Eyes lit up and heart skipped a beat

  On April 5, 2013, Saturday afternoon at four o'clock, Huang Guangyao, who was slightly taller and leaner, and Wang Kailai, who was slightly shorter and chubbier, were playing against each other on the fifth table in the Happy Table Tennis Hall. Both of them were only wearing tank tops and shorts, but they were sweating profusely and were very enthusiastic.

  The hall is divided into two parts, east and west. The eastern part is where children practice playing ball, while the western part is for adults to play ball. Each side has eight ping-pong tables, with transparent glass separating them in the middle. Every table has people either practicing or playing. As Huang Guangyu and Wang Kaili would say, no matter where they play ping-pong, they always approach each game with a "playful" mindset.

  Indeed, many people who like playing table tennis do so not only for physical exercise but also for fun. Being able to hit a few good shots, save a few crucial points, and get some lucky shots, and being able to win at 10-0 or even 15-20, the extraordinary joy and pleasure that comes with it is something that people who don't play table tennis or rarely play can't experience.

  Huang Guangyao and Wang Kailai, the two men's ball skills have always been evenly matched. From the time they were in high school, they often practiced together, and ten years later, they still can't be separated on the court. If each match is divided into ten games, with ten matches as a stage, the average score of almost every stage is not much different. It's precisely because of this that whenever one of them has an opportunity, they will make an appointment to meet on the court, and their skills have reached the point where the more they play, the more refined, familiar, practiced, pure, competitive, and passionate they become.

  Ever since last month's visit to the spacious and happy ping-pong hall, whenever Huang Guangyao and Wang Kaili started their practice or match, they would attract a considerable number of onlookers, because in the eyes of the onlookers, the two people's ball skills had almost reached perfection.

  Huang Guangyao and Wang Kailai have a common characteristic, the more people watch them play basketball, the more energetic they become. Just like actors performing on stage, the more audience members there are, the more comfortable they feel in their hearts, and the more excitingly they sing.

  Generally speaking, no matter where they play, Huang Guangyao and Wang Kailai usually practice for a few minutes and then play ten games. The short time is about half an hour; the long time is about an hour. When the time is long, there are more tiebreakers and fewer lucky balls. This time was the same.

  The tenth game, from five ping to eight ping, from ten ping to fifteen ping, was very tight and wrapped up. The number of long balls increased. At 16:00, Wang Kailei sent a mid-table ball that was neither high nor short, and the two began to pull back and forth, with the ball not falling to the ground for 17 times. The number of times the long ball was pulled back and forth increased, the style of pulling and hitting the long ball became more and more varied, and the number of onlookers cheering also increased.

  When he reached twenty points, Huang Guangyao heard a clear and sweet woman's voice amidst the cheers of the crowd: "Good!"

  In the interval of the last game with Wang Kai Le, when the score was tied at 21, Huang Guangyao involuntarily looked in the direction of the clear and sweet voice he thought. His eyes caught a woman standing in front of everyone, with a slender figure, beautiful face, and an excited expression, loudly cheering for him...

  This woman was the first white person to walk into Happy Ping Pong Hall.

  When Huang Guangyao won against Wang Kaile with 24 to 22, he was so excited that he raised his hands high and shouted loudly. He clearly saw that the white Mongmong whose name he didn't know yet was also extremely excited, waving her hands and shouting... She heard a sentence from the ball friend who played against him: "Huang Guangyao, your luck is not bad! Next time, see how I win you! Go, take a bath!"

  That night, Bai Mengmeng was in high spirits, but staring at the computer screen, he couldn't type a single word. It wasn't until almost midnight that he lay down on his bed, but no matter what, he couldn't fall asleep. This was extremely rare for him. With his eyes open, all he could see was Huang Guang's steady and elegant figure on the basketball court; with his eyes closed, his mind was filled with Huang Guang's handsome and refined face as he played basketball.

  Before this, Bai Mengmeng had never been to a table tennis hall. In the sixth grade of primary school, she occasionally learned basic table tennis skills with her physical education teacher and could hit a few shots. Since entering junior high school, she has not touched a racket again. However, her classmate and close friend Sunflower loves playing table tennis and often goes to various table tennis halls. As she puts it, playing ball is "exercising and happy".

