“I’m mainly studying in the Development Zone area now, and I don’t often compete, so it’s normal you don’t know me.”
Since Wáng Qiáng was a good sport, Lǐ Xīn didn’t need to put on a stern face.
He casually pulled out a wad of cash from his money bag and placed it in front of Wáng Qiáng, saying, “We’ve all played enough today. Consider this money on me for brothers to eat, drink, and smoke.”
Lǐ Xīn planned to give Zhāng Tāng three hundred thousand. After this ten thousand, he would still have one hundred and forty-five thousand.
“A man of principle! I like people with principle. May I know your real name?”
It seemed Wáng Qiáng had guessed that Yáng Guò wasn’t his real name.
Lǐ Xīn paused for a moment and said, “Lǐ Xīn. My family is from nearby too. I’m Zhāng Tāng’s High School Classmate. Please look out for me in the future!”
After they exchanged WeChat contacts, the two men left the Billiard Hall.
It was already one o’clock in the morning.
Zhāng Tāng slapped Lǐ Xīn heavily on the shoulder, expressing his sincere gratitude, “Brother Xin, thank you. Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to cover this Hole. If my dad found out, he’d be very disappointed in me!”
“Don’t say that. I got paid to do this, and I also earned over 100,000 myself, didn’t I?”
“Hey! That’s one thing, this is another! You earned the money with your skills, and helping me is a separate act of friendship. I’ve noted it down. If there’s anything I can help with in the future, just give me a call!”
Lǐ Xīn didn’t stand on ceremony either. He nodded, and they each headed home.
On the way home, Lǐ Xīn had already figured out how to spend the money.
He would keep thirty-five thousand for himself.
He’d give eighty thousand to his parents. They could spend it if they wanted to, or save it.
Another twenty thousand would be for his sister to buy a computer and a mobile phone. She was about to start college, and this money could save their parents some expenses.
When he got home, his parents and sister had already gone to bed. His mother had sent Lǐ Xīn a WeChat message around nine o’clock that night: “There’s still food kept warm in the pot. Eat if you’re hungry when you get back.”
His nose twitched, and tears instantly welled up in his eyes.
Humans are strange creatures; sometimes, they are inexplicably moved by very small things……
……
The next morning.
Lǐ Xīn made an excuse to go out, but in reality, he went to deposit fifty-five thousand into his bank card. The remaining eighty thousand, he intended to give to his parents in cash.
When he returned home, his sister had just come out of her room, wearing pajamas, her eyes still heavy with sleep.
The moment she saw Lǐ Xīn, she immediately pounced on him and clung to him.
“Brother, where did you go so early in the morning? You left me alone yesterday. Come on, tell me honestly, did you go to see a new sister-in-law?”
His mother, who was clearing the dining table, quickly came over and patted Lǐ Mùzi’s bottom.
“How old are you, and you’re still like a child? Get off your brother!”
“Aiya! Mama~ I finally finished my College Entrance Examination and got out of school. Isn’t it normal for me to miss my brother?”
She squirmed, unwilling to get down, her head resting on Lǐ Xīn’s shoulder, as if she was falling back asleep.
His mother couldn’t do anything about her, shaking her head helplessly, she said, “It’s fine to be like this at home, but if other girls saw you like this outside, who would be willing to approach your brother?”
Lǐ Mùzi was very stubborn, “That’s great! I don’t want my brother to have a girlfriend yet. If he gets one, he’ll definitely ignore me!”
“If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll hit you!”
His mother grabbed a Rolling Pin and rushed over, scaring Lǐ Mùzi, who quickly jumped off Lǐ Xīn and hid in the balcony.
After the playful tussle, the family sat down at the dining table.
Lǐ Xīn took out a Plastic Bag from his clothes and placed it on the table.
His mother asked in confusion, “Son, what is this?”
The moment he opened the plastic bag, his mother was stunned into silence.
The whole family was wide-eyed.
“Where did you get so much money? Son, did you do something bad outside? You’re just a sophomore!”
Her first reaction to seeing the money wasn’t surprise, but fright.
She was afraid her son had gone down the wrong path.
In reality, Lǐ Xīn didn’t dare to say he had won it from competing. He calmly said, “This is prize money from a competition I participated in, given by a sponsor. They gave me one hundred and thirty thousand. I have fifty thousand in my card now, and I want to give you the remaining eighty thousand.”
After a slight pause, Lǐ Xīn continued, “Mom, Dad, you don’t need to give me Living Expenses anymore. I can earn money by competing myself.”
