After Paris Saint-Germain was removed from the list, I led England to victory!

Today's training session is over, even though Arsenal won the title two days ago.

However, the tension of the Champions League semi-final has overshadowed the joy of the Premier League title celebration.

Ajax, this dynamic young team, is eagerly awaiting Arsenal's arrival.

After training, Yan Yuan, exhausted but still excited, drove home.

He pushed open the door and was instantly enveloped by warm light and the aroma of food.

Lin Jianwei, wearing an apron, was placing the last dish on the table.

Several exquisite home-style dishes were laid out on the table, steaming hot and gleaming with an enticing sheen.

"You're back? You must be exhausted." Lin Jianwei took off her apron, walked over, and naturally took the jacket Yan Yuan had taken off. She gently and skillfully smoothed his slightly sweaty hair.

"Go wash your hands, dinner's ready."

Yan Yuan felt a surge of warmth in his heart as he looked at the busy figures before him.

After the hustle and bustle and glory on the field fade away, the tranquility of home and the tenderness of his loved ones become his most solid harbor.

"Okay."

He responded, quickly washed up, and sat down at the dining table.

"Wow, they have cashew chicken today! I love this so much..."

The atmosphere at dinner was warm and relaxing.

The two chatted about today's training, the upcoming Champions League match, and the fun things that happened during the championship celebration.

As Lin Jianwei watched Yan Yuan vividly describe the scene of Henry pinning the medal on him, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile.

Halfway through the meal, Lin Jianwei put down her chopsticks, picked up the tablet next to her, opened a schedule app, and her expression became serious.

"By the way, Yan Yuan, I checked your schedule. The Champions League final is on May 30th, and the UEFA Nations League matches are in early June. Once the national team matches are over, your season will be completely over, right?"

Yan Yuan nodded, picking up some food as he spoke.

"Yeah, we'll be completely free around early June."

"I have an idea," Lin Jianwei looked at him seriously, "After your season ends, I plan to apply to the company for a period of working from home, and then... I'll go back to Hangzhou first."

Yan Yuan paused for a moment as he picked up some food.

"Back to Hangzhou? So early??"

"Hmm..." Lin Jianwei nodded.

"I want to go back early to spend time with my parents, and... most importantly," she pursed her lips slightly, a blush creeping onto her face,

"This is your first official visit. If I go back beforehand, I'll feel more at ease and can do some 'persuasion' for my parents, and also... make the house more comfortable for your arrival."

Her words were tinged with shyness.

Yan Yuan felt a warmth in his heart, put down his chopsticks, and held her hand across the table.

"Okay, I'll do as you say. This arrangement is good. You go back early, and remember to let me know you've landed safely." He paused, then added.

"Hey... Weiwei, you know what, the arrangement is quite coincidental."

"What arrangements?" Lin Jianwei looked at him with suspicion.

"Adidas has contacted me these past couple of days," Yan Yuan explained.

"They said they are preparing an event for my trip to China, where I will need to interact with some Chinese high school players. The location is set in Shanghai, not far from Hangzhou, and the time is just a few days after the UEFA Nations League final."

As the main initiator and spokesperson, I needed to fly there a few days earlier than the rest of the club to participate in the preliminary preparations and pre-event activities.

"And then? Are there any other activities?" Lin Jianwei asked, worried that Yan Yuan's schedule was too packed and he might not have enough time.

"Then...the club also arranged a trip to China after the season ended to play a friendly match against...Shanghai...right, Shanghai Shenhua, but the club will depart a few days later than me."

Yan Yuan smiled and said,

"So my plan is that after the UEFA Nations League final, I will fly directly from the match venue to Shanghai to handle the Adidas event first."

Once the activities there are almost over and the main club team has arrived in Shanghai, I'll rejoin the team for a friendly match. After the friendly match, I'll go to Hangzhou to formally visit my uncle and aunt; Shanghai and Hangzhou are conveniently located close to each other.

Lin Jianwei listened carefully, her eyes gradually brightening:

"This arrangement is great! The timing is perfect! You go to Shanghai first and take care of your activities. After you're done in Shanghai, I'll come pick you up, and we'll go back to Hangzhou together!"

Lin Jianwei smiled.

"Yes, that's what I think too." Yan Yuan nodded with a smile, feeling relieved.

The timing doesn't conflict, which is a good thing.

With the travel arrangements resolved, the atmosphere became more relaxed.

Yan Yuan remembered another important matter.

"By the way, Weiwei, I've almost finished preparing the gifts for your uncle and aunt."

"Oh? What have you prepared?" Lin Jianwei asked curiously.

"First, it's for your mother," Yan Yuan smiled mysteriously. "I remember you mentioned that your aunt really likes jade jewelry, right?"

"Yes, my mom especially loves jade." Lin Jianwei nodded.

