That afternoon at the cinema, before they even went in, Wang Xiaoliang's stomach gave out.
Leftovers for breakfast, milk tea during their stroll through the park, and spicy hot pot for lunch-all three had fermented together and chosen the moment he was queuing at the ticket checkpoint to act up. Holding it in left his back covered in sweat.
This was no time to tough it out.
"I'm going to the restroom. You guys go in first."
Behind him, Cheng Huan called out for him not to miss the start, but he was already rushing toward the restroom with his head down.
Once the stall door closed, the world went quiet.
Before long, footsteps came from outside. "Wang Xiaoliang?"
He recognized Luo Bisheng's voice immediately.
"In here. I've got toilet paper."
"Bro, the movie's about to start. Here's your ticket, or you won't be able to find us."
A ticket slid under the door.
Wang Xiaoliang picked it up. "Couldn't you just take a photo and send it to me?"
"...Oh, right."
The footsteps faded away.
He stayed crouched in there for another seven or eight minutes, then came out, washed his hands, and followed an attendant's flashlight into the theater. It was pitch-black. As his eyes slowly adjusted, he found his seat, sat down, and glanced beside him-
Tian Jiayi.
Wang Xiaoliang was so startled that he immediately drew himself in.
They weren't simply sitting next to each other. There was no armrest separating them, the backrest was wide and high, and both sides were enclosed.
Couple Seats.
He turned sideways and lowered his voice. "What's going on?"
Tian Jiayi kept her eyes on the screen. "The tickets were sold out. There were only two sets of Couple Seats left. Bisheng said he couldn't sit in one with you.