Chapter 13 Becoming Famous

After school started, Sophie suddenly found herself famous. No matter where she went, countless eyes were on her, and people were gossiping behind her back. Perhaps it was because she had filmed an advertisement with Zhang Jun and the others. Sophie didn't care.

But the next day, when Sophie and her roommates were preparing to go shopping, she felt that something was wrong. Because she saw reporters, a lot of reporters, even more than when she filmed the advertisement at school.

Reporters from all over the country gathered at the school gate, all blocked outside by conscientious security guards. As soon as they saw Sophie come out, these reporters became excited like wolves smelling blood.

"Excuse me, Sophie, when did your relationship with Zhang Jun begin?"

"Sophie, is what the newspapers are saying true? Were you and Zhang Jun neighbors since high school?"

"Sophie..."

Sophie and her roommates were all frightened, standing there dumbfounded. The reporters pressed closer and closer. Seeing this, several security guards at the school hurriedly stepped forward to stop the reporters. "Please be quiet, everyone, this is a school!"

Sophie quickly retreated back into the school, but the reporters still tried to squeeze in, attempting to break through the security guards' blockade. Three security guards were not enough to stop dozens of reporters. "Close the gate! Close the gate!"

Watching Sophie's receding figure, one unwilling reporter shouted loudly, "Sophie! After your relationship with Zhang Jun was exposed, what impact has it had on your life?"

*This* idiot, can't you see the impact already?

※※※

The impact of this sudden event on Sophie was lasting. She found that no matter where she went, she was watched like an animal in a zoo, and she had to be even more wary of reporters disguised as students. She avoided anyone holding a camera from afar. But she never knew how her relationship with Zhang Jun had been exposed.

Until one day, her kind roommate bought her a newspaper from outside, and she saw the photo of her and Zhang Jun embracing. Then she understood.

It was that "accidental" embrace in her second year of high school.

It was raining that day, and they had encountered a tough opponent and a terrible referee, but Zhang Jun had promised to express his feelings with a hat-trick. Zhang Jun had done it. This embrace was him running all the way after scoring three goals. In the end, what truly expressed his feelings, was it the hat-trick or that embrace? That embrace on a certain day of a certain month of a certain year...

Wait, Sophie. This doesn't seem to be the time for nostalgia, is it?

How did this set of photos end up in the hands of these reporters? Only then did Sophie have time to look at the name of the newspaper: "Hefei Xinbao" (Hefei New News). The font was so similar to "Xin'an Wanbao" (Xin'an Evening News). It was obviously a tabloid trying to skirt the line! Looking at the author of the article: "Huang Deren."

Huang Deren?

Huang Deren!

Sophie was startled by her discovery. Huang Deren, it was actually written by the person she called "Brother Ren"!

...

"Don't worry, what kind of person is Huang Deren? I'll do what I swear to do. That, Miss Sophie, you don't need to worry either. I'm not a reporter... My name is Huang Deren, hehe!"

...

"Mr. Huang Deren?"

"Hehe, just call me Brother Ren, don't be so polite!"

"Why is Brother Ren here?"

"I heard you were filming, so I came to take a look. We haven't seen each other for so long, and we're even in the same city!"

...

Sophie hurriedly looked at other pages for news about her filming the advertisement in Hefei. Sure enough, she saw the following passage: "... During an interview with Sophie during a break from filming the advertisement, our reporter found that although she was very tired, she still very cooperatively accepted our interview... When asked about her relationship with Zhang Jun, Sophie was a little shy, but she still revealed to our reporter that being chosen to star in this advertisement by chance had further deepened her feelings with Zhang Jun. Because they didn't want to be disturbed by the media, they were very low-key, and only dared to let loose a little in the advertisement..."

Lies! All lies!

So his trip to Luoyang was really "official business." She even took him to visit Longmen and took photos with him... Photos?

Sophie saw that photo again in the lower corner. There was a line of small print under the photo: "Photo of our reporter with Sophie." Because it was color-printed and a close-up shot, it was very clear.

Sophie had a very strong feeling of being deceived. The person she had always regarded as a friend had been deceiving her all along, trying to get information out of her! She knew nothing, and she was betrayed!

She wanted to cry. She had always treated everyone around her kindly, treating them as friends. This was the first time she had met someone like this, who had approached her so painstakingly just for this day? What was Sophie in the eyes of these reporters? A gold mine? Everyone wanted to get promoted and make money, gain fame and profit, based on her relationship with Zhang Jun? The thought of the group of reporters outside the school gate and the various rumors about her in the newspapers and on the internet now frightened her. Zhang Jun was a star, and Sophie did love Zhang Jun, so what? Why did it have to be known to the whole world? Sophie just wanted to enjoy a happy and simple life during her four years of college, why couldn't she even achieve this most ordinary wish?

