Chapter 52 A Three-Person Trip to Chinatown
After the match against Livorno, Ancelotti gave the team two more days off.
The competition for points was intense in the later stages of the season, but the schedule was not tight. With one match per week, the players had a holiday to rest after each round of the league.
As May approaches, temperatures in Milan are steadily rising, rainy days are decreasing, and sunshine is gradually increasing.
Fino bought a large box of apples from the market, intending to dry some more. He remembered Nesta's disappointed expression last autumn. It wasn't a difficult task; all he needed was some good weather and some free time. He was willing to fulfill Nesta's small wish.
Hmm, and there's Kaka too.
Fino turned on the CD player, humming along as she peeled the apple.
These are long-awaited days of leisure.
He experienced and went through a lot this season.
He made great progress in his career, secured a starting position in the locker room, enjoyed the trust of his coaches and teammates, and received a significant salary increase.
He is not yet 20 years old. Players who shine at this age are not uncommon in the Premier League and La Liga. Fabregas, Rooney, Raul, Messi and others made a name for themselves before the age of 20.
But it's different in Italy. The world's top league used to be extremely competitive, and it was hard for newcomers to have a chance to stand out. Players like Totti and Del Piero didn't get many appearances at that age, and Inzaghi and Vieri were still playing in the second division.
Fino's rapid rise caused a great sensation in Italian football.
Especially after the Champions League match against Arsenal, Fino's fame began to spread from Italian football to European football. His recovery period was relatively smooth, and after scoring in the two league matches after his return, he seemed to become even more popular online.
Even the regular fan forums have seen a surge in content about him, with fans' meticulously edited photos dominating the screen and showering him with compliments. Fino couldn't even open his eyes; he didn't even know who the boy in the picture was, and he'd never been to Metersbonwe!
Growth inevitably involves setbacks.
He experienced the despair of fighting with all his might but still failing to win, suffered the first major injury of his career, his rationality was once skewed by hormones, and he was lost in his emotions for several months...
All of this was crammed into less than a season, with ups and downs and unexpected events happening frequently. He felt as if he had aged several years in his mindset.
Now, Milan's performance has rebounded, he has recovered from injuries, and he has also awakened from his illusory love affair...
He could finally peel an apple slowly in the sunlight, to the sound of music.
After getting all the apples sorted out, Fino treated himself to a Chinese meal. The Chinese dishes were beautifully presented, and he couldn't resist taking out his phone to take a picture and posting it on his public social media account.
Yes, he has learned to use public social media, although he is not very active.
It was Ambrosini who taught him.
When Ambrosini visited him in the hospital, he helped him download and register a social media account, and then they followed each other. Soon, teammates and fans found his social media account through Ambrosini's following list and followed him back.
“My God, Finney, you’re not even 20 yet, how come you’re like an old man? Even Paul has started social media, and you haven’t.”
This is how Ambrosini criticized him at the time.
Fino retorted inwardly: Massimo, you're the old fogey. Do you even know what "creating content" means? Every time I create content on the forum, I get several compliments.
After finishing his meal, Fino glanced at social media again and found that the post already had tens of thousands of likes and many comments, with the top comments mostly coming from his teammates.
He was shocked by the data, and then glanced at his own follower count, which was already in the hundreds of thousands.
He immediately decided to open a social media account for "Red and Black Faith-3" so that more people could appreciate his fanfiction.
But he needs to be careful not to switch to the wrong number, lest he be exposed.
On the second day of his holiday, Fino met with an art teacher he had arranged to meet. He was going to start learning to paint, beginning with the most basic sketching and color theory.
Once he learns to draw, his output will be much richer. At that time, he won't need to rely on existing video and image materials anymore; he can create his own custom designs for Maldini.
He firmly believes that as long as he is skilled enough, becoming a major contributor to Maldini's fandom is just around the corner.
After meeting with her teacher and arranging the time for the first class, it wasn't lunchtime yet, so Fino decided to go to Chinatown to check if the CD stores had any new releases and have lunch there.
Just then, his phone rang; it was Nesta.
He pressed the call button: "Ciao, Sandro."
"Finnie, Andrea and I are going to Chinatown for dinner, do you want to come along?"
As luck would have it, Fino immediately agreed.
They met at the Chinese restaurant where Fino had treated them last fall. Since it was a weekday for working people, the restaurant wasn't crowded and reservations weren't necessary.
When Fino arrived, Nesta and Pirlo were already there, taking photos with the fans who had also come to eat.
As soon as Fino entered the restaurant lobby, a sharp-eyed customer spotted him and shouted his name.
Other fans who had taken photos with Nesta and his partner and were about to leave immediately surrounded them.
The fans were pleasantly surprised, not only by encountering two long-established AC Milan stars, but also by meeting Fino Cabrini, who has recently become a sensation.
Fino's whereabouts have always been shrouded in mystery. He rarely appears in public during his private time, and even the tabloids in Milan have difficulty capturing any glimpses of his private life.
Therefore, getting Fino's autograph and a photo is not easy; apart from club events, the only other option is to wait outside Milanello.
