CS?

The next day, Cindy woke up early and went to the balcony.

Balcony?! Yes...

Given that the air conditioning broke down the night before, the hotel compensated with a free one-month stay in any suite. So, Carlos found a chain hotel last night and directly booked the most luxurious presidential suite.

And thus, a scene unfolded.

Cindy stood on the balcony on the 15th floor, looking down at the snow-covered morning in Los Angeles. The landscape was a pristine white, truly breathtaking.

"Wow... so beautiful!"

She couldn't help but exclaim, breathing in the fresh morning air, her mood improving.

"Cindy, you woke up early today."

Carlos, with disheveled hair, woke up and joined her on the balcony. Just as Cindy was about to say something, Carlos shouted towards the outside.

"Ah ah ah... troubles go away, life is carefree... ah ah ah!"

A series of loud shouts erupted. Cindy widened her eyes, a bit startled, but Carlos just tilted his head, smiling.

"Try it... it's comfortable, very exhilarating!"

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Carlos nodded with a smile.

So...

"Ah ah ah... let Cindy star in a blockbuster TV drama... ah ah ah!"

"Ah ah ah... go, Cindy... ah ah ah!"

In the early morning, the two of them, like fools, laughed and unabashedly vented their emotions on the balcony until they weren't sure if someone upstairs or downstairs was scolding them. They laughed and reluctantly retreated to the living room.

"Hahaha!"

"Cindy, how was it? Shouting out loud feels much better, right?"

"Yeah."

"I'll tell you, if you shout like this on a mountaintop, it'll be even more refreshing!"

Carlos said with a laugh, and Cindy nodded repeatedly. She could imagine venting emotions on top of a high mountain would be such a joyful thing.

"Cindy, next time, I'll take you mountain climbing!"

"Sure!"

Cindy nodded with a smile. But right after that, as if realizing something, she stared at Carlos with a serious expression.

"Carlos, something's off about you! Why do you suddenly seem like a different person, so mature, stable, and understanding?"

Huh? Was there?

Carlos couldn't answer, smiled awkwardly, changed the subject, and said, "Cindy, are you hungry? Let's have breakfast. The waiter said the buffet here is rich in variety and delicious."

"Oh... let's go, let's go!"

...

Breakfast time...

Carlos helped Cindy pack her luggage, checked out of the room, and left the hotel.

"Cindy, not going skiing this time?" Carlos asked.

"No time for that. As your Cindy, I still have dreams to chase. As for you... now that you're so outstanding, you need to stay outstanding."

"I will, and Cindy, you keep working hard. I believe you'll become a big star in the future!"

"Yeah, of course."

Cindy smiled, a smile that could captivate hearts.

...

3 p.m....

At the airport security entrance, Cindy gave Carlos a big hug and said, "Carlos, thank you for these days. I had a great time. Bye... if I have time, I'll come to see you again."

"If I have time, I'll look for Cindy."

"Deal!"

"Carlos, lower your head a bit."

"Why?"

Carlos lowered his head, and Cindy, standing on her toes, kissed him on the cheek, saying, "CS, Cindy is leaving. Goodbye."

"Goodbye!"

After passing through security, Cindy, behind a barrier, waved to Carlos multiple times, shouting CS and goodbye, before finally entering the departure area.

The initially good feeling Carlos had took a bit of an awkward turn after this. He sent a message to Cindy, saying, "Cindy, can we not call me CS in public places in the future? It doesn't fit my tall and imposing image."

Cindy replied, "What's wrong? I'm your Cindy. You're my little brother. What's wrong with calling you CS? No matter when, I'll call you CS. Hmph."

[Well... alright!]

CS?

It's really not a domineering nickname, and Carlos doesn't particularly like this name. However, Cindy likes calling him that.

After chatting with Cindy for a while, Carlos left the airport only after she boarded and turned off her phone. He felt a bit dazed after spending these days with Cindy.

Carlos could feel that Cindy treated him like a cousin, a very close cousin. The Cindy who appeared cold as ice to the outside world was so cute and lovable in front of Carlos, her younger brother. This stark contrast gave Cindy a charming reversal.

Carlos found himself liking it a bit.

"Just treat me as a younger brother?" Carlos murmured to himself, a slight smile appearing on his lips. "I'm quite greedy, you know."

After bidding farewell to Cindy, Carlos also boarded the plane, heading back to Phoenix. The enjoyable Christmas was almost over, and he was about to immerse himself in the regular season games.

As Carlos flew from Los Angeles to Phoenix, the NBA officially announced the Players of the Week for the previous week. Carlos was once again selected as the Western Conference Player of the Week. This marked his fifth consecutive week, surpassing LeBron, and he continued to set records for consecutive Player of the Week honors.

Given the back-to-back games on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the Suns only played two games last week. Carlos averaged 43.5 points, 12 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 3 steals, and 3.5 blocks, leading the team to two victories.

However...

Kobe Bryant, with an average of 46 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.5 blocks, had even more terrifying scoring averages than Carlos.

But...

Fans had no objections to Carlos being named Player of the Week. Despite the Lakers playing three games last week, they only secured one win and suffered two losses. Despite Kobe's splendid performance with 12 three-pointers and a dazzling 60 points in a single game, Carlos' 13 three-pointers, 65 points, and the game-winning steal and layup against the Lakers were more explosive.

Kobe couldn't quite match up.

On the other hand, in the Eastern Conference, "Superman" Howard was once again selected, dominating the paint differently from the perimeter player Carlos, outshining LeBron, Rose, Stat, and others to win the Eastern Conference Player of the Week.

The fact that these two players won Player of the Week in their respective conferences sparked quite a bit of discussion.

"Monster rookie center Carlos, winning the Western Conference Player of the Week, and Superman center Howard, winning the Eastern Conference Player of the Week— one from the perimeter and one from the paint. Two centers with vastly different styles winning Player of the Week at the same time! Is the traditional center stronger, or is Carlos, with his unique and era-defining offensive skills, stronger? Honestly... I'm now looking forward to a showdown between these two!"

"So am I..."

"Count me in!"

"Uh..." Just as fans were discussing the match-up between Carlos and Howard, two powerful centers with distinct styles, another announcement grabbed everyone's attention.

What?!

At 6 p.m., the NBA released a statement: The 2011 All-Star voting channel is officially open!