"That's good." Yan Yuan took out his phone, opened his photo album, found a picture, and handed it to Lin Jianwei.

"Well, I asked my dad to find a jade expert friend in China whom he trusts. He searched for a long time and finally settled on this one."

The photo shows a jadeite bangle that is entirely emerald green, has excellent translucency, and a delicate and warm texture.

Under the light, it exudes a soft and deep luster, looking as if it contains the gentle flow of spring water.

"Wow! This looks so beautiful!" Lin Jianwei couldn't help but exclaim, then frowned, "Wait, how much does this cost? It looks so..."

"It's alright, 18. They said it's some kind of old mine ice jadeite," Yan Yuan said casually.

"What?! 18?!" Lin Jianwei almost jumped up from her chair, her voice rising in shock.

"Yan Yuan, you...you're crazy! Why buy such an expensive bracelet! My mom is a university teacher, and even if she likes jade jewelry, she's never bought one this expensive! It's too much of a waste! No, no!" She waved her hands repeatedly, looking distressed about the money.

Yan Yuan was amused by her exaggerated reaction and deliberately put on a stern face.

"My dear sister, I'm talking about 18 RMB, not pounds. Besides, I could afford it even if it cost 18 pounds."

What? I bought my future mother-in-law a decent gift, and you're not happy about it?

What am I earning all this money for? Isn't it all to make my mother-in-law happy so I can successfully marry her beautiful daughter?

Yan Yuan leaned closer, lowered his voice, and said with a mischievous smile.

"Weiwei, you call yourself a financial analyst? This is called investing, don't you understand? When it comes to getting a wife, everything else is trivial!"

"Pfft!" Lin Jianwei couldn't help but laugh at his twisted logic and deliberately winking expression; her "heartache" was instantly replaced by laughter.

"You're so annoying..." She laughed and punched him lightly, her face flushing red.

The two laughed and joked for a while, creating a sweet and warm atmosphere.

After laughing, Yan Yuan said seriously.

"Okay, okay, no more joking. Auntie likes jade, so I'm just going to cater to her tastes. This bracelet is really high quality, and it has a good meaning too. I hope Auntie likes it. And... where's your dad?"

He looked at Lin Jianwei, his eyes questioning.

"What does Uncle Lin like? I need to prepare a gift that will impress my future father-in-law."

When her father was mentioned, Lin Jianwei's expression became much more natural:

"My dad? He doesn't have many other hobbies, just one: watching football! He's a die-hard fan. He watches the Chinese Super League and also the top five European leagues."

"Fans?" Yan Yuan's eyes lit up; this was practically his area of ​​expertise.

"That's great! Which team does Uncle Lin support? Manchester United? Liverpool? Real Madrid? Juventus? Or Bayern Munich?" He counted his connections in European football on his fingers.

When it comes to connections, Yan Yuan has it all figured out.

"At Manchester United, I have a decent relationship with Luke Shaw and Rashford; at Liverpool, I can talk to Salah and Van Dijk; at Real Madrid, I'm fairly familiar with Kroos and Modric; at Juventus, I know Ronaldo, we're very close; and at Bayern, I know Lewandowski, Müller, Coman, and Gnabry, plus my mentor is there... Basically, as long as it's not Barcelona, ​​it's all easy!"

Yan Yuan said half-jokingly,

"This season, we just beat Barcelona so badly. If Uncle Lin were a Barcelona fan, he'd probably give me a hard time."

Then, Yan Yuan asked another question.

"Or... is your dad an Arsenal fan? That would be perfect! I'd just send him a signed match-worn jersey, and then invite him to a game!"

As Lin Jianwei listened to him rattle off the names of various top football stars with such familiarity and saw his confident demeanor, she was about to answer.

Sudden.

A crucial piece of information that she had selectively forgotten for a long time suddenly struck her mind like lightning!

In an instant, the smile on her face froze!

Lin Jianwei's pupils dilated slightly, and a fine layer of cold sweat even seeped out of his forehead!

Her hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly, and her lips moved, but no sound came out.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Weiwei?" Yan Yuan noticed her unusual behavior and asked with concern.

"Which team does your dad like? Is it hard to get a straight answer?"

Lin Jianwei swallowed hard, her voice trembling slightly, and said cautiously:

"My dad... he seems to be... a Chelsea fan."

"Clatter!"

Yan Yuan's chopsticks fell onto the clean floor without warning.

The smile on his face froze instantly, and his eyes changed from concern to extreme astonishment and disbelief.

He stared intently at Lin Jianwei, trying to find even a trace of a joke on her face.

"Wei...Weiwei, you...you're not kidding me, are you? This joke isn't funny at all!"

Lin Jianwei looked worried and shook his head vigorously.

"I...I'm not kidding, really. Before the season started, my dad even messaged me asking me to buy him Chelsea merchandise for the new season, and also asked me to bring some back for him when I go back to China!"

