Chapter 44: When Glory Returns (3)
Five days later, Lin Yiyang achieved another 147 maximum break.
This marked the third maximum break of his career—all in the same Open tournament. The short interval between these feats ignited the passion of fans, including those who didn’t usually follow Snooker, spawning one trending topic after another about Lin Yiyang.
In his first year back competing on home soil, he was already rewriting records with astonishing performances.
Meng Xiaodong and Jiang Yang also surged forward relentlessly, leading the newcomers to deliver the best results for Chinese players in this year’s China Open, offering one thrilling moment after another for the home crowd.
In the end, Meng Xiaodong and Jiang Yang were stopped in the semifinals, while Lin Yiyang advanced to the finals.
Yin Guo had thought she could make it to the finals, but the 9-Ball Association unexpectedly extended the training camp schedule. This meant she missed Lin Yiyang’s entire first Open tournament since his return to domestic competition.
On the day of the finals, the training camp finally ended.
Yin Guo had no time to go home. After the World Championship mobilization meeting, she had to fly straight to the U.S. Open.
Seated in the front row, directly facing the sports bureau officials—one of whom was her own mother—she didn’t dare make any unnecessary movements, nor could she check the time...
Her heart was suspended, hanging high with tension.
As the officials finished their speeches, everyone stood and applauded. Yin Guo rose immediately, clapping more enthusiastically than anyone else. No one in that room was more eager for this meeting to end than her.
"Alright, everyone is dismissed. Go and rest," the kindly-faced association president announced. "Many of you have flights to catch this afternoon, so I won’t keep you long."
The crowd dispersed.
Seeing that her mother was too busy to pay her any attention, Yin Guo quickly pushed through the crowd and hurried out the door. Once outside, she dashed up the stairs to the next floor, pulling out her phone as she ran.
There was no need to check the news—her WeChat was already flooded.
Everyone was messaging her, including Zheng Yi and her cousin Meng Xiaotian, but she didn’t dare open a single one.
The second-floor windows were open, the breeze cooling her face, but it did nothing to ease the heat in her cheeks.
Suddenly, a new message popped up.
Lin: No congratulations for me?
Her heart clenched violently.
Covering her mouth, tears of joy burst from her eyes, spilling over her fingers in an instant. He had won. Lin Yiyang had won—he had taken the China Open championship!
Afraid of being seen or heard by the officials passing by downstairs, she pressed her right shoulder against the wall, trying to contain her emotions. Just as the officials below laughed and walked toward the exit, Lin Yiyang sent another message.
Lin: Miss you.
Clutching her phone, she cried like a fool. After winning the championship, after lifting the trophy, he was telling her he missed her.
Nothing could have been more moving than this.
This big fool never knew how to be sentimental. He always used the simplest, most sincere words and actions to show how much he cared.
Inside the arena, the crowd had long dispersed.
The man who had just won the championship trophy sat in the first row on the north side, the trophy placed on the seat beside him. His waistcoat was also draped over another chair. Leaning back, his arms resting on the backs of the seats to either side, he gazed calmly at the empty venue.
The green snooker table stood alone at the center of the court.
"What are you doing sitting here by yourself?" Jiang Yang asked from behind."Tired." He couldn't be bothered to say another word.
"Didn't call your girlfriend?" the person behind him asked again.
Lin Yiyang held his phone in his right hand, also waiting for Yin Guo's reply: "They had a mobilization meeting this afternoon for the World Championship."
Before he could finish speaking, WeChat notifications chimed repeatedly—countless messages flooding in.
Endless [heart] emojis spammed the screen.
Fruit in the Forest: I never thought you'd actually win this tournament...
Fruit in the Forest: You're the best.
Fruit in the Forest: It really feels like a dream.
Fruit in the Forest: Crying my eyes out, give me a moment to recover...
Another barrage of [heart] emojis kept pouring in.
Lin Yiyang watched the screen light up with messages, smiling as he imagined her tearfully typing these words.
Laughter erupted behind him—not just from one person.
He turned to look. The entire East New City crew was there, from the oldest to the youngest, spanning two generations. They had been standing quietly without making a sound. Now that Lin Yiyang had noticed them, they all burst into laughter, calling out "Sixth Uncle," "Sixth Brother"...
Suddenly, the north stands came alive.
Amused, Lin Yiyang glanced at them, stood up, and pointed at the trophy, saying to Jiang Yang, "Take this back for me."
With that, he gripped the railing and vaulted over the stands, landing firmly on the ground below before walking away without looking back. When he won his first national championship at 13, he had celebrated the same way—jumping off the stands, shedding his suit vest, and striding through the victorious arena in his cheap fabric shirt and ill-fitting dress pants.
