Ever since his encounter with Shania, Tang En sadly discovered that he had only spent one Christmas with her. In 2004, when Nottingham Forest had just returned to the Premier League, Shania was not yet a famous model. She lived at her aunt's house in Newcastle, but she was not very happy. So, she chose to spend Christmas with Tang En.
That year, they spent a very happy Christmas with Dunn and George Wood's family.
At the same time, they also agreed to spend every Christmas like this.
Unfortunately, reality was cruel. Since then, they had never spent Christmas together again. Shania embarked on the path of a professional model. As her reputation rose, she spent more and more time outside. Christmas was a day of family reunion for Westerners, but for models, it was the golden time to work and earn money.
Shania could not return to Nottingham to accompany Tang En, and Tang En could not fly to those fashion capitals to accompany Shania. As a Premier League manager, the Christmas period was also the busiest time of the season. Two matches a week, three matches a week, made it so that he could not even go home and could only stay in a hotel.
Even after the two of them got married, the situation did not improve.
Although Shania had starred in two movies, she was still a model. During Christmas, she needed to travel around to attend various commercial shows. In Milan, in Paris, in New York, in Hong Kong, in Tokyo … all over the world, but not in the tiny Nottingham.
In this matter, Tang En was probably the most pitiful manager in the entire Premier League.
If other managers did not spend Christmas with their families, it must be because they were too busy. Their wives were still waiting at home. At least their homes were not dark and cold. As for Tang En, it was because both husband and wife were busy. If he did not go home, there would not even be a light at home …
It looked like Christmas 2010 would still be like this. Tang En and Dunn, as well as George and Sophia, spent the equivalent of the Western "Spring Festival" together. Under the Christmas tree that the club had prepared for everyone, George Wood extended an invitation to Tang En and Dunn to celebrate the holidays together.
"Okay, no problem, George." Tang En nodded in agreement. He had never thought of refusing on this matter. "Dunn and I will go when the time comes."
Dunn hesitated and did not nod.
Tang En felt a little strange. "What's the matter, Dunn?"
Dunn hesitated for a while before saying, "Can … can I bring another person?"
Wood and Tang En both felt that it was strange, but the extent of their reaction was different. Wood only raised his eyebrows, while Tang En almost shouted it out.
"Uh, forget it if you can't …"
Wood shook his head. "No problem. My mother likes to be in a crowd. "
He did not ask who Dunn was bringing along. He was not the kind of person who liked to pry into other people's privacy. If the other party did not say, he would not ask.
After he was done with his work, Wood took his gifts and left. Tang En was not Wood. He was a very gossipy person. He asked his partner curiously, "Bring someone along? Who is it, Don? "
"You'll know when the time comes …" Dunn unexpectedly did not answer Tang En's question honestly. He picked up his gift and turned to leave.
Tang En looked at his back and scratched his head. "Hey, you also have your own. Little. Secret. Ah!"
※ ※ ※
After the training ended, Tang En drove home to change. Although he was used to living alone in the huge villa, he still felt particularly cold in winter.
He did not stay long in the cold home. He changed into a suit and put on a coat. Then, he returned to the car and drove to Wilford.
Other than feeling lonely, the reason he did not want to stay long at home also reminded him of Shania, who was far away in New York. Then, he thought of how his wife was not by his side every Christmas, with no one to hold her arm. It was not something that made him feel good.
Parking the car in front of Dunn's rented apartment, Tang En honked.
He did not go down to knock on the door. Instead, he waited in the car.
Soon, the door opened and two people came out … Wait! Two people?
Tang En rolled down the window and widened his eyes to make sure he did not see a shadow.
There were indeed two people walking towards him. He knew one of them. It was his partner and assistant, Dunn. He also knew the other person.
"I thought I would never see you again after that interview, Miss Tang Jing."
The car's rearview mirror reflected Tang En's brilliant expression. He did not know whether to express surprise or sigh.
Beside Tang Jing, Dunn's expression was a little awkward. Tang Jing herself looked natural and unrestrained.
"Don't think so badly of our country."
