During the Snowstorm - Chapter 13

If you ask her when she found herself falling for Lin Yiyang, it must be this day, in this small ball room.

She put down her mobile phone in the loud noise, and couldn’t hold it up again, unable to restrain herself from wanting to read it again after so many times. After reading it, I want to read it again.

It seems to read something, but I am afraid that I am being self-indulgent.

***

Lin Yiyang was on the train back to Washington.

He leaned back in his seat, staring at the travel rack overhead. He found that he didn’t just want to know Yin Guo, it was as simple as that. Ever since he stepped out of the ball room, he wanted to go back for a few minutes and have a few more words with her. For example, ask her if there is a good fried chicken in front of the ballroom, do you want to try it?

He was amused by his own boredom.

Maybe it was because he was too poor when he was a child, so poor that he had no interest in life. Until now, he felt that eating was the happiest thing in the world. It was his wish when he was young to be full and to be full.

He tilted his head and looked at himself on the car window glass. His fingers lightly brushed the messy hair on his forehead, and looked at his face. Although he was not as young as a teenager, it was not bad enough to see.

In an era when information is so developed, communication is so convenient, and any relationship can easily occur between people, he and Lin Yiyang fell in love with a girl, but he was shy, and dared not ask her if she had a boyfriend. Is it funny?

It’s because I don’t want to ask, it’s because I’m concerned and cautious, it’s…

Fear of getting a bad answer.

He heard a WeChat notification sound and recovered.

He set Do Not Disturb for everyone on the phone, but not for Yin Guo. So as long as WeChat rings, it must be her.

What Yin Guo sent was a screenshot of the location of a restaurant. Next to the Brooklyn Bridge, was the address of a restaurant, not far from the Internet celebrity carousel.

RedFish: Have you been to this one?

He often goes to Brooklyn, but I haven’t tried this one.

Lin: No, do you want to go?

RedFish: Next time you come back, I invite you. My best friend likes to eat pasta and has scoured a lot of places, saying that the lobster pasta here is the best. Don’t refuse, let alone ask you to come and invite, only friends are friends.

The train just stopped at the small railway station.

Someone got out of the car, someone got in, and Lin Yiyang was leaning against the window in the first row alone. He put his left arm behind his head, propped his head, and smiled with the words on the screen reflected in his eyes.

Slowly, a line of words was typed.

Lin: OK.

***

She put away her phone.

Calm down, just to ask back.

That night, Yin Guo turned around and found an excuse that could not be easily dismantled, and reconfirmed the restaurant address with a friend. The two opened Dianping, flipped through the menu, picked out a few dishes, and even settled on red wine.

She wrote these down in the memo and just waited for Lin Yiyang to come back.

The Open is approaching day by day.

Yin Guo adjusted his training schedule from four hours in the afternoon to three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon for six hours a day. Meng Xiaotian knew that she was going to play, so she didn’t dare to disturb her. She asked a few new friends to go to the West Coast on Wednesday, saying that she would be back in two weeks.

By Friday night.

She finished training from the gym at seven o’clock, bought a bibimbap at the roadside shop, and returned to the apartment after eight o’clock.

When she took out the key to open the door, she heard laughter in the room. It seemed that there was more than one person. It was probably Wu Wei’s friend. Without thinking much, she took out the key and opened the door of the apartment.

When she walked in, she suddenly stopped and looked at the man sitting on the coffee-colored sofa in surprise.

On the sofa, Jiang Yang was holding a cup of freshly brewed coffee. After drinking half of it, he naturally looked over when the door opened. In his sight, Yin Guo, who was wearing a white protective suit and carrying a club bucket, appeared.

He quickly searched out the girl’s identity in his mind, and it was incredible.

Fan Wencang was looking for food at the waist of the cat, but when he heard the door slam, he looked up and didn’t recognize him.

Yin Guo smiled dryly and nodded to Jiang Yang: “Hello.”

Jiang Yang hadn’t figured out why he saw Yin Guo here, but he had already smiled politely: “Hello.”

Under the gaze of the two big men, Yin Guo nodded friendly and entered his room.

Fan Wen hurriedly asked Jiang Yang for confirmation, and Jiang Yang smiled: “It’s Meng Xiaodong’s sister.”

Meng Xiaodong’s sister? Fan Wen hurriedly thought that he had passed through.

The door of the bathroom opened, Wu Wei heard the news of Yin Guo’s return, and hurriedly came out of the bathroom with his shirtless shirt on. He didn’t see Yin Guo, but was stared at by the two big men.

“Can you explain?” Jiang Yang pointed at Yin Guo’s door with his chin: “How did you meet? Do you still live together?”

“It’s nothing to do with me,” Wu Wei picked up a half-sleeve sleeve, sat beside Jiang Yang, and lowered his voice, “Stopping that one.”

The two men have their worldview turned upside down again.

“Is there a spectrum?” Jiang Yang glanced at the closed door and asked about the relationship between Yin Guo and Lin Yiyang.

