82: Chapter 82 A Regretful Defeat, A Gentle and Silent Farewell: A Departure Filled with Heartbreak

At King Power Stadium, the smoke cleared, leaving behind only chaos and sighs.

After Yu Bai was substituted, Leicester City was like a car that had its most critical driveshaft and lubricant removed.

The front line lost its most stable and creative ball-handling point and playmaking hub, and the attack suddenly became sluggish.

Arsenal seized the opportunity to unleash high-pressure pressing again, flooding toward the Foxes' half like a tide.

In the 78th minute, the twin stars shone, and the lethal connection reappeared!

Mesut Özil took the ball at the edge of the penalty area. Facing the defense, he delivered a casual, stylish outside-of-the-boot pass to the left side of the box.

Alexis Sánchez ghosted in, and without adjusting, he met the ball with a powerful strike! The ball flew like a shell from a cannon, straight into the net!

4:4! A Hat-trick for Sánchez! Arsenal equalized again!

In the 85th minute, the Foxes' defense completely collapsed.

Still Sánchez. From over 25 meters out, he drew his bow and unleashed a stunning long shot!

Kasper Schmeichel flew to the side, barely blocking the ball with one hand!

However, the crisis wasn't averted! The ball didn't roll far, landing near the six-yard box!

A tall, red figure sprinted in—it was the substitute Olivier Giroud! The French striker easily tapped into the empty net!

4:5! Arsenal took the lead! Giroud with the winner!

Yu Bai sat on the bench, wrapped in his training jacket, watching everything happen on the pitch with a heavy expression and pursed lips.

He could see his teammates' exhaustion and struggle, and he could feel the despair of being unable to turn the tide after the system collapsed.

If he were on the pitch... But he quickly suppressed the thought.

There were no "ifs"; football is a sport of 11 people.

Until the final whistle blew, the score was locked at 4:5. Leicester City swallowed their first defeat of the season at home. This goal-fest ultimately ended in the Foxes' bitter regret.

"Sigh... without Xiaobai, the offense is completely constipated."

"Sánchez has gone crazy! Hat-trick!"

"Giroud: Hehe, successful scavenging!"

"Xiaobai's expression... my heart aches."

...

After the match.

Yu Bai took off his training jacket, revealing his jersey underneath, walked off the field, and embraced the players from both sides.

Wenger, after a ceremonial embrace with Claudio Ranieri, scanned the field and quickly locked onto Yu Bai. He took long strides and walked straight toward Yu Bai.

"Yu." Wenger reached Yu Bai, skipped the pleasantries, and opened his arms, giving the boy a firm, powerful hug. In a low, sincere voice, he whispered in Yu Bai's ear:

"Child, I'm sorry."

"For the club's decision back then, and for some of the aggressive actions of my players today."

"You played an unparalleled match. You proved yourself, and you proved what a foolish mistake we made back then."

"The doors of Arsenal will always hold a special place and feeling for you."

Embracing, apologizing, mending relationships, paving the way for the future. The Professor's intentions were clear and candid. He knew all too well how much power a player's special attachment to their childhood dream club could hold.

London, at Mauricio Pochettino's home.

Watching the scene on TV of Wenger embracing and talking to Yu Bai with such closeness, Mauricio Pochettino couldn't stay calm for a second. He shouted at the TV, as if the Professor could hear him, in a low but urgent voice:

"Arsène! Professor!"

"Look closely! That is a Tottenham Hotspur player! That is Mauricio Pochettino's player!"

"Not yours, Arsenal's!"

He was genuinely panicked. In football, you should never underestimate a player's feelings for the club they supported since childhood and played for in the youth ranks. That power, born from dreams, could sometimes decide everything.

He didn't want to see his "future core," whom he had high hopes for, get snatched away by his arch-rivals using "emotional cards" and promises to "make up for regrets."

...

After parting from Wenger, Aaron Ramsey walked over, his jersey already soaked in sweat and held in his hand.

"Yu."

Ramsey smiled and handed over his jersey.

