One week later.
With Wu Wei’s help, Yin Guo signed a short-term lease with the landlord, securing the place until the end of April. It was a two-month short-term rental for two rooms. She also reached an agreement in the contract that once Meng Xiaotian officially received his university offer, they would renew the lease for his room for a full year.
On moving day, Yin Guo took the initiative to invite Wu Wei downstairs to the ramen shop for a meal to thank him for his help.
Just as they finished ordering, a plate of wasabi octopus was placed in front of Yin Guo.
The owner smiled at her and said in English, "On the house."
*This is nice.*
"Thank you, thank you," Yin Guo said, pleasantly surprised.
The owner quickly moved on to attend to other customers.
"Sis," Meng Xiaotian said with immense envy, "you’re really popular here..."
She was also confused and asked Wu Wei, "Are you guys regulars here?"
Wu Wei shook his head. "Lin Yiyang is the one close with the owner. That night after he dropped you off, he couldn't make it back home, so he slept here."
"Really?" her cousin asked in surprise.
"Yeah, I thought it was weird at first too," Wu Wei said with a meaningful smile. "He suddenly said he had something urgent to take care of and had to leave, but then the 'urgent business' fell through, and he ended up circling back near the house."
That night, Wu Wei’s phone had been so cold it wouldn't turn on. He had planned to take the subway home, but over a dozen lines were suspended overnight. Feeling it was too much trouble, he decided not to go back and stayed at a bar until he was high on life. When he returned early the next morning, he found Master Lin sleeping in the ramen shop. It was truly a testament to Lin Yiyang having friends everywhere; the man could survive anywhere.
However, after thinking it over later, Wu Wei realized there was definitely something fishy about that night.
"Then we really were a burden to him," the cousin said, taking the blame. "When is Brother Yang coming back? I’ll treat him to a massive feast."
"Next time? Hard to say," Wu Wei said with a half-smile. "He has to study and work; he doesn't have much free time. He’s always in a rush, only showing his face once every month or two."
Wu Wei then added specifically, "Don't worry, when he does come, he sleeps in my room. He won't bother you."
Yin Guo nodded.
So Lin Yiyang lived here too? Didn't that mean they would run into each other often in the future?
Since that brief midnight chat about the ramen shop, they hadn't communicated at all.
A whole week had passed in a flash.
During that time, whenever Yin Guo thought about it, she wondered if she should strike up a conversation. But then she worried if she was being too forward.
"You should thank him," Wu Wei said at just the right moment. "The landlord only agreed to the short-term lease because he put in a lot of good words for you."
"Definitely, we have to thank him," the cousin chimed in. "Once Brother Yang is back."
Listening to them talk while waiting for her noodles, Yin Guo pulled out her phone, opened WeChat, and went to Lin’s chat window.
*Xiao Guo: We moved into the apartment today. Wu Wei said you put in a lot of good words with the landlord. Thank you so much.*
The reply came quickly.
*Lin: Don't mention it.*
Seeing those three words, Yin Guo instinctively paused.
Fortunately, he followed up first this time.
*Lin: I'm in class. Let's talk after.*
*Lin: [Coffee]*
*Xiao Guo: [Happy]*
Perhaps because they were becoming a bit more familiar, the coffee emoji actually looked quite cute to her now.
She set her phone aside and picked up her chopsticks. Without paying attention, she took a large bite of the wasabi octopus, stuffing it all into her mouth. A sharp sting of wasabi rushed up her nose, and tears instantly welled up and fell.
The two men looked at her simultaneously.
"This wasabi... is really authentic," she explained through her tears.
How embarrassing. Truly.
***
After the meal, the rooms were settled.
Everything needed to get back on track, including her training.
As soon as they entered the pool hall, the owner saw Wu Wei and greeted him warmly. Wu Wei specifically told the owner that Yin Guo was Lin Yiyang’s "female friend" and booked a daily training slot for her, reserving Lin Yiyang’s favorite table.
"Lin Yiyang used to work here teaching people pool, so he has a good relationship with the owner," Wu Wei explained to her. "In this place, his name carries much more weight than mine."
"He worked here?"
"Yeah, did you think he was some rich kid?" Wu Wei laughed. "International students aren't allowed to have official jobs in their first year. Teaching pool here was one way to make ends meet."
Initially, like her cousin, she had assumed Lin Yiyang was a child of privilege, similar to Zheng Yi—good grades, a stable life, excellent in every way. But Wu Wei’s next words completely overturned her impression of him.
Wu Wei gave a brief account of how Lin Yiyang went from being ranked in the thirties—dead last—in middle school, to gritting his teeth and catching up in high school. He had endured immense hardship, shedding layers of skin to climb his way up. In the past decade, from the moment he decided to start over, he transformed from a bottom-tier student to a top scholar. It could be said that aside from billiards, he had sacrificed almost his entire personal life.
By the time he graduated from university, the savings from his various scholarships alone were enough to pay off all his high school debts and his university student loans.
After graduation, he returned to being penniless, worked to earn money again, and then applied to study abroad.
