The next morning, Wu Wei and Meng Xiaotian return home. Wu Wei enters his room only to find Lin Yi Yang up early, seemingly troubled. Wu Wei inquires if his date didn’t go as expected, to which Lin Yi Yang reveals that Meng Xiaodong is the older brother of Yin Guo. Shocked, Wu Wei springs up from his bed, exclaiming that Lin Yi Yang is in a difficult situation.
Upon waking, Yin Guo is surprised to see Wu Wei and Meng Xiaoting still at home, having assumed they’d left without her. Just then, Lin Yi Yang emerges from his room. They invite Yin Guo to join them, and despite her initial reluctance, suggesting she’d manage on her own, they persist, playfully cautioning her about missing out on a good meal. This leaves her pondering the invitation.
Lin Yi Yang – When is the training?
Yin Guo – Around three or four.
Lin Yi Yang – Want to get changed?
Yin Guo -No, I can go out like this.
Lin Yi Yang – Let’s go then.
After agreeing to go out together, they prepare to leave, with Wu Wei playfully ribbing Lin Yi Yang for his direct approach.
Upon arriving at a breakfast spot, Lin Yi Yang takes extra care to ensure a pleasant experience for her, ordering salmon soup, a local specialty, with her in mind.
Wu Wei observes the mutual glances shared between them and decides it’s best to give them some privacy. He suggests to Meng Xiaotian that they explore another location, a suggestion Meng Xiaotian quickly accepts, understanding the hint to leave the pair alone. Silently, Wu Wei sends Lin Yi Yang a message, hinting that the restaurant they’ve chosen is known as a romantic spot, implying it’s the perfect setting for a date.
Lin Yi Yang finishes his meal quickly, leaving some behind, which Yin Guo misinterprets as his eagerness to depart. Not wanting to cause any inconvenience, she hurries through her breakfast. Lin Yi Yang wishes to reassure her but struggles to find the right words.
After she completes her meal, Yin Guo is left pondering Lin Yi Yang’s intentions, questioning his serious demeanor. She wonders if there’s an issue with the metro, whether they need to find a taxi, walk home, or if there’s been a change in her housing situation.
Breaking her train of thought, Lin Yi Yang unexpectedly suggests getting ice cream. Taken aback but pleased, she agrees. However, upon arriving at the ice cream shop, they discover it has been closed since October, leaving them to reconsider their plans.
Lin Yi Yang decides to take her to a different location and they end up at another restaurant. Upon their arrival, Lin Yi Yang inquires if Yin Guo is feeling uncomfortable. Just as they approach, someone from inside announces the restaurant is closed, but it turns out the person is Pinger, a friend of Lin Yi Yang. Lin Yi Yang requests ice cream, and Pinger, curious about Yin Guo, mistakenly assumes they are on a date and suggests Lin Yi Yang to enhance the mood with dried rose petals and berries.
Yin Guo promptly clarifies that they are merely roommates and not involved romantically. Pinger then highlights that it’s unusual for Lin Yi Yang to bring a female companion, noting it’s been two years since he has known him. Meanwhile, Lin Yi Yang goes off to fetch the dried rose petals and berries.
While Lin Yi Yang is away, Yin Guo and Pinger engage in conversation. Yin Guo inquires if Lin Yi Yang works there part-time, to which he explains he met Lin Yi Yang at a billiard club. Their friendship grew from there, and Lin Yi Yang frequently visited the restaurant to lend Pinger a hand, showcasing the depth of their bond.
Upon Lin Yi Yang’s return, his friend momentarily steps away to prepare the ice cream, leaving them to chat. Lin Yi Yang shares with Yin Guo that he’s a retired baseball player who also has skills in billiards.
When his friend returns with two servings of ice cream, he lingers, playfully teasing Lin Yi Yang. In response, Lin Yi Yang jestingly signals with his eyes for his friend to give them some privacy, which his friend understands and leaves them to enjoy their ice cream.
As they savor their ice cream, Lin Yi Yang and Yin Guo delve into a conversation about Lin Yi Yang’s academic journey and his plans post-graduation. Lin Yi Yang admits he hasn’t made any definitive decisions yet. Yin Guo, curious, asks if he’s ever considered turning professional in sports. Lin Yi Yang acts as if the thought hadn’t crossed his mind, but Yin Guo encourages him, suggesting he seriously contemplates pursuing a professional career.
