90: Chapter 90 The Beauty Trap! Chloe: I've messed up, so I have to make it up to you with myself!

Leicester, Yu Bai's apartment.

Outside, the night deepened, and neon lights flickered. Inside, the living room lights were soft, but the atmosphere was... subtle.

Chloe Thompson had followed Yu Bai back. The reason was simple—she had jokingly complained that the hotel booked by the band had "touching conditions," with poor soundproofing like a train station and bed boards hard enough to practice iron head skills.

Yu Bai looked at her eyes, which appeared exceptionally clear under the lights, carrying the fatigue and willfulness unique to an artist. He thought about his three-bedroom apartment, which felt excessively empty at the moment, and nodded.

"The other guest room, clean it up yourself."

He pointed to the south-facing bedroom, deliberately avoiding the master bedroom and the one Wen Wan used to live in.

He didn't want anyone entering that room for the time being.

Chloe was clearly satisfied with the accommodation; she thanked him and went to wash up while humming a tune.

With an extra person in the house, and a young, pretty woman at that, Yu Bai felt a bit uncomfortable instead.

Usually, when he returned home after training, he would either review match footage or do extra strength training on the gym mat in the corner of the living room. Furthermore, for convenience and cooling, he was usually shirtless.

Today... that was obviously not possible.

He irritably scratched his hair, found a washed-out, solid-colored tank top from the closet, and put it on. He looked in the mirror—tsk, an old man's shirt, but better than being bare. Then, as always, he spread out the mat on the living room floor, put on his wrist guards, and began his daily, unwavering core and lower body training.

Sweat soon soaked the tank top, outlining the teenager's increasingly strong and well-defined muscle contours.

His breathing sounded exceptionally heavy in the quiet living room.

Every set of movements was performed with all his might, as if he were struggling against something invisible.

He was indeed holding back a sense of frustration and pressure.

Just this afternoon, he had received a call from Mauricio Pochettino from London.

The Argentine manager's tone was enthusiastic, full of undisguised appreciation and anticipation, but the content of his words made Yu Bai's heart sink.

"Yu, my boy, you played great! It's incredible!"

"Look at the standings, we are second, Leicester City is first... This is simply the craziest and most 'awkward' scene I have ever seen in my coaching career."

"I cannot, and I will absolutely not allow, this situation to continue."

Mauricio Pochettino's voice carried a smile, but it also revealed an unquestionable firmness.

"For the fans of Tottenham Hotspur, letting their genius player shine in the ranks of a direct rival and helping the other side lead the standings... this is almost a 'crime'."

"So, Yu, listen—"

"The club has decided that we will trigger the mandatory recall clause in the loan contract during the winter window."

"Welcome home, kid."

"White Hart Lane needs you, Harry and Son need you, and our European campaign needs you even more."

"Come back, and you will be our absolute attacking core, I promise."

Yu Bai held the phone, silent for a long time, and finally could only say dryly: "...I understand, Boss."

What could he say? The contract was in black and white, and the initiative was in the hands of Tottenham.

He was just a loanee. Even if he was the hero of Leicester City, the Premier League Player of the Month, and a media darling... in the face of the loan contract, these rays of light were fragile and vulnerable.

After hanging up the phone, he went to find Claudio Ranieri.

The Italian veteran manager had clearly received the news in advance. He sat behind his desk, his face so gloomy it could drip water. He held a pen, unconsciously scribbling on paper, and didn't speak for a long time.

Finally, he just waved his hand, his voice somewhat tired: "I know, Yu. Go train."

There was no comfort, no attempt to keep him, and not even the usual extra coaching where he would pull him aside to analyze match footage.

In reality, while Claudio Ranieri was angry, he understood the situation clearly.

Standing in the position of Tottenham's management, this decision was beyond reproach.

If it were him, he wouldn't be able to let his core prospect continue to "aid the enemy" either.

He was just feeling depressed and reluctant to part with the boy who had brought him countless surprises and victories.

Therefore, Yu Bai could only vent all his frustration on the cold barbell and the monotonous, repetitive training.

He trained until he was exhausted, until sweat pooled into a small puddle on the floor, and until his muscles were sore and trembling. Only then did he collapse, sprawled in a "star" shape on the mat. His chest heaved violently like a bellows, his vision went black, and besides breathing, he didn't want to move a muscle.

Just then, with a "click," the bathroom door opened.

Chloe had finished showering and was wearing cotton loungewear with cartoon patterns. Her hair was wet and wrapped in a towel, and she was bare-faced. Her skin was slightly flushed from the steam, and she had shed the cold elegance she wore on stage, gaining a bit of domestic softness.

She walked out barefoot and immediately saw Yu Bai sprawled on the mat like a dying fish.

"My God!"