Because Fino was spotted as soon as he entered, fans crowded around the entrance of the Chinese restaurant.
People have a herd mentality. When passersby on the street noticed the crowd gathering, they came over to see what was going on and discovered Fino there. There were also two other Milan stars in the lobby.
As people gradually gathered here, the waiter at the front desk immediately notified the Chinese restaurant owner.
When the owner arrived, the restaurant lobby was almost full of fans. He made a quick decision to rescue Fino and the other two and take them to a private room.
The three of them exchanged glances, all looking somewhat disheveled.
Nesta and Pirlo were dragged around until their clothes were disheveled, while Fino was in the worst shape, as he was blocked near the door and surrounded by the most people.
Seeing the miserable state of the other two, all three of them burst into laughter.
Fino's hair was a little messy, and several buttons on her shirt had been pulled open at the collar. There were several lipstick marks on her face, neck, and collarbone.
Nesta pointed to the lipstick marks on his body and joked, "The girls were too enthusiastic."
Fino looked down and only saw one very low down.
“They’re on your face too, lots of them!” Pirlo added.
There was no mirror in the private room, and fans were crowding outside, so Fino couldn't go to the bathroom to clean up the lipstick stain. Pirlo put one hand on his shoulder and used the other hand to wipe it with a tissue.
Dry tissues aren't suitable for wiping lipstick. As Pirlo wiped it away, the lipstick color actually started to smudge, giving Fino's fair skin a touch of vibrancy...
Pirlo looked away.
Fino has been with the first team for a year and a half. In this year and a half, he has gradually shed his boyish innocence and his temperament has gradually turned into the composure and calmness of a young man.
As his baby fat gradually disappeared, his facial contours became clearer and sharper, and the aloofness and detachment inherent in his features became more pronounced. Judging by his appearance alone, strangers might think he was arrogant and unapproachable, but only after getting to know him can one discover how soft his heart truly is.
Now, with his disheveled hair, half-undone white shirt, and pale skin stained with lipstick... the young man's haughty and aloof exterior actually revealed a hint of decadence...
"Are you done, Andrea?" the person in question asked him innocently.
Pirlo took a step back: "If you can't wipe it off, try dipping it in water."
He went to the sideboard, took a bottle of water, opened it, wet a paper towel, and came back to continue wiping until it was finally clean.
Even after wiping away the lipstick, Fino's collarbone still had a blush from the friction of the tissue.
Pirlo helped him button up his shirt; out of sight, out of mind.
By the time Fino and Pirlo sat down at the table, Nesta had already ordered some of the dishes.
Fino took the menu and looked at it for a few seconds. Nesta had already checked off many dishes. He asked Nesta somewhat uncertainly, "Sandro, did you order for the three of us?"
Nesta shook his head: "No, I only ordered what I wanted to eat. You two need to order a few more dishes."
Pirlo chuckled: "What's going on, Finney? After all this time, you still don't have a sense of how much San eats?"
Fino was speechless.
After the three finished lunch, the fans in the lobby had already dispersed.
Fino asked Nesta and Pirlo about their afternoon plans, and after learning that they had no plans, Fino took them to Chinatown.
Nesta and Pirlo didn't have anything they wanted to buy, so they just followed Fino around aimlessly.
Fino was very familiar with Chinatown. He took the two of them straight to a CD shop, where they found a few Chinese CDs that suited their tastes. They then went to a department store to stock up on some Chinese food seasonings.
As he passed a barbershop, Fino touched his hair. It was getting a bit long and needed a trim.
"Do you want to get a haircut?" Fino asked Nesta and Pirlo.
Getting a haircut is a bit of a waste of time, so if Nesta and Pirlo don't need one, he'll just wait until their next day off to get one himself.
Nesta nodded; his hair was getting a bit long, and a trim would be nice.
Pirlo has his own regular hairstylist, but since Fino and Nesta wanted haircuts, he went along with it. If they weren't satisfied, he could just go back to his own hairstylist for a trim.
Fino and Nesta only trimmed the length slightly and it was done quickly.
On the contrary, Pirlo's request was more complicated and took a little longer.
Looking at Pirlo in the mirror, Fino thought to himself that Pirlo's temperament was truly outstanding, like a languid and elegant artist, a perfect match for the city of Milan.
Fino had seen photos of Pirlo from his early years; his hair was a lighter color then, which, combined with his youthful face, made him particularly handsome.
Now, as he gets older, Pirlo's temperament has gradually matured, and his hair color has become darker, showing a hint of dark gold only in sunlight.
Fino's thoughts began to wander: what would Pirlo look like if he still had his hair color from his early years?
"What's wrong, Fino?" Pirlo's voice interrupted Fino's wandering thoughts. Fino had been staring at him for a while, somewhat puzzled.
“It’s nothing.” Fino organized her thoughts. “I was just thinking about your hair color from your early years, which I’d only seen in photos and videos. Of course, your current hair color suits you very well and makes you look very elegant.”
“Hmm…” Pirlo didn’t speak, only responded with a breath.
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