Chapter 53: The Sealed Pride (1)
The situation was incredibly awkward.
She had wanted to surprise him, but by some twist of fate, he wasn’t even at East New City…
Yin Guo sat on the sofa in the main building of East New City, her luggage beside her and a cup of chrysanthemum tea in front of her. As the "boss's wife" of East New City, she was being observed from all directions—upstairs, downstairs, left and right.
Everyone had been present at the memorial service that day, but with so many guests, no one had paid much attention. Now, however, the entire East New City—hundreds of people across all age groups—had their eyes on her.
Some were going up and down the stairs, others were heading out for competitions, and a few had just returned.
People came and went. Those who recognized Yin Guo greeted her with a smile, while those who didn’t asked the receptionist who the pretty girl being surrounded was. Even those who weren’t curious were pulled aside for a quick explanation…
The professional players were more reserved, at most exchanging a few extra words with her as they passed by. The younger boys, however, were a different story. Surrounding Yin Guo now was a group of fifteen- or sixteen-year-olds—tall, lanky, and handsome, each standing at least six feet tall.
Kids these days really grow up fast…
With them crowding around her, Yin Guo was practically invisible.
"Calling her 'Aunt Six' sounds weird," a dimpled boy suggested cheerfully. "Let’s call her Sister Guo instead."
Another boy kicked him lightly. "She’s Uncle Six’s wife. You can’t call her 'sister.'"
"Well, that’s not my fault. Who told Uncle Six to go cradle-robbing? Right, Sister?"
"What are you calling her?" A man’s voice came from the entrance as he hurried up the steps, scolding them. "No respect at all?"
As he spoke, he pulled something from his pocket and tossed it over without looking—a sealed bar of dark chocolate.
The dimpled boy reacted too slowly, but another quick-handed kid caught it.
"Thanks, Uncle Six!" the catcher shouted with a grin.
Amidst laughter, the group scattered instantly.
Lin Yiyang had gone to get a haircut that morning, realizing only after the barber gave him a buzz cut that he was meeting her parents that evening. The hairstyle was a bit too bold.
Fortunately, he had ironed his dress shirt and trousers the night before, and they were still in his dorm, so at least he wouldn’t look completely disheveled.
Originally, he had planned to pick Yin Guo up from the airport, change at home, and then head to her parents’ place. But after receiving her call, he saved himself the trip to the airport.
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, he couldn’t be too affectionate. He bent down slightly and teased her in a low voice, "Might as well sign with East New City, huh? Look how popular you are."
Yin Guo reached for his hand.
He chuckled and clasped hers in return.
Her gaze lingered on the tattoo on his arm. The moment she saw it, her heart settled. He was here. She felt grounded.
"If you’re signing anyone, it should be her, not me," she said, nodding toward Liu Xiran in the distance.
Honestly, she deeply admired this veteran player. Liu had just returned from winning the World Championship, put away her gold medal, and immediately started training as a sparring partner. Meanwhile, Yin Guo—who had placed third—was sitting here, sipping tea and enjoying the warm early summer breeze.
Lin Yiyang was reminded by Yin Guo’s words. Straightening up, he called out to Liu Xiran.
"There’s a celebration banquet in the cafeteria tomorrow night—for the World Championship gold medalist," he said.
Liu Xiran froze. "No… I’m not from East New City. That wouldn’t be proper."“Be there on time.” He didn’t give the other party a chance to argue further.
Hosting a celebration banquet for the World Championship gold medal for a girl drifting outside East New City, longing for a sense of belonging—even if it was just in the East New City cafeteria—was the best gift for this World Champion.
Liu Xiran was silent for a long moment before finally uttering two words: “Thanks.”
Lin Yiyang smiled. “No need to be polite.”
He pulled out the handle of her suitcase and asked, “Not leaving yet?”
Carrying her suitcase, he walked out first.
Yin Guo quickly shouldered her bag and caught up with him.
Lin Yiyang’s dorm was on the first floor next door, at the very end.
The men of East New City all lived on the first floor, while the girls were on the south side of the second floor. Since there were fewer female players, the north side of the second floor housed various lounges and communal bathrooms.
As Yin Guo and Lin Yiyang passed the staircase, a few people coming back from showering greeted Lin Yiyang.
He acknowledged them and opened the dorm door.
He had left in a hurry that morning, and the curtains were still drawn, with only a sliver of sunlight seeping through the right gap, casting a beam on the floor.
The moment she stepped inside, she sniffed the air.
The entire room was filled with his scent.
Noticing her eyes fixed intently on him, Lin Yiyang wrapped an arm around her and set the suitcase against the wall. “What time’s the appointment?”