  Sunflower saw white mist all day, hiding at home typing, afraid she would ruin her body, dragged her to the Happy Ping Pong Hall.

  As soon as they entered the ballroom, Sunflower couldn't help but burst out with enthusiasm to play and wanted to spar with others. She saw familiar friends playing and beckoned her over, so she said to Bai Mengmeng: "You go take a look around first, if you're interested later, I'll teach you personally in a few days. I'm going to play a few rounds with them first!" Bai Mengmeng said: "You go have fun."

  She squeezed in among the crowd surrounding table five. When she first saw Huang Guangyao's magnificent skills, her eyes lit up and her heart skipped a beat. This feeling left her both surprised and extremely delighted. She felt that this man, who was so skilled and elegant at the ping-pong table, might very likely enter her life.

  It wasn't until two o'clock in the morning that Bai Mengmeng still couldn't fall asleep. She tossed and turned, unable to drift off. Later she simply dialed Sunflower's phone number and said: "I'm having trouble sleeping, what should I do?"

  The sunflower, who was woken up from her sleep, couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time. She said to Bai Mengmeng: "What's wrong with you? Can't sleep so you're asking me? I'm having a beautiful dream!"

  "Sleep tight! I want to sleep too, but can't fall asleep!"

  "Oh no, baby, why did you wake me up?"

  "Who is Huang Guangyao?"

  "Ah! Huang Guang Yao?"

  "Is Huang Guangyao playing table tennis at Happy Table Tennis Hall court 5 this afternoon?"

  "Look who's here!"

  "Do you know him?"

  "Just know the name, have some impression... that's all."

  "Then it's settled!"

  "What's wrong? Got a crush on him?"

  "No. I just wanted to ask if you know his situation."

  "Go to sleep, talk about it tomorrow, I'm exhausted!"

  "If you don't tell me, I won't be able to sleep, and I'll make sure you can't sleep either!"

  "Grandma, go to sleep quickly. Goodnight!"

  "Hang up, I'll call you back!"

  "Everything is white... Alright, I won't sleep! You've scared away all my sleepy bugs!"

  "Okay! Let's chat."

  "Huang Guang's situation... I really don't know much about it, I just see that he plays ball well, and I haven't even said hello to him. However, if you really want to get in touch with him, I have a way."

  "What's the solution?"

  "Take me out for dinner and coffee, and go shopping with me!"

  "Of course!"

  "Two sentences: I'm familiar with the boss of Kaixin Table Tennis Hall! Members who come to play there have left their contact information!"

  "Great! Now I can finally get some sleep."

  "What's wrong with you? You're not as reserved as before! Are you crazy thinking about men? If that's the case, learn from me, don't just think about it, take action! Look at me, I sleep like a dead pig every night. Do you know why?"

  "Why?"

  "It's satisfying! Both physically and mentally, it reaches a satisfactory level, how can one still have insomnia?"

  She hung up the phone, secretly delighted. She thought her luck was still okay, and finally there was a man who made her eyes light up and her heart move. From high school on, there were boys and even male teachers who showed great enthusiasm for her. Those who passed notes, wrote love letters, asked others to act as matchmakers, and confessed in person... the number went on and on. After graduating from college, under the arrangement of her parents and relatives and friends, she also met many men, but never had a man made her eyes light up and her heart move. The feeling when seeing Huang Guangyao was a kind of miracle!

  Bai Mengmeng believes that beautiful love begins with a crush at first sight. In this regard, Sunflower and she are different. Sunflower once said to her: "What is love? It's a thick material foundation plus a handsome appearance plus loyalty plus the ability to do household chores plus not liking money." She analyzed for Bai Mengmeng: A woman's marriage object should have money or her parents should have money; should be good-looking; should only be good to her; should consider housework as part of their job; should hand over financial power to women. Otherwise, Sunflower said, don't even consider it! If you can't find such a man, then just play with men who are talented in some way for now!