“Just kidding, will it be out of line?” Wu Wei was full of confidence in Lin Yiyang, “Have you ever seen our little Yang lord cowardly?”

Jiang Yang smiled. It’s hard to say, seeing that he mentioned the girl’s state and tone in the ball room that day, it was obvious that he was the one who was tempted first. At that time, Jiang Yang was still thinking about who was sacred, but he didn’t expect it, really didn’t expect it to be Yin Guo.

It’s really a fate that can’t be avoided.

Back then, when Lin Yiyang made his debut, he played three professional tournaments in a row. The three most popular champions are Jiang Yang, Meng Xiaodong and Lin Yiyang. The three of them are on the same level, and no one is convinced by the other. The champions, runners-up and runner-up of the three competitions also came in turns, and one person won the championship. In terms of overall results, Lin Yiyang was the best at that time, with one champion and two runners-up.

Jiang Yang is a rational person. For him, winning or losing the game is normal. After all, the three of them are evenly matched in strength. It only depends on the performance and luck on the spot. Winning does not mean that he will always win, and if he loses, he will not always lose. But for Meng Xiaodong, this result was very frustrating. Meng Xiaodong’s family owns a billiards club, how could he lose to Lin Yiyang, a dark horse who suddenly appeared?

The two fought fiercely for three years. If Lin Yiyang hadn’t suddenly resigned from the club, it is estimated that they would have been fighting until today.

Jiang Yang glanced at the closed door again.

Junior Brother, you are too picky.

In the room, Yin Guo was confused.

Didn’t Jiang Yang play snooker? Why did you come to watch the nine-ball game?

Sitting in the warm brown bed, she opened her laptop and listened intently to what was going on outside, wanting to wait until the two guests left before going out.

The time passed to 8:30, and it seemed that it had been quiet for half an hour outside.

She got out of the bed with her bare feet, quietly lay on the door and listened. After confirming her thoughts, she opened the door.

The living room was actually full of people, more than before.

All the people who came to the Open in Dongxincheng this time have arrived. The reason why there is no movement is because Fan Wen hastily told them all outside the door. There is an “important person” in the room who is sleeping and is not allowed to make a sound. So everyone sat on the sofa in an orderly manner, playing silent video games. Wu Wei took out a box of chess and gave it to them, and they all played together.

Wu Wei was bored and played checkers with Fan Wen in a hurry.

Chen An’an, who led the team, who is now transferred to Nine Balls, is the teacher of this group of children. He just entered the door, baked his hands beside the heater, and whispered to Jiang Yang.

In short, the whole picture in the living room is a large entertainment scene, which is silenced.

The moment Yin Guo opened the door, it turned into a crowd of onlookers.

A familiar figure appeared from the opposite room, Lin Yiyang was holding a clean sportswear in his right hand, and he looked like he had not woken up. He was planning to take a shower while Yin Guo was sleeping to refresh himself, but when he saw her suddenly, he stopped. Yin Guo and him looked at each other from a distance, desperately remembering what day of the week today was in his mind.

One of the two stood at the east door, the other held the west door, and there were people in the living room. They didn’t make a sound, and their expressions were different. More out of curiosity.

In the silence of the room, Lin Yiyang explained to Yin Guo, “I’m going to take a bath.”

Yin Guo nodded unconsciously, under the gaze of everyone.

When Lin Yiyang entered the bathroom, he was still thinking—didn’t he say he wouldn’t be back this week?

Wu Wei suddenly laughed and asked Jiang Yang if he was going to order takeout? In fact, he was trying to smooth things out for Yin Guo, and if he continued to be watched like this, it was estimated that the little girl really wanted to get into the room and refused to come out again.

Jiang Yang supported the bar with both hands and agreed, “Hawker, come and call.”

Fan Wen hurriedly understood: “Okay.”

A few people from the previous generation opened their mouths, and the people below were also lively.

In the noisy living room, everyone played their own way, giving Yin Guo a buffer space. She pretended to get a box of ice cream, went back to the room, and closed the door. There was a single soft sofa thrown on the ground in the room. It was dark red. She sat and sank in it, digging for ice cream with spoonfuls, listening to the movement outside through the crack of the door.

Lin Yiyang washed quickly, and when he came out, Jiang Yang was still asking him what he wanted to eat.

He replied, after eating, don’t worry about him.

It’s like going back to the bedroom? At least he wasn’t involved in the conversation outside.

The phone lit up suddenly, on her lap.

Lin: What are you doing?

Yin Guo put the ice cream carton at his feet and returned with the phone.

Xiaoguo: Eat ice cream.

Lin: See you in the laundry room.

laundry room? Does he have to do laundry?

Xiaoguo: Oh, well, it just so happens that I also have clothes to wash.

Lin: You go first, I’ll come later.

Xiaoguo: OK.

