Movie

Would he be assassinated if he said it? He definitely would, right...

After thinking it over for a long while, Fang Sheng decided it was better to let the secret rot in his stomach. The He Family would find a way to deal with it anyway.

In the courtyard, the guests who knew nothing of what had happened continued raising their cups and exchanging toasts.

Fang Sheng pretended he knew nothing, hurried to find his mother, and obediently stayed beside a group of wealthy ladies, not daring to wander off again.

Meanwhile, Cen Xia and Shi Su had swept a tableful of food clean. As expected of boys of sixteen or seventeen, they could eat a whole cow when they were hungry.

With their bellies full and their thirst quenched, it was time for the trip to the movies that Shi Su had been looking forward to.

Shi Su bought the movie tickets just then, sneakily choosing seats in the back row with no one on either side to disturb them.

The theater had special couples' seats, but Shi Su thought that was too bold and was too embarrassed to choose them.

There was still plenty of time before the movie started, and it wasn't far away, so the two decided to walk and help their food settle.

As they passed a milk tea shop on the street, Shi Su unconsciously slowed his pace.

The shop was exquisitely decorated, and quite a few people were sitting inside. At a glance, several pairs were couples.

He had specifically looked up dating guides the night before, and one of the suggestions was to drink milk tea together.

He looked at Cen Xia expectantly. "Brother Cen, do you want some milk tea?"

Cen Xia casually glanced at the shop's sign, showing little interest. "I don't drink it. It's too sweet. Go ahead and get some."

Shi Su: "..."

Shi Su: "Oh, I don't like it either."

The two strolled along the street.

The plane trees by the road grew thick and lush, casting shadows on the ground that swayed and rustled whenever the wind blew.

Cen Xia's hair was also mussed by the wind. His bangs were long and thick, and it hurt quite a bit when the wind blew them against his face.

I need a haircut.

He had always acted on whatever came to mind. The moment the thought surfaced, he searched the map for a hair salon.

As luck would have it, there was one just ahead.

"How long until the movie starts?" he asked Shi Su.

"Eight fifty. Forty minutes."

Cen Xia worked out the time and gave a slight nod. "That's enough."

"...Enough for what?"

Even after they pushed open the glass door and entered the salon, Shi Su still hadn't quite caught up.

How did he suddenly think of getting a haircut...

The salon's Tony had painted his nails purple, and his hair was the same flashy color. He wore a little sequined vest that exposed his waist and stomach, complete with a navel piercing.

Cen Xia, who had lived an honest, dutiful life for over twenty years, was stunned by such a bold, avant-garde outfit-

As expected of a city person.

As soon as the two entered, the salon's only Tony stared at Cen Xia, his eyes shining.

Tony came over to greet them, his voice seemingly squeezed out of his throat. "Oh my, handsome, you're so solidly built!"

It was the first time Cen Xia had been called "handsome" in this world, so he magnanimously forgave Tony for his ill-mannered groping.

Shi Su frowned and stepped forward, pushing the coquettish man aside.

Tony stumbled back several steps from the collision, his heavily lined black eyes instantly widening into circles. Where did this food-guarding dog come from?!

Shi Su said, "Aren't there any other stylists?"

Purple Tony rolled his eyes. "Sorry, I'm the only one here today."

Cen Xia didn't care. He plopped down in a chair. "Just cut it short."

Purple Tony snorted and swayed over, twisting his waist. He rested both hands on the back of the chair, and in the mirror, his purple head leaned in until his cheek was almost pressed against Cen Xia's.

Watching from behind, Shi Su frowned harder and harder, wishing he could rush over and twist that purple head off.

Shameless!

Purple Tony's black eyeliner flicked upward as he said in a high, thin voice, "Handsome~ Would you like me to design a hairstyle for you? You'll look absolutely gorgeous!"

Cen Xia's face was impassive. "No need."

Trying to trick me into buying a membership card? No way.

"Oh, I'll give you a discount~"

"No need. Just cut it short."

"...All right~"

Although Purple Tony dressed frivolously, he was skilled. His scissors flew up and down, and the haircut was done in under twenty minutes.

Cen Xia looked at himself in the mirror. The neat short hair left his entire face exposed without reservation.

Satisfied, he paid. Purple Tony was still reluctant to part with him and wanted to add him on WeChat.

Cen Xia coldly refused. Want to send me advertisements? No way.

Before they left, Shi Su looked back and glared hard at the salon's sign several times, silently adding it to his blacklist: I won't let Brother Cen come to a place like this again, not even if you beat me to death!

When they reached the cinema, there were less than fifteen minutes before the movie started.

Cen Xia bought an extra-large bucket of popcorn and held it in front of him. The fluffy popcorn was piled so high that it almost hid his entire upper body.

He walked over to Shi Su, who was collecting the tickets, and popped a piece of popcorn into his mouth.

"Try it. I just saw a bunch of people buying it, so it should taste pretty good."

With the popcorn pressed against his lips, Shi Su froze for a moment before opening his mouth and biting down.

It was sweet.

"It's good."

Hearing that, Cen Xia also picked up a piece and put it in his mouth, crunching it down.

His assessment was that it was actually nothing special: ordinary popcorn sold with the gimmick of a big bucket.

After Shi Su finished collecting the tickets, the two sat in the lobby to wait for the movie to start.

With less than eight minutes left, Cen Xia's phone rang.

The caller was saved as Lu Mian.

This seemed to be the first time Lu Mian had contacted him since they exchanged phone numbers.

But wasn't Lu Mian supposed to be at the banquet?

Full of questions, Cen Xia answered.

"Hello?"

It was silent on the other end, with no response.

"Hello?"

After a brief silence, rapid, heavy breathing came through the line.

A low, hoarse voice sounded:

"...It's me."

Cen Xia immediately sensed that something was wrong with Lu Mian's voice. His brows drew sharply together as he pressed, "What's wrong?"

Lu Mian's voice came in fits and starts, as though he were enduring immense pain.

"I think I ate, ate something with drugs in it. I'm feeling a little... a little unwell..."

His voice grew quieter and weaker, until Cen Xia could hardly hear him at all.

"Where are you now?"

The heavy breathing in his ear sounded like a broken bellows.

"In a... a wardrobe..."

In the darkness, Lu Mian was curled up in a ball, barely managing to hold the phone to his ear.

The hallucinations constantly appearing before his eyes were about to swallow him up in endless darkness.

He had shut the wardrobe door himself. Apart from this cramped space, the world outside was no different from a hell of blades and saws to him now.

He felt as though he had been thrown into a pot of oil, his flesh slowly frying.

His consciousness gradually scattered, growing more and more hazy.

An anxious voice came from the phone pressed to his ear.

"Lu Mian! Lu Mian!"

But he could no longer hear it clearly.

The line fell deathly silent again, and Cen Xia's expression abruptly grew grave.

Shi Su, beside him, saw every change in his expression, and his heart sank.

"Did something happen?"

Cen Xia took a deep breath. "Something seems to have happened to my friend. We might not be able to watch the movie..."

Shi Su's expression was calm. "It's okay. Hurry and go check on your friend."

"Sorry. We'll watch a movie next time."

"Mm, next time."

Next time.

Holding the bucket of popcorn Cen Xia had bought, Shi Su sat alone in the lobby.

The movie had already started, and the two freshly collected tickets were still in his hand.

In the screening room, two carefully chosen seats sat empty.