Chen An’an felt that if he kept watching, he would develop a stye in his eye.
"They’re that happy over half a pack of cigarettes?" he asked, just to break the silence.
"Tobacco tax is high here, so cigarettes are expensive," Lin Yiyang told him. "A pack that costs a dozen yuan back home is over sixty here."
Homeless people had no steady income, so they rarely bought them.
Once Chen An’an had a sense of the cost, his sympathy overflowed. He had Lin Yiyang buy two new packs for the homeless men and even dragged Lin Yiyang along to act as a translator, chatting with them for most of the night.
By the time they returned home, he was still buzzing from a mix of jet lag and alcohol. Fearing that over-excitement would affect tomorrow’s match, Lin Yiyang used every persuasion possible to get him into his room to lie down.
Once Chen An’an was inside, Lin Yiyang sat on the sofa and followed up on the "precautions" Yin Guo had mentioned.
Yin Guo mysteriously fished a small box of contraceptive patches out of her suitcase to show him.
Lin Yiyang poured one out to look at it; it looked quite a bit like a small medicated plaster. Yin Guo had chronic issues with her shoulders and waist and was always applying various patches to treat her injuries. Seeing this, he had assumed it was for healing.
Just as he was about to ask more, the door on the right opened again.
"I still can't sleep—" Chen An’an saw the two of them, one sitting on the sofa and the other half-crouched, very close to each other, looking like they were about to kiss but hadn't yet. He shut his mouth instantly.
"Which one of you has a sprain?" Chen An’an saw the item in Lin Yiyang’s hand and once again looked for something to say. "My back hurts too; I didn't sleep well on the plane. Give me one."
Yin Guo snatched the box and the patch from Lin Yiyang’s hand, stuffed them back in, and bolted.
Chen An’an was utterly bewildered. He whispered, "Is Sister-in-law upset?"
Lin Yiyang glanced at him. "Does your back really hurt?"
"Uh... yeah, a little." Chen An’an clutched his waist, not daring to lie to him.
Lin Yiyang stood up, rummaged through a plastic cabinet against the wall for a moment, and tossed over a box of genuine medicated plasters. Without another word, he went back to his room to sleep.
***
The group stages began on Tuesday.
Yin Guo cut through the competition with unstoppable momentum. On the final day of the group stage, she faced the famous American pro, Ashly. In a match with an exceptionally high attendance rate, she staged a shocking comeback from 5-10 down. Clinging to the match point, she pulled off four consecutive break-and-runs, finally catching up to 11-10 and taking the match.
Despite being a foreign player, every local fan in the stadium that day stood up to applaud and cheer for her.
Riding on her peak form, Yin Guo advanced to the quarter-finals without suspense. Surprisingly, Chen An’an also performed beyond his usual level, reaching the quarter-finals of an Open for the first time in what would be his final tournament.
Saturday was the day of the quarter-final matches for both the men’s and women’s divisions.
At 1:25 PM, before Yin Guo’s first match, she changed into her competition shirt and trousers and returned to her corner in the lounge, wondering where Lin Yiyang was.
He had been in Washington D.C. for the past few days handling matters for the pool hall there and meeting old classmates and friends. He had promised to come back today to watch her and Chen An’an’s matches. For some reason, however, Yin Guo felt a lingering anxiety, fearing he wouldn't make it in time.
Her phone wasn't with her—a pre-match habit of hers—so she naturally had no way to contact him.
At 1:30 PM, following protocol, she entered the arena thirty minutes early.
Several other female players entered with her, including her close friend Su Wei. Under the guidance of the staff, they entered the tunnel leading to the arena.
"I ran into Lin Yiyang outside just now," Su Wei said, knowing about her relationship with him, speaking quietly in Chinese. "Did you know? A reporter interviewed him in D.C. a couple of days ago and broke some news. He probably won't be participating in local American 9-ball tournaments anymore." There was a hint of regret in Su Wei’s voice.
"Yeah, he mentioned it briefly," Yin Guo said. "His energy is limited, after all."
Lin Yiyang’s playing style had always been unique. Over the past year, he hadn't just won numerous honors here; he had shown this niche community a fresh technique and attitude, attracting many new fans who didn't previously watch 9-ball.
For a rising star to announce his departure at his absolute peak was undoubtedly major news. The response from fans online had been intense, doing everything they could to persuade him to stay. There were certainly those who didn't understand and used harsh words, but most offered blessings, hoping for his return and looking forward to him gracing the arena with his brilliant play once more.
Lin Yiyang didn't have public social media accounts, so the comments were all under the news articles. Yin Guo had skimmed through them.
