During The Blizzard (Amidst A Snowstorm Of Love)

Canto 90: Old Rivals - One Team (3)

“The battles were fierce, but that fire can be harnessed for something positive. We know each other's weaknesses, and now we can exploit them... for the other team, that is!”

Translator: Wuxia Studio, Editor: J.C Forester (Mrphysit)

This chapter is dedicated to Kimberly248852, LittleAtin, and ithihaas17

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A throbbing pain flared in Lin Yiyang's shoulder, an unwelcome echo of his old injury. He grimaced, cutting short his practice session and hurrying to the team doctor.

The third day dawned, the final day for the billiard competition. The morning kicked off with the men's singles snooker match.

Lin Yiyang and Meng Xiaodong both secured convincing victories against similarly skilled Asian players in their respective group matches. They'd made it to the finals, a formidable duo ready to challenge for gold.

As they stood poised by the table, the glint of gold medals in their sights, a voice grumbled from the back. Jiang Yang. "If it weren't for this surgery," he muttered, "Those two wouldn't stand a chance."

Some scoffed, calling it a brag. But Jiang Yang's words held a sliver of truth.

Jiang Yang, a flicker of regret in his eyes, lamented missing the rare Asian Games singles competition. He turned to Li Qingyan, who also sat out the event, and remarked, "Remember saying if the three of us don't retire, you wouldn't stand a chance to play? Looks like our careers stretched on a lot longer than expected. Those others all retired in their forties, but you,"  his voice trailed off. "You'll have your chance twenty years from now."

Fan Wenchong, confused, leaned toward Wu Wei and murmured, "Does he have a grudge against Qingyan?"

Wu Wei, a knowing smile playing on his lips, whispered, "He's Yin Guo's childhood sweetheart, remember? Maybe enjoying some friendly ribbing, or maybe still chasing after her. Didn't Meng Xiaodong mention that New York hotel incident last year?"

Understanding dawned on Fan Wenchong's face. "That explains Jiang Yang's leniency towards Li Qingyan, then."

At 10:00 AM, a surprise unfolded: Meng Xiaodong, against all odds, clinched the first gold medal of the day - the men's snooker singles title!

Lin Yiyang, putting up a valiant fight, secured the silver medal in a close match.

While Meng Xiaodong's ranking boasts higher numbers than Lin Yiyang's, his recent performance hasn't been stellar. Both commentators and fans were aware of this.

In fact, from the very first shot of the final, Meng Xiaodong sensed Lin Yiyang's struggle.

With the weight of international scrutiny on their shoulders, even a hint of slacking from Lin Yiyang could be misconstrued as a ‘Fake match.’

Thankfully, Lin Yiyang had reported his injury to the Asian Organizing Committee during yesterday's treatment with the team doctor, acting as a safeguard.

Despite battling a resurgent injury, Lin Yiyang persevered and finished the snooker finals. However, the afternoon brought a fresh challenge - his injury flared up badly.

By lunchtime, Lin Yiyang's shoulders were heavily swollen. He spent the break icing them, bracing himself for the upcoming 10-ball match at 2:00 PM.

The group-stage opponents weren't much of a challenge, and Lin Yiyang cruised to the semifinals. There, he faced a renowned Indian player, the odds-on favorite for the 10-ball championship.