Chapter 39 - A Toast of Tea
Early the next morning, Yin Guo slipped out of the house just after five o’clock. She calculated the time difference, figuring Lin Yiyang would likely be asleep as he tried to adjust to the jet lag, so she refrained from sending him a message.
The morning was a whirlwind of activity. By the time they were ready to head down the mountain, the convoy of cars they were traveling with became ensnared in a massive traffic jam halfway through the descent. Yin Guo had originally been in the back of her mother’s car, keeping her grandmother company, but as the minutes ticked by without movement, the elderly woman began to grow increasingly dazed and restless.
"Xiao Guo, get out and swap with your aunt," her mother directed, reorganizing the seating arrangements on the fly. "Your grandmother is starting to feel unwell. Your aunt can keep a closer eye on her."
Yin Guo had no choice but to step out into the humid morning air and switch places. She knew exactly what her mother was doing; her aunt was riding in the car belonging to the Li family. By making this swap, Yin Guo was effectively funneled into the same vehicle as Li Qingyan. She had been avoiding him all morning to prevent any misunderstandings, but now, there was nowhere left to hide.
She checked her phone. Still no reply from Lin Yiyang. *Is he still sleeping?* she wondered, a trace of worry gnawing at her.
Li Qingyan followed a training schedule similar to Meng Xiaodong’s, and it had been over a year since he and Yin Guo had last seen each other. They exchanged a few polite, superficial remarks about their training routines. Seizing a moment when the adults weren't listening, Yin Guo whispered, "Don't mention anything about me to your parents."
Li Qingyan looked confused for a second, then gave her a long, searching look. "His world ranking is so high now. What are you still afraid of?"
Yin Guo didn't want to delve into the complexities of Lin Yiyang’s past. Fortunately, her aunt called her over to help pick out seafood from the tanks on the ground floor, giving her the perfect excuse to slip away.
She stood with her aunt in front of the massive glass water tanks, watching the crabs scuttle over one another. Suddenly, a pair of small, soft hands wrapped around her left leg. Her heart skipped a beat. She turned around to find a little girl, barely two years old, looking up at her with wide, shimmering eyes and a bright smile.
The child was incredibly precious. Yin Guo knelt down, meeting her gaze. Two pairs of dark, brilliant eyes locked onto each other in silent curiosity.
"Where is your family?" Yin Guo asked softly.
A pair of dark red canvas shoes appeared in her peripheral vision. "Right here," a familiar voice said.
For a split second, Yin Guo wondered if there could possibly be another person in the world with a voice exactly like his, or if her longing for him had reached a point where she was hallucinating his presence in every shadow. But as her gaze traveled up the black casual trousers, past the short-sleeved shirt, and finally settled on that rebellious, captivating face...
She could hear her own heartbeat thundering in her ears.
On the surface, she remained calm, as if they were merely casual acquaintances. Beneath that veneer, however, her emotions were a raging torrent, a flash flood crashing against the boulders of her restraint, threatening to sweep everything away. Their eyes met, and for a moment, she felt a profound sense of temporal displacement.
Every time she thought she couldn't be more surprised, he appeared at the most impossible moments. To a bystander, this was a chance encounter, but Yin Guo’s fingers curled into her palms, her muscles turning weak from the sheer, overwhelming joy of seeing him.
"A relative's child?" she managed to ask, her eyes fixed on his face.
"My brother's," he replied. He leaned over and scooped the little girl up, settling her comfortably on his arm. "She just pointed this way and I asked her who she liked. She ran over on her own." He reached out and playfully pinched the girl's cheek. "Couldn't stop her."
With his fresh buzz cut and the intricate tattoos peeking out from beneath his rolled-up sleeves, Lin Yiyang was already a magnet for attention in the crowded restaurant. Holding a soft, adorable child only added to his magnetism. He truly had a knack for making people fall for him at first sight, regardless of the time or place. Yin Guo found herself thinking, quite inappropriately: *If we had met for the first time today, I’d probably be the one chasing him.*
Lin Yiyang seemed to enjoy his girlfriend’s intense scrutiny. He had decided on a whim to get the buzz cut that morning, remembering how she had run her fingers through his hair in that Washington apartment and told him it suited him. That it looked good.
Her aunt, seeing them talking, pointed out a few items to the waiter taking their order. She gave Lin Yiyang a friendly, polite nod, assuming he was an old classmate of Yin Guo’s. Students always had the advantage of looking younger; even though he was six years older than Yin Guo, the gap wasn't apparent at all.
"What are you doing here? Just passing through?" Yin Guo asked, glancing toward her aunt to make sure she was occupied at the far end of the tanks.
"Tomb-sweeping," Lin Yiyang said. "For my parents."
The last time he had been here was three years ago. This area was known for its rolling hills, lush gardens, and excellent feng shui. Every Qingming Festival, nearly seventy percent of the people from the neighboring major cities made the long trek here. His presence wasn't entirely unexpected given the season.
It wasn't hard to guess how he had found her. He could have easily asked Meng Xiaotian or even Meng Xiaodong. With all the relatives gathered, a few casual inquiries to the elders would have yielded her location.