Jiang Yang leaned on the railing, watching his retreating figure.
The boy from back then walked briskly; the man now walked just as fast. But where the former had been spirited and brash, the latter carried himself with steady confidence.
After the club coach finished handling everyone's check-in procedures, the group disbanded upon clearing customs.
They all scattered to the duty-free shops.
Yin Guo rested in the innermost corner of a row of seats near the boarding gate, sipping her drink.
A WeChat message from Zheng Yi popped up.
Zheng Yi: Your man's gone viral—everyone's talking about him.
Zheng Yi, being outside their circle, had her social media flooded with posts.
Yin Guo took a sip of her drink, wondering where he was now.
As if sensing her thoughts, a man's hand soon rested on her shoulder: "Been waiting long?"
Hearing Lin Yiyang's voice, her anxious heart finally settled.
She glanced around, especially toward the duty-free shops, checking where her teammates were.
"Come here, go around this way," she urged, tugging at his wrist.
Lin Yiyang let her pull him around from the back row to the front. He hadn't changed out of his formal competition attire from the morning—still in dress pants, black leather shoes, and a white dress shirt, though with the collar unbuttoned and sleeves rolled up slightly to soften the otherwise stern look.
As soon as he sat beside her, Yin Guo pressed a black face mask into his palm: "Put this on first."
Lin Yiyang stared at the item in bewilderment: "Why?"
"Hurry up," she whispered urgently. "There are so many colleagues on this flight."
He was currently the center of attention—the star player who'd just won the China Open, trending everywhere online.This boarding gate would soon be crowded with colleagues flying to the U.S. for the 9-Ball Open. Last year, not many signed up, but this year there were plenty, including many newcomers who hadn’t seen him in the lounge the previous year. Though some from the North City Club privately spread rumors that Lin Yiyang was the little junior sister’s man, openly accompanying her as family was still too conspicuous.
Lin Yiyang turned the face mask over in his hands for a long while before smiling helplessly and putting it on, covering the lower half of his face—a futile attempt at concealment. With only his eyes visible, he glanced at her.
They hadn’t seen each other for a whole month, so it was only natural to want to take a few extra looks. With just their eyes showing, it felt more like a secret exchange of glances.
“My mom told me today that He Lao called her a few times to reminisce, and every time, he talked about you,” she said quietly.
“My teacher was quite happy when Jiang Yang mentioned our relationship,” he replied. “He told me to bring you home sometime.”
His voice, muffled by the mask, was a few tones lower.
“To your teacher’s house?” she asked, surprised.
“Yeah,” he said, as if it were nothing. “He can’t really go out anymore—too old to move around easily.”
“No, I didn’t mean going out,” she explained her surprise. “Ever since I started playing at ten, I’ve heard people talk about your teacher. I never thought I’d actually meet him.”
He shrugged. “You’re the girlfriend of his direct disciple. Meeting him is only natural.”
Even so, it still felt surreal.
She admitted honestly, “Before I met you, I thought all of He Lao’s disciples were uncles—even the youngest, Jiang Yang, is six years older than my brother. Never expected there’d be a stray like you.”
Lin Yiyang nodded, ruffling her hair. “I’ve always had seniority, but you can just call me ‘ge.’ No need for ‘uncle.’”
Yin Guo flushed, swatting his hand away and muttering, “Big-tailed wolf.”
They didn’t get to talk much before the rest of the group returned.
Lin Yiyang instinctively slipped his hands into his trouser pockets and casually stood up from the seat beside her, moving to the floor-to-ceiling window to watch the tarmac like a stranger.
To an outsider, his silhouette, facial contours, and signature shirt-and-slacks combo might not stand out, but anyone in the industry would recognize him instantly. Yin Guo’s senior sister teased her, “Family tagging along?”
“Yeah,” she had no choice but to admit. “After his match… he didn’t have anything else to do. Figured he’d go back to New York to visit old friends.”
The senior sister gave her a thumbs-up. “Nice.”
Skipping the championship celebration, hauling his luggage straight to the airport to accompany his girlfriend to her match—impressive.
Another senior sister also approved of such a considerate family member. “When you two met, it was more like ‘girl strong, boy weak,’ right? Xiao Guo, what made you fall for him? Saw his potential at first glance?”
Who knew? Maybe it really was… his face?
While they were discussing the origins of Lin Yiyang and Yin Guo’s relationship, the East New City group passed by, greeting Lin Yiyang out of courtesy. Amid the chorus of “Sixth Brother” and “Sixth Uncle,” Lin Yiyang responded a couple of times before deciding the black mask was utterly pointless and pulling it off.