She was startled, quickly covered her mouth, walked over quickly, and squatted beside Yu Bai. Her emerald eyes were full of shock and confusion.

"Yu Bai? Are you... are you okay?"

She gently touched Yu Bai's sweat-soaked arm; it was scorching to the touch. "You are clearly... already so outstanding, one of the best players in the Premier League, why do you still have to... torture yourself so desperately?"

Yu Bai's eyelids twitched. He slowly opened them, looked at the soft ceiling light, and tugged at the corner of his mouth, revealing a tired and self-deprecating smile.

"Why?"

His voice was hoarse as he spoke slowly.

"Because... only when you become strong enough, strong enough that others cannot ignore or replace you..."

"Only then are you qualified to discuss choices, to demand freedom, and to decide your own path."

"Isn't everything like this?"

As he finished speaking, he took a deep breath, his core muscles suddenly exerted force, and he did a clean and crisp kip-up, springing directly off the ground! The movement was fluid and full of power.

The moment he stood up, the tank top, soaked with sweat and clinging tightly to his body, clearly outlined his well-defined eight-pack abs and distinct V-line.

Although it was just a fleeting moment, the impact of that masculine hormonal energy made Chloe's breath hitch, her cheeks uncontrollably flushed with redness, and her heart skipped several beats.

"I'm going to take a shower."

Yu Bai acted as if nothing had happened, casually wiped the sweat off his face, and turned to walk toward the master bedroom's bathroom. As he walked, he reminded her without looking back, "You've packed your things... right? When I come out of the shower, I don't want to see anything I shouldn't see."

Chloe was amused by his "straight-guy" style reminder and recovered from her momentary distraction. She leaned against the wall, crossed her arms, and a teasing, mischievous smile appeared on her face. She replied in her unique, slightly raspy voice:

"I am very generous~"

"If you want to see, I can go back to my room now, take them all out, and display them for you?"

Her tone was ambiguous, and her gaze was bold.

Yu Bai didn't look back, just raised his hand and waved it perfunctorily in the air, his tone helpless: "Get lost."

"I'm still just a kid."

He muttered in a low voice and quickly walked into the bathroom, closing the door.

"Pfft—"

Chloe watched the closed bathroom door and couldn't help but laugh out loud, her eyes shining.

"Bickering" with this Eastern teenager was always so interesting.

He looked calm and mature on the surface, sometimes even a bit "green tea," but deep down, he still carried the innocence and shyness typical of his age and couldn't withstand overly direct flirting.

However... she was serious just now.

Yu Bai took a quick "combat shower," the warm water washing away his exhaustion and sweat.

He habitually wore only a pair of loose athletic shorts and wiped his hair as he walked out of the bathroom—he didn't like to put on clothes immediately after showering, feeling that it was restrictive.

However, the moment he opened the bathroom door, his footsteps came to a halt.

Chloe was leaning against the wall of the hallway, seemingly waiting for him.

She had changed out of the cartoon loungewear and was wearing only a soft, oversized white men's shirt. It looked like Yu Bai's style, but it was several sizes too big for her, barely covering the top of her thighs, perfectly executing a "bottomless" look.

Moreover, she was barefoot, wearing no shoes.

Her fair, slender legs glowed with an ivory luster in the dim light of the hallway.

Yu Bai stopped drying his hair, raised his eyebrows slightly, and kept his expression calm. He looked at her with a questioning gaze: What is the meaning of this?

Chloe met his gaze. Not only was she not shy, but she also curled her lips into a provocative and seductive smile.

She raised her hand, and with her slender fingers, she slowly, one by one, unbuttoned the buttons on the front of the shirt.

Her movements were calm, even carrying a performative elegance.

The buttons were all undone.

The white shirt, like wings that had lost their support, slid down her smooth skin and piled up at her feet.

A perfect female body, full of youthful vitality and artistic beauty, was presented to Yu Bai without reservation.

Her skin was blindingly white under the lights, her curves were breathtaking, and her long golden hair was draped over her shoulders, half-covering the scenery that made one's blood pump.

Yu Bai's breathing hitched imperceptibly.

Almost instinctively, he forcibly controlled himself, quickly averted his gaze, turned his head to the side, and said in an irritated and incredulous tone:

"Chloe! Are you crazy?!"

Chloe, however, took a step forward, her bare feet stepping on the cool floor, making a faint sound. Her voice was very calm, even carrying a righteous kind of "innocence":

"I caused trouble."

"Outside, everything is about you choosing a national team, and many people say... I am your secret girlfriend."

"So..."

She walked up to Yu Bai and looked up at him. Her emerald eyes were clear, and her tone was as frank as if she were discussing the weather.

"I am going to compensate you with myself."

"This is my sincerity."

Yu Bai: "..."

Are you sure this is compensation? And not a reward?