During The Blizzard (Amidst A Snowstorm Of Love)

Canto 37: Potential

"Every crack of the cue, every spin of the ball, echoes in the silence before the storm. We are all poised, waiting for the moment our potential breaks free." - Yin Guo

Translator: Wuxia Studio, Editor: M.H Lovecraft

- -

The man behind the counter faltered for a moment.

"This is like dropping an atomic bomb first thing in the morning," he muttered, clearly flustered. "Who can handle that?"

After a ten-second beat of stunned silence, the man recovered his voice. "...Your sister-in-law hasn't had breakfast yet? I'll go check and see what young ladies might like to eat.

After a ten-second beat of stunned silence, the man recovered his voice. "Sister-in-law hasn't had breakfast yet? I'll go check and see what young ladies might like to eat."

He scurried off in the elevator. When he returned, he turned to Lin Yiyang. "Would you like something to eat?"

Lin Yiyang shook his head. "No thanks, I just finished at the supermarket."

The young people at the table, their ears perked at the word "sister-in-law," exchanged glances. Their gazes shifted between Yin Guo and Lin Yiyang with growing curiosity. However, noticing Lin Yiyang's stoic expression, they realized he wasn't going to introduce her formally, at least not over breakfast. They reluctantly held their questions back and continued what they were doing.

Lin Yiyang, a single hand effortlessly handling the high stool, placed it behind her. Yin Guo, her voice lost in the sudden flurry, simply rose and sat.

His heart, however, churned like a storm at sea, a tempest of ten-meter waves. Lin Yiyang turned to her, his gaze locking onto her eyes. "Are you upset?"

A faint blush crept up her cheeks, forcing her to hide behind a curtain of raised hands. She shook her head, unable to meet his gaze.

"Happy you shook your head," he chuckled, leaning casually against the counter beside her. He lowered his voice, a husky whisper brushing against her ear, "Or unhappy?"

Yin Guo's voice barely rose above a whisper, "Is this billiard room yours?" Her uncertainty hung in the air.

Lin Yiyang gave a curt nod, a hint of pride flickering in his eyes. "Used to be a youth hostel owner's hangout," he explained, gesturing towards the space around him. "Sold it off, though. Poor management, you see. I ended up buying it back. Usually, the manager takes care of things, where I'm not around."

He paused, then sighed. "Billiards isn't exactly booming here. Haven't seen any profit yet, actually, just losses."

A faint smile touched his lips. "But hey, years of frugality come in handy. Made it this far, right?"

His words carried a double meaning, the burden of the business masked by a facade of optimism. Yet, a flicker of hope remained, fueled by the children who came to learn, their laughter balancing the weight of the bills.

The first two months were a brutal initiation. Six months' rent demanded at once, followed by a relentless blizzard that plunged them into darkness and shut down business for days. Lin Yiyang, strapped for cash, exhausted his family's savings and even dipped into Wu Wei's. It was during this desperate time, the worst half of the month, that he met Yin Guo.