"I wish you'd told me sooner," Yin Guo said softly, a pang of regret hitting her. "I would have bought some flowers for your parents."
A hint of a smile touched Lin Yiyang’s eyes. He didn't need to tell her that he had already spoken to his parents, promising them he would bring her along next year.
Their conversation was brief and hushed. Her aunt glanced over again, thinking to herself that since Yin Guo didn't have a boyfriend, someone like this wouldn't be a bad choice. He was certainly top-tier in terms of looks, but that little girl... *Well, college students can get married now, but surely they aren't having children while still in school?* Within a minute, the aunt had mentally drafted a multi-page inspection report on Lin Yiyang.
The little girl suddenly reached out, wanting to hug Yin Guo, but Lin Yiyang immediately pulled her back. Yin Guo’s heart melted at the gesture. "Let me hold her for a second."
"With those thin arms and legs of yours? You want to carry her?" Lin Yiyang said, his voice low. He reached out and subtly squeezed Yin Guo’s wrist. From their current angle, shielded by the water tanks and the child, no one else could see the intimate gesture.
Since their reunion at the airport yesterday, they had been trapped in a strange sense of familiar distance. It wasn't that their feelings had changed, but the long separation followed by a sudden meeting made their skin and blood scream with recognition while their minds still felt a trace of lingering strangeness. His grip on her wrist was a reminder, a silent command to wake up and remember: *This is your boyfriend.*
His warm thumb brushed over the back of her hand. "I'll call you when I'm free."
He spoke with an air of practiced formality as he noticed her aunt approaching. Yin Guo felt his fingers slide between hers, gripping them tightly for a fleeting second. She played along, improvising a casual line. "You still have my number, right?"
"I do," he said, a smirk playing on his lips, clearly amused by her acting skills.
Finally, he let her go. The little girl, frustrated that her attempt to hug Yin Guo had been thwarted, burst into tears the moment Lin Yiyang turned to carry her away. Lin Yiyang was at a loss. The last time he had dealt with a crying child was over a decade ago when he was looking after the girl's father, and his "parenting" style back then had mostly involved a mix of intimidation and light discipline. He whispered something into the girl's ear, but it only made her cry harder.
Yin Guo watched them go. A moment ago, they had looked like a charming, contrasting pair; now, he looked like a rogue who had just kidnapped a toddler.
"He seems like a nice young man. Is that his child?" her aunt asked.
Yin Guo shook her head, still feeling the lingering warmth on her hand. "He just graduated. He's not married."
The sound of the girl's crying eventually faded. As Yin Guo headed upstairs, she sent him a quick message.
*Fruit in the Woods: What did you say to that kid? Why was she crying so hard?*
*Lin: Told her the 'Little Auntie' doesn't like her and that I was taking her away.*
*Fruit in the Woods: ...*
*Lin: Just like you. Can't take a joke.*
By the time Yin Guo and her aunt returned to the table, the only remaining seat was next to Li Qingyan. It was clear the family had orchestrated the seating to keep them together. Ever since Lin Yiyang appeared, Yin Guo had been on edge, terrified he might run into her mother.
As the saying goes, what you fear most is what you get.
A waiter soon led a small group of people upstairs. The first to appear was Lin Yiyang, still carrying the little girl. From their position, Yin Guo and Li Qingyan had the clearest view of the stairs. Before coming up, Lin Yiyang had put on a jacket to cover his sleeve tattoos.
Yin Guo and Li Qingyan saw him at the same time. Li Qingyan’s expression froze in shock for a second.
"Qingyan, do you know him?" someone at the table asked.
"Yes..." Li Qingyan replied briefly. "He's a close friend of Brother Meng. I've seen him before."
"So he's not Xiao Guo's classmate?" the aunt said with a smile. "He spoke to her for a bit downstairs."
Yin Guo’s mother turned her gaze toward her daughter.
"We met in New York," Yin Guo said, keeping her answer as concise as possible. She didn't want to lie, knowing it would only cause more trouble later. "He was there for the tournament."
The New York tournament hadn't been broadcast domestically. Fortunately, no one in the family had seen him on screen.
Lin Yiyang’s party took their seats at a nearby table. Yin Guo watched as he picked up a teapot and poured a single cup of tea. Then, to her utter disbelief, she watched him stand up and walk toward their table. He didn't look at Yin Guo. Instead, he raised his teacup and gave her mother a polite, respectful smile.
"Teacher Wu," Lin Yiyang said. "I saw you were here and felt it was only right to come over and pay my respects."
A heavy silence fell over the table. Yin Guo’s mother looked at him, her expression unreadable. "Today is a family gathering," she said with a polite smile. "There's no need for formal greetings."
"It is necessary," Lin Yiyang said, standing tall beside the table. As he looked at Yin Guo’s mother, he saw more than just her; he saw the echoes of his past on the tournament floor—the controversies, the penalties, the regrets. His gaze held a mixture of respect, nostalgia, and a silent apology. "In the past, I made many mistakes on the court. I want to thank you, Teacher Wu, for the leniency you showed in your rulings back then. It gave me the chance to return."