Zheng Yi, sparked by discussions among pool enthusiasts in her circle of classmates, had also grown curious and spent an evening lurking. By the end, seeing the fans' messages had left her heartbroken. Her direct assessment was: *Actually, your man is quite cold-hearted.*
...
Yin Guo and Su Wei talked as they passed through the tunnel.
Bursts of commotion from the stands made the entering female players stop. Yin Guo looked up as well.
The place where she entered happened to be the entrance to the southern stands, so her view was blocked, and she had to wait for the crowd to move forward. But she heard it very clearly: people were calling out "Lin."
Soon, he appeared in her line of sight, surrounded by enthusiastic fans.
Lin Yiyang was dressed entirely in black with dark red sneakers. He had specifically worn a black baseball cap to keep a low profile, but it clearly wasn't working. In a niche sport like this, anyone who made it to the arena on time was a die-hard fan; who wouldn't recognize him?
He played in the local circuit here, unlike international players like Yin Guo who just came for a single Open. He had a solid base of local fans... some wanted photos, some wanted signatures, though fortunately, most just wanted to shake hands.
The southern stands were passionately chanting "Lin, Lin," drawing the attention of all the fans in that section.
The fans in the other three stands were too far away to tell what was happening, but they were all eager to see exactly who had arrived.
This was the first time Yin Guo had seen him with his fans. It was a novel sight, and she watched him from below like a little fangirl, shifting her angle to get a better look.
Sun Zhou saw Yin Guo first. He struggled to push through the crowd and slapped Lin Yiyang’s arm, shouting, "Sister-in-law is down there! Look down!"
Lin Yiyang looked down and saw Yin Guo across the railing, waving her small hand at him from within the arena. His heart stirred, and he couldn't help but look a few moments longer, which caused the fans in the stands to look down as well.
Yin Guo was instantly mortified.
Beside her, Su Wei immediately pulled her away. "Do you want to go public today?"
"No," she blushed. "It’s just my first time seeing him interact with the local fans here. I thought it was fun."
"Fun, huh?" Su Wei teased with a smile. "Who was it that insisted on showing me WeChat chats, saying there was absolutely nothing between you?"
"Back then... there really wasn't."
Su Wei looked entirely unconvinced, and Yin Guo had no way to defend herself.
Soon, she was led to her assigned table.
There were twenty minutes left until the match.
On the small table beside her, a staff member had politely placed two glass cups, gesturing that they were for Yin Guo’s use. She smiled and said thank you, then took out her own thermos and poured hot fruit juice into a cup, preparing to drink it during the match intervals.
She set the thermos aside.
She quietly checked the spectator stands to see how he was doing.
The fans in the southern stands had gradually calmed down, and Lin Yiyang had finally reached his seat. He wasn't just with Sun Zhou; several students from his own pool hall were there too. He was speaking in a low voice with Sun Zhou about matters regarding the pool hall, half of his face obscured by the brim of his hat, trying his best to be an ordinary spectator.
But clearly, the fans' enthusiasm had caught the director's attention.
The primary source of income for such tournaments was selling broadcast rights. With a star player in attendance, the director certainly wouldn't let the opportunity pass.
"To all our viewers watching the live stream, my colleagues have informed me that we have a heavyweight guest at today’s Open. Let’s get a shot of our 'Lin'."
On the big screen, the corner where Lin Yiyang sat was suddenly magnified.
Sun Zhou was stunned. He nudged Lin Yiyang with his shoulder to alert him. *Boss, you're on the live stream.*
Lin Yiyang was also surprised.
"Lin, won't you say hello to everyone?" the commentator asked with a smile.
On camera, Lin Yiyang’s eyes weren't very clear, hidden by the brim of his hat. He politely raised his right hand, greeting the fans in the other three stands and the viewers on the live stream.
The sudden burst of applause lasted for a full thirty seconds.
A staff member took the opportunity to run to his side and hand him a microphone.
Lin Yiyang waved his hand, declining.
But clearly, no one was going to let him off. "Lin, are you here today to take one last look at your old friends on the circuit?"
Another female commentator chimed in. "Almost all the male players in the arena today have crossed paths with him. They must all be regretting that they didn't get to face him again at the US Open—"
The female commentator suddenly stopped. After three seconds of silence, she laughed happily. "Berry just posted a status on Facebook—he’s thanking Lin for not signing up for the Open. Not a single player wanted to see him here. Not at all."
Everyone laughed.
Amidst the laughter, the female commentator’s voice rose a few notches as she excitedly read the text from her phone. "Berry posted again—he says we must find the recording of last year’s Open. Look at the final match of the women’s group stage, and you’ll discover a shocking secret."
Yin Guo’s hand tightened around her glass cup.
She knew what they were talking about...
