Ji Rao curled his lips in helplessness on the other end of the phone and replied:
"I'll send Anian a message then.
The billiard hall has VIP private rooms equipped with a starry ceiling, a sofa, a bed, and karaoke facilities—everything you could possibly need.
The giant floor-to-ceiling windows feature a one-way mirror design, offering a bright, crystal-clear view where guests can observe every single movement outside.
Yet, from the public billiard area outside, people can only see a smooth, mirror-like glass that perfectly conceals everything inside.
This design not only provides guests with sensory stimulation while they 'rest' but also ensures complete privacy.
Inside the VIP room,
the man spread his long legs and sank lazily into the sofa. The manager bowed slightly, skillfully lighting a cigarette for him.
The man took a deep drag and slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke.
Through the swirling blue smoke, the man's handsome face seemed veiled in a thin layer of mist, adding a touch of hazy beauty.
'Crown Prince, these are the billiard hall's top-notch assistant instructors. Take a look and see which one you like.'
A line of women filed in, all dressed in V-neck white shirts that fully revealed their subtle, alluring collarbones, paired with black tight skirts and pointed kitten heels. Every step they took swayed with grace.
At that moment, they all lifted their chins and puffed out their chests, trying their best to showcase their stunning figures. Their eyes were filled with flattery, desperate to catch the Crown Prince's eye.
Huo Qi glanced casually, lowered his eyelids, flicked the ash from his fingertip, and said in a casual tone:
'What kind of withered melons and split dates are these? No newcomers?'
The billiard hall manager nodded and bowed repeatedly in agreement:
'We do have newcomers, but their skills aren't polished enough. I'm afraid they won't be able to keep the Crown Prince thoroughly entertained.'
Huo Qi raised his chin slightly, his dark, deep eyes locking onto a bob-cut figure holding a storage box in the distance. He raised a finger with distinct joints and said:
'I want that one, the short-haired girl.'
'Crown Prince, she's just a rack girl, not an assistant instructor. I'm afraid…'
'Tell her to come over and rack the balls for me! Why all the nonsense?'
Huo Qi knitted his dark eyebrows, shot the manager a sharp glare, and his tone carried obvious impatience.
This man was a living fiend whom no one dared to cross!
Seeing this, the manager didn't dare utter another word of nonsense. A flattering smile instantly plastered his face:
'Alright, alright, I'll arrange it for you right away!'
A bunch of brightly dressed billiard assistant instructors lost such a huge client in the Crown Prince! They filed out of the private room with their heads hanging low and dejected.
Zero's signature girl, Xiangxiang, pulled the manager's arm in frustration and whined:
'Manager, what's going on? You promised to recommend me, so how did a duck cooked and ready to be eaten just fly away?'
'If he doesn't fancy you, what can I do? Oh! President Zhang is here. Go entertain President Zhang quickly!' While brushing Xiangxiang off, the manager's eyes lit up as he went to welcome President Zhang, who had just walked through the door.
President Zhang sported a Mediterranean bald spot and a beer belly. He was a middle-aged, greasy old man and a regular at the billiard hall.
Compared to someone young, vibrant, and strikingly handsome like Huo Qi from a wealthy background, this greasy middle-aged uncle was simply worlds apart.
Anyone would feel sick to their stomach seeing such an old man, but those who made a living this way had to swallow their pride even if their client looked like a pig.
Though Xiangxiang was reluctant, she could only suppress her disgust, force a fake smile onto her face, totter on her kitten heels, wiggle her water-snake waist, and walk toward President Zhang with an affected grace.
……
"Le Mei, the guest in Private Room 3 specifically asked for you to rack the balls. Do a good job and there'll be a tip! If you manage to hook him, you'll be set for life!" The manager joked, half-smiling.
After all, what great capability could a naive young girl who had just stepped out into society possibly have? How could she ever hook a wealthy Crown Prince like Huo Qi? The manager simply took it as a joke.
"I'll go as soon as I finish racking table number seven."
"Oh, what table seven? Today you're only responsible for the guest in Private Room 3. You don't need to worry about anything else."
"Hurry up and go," the manager urged her.
"Okay."
Le Mei put down what she was doing and walked toward the private rooms.
Pushing open the door to Private Room 3, a blast of cold air from the air conditioner hit her, causing Le Mei to shudder involuntarily.
When she saw the two men standing by the billiard table holding cues,
Le Mei's pupils trembled slightly and she froze in her tracks, feeling as though she had fallen into an icy abyss.
Why is it… him?
At that moment, Ji Rao broke the slightly awkward atmosphere first with a bright, beaming smile, greeting Le Mei enthusiastically:
"Little White Rabbit, you work here?"
