By now, the theater was much busier.
A long line had ford at the entrance, and when it was finally Lin Zhengran and Jiang Xueli’s turn, the ticket girl blinked in surprise at their familiar faces.
Lin Zhengran handed her the tickets.
She smiled. “You two look familiar! Would you like to join the couple’s event? If you touch noses to prove you’re a couple, we’ll give you a big bucket of popcorn!”
Lin Zhengran nodded.
Jiang Xueli, upon seeing him agree, imdiately nodded as well. “We’ll do it!”
The ticket girl clapped her hands. “Alright, go ahead!”
Jiang Xueli turned her head and realized—so many people were watching them.
But thankfully, Lin Zhengran wasn’t shy at all.
Since the guy wasn’t nervous, the girl naturally had an easier ti being bold.
So Jiang Xueli gathered her courage, placed her hands on his chest, and stood on her tiptoes.
Their faces drew closer.
Their noses grazed against each other.
For a brief mont, their eyes t.
Jiang Xueli’s heart pounded.
Then she lowered her heels, ending the little ceremony.
Her nose felt… ticklish.
She touched it absentmindedly, her face burning.
The ticket girl handed them a giant bucket of popcorn—almost as tall as her forearm.
“Here you go! I hope you two stay sweet and never separate!”
Lin Zhengran reached for it, but Jiang Xueli grabbed it first, checking the weight.
She looked at him in awe. “Wow! This is huge—totally worth it!”
The couples waiting in line saw the size of the popcorn bucket and suddenly beca restless.
They might be shy, but free stuff is free stuff.
Back inside the theater, Jiang Xueli wasn’t as nervous this ti.
She didn’t even think—she just let Lin Zhengran hold her hand and followed.
Following this big idiot was always the right move.
Once they found their seats, Jiang Xueli didn’t even wait—she skillfully lifted the armrest and placed the popcorn in the middle.
Though the theater was much more crowded this ti, it didn’t affect their mood.
“This was supposed to be my treat,” she said, feeling a little guilty. “But you still ended up paying.”
Lin Zhengran kept his eyes on the screen. “Doesn’t matter who pays. You’re mine anyway.”
Jiang Xueli bit her lip.
How did he say sothing so embarrassing so easily?!
If it were her, she’d never be able to say sothing like that out loud.
…Unless it was a special situation—like last ti.
Seeing her go quiet, Lin Zhengran smirked and teased, “Am I wrong?”
Jiang Xueli froze, then slowly nodded.
“Of course I am.”
Lin Zhengran pretended not to hear. “Huh? What did you say?”
Jiang Xueli puffed up her cheeks like she wasn’t going to back down. She grabbed a popcorn kernel and held it up to his mouth.
“I said yes! Even if you didn’t ask, I **was always yours! Forever yours! Is that good enough?!”
Lin Zhengran took the popcorn and ate it, highly amused.
Teasing this girl was always fun.
Jiang Xueli, feeling a little embarrassed, also grabbed a popcorn kernel and popped it into her mouth.
So sweet.
She took another.
Then another.
But sohow…
Even though the bucket looked huge, after just a few bites—it was gone.
Even before the movie had started.
Jiang Xueli reached in and touched the bottom.
Wait. What?
How?!
She flipped the bucket over and examined it.
That’s when she discovered the scam.
In the middle of the bucket was a hidden cardboard layer, and underneath was foam—half the bucket was fake!
Only the top layer was actually filled with popcorn.
Jiang Xueli’s jaw dropped.
“…The people who ca up with this event must’ve had a really hard ti,” she muttered. “They want to give stuff away, but not really.”
Lin Zhengran wasn’t surprised. These kinds of tricks were becoming more common.
Jiang Xueli gave up, placing the empty bucket in the middle.
After a refreshing nap, she happily intertwined her fingers with Lin Zhengran’s and thought, Finally! I can actually enjoy this movie!
This was the third ti.
At long last…
Three minutes later.
Jiang Xueli’s eyelids drooped.
And then…
She fell asleep on Lin Zhengran’s shoulder.
Jiang Xueli slumped onto Lin Zhengran’s shoulder again—this ti, even he was shocked.
“Lili? You fell asleep again?”
No response.
Jiang Xueli was deeply asleep, her face peaceful and happy.
Lin Zhengran was speechless.
For the first ti, he truly understood—her habit of falling asleep during movies had nothing to do with whether or not she had pulled an all-nighter.
He had assud it was lack of rest, but no… She was just allergic to movie theaters.
Still, he had a strong feeling—this girl would definitely co back again.
An Hour Later
As they walked out of the theater, Jiang Xueli was clutching her head in despair.
“I MISSED IT AGAIN!”
Lin Zhengran had gotten used to this at this point. He shrugged. “Let’s go ho.”
“But I was so excited for this movie! What even happened in it? I really thought I was wide awake this ti… How did I fall asleep again?!”
Lin Zhengran sighed. “So people are just built differently.”
Jiang Xueli frowned. “So… does this an I can’t go to the movies for our next date?! I still wanna experience actually watching a movie in a theater!”
This had clearly beco a personal challenge for her.
Lin Zhengran thought for a mont. “Actually, if you just want to watch a movie, it doesn’t have to be in a theater. We could set up a ho theater instead.”
Jiang Xueli, still holding his hand, perked up. “Wait, really? How would we do that?”
“I’ll tell you next ti we have a chance.”
Jiang Xueli pouted.