"Lin Yiyang is the person I admire most in this life. I only respect him—he’s the only one brave enough to push himself to the brink of death." Wu Wei stood by the pool table and handed a piece of chalk to Yin Guo.
Yin Guo took the chalk and gently coated the tip of her cue.
Wu Wei checked his watch. "Alright, you practice. I’m off to work."
After Wu Wei left, the pool hall owner came over once more to check on her. He told Yin Guo that if anyone harassed her or if she ran into trouble, she shouldn't be polite and should just get the staff to handle it. Yin Guo agreed, and the man gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder, saying, "Lin’s friend is everyone’s friend."
It felt as though she had suddenly stepped into Lin Yiyang’s world.
Everyone here had some history with him.
She practiced alone until dark.
Since it was just a short walk back to the apartment, she practiced an extra hour today to restore her training routine from back home. By evening, the pool hall became crowded, and the owner specifically closed the door to her small partitioned area.
However, a wooden door couldn't block out much of the noise from the men outside who were getting rowdy.
Laughter and loud cheers were constant.
In this regard, it was quite similar to China; busy pool halls were all like this.
When she was young, to train her mental fortitude for matches, her cousin Meng Xiaodong would specifically take her to the rowdiest pool halls—places filled with smoke and cursing. With her cousin standing guard, he would drop her at the innermost table and grab any random hoodlum to play against her. It was a common occurrence. Thus, the current environment outside was a piece of cake for her, no different from soothing background music.
But ever since her cousin opened his own club, she rarely encountered such environments.
Before long, Chinese songs actually started playing outside. It was a pleasant surprise to hear such music in a non-Chinese pool hall. The song stirred some childhood memories in Yin Guo—was it "Superstar in a Troubled World"?
She leaned over, facing three balls she had set up at a tricky angle, humming the song in her head.
With a *crack*, four balls sped toward the four corner pockets and all dropped in.
Her touch was good today. Feeling happy, she hummed the lyrics aloud: *"Born to be liked, arrogance is my nature... Born to be liked, winning through strength, walking tall solely on true skill..."*
The door was pulled open, and someone walked in.
Her line of sight happened to be blocked by the pool table lamp. She stood up straight and actually saw him.
Lin Yiyang.
The song she was humming stopped abruptly.
"Nice singing." He smiled and set the beer bottle in his hand on a side table.
He had been in a great rush this week to make it here for the weekend. He hadn't had time to trim his hair, and the fringe on his forehead nearly covered his eyes, giving him a "bad boy" handsome look. Likely due to growing up in pool halls, he had a heavy rogueish air in his bones. He had restrained it much more over the years, hiding it well, but sometimes it would slip out inadvertently.
For instance, the way he was taking off his clothes right now.
He placed his gloves on a pool chair by the wall and took off his jacket. Underneath was a black long-sleeved T-shirt and ordinary jeans... *His legs are really long,* the thought popped into Yin Guo's head.
After hesitating for a while, she finally asked, "Aren't you... in class?"
It was as if he had dropped from the sky.
Lin Yiyang turned back and met Yin Guo’s eyes.
"Came over after class," he said, trying his best to avoid looking directly at her face to keep from seeming frivolous. "I heard you were training here, so I stopped by to take a look."
As he spoke, he patted the pool table. "Are you used to it? The tables here?"
The manufacturing origin of tables varied from hall to hall, and there would always be some difference from the one Yin Guo usually frequented. He was afraid she wouldn't be able to adjust.
"Not much difference," Yin Guo pointed to a public cue nearby. "I occasionally use public cues too. You have to get used to everything."
"How long have you been practicing? Ready to head back?" He leaned one hand against the side of the table, tilting his body as he asked her.
"I've been practicing by myself all day," Yin Guo gave him a friendly smile. "If you have time, want to play a frame with me?"
"Me?"
Yin Guo nodded.
He suddenly laughed. "Aren't you afraid I'll make you cry by beating you?"
Yin Guo was stunned for a moment. "I... my level is pretty good."
She was at least a semi-pro; even if she didn't win, she wouldn't cry.
"OK," Lin Yiyang picked up that public cue. "I'll be your practice partner."
In recent years, aside from practicing alone, he had only played for money or taught others. Even when teaching, he was a strict instructor. Because he was afraid of making girls cry with his criticism, he never taught them.
So, how many balls should he give her?
This was his first time being a practice partner; he had to think it through carefully.
Yin Guo watched him pick up the chalk and rub it on the cue; he looked somewhat unhappy.
Her intention was just to play casually with him to get closer through their shared hobby. Looking at him now, it seemed she was forcing him into something he didn't want to do.
Holding her cue, she gave him a friendly smile. "Actually, how about we go eat? I forgot you just got off the train."
"It's fine, I'm not hungry," Lin Yiyang said, taking the colored balls out of the pocket one by one and tossing them onto the table.
He found the triangle rack and arranged the balls into a diamond shape.
Finally, he placed the white cue ball on the headstring and pointed at the balls. "Best of five. If you have the energy, we can do best of ten."
This aura of his was truly like her cousin's.
