My light shines on Arsenal

Chapter 5 It's Not Home

Kearney base, five o'clock in the evening.

The day's training is coming to an end, and the sweltering summer night is unbearable.

The players and staff packed up their booths and left early, only the humming of cicadas and the orange afterglow of the setting sun on the quiet green field.

A figure sneaked into the training ground with a ball in its arms.

He carefully looked around and saw that no one was training, so he put the ball on the ground and started practicing by himself.

Dribbling, passing, hitting...

He skillfully made different technical moves, and the ball rolled into the wicket for training passing and the gate for shooting.

Like a magician, he shuttles around the court, the ball spinning against the turf and hitting the target accurately again and again.

After a long while, he wiped his sweat, picked up a ball from the field, and planned to start practicing again.

"Clap clap clap..."

There was a burst of sudden applause from the corner. He was stunned, looked around in panic, and almost wanted to escape from here immediately.

"Don't be nervous, don't be nervous, it's me."

Chen Yao walked out of the shadows slowly, with a smile on his face, still holding his iconic notebook in his arms.

"Great job, Cesc. If only I could see your show on a regular basis."

"Ah……"

The player gave a wry smile, the light half-lighted on his face - Cesc Fabregas.

"Chen, it's so late and you haven't left yet..."

"Yo, you actually know me?"

Chen Yao pretended to be surprised and said, "I haven't seen you on the training ground for a long time."

Fabregas looks away, seemingly unwilling to answer the question.

"I understand, Cesc, I understand that you want to leave. You want to go home." Chen Yao said.

"No, you don't understand."

Fabregas replied bluntly.

"You all think I'm a traitor, you think I'm a homesick softie. Dad thinks so, teammates think so, and you too."

He approached Chen Yao angrily, "But have you ever understood me? Have you ever thought about my difficulties?"

"You are just a bunch of laymen with poor football skills, you have no right to accuse me."

Fabregas picked up the ball angrily, and said without looking back: "You can go, don't disturb me."

"Well..." Chen Yao squinted his eyes and looked at the young man in front of him who was only four or five years younger than him, "Will such strong words make you feel better?"

"what are you talking about?!"

"I mean, you're a cowardly bastard."

"?!"

Cesc Fabregas looked at Chen Yao in disbelief. His expression could not be described as shock or anger, but his muscles were trembling.

"You don't understand at all." Fabregas squeezed out a few words through his teeth, "You have no right to accuse me."

"Does Wenger have it?"

"You... why did you mention him?"

"Because he saved you, Cesc. You can't betray him."

Chen Yao approached Fabregas step by step,
"Remember seven years ago? Arsene brought you from La Masia to London. He wanted Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique, but the Barca officials were only willing to let you go. .”

"Barcelona don't believe in you, but Arsene believes in you. The only reason is that you tell him that you deserve to be trusted."

"Seven years, seven full years, Arsene believed in you for seven years. He cleared up his achievements to make room for you, gave you the No. 4 jersey, and surrounded you as the absolute core...Which other giants would like to do this Treat a nameless boy?"

"But what did you pay him back with? You didn't even bring him a trophy, but you got the bloody Barcelona guys to put you in the jersey."

The barrage of words made Fabregas shut up.He pursed his lips tightly, his face turned pale, but he said nothing.

"Cesc."

Chen Yao's tone softened, "Everything can be redeemed. Everything is still too late. Believe me, we can create everything you want together."

Fabregas slowly squatted on the lawn and shook his head.

"You're wrong, you're wrong to believe me... I can't give you what you want."

"Look at this team. The only people who can follow my train of thought are Samir and Robin. The others...the others are players of some level."

"It's impossible for me to bring you trophies with just these people. I just hope you don't force me anymore, just let me go... These are not my responsibility."

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on Fabregas's face, and there was a trace of tiredness on his childish face.

"Chen," he said, "you haven't played real professional football, and you haven't experienced what it's like to lose a game at your feet. It hurts so much, especially when you gave it your all and thought you deserved to win. Contest."

"You know what? Every season, I have to suffer like this. Do you think I want to lose? Do you think I don't want to bring you victory? But I can't."

"Let me go," Fabregas sighed. "I can't bear this anymore."

"I'm going back to Spain, to Camp Nou. There are coaches who have watched me grow up, partners who have grown up with me. They are all geniuses, I can play the football I want to play without taking on anything, we can An easy win."

Fabregas looked yearning and intoxicated, showing a child-like smile.

"Do you still think forcing me to stay is a good choice?" Fabregas looked at Chen Yao, "It's time to say goodbye."

Chen Yao didn't say anything. He stared at this young man. From him, Chen Yao had seen perfect talent, high fighting spirit, and the hope of becoming a superstar.

But now, Chen Yao only sees a cowardly, selfish, despicable villain.

"Do you remember?" Chen Yao asked, "Five years ago, when you renewed your contract, someone asked you why you stayed at Arsenal for a long time, do you remember your answer?"

Fabregas was taken aback, "What did I say?"

"You said, firstly, because you love Arsenal, and secondly, because you love Wenger."

Chen Yao looked at Fabregas with a smile, "You have made a lot of excuses for yourself, but I think none of them are important. I just want to ask you now, do you still love these two things?"

Fabregas's lips moved. Can he forget the past seven years?
No, of course not.

He will never forget his grievances and ambitions when he followed the tall Frenchman across the ocean, and he will never forget that every weekend, the old Frenchman would come to the host family to have a warm family dinner with him.

He will never forget the scene he once imagined, wearing the red and white team uniform and enjoying the legendary treatment, and he will not forget that he once touched the team's team emblem and couldn't put it down.

But... What Cesc Fabregas doesn't know is that people will always beautify the road that has not been traveled.

"Of course I love them." Fabregas' voice became hard again, "But I have the right to make my choice. Please come back, Mr. Coach."

"Oh...why don't you understand, Cesc...it's useless for you to go back, because it's not home."

Chen Yao sighed helplessly, but he did not leave immediately. Instead, he walked up to Fabregas and said to him softly in the gentlest tone and most polite manner:
"But, Cesc. Don't worry, nowhere you go, a coward, will change the fact that you're a jerk."

(End of this chapter)