The afternoon sun in Madrid streamed through the blinds, scattering across the living room floor.
Lu Chuan sat cross-legged on the sofa, his gaze fixed intently on the void before him.
"System, activate the training space, set it to no-audience mode."
The world before him instantly transformed.
The familiar Vallecas Stadium appeared in his vision, but the stands were empty, with only rows of cold seats standing silently.
There were no red and white scarves waving, no deafening songs, and even the usual boos had vanished without a trace.
Lu Chuan stood at the center circle, looking around.
This silence made him feel an unprecedented discomfort.
He began to jog to warm up; in this silence, he could even hear the subtle sound of his studs cutting through the grass and the muffled thud of his own chest rising and falling.
"Start simulated match."
Virtual teammates and opponents appeared on the field.
Lu Chuan instinctively looked up, searching for the fans' reactions in the stands, wanting to judge the flow of the game from their expressions. But he was met only by empty seats.
This sense of loss made his movements stiff.
The first time he received the ball, he subconsciously paused for a second, as if waiting for some sound.
"Damn it." Lu Chuan shook his head, forcing himself to concentrate.
He began to re-examine this quiet environment.
Without external distractions, the shouts of his teammates became clearer.
Trejo's commands in the midfield, Álvaro's calls for the ball on the wing, and even goalkeeper Dimitrievski's reminders, all became exceptionally distinct.
More importantly, he found that his Full Field Vision became sharper in this environment.
Without the clamor from the stands, he could focus more on observing opponents' runs and more accurately judge the timing of passes.
Lu Chuan suddenly understood something, and the irritation he had felt earlier due to the empty stadium vanished.
He began to enjoy this pure football experience.
Every pass, every run, every tactical movement became more precise. The quiet environment made his thinking clearer and his decisions more decisive.
An hour later, Lu Chuan exited the training space.
He was surprised to find that he had not only adapted to the empty stadium environment but had even started to like this feeling of intense focus.
"Darling, is training over?" Esther poked her head out from the kitchen, holding a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.
"Yes, and I had an unexpected gain." Lu Chuan took the orange juice and kissed her cheek.
"What gain?"
"I found that playing in an empty stadium might be more advantageous for me." Lu Chuan's speaking pace quickened a bit, "No one's making noise, so I can see things more clearly."
Esther looked at him curiously. "Then shall we practice it in real life?"
She took out a few sofa cushions from the cabinet and arranged them into two makeshift goals in the living room.
Then she brought a small football from the balcony and excitedly kicked it towards Lu Chuan.
"Esther receives the ball! She dribbles past!" Esther mimicked the tone of a TV commentator, her voice so exaggerated it was comical, "Facing the defense of world-class defender Lu Chuan, how will she choose?"
Lu Chuan cooperated by making defensive movements, deliberately slowing down to let her get past.
"Beautiful change of direction! Esther has shaken off the defender! She's facing an open goal!"
Esther continued to narrate her actions, "Shot! It's a goal! What a world-class strike!"
She dramatically raised her hands in celebration, then ran to Lu Chuan for a hug. They embraced tightly in the living room, laughter echoing through the room.
"Your commentary is even more exciting than a real commentator's." Lu Chuan laughed until tears came to his eyes.
"Of course, I'm a professional actress." Esther proudly puffed out her chest.
For the next period of time, Lu Chuan began to explain football tactics to Esther.
He used teacups and fruit to represent different players, demonstrating various formations on the coffee table.
"This is an offside trap." Lu Chuan moved the apple representing a defender, "When the opposing striker is about to receive the ball, the defensive line suddenly pushes forward, putting him in an offside position."
Esther listened attentively, occasionally asking questions. "What if the striker anticipates it beforehand?"
"Then it requires more complex coordination." Lu Chuan continued to demonstrate, "For example, feigning a push forward, then suddenly retreating, causing the striker's judgment to be off."
This interaction made their relationship even closer. Football was no longer just Lu Chuan's professional domain but also became a shared topic for them.
In return, Esther also began to share interesting stories from the entertainment industry.
"You know that actor who plays Thor in 'The Avengers'?" Esther lowered her voice, speaking mysteriously, "He's actually a super homebody in private, he loves playing video games the most.
Once during a break in filming, I saw him hiding in his trailer playing games, completely without the divine majesty he has on screen."
Lu Chuan listened with great interest. These behind-the-scenes stories gave him a deeper understanding of Esther's world.
