Dominate the Super Bowl-Chapter 857 - 856 Manufactured Coincidence
Chapter 857: 856 Manufactured Coincidence
“…You didn’t tell me this was a dinner party where you had to bring a date.”
Donald wasn’t great at making jokes, but in private his personality was cheerful and carefree. Without the spotlight of the media cameras, he always managed to keep the mood light. At this moment, he was looking at Li Wei in a teasing tone.
Li Wei spread his hands with a serious expression.
“The whole point is to aim for the element of surprise, so I can create a big enough mental impact. Aron, you’ve walked straight into my trap.”
Donald blinked a few times and purposefully shook his head with a deadpan expression, “Rookie, you’ve changed.”
“Hahaha.” Li Wei burst into laughter.
In front of the media, the honest and straightforward Donald rarely managed to spark much excitement or interest, especially compared to Watt; but in private, Donald was much more entertaining. His tiny moments of humor always kept conversations light and enjoyable.
Unfortunately, this side of him remained unseen by the media.
Li Wei spread his hands, “Welcome to my show.”
Donald widened his eyes in disbelief, speechless: you can really be this shameless? Rookie, I had no idea you could be so bold!
Li Wei’s eyes were filled with laughter as he turned toward the ponytailed beauty beside him, taking on the role of introducer.
“Aron, this is Ariana; Ariana, this is Aron.”
“If I said that Ariana being here was purely a coincidence, Aron, would you believe me?”
Ariana Grande extended her right hand, “No matter what he says, we’ll believe it, right?”
After speaking, Ariana shot a playful wink at Donald, which immediately made his grin widen.
Donald extended his right hand and completed the handshake with Ariana.
Ariana smiled brightly at Donald, “Sorry for interrupting your date. I promise I’ll only stay for a while and won’t take up too much of your time.”
Donald scratched his head sheepishly, “If interruptions look like this, we should open our arms and welcome them. More interruptions, please.”
Wait… was this flirting?
Li Wei looked at Donald in shock, “Hey, James Bond, I had no idea you had this side to you. Could you tell me where you’ve been hiding it all this time?”
Donald kept his straightforward expression and looked at Li Wei, “Sorry, buddy. Appreciate the love, but I’m not interested.”
Uncharacteristically, Donald had just teased Li Wei—
Ariana couldn’t help herself and let out a soft laugh.
But Li Wei didn’t mind, playing along as he held his chest dramatically, “This is the first rejection of my life—out of a hundred confessions, this is my first failure.”
Even Donald hadn’t anticipated Li Wei’s reaction and burst into hearty laughter, a booming sound resonating from his chest.
It was then that they realized they’d been standing at the restaurant entrance all this time, with passersby noticing them.
To be honest, it wasn’t easy to ignore them: one was strong, one was tall, and the third had an iconic ponytail. Even a casual glance would turn into a double-take.
Especially during Super Bowl weekend.
Li Wei noticed people’s attention and mused, Is this what it feels like to be a panda in a zoo?
“So, how long do we plan on standing by the door? If I’m not mistaken, restaurants are for eating, not for being displayed in the back.”
Ariana also noticed this, “Oh, in that case, I’ll leave you two to your meal and won’t intrude.”
Donald didn’t hide his surprise, “You’re not joining us?”
Ariana hesitated slightly and looked toward Li Wei.
Donald said, “You’re welcome, truly welcome. I’ve always been a fan of your music. I know everyone says that when they meet you, but I mean it; Rookie, aren’t you going to say something?”
Li Wei shrugged, “You’ve stolen all my lines. What do you expect me to do?”
Ariana still looked at Li Wei with bright eyes, seemingly waiting for a response.
Li Wei smiled, “Ariana, would you care to join us for dinner? Only if you’re not meeting up with someone else.”
Ariana’s smile blossomed beautifully, “Thank you so much. I was planning to dine alone tonight, actually.”
“Really? You were planning to eat alone?”
“Of course.”
“Aron, that hat of yours—is it really working for you?”
“I just wanted to keep things low-key.”
“Buddy, I think you might have misunderstood yourself. Wearing a hat and sunglasses doesn’t make you inconspicuous; it makes you stand out even more. What do you think, Ariana?”
Looking at Donald’s slightly shy and awkward demeanor, Ariana laughed softly again. The atmosphere was relaxed and cheerful.
Once seated, with the appetizers and the first dish served, Li Wei finally had a moment to ask Ariana, “So, how did you end up in Atlanta? For a concert?”
Donald looked at Li Wei with an odd expression, clearly surprised. He had assumed Li Wei had invited Ariana, but now it seemed it was a coincidence after all?
Li Wei noticed Donald hesitating mid-bite with a piece of asparagus. “Well, we didn’t get a chance to chat earlier, thanks to some third wheel showing up.”
Donald pursed his lips, “Are you sure who’s the third wheel here?”
Ariana’s eyes were sparkling with laughter. If not for the restraint of being in a French restaurant, she would’ve laughed openly. “No, I came specifically to watch the Super Bowl.”
Both Donald and Li Wei were visibly surprised.
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Donald blurted out, “I didn’t know you were into football!”
Ariana shook her head lightly, “No, I don’t usually watch.”
Donald asked, “Oh, so you’re here for the halftime show?”
Ariana replied, “No, I’ve recently developed an interest in football. I’m learning and trying to adapt. I think football might inspire me.”
As she spoke, her gaze naturally fell on Li Wei.
Li Wei blinked, and as Ariana’s eyes shifted, Donald followed her gaze. Li Wei shrugged casually, “Sorry, can’t help it—too much charm. But you might have to take a number. The list of date requests has already stretched from New York to New Jersey.”
Pfft.
Ariana laughed out loud, “Just New Jersey? A bit disappointing. I thought it would at least reach Toronto. You should have more confidence, dear Rookie.”
Back-and-forth banter filled the air, sending pink bubbles floating as the atmosphere bubbled with lighthearted sweetness.
Suddenly, Donald felt like maybe he should be under the car.
In some way, Ariana was serious. She wasn’t lying.
The past two years had been a low point in Ariana’s life. In May 2017, her concert in Manchester was struck by a terrorist attack, causing 22 fatalities. This event had left a lasting psychological scar, haunting her with nightmares as she struggled to heal from that night’s trauma.
To her shock, last May she ended her two-year relationship with Mac Miller. Though publicly labeled as an amicable split, Ariana was deeply shaken by feelings of failure.
Things worsened when, in September, Mac Miller tragically passed away from an overdose at just 26 years old, leaving Ariana reeling in devastation.
Additionally, her career had seemed stuck in a rut these past two years. Everything had plateaued, with no visible exit or future. Ariana felt trapped, as though she were being dragged into an endless abyss—sinking slowly, slowly, like a drowning woman.
Until she accidentally caught the American League Championship game.
