The brief master-apprentice teaching session ended, and the tense and exciting mixed-gender billiards showdown officially began.
Tong Hua and He Sui, who had just shared a bit of a master-apprentice bond, instantly switched to opponent mode, with an invisible tension filling the air.
The trash-talking segment was, of course, unavoidable.
He Sui held the cue with one hand, leaning lazily against the billiards table. His gaze swept over the girls’ team before finally settling on Tong Hua, a familiar, smug, and provoking smirk curling at the corner of his mouth. “Don’t cry when you lose later. Teacher He won’t go easy on you just because I taught you. Of course, if you surrender now, I might consider saving you some face.”
Tong Hua immediately bristled like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on. Refusing to back down, she fired back with her sharp little mouth, aiming straight for his weak spots. “Oh, oh, oh~ Who wins and who loses is still up in the air! I wonder who was showing off yesterday and ended up getting their pants pulled down~”
Her sarcastic little expression was exactly the same Loopy-style mocking look she had given him behind his back this afternoon—perfectly executed and spot-on.
“Pfft—” Xiao Yu was the first to burst out laughing but was quickly silenced by a cold glare from He Sui.
He Sui was momentarily speechless by her remark, letting out an exasperated laugh as he pressed his tongue against his cheek. “Alright, you little troublemaker. Just you wait.”
The showdown began.
The first shot was taken by Jiang Mo, who had the most stylish and confident demeanor.
She leaned over, aimed, and executed her shot with clean precision. The cue ball struck the cluster of balls, scattering them instantly, and a striped ball dropped into the pocket with a satisfying thud.
“Wow, not bad, Jiang Mo! Hidden talents!” Nan Chao whistled in appreciation.
Next, the two sides went back and forth. Su Qingyu displayed remarkable accuracy, Xia Lingxi showed steady composure, and on the boys’ side, Nan Chao, Si Jin, and Xiao Yu also scored their fair share.
The billiards room was filled with the sounds of balls clacking, cheers for successful shots, and occasional sighs of disappointment.
Soon, it was Tong Hua’s turn.
She took a deep breath and walked to the table. With her innocent, adorable face, she wore an unusually serious and focused expression. Her cat-like eyes scanned the remaining balls on the table sharply as her mind raced, calculating the best shot trajectory and potential chain reactions.
“Let me show you what true genius looks like! Hmph~” she muttered quietly, a hint of pride in her voice.
She adjusted her stance, steady as a beginner, then with a forceful motion, struck the cue ball.
“Thud—clack—clack—”
A series of crisp collisions echoed through the room. The cue ball traced a precise path, first skillfully knocking a target ball nestled against the rail into the corner pocket, then using the rebound to sink two more balls in tricky positions—almost blocked by other balls!
Three balls in one shot! And under such complex circumstances!
“Holy crap!” Xiao Yu stumbled, nearly losing his balance, his eyes wide with disbelief. “Is… is this really her first time playing?! You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“Wow! That’s amazing, Hua Hua!!” Jiang Mo was the first to rush over, excitedly picking up Tong Hua, who was trying to act nonchalant, and spinning her around.
Tong Hua’s cheeks flushed slightly as she tried to maintain a “no big deal” expression, waving her small hand dismissively. “Keep it low-key, low-key~ Just a routine move.”
Xiao Yu clutched his chest, pointing at He Sui with a pained expression. “He Gou! Look at you! What kind of little demon have you taught?! Is that calculation ability even human?!”
He Sui looked at Tong Hua, who was clearly delighted but forcing herself to appear calm, and instead of being annoyed, a hint of pride flashed across his face. He turned to Xiao Yu, his smile growing even more infuriating as he said in a breezy tone, “I told you she’s smarter than you. Believe it now? Don’t get so worked up over something like this next time, alright~”
Xiao Yu: “…” He felt the volume of the background music in his head—”The World Isolates Me, Let Them Mock”—had just been cranked up another notch.
The match reached its climax, with both teams locked in a tight score.
Finally, it came down to the decisive final shot.
Only two crucial balls and the black eight remained on the table.
And this shot would be taken by He Sui, widely acknowledged as the most skilled player.
Everyone held their breath.
Given He Sui’s ability, clearing the table and ending the game with this shot seemed almost a foregone conclusion.
Xiao Yu had even struck a pose, ready to celebrate victory.
However, as He Sui leaned over, aimed, his movements still smooth and effortless, those with a keen eye—like Su Qingyu and Jiang Mo—could see that his control of force and angle was… a little too “precise.”
The cue ball struck the target ball, which wobbled toward the pocket, only to be pulled back by an invisible force at the last moment, teetering right on the edge without falling in.
And the path he could have used to easily pocket the other crucial ball and the black eight was also “accidentally” ruined by his own shot.
He straightened up, shrugged, and wore a faintly “regretful” expression. “Tsk, my hand slipped.”
The opportunity instantly shifted to the girls’ team.
Su Qingyu and Jiang Mo exchanged a glance, both seeing knowing smiles in each other’s eyes. The way he threw the game was practically flooding the entire pool hall.
In the end, Jiang Mo seized the opportunity, steadily sinking the last ball and the black eight.
“Yay! We won~!” The girls’ team erupted in cheers, with Tong Hua jumping for joy, her face lighting up with a smile brighter than the Alpine sunshine outside.
Xiao Yu stared dumbfounded at this sudden reversal, leaning close to He Sui and muttering through gritted teeth, “Damn it, He Sui! You… you’re really going this far? So good at making kids happy? Don’t you care about your pride at all?”
He Sui casually adjusted his cuffs, glancing over at Tong Hua, who was excitedly high-fiving her roommate. His tone was calm yet carried a hint of justification. “It’s her first time playing. What’s wrong with letting her win and have some fun? Can’t you be a little more gracious?”
“But what about me before…” Xiao Yu tried to bring up old grievances.
He Sui cut him off directly, using the same line to shut him up again. “Hey! I said don’t get worked up. Figure out the reason yourself.”
With that, he ignored Xiao Yu’s reaction and walked away to put his cue aside.
Nan Chao grinned and wrapped an arm around the completely petrified Xiao Yu, delivering a fatal interpretation in his ear, leaving no chance for his fragile heart to heal. “Stunned, huh? Old He’s deeper meaning is: she’s more interesting than you~ smarter than you~ cuter than you~ That’s why he’s willing to teach her and let her win. Got it?”
Xiao Yu: “…”
Great. His mind had already started looping the single: The world isolates me, let them mock~ I’ll just keep my silence~ I know this isn’t the outcome I wanted~
He looked at Tong Hua over there, surrounded by girls praising him and grinning so widely his teeth were on full display, then glanced at He Sui, who appeared calm and composed as if nothing had happened. With bitter indignation, he realized that in this world where looks and intelligence reign supreme, it seemed… he had truly lost, and thoroughly at that.
He Sui!!! You hypocritical bastard!!