"Oh, no, I didn't mean that. I meant that you probably won't come to England again after you resign … "
"Why not? I'm free now and have more time to run around. Coming to England is as normal as wanting to go to America. In fact, I only arrived yesterday. "
Tang En tilted his head. His gaze went past the talkative woman and fell on Dunn behind her. Dunn's expression was a little unnatural. It was a feeling similar to … being caught in bed. Compared to the chattering woman, he was too quiet.
"Did you do something wrong, Dunn?"
"Huh?" Dunn did not understand why Tang En suddenly said that.
"You're so quiet. It's like you're a child waiting to be reprimanded by your parents for doing something wrong."
Dunn coughed awkwardly and pointed to Tang Jing. "She only arrived yesterday …"
"Is she the additional person you're talking about?"
Dunn nodded.
"I was going to spend it alone with Dunn. But he didn't quite agree. "Dunn did not seem to want to say more, so the task of explaining to Tang En fell on Tang Jing. "I know it's a little presumptuous, but I still told him that I wanted to spend Christmas with you."
Tang En applauded. "It looks like your relationship has progressed to a very delicate point. Get in the car. "He reached out and opened the back door. It was not polite to keep the other person standing outside and chatting with him.
"I'll drive very slowly so that I have time to listen to you tell me the love story between the two of you on the way."
"Tony …" Dunn called out before getting into the car.
"What?"
"We're just … ordinary friends."
Tang En glanced at Tang Jing in the rearview mirror, who had already gotten into the car. Compared to the obviously embarrassed Dunn, the woman's expression was very natural. She also did not raise any rebuttal to Tang En's words.
"Do you know what it means to hide something, Dunn?" Tang En closed the front passenger door that Dunn had opened and said to him, "Sit in the back!"
So, Dunn obediently sat in the back seat, next to Tang Jing.
The interior of the Mercedes-Benz jeep was very spacious. Tang Jing and Dunn sat together, but it did not seem crowded. Tang Jing patted the leather seat and exclaimed, "This car is great! It's much better than the QQ car I drive in China! Your wife loves you very much, Mr. Tang En. "
Dunn coughed lightly. He was worried that Tang Jing's words would make Tang En think of Shania, who was far away in a foreign country, and thus evoke memories.
Tang En snorted. "You can also give one to Dunn as a birthday present."
"I don't have any money." Tang Jing ignored Tang En's sarcasm. She twisted around to observe the interior of the car. "I'm unemployed now. I'm an international vagrant, wandering around the world."
"Did you come here on a container ship?"
Tang Jing laughed. "I'm not a stowaway. I haven't heard your sharp and mean tone for more than half a year. I suddenly miss it, Mr. Tang En. "
"Thank you for the compliment."
In fact, Tang En was in a good mood at the beginning. But when he saw Dunn and Tang Jing together, his mood suddenly became gloomy.
Everyone else was in pairs, and he was alone. Even though he was married, he felt that he was no different from a bachelor.
It was said that absence makes the heart grow fonder. For someone like Tang En, who was separated from Shania for at least two hundred days a year, he would rather not be fonder than be married.
So, all the way to George's house, Tang En did not ask in the car how and when did Dunn and Tang Jing hook up. He was not interested to know now.
※ ※ ※
When Wood saw Tang Jing, his expression was the same as when Tang En saw her. He was very surprised. Then he moved in front of Tang En, lowered his head and said in a very low voice, "I don't want a reporter to interview …"
Tang En pursed his lips. "Then she's not a reporter … She resigned."
"Then …" Wood was a little uncertain what a woman who was not a reporter was doing here.
Tang En's mouth was pouting so much that he could hang an oil bottle. How could George be so stupid? "The two of them are now … in a relationship." Tang En said this sentence reluctantly.
"Oh." Wood had no objections. As long as she was not a reporter, he had no objections.
When introducing Tang Jing to Sophia, Dunn said she was his friend, and Tang En winked at the side.
Sophia was a smart person, and more importantly, she was a woman. From Dunn's and Tang Jing's respective expressions, she had already completely understood what was going on. However, she did not show it. Instead, she welcomed everyone in with a smile.