"You shouldn't be thanking me, Xiao Lin," her mother replied. "The person you should thank most is your teacher. He was nearly seventy years old and still went to the Association to plead your case. It was a sight that broke everyone's heart. And Teacher Wang—he never lost his temper with anyone in his professional life, but his eyes were red that day behind the scenes. He spoke up for you too, lamenting your retirement."
Lin Yiyang was silent for a long moment, then bowed his head slightly. "You are right."
He raised the glass cup, which was half-filled with freshly poured Pu-erh tea. "I'm driving today, so I won't offer a toast with wine." His voice dropped an octave, sounding as though it were thick with emotion—perhaps the weight of the past, or the sting of old wounds reopened. Without another word, he drained the tea in several large gulps.
Yin Guo had never seen Lin Yiyang act with such formal grace, nor had she ever seen him look so vulnerable. Watching him drink that tea was like watching him swallow the strongest liquor; it seemed to burn as it went down. She felt a phantom ache in her own chest, a sharp, stinging sympathy.
Once he finished, her mother gave a slight nod, signaling the end of the interaction. As he walked away, the adults at the table began to murmur about him.
The referee who had been in charge of Lin Yiyang’s table during that infamous match was a man who was close friends with Yin Guo’s mother. Yin Guo often saw him and called him Uncle Wang. Her mother had been the head referee and hadn't been at the table initially. By the time she arrived, Lin Yiyang had already finished his confrontation with the official and stormed out, leaving his opponent behind.
"In today's climate, he could have been banned for three years," her mother said, looking at Yin Guo. "Your Uncle Wang is someone who truly cherishes talent. I heard he was very happy to learn about Lin Yiyang’s comeback."
"Did he really fix a match?" Li Qingyan’s father asked suddenly.
"No," her mother said fairly. "Let's keep the facts straight. He was suspended for a confrontation with a referee."
"Is Xiaodong really that close to him?" her grandmother asked, her voice tinged with worry.
"Not necessarily," Yin Guo’s sister chimed in. "They're in the same industry. They just know each other."
"Actually," Yin Guo said, breaking her silence, "he's been playing strictly by the rules lately. There hasn't been any bad news about him."
"Let's not talk about it. It's someone else's business," her sister said dismissively.
"And—" Yin Guo tried to shift the narrative, wanting to defend him even a little, "I talked to him about billiards in America. He truly loves the sport."
"Didn't I tell you to drop it?" her sister snapped, her face darkening.
Rebuffed by her sister, Yin Guo realized she had no standing to say more. She felt a wave of suffocating frustration. She lowered her head and took a few bites of food, her appetite gone.
She grew up in a blended family; her older brother and sister were from her parents' previous marriages. She was the only child they had together. Her siblings had been teenagers from broken homes when she was born, and they had never been close to her. When she was little, she would try to follow them around, but she was often the target of their bullying. Her parents, out of pity for the older children's past struggles, would only offer light reprimands. The relatives at the table were well-accustomed to this dynamic.
"Alright, alright, let's talk about something else," a relative said, trying to smooth things over.
Seeing Yin Guo’s dejected state and assuming it was because of her sister’s harshness, Li Qingyan’s father signaled for his son to serve her some of her favorite braised dishes. Lin Yiyang, from his distant table, caught the movement of the chopsticks.
***
Lin Yiyang eventually went downstairs and didn't return. After the meal, while the relatives were lingering and chatting, Yin Guo couldn't sit still any longer. Claiming she needed to get something from the car, she grabbed her mother’s keys and bolted.
She circled the building and headed toward the gravel parking lot behind the restaurant. As she wove through the parked cars, a small, extinguished cigarette butt landed on the ground right in front of her feet. She looked up.
Lin Yiyang was leaning against the open trunk of his SUV, using the lid for shade. He was smoking, which was why she hadn't seen him at first.
"Looking for me?" he asked.
It was a rhetorical question. Yin Guo used the toe of her shoe to kick the cigarette butt toward a small pile of debris where the kitchen staff clearly gathered to smoke. She stepped over the loose gravel until she was standing right in front of him. "You didn't reply to my messages."
He reached out and cupped her face with both hands. "What are you looking for me for?"
Yin Guo instinctively grabbed his waist, needing something to hold onto. The ground was uneven, covered in shifting stones. When he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, the gravel crunched beneath their weight, the sound echoing in the quiet lot.
Lin Yiyang’s breath was hot and heavy against her skin. He kissed her with a desperate intensity, his tongue tangling with hers in the small patch of shadow cast by the trunk lid. After a long moment, the heat of the kiss subsided slightly. "What are you looking for me for?" he repeated, his palms grazing her cheeks before he claimed her lips again.
A couple of chefs in white coats came out of the back kitchen for a smoke break. They glanced over at the young couple, watching the heated display of affection as they traded cigarettes.
Lin Yiyang rarely acted like this, but even with people watching, he didn't let go. He wouldn't let go for anything.
