It’s normal to have skills in Wangwang, right?

Chapter 403 Germany, Day 1

Tezuka Kunimitsu accompanied Liu Lingyin to the hotel they had booked in advance. The hotel was located in downtown Munich, not far from the club where he trained. It had a simple and modern style, exuding German cleanliness and efficiency.

At the front desk, Tezuka took the initiative to approach and communicate with the staff behind the counter in fluent and clear German.

He asked very detailed questions, from confirming the booking information and payment method (ensuring that Liu Lingyin could pay smoothly using the authorized credit card that Allen had prepared in advance), to the check-out time, the location of breakfast service, the hotel's basic facilities, and even the nearby security and public transportation situation.

His German pronunciation was standard, his tone steady, and his logic clear, which made the counter clerk answer him with extra care. Just by looking at him, Liu Lingyin could feel Tezuka's thoroughness and reliability.

"The formalities are complete. Here's the room key. The room is on the fifth floor, with a great view." Tezuka turned around and handed the room key and a hotel guide to Liu Lingyin, while naturally continuing to pull her suitcase. "Let's go, I'll take you up."

"Thank you! Tezuka, you've really gone to a lot of trouble." Liu Lingyin thanked him and followed behind him.

"Ah! You're welcome." Just as she finished speaking, the elevator doors opened, and the two of them walked in one after the other.

Inside the elevator, Tezuka stood straight, his gaze calmly watching the floor numbers change. He didn't say much, yet he exuded a sense of peace.

Upon reaching the fifth floor, he stepped out first, glanced at the sign, and headed in the correct direction, his pace unhurried, ensuring Liu Lingyin could easily keep up.

Upon opening the door, the room was indeed as Tezuka had described: clean and bright, with a fairly large window offering views of the quiet streets below and the distant city skyline.

However, when the two entered the room, Tezuka put down his luggage and his gaze habitually swept over the room's facilities, he paused slightly.

"What's wrong?" Liu Lingyin noticed the subtle change in his expression.

Tezuka walked to the bathroom door, glanced inside, then turned to Rin Yanagi and calmly stated:

"This hotel follows environmental protection principles and does not provide disposable toiletries. It seems you will need to bring your own."

Liu Lingyin also peeked out and saw that, sure enough, there was only a soap dispenser on the sink; there were no toothbrushes, toothpaste, combs, shower caps, or anything else.

"Oh, I see... I didn't notice that was in the booking instructions." She was a little embarrassed, after all, it was her first time in Germany and she wasn't familiar with the local hotel customs.

"It doesn't matter."

Tezuka's tone showed no blame or annoyance, as if it were just a routine matter that needed to be dealt with.

"It's still early. I'll take you to have lunch nearby first, and then we'll go to the supermarket to buy the necessary toiletries and other necessities you might need."

His arrangements were always so well-organized and took her needs into account. Liu Lingyin nodded:

"Okay, I'll do as you say. I'm a little hungry too."

After putting her suitcase away in the room, Liu Lingyin only carried her small backpack and left the hotel again with Tezuka.

The afternoon sun was shining brightly, and the streets of Munich were clean and tidy. Pedestrians walked briskly but in an orderly manner, a stark contrast to the romantic and carefree atmosphere of Paris.

The two walked side by side, with Tezuka habitually walking on the outer side closer to the road, protecting Ryu Suzune on the safer inner side. He did this so naturally, almost instinctively.

Soon, Tezuka led her to a clean and comfortable-looking cafe/restaurant.

He asked, "The lunch sets here are pretty good, and there are also options for those who prefer lighter flavors. What do you think?"

Liu Lingyin gave an OK sign to indicate that she was okay, and the two of them went inside together.

When ordering, Tezuka considered that Rin might prefer hot food, so he recommended grilled chicken breast with stewed vegetables, rice, and juice to her. He also chose the same thing for himself and added whole wheat bread.

After the two quietly finished their main course, with only a glass of juice left for each of them, they started chatting.

"Tezuka, how's your rehabilitation going? What did the doctor say?" Liu Lingyin asked after taking a sip of juice; this was one of her biggest concerns.

Tezuka, with his usual icy expression, replied, "Yes, I've recovered very well."

"That's good! How about the food? Are you getting used to it? German food seems to mainly consist of meat and potatoes?" Liu Lingyin recalled what she knew about German cuisine and was a little curious about Tezuka's daily life.

"The hospital has a dedicated nutritionist who plans the meals and adjusts them according to the training volume and recovery needs. It's acceptable."

"Hmm." Liu Lingyin couldn't help but chuckle. "Then do you want your favorite eel tea?"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Tezuka glanced at her sideways, his eyes behind his glasses flickering slightly, seemingly with a hint of helplessness, but he did not refute her. The lines at the corners of his mouth seemed to soften very slightly for a moment.