  "Isn't this a bit too superficial?" Bai Mengmeng said to Sunflower, "Although love and marriage are closely linked, women cannot vulgarize love. 'A marriage without love is immoral.' This is the philosophy of a famous person. For women, what is love? It's the wonderful feeling that a man who makes their eyes shine and heart flutter brings to them. Although this is only the first step in a happy love life, it's very important!"

  Bai Mengmeng, who pursued pure and sweet love, wrote countless similar texts and posted them online for numerous men and women to share. However, she herself had never experienced the sweetness of love, which is truly regrettable. Now, she finally has an opportunity. At Kaixin Table Tennis Hall, the first man she saw, Huang Guangyao, made her sleepless at night. How could she not be excited?

  After hearing that sunflowers could connect with the yellow light from afar, Bai Mengmeng fell asleep with a peace of mind. However, it wasn't long before her thoughts started to wander again.

  A man like Huang Guangyao should be very popular among women. To put it more specifically, he is a sought-after commodity for women! Judging from his appearance, his age should be around 25-27 years old. A man like him, handsome, elegant, strong and refined, may have already become someone else's possession, so why would he still wait for her to fall deeply in love with him after their first meeting?

  White and misty, she couldn't sleep again, always thinking wildly. Later, she was a little angry with herself. As the sunflower said, she had been holding back for so long, what's wrong now? Really anxious? Not because of poor figure, not because of ugly face, not because of no education, not because of being an old leftover woman, why can't wait?

  It was almost dawn when Bai Mengmeng finally fell asleep. In her dream, she saw Huang Guangyao again, and the scene was still in the Happy Table Tennis Hall. She watched him and his opponent swing their rackets, pushing a silver ball with a diameter of only over two centimeters on the table, blocking, cutting, drawing, pulling, flying up and down, turning left and right, performing a dramatic and thrilling performance that made people's souls unsettled and joyful.

  For a long time, Bai Mengmeng hadn't touched her racket, and she couldn't help but smile as she watched Huang Guangyao play with ease. She stole glances at his elegant movements, gazed intently at the sweat dripping down his face, and admired the charming figure he cut on the court. Her heart felt carefree and exhilarated! Just as the final match had ended, she mustered up her courage to walk up to him and extend her hand, but in an instant, he vanished into thin air. She stood there, frozen, tears welling up...

  She woke up, feeling a dull ache in her heart. Although she was an idealist who never believed in superstitions, at this moment, she felt a deep-seated fear and panic towards the scene that had appeared in her dream, which had first filled her with uncontrollable joy and then torn her apart. She prayed silently, making secret wishes to herself.

  Twenty-six-year-old Bai Mengmeng, for the first time ever, thought about men; after meeting a man who made her eyes light up and her heart move for the first time, she knew that her emotional life was undergoing a qualitative change.

  As they walked on the road after playing ball, Wang Kaile asked Huang Guangyao: "Do you know that a beautiful woman smiled and called out to cheer for you?" Huang Guangyao smiled and said: "There are many women cheering. Where did we play without anyone cheering?"

  "This time is different. This beautiful woman is cheering just for you."

  "Really? Why for you and us two but not just for me?"

  "I saw it. Didn't you?"

  "I saw it. But I didn't look carefully enough．Kai Le，it was me who won in the end，and she smiled and shouted and waved at me．If you had won，wouldn't she have smiled and shouted and waved at you?"

  "No!"

  "Why?"

  "We hadn't even decided who would win yet when I saw her smiling at you, calling out to you and waving."

  "I don't believe it. Hasn't she ever seen you?"

  "Of course I've seen you. When two people play ball, the eyes of the onlookers will follow the ball wherever it goes. But a woman would only laugh and shout like that for a man she likes."

  "King Kai Le, have you fallen in love with her?"

  "Who?"

  "The beautiful woman who smiled at me, called out and waved."

  "Don't you like it?"

  "Of course I like her. But liking is not loving. Have you fallen in love with her?"

  "What's the point of falling in love? She likes you, maybe she has fallen for you, not me. Even if I immediately fell for her and loved her, it would be useless, at most it could only be unrequited love."