Next ti? That ant she’d have to wait weeks for their next date… Ugh, why did I fall asleep again?!
She was so frustrated!
They took a taxi back.
As they arrived at the familiar intersection, Jiang Xueli glanced down at their intertwined hands.
The disappointnt of missing the movie faded instantly. A soft smile appeared on her lips.
Lin Zhengran glanced at her. “I have to head back to school this afternoon. So… does that an our date is over?”
Jiang Xueli didn’t want it to end.
It felt like their date had been too short—like she hadn’t done anything… except take two naps.
She didn’t want to let go of his hand.
Seeing her downcast expression, Lin Zhengran chuckled. “Didn’t we say we’d have another date after your competition results co out? You can watch the movie then.”
Jiang Xueli blinked, then slowly nodded.
That’s true…
A taxi pulled up at another part of the intersection.
From the car stepped a sweet-looking girl with a single ponytail.
She had just arrived, and her best friend—a fox-like girl—was already waiting for her.
As they reunited, the taxi drove off, passing right behind Jiang Xueli.
The breeze from the moving car made her twin ponytails sway slightly.
Jiang Xueli took a deep breath.
Then, mustering all her courage, she stepped closer to Lin Zhengran.
She grabbed the edge of his shirt, stood on her tiptoes…
And with her stubborn, proud eyes locked onto his, she whispered, “See you this afternoon, Zhengran.”
Then—
She kissed his neck.
Softly.
Gently.
And then… she licked it.
Where she learned that move? Who knew.
Lin Zhengran froze, completely stunned.
Jiang Xueli stamred, her face completely red. “I-I’m heading ho now. Even though it felt like we didn’t do much today, I had a lot of fun.”
Then she let go of his hand, covered her mouth in embarrassnt, and ran off.
Even after running far away, she turned back, flashed her little tiger teeth, and waved.
“I’m leaving! Don’t forget, after the competition results, you owe a trip to the zoo!”
Lin Zhengran watched her retreating figure and sighed helplessly.
She looked so proud—like she had just won sothing.
He raised his hand and called out, “Walk slowly!”
“Got it!”
Just as Lin Zhengran was about to turn ho, he noticed two people standing in the distance.
A pair of wide, almond eyes stared at him in shock.
He Qing.
Her red lips slightly parted.
Next to her, Han Wenwen also stood frozen, her gaze locked on Jiang Xueli’s kiss.
Three people.
Awkward silence.
Lin Zhengran blinked.
Since when had they been standing there?!
The noon sun was warm, but He Qing looked… not so warm.
She wasn’t happy.
She stared at the spot on his neck where soone had just kissed him.
Then she stared at the ground, lost in thought.
anwhile, Han Wenwen linked arms with He Qing, her fox-like eyes filled with jealousy.
Her expression practically scread:
"Seriously? You two couldn’t find a more private place? Now look what you’ve done, Zhengran-ge!"
Most guys, in a situation like this, would be panicking, trying to think of a way to explain themselves.
But Lin Zhengran?
Unbothered.
Two lifetis had made him immune to panic.
He looked at them calmly and asked, “Why are you two here?”
Even his tone was strong and steady—completely guilt-free.
He Qing lowered her head, her voice soft.
“Um… I called Wenwen last night, and we were talking about how I’d never visited her place since she moved… So I thought, since I had to go back to school today anyway, I could stop by and see her before heading back.”
She fidgeted.
“…And we just got here.”
Han Wenwen grinned mischievously, hugging He Qing’s arm. “I ca to pick up Qingqing~”
Then she turned to Lin Zhengran, her fox-like eyes glinting.
“Zhengran-classmate, do you have plans this afternoon? If not, why don’t you co with us? I made so food~”
She smirked.
Her gaze practically scread:
“Are you seriously not going to comfort Qingqing? She’s jealous, you know. And I’m not exactly happy either.”
She tilted her head playfully, clearly expecting an answer.
Lin Zhengran nodded. “I haven’t eaten yet. Sure, I’ll co.”
Han Wenwen raised an eyebrow.
Damn.
He really never panicked.
That level of confidence… so attractive.
At Han Wenwen’s Apartnt
The three of them arrived at Han Wenwen’s small apartnt.
She linked arms with He Qing and proudly introduced her place.
“It’s small, but the location is great! And there are security caras everywhere, so it’s pretty safe.”
He Qing walked quietly beside her, sneaking glances at Lin Zhengran from ti to ti.
A little jealous. A little sulky.
Han Wenwen called out, “Qingqing?”
“Huh?” He Qing snapped back to reality. “What’s wrong, Wenwen?”
Han Wenwen smiled. She totally caught her spacing out.
“I was asking what you think of my place. We’re almost there.”
“Oh! Right! Yeah, it’s nice. Great location.”
Han Wenwen unlocked the door.
“Co in! I’ll show you around.”
Inside was a cozy little room. A bed, a desk, random personal items… and a thick, fluffy white rug beside the bed.
“So pretty,” He Qing comnted.
Han Wenwen smirked. “Right? What about you, Zhengran? First ti here—give your review.”
Lin Zhengran: “It’s a very pretty room.”
He Qing side-eyed him.
Han Wenwen squinted at him.
“…Just get in already.”
As they settled in, He Qing’s eyes landed on a pair of n’s slippers in the corner.
“Wait… these are n’s slippers?”
Silence.
Han Wenwen froze.
Lin Zhengran turned his head.
Uh-oh.
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