Their discussion was overheard, making Tang Shujie feel a bit awkward. He clenched his fist and lightly coughed.

The subject of the discussion, Ning Zhiyuan, was quite at ease, explaining, “I’ve been here all along, in the next room.”

In the next room, and you never came out, is it okay to eavesdrop?

Tang Shujie was about to say something but thought better of it.

Cen Zhisen also chuckled, “Hmm.”

Tang Shujie couldn’t stand his tone, feeling something was off. He glanced at his wristwatch, found an excuse, and slipped away.

Left behind, Cen Zhisen didn’t seem to care much. He lightly tapped his fingers on the pool table, gesturing to Ning Zhiyuan, “Wanna play?”

Ning Zhiyuan didn’t mind. If Cen Zhisen wanted to play, then let’s play. After all, he was a bit bored alone.

They chose the simplest Chinese eight-ball rules.

Ning Zhiyuan walked to Cen Zhisen’s side, and they both stood behind the starting line for the break.

As they aimed, Ning Zhiyuan suddenly turned his head, looking at the person beside him. Where his eyes landed, Cen Zhisen’s jaw tightened slightly.

Cen Zhisen kept his gaze fixed on the white ball in front, his expression unchanged. “Don’t look at me, look ahead.”

However, Ning Zhiyuan asked him, “Are you nervous?”

Cen Zhisen turned his head, met the playful look in Ning Zhiyuan’s eyes, and realized he was being teased. Just as he was about to say something, Ning Zhiyuan had already shifted his gaze away, looking at the white ball in front of him, saying the same words, “Don’t look at me, look ahead.”

Cen Zhisen composed himself, retracting his gaze.

Almost simultaneously, they both struck their respective white balls. The two balls touched the top rail simultaneously and bounced back. Ning Zhiyuan stood up, slightly leaning forward, one hand supporting the edge of the table, the palm forming a claw shape, staring at the two balls rolling back and gradually coming to a stop. A smile gradually appeared in his eyes, determined to win this time.

His ball rolled about half a body length ahead of Cen Zhisen’s, and he gained the right to continue the game.

Ning Zhiyuan, seemingly casually, pushed the cue forward and quickly seized control of the game.

Cen Zhisen didn’t mind, stepping aside, his gaze following Ning Zhiyuan.

Ning Zhiyuan’s posture was very standard as he bent over. One leg stood straight, while the other curved forward, creating a smooth line from the spine to the waist and hips—a line that perfectly matched the definition of aesthetics. His posture was relaxed, with the angle of holding the cue and the curve of his raised arm just right. The lines formed by the hand on the table were also exceptionally beautiful, without any unnecessary movements.

It was rare to see such a flawless striking posture on a non-professional player.

Ning Zhiyuan also had a good figure, slim but not weak. Due to the bending motion, his off-white sweater retracted a bit, revealing the hem of the light gray shirt below and the faint waistline. Black casual pants wrapped around the muscles of his butt and thighs. A brief glance easily evoked thoughts about the hidden beauty of his body beneath the fabric.

Cen Zhisen’s gaze swept past, paused for a moment, and inexplicably thought of Michelangelo’s renowned sculpture, which he had seen up close in the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. The same power and beauty, astonishing and fascinating.

One ball in.

Cen Zhisen raised the corner of his lips, and Ning Zhiyuan looked up, meeting his expression. He raised his eyebrows slightly. “You’re probably going to lose.”

Though he said probably, in fact, he was almost certain. Ning Zhiyuan had always been absolutely confident in himself, no matter which aspect.

Cen Zhisen crossed his arms, leaning against the tea cabinet behind him, his face showing an indifferent listening attitude, as if he didn’t care about winning or losing.

Ning Zhiyuan had already targeted the second target ball, becoming even more relaxed. He casually said, “When I was studying abroad, I often played this with classmates. I can also play snooker. There was even someone who wanted to invite me to participate in professional competitions, but I refused.”

“Why not give it a try?” Cen Zhisen asked.

After a brief silence, Ning Zhiyuan pushed out the cue, and after the sound of impact, the target ball fell into the pocket.

He said, “Because there are other goals I want to pursue more.”

“Other goals to pursue?” Cen Zhisen asked.

Ning Zhiyuan shook his head slightly, unwilling to explain.

During the sixth ball, due to the angle, he chose to sit and hit.

The leg supporting him on the ground was straight and slender, forming a beautiful and powerful line. The muscles in his butt tightened slightly, and the bending motion elongated one side of his waistline, resembling a young and agile beast gracefully stretching its body.

Suddenly, Cen Zhisen took a step forward and lightly pressed his outer thigh.

Perplexed, Ning Zhiyuan looked at him. Cen Zhisen withdrew his hand, reminding him, “Your clothes got dirty.”

Ning Zhiyuan lowered his head and noticed that some cigarette ash had smeared the outside of his sweater’s right elbow, but he didn’t know when it happened.

Cen Zhisen raised his hand again, patting twice to clean it, with a natural attitude.

Observing his movements, Ning Zhiyuan thought of the conversation he overheard by the wall earlier. Having nothing else to say, he remarked, “Actually, what you and Tang Shujie said is quite right. I’m not suitable for Tang Shiqi, and she’s not suitable for me.”

Cen Zhisen raised his eyes, and when their gazes met, Ning Zhiyuan smiled and said, “I indeed lack the patience to deal with a young lady like her, and I’m not particularly interested in those girlish types.”

