Qi Yanfeng was giving instructions to his secretary when he saw his younger brother enter. He signaled, and the secretary put down the documents, walked out, and closed the door behind him.

Qi Yanzhe slumped into the chair opposite him, his expression like he’d just eaten a hundred rotten eggs.

Qi Yanfeng chuckled, “Oh, who upset our young master of the Qi family now?”

Before, when he heard the words “young master,” Qi Yanzhe thought it was a compliment. But today, being sarcastically called “little Mr. Qi” and told to “go back and ask your elder brother” by that person, Qi Yanzhe’s face darkened even more.

“Brother, I’m asking you, if I use the money Mom and Dad gave me to buy Little Sweet Fruit, and then later need financing, would you help me with connections?” Qi Yanzhe’s gaze was fixed on his elder brother.

Qi Yanfeng was stunned for a moment. He hadn’t expected his brother to think as far as “financing” for this venture. The twenty-plus million yuan was given to Qi Yanzhe by their parents for practice, expecting him to open some high-end bar or club, since he was good at enjoying himself. But who would have thought he’d spend it on a video website? How long could this Little Sweet Fruit limp along under the siege of two major video website giants? How easy was it to change copyright habits? How much money would need to be poured into buying film and television copyrights? In the end, it was highly likely that Little Sweet Fruit would fail before users’ copyright habits were even cultivated. Therefore, it was impossible for Qi Yanfeng to use his connections to fill this bottomless pit for his brother. Perhaps this young master of the Qi family truly needed a little experience of failure to understand that some things wouldn’t succeed just because he liked them, threw money at them, and bought them.

“Xiao Ze, I have no objection to you using Little Sweet Fruit to get a feel for operating a video website. But this is a new form of entertainment, and whether netizens are willing to pay for it is still unknown. Twenty million is already the upper limit for buying experience.”

Qi Yanzhe’s head buzzed. His brother’s attitude was exactly what the person on the phone had predicted. Deep down, he had a premonition that this was the future direction of the entertainment industry. Unlike television stations, video websites offered users more choices and were more flexible.

Qi Yanzhe still insisted on his idea: “Brother, in the future, traditional TV stations might no longer have influence. The main body for broadcasting TV dramas will likely shift to video websites, just like young people now prefer to download TV dramas to their computers rather than sit in front of a TV.”

Although Qi Yanfeng agreed with his brother’s idea, the return on this investment was not clear at present. If he lost everything, he wouldn’t be able to face anyone in the industry. Rather than that, it would be better to invest in making movies and TV dramas, where the profits were at least within his control.

Finally, Qi Yanzhe, like a defeated ostrich, left his elder brother’s office with his head down.

“What, angry? You’re already here, why not have dinner with your big brother?”

“No, I’m choking right now.”

Qi Yanfeng helplessly watched his brother’s retreating figure, thinking that he was already in his early twenties, yet his emotions were still so transparent on his face; truly a child.

Qi Yanzhe left the Hongtian Borui building and drove his sports car along the ring road, letting the wind blow. He didn’t know how long it had been until night fell when he remembered the call he had received. The other party was too hateful; their predictions about his so-called “friends” and his brother’s attitude were so accurate. This meant the guy on the other end of the phone knew him?

Qi Yanzhe thought for a long time, but the guy’s voice was completely unfamiliar; he really couldn’t remember where they had crossed paths. At this point, curiosity intensified in Qi Yanzhe’s heart. Perhaps after his brother’s blow, he was a little discouraged about Little Sweet Fruit, and instead, he wanted to know the other party’s identity even more. He took a deep breath, drove his car back to the city, and sent a message to that unfamiliar number: [Talk?]

Mr. Zheng was meticulously feeding his little birds, more carefully than he pampered his own son. By the time he saw the message, half an hour had passed. In that half-hour, Qi Yanzhe had checked his phone eight hundred times, sometimes propping his chin, sometimes shaking his leg, sometimes getting a beer from the fridge—in short, he couldn’t sit still. His heart pounded: Could the other party have also given up on Little Sweet Fruit? How immoral would that be, to say a bunch of things that put him, the potential sugar daddy, in a difficult position, only for the other party to abandon the project and run? Wasn’t that… why bother to tease if you’re not going to commit? Bah, commit to a ghost!