Liu Lingyin didn't mind his silence. She rested her left hand on the table, propped her chin on her right, and flashed a bright smile, her eyes crinkling as she said:

"Guess who I met during my trip to England? You'd never guess."

Tezuka was speechless: "..." He definitely couldn't guess, why should he guess?

"Haha... Stop turning on the air conditioning, even though it's quite cool..."

Tezuka sighed helplessly: "..."

What terrible things has he done to deserve this? He only befriends bad people! They always seem to enjoy making him change his expression.

"Your little pillar's older brother! He looks just like him! The same swagger, the same arrogance, always looking for trouble... oh, no, always looking for experts to challenge. He was supposed to come to Germany too, but he got lured away by that old Frenchman and can't come."

Tezuka: "..." Is this how you use seduction?

"Have you finished reading the books on the reading list I gave you?" Otherwise, why would you still be so bad at using adjectives?

Tezuka's cool and serious voice came through, and Liu Lingyin couldn't help but shrink her neck guiltily.

Liu Lingyin chuckled and changed the subject, enthusiastically sharing some of her experiences and anecdotes from her trip from England to Paris. She omitted details such as feng shui and bone setting, mainly talking about food and scenery, and of course, mentioning how the Tristan family "never forgot" her cooking skills.

Tezuka listened quietly, occasionally responding briefly with a "hmm" at crucial moments to show that he was listening attentively.

Although his expression remained his signature serious look most of the time, his eyes were focused and his aura was peaceful.

Liu Lingyin could sense that he wasn't just being perfunctory; he simply always expressed himself in a reserved manner.

During this lunch, as Liu Lingyin's words revealed her genuine concern for his recovery and her natural joy in sharing her experiences, a barely perceptible, gentle glimmer would flash in Tezuka's usually calm and profound eyes.

It wasn't a smile, but a gentle warmth of being recognized and cared for, melting away some of the sharp edges of the iceberg.

The two also discussed other topics, such as the similarities and differences in German customs and traditions, and places worth visiting in Munich.

Although Tezuka is not a talkative person, he is an excellent listener and his comments are insightful. He even recommended the English Park, which is worth visiting.

After the meal, Tezuka led Liu Lingyin on a walk to a nearby large chain supermarket. Once inside, he didn't let Liu Lingyin search aimlessly, but instead headed straight for the daily necessities section, with a clear objective.

"Toothbrush, toothpaste, towel... these are necessities."

As Liu Lingyin spoke, she skillfully picked through the shelves, unable to make a decision; her indecisiveness had returned.

In the end, after consulting Tezuka, I chose a brand that offered good value for money and had a good reputation.

Liu Lingyin watched as Tezuka meticulously compared the fluoride content of the two toothpastes, and once again admired his thoughtfulness and reliability. With him around, these trivial troubles of arriving in a foreign country seemed to become much simpler.

"Tezuka-kun, you seem to know this place very well? Do you come here to shop often?" Liu Lingyin asked curiously.

“Occasionally. The hospital apartments have basic amenities, but I need to replenish some personal items,” Tezuka replied, neatly placing the selected items into his shopping basket. “Anything else you need?”

"We need fruit, snacks, and drinking water, since this hotel doesn't provide meals."

"Hmm." Upon hearing this, Tezuka reached out and helped Liu Lingyin take a small case of mineral water and put it in the shopping basket.

"Just buy some fruit, anything will do." Liu Lingyin thought for a moment, "By the way, Tezuka, do you usually cook for yourself?"

"I mostly eat at the hospital, but I'll occasionally make myself a simple breakfast."

Tezuka pushed the shopping cart toward the fresh produce section. "Do you need kitchen supplies? Your hotel room doesn't have a kitchenette, so you can't make it."

"Yeah, that's why I asked you! Since you can cook, can I borrow your place for a bit? I'll cook for you."

Liu Lingyin thought about the restaurant's menu for today and felt that it would be good to cook a few meals herself if necessary.

Tezuka recalled the delicious food that Rin Otoko had made, and how incredibly tasty it was…

Without saying anything more, he turned around and took Liu Lingyin to the ingredient section to shop. The shopping list was expanded to include meat, eggs, noodles, instant soup packets, some seasonings, fruits and yogurt.

While Rin was choosing ingredients, Tezuka secretly picked out an eel for himself.

After finishing their shopping, they returned to Liu Lingyin's hotel room to put away toiletries.

Tezuka waited at the door, his posture upright, showing no impatience whatsoever. Afterwards, the two carried several large bags of fresh ingredients and seasonings and walked to the hospital apartment where Tezuka lived not far away.

The apartment is located in a quiet and clean modern building, and its interior, like Tezuka himself, exudes a simple, orderly, and meticulous atmosphere.

