The plane landed in the early morning.
Yin Guo sat in Meng Xiaodong’s car, wearing a black dress she had changed into during the flight. Meng Xiaodong handed her a shoebox containing the black flats he had picked up from her house the previous night.
“How is Jiang Yang?” Her flight hadn't had satellite internet, so she hadn't been able to discuss Jiang Yang’s situation in detail before boarding. Now, she finally had the chance to ask. “Is he out of the hospital?”
“He is. He’ll definitely be at the memorial service today,” Meng Xiaodong said as he started the car. “Your family doesn't know about the Open yet.”
She breathed a sigh of relief.
“But don’t take our parents for fools. Old Mr. He used to call your mother to reminisce quite often. She’s guessed a fair amount and has asked me about it.”
Yin Guo’s heart leaped into her throat. She asked nervously, “...What did you say?”
“I said—” Meng Xiaodong gave a helpless smile, “—that I’ve known for a long time, and that I was the one who set you two up.”
In truth, Meng Xiaodong had long planned to take this "first blow." He had even given his father a heads-up, waiting for the right moment to resolve the issue.
During his early years of playing, Yin Guo’s mother had been a referee and often took him along to various tournaments. Consequently, Meng Xiaodong had been the closest to her since childhood. Because he was successful and talented, his position in her mother’s heart had remained unshakable for years. With him personally taking the brunt of the initial confrontation, it would be a significant step forward.
Of course, the most important factor was how impeccably Lin Yiyang had handled himself since his return. From leading the Chinese team to their best results at the China Open, to reconciling with his mentor, and now taking over Dongxincheng—he had been subtly earning a lot of "impression points."
“Don’t worry,” he added. “Her expression seemed fine; she didn't look angry.”
Yin Guo exhaled. “Thanks, Ge.”
“It’s a good thing you didn't just run back,” he said. His biggest fear had been Yin Guo abandoning the tournament to return home. Not only would she have lost her ranking, but it would have made her parents think she prioritized romance over responsibility. “Congratulations. You’re the US Open champion.”
Yin Guo smiled.
The joy of winning had long been diluted; her only thought was to see him as soon as possible.
***
Yin Guo’s mother was with her colleagues from the Sports Bureau.
When they arrived, Yin Guo first greeted her mother and then followed Meng Xiaodong into the hall, representing Beicheng.
The memorial service was simple. Old Mr. He’s portrait was placed in the center, and the entire hall was filled with wreaths.
Old Mr. He had two daughters. The eldest had passed away a few years ago, leaving behind a grandson. The younger daughter had a granddaughter. His wife had also passed away years prior. The family was not large, so the funeral arrangements over the past few days had mostly been handled by the younger daughter, her husband, and several disciples.
As Yin Guo entered the hall, Meng Xiaodong took a pen from the reception desk and signed both their names in the ledger.
She looked around but didn't see Lin Yiyang.
Just as she was wondering if she should send him a WeChat message to let him know she had arrived, she heard familiar voices from the right. It was Wu Wei. Several people were coming up from the stairs below. Leading them were Lin Yiyang and Jiang Yang.
Both were dressed identically in black shirts and trousers—all black.
It had only been three days since he had returned early from the Open, and logically, there shouldn't have been a drastic change. Yet, he had visibly thinned down a great deal. Not just his face, but his arms as well; his shirt no longer fit him snugly.
When Yin Guo’s eyes met his, it felt as if a blade had scraped across her heart.
Lin Yiyang’s pace slowed.
With so many eyes on them, it wasn't appropriate to say much or do anything. As he slowed down, Jiang Yang beside him and the older generation of Dongxincheng behind him all came to a halt.
Yin Guo held her breath. He seemed to move in slow motion until he stood right before her.
The man she missed most was standing just a meter away.
Lin Yiyang had spoken too much over the past few days—arranging things, making decisions. Facing his girlfriend now, he found himself at a loss for words.
Meng Xiaodong set down the pen and broke the silence first. “If there’s anything I can help with, just say the word.”
Lin Yiyang patted Meng Xiaodong’s arm. “You’ve already helped.”
Helping to soothe Yin Guo’s emotions over the last two days so she could compete smoothly, and then bringing her back safely—that was enough.
Lin Yiyang gave Yin Guo one last deep look. “The ceremony is about to start. I’m going in first.”
The words seemed directed at Meng Xiaodong, but they were meant for Yin Guo.
Yin Guo nodded slightly and felt him brush past her. The new leader of Dongxincheng was flanked by his former brothers, not a single one missing, as they prepared to receive colleagues from the industry and the sports world.
Yin Guo stood behind the crowd, near the door, at the intersection of natural light and the indoor lamps, watching him.
She watched him shake hands and exchange pleasantries with others.