When Mr. Zheng saw the message, a smile appeared on his lips. He hadn’t expected Qi Yanzhe’s reaction to be exactly as Jiang Ruotang had predicted. He leisurely replied: [Talk then.]

However, what Zheng Huasheng hadn’t expected was that the place Qi Yanzhe suggested for their chat was a billiard hall. Mr. Zheng sighed, rubbing his forehead, and said to Jiang Ruotang, “My little master, I’m no good at this billiard diplomacy.”

Jiang Ruotang also covered his face. Don’t normal people usually discuss business and cooperation in quiet, classy places like clubs or cafes? This Qi Yanzhe… does he expect to play a billiard match with me and only talk business if I win?

“How about… we post a part-time job ad on a recruitment website and find a billiard master to accompany us?” Jiang Ruotang suggested.

Zheng Huasheng: “…”

Mr. Zheng’s silence made Jiang Ruotang realize how unreliable his idea was. Who knew if that “billiard master” would leak their conversation with Qi Yanzhe, causing trouble that would sprout like leeks, one batch after another.

Mr. Zheng suddenly said, “How about I let Lu Ping practice?” Lu Ping was Lu Guifan’s father, and now he was also Zheng Huasheng’s trusted aide.

“It’s too late to find a one-on-one private tutor now. Or, maybe I should go talk to Qi Yanzhe. I do know a little bit about billiards.” However, he hadn’t played in many years and only had superficial skills, so Jiang Ruotang felt very apprehensive about going himself.

Zheng Huasheng said, “Since you’re considering cooperating with Qi Yanzhe, letting him know the true identity of his partner is also a show of honesty. Otherwise, if he finds out later and feels deceived, it won’t be good if things turn sour. It’s indeed better if you go.”

“Okay.” Jiang Ruotang hung up the phone, let out a long sigh again, then leaned on the corridor, daydreaming, thinking that now he was the one who needed a private tutor.

Just then, Lu Guifan, carrying a stack of test papers he had collected from the grade office, passed by Jiang Ruotang. Because of his height, he easily caught a glimpse of Jiang Ruotang’s phone screen, which was searching for “billiard private tutor.”

“Why are you suddenly wanting to play billiards?” Lu Guifan’s voice rang out.

Jiang Ruotang turned around, and as soon as his eyes met Lu Guifan’s, he inexplicably wanted to be comforted by the other. “An elder needs to discuss business with a certain young master, but the young master arranged to meet at a billiard hall… The elder doesn’t know how to play billiards, so I, as a peer, might have to handle the diplomacy. But… my billiard skills are only good enough to be abused.” Jiang Ruotang leaned his head back, showing a pitiful expression.

He actually didn’t expect Lu Guifan to give him advice; he just wanted to bury the back of his head in the other’s chest and then be properly comforted by Lu Guifan. Unfortunately, his wish fell through. Lu Guifan didn’t approach from behind but came to his side. “I can play. Do you want me to practice with you?”

Jiang Ruotang froze, his eyes widening like brass bells. “You… can play billiards? How is that possible?”

“Why not?” Lu Guifan retorted.

“Unbelievable! Billiards is synonymous with idleness, isn’t it? A good student like you…”

As Jiang Ruotang was speaking, Lu Guifan’s hand reached out and pressed his face. Through the gaps in the other’s fingers, Jiang Ruotang saw a faint smile on Lu Guifan’s face. So handsome.

“Good students can play billiards too.”

“Alright, alright, then tonight… after evening self-study, shall we go to the billiard hall for a practice session? I just found a decent billiard hall quite close to school. We can rent a table and play slowly.”

