Chapter 1161: Chapter 1161: His focused and serious demeanor

Jasmine Yale just couldn’t stand up to him and was pulled down from the chair, led to the billiard room in the backyard.

“Still know how to play?” Sylvan Cheney asked, holding a cue and squinting at her.

Jasmine shook her head, “I’ve long forgotten.”

As a teenager, he had taught her once. She was clumsy, couldn’t learn, and gave up.

Back then, she did not really want to learn, she just wanted to be closer to him.

Now, she looked at him, and he looked back at her, their memories merging at one point.

Many years ago, Sylvan used to enjoy playing in the Cheney Residence’s billiard room.

It was a way for him to release his emotions.

Often, he would stay in the billiard room by himself, cue in hand, and with a “thud,” the ball would sink into a pocket.

His concentration was intense; when his emotions were strong, he could spend a whole night in the billiard room.

Occasionally, he would smoke there too.

But no matter how heavy his mood was, he always appeared calm and composed in front of Jasmine.

That day, with the company restructuring weighing heavily on him, at night, he was brooding alone in the billiard room.

The stress of the day could only be released at night.

Holding the cue, in the empty billiard room, only the sound of his playing filled the space.

Jasmine came back from school and secretly stood at the door of the billiard room, watching him play.

His focused and serious demeanor was exceptionally attractive; his features profound, his eyes sharp, as if seeing through everything.

As a teenager already in the throes of first love, this was not her first time secretly watching him.

Sylvan’s exquisite skills left her in awe, not blinking an eye. So, he was this good.

The feelings of youth are pure–all you do is silently watch the one you like, tucking away the affection carefully in the heart.

“What are you looking at?” He noticed her, his lips curving into a smile as he looked toward her at the door.

“I accidentally walked the wrong way,” said Jasmine, flustered.

“If you want to play, come here; I’ll teach you.”

“I just walked the wrong way…” she persisted.

“Oh, then you should go back.”

“No,” she refused, “I can play a bit since I have nothing else to do.”

Seeing her stubborn manner, Sylvan didn’t call her out. With a smile, he gestured, “Come here.”

So Jasmine went over to him, hopping and skipping.

He taught her how to grip the cue, how to aim, and how to execute techniques.

Perhaps too focused, he stood behind her, encircling her waist, patiently teaching her over and over again.

She was slow, failing to learn after numerous attempts.

Had it been any other time, Jasmine would have lost patience long ago. If she couldn’t learn, why bother?

But that time, she couldn’t bear it–any moment closer to him was precious.

Even, she could hear his heartbeat, steady yet slightly rapid.

The emotions he couldn’t calm down by playing billiards all night, settled as soon as she arrived.

It was as if a wandering waterweed had suddenly found a harbor, all displeasure and burdens from the day vanishing in that moment.

She didn’t call to stop, and he kept teaching tirelessly, even though she just couldn’t get it right.

That night, they stayed together for almost more than two hours.

Doing nothing else, just playing.

That evening was in early autumn, unlike now, in the winter.

Now, standing here once more, he asked if she still knew how.

Truthfully, she had forgotten.

The billiard room remained the same, and their memories found a place to merge, igniting intense sparks in that instant.

Sylvan rolled up his sleeves, revealing faint scars on his arm.