Movie

The next day, noon.

After eating the lunch Qin Ze had made, Wang Zijing picked up her little handbag and headed out. She was going to a job interview. She had submitted her résumé several days ago, and today she had finally received a call from the company's Personnel Department.

Early that morning, Qin Ze had bought two movie tickets online. While out for his morning run, he had casually said, "It's pretty boring staying home all day, Zi Jin Jie. How about we go see a movie? There's one that's supposedly worth watching lately, How to Make Me Love You. The reviews online are pretty good."

He had tried to keep his tone casual so he would not seem too deliberate.

I'm not trying to ask you on a date. It's just too boring at home...

Wang Zijing smiled. "No, I submitted my résumé the day before yesterday. I have an interview this afternoon."

Qin Ze's gentle smile instantly froze on his face.

So this was what it meant when plans couldn't keep up with changes?

Wang Zijing had run away from home and come to Shanghai City to stay with her bestie, Qin Baobao—the kind of arrangement that covered food and lodging. But living expenses were not limited to food and shelter. Didn't cosmetics cost money? Didn't clothes cost money? Didn't shoes cost money? When she craved an all-you-can-eat buffet, where would the money come from? When she wanted an iced dessert in the sweltering summer, where would the money come from? She could not possibly make Qin Baobao pay for everything.

Besides, these siblings were both broke...

Qin Ze said casually, "Then another day."

Silently mourning the movie tickets.

Fine, Qin Ze had wanted to go on a date with Wang Zijing. She was pretty, had a great personality, and a good figure. Every man liked that. This was when the importance of being close at hand became apparent. He could find all sorts of excuses to date Wang Zijing—movies, meals, and occasionally even trips to nearby tourist spots under the excuse of taking his sister along.

He could farm affection points anytime, anywhere.

In the living room, Qin Ze was full of melancholy.

He did not actually enjoy movies. In the past, Qin Baobao had always dragged him along. His sister had no boyfriend either, and going to the movies alone seemed miserable, so the single dog siblings would go see a movie together on weekends.

Compared with a light romance like How to Make Me Love You, he preferred American 3D blockbusters, such as the recently released King Kong Dog. But when inviting a girl to the movies, he obviously could not choose King Kong Dog.

Now things were great—he would be going alone to watch a romance movie. Just thinking about it felt miserable. But at fifty yuan a ticket, he could not bear to waste it.

Just then, there was a ding.

Qin Ze jumped, thinking a system mission had arrived. Looking closely, he realized it was only a text message. His text notification sound was also a ding.

These days, aside from advertisements, spam, and payment notifications, hardly anyone sent text messages anymore.

He picked up his phone and saw: "Little cutie, what are you doing?"

It was a message from Zhang Ya, another one of his sister's besties.

Qin Ze replied irritably, "Doing something indescribable. Don't disturb me."

Zhang Ya replied, "Can big sister join?"

This woman never missed an opportunity to tease Qin Ze.

"I'm already overwhelmed. No additions, thanks."

"It's fine. Big sister has eighteen different skills. I guarantee I'll make your little brother lively as a dragon and tiger, revived from the dead."

"Get lost. You're the one who needs reviving from the dead."

Qin Ze's heart stirred, and he edited another message. "Are you free this afternoon?"

"Yep. My boyfriend's on a business trip, so big sister is empty all over. Which part of me do you want to use?"

"Stop talking nonsense. I'll treat you to a movie. Meet at Nanjing Road Subway Station."

"Sure, sure. I know a hotel there that's pretty good."

Qin Ze grabbed his phone and headed out. His home was not particularly close to Nanjing Road, and the subway ride would take half an hour.

At the entrance to Nanjing Road Subway Station, he searched around while talking on the phone. Eventually, he spotted Zhang Ya in a milk tea shop.

She stood where she was, waving wildly toward the entrance with a smile as radiant as a flower.

