First Encounter, First Glimpse

"Want to play pool this weekend, sweetheart~"

"Sure."

—The weekend arrived in the blink of an eye.

Inside Table Eight Billiards Hall.

Wang Zeyu was leisurely scrolling through short videos at the front desk.

Lin Xinyu and Xiao Wanyu had just stepped into the hall when a tall, slender figure caught their eye. Wang Zeyu looked up, and his gaze met Xiao Wanyu’s by chance—as if time froze. Sunlight spilled through the half-open curtains, dappling his profile with a gentle golden glow, giving ordinary features a soft, radiant edge. His eyes were clear and deep, carrying a hint of an almost imperceptible smile, like a peach blossom petal drifting down unexpectedly in spring, landing softly on the lake of Xiao Wanyu’s heart and sending ripples across its surface. Xiao Wanyu paused, a faint blush coloring her cheeks, as a strange new feeling quietly blossomed within her.

Noticing Xiao Wanyu’s daze, Lin Xinyu curiously followed her line of sight, only to find herself meeting Wang Zeyu’s warm and crystalline gaze. The air seemed to hum with a subtle electric charge.

"A table, please," Lin Xinyu said softly to Wang Zeyu at the front desk.

Beep—WeChat payment of 25 yuan received.

After settling the bill, Lin Xinyu headed for the pool tables, with Xiao Wanyu trailing behind her, occasionally glancing back at the front desk.

"Stop staring, what’s so interesting?" Lin Xinyu gave Xiao Wanyu a playful slap.

"Didn’t you think the guy at the front desk was really handsome?!" Xiao Wanyu exclaimed excitedly.

"He’s alright. Just take a look and move on—it’s not like he’s yours anyway," Lin Xinyu replied, handing her a cue.

After half an hour of playing,

"Don’t you find this a bit boring?" Lin Xinyu slumped on the nearby sofa, listlessly twirling her cue.

"Let’s call some people over," Xiao Wanyu suggested, eyeing the bored Lin Xinyu.

Lin Xinyu immediately grabbed her recently bought iPhone 13 Pro and opened her WeChat Moments.

About twenty minutes later,

Seven or eight people began arriving at Table Eight Billiards Hall.

"Long time no see—you’ve gotten even more beautiful," said one, none other than Lin Xinyu’s former ambiguous interest—Li Ze.

"Haha, long time no see. You’ve gotten even more handsome too. Want to play a game?"

"Sure. You know how to play pool now?" Li Ze smiled at Lin Xinyu.

"A little. Go easy on me." Lin Xinyu pointed to the side. "The cues are over there."

"Alright."

Xiao Wanyu immediately leaned in and whispered, "Ooh, who’s that?"

"I told you before—he’s the one I regretted."

A while later,

"I need to head back to campus," Li Ze said to Lin Xinyu as she was playing.

"Alright, want me to walk you out?"

"Thanks for bringing me to campus. Take care on your way back."

"Okay."

After their goodbyes, a gentle drizzle began to fall. By the time Lin Xinyu returned to the hall, tiny droplets had gathered in her hair.

After several hours of pool, most people had left. Lin Xinyu naturally went to settle the bill.

As she approached the front desk, her eyes met Wang Zeyu’s once more. This time, he set his phone aside and looked at her intently, his eyes shimmering with a light as vast as the stars and the sea. Lin Xinyu’s heart skipped a beat, her cheeks flushing involuntarily; she felt a nervous flutter she’d never known before. Wang Zeyu’s lips curved into a gentle, captivating smile.

"Settle the bill, please."

Outside the billiards hall,

Lin Xinyu and Xiao Wanyu were hailing a ride home.

Ping—

Fatty, who was scrolling through videos, received a rare message from Wang Zeyu.

"I want that girl’s WeChat."

Wang Zeyu then sent a few surveillance snapshots: Lin Xinyu in a flowing white dress, her hair cascading to her waist, a radiant smile lighting up her exquisite face.

——That night, in a certain bar,

Lin Xinyu received a friend request on WeChat.