Chapter 74: Get Out
Chapter 74: Get Out
The billiards shop owner nearby, worried the youngsters might lose control, stepped forward to advise, “How about you three just give way? This whole mess is my fault today. I won’t charge you, okay?”
“Why should we?” Jiang Qing glared at Xiao Changhe, already annoyed. All three had noticed the other group earlier but kept to themselves, avoiding trouble with that larger crowd. They never expected Xiao Changhe would come looking for a fight.
“We were here first, and our time isn’t up yet! Why should we give way?” His loud complaint drew glances from everyone around. Xiao Changhe felt pleased; his plan was working. “It’s no use anyway. You’re just wasting this table. Better to let us have it.”
“How is this wasting time? Are we not allowed to play at all?”
“Want to keep playing? Fine,” Xiao Changhe smirked. “Beat me at pool, and it’s yours.”
Even though Jiang Qing disliked Xiao Changhe, she’d seen his skill firsthand just now. With a few months’ practice, she might stand a chance. But right now, beating him was impossible.
Others who enjoyed drama chimed in. Seeing Jiang Qing silent, one said, “What’s the point of you guys hacking around? Let Changhe take over. You might actually learn something.”
“Yeah, yeah! What’s the fun in hogging a table you can’t even play on?”
Watching Jiang Qing’s flushed, speechless face only amused Xiao Changhe more. “Well?” He turned to Zuo Zhicheng. “How about a few rounds, Junior Brother Zuo?”
Zuo Zhicheng calmly racked the balls, thinking, ‘I trained for a while long ago… haven’t played seriously in years, and the rules are slightly different… but with my current physical condition, it should be manageable…’
Xiao Changhe had seen Zuo Zhicheng play earlier and knew his skills were awful. Seeing Zuo remain quiet, he sneered, “Come on! Let’s play two rounds. Big brother can teach you a thing or two.”
“A Zuo, ignore him!” Jiang Qing tugged at Zuo Zhicheng’s sleeve. “Let’s just go.”
But Zuo Zhicheng said calmly, “It’s fine. I’m actually pretty good at pool. I should beat Senior Brother Xiao.”
“A Zuo, didn’t you see him just—” Jiang Qing frowned, thinking he was bluffing. She wanted to argue more.
Xiao Changhe cut in eagerly, “Yes, yes! Junior Brother Zuo is very capable! I might even lose! Please, show me how it’s done!” But seeing Jiang Qing’s concern for Zuo Zhicheng only fueled his irritation. He added sharply, “But let’s set the stakes first. The loser gets out of this billiards hall. And I mean get out – literally roll away.”
“That’s too harsh!”
Xiao Changhe grinned mockingly. “What’s there to fear? You said you’re good, right? You might best me!”
Zuo Zhicheng looked straightforwardly at him. “True. Might win, might not. Let’s play and see.”
His easy agreement unsettled Xiao Changhe. But recalling Zuo Zhicheng’s earlier clumsy play, he brushed off the doubt. “Sure.”
“It’s okay,” Zuo Zhicheng gave Jiang Qing a reassuring look. He tossed a cue stick towards Xiao Changhe and picked up another. “You break first. Let’s settle this quick.”
The game used one cue ball and fifteen object balls. The cue ball hit the object balls, each worth one point, with the higher scorer winning.
‘All bark, no bite,’ Xiao Changhe thought coldly, sure Zuo Zhicheng was faking confidence. He bent over the table. His form was flawless – precise stance, perfect power and aim. The break scattered the balls beautifully. Almost immediately, one dropped into a pocket.
Firing smoothly, he sunk two more balls before missing the fourth. Even this partial streak made Jiang Qing and Xiao Lan nervous.
Jiang Qing watched Xiao Changhe’s smug smirk seethingly. Zuo Zhicheng seemed distracted, making her worry. ‘Idiot! Why’s he acting so reckless suddenly?’ But remembering he might be defending her, a small spark of warmth flickered inside. ‘If things go bad, I’ll mess up the table. Void the game.’
The audience applauded Xiao Changhe’s display. He waved dismissively, then turned tauntingly to Zuo Zhicheng. “Your turn.”
Zuo Zhicheng walked up silently. Instead of the usual stance, he casually sat on the table’s edge, lining up his shot. He focused on a ball tucked in the corner, cueing past the cue ball like a total amateur.
Xiao Changhe snickered, leaning towards Young Masters Lu and Zhang. “Look at that posture! Sitting like that? Rookie mistake. Forget aiming; he’ll probably miss the cue ball altogether—”
Crack!
Before his sneer faded, Zuo Zhicheng’s cue struck. Instead of a straight path, the cue ball carved a strange, curved line across the table, hitting its target squarely. The object ball dropped cleanly into the pocket.
Xiao Lan and Jiang Qing jumped, shouting. “Nice shot!”
“Go, A Zuo!”
Xiao Changhe coughed awkwardly. “Lucky shot. Anyone can slam in one or two by luck… but that form? Still all wrong—”
Crack!
Another crisp impact. This time, the cue ball skittered off the side rail, rebounding sharply in a V-shaped path to strike another target ball… which rolled smoothly into a pocket.
Only at the third shot did Zuo Zhicheng miss. But Xiao Changhe’s face had already darkened. As they took turns, Zuo Zhicheng seemed warmer with every turn. His score crept closer to Xiao Changhe’s. The intense back-and-forth drew more spectators. Young masters and ladies clustered around, captivated by the duel.
Yao Youwei and Miss Qing approached too, observing Zuo Zhicheng’s game. Yao Youwei chuckled. “What luck! Didn’t expect to meet an expert tonight.”
He called it luck, but it was just a game to them, like all the other watching nobles – their expressions showed amusement, nothing deeper. Yet Miss Qing studied Zuo Zhicheng intently, her eyes narrowing. “He is good,” she murmured, detecting something unseen. For the first time, she saw two distinct flows of Innate Primordial Breath circling a person’s head and hands separately. Unaware of the lead suit (Zuo Zhicheng’s secret training gear) beneath his clothes, she only thought: ‘This man has twin breaths naturally…’
“Indeed,” Yao Youwei agreed, misunderstanding—thinking she meant his pool skills. “Very skilled. Looks like he’s about to win.”
But amidst the crowd, Xiao Changhe’s expression grew increasingly ugly and strained. He’d long stopped lecturing Messrs. Lu and Zhang. When Zuo Zhicheng’s score finally caught up, then surpassed his, his face turned absolutely ink-black.