Chapter 9. All great love stories begin with offside...

After the first round of Serie A matches, Ancelotti led the team to Monaco to participate in the European Super Cup. The draw for the 2007/08 Champions League season was held the night before the match.

Because of the very short interval between the UEFA Super Cup and the second round of the league, Ancelotti decided to travel to Monaco early to allow the players to relax for a day, attend the Champions League draw together in the evening, and then return to Milan immediately after the match the following day.

Monaco is a small country surrounded by France on three sides and bordering the Mediterranean Sea on the other. Its total land area is only 2.08 square kilometers, and it is a famous tourist destination in Europe.

Ancelotti did not confine the players to the hotel; they were free to move around all day.

Fino declined Kaka's invitation, showing no interest in Monaco's famous Oceanographic Museum, tropical botanical gardens, Monte Carlo Casino, or any of the other attractions.

Monaco retains many medieval-style streets, which are very distinctive and perfect for strolling.

Fino planned to wander around the streets of Monaco by himself, finding a café to sit in when he got tired, and continuing his walk when he was rested, thus spending a leisurely and carefree day aimlessly.

He loves these beautiful ancient buildings, from ancient Greek and Roman styles to Gothic, Baroque, and Rococo styles; the architecture of each period is fascinating.

On his days off, he often strolls through the streets of Milan to admire the classical architectural complexes, a double enjoyment for both the eyes and the soul.

He disliked modern skyscrapers. Perhaps in the eyes of architects they were towering wonders, but Fino found them monotonous and boring.

It was almost noon when Fino went out. Instead of going to the hotel's buffet restaurant, he planned to grab something to eat while he was out for a walk.

He thought his teammates would have already gone out to play by now, but he unexpectedly saw Inzaghi in the hotel lobby.

Inzaghi was lounging comfortably on the sofa, his left elbow resting on the armrest, the back of his hand supporting his temple, his head slightly lowered, and his right hand idly fiddling with his phone.

The white shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, revealing a slight collarbone, and the cuffs were rolled up to the elbows, showing off slender forearms and well-defined wrists.

Inzaghi wore a simple white shirt with a sexy flair, attracting the eager gazes of many female tourists.

Fino didn't intend to disturb Inzaghi's display of power; he was about to leave the hotel directly when Inzaghi looked up and saw him.

So Fino went up and greeted him: "Pippo, didn't you go play?"

"I was planning to go out with Sandro and the others, but I got a phone call and they left me behind." Inzaghi stood up and shrugged.

"Okay, see you later." Fino shrugged and turned to walk out the door.

But he hadn't taken more than a few steps when Inzaghi put his arm around his shoulder and said, feigning displeasure, "Hey, shouldn't you take this opportunity to invite me to come along and have some fun?"

Fino stopped and turned to look at him.

"Aren't you going to meet up with Sandro and the others?"

Inzaghi shook his head: "Shall I take you sightseeing? This is your first time in Monaco, right? I've been here many times."

Fino didn't want to go to places Inzaghi was interested in; he'd rather go with Kaká than Inzaghi.

He shook his head: "I just want to take a walk, without any plan or purpose."

"Then let's just walk around," Inzaghi said, gently pushing him out.

“It might be very boring for you~” Fino emphasized.

Inzaghi reached out and ruffled Fino's hair, saying gently, "How could a date with a handsome young man be boring?"

After leaving the hotel, Fino randomly chose a road and turned into it. It was a relatively quiet alley, with small bars, cafes, bakeries, and souvenir shops on both sides of the road... It was rare to see many tourists.

Fino smelled a particularly fragrant aroma of bread. He followed the scent and found a shop selling mutton bread. The fresh bread had just come out of the oven, and the shop assistant was placing the steaming bread on the counter.

This is a type of crispy fried bread filled with lamb, cheese, and onions, and is considered a specialty of Monaco.

Fino wanted to buy one for lunch.

“Pippo, I want to eat this kind of mutton bread for lunch. Have you had lunch at the hotel? If not, we can look ahead and see if there's anything you can eat.”

Inzaghi has very strict eating habits, eating only a very limited variety of foods. The staff at the Milan canteen have complained about his picky eating habits more than once.

But everyone in the locker room knew that he wasn't really a picky eater; it was because he had a stomach problem since childhood and had a weak digestive system, so he couldn't eat many things.

Inzaghi said he didn't want to eat anything for the time being. Fino then ignored him, bought a bread roll, and ate it while strolling around.

Fino stopped in her tracks as she passed a flower shop.

This is a flower shop with a very charming decor. Freshly cut roses, gladioli, hyacinths, tulips, ranunculus, freesias, and other flowers are neatly displayed outside, one bucket after another, with bright and harmonious colors that are absolutely beautiful.