Yin Guo knew he was asking about dinner at her family’s place that evening.
That day, Grandma had insisted on inviting Lin Yiyang for a meal, and Mom had tacitly agreed. Dad, however, wasn’t too pleased. Out of consideration for the elderly, he tactfully remarked, “It’s still too early. No need for him to come over so soon.” But Grandma was adamant about expressing her gratitude, so Dad couldn’t say much.
Yet this week, Dad had unexpectedly brought up Lin Yiyang on the phone.
Though Yin Guo’s father wasn’t in the billiards industry, he had once been an athlete himself. He understood the struggles of niche sports and how rare it was for those who achieved success to give back. Lin Yiyang had surprisingly become one of those few.
“Well done, truly well done. The kids of this generation at East New City are lucky.”
At the end of the call, Dad even asked when Lin Yiyang would visit, saying he’d try to come home so they could have a proper chat.
So she wasn’t worried about dinner tonight at all. It was just—
“Six o’clock,” she said.
“Still early,” Lin Yiyang murmured, leaning in to kiss her.
She dodged. “There’s something else…”
After hesitating, she whispered, “My… it’s over a week late.”
In Shenyang, while everyone was buzzing about the Asian Games after the competition, her mind was entirely preoccupied with this. Fresh out of school, just starting her professional career—this possibility had thrown her into complete disarray. Unplanned pregnancy was something she hadn’t even dared to imagine.
Lin Yiyang froze.
This was supposed to be a long-awaited reunion, with plans to spend a couple of hours here before meeting his future in-laws, then picking up the motorcycle he’d bought last time in the evening.
Now all those thoughts scattered.
His girlfriend was telling him she might be carrying his child.
Back in his wildest teenage years, plenty of the guys he hung around with had gone through this. None of them took it seriously—usually, if someone gloomily muttered, “Lend me some cash,” nine times out of ten, it was for this reason.
…
Outwardly, he seemed calm, almost indifferent, but in truth, he didn’t know how to react. He could see her unease and had to rein in his own thoughts, stopping himself from letting his gaze drop to her abdomen.An unfamiliar emotion, never felt before, was gripping her nerves. The arm encircling her tightened unconsciously—he wanted to kiss her. His lips pressed against her forehead, lingering on her bangs for a moment.
For a long while, not a single word was spoken.
Finally, his arm around her tightened with force, pulling her close. "It's okay, it's okay. I'm here."
No matter what, he needed to confirm first.
"We'll talk on the way," he said, recalling his past experiences with his brothers—the first step was always to go to the hospital. "Let’s go to the hospital first. There’s still time."
As he spoke, he moved to open the door.
Yin Guo grabbed his arm. "No need for the hospital. Let’s go to the pharmacy first… we can test it ourselves."
Pharmacy? Lin Yiyang froze for a second.
Most men knew how to have sex—they’d grown up watching porn in groups, familiar with every method and technique. They also knew a few ways to prevent pregnancy, being educated young men. But how to test for it…
"Okay, wait here," he agreed first.
He pulled out his phone to search—the internet would surely have answers.
Lin Yiyang left the room.
Yin Guo sat on the sofa, waiting for him, her heart uneasy as she glanced around the room.
He had packed and shipped all his books from his student days back here, neatly arranged on the bookshelf beside the sofa. At first glance, she almost thought she was back in the apartment he’d lived in during college—just much more spacious.
That apartment had been too small, forcing them to sit side by side on the edge of the bed just to talk. Later, after they became intimate, they simply spent their time on the bed—chatting, watching movies, and doing other things.
On his birthday, after returning from the pool hall to his apartment, they turned off the lights and kissed in the dark, stripping down and slipping under the covers. It was their first time since Hawaii. Midway, he clearly sensed her discomfort and stopped in the darkness, kissing her softly, using his palm to help her relax before whispering, "Does it still hurt the second time?"
After that, he slowed down, pausing for a long while to let her adjust to his presence.
Even at the most intense moment, he restrained himself and stopped. He was a rare man—whether in life or in bed… Those had been the most beautiful days they’d spent together.
It felt like just yesterday.
Yin Guo kicked off her shoes and curled up in the corner of the sofa, hugging her knees.
It was as if, the moment she saw Lin Yiyang, all her troubles were taken over by him. Her mind emptied, her chin resting on her knees as she obediently waited.
Lin Yiyang drove to the nearest pharmacy.
After turning off the engine, he saw her message.
Fruit in the Forest: Remember to wear a mask.
Fruit in the Forest: You have a lot of fans. With the tournament coming up, don’t let anyone recognize you.