She threw the ice cream cardboard box into the garbage bag, found a large paper bag folded there from behind the door, stuffed the clothes on the bed and sofa into the paper bag, and found a pair in the drawer of the bedside table. The coin, carrying a bag of dirty clothes, passed through the living room in a grand manner, and pretended to go downstairs calmly.

There is no one in the laundry room, there are clothes drying, it is estimated that the owner will come back later.

She stuffed dirty clothes into an empty washing machine and tossed in a coin.

Looking around, at the row of empty chairs by the wall and the long blue plastic table in the middle, I picked the latter, pulled out the stool and sat down, waiting for him to come. After a while, Lin Yiyang walked in with a pack of cigarettes and a lighter in his hand. He was in his freshly put on clean tracksuit, and his hair was towel-dried and half-wet. Except for the things I smoked, I didn’t have a bag in my hand, and I didn’t bring any dirty clothes out, so I was very calm.

He threw the things in his hand on the long plastic table and sat down beside Yin Guo.

In fact, I haven’t smoked for two years, and I’m not greedy for cigarettes. I just walked blatantly in front of the group of wolf-like brothers. There must be an excuse, so I asked Wu Wei for these.

The two sat at the corner of the table, one on the left and one on the right, chatting and seeing each other’s faces.

In the entire laundry room, there was only one washing machine and one dryer running, and the machines were not moving or small, and the smoke was strong.

“Just now, Jiang Yang said that he had seen you.” He said.

“Yes, we met twice when he played with my brother in China.”

“How has your brother been all these years?” he asked.

“It’s good,” she replied. “My brother thought that the address of the original club was not good two years ago, so he opened a new one. My uncle retired and he only invested half of the investment, and he decided the major matters—”

A burly middle-aged man walked in while talking on the phone and speaking fluent Chinese. He pulled out his chair and sat down on the other end of the long plastic table, waiting for his clothes to dry.

Yin Guo stopped because of the intrusion of a stranger.

The laundry room quickly showed a strange scene: Yin Guo started to play with his phone, Lin Yiyang was playing with a cigarette case, and the man was bored, staring at the dryer with brown eyes in a daze.

Yin Guo’s mind wandered, looking at the night outside the window and at the washing machine. Why does it take an hour to wash and dry, so why don’t you just sit like this for an hour?

She saw Lin Yiyang take out his mobile phone from his trousers pocket.

In a few seconds, his WeChat message was sent to his mobile phone.

Lin: Why don’t you speak.

Yin Guo raised his eyes and found that he was looking at him.

She pursed her lips, smiled and held the phone with both hands, replying to him.

Xiaoguo: You didn’t say it.

Lin: I’m listening to you.

Xiaoguo: …It’s over.

Lin Yiyang cleared his throat, Yin Guo guessed that he was about to speak, but he didn’t expect another WeChat message.

Lin: I don’t know what you want to hear.

Xiaoguo: Just chatting… It’s all friends chatting. You’re so serious, I’m nervous.

After Yin Guo finished speaking, she coughed and her throat was a little itchy.

She had the illusion of returning to her high school days. She didn’t dare to speak in class or at the back table, and kept passing notes saying unnutritious nonsense. But at that time there was a girl at the back table, but now, the man beside him.

The middle-aged man yawned and glanced at the “little couple” sitting at the other end of the long table, guessing that the two were in a cold war? Each person holds a mobile phone and plays different games.

It happened that the drying was over, and the middle-aged man’s clothes were finished. He took out all the clothes and piled them on the long table, stacking them one by one in front of the two of them.

Lin Yiyang changed his sitting position, leaned against the long table, picked up the lighter on the table, and played with it in his palm.

Yin Guo rested his chin with one hand and was still chatting with him.

Xiaoguo: I admit defeat, can I speak?

Lin: I’ve pretended to be dumb until now, so it’s better to keep pretending.

Right. If you speak suddenly at this time, it is estimated that it will scare people, and it will definitely embarrass them. Let’s continue to wear it, it seems that the uncle has almost folded his clothes.

She continued typing.

Xiaoguo: Shall we go up? There’s still an hour to wait, and there’s nothing to do sitting here.

Lin: There are so many people above that it is inconvenient to speak.

Xiaoguo: You didn’t say anything here, it’s not all the same.

Lin::)

Lin: Let me ask you a question.

Xiaoguo: Say it.

After a while, there is no post.

Yin Guo looked up strangely, and Lin Yiyang happened to be looking at her. Yin Guo put on a “confused” expression, Lin Yiyang raised the corner of his mouth slightly, and pointed at the screen of the phone in front of him with his index finger, meaning: look at the phone.

What’s the problem, so mysterious.

She pursed her lips and lowered her eyes in the light of the laundry room, in the sound of the washing machine running, in the rock songs of the 1990s humming by the middle-aged and burly uncle.

In the dialog box, a sentence appeared next to Lin Yiyang’s avatar—

Lin: Do you have a boyfriend?

Her fingers are hanging there…

Lin: Or rather.

Lin: I can see, do I want to chase you?