  "Kai Le, apart from being a bit chubby, you're fine in every other way!"

  "What does it mean?"

  "Aren't I just a little taller and more proportionate than you? If we're talking about being cute, you're not one bit better than me!"

  "Mock me?"

  Two people walked and talked, laughing, and soon arrived at the parking lot. Seeing Huang Guangyao take out the electronic key and open the car door from tens of meters away, Wang Kailai said: "Guangyao, on the surface, you are only slightly better than me in some ways, but in reality, I am far worse than you. Not to mention other things, I work in a state-owned unit, where all I can do is get paid regardless of whether it's raining or sunny, and that's about it. Look at you, doing business, and not only are you thriving, but you can also afford to buy a car, which I couldn't? You even bought a house worth hundreds of thousands of yuan and moved your parents in with you, which I didn't do? So I say, even if that beautiful woman had taken a liking to me first, she would have turned around and fallen into your arms anyway, let alone the fact that she was originally interested in you?"

  Huang Guang said with a straight face: "There's already someone who likes me."

  "Really? How come I didn't know?"

  "I was just about to tell you! Her name is Jin Hui Ping, 23 years old. 'Jin' as in gold that's not enough, 'Hui' as in wisdom, and 'Ping' as in a chance encounter like floating water."

  "What about other situations?"

  "I don't know."

  "Really?"

  "Really."

  "How can it be okay when you only know a woman's name and age?"

  "What's wrong with it?"

  "I'm saying, a woman with an unknown past like hers, you can't fall in love with her!"

  "Did I say I fell in love with her? What I said was 'there's a woman who likes me'."

  "That's right. She likes you, don't you like her?"

  Didn't I say so? She and I just met yesterday.

  "Ah, details!"

  "Why tell you?"

  "Because we're the best buddies! Tell me, what kind of woman is Jin Hui Ping?"

  "In short: beautiful and sexy!"

  On the wine table in the small restaurant of Youyi Lane, Huang Guangyao told Wang Kailai about what happened eighteen hours ago.

  Huang Guangyao said: "Yesterday afternoon, I was preparing to go to a supermarket with a particularly rich variety of goods to take a look and add some urgently needed things for my warm coffee shop, warm gym and warm supermarket. When I arrived at the parking lot in front of the supermarket and just parked my car, a woman, that is, Jin Huiping, came to me and said, Brother, save me!"

  "Is she asking you to save her? What's wrong with her?"

  "Listen to me. I took a glance behind her, and saw a man and two women coming from the entrance of the parking lot not far away! Jin Hui Ping grabbed my hand, with tears streaming down her face, and said to me: 'Big brother, they've arrived, I really don't have the strength to run anymore, nor do I have anywhere to run. As long as you save me, I... will definitely repay you!' As she spoke, tears flowed profusely."

  "Just because she said so? A woman I don't know, with three men chasing after her, in broad daylight and under the clear sky, what if it's a scam?"

  "Kai Le, you're absolutely right! I think the same way too. However, what moved my heart was her three aspects. Firstly, her tears were real, how can an actor's fake tears compare to her genuine tears? Secondly, although she wore ordinary clothes that weren't expensive, her figure was curvaceous and lithe; her face was beautiful and elegant, with a noble temperament. Honestly Kai Le, she's the kind of woman who is 'a virtuous and gentle lady, a good match for a gentleman'. If I didn't save her, could I still be considered a man?"

  "What about the third one?"

  "Ah, yes! Thirdly, I saw that although there were three people chasing her, one man was young but had a stout build; two women were fierce but at first glance, it was clear that if we fought, I could knock them down with one punch! Most importantly, in all these years, no woman has ever made my eyes light up and my heart skip a beat. Do you know what it means to be smitten? When this woman named Jin Hui Ping stood in front of me, my eyes widened; when she grabbed my hand and asked for my help, I felt a warm, sweet sensation all over my body, especially on my chest, like a cozy dream; when she leaned against me, trembling with fear, tears streaming down her face, an idea immediately popped into my mind: no matter the cost, I must save this woman who has made my eyes light up and my heart skip a beat!"