At this, his mother began to believe him, as she knew about Lǐ Xīn’s progress in the competition. This competition could be considered a national event.
A moment later, she took the money, “You are still too young. It’s good to keep this money with me. I’ll help you keep it safe and save it for your wedding!”
Unexpectedly, Lǐ Mùzi pouted upon hearing this, looking displeased, “Brother, what about me? I said you’d ignore me if you had a girlfriend, but you don’t even have one yet, and you’re already not thinking about spending money on me!”
“Hehe! Don’t worry, how could I forget you? I plan to buy you a new computer and a mobile phone. After we eat, you’ll go shopping with me.”
“Yay!”
“Long live my brother!”
“Hahahahaha~”
“You child~”
……
Soon, the three-day holiday ended.
There were only three days left until the Provincial Competition.
During these three days, Lǐ Xīn definitely needed to train thoroughly.At that time, he would be facing masters from all over the province.
It was estimated that Tier 5 Player would be the lowest level then, considering he had even faced Qín Rǎn, who could contend with Tier 6 Players, in a City Level Competition. Such girls likely existed in other parts of the province too.The Provincial Competition, a gathering of experts, was the true path to becoming a Professional Player.
Relatively speaking, he was still too green.
After bidding farewell to his family, Lǐ Xīn was about to get into a taxi to return to school.
Unexpectedly, an unfamiliar phone call came.
A middle-aged male voice came from the other end of the line.
“Hello, are you Lǐ Xīn?”
“Yes, who is this?”
“My name is Qín Yuándé, Qín Rǎn’s Father!”
Without Qín Rǎn needing to mention it, Lǐ Xīn knew who Qín Yuándé was.
He was the man who stood at the pinnacle of Chinese Eight-ball in the late nineties.
“Uncle Qín, hello. May I ask what this is about?”
“Nothing in particular, I just wanted to chat. Do you have time now?”
After a moment of thought, Lǐ Xīn replied, “Mm, I have time.”
“Alright, I’ll send you the location, come over!”
With that, the line went dead.
Qín Yuándé was assertive, just like his strong playing style when he was a Professional Player.
He received the location text message.
It was about ten kilometers away, which was also on Lǐ Xīn’s way back to school.
On the way, Lǐ Xīn’s mind began to recall his high school days.
Although the past was like smoke, and he didn’t dwell too much on the unpleasant things, his brain was uncontrollable. He remembered the happy moments he spent with Qín Rǎn……
They skipped class together, climbed over walls together, and were both punished by the teacher to stand in the hallway outside the classroom.
He remembered one afternoon.
Qín Rǎn turned her head and asked him with a smile, “Little Xin, what university do you plan to attend?”
“I don’t know. Preferably one close to home. Schools in Nánjiāng are pretty good.”
“Have you ever thought about attending the same university as me?”
Lǐ Xīn fell silent because he was also envisioning a future with Qín Rǎn in his mind.
But people in their adolescence are always uncertain about the future. When fantasizing about life ahead, their vision is always obscured by a mist, making it impossible to see clearly.
Fragmented memories churned in Lǐ Xīn’s mind.
Soon, he arrived at the location Qín Yuándé had mentioned.
This was the headquarters of the Yuande Club.
Located in a magnificent and imposing office building.
In fact, Qín Yuándé not only had an extraordinary talent for billiards but also possessed considerable business acumen. Under the Yuande brand, there were now numerous billiard halls and a whole billiard industry chain.
From any perspective, Qín Yuándé was a senior worthy of Lǐ Xīn’s admiration and learning.
Upon entering the Yuande Club, Lǐ Xīn was stopped by the receptionist.
“Hello sir, this area is not open to the public. Do you have an appointment?”
“Uh~ I’m looking for Qín Yuándé.”
“Are you Lǐ Xīn?”
“Yes!”
“Oh, okay. General Manager Qín notified me. Please follow me!”
The decoration of Qín Yuándé’s office was luxurious, with every detail reflecting the owner’s taste and strength.
The spacious and bright room was furnished with high-end solid wood furniture, emitting a faint woody aroma.
Famous paintings hung on the walls, adding an artistic touch.
But the most striking feature was the three enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, standing side-by-side as if the entire world was laid out before them.
Through the clear, transparent glass, the river view opposite was unobstructed. The surging river water sparkled brilliantly under the sun, like a silver dragon rushing past.
