In May 2019, Lei came through
Q School on the overall Order of Merit to earn a two-year card on the
World Snooker Tour for the
2019–20 and
2020–21 seasons. He didn't retain his tour card after the end of the 2020–21 season but immediately gained a new two-year card for the
2021–22 and
2022–23 seasons by coming through
Q School Event 3. In March 2024, by beating Australian
Vinnie Calabrese from 53 down to win 65, Lei won the 2024 APSBF Asia Pacific Open Snooker Championship to earn another two-year card on the World Snooker Tour, starting from the
2024–25 season. In December 2024, after never having advanced beyond the Last 16 of a professional tournament, Lei won the
2024 Scottish Open, defeating compatriot
Wu Yize 95 in the final. It was only the fourth ever all-Chinese ranking event final and the second of the 2024–25 season (after the
2024 Wuhan Open). Ranked 84th in the world, he became the lowest-ranked player to win a ranking event since 93rd-ranked
Dave Harold won the
1993 Asian Open. On his way to the final, he defeated
Shaun Murphy,
Stuart Bingham,
Tom Ford and
Mark Allen, all in . He advanced to a career high ranking of 43 in the world due to this win. == Performance and rankings timeline ==