The song playing nearby reached the line Yin Guo had been humming again: *"Born to be liked, arrogance is my nature... Born to be liked, winning through strength, walking tall solely on true skill..."*
She suddenly realized that the "Young and Dangerous" song suited him perfectly—him with a pool cue in hand.
Yin Guo pulled her thoughts back, gripped her cue, and walked to the side of the table.
She leaned down and aligned her cue.
"Want to play fast, or take it steady?" Lin Yiyang suddenly asked just as she was about to strike.
Her focus was broken. She thought for a moment. "Either is fine."
"In your women's division this year, one of the favorites to win is a fast player," Lin Yiyang suggested. "I'll help you get used to that pace first."
Her attention was diverted again, and she shot him a surprised look.
He was actually familiar with the players in the women's division?
*Can't get distracted anymore. Focus, focus.*
Yin Guo concentrated on the cue ball. From the moment the cue ball entered her vision, it became a match. It didn't matter who the opponent was.
With a *crack*, the cue ball smashed into the rack, and four balls dropped.
An excellent break.
This was her first time playing against Lin Yiyang.
Since it wasn't an official match or a gamble, they took turns breaking.
In the first frame, she won by a narrow margin.
In the second frame, Lin Yiyang cleared the table in one visit.
In the third frame, she lost.
In the fourth frame... she clearly felt Lin Yiyang starting to suppress his play, letting her win.
It wasn't like she couldn't handle losing.
Now in the fifth frame, it was Lin Yiyang’s turn to shoot.
On the table, the 9-ball was near a corner pocket. As long as he hit the 4-ball, it would be easy to pocket the 9-ball indirectly and win the frame.
There are three ways to win in 9-ball.
First, pocket the balls in numerical order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and finally the 9-ball.
Second, hit the lowest-numbered ball on the table and have it indirectly knock the 9-ball into a pocket.
Third, on the break, the 9-ball goes directly into a pocket.
"You don't have to go easy on me." If she were in this position, she could win too; a player of his level couldn't possibly make a mistake here.
Lin Yiyang pondered for a few seconds.
While he was chalking his cue earlier, he had been thinking about how to "water down" his play convincingly. After all, the layout was too good; it was hard to fake a mistake. Seeing that Yin Guo looked quite happy under the table lights, he felt relieved.
He leaned down, delivered the stroke, and finished it cleanly.
Yin Guo clapped in acknowledgment.
Lin Yiyang opened the door, went to return the cue, and paid for the table time.
Yin Guo ran over clutching her cue case, wanting to pay herself, but he blocked her with one arm. At the same time, he took the cue case from her. "You're a guest from afar. Since it's your first time here, the table's on me."
Yin Guo wanted to argue further.
The owner had already smilingly pushed the money back to Lin Yiyang, saying it was on the house.
Lin Yiyang was friends with the owner, so he didn't stand on ceremony. He exchanged a few friendly words and led Yin Guo out of the pool hall.
The temperature outside was even lower than when she arrived. Yin Guo felt the weather forecast was right; it was definitely going to snow again.
"I've prepared hotpot at home for tonight. Let's eat together," she said, walking beside Lin Yiyang toward the apartment.
Lin Yiyang agreed.
"Actually, I have a good friend who goes to the same school as you. You're alumni," Yin Guo added. "She's at the Law Center."
"Your brother mentioned it," he replied.
*Oh, okay. You've killed the conversation again. Don't blame me.*
She had originally thought that with Wu Wei and Meng Xiaotian—those two chatterboxes—at home, the atmosphere would be balanced out. To her surprise, when they returned to the apartment, not a single light was on; the place was pitch black.
On the table, she could see the small pot she had prepared before leaving, along with the uncut vegetables.
Where was everyone? They were all here before she left.
While Lin Yiyang turned on the lights and went to wash his hands, she pulled out her phone and demanded to know where Meng Xiaotian was.
*Tian Tian: Brother Wei bought Broadway tickets this afternoon and took me to see a show.*
*Xiao Guo: Haven't you seen it several times already?*
*Tian Tian: I haven't seen them all! This one happens to be one I haven't seen, and it's great to have company. I usually go by myself. Sis, you eat at home by yourself.*
Luckily Lin Yiyang was here, otherwise this whole table of food would have been prepared for nothing.
She put her phone down dejectedly. "The two of them aren't here. Do you still want to eat?"
Lin Yiyang nodded as if it were a given. "I'll eat."
As he spoke, he rolled up the sleeves of his T-shirt, turned on the faucet, and started washing the dishes Wu Wei had left in the sink. Yin Guo was surprised to discover that he had a full-sleeve tattoo on his right arm. Back in Flushing, he had been wearing thick clothes, and his sleeves had only been symbolically rolled up, not high enough to reveal it—
It looked really good.
Sensing her gaze, Lin Yiyang shook the water off a plate, picked up a towel, and looked back at her while drying it.
Only then did Yin Guo realize what she was doing. She quickly turned around. "Then... I'll go get things ready."
*What is wrong with me today? I can't stop staring at him.*
***
