With a streak of unease, Tang En led the team to their arrival in Milan, Italy.
What prevented his mood from becoming worse was that practically n.o.body in Milan cared about nonsensical topics like Gloria"s relations.h.i.+p with him. The questions raised by the reporters were largely related to the match. After all, this was Italy. The Italian media was not in the least concerned with the personal life of an Englishman.
On his end, Tang En did not care what their lack of concern stemmed from. What was most important was that he no longer had to entertain extremely annoying questions. He could finally settle his heart down to prepare for the match.
But his heart still could not settle.
Shania continued to be uncontactable; her phone was off when he tried calling, and she was offline on MSN.
Tang En knew that this was not the time to be distracted. Inter Milan could not be easily dispatched. Even if he was unable to contact Shania, he could only suppress his worries and prepare for the Champions League.
Everything proceeded as per the procedure: getting used to the grounds of Saint Siro Stadium and carrying out their usual, daily training.
Back in England, Gloria"s interview was published on various media outlets. In the interview, Gloria personally denied having any relations.h.i.+p with Tang En that went "beyond normal friends and a working relations.h.i.+p". She did not forget to berate England"s tabloids for being "silly." Regarding their meal together, Gloria said, "If any man inviting a woman to eat together is her lover, then, in this world, I think there are few husbands who don"t have mistresses." About the act of affection, Gloria"s explanation was, "Mr. Tony and I are friends. Between friends, I believe that it"s very normal to occasionally have some actions intimating affection. If you always maintain five meters distance from your friends, be extremely formal whenever you speak to them, and act polite and cordial as if you"re wearing a mask, then please don"t use your alien standards to judge others."
Gloria"s retaliation was very effective. In addition, The Sun did not have any further evidence, other than that single act of affection, to prove that Tang En and Gloria were in an intimate relations.h.i.+p. They had done nothing like going to a hotel on their own. If they had done anything scandalous, the photographer following them the entire time needed to show photo evidence of it. As it was, there was nothing except a few pictures of them having a meal together. What did it show? It showed that The Sun had nothing else up their sleeves. If they could not bring out any fresh photographs of scenes proving Tang En and Gloria had other acts of intimacy, or those of their s.e.xual relations, then the topic that The Sun had stirred up was about to return to still waters.
Nottingham Forest"s trip to Milan for their match was perhaps an opportunity; one that would allow the media to regain their initiative. Everyone knew that Gloria"s film crew would certainly go to Milan and film the match live. In that case, the two leading characters of the story were sure to meet again. At that time, they only had to send someone to keep an eye on them to see if they were hiding something.
Italy"s professional sports media was all focused on the quarter-finals of the Champions League. England, who had no professional football media coverage, instead hastily sent out to Milan huge amounts of professional coverage for gossip and entertainment.
While the Italians were keen to know the match results of Nottingham Forest against Inter Milan, the English were more concerned about Tony and the true relations.h.i.+p between him and Europe"s beautiful anchor, Clarice Gloria.
Just a day after Tang En"s team arrived in Milan, they were conducting training in Saint Siro Stadium to get used to the grounds when Gloria brought her film crew to the location to commence filming. Under the gaze of numerous English media representatives who were present, they set up their equipment to proceed with the shooting.
As Gloria smiled at those who cast curious gazes towards her, Tang En led the team in their training. While it could not be observed from his appearance, he could not help but wonder, in the depths of his heart, what Shania was doing.
What a mess…
※※※
The next day was match day. Although Tang En did not set any prohibition from going out the night before the match, all the players stayed in the hotel anyway. Their entertainment was to go downstairs to the lounge and play billiards or ping-pong.
The managerial team, as well, did not stay up the whole night a.n.a.lyzing their opponents. As a well-known European team, Inter Milan had long ago been a.n.a.lyzed to bits by Tang En and the rest.
Unlike less renowned teams, information for a powerhouse such as Inter Milan was collected with ease.
As a result, when night came, the managers were left with nothing much to do.
Kerslake had originally intended on inviting Tang En downstairs to the bar to sit, drink, and chat.
Tang En lay on the bed clicking the television remote in boredom. It looked as if he had no intentions of getting up and out.
"I"m a little tired. I"ll watch some television and then rest, David."