“Playing slowly probably won’t work. We have to be home by 11:30, otherwise you’ll be dozing off in class tomorrow.” Lu Guifan removed his hand, then lightly tapped Jiang Ruotang’s forehead. “You need to learn seriously.”

After speaking, he entered the classroom with the stack of papers. Jiang Ruotang looked at his back, his heart filled with anticipation. Lu Guifan wasn’t someone who would easily claim to know a skill. When he said he could, and even teach Jiang Ruotang, it meant he was very proficient.

Sitting back in his seat, Jiang Ruotang couldn’t help but message Lu Guifan: [When did you learn billiards? From whom? Where?]

[When I first came to the city from Chengtan to study, my parents often worked overtime, so I would go to their friend’s place for dinner. And that friend co-owned a billiard hall.]

Jiang Ruotang immediately imagined a twelve or thirteen-year-old Lu Guifan entering the billiard hall with his schoolbag after school, eating and doing homework there, and the adults teaching this serious boy how to play billiards when they had free time.

[Where is that billiard hall now?]

[It closed down. Later, that uncle opened a small supermarket.]

Jiang Ruotang smiled, even more excited.

---

That evening, as soon as art class was dismissed, Jiang Ruotang didn’t ask Xiao Gao to pick him up. Instead, he told him to pick up Lu Guifan, while he hailed a taxi on the side of the road and headed to the agreed billiard hall.

It was already past 9:50 when they arrived at the billiard hall. For many non-students, the nightlife was just beginning. Lu Guifan had already reserved a table inside and sent the table number to Jiang Ruotang. This billiard hall was quite proper, with good service and environment. The lighting was bright, uniformed attendants stood by each table, and there was even a self-service area for snacks, fruits, and drinks. Smoking was not allowed in this billiard hall.

The billiard hall occupied three floors. The floor they were on was the most expensive and had the best service, with a total of six tables. Lu Guifan had chosen the one closest to the corner. Jiang Ruotang hadn’t expected Lu Guifan to choose the most expensive floor. Fortunately, Lu Guifan had received infringement compensation recently and had more money on hand, otherwise, Jiang Ruotang would have felt guilty.

As he walked closer, he saw Lu Guifan more clearly. He had already taken off his coat and school uniform jacket, which were hanging on a nearby rack. He was wearing a fluffy cashmere sweater, and the sleeves of the sweater and the shirt underneath were rolled up to his elbows, revealing the smooth lines of his forearms. Perhaps he was bored waiting for Jiang Ruotang, or just getting a feel for it, but he had already broken the balls.

The bright lights from the ceiling fell on Lu Guifan’s hair and the tip of his nose. There was no emotional fluctuation in his amber eyes, as if he was precisely calculating something in his mind, completely different from the playful atmosphere around him. Lu Guifan leaned over, cue in hand, his shoulders and arms extending in pleasing lines. His school pants encased his straight, long right leg, appearing as stable and firm as if embedded in the ground, while his slightly bent left knee had a touch of lazy relaxation. With a sudden burst of power, at the moment of impact, Jiang Ruotang’s heart also felt pierced. One shot, straight into the pocket, clean and without any hesitation, making his heart pound. Then, Lu Guifan straightened his back and pulled back the cue.

Jiang Ruotang finally walked up to him, leaning on the edge of the table and looking at him: “Wow, I believe you now. Hurry up and teach me!”

Lu Guifan looked over. The hand that had just supported the cue extended towards Jiang Ruotang, unexpectedly hooking a button on his coat collar and pulling. Jiang Ruotang leaned forward towards the other, almost thinking his forehead would hit the other’s chest. But Lu Guifan had already relaxed his grip, unbuttoning that button with one hand, and chuckled, “You’re dressed like a little bear; can you move freely?”

“Oh…” He looked down at himself, wrapped tightly in a scarf, gloves, and wool coat. The billiard hall already had heating on, so there was no need to wear so much.