"And there's that action star known for playing tough guys." Esther continued to spill secrets, "He's most afraid of spiders, believe it or not. Once, the props team put a fake spider in his dressing room, and he screamed and ran out, his voice higher than a soprano's."
The two burst into laughter, and the nerves that had been strained by the pandemic seemed to completely relax at that moment.
At dinner time, Esther decided to teach Lu Chuan how to make authentic Spanish paella.
"First, you need to choose the right rice." Esther carefully selected the rice, "Spanish paella uses short-grain rice, which has good absorbency and can fully soak up the flavor of the broth."
Lu Chuan diligently learned at her side, occasionally jotting down key points.
He found Esther particularly charming in the kitchen; her focused expression made her even more beautiful.
"Then there's saffron." Esther carefully took out a few golden threads, "This is the soul of paella, not only providing color but, more importantly, that unique aroma."
Esther taught him step by step, from how to devein shrimp to how many saffron threads to use for the best flavor.
Lu Chuan learned quite well. Although his first attempt wasn't perfect, the sense of accomplishment from making it himself was incredibly satisfying.
"How does it taste?" Esther looked at Lu Chuan expectantly as he tasted it.
"It's even better than the restaurant's." Lu Chuan gave a thumbs up, "Because it tastes of love."
Esther blushed at his words and playfully patted his shoulder. "Smooth talker."
The two had grown accustomed to this rhythm; while Lu Chuan trained, Esther would quietly recite lines from her script nearby.
They didn't disturb each other but were always present. A glance, a glass of water, was enough.
Every morning, Lu Chuan would prepare breakfast for Esther.
Every evening, Esther would massage Lu Chuan's tired muscles.
Esther found that she had grown accustomed to listening to the muffled sounds of Lu Chuan in the training space when she couldn't remember her lines;
And Lu Chuan had also grown accustomed to resting his head on Esther's lap when exhausted, listening to her tell Hollywood gossip.
On a sunny afternoon, Lu Chuan's phone suddenly rang. The screen displayed Paco Jémez's name.
"Team online meeting, starting in ten minutes." Paco's voice was tinged with excitement, "There's important news to announce."
Lu Chuan quickly opened his computer and logged into the video conferencing software. The faces of his teammates gradually appeared on the screen; everyone looked a bit nervous and expectant.
"Brothers, I have good news." Paco's face was beaming, "The Spanish government has tentatively agreed to restart the League in June!"
A cheer erupted in the virtual meeting room; although separated by screens, everyone's excitement was palpable.
"But there's a condition." Paco's expression turned serious, "All matches will be played in empty stadiums until the pandemic is completely over."
The teammates' expressions instantly became complex. Trejo frowned, Álvaro García looked somewhat worried, and even the usually optimistic Isi Palazón showed a look of unease.
"Playing in an empty stadium is a huge challenge for us." Trejo spoke first, "Without the fans' support, we need stronger self-motivation."
"And the rhythm of empty-stadium matches will be completely different." Suárez added, "Without external pressure, the game might become more technical."
Other teammates expressed their concerns.
Only Lu Chuan's expression remained unchanged; he even picked up his water glass and took a sip, as if he hadn't heard bad news.
"Lu Chuan, what do you think?" Paco noticed his expression.
"I think this might be an opportunity for us." Lu Chuan's voice was calm, "Empty-stadium matches test players' technique and tactical acumen more, and that's precisely our strength."
Trejo looked at him somewhat surprised. "You don't seem worried at all?"
"Worried about what?" Lu Chuan retorted, "The essence of football doesn't change whether there are spectators or not. All we need to do is play our own football well."
After the meeting, teammates logged off one after another. Lu Chuan turned off his computer and found Esther standing behind him, her eyes full of curiosity.
"You don't seem worried about playing in an empty stadium at all?"
Lu Chuan smiled, hugged her from behind, and whispered in her ear: "Because, in my world, the only audience is you."
Esther froze, then hugged him back tightly, burying her face in his chest, and whispered: "I'll be waiting."
"Then you definitely have to play spectacularly." Esther turned to face him, her eyes sparkling with love, "Because even though you only have one audience member, she has very high expectations of you."
"I promise." Lu Chuan nodded seriously, "When the time comes, just watch me perform."
The pandemic brought the world to a halt, but it gave them an opportunity to fill the voids in their lives left by busyness.