He told Chen Anan there was no need for everyone to greet him next time.
Chen Anan pondered this for half a minute before replying earnestly, “That’s impossible. East New City values respect for teachers and elders—seniors come first.”Lin Yiyang knew how stubborn the kid in front of him was, so he stopped arguing and pointed to the boarding gate. "You guys go ahead first. I'll wait a bit longer."
"Not coming together?" There was a hint of suspicion in Chen Anan's eyes.
"Your sister-in-law is shy and doesn't like being stared at," he said. "I'll board last."
Once on the plane, Yin Guo was seated on the left side of business class with three senior sisters. Chen Anan and a girl from East New City were on the right. The girl, who was originally seated next to Yin Guo, voluntarily switched seats with Lin Yiyang.
Both East New City and North City's billiard clubs had booked economy class tickets collectively, with those wanting to upgrade covering the difference themselves. However, due to limited business class seats, there was an unwritten rule that main players and seniors got priority. The younger members usually preferred staying in the back where they could relax more freely.
A partition separated the two, but they could easily peek at each other.
Yin Guo had wanted to whisper a few words to Lin Yiyang before takeoff, but the flight attendant clearly recognized him. During the pre-flight meal service, she chatted with him like a fan, smiling brightly.
Feeling self-conscious, Yin Guo quickly withdrew and went back to playing on her phone.
After takeoff, she went to the restroom and overheard the same flight attendant talking to a colleague: "Lin Yiyang is up front. He's really handsome in person—definitely not just photoshopped."
The flight attendant responsible for the rear passengers asked curiously, "Is he approachable? Can we take a photo with him?"
"Signatures are probably fine. Photos are iffy. I asked earlier, and he shook his head, saying 'Sorry.' Guess he doesn't like taking photos."
Yin Guo listened quietly.
After the two flight attendants left, she peeked through the half-open curtain to look for the man they were discussing. He, too, had noticed her prolonged absence and was searching for her. Spotting Yin Guo in the back, he got up and walked down the aisle.
"What are you looking at?" He lifted the curtain and asked her.
"Listening to the flight attendants talk about you," she teased, pretending to ask for an autograph by extending the back of her hand. "Heard you don't like taking photos? How about a signature?"
Lin Yiyang chuckled at her playful act and leaned closer. "Keep this up, and I'll kiss you."
Suddenly, the light blue curtain was pulled aside, revealing a silver meal cart.
The flight attendant pushing it had a gleam of gossip in her eyes but maintained a professional smile as the two stepped aside to let her pass. Yin Guo turned and left, only to realize she hadn’t even used the restroom… all that waiting outside had been for nothing.
She wasn’t sure why she felt so flustered.
After dinner, the flight soon switched to night mode.
Most passengers were asleep, and the flight attendants stopped moving around.
Lin Yiyang had his headphones on, watching a movie. Yin Guo watched for a while but grew drowsy and decided to sleep. The schedule was tight—they’d be competing as soon as they landed, so they had to force themselves to adjust to the time difference. The more sleep, the better.
Half-asleep, she felt the blanket being adjusted.
Instinctively, she lifted her eye mask. In the dim blue cabin light, Lin Yiyang was beside her seat, bending down to tuck her in. Yin Guo watched as he leaned closer, their eyes meeting. "Aren’t you sleeping?"
She removed one earbud to hear him better.
Lin Yiyang’s features were barely discernible in the dim light, unreal yet intimate. He moved even closer, his warm breath brushing her earlobe as he whispered, "Thought you were asleep."
At 30,000 feet, the ground was far below, the surroundings empty—just the plane’s hundreds of passengers, all heading toward the same destination.Surrounded by partitions on all sides, even if anyone was awake, they could only see them talking, not kissing.
Lin Yiyang's breath brushed against the area below her ear, then her neck, before finally finding Yin Guo's lips. Like that first time in the New York apartment, the two were drawn to each other in the darkness, fumbling toward intimacy, engaging in the most honest physical communication.
After a while, he stopped and stared at her, their breaths mingling.
"Today's match was for you too," he murmured, voice low. "Little queen."
Two maximum breaks, one China Open championship—aside from thanking his mentor, he wanted to give it all to her. To repay that silly girl who, amidst a stadium full of watching eyes during a New York match, had run toward a penniless coach without caring about the live broadcast cameras. She'd taken the hand of that nobody without hesitation, sharing her best moments and proudest achievements with him, regardless of what the future held.
A year had passed in the blink of an eye, but that penniless coach had never forgotten.
Never forgotten.
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