Chen Fan stood frozen in place for a long while.
It took him a good moment to react.
"Hey, what do you mean by that?"
"No way. I've decided we're going back to watch another movie."
But Su Ruochu turned back, winked at him, and smiled.
"Too late. That's what you get for not daring to do it then."
Chen Fan wanted to cry, but had no tears.
He felt as though he had missed out on something.
Still, Su Ruochu's sudden change meant she could now tease him the way couples did.
That change thrilled Chen Fan.
It meant Su Ruochu had fully accepted him into her heart.
Chen Fan laughed and hurried after her.
"Who says I didn't dare? I'll show you right now whether I dare or not!"
"Ah..."
Su Ruochu giggled and ran ahead.
They chased and teased each other along the street until Chen Fan finally caught her.
He pulled her straight into his arms.
Su Ruochu didn't struggle, leaning gently against his chest.
"You... let go of me."
Su Ruochu was still a little embarrassed to be so intimate out on the street.
But Chen Fan kept his arms around her with a cheeky grin.
"No. Not unless you give me a kiss."
"No!"
"Then I'll keep holding you like this. I'm not letting go!"
"You... shameless jerk!"
Her pretty face flushed, Su Ruochu glanced around awkwardly.
Then she saw Chen Fan staring at her with burning eyes.
Su Ruochu hesitated, then suddenly rose onto her toes and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
Immediately afterward, she slipped free and ran ahead, her face red.
Chen Fan remained rooted to the spot, utterly stunned.
He had only been joking.
From what he knew of Su Ruochu, she was deeply traditional and reserved.
He had figured she wouldn't have the courage to kiss him out on the street.
Who would have thought?
She had actually kissed him.
After his moment of shock, Chen Fan was overwhelmed by delight.
"Hey, a kiss on the cheek doesn't count!"
But Su Ruochu had already run far ahead, shy and embarrassed.
Arm in arm, they reached the busiest shopping street in the city.
Although she had been there many times before, with Chen Fan beside her this time, Su Ruochu seemed interested in everything.
She looked here and touched things there, taking a particular interest in the little accessories.
But she only looked, never asking the prices or buying anything.
In the end, Chen Fan's urge to play the big spender got the better of him. He bought several of Su Ruochu's favorite accessories, along with plenty of snacks.
Although she scolded him for wasting money, once she actually took the snacks he handed her, Su Ruochu's face still shone with a happy smile.
With one hand looped through Chen Fan's arm, she wandered aimlessly with him all afternoon.
Sometimes Chen Fan was genuinely curious. Women really were remarkable creatures.
In just one afternoon, she had eaten a grilled sausage, a serving of octopus balls, half a scallion pancake, and an ice cream.
How had Su Ruochu eaten so much while her stomach stayed just as flat as before?
Chen Fan was studying Su Ruochu's belly.
Then Su Ruochu suddenly spoke.
"Do you feel sorry for Xi Yazhou?"
"What?"
Chen Fan paused before realizing she meant the character Zhang Guoli had played in the movie they had just watched.
"What's there to feel sorry for?"
"He has a wife and child who love him at home, yet he still found himself a younger mistress..."
"And in the end, he actually wanted to keep them both. He couldn't bear to give either up."
"A man like that is the classic case of wanting to have it all."
But Su Ruochu said quietly, "Who can really make sense of love?"
"Xi Yazhou's feelings for his wife were genuine at first, but the daily grind of married life wore away his passion for life."
"And the mistress Liu Bei played was young, beautiful, and knew how to keep the romance alive. I don't believe any man could resist that kind of temptation."
Chen Fan immediately raised his hand.
"I could!"
"I could resist it."
"I, Chen Fan, will only ever love Su Ruochu."
Su Ruochu gave him a meaningful look.
"I once read a line in a book."
"The two things you should never believe in this world are that pigs can climb trees and the words that come out of a man's mouth..."
Chen Fan's eyes widened.
"What idiot wrote that nonsense? Read less of that unhealthy stuff from now on."
But Su Ruochu rolled her eyes.
"I think it makes quite a lot of sense."
"Men turn bad once they have money. Especially successful men."
Chen Fan chuckled.
"I'm neither rich nor successful."
"But you have ability."
Su Ruochu looked at Chen Fan and spoke earnestly.
"I didn't know it before, but now I think you're smart and talented, Chen Fan. Whatever you do in the future, you're bound to succeed."
"When that happens, you'll be surrounded by beautiful women. There'll always be someone young and pretty..."
"Stop right there!"
Chen Fan suddenly reached out and covered her little mouth.
He finally understood.
So this was what she had been worrying about.
I knew watching that movie today was a mistake.
With her mouth covered, Su Ruochu stared at Chen Fan with her beautiful, wide eyes, her long lashes fluttering as though her gaze could speak.
Chen Fan looked at her with utter seriousness and said,
"I, Chen Fan, will only ever love Su Ruochu."
"For my whole life. My heart will never change."
Su Ruochu pulled his hand away.
"What if we end up like the main characters in the movie? What if we get married, have children, and the little things in life wear away our passion?"
Chen Fan quickly shook his head.
"That won't happen. I'll always..."
"What if I grow old?" Su Ruochu asked again.
Chen Fan suddenly began to understand.
Su Ruochu was a deeply traditional and sensitive girl.
This was her first love.
She was both inexperienced and full of anticipation.
That was why she was so nervous...
Chen Fan firmly raised one hand.
"If my heart ever changes, then let me..."
Su Ruochu covered Chen Fan's mouth again and slowly shook her head.
She didn't let him finish.
As Chen Fan watched in confusion, Su Ruochu lowered her head and took a red embroidered pouch from her pocket.
Then she opened it in front of him and took out a red cord bracelet.
The sight of that red cord bracelet left Chen Fan frozen.
With her head lowered, Su Ruochu gently untied the bracelet.
She took his hand in hers.
"A few days ago, I went with my parents to visit my eldest aunt. We also stopped by Mount Putuo."
"I got this at the temple. A master blessed it."
"There are two of them. I'm giving this one to you."
After carefully tying it around his wrist, Su Ruochu looked up at Chen Fan.
"Chen Fan, today I'm officially agreeing to be your girlfriend."
"I hope it'll be just the two of us for our whole lives, and that we'll never part..."
At that point, Su Ruochu paused.
"Of course, if we really do reach the point the main characters in the movie did... I hope you won't hide it from me."
"You can tell me everything. I won't cling to you. I'll leave on my own and wish you well."
Chen Fan: "..."
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