Jiang Ruotang unwound his scarf loop by loop, while Lu Guifan put down his cue and came in front of him, slowly unbuttoning his coat. Each button leaving its buttonhole made Jiang Ruotang inexplicably nervous, as if something was slipping out of his control, or as if hidden emotions were bubbling up with each unfastened button, about to be exposed. Jiang Ruotang felt as if all his senses were being hooked by Lu Guifan’s fingers until the other completely took off his wool coat, and when his hand came out of the sleeves, Jiang Ruotang felt almost hugged by the other. His heart was beating out of rhythm. Jiang Ruotang thought, You don’t have to be so considerate, it’ll make me overthink! Although he was overthinking, his happiness doubled!

But Lu Guifan turned around completely indifferently, hanging Jiang Ruotang’s coat and scarf beside his own jacket. “Try a few shots, let me see your stance.”

“Okay.” Jiang Ruotang nodded, the important thing was business. He thought his stance was fine, but the first shot missed. Lu Guifan didn’t say anything beside him, so Jiang Ruotang took a deep breath, moved his wrist, and hit the second ball, finally successfully pocketing it. He looked at Lu Guifan, waiting for his critique.

Lu Guifan came to his side. “There’s nothing wrong with your stance; it seems you’ve played before. But you need to pay attention to your power and angle. These are the techniques.”

“Okay,” Jiang Ruotang nodded.

Lu Guifan pointed to a ball very close to the edge of the table and said, “Try hitting that one?” Jiang Ruotang was very clear about his own abilities; he couldn’t pocket this type of ball. The yellow ball bounced off directly, and Jiang Ruotang looked at Lu Guifan in self-pity.

Lu Guifan put the yellow ball back in its original position. “If the ball is very close to the cushion, a medium power shot with the center of the cue is fine. But in this situation, the cue ball is a bit far from it, and the yellow ball is likely to bounce off, so… you need to add side spin when you hit it.” Jiang Ruotang nodded; he also knew about side spin, but the theory was easy, the actual execution was subtle.

“Come, I’ll help you with this shot.” With that, Lu Guifan bent down beside Jiang Ruotang, his left hand guiding Jiang Ruotang to bridge the cue at the right distance, and his right hand covering Jiang Ruotang’s cue-holding hand.

Jiang Ruotang half-leaned on the table, stiffening his shoulders and back, not daring to move. Because he felt completely enveloped in the cocoon named Lu Guifan. The other’s face was almost touching his. Jiang Ruotang didn’t even dare to breathe heavily. This seemed to be the first time since his rebirth that he was this close to Lu Guifan; being next to each other while sleeping didn’t count, as he didn’t remember the feeling.

The moment Lu Guifan applied force, Jiang Ruotang trembled from his chest to his bones, as if a bullet had left the chamber, slightly deviating from the center of the cue ball, applying a neat, clever touch. The cue ball struck the yellow ball, sending it precisely along the cushion and into the pocket. Although it wasn’t a particularly advanced technique, the thrill of that moment of impact was something Jiang Ruotang had never experienced before.

“Wow, that’s amazing,” Jiang Ruotang murmured.

“Basic technique. What’s so amazing about it?”

“It’s amazing that you can guide me to pocket the ball, making me feel like I can do anything.”

“Yes, and then be useless at everything.” Lu Guifan’s words amused Jiang Ruotang. Even though the ball was already in, Lu Guifan still had him in his embrace, and especially when he laughed, his heart and chest vibrated along with Jiang Ruotang.

Jiang Ruotang, who was naive and innocent in his arms, was very cute, making Lu Guifan feel an inexplicable urge to hug him tightly. And the other’s lips were too close to him. Lu Guifan’s gaze was drawn, like an anchor sinking into the deep sea, his eyes deeply immersed in the hollow of Jiang Ruotang’s lips.

Until Jiang Ruotang moved and left Lu Guifan’s embrace, putting the white and yellow balls back in their previous positions and practicing on his own. Although Lu Guifan felt a sense of loss, he still stood by patiently guiding him, helping to retrieve the balls from the pockets, arranging them in various positions along the cushion and at different distances. Jiang Ruotang also became more and more skilled with practice.