Sophie didn't understand how much effort the major media outlets had spent to grab eyeballs. Finally, they had encountered such a big event, how could they easily let it go? Now was the "attention economy era."

But in this era, someone would inevitably become a victim to satisfy the public's curiosity, even though the protagonists of the story themselves were unwilling.

※※※

Zhang Jun came down from the training field covered in sweat. Outside the wire fence around the field, there were many Chinese reporters. He was already used to all of this. Because of his recent amazing performance, the number of reporters was constantly increasing.

Zhang Jun politely smiled and nodded to the reporters. Everyone was trying to make a living in a foreign country, and it wasn't easy for anyone, so why give each other a hard time? Therefore, Zhang Jun had always been very friendly to the reporters. Although he didn't say much, a smile should be enough to explain everything, right?

The reporters saw Zhang Jun looking at them and immediately shouted, "Zhang Jun, domestic media are saying that Sophie, who filmed the advertisement with you, is your childhood sweetheart girlfriend. Is this true?"

"Yes, yes! Please give us your opinion!"

"It is said that Sophie was not only with you in college but also in high school, and she was even your neighbor! Is there any truth to this?"

Zhang Jun stopped and looked at the reporters in surprise. How did they know about Sophie and his relationship? Who leaked these things?

"Please say something!"

"There are even photos, are you still trying to hide it?"

...

Zhang Jun found that in just that instant, the distance between him and these reporters had widened infinitely, even though in reality, they were only separated by a row of wire fences. He couldn't hear what they were saying, or rather, he didn't want to hear it.

Sophie had been exposed. They all knew Sophie's identity, then... Zhang Jun looked at the reporters in front of him, each one distorted and deformed, with horns growing on their heads, pointed ears, and misplaced features... Was this the kind of people Sophie had to face?

Zhang Jun wanted to reach for his cell phone, but he couldn't find it after searching for a long time. Only then did he suddenly realize that he was still on the training field, where would he get a cell phone?

Kozer, who was passing by Zhang Jun, couldn't understand what the group of Chinese reporters were shouting, but he felt that something was wrong with Zhang Jun. He stepped forward and tugged at Zhang Jun. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Zhang Jun looked at Kozer's concerned gaze and shook his head. "Nothing, nothing..." Then, ignoring the reporters, he walked towards the locker room with Kozer.

"Hey! Zhang Jun! Say something!"

"Zhang Jun, is Sophie your girlfriend?"

"Don't go! Zhang Jun!"

...

※※※

Huang Deren was in his own office, looking at the newly printed newspaper. In this issue, he had "exclusively revealed" in detail the story of Zhang Jun and Sophie in high school. The market response to the previous two issues had been very good. The president, overjoyed, not only immediately made him a permanent employee but also gave him a separate office and raised his salary. His original choice was indeed correct, haha! He lit a cigarette for himself.

The phone rang. He answered it but heard a familiar voice.

"Hello, is this Huang Deren?"

"Yes, it is."

"This is Li Yan, 'long time no see'!"

"Ha! Really, we haven't been in touch for a long time. What's up? You're running between the Netherlands and Italy now, it must be hard, right?"

"That's none of your business." Li Yan's tone was cold. "I'm asking you, did you leak the news about Sophie and Zhang Jun?"

Huang Deren was stunned for a moment. "It was me, that's right..."

"Why did you do that?"

"Ah?"

"Answer me, why did you do that?!"

"Hmph! Are you here to interrogate me?"

"Answer me!"

Huang Deren held the phone away from his ear. "Why? You're allowed to become famous and make money by discovering Zhang Jun and Yang Pan, but I'm not allowed to discover Sophie?"

"But you swore you wouldn't tell anyone about this!" Li Yan was a little angry. Had he forgotten the oath he had once made so quickly?

"Swear? Oh, right, I forgot if you hadn't mentioned it, haha!" Huang Deren blew a smoke ring and laughed loudly.

"You..."

"What about me? Oaths are originally meant to be broken later. You're so naive, Li Yan. Are you still a fresh college graduate? In this society, if you want to get ahead, what can't you do? People break laws and regulations every day, what does breaking an oath count for?"

"But you hurt two innocent people! You tarnished a pure relationship!" Li Yan roared.

"Oh, oh, I'm so touched! Damn! What a cheesy line. Don't you get goosebumps when you say that? What do those two have to do with me! I only know that I'm now a permanent employee at the newspaper and I've gotten a raise, that's what's most realistic. As for some pure relationship, it's just a pile of dog shit! People are tarnishing relationships every day in this world, can you control it?"

"I'll fuck your mother! Huang Deren!"

"Whatever, my mother died when I was in college. If you want to fuck her, do you want me to take you to her grave?"

※※※

Li Yan slammed the phone in his hand hard against the wall. The phone broke into a pile of parts that fell on the carpet. But he immediately pounced on the pile of parts and frantically pieced them back together. When he turned it on, it could still be used! Nokia phones are really sturdy...