The memorial service began quickly. Important guests filled the hall, while the younger generation, having no room inside, stood outside in the lobby and on the stairs. Jiang Yang was the host of today’s service; having just left the hospital, he looked very unwell.
But as a man who had led Dongxincheng for over a decade, even if he were about to enter an operating room, he could stand here and host the entire proceedings.
It was a standard memorial service. The second time Yin Guo faced Lin Yiyang up close was during the line to shake hands with the family. She followed her cousin, shaking hands with each family member, then the disciples. Standing at the end of the line of disciples was Lin Yiyang. Everyone was crying except for this most favored youngest disciple; he alone remained calm.
Every guest offered their condolences, shaking hands with each family member and disciple.
Yin Guo followed the line until she was in front of him.
Lin Yiyang reached out his hand, and she took it. The rough texture of his palm brushed against the back of her hand before they let go.
After the handshakes, people began to leave the hall.
Meng Xiaodong took Yin Guo’s suitcase out of the car. He walked with her and the luggage to the parking lot, where Yin Guo’s mother was waiting.
Yin Guo felt as though Lin Yiyang’s eyes had been following her ever since they shook hands.
Even as she followed Meng Xiaodong to the flower bed by the parking lot and met her mother, she still felt his silent gaze behind her.
“It was a ten-hour flight. Are you tired?” her mother asked.
Meng Xiaodong took the car keys, opened the trunk, and placed her suitcase in the back of her mother’s car.
She smiled. “I’m used to it.”
“Let’s go home first,” Yin Guo’s mother said. “Xiaodong, you come along too. Grandma is there; she wants to have dinner with both of you.”
“Alright,” Meng Xiaodong replied. “I’ll follow you in my car.”
Yin Guo watched the interaction between her cousin and her mother, but her mind was on Lin Yiyang.
She wanted to stay. She wanted to see him alone, to say a few words to him.
She didn't want to leave...
Meng Xiaodong turned to go to his car.
“Mom...” Yin Guo suddenly spoke up. “Can I go home a bit later?”
Meng Xiaodong stopped in his tracks, and Yin Guo’s mother paused as well.
Just then, a car drove out of the parking lot, braking as it passed to bid farewell to Yin Guo’s mother. Her mother smiled and waved at the car, then turned back to look at her. After a brief silence, she asked, “Grandma misses you very much. Won't you go home to see her first?”
She looked at her mother pleadingly. “I’ll be home by evening.”
The brief silence made her increasingly uneasy.
She feared that being too direct would lead to a bad outcome. She looked at Meng Xiaodong, who signaled for her to slow down and go home first. Unexpectedly, while the two cousins were exchanging glances, they heard their mother sigh.
“Go on then.”
Having said that, she added one more instruction: “Don’t be too late.”
Yin Guo broke into her happiest smile in days. She excitedly said, “Thanks, Mom!” and immediately ran off.
Yin Guo’s mother watched her daughter’s figure disappear and said to Meng Xiaodong, “Xiaodong, do you know? Eight or nine out of ten people here today have received kindness from Old Mr. He.”
This "kindness" wasn't necessarily material; it was spiritual support.
When Yin Guo’s mother first entered this industry after graduating from university to test for her referee certification, she often saw He Wenfeng at the tournaments. In those days, billiards was even more of a niche sport than it is now. She loved it and wanted to be a referee, but no one in her family understood. She had to navigate the levels of exams and assessments on her own. The workplace politics found in any industry existed among referees too, and she had wanted to give up countless times. She would often chat with Old Mr. He, who was always at the venues watching matches.
Old Mr. He never learned to use the inspiring word "dreams"—that was a word for the new generation. Instead, he would often pat his chest and say it was just "that feeling"—the kind that makes you excited just thinking about it, that keeps you from sleeping, that makes you want to do it until your blood runs hot and boiling.
Lin Yiyang was lucky to have been mentored by He Wenfeng. As a teenager, he couldn't have felt the full weight of it. But seeing so many seniors travel from all over the country to pay their respects today, surely he—and all of Old Mr. He’s disciples, everyone from Dongxincheng—now had a deeper understanding.
Dongxincheng was less a billiards club and more a place of heritage. It might decline in the future, or it might flourish, but neither would affect the status of its name.
And Lin Yiyang was its future leader. This was something Old Mr. He had personally decided before he passed away.
***
Lin Yiyang’s car wasn't in the main parking lot but in a corner behind the hall.
He was carrying a cardboard box out, filled with miscellaneous items to be taken back to Dongxincheng. He tossed the box into the trunk and got into the car. The passenger door opened, and the person who climbed in was smiling at him.
Lin Yiyang’s right hand was still pulling the seatbelt. When he saw her face, he paused for a few seconds before revealing his only genuine smile of the past few days. “Aren't you afraid of being seen?”