Zhang Ya was wearing a petal-sleeved V-neck chiffon blouse and hot pants today. She looked fashionable yet fresh. She was a beautiful woman, only slightly less stunning than Qin Baobao.

Qin Ze sat down, called over a waiter, ordered himself a lemonade, and also got Zhang Ya a creamy dessert.

"What put you in the mood to treat big sister to a movie today?" Zhang Ya took a sip of milk tea, smiling with narrowed eyes. Two faint dimples appeared on her cheeks.

"I wasn't planning to treat you. Someone stood me up, and I didn't want to waste the tickets. You just happened to walk into the line of fire." Qin Ze told the truth.

"That's way too blunt. Don't you know how to sweet-talk a girl?" Zhang Ya puffed out her cheeks and spoke in a coy voice.

"Why would I sweet-talk you? Go home and make your boyfriend do it." Qin Ze laughed.

Qin Ze and Zhang Ya had a close relationship, but not because of Qin Baobao. His sister had several besties, but they all kept their distance from him. At most, they counted as friends. Zhang Ya, however, was the one Qin Ze found most pleasing to the eye, and she happened to like him too. Their relationship had progressed by leaps and bounds.

For a time, Qin Baobao had thought her younger brother and bestie were dating. It had scared her so badly that she rushed home to have a heart-to-heart with Qin Ze. At the time, Qin Ze had not yet started university, and his sister had not yet graduated.

It was also then that Qin Ze learned Zhang Ya had a boyfriend, and that he was the School Hunk of Fudan University, a prominent figure. According to his sister, Zhang Ya really liked her boyfriend. She had fought her way through a sea of admirers before finally winning over the School Hunk. Qin Baobao did not want her brother becoming someone else's third party, so she gave him a stern warning.

From then on, Qin Ze silently gave up the idea of hitting on his sister's bestie.

Zhang Ya propped her chin on her hand and stared hard at Qin Ze.

"What are you staring at?"

"At a handsome little brother." Zhang Ya giggled. "A Ze, I feel like you've gotten more handsome. Hmm, no, it's not a feeling. You really have gotten more handsome. Tsk, tsk."

Qin Ze smiled. "Regretting it now, huh? Too late."

That earned him an eye roll from the beauty.

"Oh, right, let me show you something." Zhang Ya took out her phone, opened a news article, and held it out to him.

Qin Ze took a look. It was entertainment news, with the headline: "Dark Horse Appears on I Am A Singer: Newcomer Qin Baobao Wins Over Viewers with Her Stunning Looks and Original Song."

"What are you trying to say?" Qin Ze smiled.

That was right, Qin Baobao had become popular. Or rather, she had attracted a certain amount of attention. As a phenomenon-level variety show, I Am A Singer never lacked attention. Qin Baobao had made a splash in the first episode of the second season. It would have been hard for her not to draw attention.

That headline was fairly restrained. Some news headlines were even more exaggerated. UC had written it like this: "Shocking: I Am A Singer contestant Li Zongde was actually treated like this by a newcomer."

Zhang Ya made a huge fuss. "Oh my god, Bao Bao really went on I Am A Singer? She didn't tell us a thing. That's so unfriendly."

Her bestie had somehow become a celebrity.

"She was mainly afraid of losing and embarrassing herself, so she didn't say anything."

"This morning, I heard all the male coworkers in my office talking about her. They're totally obsessed, and it's made me, the office goddess, lose attention by the day."

"Some other day, bring Qin Baobao to your office. Wouldn't your status as the office goddess come right back?"

"Forget it. Then I'd definitely get harassed every day. They'd all come to me asking me to play matchmaker."

Qin Ze sneered. "Like you lot don't play matchmaker enough already?"

Zhang Ya said cautiously, "You really are angry. You are. I told you, Li Zemin wasn't invited by me last time."

Qin Ze drank his tea without speaking.

"One Brother Complex, one Sis-con," Zhang Ya muttered quietly.