Chapter 32

Cristiano was asked a lot, but he didn't answer the first time. This gave the media a signal, and they asked more diligently.

"Ronaldo, this is the second time you and Kaka have played against each other. What do you want to say about this?"

"We all saw you guys interacting on the field a little bit, is this a result of the friendship that grew after the first game?"

"Everyone compares you to Kaka. Does this affect your relationship?"

"Manchester United lost to AC Milan. What do you want to say about the captain's attack on his teammates a few minutes ago?"

Cristiano actually quickly regained his form, but he did not speak rashly. He just listened patiently until the reporters in front of him finally quieted down, and then he took a microphone.

"First of all, I want to say that we played a very difficult game. Although the result of the game is disappointing and frustrating, I don't deny it, but we will review the game with the boss and teammates after the game and recover to the best condition as soon as possible to welcome the next game."

"We have played against AC Milan twice. They are a respectable opponent. Victory on the field is our common pursuit and it will not affect the relationship between anyone. Maybe you all know that my national team teammates are also there? Could we become enemies because of a game?"

"The captain is a senior whom I respect very much. He saw a lot of problems on the field and pointed them out in order to help us achieve better results. I think the media should not use such a biased term as 'opening fire and bombarding' to describe this."

Cristiano spoke, and his answer was impeccable. Like a mature and steady captain, he skillfully handled the troublesome questions thrown by the media, and easily avoided the personal relationship between him and Kaka, and gave a suitable and appropriate answer.

- God knows how many interviews he has had to deal with. As Giggs said, he is more suited to dealing with the media than most people. It has nothing to do with age, it's just experience.

The media were obviously not satisfied with Ronaldo's answer. They hoped that this boy who was as passionate as fire on the court could also give some explosive answers in the post-interview off the court.

They wanted to dig deeper for more interesting content, but it was obvious that the interviewee had already said everything he wanted to say. Cristiano pushed the microphone away and crossed his hands in a gesture to indicate that he had answered all the questions.

The media cannon's cameras immediately focused on the obvious extra bandage on Cristiano's wrist, and the spotlights kept flashing - this was not there during the game! Does it mean that he was injured during the game? No one mentioned it!

A reporter immediately asked whether he was injured and the reason for the injury, but Cristiano left without looking back.

He had no intention of dealing with the reporters. If he hadn't known that if he didn't answer the questions himself, the reporters would only make up worse stories, he would have definitely left.

He had to get back on the bus, he had to know Keane's attitude and Sir Alex's attitude. If there was room for maneuver, he really didn't want Keane to leave Manchester United.

When the media reporters here saw that they couldn't find Cristiano, they shifted all their firepower to tonight's winner, AC Milan.

As a qualified team, AC Milan gave more interview time, and as the stars to watch tonight, Kaka and Seedorf were the focus of reporters.

Kaka was also asked the same question - "Everyone saw you and Manchester United's No. 7 drinking from the same glass of water on the pitch. Did your close relationship help to diffuse the tension in the game?"

"Excuse me, Kaka, how is your relationship with Ronaldo, Manchester United's No.7? People's opinions of you two are as extreme as angels and demons."

"You held hands with Ronaldo after Milan's win. Was that a consolation?"

"After you score, the camera captures Ronaldo smiling, which is very eerie."

Inzaghi touched the tip of his nose and exchanged glances with Nesta beside him - the media really likes to focus on these two people.

Nesta had a blank expression on his face. As long as these reporters didn't ask him questions, he would rather their little prince share the firepower.

Kaka showed his perfect smile and took the microphone and replied: "We admire each other's skills very much. You can attribute this to mutual respect."

"I scored a good goal in this game. I think this smile can prove that he is an excellent athlete who loves football very much. Putting aside our opponents' positions, he is very pure and noble. He is not stingy in giving praise to his opponents in such a game. I appreciate this."

"He also contributed excellent offense and running in this game. I think it is because of these excellent opponents that we can continuously improve our abilities and levels."

Seedorf stood aside, showing his two rows of white teeth, acting as a background tool. He didn't need to speak at all.

God, he was sure these reporters never thought they would get so much content from Kaka.

"Ronaldo injured his wrist in this game. Do you think this affected the opponent's performance?" a reporter asked again.

Kaka frowned subconsciously when he heard this: "What?" Injured?

"Someone took a photo of Ronaldo with a bandage on his wrist. He left before finishing the interview. He must be rushing to the hospital for further treatment." The reporter spoke seriously and confidently, and you couldn't tell that two of the three sentences were just random words.