Occasionally, boats sailed across the river, leaving long trails of water, adding a dynamic beauty to the tranquil scene.
On the mahogany desk, there was a Tea Set. The cups still contained unfinished tea. He wondered where General Manager Qín had gone?
“Lǐ Xīn, you’re here!”
“Make yourself comfortable!”
General Manager Qín approached from behind, holding a cue case.
However, the cue case had no brand logo. It was likely a custom-made handmade cue from a master craftsman.
After they sat down.
Qín Yuándé lit a cigarette and began, “Actually, there’s nothing special about why I asked you here today.”
“I know you and my daughter were dating in high school, and I also know that you defeated her in a competition a few days ago.”
“I’ve watched recordings of your matches. You are a young man with great talent in billiards. Frankly, you are more composed and resilient than I was at your age.”
“As long as you continue to develop normally in the future and don’t stray from the right path, I can guarantee you have a place at the Ceiling of Chinese Eight-ball.”
Facing such high praise, Lǐ Xīn just smiled and said, “Uncle Qín is too kind. I only made it to the top eight in a City Level Competition.”
Qín Yuándé quickly waved his hand, “I don’t misjudge people. To put it mystically, top players have a certain aura, and I see that aura in you.”
“Uncle Qín, why did you ask me here today?”
At this point, Qín Yuándé finally opened up, “Since the match with you last time, Ranran has been shutting herself away at home, her eyes swollen from crying.”
“I know there are two reasons for her sadness. The first, direct reason, is that you defeated her in the competition, and that too, after you went easy on her. She’s a girl with great pride, and I wanted to guide her toward a professional path, but after competing with you, her ambition vanished.”
“The second reason is… it’s that she still hasn’t let go of you. I don’t know what your situation was before, she never actively told me, but I can sense it.”
Lǐ Xīn took a deep breath and then slowly asked, “Then… what can I do?”
“Make her happy!”
Young Master, there is more to this chapter, please click next page to continue reading, the next part is more exciting!
Qín Yuándé’s answer was simple, yet a complex problem.
Even her father couldn’t do it. How could Lǐ Xīn?
“I hope Ranran can achieve something in the career she loves, but as a father, I hope she lives happily every day. You must understand me!”
“I understand. But… I probably can’t. We’ve long been strangers, and besides… besides, she was the one who broke up with me. I don’t feel I owe her anything in terms of our relationship!”
Qín Yuándé waved his hand, signaling, “Don’t refuse so quickly. Open this cue case first!”
Saying this, he handed the cue case to Lǐ Xīn.
The latter paused for a moment, then opened it. Inside lay a two-piece handmade cue.
The grain on the cue was clear, and the material was excellent, obviously made of fine Tulipwood.
Engraved on the butt were a few words: “To my precious boyfriend, Lǐ Xīn!”
Lǐ Xīn was stunned……
Because it was clearly not carved recently. It was likely from high school, when he and Qín Rǎn were still together.
Qín Yuándé added, “This is what I found when I was tidying up Ranran’s room, in her closet. After so long, there isn’t any dust on the cue case. She must often take it out to polish it……”
“Uncle Qín, stop…”
Lǐ Xīn felt his throat tighten. Holding the cue case, his heart was incredibly complex.
He didn’t understand why Qín Rǎn had done this. She was the one who initiated the breakup. The day before they broke up, they practiced together, happy as usual.
But now, she was acting so wistful…
Looking up at Qín Yuándé’s earnest gaze, Lǐ Xīn finally relented.
“Uncle Qín, I’ll try my best. I’ll try to untangle her emotional knot.”
“Alright! Thank you!” The latter’s eyes also turned red. He had only one daughter, whom he cherished dearly, but in matters of the heart, he, as a father, couldn’t help his daughter at all……
“I’ll give you this cue. It’s like a Return to original owner.”
“This is too valuable. I can’t accept it!”
“I think if Qín Rǎn knew you had this cue, she would be very happy too……”
Qín Yuándé’s will was firm, and he pressed the cue case into Lǐ Xīn’s hand.
“Okay then. Please thank Qín Rǎn for me……”
“No, no! Didn’t you forget what you promised me? You have to thank her in person!”
It was already nine o’clock in the evening when Lǐ Xīn left the Yuande Club.
Qín Rǎn’s house was two kilometers away.
To the left was the direction of Qín Rǎn’s house, and to the right was back to school.
Lǐ Xīn hailed a taxi. As if making a decision, he said, “Driver, turn around and go left.”