There were almost no superfluous decorations, only neatly arranged books and tennis magazines on the bookshelves, and a professional tennis bag standing in the corner, showcasing the owner's hobbies and status. The small kitchen was indeed fully equipped and so clean that it seemed to be rarely used.

Tezuka efficiently sorted the ingredients and placed them in the refrigerator or crisper drawer. Liu Lingyin wiped down the newly bought spice bottles and placed them on the empty spice rack in the kitchen, quickly adding a touch of life to the somewhat deserted space.

After doing all this, Tezuka looked at Ryuu Rin and was about to ask her about her next intentions when he saw that Ryuu Rin had already turned around and her gaze had landed precisely on his left arm, or more precisely, his left elbow.

Her expression was no longer the relaxed one she had when shopping, but rather carried a focus and prudence that Tezuka was quite familiar with, the kind that belonged to a doctor.

"Tezuka, let me examine your elbow carefully first, okay?" Liu Lingyin's voice also calmed down, carrying an undeniable seriousness.

Tezuka was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected Liu Lingyin to get to the "main topic" so directly and quickly, and with such a firm attitude.

Liu Lingyin seemed to see through his thoughts, took two steps forward, closing the distance slightly, and looked directly at him with clear eyes:

“I know that you, Tezuka-kun, always report good news and never bad news, and you are very strict with yourself. Although you said that you are recovering very well, I would like to check it myself to be at ease.”

Her tone was calm, yet it conveyed a firmness based on professional expertise and an undeniable concern: "Sit down and let me take a look."

After a moment of silence, Tezuka took a barely perceptible breath, said nothing, and simply walked to the simple sofa in the living room as instructed, sat down, and placed his left arm flat on the armrest, relaxing in the same posture.

"This is troublesome," he said in a low voice, tacitly approving of her examination.

Liu Lingyin nodded and sat down on the single sofa next to him. She didn't rush to touch his elbow joint, but first carefully observed the muscle lines and skin color of his left arm, comparing them with his right arm.

Then, she reached out and gently pressed her fingertips on several common strain points and old injury areas around his elbow joint, from the lateral epicondyle of the humerus to the attachment point of the medial collateral ligament, and then to the vicinity of the ulnar groove.

"What does it feel like when you press here? Soreness, swelling, numbness, or pain?" She pressed while carefully observing Tezuka's subtle facial expressions and muscle reactions.

"A slight soreness." Tezuka answered quickly, his voice steady, his face showing almost no change.

Liu Lingyin remained noncommittal, slightly adjusting the pressure with her fingertips as she gently massaged and explored the extensor and flexor muscles of her forearm, feeling their elasticity and tension. "After training, is the stiffness here noticeable? How long does it last?"

"There is some stiffness, which is relieved after warming up and stretching. It usually doesn't last more than two hours," Tezuka answered truthfully.

Next, Liu Lingyin began to move his elbow joint, performing passive flexion, extension, and rotation to test the joint's range of motion and stability. Her movements were professional and gentle, and she paid close attention to Tezuka's reactions at all times.

"When you actively try to do this movement, do you experience any pain or feeling of weakness?"

Tezuka followed her instructions, completing several simple resistance exercises and answering each one.

The examination lasted about twenty minutes. Liu Lingyin asked detailed questions and conducted a thorough examination, covering everything from daily training load and the specific situations in which the pain occurred (serve, overhead smash, backhand?), to sleep quality and mental stress. Although Tezuka spoke concisely, his answers were always accurate and objective, without any concealment.

Finally, Liu Lingyin withdrew her hand, lost in thought. The living room fell silent, broken only by the faint background noise of the city outside the window.

“It’s better than I expected,” Liu Lingyin finally spoke, her tone relaxed.

"Continue with regular physical therapy and strength training; this is fundamental," Liu Lingyin affirmed.

“But we need to incorporate more targeted myofascial release techniques and neuromuscular re-education exercises. Also…” She pointed to the shopping bag she had just brought.

"Dietary therapy is also important. Consuming foods that help reduce inflammation, repair connective tissue, and soothe nerves is one of the reasons why I wanted to cook."

She stood up, her tone becoming relaxed yet firm again: "So, Tezuka-kun, our plan to go to the park might have to be postponed a little. Right now, I need your cooperation to do a few simple movement assessments first, and then I'll help you with your first myofascial release. It might feel a little sore and tight, so please bear with it. Afterwards, we'll prepare a dinner together that's suitable for your current condition. How about that?"

Tezuka Kunimitsu met her clear and bright gaze and slowly nodded without any hesitation.

"Hmm," he replied in a deep voice.

Beneath that cold exterior lies an unquenchable yearning to return to peak condition and a complete trust in those you can rely on.

"Thank you!"

A stroll in the park can be postponed, but every step toward a more resilient future is worth taking now.