the gas pedal.

"Om—!"

The exhaust pipe and engine compartment of this world champion version of the chariot exploded with hearty and irritable roar at the same time, as if returning to the racing track.

Hu Lai slammed the accelerator in a neutral position...