Watching a movie

Wen Ce was stumped by her question. Looking at her conflicted expression, he had no idea what she was thinking now.

So he sighed. "I'm not planning on it right now, and I haven't met anyone suitable."

Luo Lianqing's brows knitted tightly. He hadn't met anyone suitable.

Remembering how Wen Ce had told her several times that he wasn't interested in her that way, Luo Lianqing suddenly felt even worse.

My qualifications are pretty good too, aren't they?

Why isn't he interested in me?

She lowered her long lashes. My legs are pretty long too.

Luo Lianqing startled and came back to her senses.

What am I upset about? Wasn't his lack of interest in me the very reason I felt safe being friends with him?

Just then, the server began bringing out their food. They started eating, and neither continued the topic.

Luo Lianqing had something on her mind, while Wen Ce was also a little frustrated by his inexplicable attraction and her complete obliviousness to it.

The Cantonese restaurant was quite authentic. After finishing her meal, Luo Lianqing nodded and said, "Pretty good. Let's come here again next time."

Hearing her mention a next time so naturally, Wen Ce could hardly help wanting to sigh, but he still nodded. "Sure. We'll come again next time."

Luo Lianqing paid the bill, because she said she had received prize money for winning the basketball tournament.

Wen Ce didn't fight her over it.

"They're saying in the class group chat that you should treat everyone to a meal too, since you got prize money," Wen Ce said as he looked at the chat.

Luo Lianqing hummed in acknowledgment. "That's not out of the question. I'll treat everyone at the end of this semester."

Wen Ce paused. "You won't be our counselor next semester?"

"Right. You'll all be seniors next semester, and most of you will be out doing internships. Your counselor won't matter much anymore." Mentioning this suddenly reminded Luo Lianqing of something. "You said you'd found an internship when you applied to live off campus before. How come I haven't seen you going to work? You're usually quite punctual for class."

"Oh," Wen Ce said. "I quit that job after a month. It wasn't a good fit."

"Oh." Luo Lianqing began to worry a little. "It's pretty hard to find a decent internship in this major."

Wen Ce found her troubled expression a little funny, but he couldn't tell her that he didn't need to find an internship.

He spotted the movie theater not far away. "Want to watch a movie?"

"Hmm?" Luo Lianqing looked up and over. Quite a few people were lining up for tickets.

She was a little tempted. Besides, watching a movie seemed like a way to test something out.

"Sure. It's still early anyway," she said to Wen Ce with a smile.

When they bought the tickets, Wen Ce had never imagined she would want to watch a romance.

One look told him this was a niche movie, the kind generally only couples bought tickets for...

He glanced at Luo Lianqing, who was choosing a popcorn combo, but ultimately said nothing.

After buying their tickets and popcorn, they waited only five or six minutes before having their tickets checked and going inside.

Not many people watched this kind of movie. Including the two of them, there were only eight people at the screening.

The other six were three couples, who had bought seats far apart from one another and toward the back.

Only their seats were right in the middle.

After sitting down, Luo Lianqing fell silent for a moment. "I feel like we picked the wrong seats."

Wen Ce was a little amused. "Hmm?"

"It feels like we're sitting right in the middle of a stage, with all the lights shining on us." She sighed, catching sight of the couples in the corners out of the corner of her eye, and lowered her voice a little. "Should we have sat in a corner too?"

Wen Ce also lowered his voice and leaned a little closer. "They're all couples. They sit in the corners so it's easier to get intimate."

"Huh?" Luo Lianqing was a little surprised and lowered her voice even further. "But there are security cameras here."

Wen Ce looked at her face so close to his. The lights really were shining right on them; he could even see the fine down on her face. Her beautiful, curled lashes fluttered, making his heart itch with every blink.

Finally, his gaze settled on her soft pink lips, slightly parted in surprise.

Wen Ce swore inwardly. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his throat felt a little dry.

Just then, the lights went out. The movie was about to start.

Wen Ce breathed an inward sigh of relief. The lights had gone out just in time, or he would have been a little embarrassed.

Sounds came from the corner seats, occasionally accompanied by a girl's soft giggle.

Luo Lianqing also straightened and settled back into her own seat.

Neither of them spoke as they watched the movie begin.

Luo Lianqing couldn't help glancing at Wen Ce by the light from the movie. The reflection on his glasses kept her from seeing his eyes clearly.

She could only see his high, straight nose and slightly thin lips.

He really is good-looking, Luo Lianqing couldn't help thinking.

Noticing Wen Ce reaching for his drink, Luo Lianqing reached out too, though she didn't know what had prompted her.

Their hands touched as they reached for the same cup of cola.

The cola was ice-cold, but where their hands touched seemed to burn.

Wen Ce lowered his eyes to their hands. In this position, it looked more as though he had wrapped his hand around hers.

He turned to look at Luo Lianqing. She was staring at the movie screen as if she hadn't noticed.

Wen Ce shifted his hand and gently let go, even though this cup of cola was his.

Only after he let go did Luo Lianqing seem to notice. She turned to him with an apologetic look in her eyes.

Then she picked up the cola and handed it to Wen Ce.

Wen Ce took it and had a sip.

He saw Luo Lianqing pick up the other cola and take a sip too, her gaze fixed on the screen as if the movie were riveting.

But Wen Ce felt that with this kind of movie, you already knew the ending from the opening. There was nothing much worth watching.

Over the course of the movie, the two of them touched inadvertently as many as five or six times.

Wen Ce wasn't an idiot. How could he believe there were that many coincidences?

When the movie reached its climax, one of the couples behind them-he couldn't tell which-began making suggestive sounds.

Wen Ce heard them, and so did Luo Lianqing.

Wen Ce was all right; he merely glanced at Luo Lianqing on reflex.

Then he discovered that she actually seemed a little embarrassed, her face slightly flushed, but those beautiful eyes seemed unable to resist looking behind her.

Her head started to turn too.

Wen Ce sighed, reached out, and covered her face just as she was about to turn around. "What are you looking at?" he asked quietly.

He gently turned Luo Lianqing's face back toward him. Her large eyes were full of innocence, and her soft pink lips moved. "I'm a little curious."

"Children shouldn't look at things like that." Wen Ce applied a little pressure to turn her face forward, then stroked her hair in passing as he let go.

Luo Lianqing instantly forgot the sounds behind her. She heard her own heart pounding like thunder.

The spot on her face that Wen Ce had touched still seemed to hold the warmth of his palm.

Luo Lianqing reached up and touched her chest. It seemed the thing she had wanted to confirm already had an answer.

She had no interest in watching the rest of the movie, with something weighing on her mind.

When the movie ended and the lights came on, neither of them moved.

Two of the young couples behind them, however, left affectionately wrapped up in each other.

Wen Ce stood up too. "Let's go."