Lin Yi Yang – Many players never attend world tournaments and focus on regional ones. Do you know why? Some of them are not interested in the world ranking. Some of them can’t adapt to the greater contests due to their weak minds.That’s me.
Yin Guo dismisses it with a laugh, suggesting it’s not a possibility. He questions her skepticism, but she doesn’t provide an immediate response, leaving the topic hanging.
Attempting to shift the conversation, Lin Yi Yang inquires if she’s ever tried sweet liquor, describing it as a dessert-like beverage. Curious, she expresses interest, and they decide to give it a try.
Lin Yi Yang approaches his friend to order the sweet liquor, but his friend tries to dissuade him, cautioning that it might not be to her taste. However, Lin Yi Yang is persistent. His friend then advises him to be upfront about the price to appear genuine.
Upon returning with the liquor, Yin Guo queries if Lin Yi Yang has previously tried it. He shares his experience from last month, noting the uniqueness of wines and liquors, particularly the aged varieties, and how fortunate one is to taste them. Holding the last glass, Yin Guo resolves to savor it. After a sip, she finds it strong and a bit burning, yet sweet.
Just then, Wu Wei arrives at the restaurant, and Pinger, Lin Yi Yang’s friend and the restaurant owner, indicates they’re enjoying sweet liquor. Wu Wei jokingly contrasts Lin Yi Yang’s usual preference for simple foods like hot dogs and pizza with the sophisticated choice of liquor for Yin Guo.
After leaving the restaurant, Lin Yi Yang, calls a cab, sees Wu Wei internally bemoan the expense as he and Meng Xiaoting opt to walk to save money.
Lin Yi Yang and Yin Guo arrive at the billiards club. He tells her to get in touch if she requires anything, and discreetly gives some money to a waiter to purchase coffee for Yin Guo. When she sees that he has procured coffee for her, she offers to pay, but he explains that since he was feeling sleepy and wanted a coffee for himself, he decided to get one for her too. She lightheartedly complains that all she’s been doing since waking up is eating and drinking.
As they savor their coffee together, Lin Yi Yang’s alarm goes off. He says goodbye to Yin Guo, asking the club’s staff to look out for her. Left to practice alone, Yin Guo receives a call from her coach, who instructs her to work on her jump shot and cautions her about another impending storm, noting that it’s already snowing.
Curious, Yin Guo inquires if her coach knows Wu Wei. Her coach acknowledges seeing Wu Wei’s name on a list but mentions he hasn’t competed in Nine-Ball, leading to further discussion about Wu Wei’s background. He’s identified as a talented individual from Dongxin City, though not currently ranked globally due to limited recent play.
Yin Guo then shifts the conversation to Lin Yi Yang, learning from her coach that Lin Yi Yang was once a professional snooker player who triumphed in a championship on his debut, with her brother Meng Xiaodong being one of his contemporaries.
The coaching staff begins to reflect on Lin Yi Yang’s career, noting his absence from the mainstream scene. They consult another coach, Mr. Xu, who reveals Lin Yi Yang was once the favored disciple of He Wanfeng, a revered figure in China’s billiard world. Despite Lin Yi Yang’s undeniable talent, his unruly behavior led to friction with He Wanfeng, ultimately resulting in his expulsion.
However, Lin Yi Yang maintained close ties with peers like Jiang Yang. Following He Wanfeng’s retirement, Jiang Yang assumed a leadership role, marking a shift in the billiards community’s dynamics regarding Lin Yi Yang’s legacy.
“Who is Jiang Yang?” is inquired.
Lin Yiyang is identified as Jiang Yang’s junior.
As a result, it is understood that no one in the club dares to speak ill of Lin.
Hence, he is acknowledged as a junior to Jiang Yang.
Affirmation is given with a “Yes, that’s correct.”
It is noted by others, including Jiang Yang, that he is referred to as the Sixth, attributed to his position as Mr. He’s sixth disciple.