"Hello? Zhang Jun? I'm coming to your place now, wait for me. I have something to tell you, don't leave!"

※※※

Huang Deren heard a piercing sound from the phone, and then there was no more response. He smiled and hung up the phone, lighting another cigarette for himself. He took a comfortable puff. "Either adapt to this society, or be eliminated by it. Li Yan, let's see who gets eliminated first..."

※※※

"That's how it happened... I didn't expect that bastard to have such a trick up his sleeve. But I shouldn't have told him about Sophie's identity, I..."

Zhang Jun sighed. He didn't know what to say now. The matter had come too suddenly, leaving him no time to prepare. Li Yan had been rambling beside him for a long time, but he hadn't heard a word, his thoughts seemed to be still stuck at the moment he heard the news that afternoon. The sun was scorching, there was no wind, it was stuffy, and the surroundings were noisy...

Seeing that Zhang Jun had sighed and then didn't say anything else, Li Yan knew that Zhang Jun's mind wasn't on his words at all, so he stood up and said goodbye. "Don't think too much, I'll try my best to help you settle things with the media. You need to concentrate on playing well in tomorrow's game, it's a tough away game against Union Gelsenkirchen in the UEFA Cup! I'm leaving, you should rest early!"

※※※

A tough game!

"Sophie: Zhang Jun's Real Girlfriend!" "Volendam Lost to Union Gelsenkirchen Away, Barely Passing Through." "Zhang Jun Performed Abnormally, Substituted Midway!"

As Li Yan said, the away game against Union Gelsenkirchen was a tough one. The Belgians, relying on their home advantage, hoped to wash away the shame of their 4-0 defeat at the away game. Volendam, because they had a four-goal lead, played too relaxed, so much so that they didn't even feel nervous after conceding a goal at the beginning of the first half! Zhang Jun was also inexplicably in terrible form, as if he had forgotten to bring his shooting boots. He was completely different from the Zhang Jun who had scored a hat-trick at home.

In the 17th and 30th minutes of the first half, Volendam's goal was lost twice, and the score was stubbornly leveled to 3-4 by Union Gelsenkirchen. There was only one goal difference between the two sides!

Adriánse had no choice but to replace the sleepwalking Zhang Jun with a defender, trying to hold on to this one-goal lead. In the end, near the end of the second half, Hena took advantage of the opponent's all-out press to equalize the score and the overly empty defense to score a goal that decided the outcome, completely shattering Union Gelsenkirchen's last hope of reversing the situation at home.

Volendam advanced to the second round of the UEFA Cup with a total score of 5-3.

※※※

"Zhang Jun, Kaka and I both know about Sophie. Try to think positively, it's not a big deal. Anyway, reporters are becoming more and more resourceful now, sooner or later the matter between you and Sophie will be revealed, it's good for her to adapt to this situation earlier." As soon as Yang Pan finished training, he called Zhang Jun in the locker room. Although they didn't live together anymore, he, as the older brother, still had to take responsibility. Zhang Jun's personality was a bit like "a toilet bowl without a lid—melancholy," and he needed someone to enlighten him, so he came to play the role of the toilet plunger.

"Even you guys know?"

"Nonsense! This is currently the hottest news in Chinese football. A big reveal of the love affair of a popular star! Haha!" Yang Pan wanted to dispel Zhang Jun's depression in a joking way.

"...Then the domestic media must also be..." Zhang Jun didn't seem to hear what Yang Pan had just said.

"Hey, Zhang Jun! Don't think so much, what you need to do now is to perform well on the field... As for that damn reporter and damn newspaper, Kaka and I won't accept any interviews with them."

"Okay, I'll perform well..."

Yang Pan sighed. "Give Sophie a call, she needs you now." Yang Pan's subtext was: you also need her.

※※※

Sophie took leave from all her classes today. She stayed alone in her dormitory, looking at the quiet campus. As more and more media reported on her, Sophie faced an increasingly chaotic situation. No matter where she went, she would immediately become the focus of attention. Some people even came up to her to ask for autographs or to take photos. She had canceled all her plans to go sketching with Teacher Zhou. She didn't dare to go anywhere. She was like an animal in a zoo, becoming an exhibit to satisfy people's desire to peek.

She even thought about dropping out of school.

The phone rang, showing that it was Zhang Jun calling. Zhang Jun must have found out too, otherwise he wouldn't have performed abnormally in the second leg of the UEFA Cup.

"Sophie, it's me, Zhang Jun!" Zhang Jun's voice was very anxious.

"..."

"Sophie, Sophie! What's wrong? Say something!"

Sophie wiped her eyes. "I'm listening, Zhang Jun."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes... Everything is fine."

"I know everything, Sophie. Those reporters are really terrible... Why don't you drop out of school! Drop out and come to the Netherlands, let's be together!"