In less than half a minute, amidst the restlessness and anticipation of the crowd, an old clip appeared on the big screen—
The girl who had just won her match put down her cue and immediately ran toward the southern stands. In the frame, the audience could only see three Chinese men in the stands. Last year’s commentator was still explaining: "There are two Chinese male players in the stands. It seems our female player is going to celebrate with a high-five with her companions."
The commentator at the time had assumed that was the case and hadn't provided a close-up.
The scene had flashed by just like that.
But rewatching it today, everyone present recognized that the one Chinese man no one knew last year was Lin Yiyang.
There was no need for a close-up; the fans wouldn't mistake him. Even if they were only given a silhouette, they would recognize him.
No one knew who started the clapping and whistling first, but the entire venue erupted. The applause, the whistling, the laughter, and the repeated shouts of "Lin" made the arena unprecedentedly lively.
Su Wei was also laughing non-stop, pushing Yin Guo’s back. She knew more than the audience, so she was naturally even more excited.
Yin Guo turned around and swatted Su Wei’s hand away, but her own palms were already slick with sweat.
She had never imagined being watched like this. It was terrifying.
Amidst the excitement of the venue, the commentator’s voice directed everyone toward the female protagonist of the event. "The girl in the replay is sitting right here in our arena, about to start her quarter-final match today. In the group stage the day before yesterday, this girl staged a shocking comeback to defeat the champion of the last Open stop."
The screen split in two following the commentator’s voice.
One half was given to her.
"The camera is on you," Su Wei reminded her.
Yin Guo reflexively lowered her hands, trying her best to maintain her image as a top-seeded player.
But her face couldn't hide the truth. Asian girls already had fair skin, and now her cheeks were flushed bright red, her eyes shimmering with moisture. She clearly looked like she wanted to vanish into the ground from being stared at.
"So, Lin, at this time last year, who did you come here for?" the commentator asked a direct question.
In the other half of the screen, Lin Yiyang smiled at the question.
"Hard to answer? Then let’s change the question," the female commentator followed up with a smile. "Who did you come here for today?"
Knowing he could no longer avoid it, he proactively reached out to the staff member beside him for the microphone.
Amidst bursts of applause and laughter from those around him, he held the small black microphone. After a moment of silence, he slowly began to speak. "Since everyone has already seen it," his voice echoed throughout the entire stadium, "do I still need to answer?"
The applause and clamor reached a new peak.
"Of course, of course we want you to say it," the commentator said, not backing down.
On the screen.
Lin Yiyang switched the microphone from his left hand to his right and looked toward the arena, looking at her figure in the distance.
Yin Guo gripped her right wrist with her left hand, holding her breath. She couldn't guess what Lin Yiyang was thinking.
Her cousin had been using a VPN at home these past few days to show her grandmother the live stream of her matches. So today’s answer—this very moment—would definitely be known by her family.
She was waiting too, along with everyone else.
On the screen, Lin Yiyang slowly switched the microphone back to his other hand, his gaze fixed on her in the middle of the arena. Because the stands were high and the arena was low, he was looking down in the broadcast, and no one could see his expression clearly.
"Last year, in a small bar here, I saw her. At the time, I didn't go in; I stood outside the glass window and stared at her for three or four minutes," Lin Yiyang’s voice filled every corner of the stadium. "But she didn't know."
A rare silence fell, as if in cooperation with him.
"At that moment, I was thinking: I have to get to know this girl. I have to go in and buy her a drink, and I have to get her contact information tonight. I knew very clearly that I wanted to pursue her, but I didn't know how to say it. She was so beautiful, I was afraid I would mess it up."
A few seconds of stillness followed.
He spoke again. "Believe me, I was truly afraid I would mess it up."
This was the stadium where he had won many honors, surrounded by his local fans. Yet he was confessing his caution and his attraction from back then, without any concealment...
Yin Guo’s vision was completely blurred by tears. Her lips were trembling slightly; she wanted to bite them to stop, but she couldn't.
"So you succeeded today," the commentator said with a laugh.
"I hope so," Lin Yiyang was also smiling. He looked up at the live broadcast screen, where one half was himself and the other half was Yin Guo, her eyes full of tears. "I think I will succeed."
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 避孕贴 | Contraceptive patch | A hormonal patch used for birth control. |
| 膏药贴 | Medicated plaster/patch | Traditional or modern patches used for pain relief or injuries. |
| 炸 / 炸清 | Break-and-run | In pool, clearing the table immediately after the break. |
| 四炸 | Four consecutive break-and-runs | Winning four racks in a row starting from the break. |
| 脸书 | Facebook | |
| 导播 | Director / Broadcast director | The person in charge of the live television feed. |
| 解说 | Commentator | |