She tried hard to recall,

"I remember... it seems like my dad has liked Chelsea since I can remember."

Back then, when the game was on TV, he would wear a blue Chelsea jersey to watch it... but at that time I wasn't interested in football at all, and I didn't pay any attention to it..."

Yan Yuan's expression changed from astonishment to deep helplessness.

He raised his hand to his forehead, covered his face, and smiled bitterly.

"Sister...you're my own sister...Weiwei, you're really carefree!"

He looked up at Lin Jianwei.

"So, your Chelsea fan dad still doesn't know that his daughter is dating an Arsenal player? And the captain of their arch-rivals who just scored four goals against Chelsea this season?!"

Lin Jianwei blushed even more at his words and whispered her defense.

"I...I didn't think of it either. I rarely talk about football with my dad on the phone...and I don't think my dad would mind if he liked Chelsea!"

"You're both soccer players, what's there to mind? He should be happy that his daughter found such a great boyfriend!"

Lin Jianwei hadn't thought that far ahead.

"My dear young lady!" Yan Yuan was both amused and exasperated, feeling his worldview had been shaken.

"You really don't understand the deep-seated hatred between the London derby. Arsenal and Chelsea are fierce rivals in the same city, and they can't wait to strangle each other when they meet."

Especially this season, we beat them twice in the league and twice in the League Cup, a quadra kill!

They won the League Cup by stepping over their corpses, and even celebrated their Premier League title win at the Emirates Stadium, right next to Stamford Bridge, three rounds in advance!

Imagine if you were a Chelsea fan, watching your team get thrashed like that by your city rivals, and then finding out that their captain has abducted your daughter… how would you feel?

At this point, Yan Yuan became even more emotional.

"Come on, let me learn from you, so your dad will act like this when he sees me."

Yan Yuan imitated a possible scenario, speaking in an exaggerated tone.

「『小子！就是你带队把我心爱的切尔西揍得满地找牙？！你还敢泡我女儿？！今天我能让你进我家门，那就是怪事出来了！』」

Lin Jianwei was both amused and troubled by his lifelike imitation.

"No...it can't be that bad, can it? My dad has a very good temper..."

"Weiwei, you don't understand fans. No matter how good-tempered you are, you can't handle this kind of thing," Yan Yuan said with a "you're hopeless" look.

"Tsk tsk, I'm doomed. I have a feeling my trip to Hangzhou is going to be very bad. Your dad might block me at the door with a Chelsea scarf and make me sing the Chelsea anthem before letting me in."

"Then... what should we do?" Lin Jianwei was now really panicked; she hadn't realized the seriousness of the problem before.

Yan Yuan frowned, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table, his brain racing.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

"I've got it! How about this?"

"What method?" Lin Jianwei asked anxiously.

"Although Arsenal and Chelsea are fierce rivals, I actually have pretty good personal relationships with some Chelsea players," Yan Yuan explained.

"For example, Hazard, we actually have a pretty good relationship in private, we often interact on social media, and Kante, that little midfielder, he's a really nice guy, we know him too."

Yan Yuan's thoughts became clearer as he spoke.

"Your dad is a Chelsea fan, so he must have some favorite players, right? Hazard? Kante? Your dad definitely likes those two. I'll go ask them for two autographed jerseys in a couple of days."

Ideally, it should be a match-worn copy, including the match date and opponent, along with a message of blessing for your dad.

I believe that no matter how much Uncle Lin minded me being the "Arsenal captain," seeing his idol's autographed jersey, especially one that his daughter's boyfriend had specifically asked for...

Your anger has subsided considerably, hasn't it? After all, you can't hit a smiling face.

As Lin Jianwei listened to his plan, her eyes gradually brightened.

"Hmm... this idea... sounds feasible. Hazard and Kante are indeed players my dad really likes. Especially Kante, my dad always praises him for being low-key and pragmatic, a model player for Chelsea."

"Alright, it's settled then!" Yan Yuan made the decision.

"I've been contacting them for the past couple of days. Hazard should be fine, and Kante is easy to talk to, so he should agree. We'll play to their strengths and use the power of our idols to resolve the 'club conflict'."

Although she was still a little apprehensive, seeing Yan Yuan so actively trying to find a solution reassured Lin Jianwei considerably.

"Okay! Let's give it a try! Hopefully, my dad will give you a break because of the jersey."

The two exchanged a smile. Although the road ahead still seemed a bit "bumpy," at least they had a plan to deal with it.

Dinner continued in a tense yet slightly humorous atmosphere.

While enjoying the delicious stir-fry, Yan Yuan was mentally planning how to ask Hazard and Kanté for jerseys without seeming too obvious...

This first hurdle of meeting his parents seems to be putting him under even more pressure than playing in the Champions League.