My stepmother forced me to donate bone marrow, so I retaliated by slapping my scumbag father in the

Shen Ze did not refuse; he bent down to support the pole, his movements very steady.

Snapped.

The white ball gently bumped into the pile of red balls; the force was not great, but it opened up a beautiful edge line in the pile.

The cue ball returned to the cushion and landed very close to it.

Yu Yehua had been casually observing, but his expression immediately changed.

This is not "knowing a little".

Anyone who has actually played snooker understands that the break shot may seem simple, but it requires a lot of skill.

The force, the trajectory, and the cue ball's stopping point—even a slight difference in any of these can completely change the situation.

Shen Ze's shot neither gave him an easy opportunity to attack nor sealed the game; it was clean and decisive, unlike what one would expect from an amateur player.

Yu Yehua walked half a circle around the table and couldn't help but say, "That was a good shot."

Shen Ze laughed and said, "I was lucky."

"Come on."

Yu Yehua, holding up a pole: "I'm not senile yet."

He said as he took his shot, the red ball was on the thin edge, and the cue ball returned to defend.

That was a beautiful shot too.

Yu Yehua played snooker a lot when he was young. Although he has been busy with business in recent years and his skills are not as good as they were in his peak, he is still considered a master among ordinary enthusiasts.

But in the next few shots, Yu Yehua became increasingly anxious.

Shen Ze is not in a hurry when attacking, but he is even more ruthless when defending.

Many seemingly ordinary returns end with the cue ball stopping in an extremely difficult position.

If Shen Ze really wanted to attack, he could have made a direct move several times, but he just didn't choose to fight that way.

Whenever Yu Yehua found himself in a slightly difficult situation, Shen Ze would use a shot that appeared to be defensive but actually left room for maneuver, sending the opportunity to a position where Yu Yehua could play but without it seeming deliberate.

Who is Yu Yehua?

Having observed people and situations in the business world for decades, he could easily see that Shen Ze was giving him face.

What's even more remarkable is that Shen Ze did it so naturally.

The pace should be controlled to a level where Yu Yehua plays comfortably, but others cannot clearly see that he is throwing the game.

This skill is more frightening than simply clearing the table with one shot.

Because a single clean sweep is accurate, being able to control the pace of the game to this extent is a form of control.

Yu Yehua scored a red ball, looked up at Shen Ze, and was even more amazed.

This kid has a sharp eye for investment, is a great cook, and now he's even playing billiards so ridiculously well.

The key is that he also knows how to get along with people.

It's not surprising for young people to be capable, but it's extremely difficult for them to be capable yet also to keep their talents hidden and to save face for their elders.

Yu Binglan originally came in to deliver fruit, but after seeing the two playing ball, she stood at the door and watched for a while.

She didn't know much about snooker, but she could tell her father was in a good mood.

Every time Yu Yehua scored a goal, Shen Ze would naturally respond with, "Good shot!"

The tone was neither exaggerated nor perfunctory.

Yu Yehua found it pleasing to the eye, and the smile on his face remained.

As Yu Binglan watched Shen Ze bend over to strike the ball, the light fell on his shoulder and profile, and her heart inexplicably softened.

This man always knows how to maintain the right balance, no matter the occasion.

Yu Yehua sank another ball and couldn't help but laugh, "Little Shen, don't just leave me a chance, actually make two shots so I can see."

Shen Ze straightened up: "Uncle Yu, are you sure?"

"Sure."

Yu Yehua laughed and scolded, "If you keep giving in like this, I'll lose face."

Shen Ze nodded, and on the next stroke, he finally didn't hide.

Red ball into the middle pocket, black ball into the bottom pocket.

The cue ball returns to its position after circling the three cushions, stopping on the most comfortable attack line for the next red ball.

Snap, snap, snap, several poles in a row, the lines so clean that no one could find fault with them.

Yu Yehua stood to the side, initially smiling, but the more he looked, the more serious his expression became.

Shen Ze didn't play very fast, but every shot seemed to be calculated in advance.

The cue ball stopped almost perfectly in the ideal position; the angle, force, and trajectory were all frighteningly precise.

Yu Yehua even had a feeling that if Shen Ze wanted to, he could clear the table in one go in this game.

An older woman passing by the door saw Yu Yehua standing to one side with a stick, not moving for a long time, and couldn't help but laugh, "Mr. Yu, Mr. Shen plays so well!"

Yu Yehua didn't turn around, only staring at the table: "It's not just good, it's too good."

Shen Ze scored another pink ball, and the cue ball landed safely next to the pile of red balls.

Yu Yehua finally shook his head and laughed: "Alright, alright, if you keep fighting like this, you'll destroy my home turf."

Shen Ze put down his cue: "Then I'll play defensively with Uncle Yu."

"You little brat."

Yu Yehua pointed at him, his face full of satisfaction: "Investment, billiards, cooking—you're top-notch in everything. I truly see no limit to your talent."

Shen Ze did not accept the praise, but simply smiled and said, "Uncle Yu, you flatter me."

"No praise please."

Yu Yehua put down his golf club and was about to speak when his phone rang.

He glanced at the incoming call, his expression softening slightly: "Old Duan."

The call connected, and the voice on the other end was loud enough to be heard even from a distance: "Old Yu, I'm back in Shanghai. Let's have tea tomorrow!"

Yu Yehua laughed and said, "You old codger, you finally decided to come back?"

"My relatives are having a gathering, and I just landed from abroad, so I thought I'd drop by to see you."

"Okay, I'll come tomorrow morning."

Yu Yehua chatted with the other party for a few minutes, then hung up the phone and checked the time: "It's getting late, Xiao Shen, you should go take a shower and rest."

Shen Ze nodded: "Okay."

Yu Yehua pointed towards the corridor: "There are two bathrooms in the house. I usually use the larger one next to the master bedroom. The guest room doesn't have a private bathroom, so you can use the one in Binglan's room first."

Shen Ze paused.

Yu Yehua said naturally, "We're all family, there's no need to be reserved."

Shen Ze remained outwardly calm, but a thought flickered in his mind.

The bathroom in Yu Binglan's room?

Uncle Yu really didn't treat him like an outsider with this arrangement.

Shen Ze responded, "Thank you, Uncle Yu."

He walked to Yu Binglan's door, raised his hand and knocked, and the door opened quickly.

Yu Binglan had a face mask on, her long hair casually clipped behind her head, and she was wearing loose loungewear.

She was visibly taken aback when she saw Shen Ze at the door: "What brings you here?"

Before she could react, Shen Ze stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

Click, the door lock clicked softly.

Yu Binglan's eyes widened instantly, and she lowered her voice: "Shen Ze!"

Shen Ze moved closer to her, the faint fragrance emanating from her body lingering around his nose.

Like the sweet scent after a bath, with a hint of her usual perfume.

Before Yu Binglan could say anything, Shen Ze reached out and put his arm around her waist, then lowered his head and kissed her.

She froze for a moment, then quickly softened.

The face mask was almost rubbed askew, so she quickly reached out and pushed him away, her voice muffled: "Stop messing around... I'm wearing a face mask."

Shen Ze chuckled softly, "It won't affect anything."

"How can it not have an impact?"

Yu Binglan's breathing became a little erratic from his kisses, her eyes filled with shyness, yet she couldn't help but laugh: "You barged into my room so late at night, aren't you afraid my dad will scold you?"

Shen Ze said seriously, "Uncle Yu sent me."

Yu Binglan was taken aback: "My dad?"

"Um."

Shen Ze said, "He told me to use the bathroom in your room to take a shower."

Yu Binglan looked puzzled: "He really said that?"