“My mom knows,” Yin Guo said, unable to stop smiling. “My brother took the blow for you. He said he was the one who set us up. With my brother there, it’ll be fine.”
Lin Yiyang turned his head to look at her. She leaned back against the seat and looked at him too.
She reached out and took his right hand, which was resting on the steering wheel. Lin Yiyang gripped her hand back, his thumb stroking the back of her hand.
“Where were you going just now?” she asked.
“Back to Dongxincheng.”
“Then let’s go to Dongxincheng,” she said. “I’ll go back with you.”
She hadn't been there yet.
The Beicheng Club had been relocated by Meng Xiaodong because he found the previous location too out of the way. Dongxincheng, however, had never changed its address since its founding. Its location wasn't even as good as the pool hall Lin Yiyang had rented, but it made up for it in size.
The main building was large, with three floors in total.
Yin Guo got out of the car and was led by Lin Yiyang to the main entrance. Seeing the plaque that read "Dongxincheng Billiards Club," she couldn't help but observe her surroundings.
The red walls and iron gates of the compound enclosed a unique space. Here was the main building, and over there was a two-story small building. Behind the small building was an open space specifically for parking cars.
Today, the entire staff of the club had gone to the memorial service. Few had returned yet; including Lin Yiyang’s car, there were only three in the lot.
Because he was with Yin Guo, Lin Yiyang’s somber mood had improved slightly. Furthermore, having handled all the arrangements today felt like a weight had been lifted. He was doing much better than the previous two days, but the dark clouds in his heart hadn't fully dispersed, and he remained quiet.
Yin Guo didn't want to talk much today either; she just wanted to be with him.
On the first floor, a group of children was practicing. They were very young, none appearing to be over ten.
She followed Lin Yiyang up the stairs. Coming down toward them were Cheng Yan and several other young female players from Dongxincheng. Cheng Yan hadn't competed in the US Open or the World Championships this time, so this was the first time the two had crossed paths since their meeting in New York.
She looked surprised to see Yin Guo. There had been too many people at the memorial service for them to notice each other.
“Sixth Brother,” Cheng Yan called out.
The others chimed in with various greetings: “Sixth Uncle.”
Lin Yiyang nodded.
The girls swarmed down the stairs, occupying most of the space. Seeing Yin Guo stop, Lin Yiyang reached out, took her by the wrist, and led her up the right side of the stairs.
Once they turned the corner and their figures disappeared, Cheng Yan remained by the banister, suppressing a whirlwind of emotions.
Yin Guo walked beside Lin Yiyang, her mind distracted by Cheng Yan. She had forgotten about this—if Lin Yiyang returned to Dongxincheng, he would see Cheng Yan every day. Meanwhile, she would be busy with tournaments and training, spending more time away from him than with him...
Lin Yiyang walked to the first office on the south side of the second floor. He pulled out his keys and opened the door.
The door swung open.
Inside was a simple desk and a sofa. On the coffee table, the ashtray was overflowing with a messy pile of cigarette butts.
It was the result of several men sitting here talking all through the night. The windows had been open all morning, so most of the smoke smell had dissipated. Lin Yiyang went to close the windows and pull the curtains.
Lin Yiyang led Yin Guo by the wrist to the sofa. He had her sit down first, then, in a state of utter exhaustion, he lay down on the sofa and rested his head on her lap.
“I don’t feel well,” he said, his voice raspy. “Let me sleep for a bit.”
She had never seen him like this. Even when he was sick, traveling back and forth to maintain their long-distance relationship, he had always seemed to handle everything with ease. But now, he had let go of the strength that had sustained him over the past few days, revealing his truest self.
This was the first time since his return that he truly wanted to sleep, and the only time he felt he actually could. Taking over Dongxincheng had been a decision made yesterday. All his personal belongings were still at his own pool hall; his dorm room here hadn't been tidied, and the office didn't even have a bed—only this leather sofa. Yet, being here felt right.
He remembered his younger brother offering him a toast on Tomb Sweeping Day, saying those same words: *Find a home, Brother.*
Lying on the sofa in this office, he had never wanted that more than he did today: a home.
As long as she was in it, that was enough. She was all he had left.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 贺文丰 | He Wenfeng | Lin Yiyang's late mentor. |
| 东新城 | Dongxincheng | The name of the billiards club/sect Lin Yiyang belongs to. |
| 承妍 | Cheng Yan | A female player from Dongxincheng who has feelings for Lin Yiyang. |
| 六哥 | Sixth Brother | Lin Yiyang's rank among the disciples of He Wenfeng. |
| 六叔 | Sixth Uncle | How the younger generation of the club addresses Lin Yiyang. |
| 北城 | Beicheng | The club/region associated with Meng Xiaodong. |