Kaka pursed his lips. How come he didn't notice anything unusual about Chris on the court? He ignored it.

He suddenly remembered that when Cristiano and Cafu had a conflict, he was running over and clearly saw Chris showing a look of pain when Giggs pulled him up, but Chris quickly hid that expression, and he forgot about it when he was paying attention to the situation on the referee's side.

"We all hope this won't be serious..." Maldini noticed that Kaka was a little slow, so he simply took over the question.

Kaka came back to his senses and looked at his captain with gratitude. He was a little out of control, but fortunately Maldini reacted faster.

Seeing that the topic had been completely controlled by AC Milan's captain, the reporters had to give up the idea of ​​asking more questions.

After finishing the post-match interview, Kaka almost couldn't wait to get up and leave.

He did not follow the bus, but drove his own car and sent a message directly to Cristiano - [K: Have you arrived at the hotel? I'm coming now]

After sending the message, he started the car and drove all the way to the bottom of the hotel. He stopped the car and checked the messages on his mobile phone.

There was no reply from Cristiano, only some congratulatory messages from family members.

Simeone congratulated them on their promotion and reminded him to hug Chris and not to cause any conflicts.

Dolores also sent a message of congratulations and asked if she could help look after Cristiano, as she was worried that the proud and competitive child would get upset because she still hadn't been able to get through to Cristiano on the phone.

Kaka took a deep breath and replied one by one, telling the two ladies that he would be with Chris and asking them not to worry.

But he couldn't contact Cristiano either. He knew that Cristiano would not silence his phone after the game. So why couldn't he contact him now because Cristiano was undergoing examination and treatment for his wrist?

Kaka frowned. He couldn't control himself from imagining more terrible situations, but at the same time he was glad that it was only his wrist.

He stayed in the car, his eyes fixed on the entrance of the hotel, not wanting to miss Cristiano.

Cristiano muted his phone, knowing intuitively that this was an important moment and he couldn't be disturbed.

When he got on the bus, Keane was the only one in the car. He breathed a sigh of relief and sat in the seat next to the captain.

"How's your hand?" Keane glanced at Cristiano, his eyes falling on the boy's already thin wrist.

Cristiano has a small frame but is growing rapidly. He looks thinner and more slender than people of the same age or height. His wrists and ankles seem to get hurt if he exerts too much force.

——That is indeed the case.

Cristiano was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect Keane's first question would be this. He smiled and said, "Nothing, just don't use too much force in the near future."

"Listen to the team doctor." Keane saw that Cristiano didn't care, so he warned him.

Cristiano nodded in agreement. He thought for a moment and said, "Although this is not something I should say, the words I said in front of the media this time will definitely be used by them to make a big fuss."

Keane didn't even raise his eyelids or eyebrows. He pulled the corners of his mouth and looked at Cristiano: "This is not your concern. Just play your game well."

Just as Cristiano was about to speak, another person got on the bus. It was Ferguson.

Ferguson glanced at the only two people on the bus. There was no expression on the Scottish coach's face, and he looked intimidating without even getting angry. Cristiano clearly felt that the air here seemed to be tense.

"Cristiano, you're here too?" Sir Alex Ferguson finally spoke. His eyes soon fell on the obvious white bandage on Cristiano's wrist. He paused and asked, "Are you injured?"

Ferguson left directly after the game. He did not return to the locker room and no one knew where he went. Naturally, he did not know that Cristiano had seen the team doctor.

Cristiano breathed a sigh of relief. He said, "It's a small matter. It won't affect the training later."

Ferguson and Keane frowned at the same time.

Seeing this, Cristiano quickly changed the subject: "I wanted to find a quieter place, so I went back to the bus early."

Sir Alex Ferguson nodded slightly, and he turned to Keane: "This game is played like shit. Keane, do you know what I mean?"

Keane scowled.

"I can say they're shit, but you can't, they don't belong to you." Ferguson's voice got a little heavier.

Cristiano realized that what was coming had come.

"I'm the captain, the boss, I have responsibilities." Keane replied expressionlessly.

Ferguson's eyes turned cold, and he stared at Keane: "I assume you know that you are calling me Boss, then you should know what to do and what not to do."

"I know that very well," Keane replied. "So..."

Cristiano suddenly interrupted Keane and said, "So, Boss, I want to hear you tell me..."

He interrupted the tense relationship between the two of them, almost blurting it out. With his beast-like intuition, he felt that if Keane said that, there would be no turning back.