By the time he had practiced side spin quite proficiently, Jiang Ruotang belatedly realized that he should have pretended not to have learned it, allowing Lu Guifan to teach him hand-in-hand for a little longer, so he could experience his embrace more!

Next, Lu Guifan taught him how to hit small-angle cue-to-cushion shots: “The aiming point should be offset from the target by one ball width, and for the pocket it’s headed towards, add side spin in that direction.”

After saying that, Lu Guifan demonstrated several shots, each with precise force and perfect angle. Jiang Ruotang even wondered if he was secretly frequenting billiard halls despite being in his final year of high school, otherwise, how could he be so skillful? Jiang Ruotang waited for more than ten seconds, expecting Lu Guifan to teach him by holding him like he did for the first shot. But to his surprise, he only came over to support Jiang Ruotang’s elbow to adjust the angle, then stood aside. How could he do that? Only one shot for hands-on teaching? Even if I didn’t pay for the lesson, I’d still give you a bad review!

Accompanied by Lu Guifan, Jiang Ruotang practiced several types of side spin, and he indeed got more and more into it. At the neighboring table, a few girls had noticed Lu Guifan from the beginning. Although his black-rimmed glasses obscured his eyes, his figure was truly steady and powerful, very eye-catching. And after observing for a while, they realized that Lu Guifan was actually handsome. His playing style was understated yet precise. Especially when Jiang Ruotang arrived, two handsome guys playing together was truly a delight to watch.

One of the bolder girls with curly hair approached Lu Guifan and said gracefully, “Hey handsome, we saw you teaching quite well. Would you mind teaching us too?”

Jiang Ruotang’s eyes widened when he heard this, and he looked at Lu Guifan, wondering if he would agree.

“I’m sorry, teaching this one student has already exhausted all my brain cells. We have limited time; we still need to practice curve shots.” Lu Guifan’s face showed no smile, but his expression was gentle. The girl could feel his sincerity, so she nodded and returned to her table. They whispered among themselves, and beyond regret, they were more curious about what else Lu Guifan would teach Jiang Ruotang next.

But the phrase “I only have this one student” already brought a smile to Jiang Ruotang’s eyes, his inner joy impossible to hide. Lu Guifan playfully flicked his forehead, “Still distracted? We’ll have to go home soon.”

“Oh, come on then.”

“When you want to hit a curve shot, the technique is to aim for the imaginary center of the curve when hitting the ball, raise the back of the cue, like this.” Lu Guifan demonstrated, still elegant and precise. Jiang Ruotang knew he never showed off; he was naturally calm and composed in everything he did.

After setting the cue and adjusting the angle, Jiang Ruotang tried aiming. He failed several times. Lu Guifan observed him, adjusted his aiming position, pressed down on his front shoulder, and wrapped his other arm around Jiang Ruotang’s waist to adjust the angle of his bridging hand. Jiang Ruotang had expected Lu Guifan’s chest to touch him, but he realized the other’s core strength was too good; he was suspended and didn’t touch him, causing a sudden feeling of regret.

“Okay, focus. If you can also hit curve shots well, it’s actually enough for playing with friends.” Lu Guifan’s palm gently stroked the top of Jiang Ruotang’s head. The warmth from his palm was transferred, making Jiang Ruotang focus. He concentrated, mentally planning the arc, finding the curve’s center, aiming, and striking the cue ball. The white ball indeed bypassed the obstacle ball, curving and hitting the red ball, but unfortunately, it was just a little off and didn’t go into the pocket.

“It’s okay, just keep getting a feel for it. You can make this curve a bit wider,” Lu Guifan said.

“Okay,” Jiang Ruotang nodded seriously.

However, he didn’t know that half an hour earlier, Qi Yanzhe and his friends had also started a game at a table, with the girls’ table in between them. When Jiang Ruotang was practicing side spin earlier, Qi Yanzhe had already noticed him.