Ji Rao's voice carried a hint of thinly veiled surprise.
Le Mei lowered her gaze slightly and responded softly:
"Yes, I work part-time here."
Hearing Ji Rao's nickname for Le Mei, Huo Qi shot him a sideways glance, his tone laced with thorns:
"Does she not have a name? Call her by her name!"
Ji Rao shrugged nonchalantly and replied cheerfully, "I think Little White Rabbit sounds better."
Huo Qi immediately raised his voice and emphasized once more:
"Call her by her name!"
Ji Rao curled his lips in helplessness and compromised:
"Fine, fine. Meimei, shall I teach you how to play billiards?"
Huo Qi's expression instantly darkened, and he glared fiercely at Ji Rao.
He cursed inwardly: Damn it! I told you to use her name, not her nickname. This sounds even more cloying than Little White Rabbit.
His chest rose and fell slightly, but in the end, he forcefully swallowed back the words he wanted to snap at him.
"No need, no need! You play your game; just tell me if you need anything done," Le Mei politely declined.
"Meimei, watch closely. I'm really good at playing."
Thinking back to the day Le Mei carried him through the video game, Ji Rao also wanted to show off.
He picked up his cue.
With a sharp *crack*,
Huo Qi violently thrust his cue forward, and the neatly arranged balls on the table instantly scattered and rolled in all directions.
Every single ball on the table!!
All of them went into the pockets!
They literally all went in!
A table cleared in a single shot!!!
The game was over before it even began!
Le Mei was also stunned. This was the legendary spectacle she had witnessed with her own eyes since starting her part-time job—it was truly drop-dead handsome.
She stood in place, her eyes shimmering with faint starlight, her mouth slightly parted, and her face clearly displaying an expression of worship.
"You!"
Huo Qi arched one eyebrow, feeling a twinge of smugness. He glanced sideways out of the corner of his eye at the petite, dumbfounded figure and barked:
"Come over here and rack the balls!"
"Oh." As if waking from a dream, Le Mei obediently walked toward the billiard table, her small hand reaching into the ball-return track beneath the table to scoop them out.
"Awesome! Awesome!" Ji Rao clapped his hands and cheered.
Yet inwardly, he muttered a stream of curses:
You showed off again, damn it! You just love hogging the spotlight!
After Le Mei finished racking the balls, Huo Qi and Ji Rao officially began their billiard match. Halfway through, Ji Rao's phone chimed. He took it out, glanced at it, ignored it, and continued playing.
Before long, the phone chimed twice more. Ji Rao tapped open the message window:
Liang Lele [Get out here! Explain yourself! I'm at the entrance of Zero!]
Liang Lele [If you don't come out, I'm coming up to find you!]
Ji Rao raised his eyes to glance at Le Mei, looking as though he harbored some deep apprehension.
He was afraid someone would misunderstand that he had an entangling ex-girlfriend! Afraid it would ruin his image in someone's heart! Being a playboy wasn't his fault; he really wasn't a scumbag!
Ever since Liang Lele unilaterally announced their breakup, he hadn't replied to her messages at all.
Yet Liang Lele had kept messaging him these past few days as if nothing had happened, acting as though she wasn't the one who had brought up breaking up the other day.
He had to make things clear with her today!
Break up thoroughly!
"I have some business to attend to. I'm going out to make a phone call!"
With that, Ji Rao hastily stood up, put down his cue, and strode out of the private room.
Now,
only Huo Qi and Le Mei remained in the spacious private room.
Le Mei had already felt ill at ease; when Ji Rao was around, she could at least barely maintain a facade of relaxation.
With him—the mood-maker and "seasoning"—gone, Le Mei felt as though the surrounding air had frozen, suffocatingly heavy and hard to breathe.
Huo Qi, however, seemed completely indifferent to the oppressive atmosphere. He glanced sideways at Le Mei, a shallow arc hooking the corner of his mouth as he said casually:
"Come play with me!"
Le Mei hurriedly waved her hands, a flash of panic crossing her eyes:
"I don't know how. I'll call an assistant instructor for you."
"If you don't know, I'll teach you!"
"I don't want to learn," Le Mei refused flatly.
Huo Qi held his cue with one hand propped against the floor, his tall frame leaning lazily and semi-reclined against the billiard table. Tilting his head, he gazed at her with slightly narrowed eyes, his tone languid:
"I am your customer! The customer is God! If you don't serve God well, do you not want your wages for today?"
"Do you want your wages, or do you want a bad review?"
He raised an eyebrow, dragging out the end of his sentence, his tone dripping with obvious insinuation:
"Hmm?"