They offer to inquire about him with Meng Xiaodong is made by the coach, yet she requests that neither Jiang Yang nor her brother be informed.
After ending the call, the coaches begin to marvel at Lin Yi Yang’s incredible talent and express regret over his decision to retire. Just then, Meng Xiaodong walks in, apologizing for his delay due to a meeting. The coaches politely excuse themselves. In the meantime, Meng Xiaodong proposes to his friend that they adjust their travel itinerary to visit Yin Guo first for the Nine-Ball event. He questions his friend’s reluctance to meet his sister, to which his friend responds that he doesn’t want to interfere with her training.
Meng Xiaodong reassures him that he’s not significant enough to cause a disruption. He then encourages his friend to express his feelings to Guo. His friend explains that Guo is aware of his feelings but has remained silent because she doesn’t share them. Meng Xiaodong suggests that confessing his feelings might lead to clarity, allowing him to move forward and concentrate on his career if Guo does not reciprocate his feelings.
As Yin Guo ponders over what message to send Lin Yi Yang, she decides to inquire about the vintage of the liquor they had shared. Lin Yi Yang responds that it was from the year he was born.
During a train journey, Lin Yi Yang converses with his friend, Sun Zhou, questioning if his presence is dull. Sun Zhou, puzzled by the question, listens as Lin Yi Yang reflects on feedback he received recently—that his time spent with a certain person revolves solely around dining, lacking variety in activities. He muses that his impoverished childhood might have left him with a simplistic view of happiness, finding joy primarily in the experience of eating.
Sun Zhou attempts to delve deeper, but Lin Yi Yang deflects. The conversation shifts as Sun Zhou expresses concern over Lin Yi Yang’s frequent travels during the semester. Lin Yi Yang mentions he won’t be traveling the following week due to a busy schedule, prompting a playful remark from Sun Zhou about him making similar claims previously.
Meanwhile, Lin Yi Yang receives a text from Yin Guo, who asks if he’s ever visited a specific restaurant. When he replies negatively, she suggests taking him there, praising the pasta that her best friend adores. She insists on paying, emphasizing that friends treat each other in turn. Lin Yi Yang accepts her proposal.
As Yin Guo is about to leave the billiards venue, an employee asks her when Lin Yi Yang will return. She informs them that Lin has left for a week, which disappoints the employee. To offer some comfort, Yin Guo proposes her company instead. The employee then serves her rice pirog, mentioning Lin Yi Yang prepared plenty for them, a testament to the strong connections he has with everyone there.
Upon arriving at the apartment, Yin Guo is surprised to find Jiang Yang, Meng Xiaodong’s known rival, along with others from Dongxin City. She greets everyone politely, but their surprised looks make her retreat to her room, feeling embarrassed. Inside, she ponders why these snooker players are interested in nine-ball.
In the living room, the conversation turns to Yin Guo as one of the visitors inquires about her identity. Jiang Yang reveals she is Meng Xiaodong’s younger sister. The group’s curiosity about her grows when Wu Wei appears, and he subtly clarifies that Yin Guo is associated with Lin Yi Yang, not him. This revelation sparks intrigue in Jiang Yang’s expression.
Meanwhile, Yin Guo keeps herself occupied by watching a movie and eating in her room, choosing to spend a significant amount of time there. Deciding to venture out again, she finds the living room unusually quiet, learning that Lin Yi Yang had instructed everyone to keep the noise down so she could rest. Lin Yi Yang announces his return and heads for a shower.
Yin Guo then goes to the refrigerator for some food, and Jiang Yang, noticing her, declines her offer to share, mentioning his stomach’s sensitivity to cold items. Feeling awkward around the group, she decides to take her breakfast back to her room.
Shortly after, she receives a message from Lin Yi Yang.
Lin Yi Yang – What are you doing?
Yin Guo – Having an Ice Cream.
Lin Yi Yang – See you in the laundry room.
Yin Guo – Okay. I happen to have clothes to wash.
Lin Yi Yang – You go first. I’ll be there.
Yin Guo – Okay.
They choose to keep their plans to spend time together under wraps. Despite Jiang Yang’s reminder about her brother, Lin Yi Yang decides not to let it deter him.
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