Tang En lagged at the back, his brows furrowed. He was not very happy. Sophia noticed his expression and quickly walked in front of him. She asked in a low voice, "Did Shania call you?"
"Not yet." Tang En shook his head.
Sophia's eyes turned. She glanced at Dunn and Tang Jing, who had already entered the door, and smiled. Then she did a bold move that surprised even Tang En. She gently leaned her body against Tang En's arm, which was in the pocket of his coat.
Tang En's body suddenly stiffened when Sophia leaned against him. He reflexively wanted to break free from Sophia's hand that followed.
"Don't move, Mr. Tang." Sophia tilted her head and whispered in Tang En's ear. She looked like a happy woman snuggling on her lover's shoulder.
Tang En did not struggle, and his body gradually softened. He allowed Sophia to lean on his shoulder and arm.
George Wood had already entered the house with Dunn and Tang Jing. Only Tang En and Sophia were left in the empty yard outside the house.
No one spoke. No one even made a sound. The two of them stood in the cold night wind of Nottingham, watching the street lamps lit up one by one.
When the street lamps in front of the house were also lit up, Tang En suddenly asked, "Are you cold?"
Sophia nodded, then quickly shook her head to deny it.
"Go in."
Sophia let go of his hand and nodded with a smile.
Tang En also smiled at her. "Thank you, Sophia."
"At least you didn't call me 'Madam.'" Sophia covered her mouth and laughed.
Tang En scratched his head. He used to call her "Madam Sophia" or "Madam." This time, under the influence of the subtle atmosphere, he actually called her by her name. Was it a little presumptuous and abrupt? No, from the looks of it, Sophia liked it very much.
"What are you guys doing?" Wood suddenly appeared at the door and looked strangely at his mother and boss who had not come in.
"Ah, I forgot something. I went back to get it." Tang En took out a small paper bag from his coat pocket. "A Christmas present for you."
Sophia said to her son, "I waited for Mr. Tang for a while."
Just as Tang En was about to enter the house, his cell phone rang.
"I've calculated the time, Uncle Tony!" Hearing this voice, Tang En's face broke into a sincere smile.
Sophia saw the change in Tang En's expression and lowered her head. "Let's go in first, George."
"Ah … Oh." Wood glanced at Tang En and followed his mother into the house.
"Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas …"
The two of them said in unison, and then they laughed at the same time.
After the laughter subsided, the two of them fell into an awkward silence at the same time.
In the end, it was Tang En who broke the awkward silence first. "When can you come back?"
"End of January."
"Ah, then it won't be long …"
"Do you miss me, Uncle Tony?"
"Of course … I miss you every day. Let me tell you, Dunn, do you know? He already has a girlfriend! "
Shania exclaimed in surprise over the phone.
"I only found out today. Seeing the two of them together makes me miss you even more, Shania. "
"Uncle Tony …"
"But hearing your voice makes my mood better." Tang En simply sat on the steps in front of Wood's house. It looked like he still had a lot to talk about with Shania and was in no hurry to enter the house.
Hearing Shania's voice that was full of energy, Tang En did not feel cold. In fact, he knew very well that for a long time in the future, he and Shania could only spend Christmas like this — far apart from each other. It was a very helpless thing, unless one of them was willing to give up their current job. But this was not their style. They depended on each other, but they also maintained their independent personalities. The two of them could be like one person with tacit understanding, but they could not simply sacrifice themselves for each other's sake.
Their age was a barrier to their union, but their mutually competitive personalities were also a barrier.
But they still ended up together in the end. So while the two of them maintained their mutual independence, they also particularly cherished this fate.
I'm not marrying you to find an accessory, nor to find someone who is exactly like me. Otherwise, I'll just look in the mirror every day. How boring would that be!
After chatting with Shania for a while in the cold wind, Tang En hung up the phone reluctantly. He patted his butt and got up to enter the house.
Looking at Dunn and Tang Jing cuddling together again, he could already treat it with a "normal heart."
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