“So, who are you interested in?” Cen Zhisen asked directly. “The one from the bar last time?”

Ning Zhiyuan thought for a moment before remembering who he was talking about – the woman he bumped into the first time Cen Zhisen found him at the bar.

“She’s okay, has a good figure.” However, he had only met her twice and hadn’t seen her in a while. He didn’t bother telling Cen Zhisen about the two appointments he had with her.

Cen Zhisen helped him clean the cigarette ash from his clothes, didn’t step back, and continued talking by the table. “What about the investment? What’s the story?”

“Well,” Ning Zhiyuan explained, “it was actually a friend of mine who wanted the investment. He has a master’s degree in computer science from Tsinghua University, worked in a big company for almost ten years after graduating, and only came out last year to start his own business. He’s a bit of an otaku, very knowledgeable about niche culture. His wife is his classmate, and they have similar hobbies. I’ve seen the app they’re working on. Although it’s still in its early stages, you can tell it’s well-thought-out. The underlying technology and algorithms are quite robust, and they have a clear target user group. I’m optimistic about it, so when Tang’s family’s little miss said she wanted to make some pocket money, I recommended it to her and her friends.”

In the past, Ning Zhiyuan would never have patiently explained so much to answer Cen Zhisen’s questions. Most likely, he would have given a couple of casual remarks. He wasn’t aware of when this change began.

Cen Zhisen nodded, “Sounds good.”

“But if I really made a mistake, causing them to lose money, you don’t need to compensate them. Investing inherently involves a gambling element, especially in angel investing. I made it clear to them early on; there’s no need for you to generously open your wallet.” Ning Zhiyuan ended with a playful tone.

“Really not needed?” Cen Zhisen asked.

“Not needed,” Ning Zhiyuan insisted, “It doesn’t make sense.”

“Alright, let’s forget about it then.” Cen Zhisen’s tone seemed a bit regretful. “But you helped a friend attract investment, helped Tang Shiqi and her friends earn some pocket money. What about yourself? You’ve been resting for two months and haven’t decided what to do next?”

Ning Zhiyuan changed his sitting posture, supporting his head on the table with one hand, turning sideways. He realized that due to his sitting position, he had to look up more at Cen Zhisen.

At eye level was Cen Zhisen’s Adam’s apple, slightly protruding and very sensual, not overly prominent. As he spoke, his movements slid slowly, and the lower edge pressed against the collar of the deep blue shirt, the lustrous mother-of-pearl button shining. It was meticulously fastened, revealing a sense of restrained sensuality.

Casually glancing past, Ning Zhiyuan paused for a second. He slowly said, “I came here today to meet an old classmate from abroad. He works on Wall Street, an ABC. Coincidentally, he’s on a business trip to China these days. I told him I want to go there, maybe after the Chinese New Year. He advised me to think again since the economic situation there isn’t good right now, and it’s hard to predict what it’ll be like when I get there.”

“Even though you know that, you still want to go?” Cen Zhisen asked.

After a brief silence, Ning Zhiyuan’s response remained the same: “Let’s talk about it later.”

Not wanting to continue this topic, he shifted his attention back to the table, bent down, and re-aimed at the target ball that he had neglected for a while.

Chin lightly resting on the cue, he calculated the angle and trajectory, but his wandering thoughts couldn’t quite concentrate. At the moment the cue struck the white ball, he almost immediately realized that the shot was off.

Sure enough, the ball’s position deviated from his expectations, grazing the opponent’s target ball first and committing a foul.

Cen Zhisen clicked his tongue, and Ning Zhiyuan, slightly disappointed, stood up and gestured, “It’s your turn.”

Cen Zhisen asked, “Distracted?”

“Yeah,” Ning Zhiyuan self-deprecatingly said, “thanks to you.”

Cen Zhisen didn’t rush to take his turn, watching him. “Did I distract you?”

Ning Zhiyuan didn’t directly answer, “If you keep talking nonsense, this game will never finish.”

Cen Zhisen chuckled.

Exchanging the right to strike.

Cen Zhisen’s movements were much quicker, without the patience to constantly adjust the striking angle or estimate the ball’s trajectory. He relied entirely on intuition, playing aggressively and fiercely. His gaze when targeting the ball was exceptionally sharp, like a raptor locking onto its prey. Ning Zhiyuan stood on the other side of the long table, and for a moment, Cen Zhisen seemed to lift his eyelids as if glancing at him. He even had the illusion that he was the one being stared at by this person.

It was also during the sixth ball that Cen Zhisen made a mistake, and the opportunity returned to Ning Zhiyuan’s side.

Ning Zhiyuan slowly rubbed his cue, somewhat suspecting whether Cen Zhisen did it on purpose.

“Skill is not as good,” Cen Zhisen said, “I rely on luck for this.”

His gaze was too open, but Ning Zhiyuan chose to believe what he said.

There was no suspense afterward. Ning Zhiyuan wouldn’t allow himself to make the same mistake twice, even if it was just a game.

As the black ball dropped into the pocket, he put down the cue and took a light breath.

Cen Zhisen took a bottle of juice from a small refrigerator beside the tea cabinet and gently pushed it forward across the table. The juice rolled to Ning Zhiyuan’s hand.

He held the cold glass bottle in his palm but didn’t immediately open it.

As his emotions gradually settled, Cen Zhisen suddenly asked him, “Do you have any interest in going solo?”