Chapter 163: Chapter 75: Top Sister of the 60s Cultural Troupe (14)

’Was this really a game for a pitiful thing like her? She’d just been kicked out by the Song Family, was injured, and had only ten-odd yuan to her name.’

"Come on, sis-in-law, play! Is there anything Brother Hao can’t do? He’ll give you all his winnings," Liu Mingkun said, sidling up with a grin. "I’ll cover the buy-in for you and him. Afterward, we’ll all go to my courtyard house for a barbecue. We’ve got authentic Inner Mongolian lamb!"

Xia Zhaoyun glanced sideways at Huo Tianhao. ’I made one little joke at his expense, and he strong-armed me into coming here,’ she thought. ’Better not to rely on him.’

If she took any more favors from him, she could kiss any hope of a peaceful life goodbye.

With a bold flourish, she slapped the ten-yuan bill she’d been carrying for days onto the table. ’It’s just a game of pool. You think I’d be afraid of this?’

"I’m not his girlfriend, so you can’t call me sis-in-law," Xia Zhaoyun stressed, wanting to protect her reputation.

Liu Mingkun just smiled without saying a word. ’She’s the first woman Brother Hao has ever brought along. It’s only a matter of time before she becomes our sis-in-law.’

Everyone else also took out their money and placed it on the table.

There were a dozen or so people from the basketball game, and a few had brought their girlfriends, bringing the total to twenty-three or twenty-four people.

Liu Mingkun pinched the thick stack of cash he’d collected and shot Xu Weilin a sideways look. "Brother Lin, what happens if someone runs the table? This won’t be enough to cover that, will it?"

"Even with my bad math, I know a full run-out would cost hundreds of thousands!"

Xu Weilin shot him an irritated glare. "I’ve already put up my most valuable possession—my motorcycle. What else do you think I have that’s worth eyeing?"

"We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. I’m the house, and this was my idea. I’m not going to welch on the payout. Besides, who doesn’t have an ancestral courtyard house lying around?"

Liu Mingkun chuckled. "Spoken like a true boss, Brother Lin! With you saying that, the guys can really let loose and play!"

Someone shouted, "Ladies first!" so Xu Weilin handed the cue stick to Yu Huanxin.

The men all laughed and cheered, secretly rubbing their hands together, eager for their turn to show off their skills.

Yu Huanxin smiled, her lips pressed together. She glanced instinctively at Xia Zhaoyun before assuming a perfect, standard stance to break.

Being a woman, she didn’t have much arm strength. The break only loosened the rack of a dozen or so balls slightly. She regretfully passed the cue to the next person.

Including Xia Zhaoyun, there were seven women in total. The other six had all been around the block with their men. They held the cues like they knew what they were doing, with some sinking a ball or two, and one even pocketing three in a row. Of course, there was also one who foolishly scratched by sinking the cue ball, much to everyone’s amusement.

By the time her turn came around, the balls were mostly scattered. Besides the cue ball, there were still eight balls left on the table!

Xia Zhaoyun took off her sunglasses and hooked them onto her collar. She first wiped her palm with a handkerchief, then accepted the cue with a serious air and took a deep breath.

Life with the Song Family had been hard, but she was, at the very least, the child of a factory director. Back then, the Song matriarch would still allow her to go out with her peers on weekends.

After all, the matriarch’s plan had been for her to get to know several boys and form close bonds—casting a wide net to catch more fish, so to speak, then picking the best of the lot.

The trendy sports of that era—roller skating, pool, bowling, and various kinds of dancing—were things she was actually quite good at.

Huo Tianhao suddenly spoke. "Five degrees to the left."

Xia Zhaoyun froze for a second, then subconsciously adjusted the cue’s direction. At his command of "Now," she struck the cue ball with a clean, decisive jab.

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The ball went in. The crowd erupted in cheers and applause.

Xia Zhaoyun pressed her lips together, wiped her palm and the cue shaft again, then picked her next target and lined up the shot.

"Fifteen degrees to the left. Aim for the red seven first, and hit it hard." Huo Tianhao was now standing behind Xia Zhaoyun, his arms crossed as he bent over slightly. His line of sight was level with hers as he spoke in a low voice.

His warm breath tickled the side of her ear. Xia Zhaoyun pressed her lips together as a deeper blush colored her cheeks.

She forced her attention back to the table. ’If I do what he says,’ she thought, ’from this angle, the cue ball will hit the cushion. It’s a bank shot, using the rebound to sink the red seven. It’s a true test of one’s aim, power, and strategy!’

She only hesitated for five seconds before following his instructions, striking the cue ball with all her might.

The cue ball shot out and rebounded off the cushion. Everyone held their breath. The cue ball grazed the very edge of the red seven, imparting just enough force to send it rolling toward the pocket.

While everyone’s eyes were still fixed on the red seven as it rolled unhurriedly toward the pocket, the cue ball itself went on to knock the nearby purple two-ball in!

Just as people’s heads turned at the sound of the second ball dropping, the red seven finally circled the lip of its pocket twice before reluctantly falling into the net.

The group burst into admiring applause. A girl who could play pool was cool, especially one this beautiful who played so proficiently with her left hand. Of course, the crowd also looked at Huo Tianhao with admiration. ’He’s good with his mouth,’ they thought, ’so his skills with his hands must be even better!’

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