Yu Bai understood and immediately took off his blue No. 52 Leicester City jersey and handed it over.

The two completed the swap. Holding the red No. 16 kit, still warm and smelling of sweat, Yu Bai was overcome with emotion.

This was the number he had seen countless times on posters and in videos as a boy.

Ramsey draped Yu Bai's jersey over his shoulder and patted his arm firmly, his eyes sincere and full of expectation:

"Yu, I will frame this jersey properly."

"I firmly believe that before long, you will surely become one of the top players in this League."

Hearing this, a warm current surged in Yu Bai's heart as he looked at the jersey that belonged to his idol.

He raised his head, met Ramsey's gaze, and responded with a tone that was equally sincere but carried a young man's characteristic cunning:

"Then I'll have to be faster than you."

"Because I'm going back right now to frame it—this is the jersey of one of the Premier League's best midfielders, after all."

Ramsey laughed at his joke and hugged him again: "Good luck, kid. Stay healthy; you have a long road ahead."

"You too, idol," Yu Bai said seriously.

This exchange lacked the heaviness of apologies or the calculation of probing; there was only respect between opponents and a special inheritance and blessing that transcended time.

...

Post-match press conference.

Claudio Ranieri looked calm but couldn't hide his disappointment:

"We played well for 60 minutes, but we made mistakes in the final phase and were punished. This is the Premier League; every detail is magnified."

"Yu Bai? His performance today was phenomenal; he almost single-handedly kept us in the lead for a long time. Substituting him was to protect him, and you saw what happened afterward. I have nothing but praise and gratitude for his performance."

...

Wenger brought the composure of a winner, but when mentioning Yu Bai, his tone was exceptionally solemn:

"It was a difficult and exciting match. My players showed resilience and strength."

"As for Yu Bai, I have nothing much to say; everyone saw what he did. Two assists, one goal, winning a penalty, and a goal worthy of being the best of the season... He is only 17. He has a bright future, and I wish him all the best."

...

Post-match public opinion fermented rapidly.

The core theme was highly unified: #Leicester City lost, but Yu Bai didn't#

Major media headlines:

"Creating four goals wasn't enough to save the team! Yu Bai puts on a perfect personal show, Foxes narrowly lose to the Gunners!"

"Directing four goals + a divine goal! Yu Bai makes Arsenal tremble and makes Wenger regret!"

"The stats don't lie: Yu Bai with two assists, one goal, and a penalty won. His rating was second only to Sánchez, who scored a Hat-trick!"

"Defeated but glorious! Yu Bai cements his status as a Premier League superstar in one battle!"

Yu Bai's name once again dominated the headlines. His performance won the respect of almost everyone, even opposing fans.

...

Leaving King Power Stadium.

Yu Bai didn't take Wen Wan's car; instead, he left with his mother, Shen Muwan, who had come specifically to watch the match, and Dilraba, who was going to collaborate on an advertisement.

He originally wanted to call Wen Wan, but after taking out his phone and hesitating, he just sent a message: "I'm going to the hotel with my mom. You go back first, don't wait for me."

The message was sent, and for the first time, there was no immediate reply. Yu Bai frowned slightly, feeling a bit strange. Wen Wan almost never failed to reply to his messages promptly recently. But he didn't overthink it, nor did he have time to.

He took Shen Muwan and Dilraba to a famous local restaurant in Leicester.

During the meal, Shen Muwan felt both heartache and pride for her son, and Dilraba was also graceful. The atmosphere was quite harmonious. Yu Bai was also very happy, especially when seeing the unconcealable pride on his mother's face.

...

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Wen Wan was already on the train from Leicester to London.

Shortly after the match ended, she received a direct call from Yu Yun. No explanation, no buildup, just a short and cold instruction: "Leave Xiaobai immediately. Now."

She held the phone, her fingers cold, and understood instantly.

It was because of Shen Muwan.

That woman, who also had the character "Wan" in her name but possessed an aura so powerful it was suffocating.