Kerslake saw how unenergetic Tang En was and sighed. He shrugged.
"Alright. Rest early then. Tomorrow, we"ll be having a… tough battle." He then turned and left, closing the door behind him.
Although Tang En"s mouth answered "yes," his gaze never left the television screen as his hands mechanically went on pressing "next channel" on the remote. All kinds of programs showed up on the fluorescent screen: news, movies, soap operas, talk shows, sports compet.i.tions, mature programs… and fas.h.i.+on shows.
Hold on.
A fas.h.i.+on show?
Tang En froze for two seconds, stopping the finger that had been moving toward the "next channel" b.u.t.ton. He abruptly came to his senses and hastily pressed back to the channel. When the screen returned to the models on the runway, Tang En only had time to see the back of a person walking to the backstage.
Despite just seeing the back, Tang En did not think he had made a mistake recognizing the person.
But this program… Tang En noticed a "LIVE" symbol on the top right corner of the screen.
Subt.i.tles appeared at the bottom immediately after, stating the event today to be a new product launch of an internationally-renowned brand, CD.
Tang En suddenly launched off the bed.
Address! What"s the address?
Tang En was about to dash out the door when he realized he did not know the exact venue of where the fas.h.i.+on show was being held.
Riddled with anxiety, he walked in circles around his room. The models that appeared on the television screen were unfamiliar faces now. Suddenly, Tang En remembered someone who might have the means of finding out where this new product launch was being held. He dug out his cellphone and called Clarice Gloria.
"CD"s new product launch?" Gloria felt odd that Tang En was showing such sudden interest in that.
"I remember you as a person who"s at a complete loss when it comes to fas.h.i.+on, and has zero interest in it."
"Uh… I"m going there to look for someone," Tang En explained to Gloria as he kept glancing back at the television screen, hoping to see that familiar silhouette again.
"Hmm… alright. Wait for a while. I"ll call my friend and ask."
"Okay, okay. I"ll wait."
"I"ll have to put down the phone first, sorry."
"No problem, no problem. I"ll wait…" The tone that occurs after hanging up a call started over the phone.
He waited for three minutes. Those three minutes were such a torture for him that he suspected that he had, in fact, been waiting for thirty minutes. Gloria"s call finally came.
"Tony, I"ve got the information…"
"Thank you so much!"
"But…"
"Ah?"
"Tony, are you as familiar with Milan as you are with Nottingham? Even if I told you the address, would you know how to get there?"
"Um…"
"So, why don"t you wait for me at the hotel entrance where you"re staying? I"ll drive you there."
After thanking Gloria again, Tang En hung up the phone and dashed out of his room, draping a coat over himself.
He met with Kerslake as he left the elevator.
Kerslake thought it was strange for Tang En to be going out at this hour.
"Where are you heading, Tony?"
"I"m out to look for someone…" Tang En had originally intended to head out like that, but b.u.mping into Kerslake made him pause. He hesitated, and then looked back at the utterly confused Kerslake, saying, "When time is up, get the players to rest. There"s no need to wait for me. I don"t know what time I"ll be able to get back."
Kerslake nodded woodenly, still having no idea about what was happening.
As he watched Tang En"s retreating back, he suddenly remembered to remind him.
"Don"t forget there"s a…"
Before he could finish, Tang En had already run out of the doors.
"…A tough battle tomorrow…"
※※※
The English tabloid writers lying in ambush near the hotel"s vicinity immediately perked up when they saw Tang En run out of the hotel at eight thirty in the night and standing at the hotel doors looking around anxiously.
Taking a sudden trip in the night, and in such a secretive manner, not wanting anyone to see… What could this mean?
And Clarice Gloria was also in Milan!
The lens of the camera focused on Tang En beneath the street lamp. All eyes were anxiously staring towards where he was looking; from there, surely the answer for this story would emerge.
They did not have to wait long. Tang En only looked down once at his watch before a yellow FIAT drove over leisurely and stopped next to him. The car horn sounded twice.
As they pled gratefulness for the advancement of modern technology, the reporters looked through their camera lenses and found the leading actress of the gossip, Clarice Gloria, sitting in the driver"s seat of the car!
At that moment, like wolves in the night, their eyes lit up with a glow.