Fino was so engrossed in watching that he forgot to eat the bread even when it was almost in his mouth.

At that moment, Inzaghi suddenly leaned close to Fino's mouth and sniffed twice, interrupting Fino's reverie.

“This bread smells so good, may I try some?” Inzaghi asked with great interest.

Fino was somewhat surprised, as he had never seen Inzaghi eat anything outside of a set diet before. So he reminded him, "The filling contains onions, and it's quite different from what you're used to eating. Are you sure you can eat it?"

"You can't eat too much, you can just have a little bit."

Fino wanted to break off a piece from the uneaten part for Inzaghi, but Inzaghi stopped him.

"Just give me a bite, I can only eat a tiny bit." Inzaghi made a gesture that suggested he would lose the South Korean market in the future.

Fino didn't mind. In his previous life, he often shared food with the children in the orphanage. Whether they were boys or girls, no one minded being bitten by someone else.

Fino held the bread out to Inzaghi, who took a small bite from the spot where Fino had eaten, biting only the crust and not the filling.

"It really is delicious."

The weather in Monaco at the end of August was wonderful, with bright and sunny skies that cast short shadows of Fino and Inzaghi on the cobblestone streets.

The sea breeze swept through the medieval streets, bringing a touch of cool moisture; the scene was so beautiful it felt like stepping into a fairy tale.

Fino had thought that traveling with others wouldn't provide the same sense of ease and freedom as when alone, but that wasn't the case.

Inzaghi is a very good companion.

He clearly knew how to get along with Fino, neither being so talkative as to put social pressure on the quiet Fino, nor so silent as to create an awkward atmosphere.

The well-placed conversations interspersed throughout the aimless stroll kept Fino in a relaxed and cheerful mood.

He unconsciously started talking, naturally following the topics Inzaghi brought up, instead of just giving polite responses.

Before today, Inzaghi was a senior figure to Fino who was labeled as handsome, charming, and a fox in the penalty area. Now, Inzaghi's image is gradually coming to life, and he has a new understanding of Inzaghi.

Fino finally understood why so many girls liked Inzaghi. He not only had a handsome face, but also a charming personality, and it was very comfortable to be around him.

Monaco is a very small country. Soon they crossed the city and arrived at the seaside. After walking along the coastline for a while, Inzaghi suggested going to the nearby cafe for a cup of coffee.

Fino readily agreed.

Amidst the aroma of coffee, their conversation broadened and expanded.

As fellow football players, they inevitably started talking about football. Fino took the opportunity to ask Inzaghi for advice on positioning, especially on understanding and applying the offside rule. This man, who lived on the offside line, naturally offered his guidance.

As they were chatting, Inzaghi's phone rang. He glanced at it, gestured to Fino that he needed to take the call, and then left the cafe.

This café has a fantastic location, not far from the port of Hercules, where white yachts are moored in the azure harbor, bathed in golden sunlight.

Under the blue sky and white clouds, a seabird occasionally flies by; everything is so lazy and pleasant.

As Fino watched the tourists coming and going on the street, her gaze gradually drifted away, lost in the enchanting afternoon sunlight, as if time itself had stood still.

At this moment, Inzaghi's figure gradually appeared from a distance.

He walked against the light, the ends of his black hair tinged with a translucent orange by the sunlight, his features somewhat blurred in the backlight. He had one hand in his trouser pocket, and the other holding a small bouquet of white flowers.

When Inzaghi handed over the bouquet, Fino could see clearly that it was seven or eight white tulips. The flowers were fresh and lovely among the tender green leaves, and the stems were simply tied with white gauze fabric, with two slightly long ribbons hanging down, simple and beautiful.

Inzaghi smiled and continued the previous topic: "Offside is like love, dangerous but fascinating, and all great love begins with offside."

Fino sighed again, thinking how incredibly charming this Italian man was, exuding charisma at all times. If she were a girl, she might have already been charmed by his unintentional flirting.

With an hour to go before the meeting time, Fino and Inzaghi walked back to the hotel.

The majority of the group has already returned and is now gathered in the recreation room to relax.

Kaladze and Pirlo were playing billiards, while Kaka, Gattuso, and five or six others watched from the sidelines. Most of the others were sitting on the sofa chatting.

Kaka spotted Fino and Inzaghi walking in immediately and waved them over to play together.

"Where did these flowers come from? Did you run into some fans?"

“Pippo bought it, a romantic man.”

Perhaps because the day had been so enjoyable, Fino made an unusual joke: "Don't let your sisters get close to Pippo."

Inzaghi, who was following behind him, twitched the corner of his mouth.

Pirlo, leaning against the pool table, raised his eyelids slightly.