When the match ended, they had just exchanged a hurried glance in the crowd. That one glance was enough for Wen Wan to feel a chill of being completely seen through and having nowhere to hide.

Sure enough, not long after, Yu Yun's call came. And it was a "eviction order" issued directly to her, bypassing her cousin Wen Qing.

She knew very well what this meant—Yu Bai's mother had found out and was furious. Yu Yun couldn't withstand the pressure and had to "clear the scene" immediately.

She guessed correctly. The moment Shen Muwan saw Wen Wan, she sensed her similarity to Wen Qing. She called Yu Yun, demanding to know if he was "arranging the fox spirit's sister by her son's side to do what," and it escalated to the point of "fighting to the death."

Yu Yun was scolded with no recourse. Originally, agreeing to let Wen Wan go was just because he felt she was in the UK, knew the background, and could take care of Yu Bai; he hadn't thought much of it. But now that Yu Bai was growing up and Wen Wan was becoming increasingly beautiful and moving, the hidden danger was real. So, he cut the Gordian knot.

Wen Wan called her cousin Wen Qing and calmly informed her of the result.

Wen Qing was silent for a long time on the other end, finally sighing: "...I see. You go back to London first." She was helpless too.

Wen Wan returned as quickly as possible to the apartment she had started calling "home," silently and efficiently packing all her belongings. Clothes, cosmetics, laptop, even the food she bought in the fridge, the shampoo she used in the bathroom... all traces belonging to her were carefully cleared and packed.

The moment she closed the door with her suitcase, it was as if she had never appeared in that apartment.

Clean, and cruel.

Sitting by the window of the speeding train, the fields and towns of England retreated rapidly in the twilight. Wen Wan looked at her blurred reflection on the glass, and tears rolled down silently, in large drops, without warning.

She thought she had adjusted. Leaving was just leaving; it was nothing more than returning to her old life.

But the heart doesn't lie.

The sense of fragmentation, like a cold tide, spread from the deepest part of her heart, instantly submerging her.

She remembered the confusion and unwillingness when she first came to the UK, arranged by the family, forced to become the "nanny" of a strange boy. She remembered the estrangement and cold war between them during Yu Bai's rebellious phase; she was happy for the leisure, and he enjoyed the freedom.

But somehow, everything changed. Yu Bai grew up, became sensible, and shone brightly on the football field. And she, in the process of taking care of him, found her own direction and value again.

She studied nutrition, learned about being an agent, planned his commercial contracts, and managed his daily affairs... She had already completely accepted and started enjoying the role of the "woman behind Yu Bai" in her heart.

She had even planned the future: be his most capable agent, his most professional nutritionist, take care of everything for him, help him climb to the peak of world football, step by step.

This was the new life full of meaning and expectation she had found for herself.

However, with one phone call, all of this, before it had even truly begun, was forced to an abrupt halt.

Like a meticulously built block castle, at the moment of completion, it was gently pushed by someone and collapsed with a crash. The pieces were scattered all over the floor, unable to be put back together.

She wanted to call Yu Bai.

She wanted to cry to him, act spoiled, and tell him, "Your parents are driving me away."

She was almost certain that if Yu Bai knew, he would find a way to make her stay. That boy was truly good to her; it was unconditional trust and reliance.

But she couldn't.

On the other end of the phone was his blood-related mother. The one giving the order was the big BOSS, Yu Yun, whom neither she nor her cousin dared to defy.

Her grievances and reluctance were as light as a feather compared to "family" and "power," not worth mentioning.

She could only swallow all her emotions, letting them churn and burn in her gut.

The train went through a tunnel, and the carriage flickered between light and dark. Wen Wan gently pressed her forehead against the cold glass, closed her eyes, and whispered to the darkness speeding past outside the window, in a voice so low only she could hear:

"Xiaobai..."

"I'm leaving..."

"You have to be well..."

"Eat on time, don't stay for extra training so late..."

"During the match... protect yourself, don't let people bully you again..."

"Don't get injured..."

"And don't catch a cold..."