Sophie was stunned for a moment. Drop out of school? Yes, get rid of these annoying things and go to the side of the person she loves. That way, they wouldn't be afraid of any storms, right?

"Is that okay, Sophie?"

Sophie shook her head. "No, I won't drop out."

Sophie's answer surprised Zhang Jun. "Why? Why won't you drop out?"

"Zhang Jun, I thought about dropping out of school and then going to the Netherlands, to be by your side. But now I realize that if I do that, I'm too cowardly." Sophie said softly, her voice soft but unusually strong. "Zhang Jun is a star now, since Sophie loves Zhang Jun, she must face this situation now, right? Zhang Jun, when his transfer was blocked, faced reporters, pressure, loneliness, and all kinds of difficulties alone in the Netherlands, but he persevered and succeeded. Compared to Zhang Jun, Sophie is not strong enough."

Zhang Jun listened quietly, the gap between space and time disappeared. Sophie was right in front of him, with her back to him, standing by the window, looking at the red glow in the sky, the glow lining her body with a golden edge, dazzling.

"Such a Sophie cannot match the current Zhang Jun. So I also have to become strong and learn to face all of this alone. Really, I will no longer be afraid of facing many reporters, and I will not be afraid of other people's curious eyes, because Zhang Jun, alone in a foreign country, is more hardworking than Sophie!"

"There are still two years of college left, maybe we will still be separated for such a long time. Since high school, Sophie has been used to having Zhang Jun by her side, now Sophie should also learn to live without Zhang Jun by her side. Sophie doesn't know what's waiting ahead, but Sophie won't be afraid anymore. Because Zhang Jun loves Sophie, and Sophie also loves Zhang Jun, more than anyone else!"

Zhang Jun felt two lines of warm wetness on his face, but he clearly had a smile on his lips. "I understand, thank you, Sophie."

Since high school, he had also been used to having Sophie by his side, now he should also learn to live without Sophie by his side. Behind the crazy goals was a lonely and fragile heart, and every time it was late at night, that heart would hurt so much that he couldn't fall asleep. What kind of strength was that?

Sophie was a girl, but she had to bravely face reality. Should he, a big man, also bravely face loneliness, face the media, face expectations, face the future?

That's why he said, thank you, Sophie! What was it about you, such a beautiful and understanding girl, that attracted me? Since you love Zhang Jun so much, Zhang Jun must work harder and try to always be worthy of you.

The light of the setting sun shone through the trees, the sky was purple, the clouds were golden, the dark trees and the spires of the church in the distance... Zhang Jun suddenly realized that it had been a month since he returned to Volendam, and this was the first time he had the mood to appreciate everything around him.

...

Of course there's a little loneliness, I always miss your face especially when you're not by my side. Distance is a test paper, measuring the vows of love, will they be realized in the end? We're still learning for love, learning the language of communication, learning to understand, learning not to cry. When we learn to fly, flying over the dark night and tests, the days will graduate from loneliness. We use a little more hard work to exchange for a little more happiness, even if happiness is still a way off. When we learn to endure and give, this love will definitely have a certificate proving that we will never be alone...

(Stefanie Sun, "Love Certificate")

※※※

Wu Wei held the newspaper and muttered to himself: "No wonder you wouldn't tell me who he was..." He loosened his grip, and the newspaper was blown to the ground by the wind, rolled a few times, and didn't know where it rolled to.

※※※

The next day, Zhang Jun issued a statement to the media, publicly admitting that Sophie, who was currently studying at US University in Hefei, was his girlfriend, and that the two were engaged. But he begged the reporters to give Sophie a relaxed environment so that she could smoothly finish her university studies. "I know you want to rely on these things to attract eyeballs, but Sophie is just an ordinary college student. Shouldn't her life be filled with flashing lights and microphones everywhere?"

Finally, Zhang Jun announced that he would no longer accept any form of interviews from "Hefei Xinbao" (Hefei New News) or Huang Deren personally. Not only him, but Yang Pan and Kaka also hoped that the media would be merciful to Sophie and refused to accept any interviews from "Hefei Xinbao" when they were interviewed by reporters.

In Yang Pan's private words to Li Yan, it was: "I want to let that bastard know how many people he has offended!"

Li Yan was not idle either. He once again published a commentary article in "Titan Sports," criticizing the impetuosity of the sports media, who even "didn't let go of a college girl." Sports reporters should spend more time reporting on sports news and contribute to Chinese football, instead of showing extraordinary attention to a player's girlfriend like paparazzi.

Two days later, Zhang Jun scored a goal in the fourth round of the Dutch League, helping the team win 2-1 against Breda at home and continue to occupy the top spot in the league. He also rose to the top of the league's scoring list with five goals.

I really don't know how long this Zhang storm will last in the Netherlands.