They were all in a rage of failure, and neither of them meant to do it.

But Cristiano hadn't thought of an excuse yet, and the two people who were interrupted now turned around and stared at him.

Cristiano gritted his teeth and said: "...the things I should correct in this game."

Ferguson and Keane both showed surprised expressions. These words didn't sound like they came from Cristiano's mouth at all.

"I just wanted to talk to the captain. He is the captain and the person I trust most on the field. If he is not in the team, I don't know who I can find to solve the problem and help me." Cristiano looked at Sir Alex Ferguson.

Sir Ferguson paused, pursed his lips and looked at the boy. Isn't he the one Cristiano should trust the most?

"But since you are here too, that's great. The people I trust most, the people who can help me the most, are all here." Cristiano said again, and this success made Sir Ferguson's face obviously calmer.

Sir Alex Ferguson still maintained his attitude as a coach and stared at Cristiano.

He probably guessed what his beloved disciple was thinking, and he was also very clear about the difference between Keane and Chris.

When Chris first joined the team, he did not stop other people's little tricks. He believed that those "little tricks" could help Chris adapt to the Premier League faster. Keane, as the captain of Manchester United, and Ferdinand were the first people in the team to show goodwill to the boy. They were also like umbrellas in the team. Cristiano's feelings for them were like the admiration and dependence of a young brother on his older brother.

There is no doubt that his favorite young player is smart, sharp, and knows himself very well - this makes Ferguson feel a little proud. Cristiano knows how inappropriate the content of Keane's interview tonight is, so he appeared here. Chris looked at him with a little expectation and request that he was not aware of.

Ferguson thoughtfully reassessed Keane's importance to the team.

If he loses the other player, he can use Neville to fill the captain's position. He believes that the other player is capable of doing the job, but at the same time, he can see that Cristiano is like a layer of transparent glass between Neville and even Rooney. Although it does not affect the cooperation on the field too much, if the other player becomes the captain, it will be hard to say.

The Scottish coach didn't understand why this happened. He knew Van Nistelrooy had done even worse things, but Cristiano didn't treat Van Nistelrooy like that.

Ferguson thought about it. He was still very dissatisfied with Keane's unauthorized and uncontrolled behavior, and he did not intend to let this matter go easily. At least, he needed a punishment that would make people remember it and never dare to challenge his authority again.

Keane didn't think too much about it. He just raised his hand and rubbed Cristiano's hair. He really liked what the boy said, "the most trusted back."

"We lost this game, which exposed a lot of problems." Cristiano said, he unconsciously turned down the corners of his mouth, and his eyes became sore again.

He couldn't accept the ball going into his own goal right in front of him. He had already run there, just a little bit short.

He originally just wanted to find an excuse to interrupt the topic, but now he has successfully exposed the side of himself that he had hidden. He felt his eyes getting hot and wet again.

Cristiano didn't intend to cry, he was just upset and blamed himself, but his tear glands were out of control and he started to cry after a few seconds.

Sir Alex Ferguson and Keane, two men who were almost at loggerheads with each other and had a strong aura, suddenly became like balloons that had been punctured. For a moment, they could only look for napkins in the bus.

"I want to get better, and I know I can only get the most pertinent feedback from you." This is what Cristiano really said, "You are my most important partners."

Sir Alex Ferguson took a deep breath, looked at Cristiano, and after a few seconds he said, "Okay."

He thought Cristiano would get what he wanted.

"The problem in this game is not you, at least you are the least to blame." Keane said, and looked at Sir Alex Ferguson, "Isn't that right, Boss?"

Ferguson knew that this was a rare sign of weakness from Manchester United's iron-blooded captain. He narrowed his eyes slightly. Apart from that, he also agreed with the captain's evaluation.

He said meaningfully: "I'm glad we have reached an agreement."

"Of course, being the least blamed doesn't mean there are no mistakes. We will take a good inventory of everyone, not one left out," Ferguson added with a serious face.

Cristiano exhaled, and he felt that the air in the bus seemed to be starting to circulate again. He looked at Ferguson, then at the captain, and he opened his arms and gently hugged them both: "Of course."

Another half an hour later, the remaining main players got on the bus one after another. Neville was walking in the front. When he saw Ferguson and Keane sitting on the bus, he immediately shut up and sat in the last row.

Seeing this, the others were even more so. No one dared to speak, as no one wanted to anger an angry Sir Alex or Keane.