That mask was still there. He never lost anything Yin Guo gave him.
He found the black mask she’d given him in the glove compartment. Getting out of the car, he walked toward the pharmacy, about to put it on, but then reconsidered—he wasn’t a celebrity, and not that many strangers would recognize him.
His motion of putting it on and taking it off caught the attention of a young girl standing by the entrance of a nearby convenience store. She stared at him for a few seconds— Damn, he’s so handsome, from his face to his aura, and that height… Is he a celebrity? Not famous yet? From a talent show?
The girl fumbled for her phone to snap a picture, but Lin Yiyang had already fully put on the mask and strode past. She followed a few steps, trying to get a better look, hesitating to take a photo. By the time his figure disappeared, she was kicking herself for not capturing it to ask in her group chat—she’d missed a chance encounter.
Lin Yiyang, completely unaware, turned right and entered the pharmacy.The pharmacy had open shelves. He wandered around twice but didn’t find what Yin Guo wanted, so he had to walk up to the counter. There, an elderly woman and an elderly man, both in white coats, were standing.
Lin Yiyang cleared his throat, his dark eyes fixed on the elderly woman. After a moment’s thought, he shifted his gaze to the elderly man.
He didn’t say anything.
……
The elderly man and woman both looked at him.
After a brief silence, he took out his phone and showed them the search results on the screen.
……
The elderly man and woman exchanged glances.
“We have this,” the elderly woman said, pulling out two boxes from under the counter. “Most people buy two.”
He stared at the two boxes, pondering for three seconds. Double-checking wouldn’t hurt.
So he took out his wallet, paid, and left.
When he returned, he parked the car in the courtyard of East New City.
Lin Yiyang rested his left hand on the steering wheel, eyeing the two boxes in the transparent plastic bag. They were too conspicuous, and he was afraid someone might recognize them if he carried them inside. He didn’t care much, but Yin Guo was a girl—it wouldn’t be good if people found out.
So he took the items out, stuffed them into his pants pocket, kept one instruction leaflet, and threw the boxes into the trash.
Yin Guo took two sealed plastic bags and an instruction leaflet from Lin Yiyang.
“I’ll wait for you outside,” he said.
She nodded lightly and went into the bathroom.
After a moment’s hesitation, she locked the door. Her hands trembled slightly as she stared at the two bags, her heart filled with unease.
Lin Yiyang sat in the room, feeling as though time had slowed to a crawl.
In three hours, he would be meeting his future mother-in-law for the first time. Yet now, he was anxiously awaiting another unexpected turn in his life.
A minute later, a voice came from inside. “…Why are there two?”
Lin Yiyang coughed awkwardly. “To test twice. The pharmacy said it’s more reliable.”
“Oh.”
Two minutes later.
“Lin Yiyang?”
He hummed in response, holding his breath.
“…What if I am?”
So the results weren’t out yet. He exhaled in relief.
“First, tell me what you think,” Lin Yiyang countered through the door.
“I want to hear what you say…”
……
“Lin Yiyang?”
“Give me a moment to think how to phrase it.” He braced a hand against the wall beside the bathroom, organizing his thoughts before speaking slowly. “From your perspective, the Asian Games are in three months. That shouldn’t be a big issue for your event.” Pregnant athletes competing in the Olympics or Asian Games weren’t uncommon as long as the sport wasn’t too strenuous, so participating in the Asian Games shouldn’t be a problem.
He continued, “But you’ve just started your professional career. Is it the right time to have a child so soon? You’d need at least six months to recover.”
Suddenly, the bathroom door opened.
Lin Yiyang straightened up, thinking she had gotten the results.
“I haven’t tested yet,” she said, waving the bags nervously. “I’m scared.”
……
After all this back and forth, his back was damp with sweat.
“I want to look at you while you talk,” Yin Guo said, her voice shaky. She was on the verge of panic too.
Lin Yiyang stared at her for a long moment before saying, “I’d be happy.”
He repeated, “Very happy.”
Don’t be anxious or uneasy. The man standing before you is far happier than you could imagine.Back when Yin Guo took the train alone to find him, he had already made an assumption—even if she later looked down on him or dumped him, he would still remember her. Even if she fell for someone else and ran off with them, he would still hold her in his heart. He knew that once he liked something, he couldn’t let go, though he wasn’t the type to force things.
Past experiences had also taught him that fate between people was the hardest thing to force. Having truly loved was enough; he didn’t demand that she stay with him till the end. But now, his mindset had changed. If it really happened, whether she stayed or left was her decision—he wouldn’t force it.
There was just one thing she had to listen to him on: they had to get married first.
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