Rooney secretly texted Cristiano -

【R: You are amazing. You have already been sitting on the bus with them? Didn't they scold you? 】

【C: Scold me - for what? Was it because I didn’t give the assist or because I didn’t run the fastest when returning to defense? 】

Cristiano has always been strong, proud and often hurtful to others.

Rooney gasped and almost wanted to slam his phone on the pretty head in front of him.

It was because of Rooney's news that Cristiano noticed that there were many unread messages and calls on his mobile phone. He quickly replied to them one by one - comfort from Simeone and Ms. Dolores, comfort from his teammates in the national team, care from friends he grew up with, and his lover.

Cristiano quickly sent Kaka a message back:

【C: Sorry, I was busy just now and just saw the message! I'm on the bus back now, and it will arrive in about half an hour! 】

[C: Are you still there? [Starry Eyes]

Kaka replied almost immediately: [K: I’m here]

Cristiano relaxed with peace of mind, leaned back in his seat and yawned. He had done too many things today and fully deserved the nickname of the hardworking little bee.

///

When the bus returned to the hotel, Cristiano was about to pick up his backpack and put it on his back, but Keane took it away first.

"Didn't the team doctor tell you to use your hands less?" Keane glanced disapprovingly at Cristiano's outstretched right hand. The bandage on his right hand was extremely noticeable.

Cristiano touched the tip of his nose: "Well, I still have my left hand."

"Don't bother." Keane walked off the bus carrying Cristiano's backpack.

Kaka stayed in the car. As soon as he saw the Manchester United bus appear at the hotel, he leaned forward slightly and stared. Then he saw the Manchester United captain get out of the car first with a backpack on his back and another in his hands.

Then there was Cristiano, his boy, empty-handed, plodding behind Keane, his wrists made even thinner by the glaring white bandage around them.

Kaka realized that this meant that Cristiano's wrist injury was so serious that he couldn't even bear the most basic force.

Cristiano looked around at the hotel entrance for a moment before walking into the hotel.

Not long after, Kaka got out of the car. He took a few deep breaths, lowered the brim of his hat, lowered his head and walked quickly into the hotel.

He knocked on Cristiano's door and was welcomed inside.

"Hey Kaka!" Cristiano pulled Kaka over with his left hand, stretched his legs to close the door, then quickly raised his head and kissed the corner of his lover's mouth, "I was busy in front and didn't hear from you."

"Because of the wrist injury?" Kaka looked down at Cristiano's hand, "What did the doctor say?"

"Well, just think of it as a sprain, it's no big deal. I guess there must be a way in the physiotherapy room. The team doctors will probably be shocked by then. They didn't expect that I would recover so quickly, haha." Cristiano laughed when he thought of the possible scene.

Kaka knew that the existence of the physiotherapy room meant that these minor injuries would not have any impact on their careers, but he still couldn't help but straightened his lips and whispered: "Cris, be serious, I saw Keane didn't even let you take the backpack."

"..." Cristiano wanted to say that his captain always took good care of him, but he noticed Kaka's expression, he shrank his neck and smiled helplessly, "Okay, but really, it's not serious, just rest for a few days."

"I was very careful. For this, I didn't even take a shower in the locker room. I just waited until I came back to take a bath in the tub." Cristiano added to prove his importance and seriousness.

Kaka noticed that his lover looked a little embarrassed, so he immediately said, "I'll help you drain the water."

Cristiano rolled his eyes, followed Kaka into the bathroom, and joked: "Then you might as well help me take off my clothes and pants."

"Of course." Kaka answered without hesitation.

Cristiano: “…”

When he lay in the slightly hot bath, Cristiano sighed comfortably. He tilted his head to look at his lover who was squatting beside him, and couldn't help but laugh at how it turned out to be like this.

He originally thought that helping him take off his clothes was a joke, but Kaka actually did it. And when he hinted that the bathtub was big enough, his lover seriously rejected him.

Now, Kaka half squatted and half knelt beside him, with his face against the back of his hand, and kissed him closely and densely on the bandage on his injured wrist, like the most devout believer kissing God.

Cristiano raised his hand slightly to touch Kaka's hair, traced his eyebrows with his fingers, and smiled softly: "Don't do this."

Kaka gently grasped his lover's hand, placed both hands under the injured wrist and gently stroked it. Although it was such a gentle action, every move screamed silent strength and control.

He lowered his head and placed another kiss, "Cris, you didn't treat it well enough, so I'm going to make up for it double for you."

Cristiano blinked, realizing Kaka was serious.