"Cola, popcorn... um, egg waffles too, I'm a little hungry." Chu Ge leaned against the cinema counter, standing on one leg, buying things, while Qiu Wuji stood to the side, waiting with a sour face.
Considering that the things he bought were usually quite delicious.
"Stop pretending to stand on one leg. Even if you've mastered the Invincible Bell Technique, it wouldn't hurt that much, humph."
Chu Ge's pain was in his heart; he was almost crying... After leaving the haunted house, he reflected on himself and almost slapped himself ten times.
"I'm a harem novelist, after all. My male protagonists are so good at this! Why am I so clueless when it comes to myself? Waaaaah..."
If this were a novel, how should the male lead act?
He should look deeply into her eyes and softly say, "Whether the danger is real or not, I will protect you."
Or, a domineering CEO template would work: "That's a man's job."
That would have been a perfect eye contact, complete with background music, but they missed it.
So don't bother learning from novels, because even the authors can only write; when it comes to your own situation, you won't know how either. What's the use of realizing it afterward?
(Fat penguin weeps.)
Chu Ge squeezed through the crowd to find Qiu Wuji, eagerly handing her the food: "Hungry? Want something?"
Qiu Wuji was both amused and annoyed by his fawning manner. It was certainly a good thing he wasn't a seasoned womanizer; did he expect to be like the male protagonist in his novels? That wouldn't just be stepping on someone's foot, it would be a slap in the face.
Looking around, many people were eating popcorn. Qiu Wuji was quite expectant, thinking it must be a delicacy. But after trying one, it was just so-so.
"This stuff is so-so, not as good as the ones you picked out before. Why are so many people eating it?"
"Emmm... Popcorn is a must-have at the movies. I don't know why, some movies even have a special term: 'Popcorn Movies.'"
"I see..." Qiu Wuji, following local custom, held the popcorn bag in the hand holding the rose, and reached for the popcorn with the other.
The movie was about to start, and a surge of people rushed in from behind. Qiu Wuji hadn't used her magic to protect herself, and was instead jostled. She immediately used her magic to protect the rose, but soon found herself bumped into a warm chest.
Looking up, she saw Chu Ge completely enveloping her, even using his invincible shield, his stance as stable as a pine tree.
He was looking down at her, and said softly, "No matter..."
"Shut up," Qiu Wuji said irritably, "Dare to use that line from your old novels, I'll beat you to death."
Chu Ge: "..." He had a sudden inspiration and quickly grabbed Qiu Wuji's free hand: "It's too crowded, be careful not to get separated."
Qiu Wuji looked down at her hand, saying nothing.
In the surging crowd, the two stood close together, hand in hand, moving forward with the flow. The female sect leader didn't use any magic to protect herself; the only thing she protected was the rose in her hand.
"What are these glasses? I don't need to wear glasses."
"They're for 3D movies. They give you a bit of a realistic feel. That's probably the biggest point of going to the cinema. Computers and TVs don't have this effect, oh, I think they do, but you need to buy equipment..."
Is that so...? Qiu Wuji felt it wasn't that significant.
Even the answers online to "Why go to the cinema," about sound effects, picture quality, atmosphere, and feeling, were all useless.
The real meaning was… in the dim light, in the corner of the last row, there was a faint sense of gloom, as if something was growing in his heart, making his heart pound.
His hand was still clenched, still holding on. He could feel the slight sweat on his palm, and it was clear he was nervous too; his heart was beating even faster.
What was he thinking?
In any case, he wasn't watching a movie.
Perhaps not a single frame of the movie had entered either of their minds.
Instead, it felt more like that day, in the decadent atmosphere of the nightclub, when they hid in a corner couple's seat, that moment of intimacy.
It was basically a low-budget version of that; no wonder men like to take girls to the movies…
Thinking this way, Qiu Wuji calmed down. What storms hadn't he weathered?
She stole a glance at him; popcorn and egg waffles were placed between them, and it was difficult to hold them with her hands clasped like that… She thought for a moment, placed the popcorn on her lap, and stealthily reached over with her other hand, quickly popping an egg waffle into her mouth. She hadn't tried it yet…
Hmm, this is pretty good, better than the popcorn!
She then quietly grabbed a Coke and slurped it down.
Chu Ge saw all of this out of the corner of his eye, and was somewhat amused and exasperated.
He was incredibly nervous, sitting upright, while she was so carefree, eating and drinking as usual.
Most of the films released for Qixi Festival were romance movies, and unsurprisingly, there were kissing scenes on screen. The atmosphere in the movie theater became a little strange—actually, these kisses weren't as intense as those seen in TV dramas, but the couple sitting next to Chu Ge unconsciously snuggled together, the girl burying her head in the boy's chest, and the boy lowering his head to find her lips.
It wasn't just an involuntary reaction to seeing something inappropriate for children; you two clearly had been waiting for this scene to appear, just giving each other an excuse.
Stealing a glance at Qiu Wuji, who was wearing 3D glasses and watching the screen while slurping down her cola, the scene no longer bothered her…
Do you need an excuse like this too? Chu Ge thought.
So, feeling a bit timid, he twitched his little finger, subtly hooking Qiu Wuji's palm.
Qiu Wuji paused slightly in her cola-slurping, her slender hand responding.
"Ouch~" A suppressed scream startled the couple next to him, making them sit up straight. They glanced at Chu Ge, only to see him clutching his arms, curled up like a shrimp.
Perhaps the only result of this failed probing attack was disturbing another couple's lovemaking?
Chu Ge was in tears.
"The movie was good today." The two-hour movie ended, and as the crowd dispersed, the streets gradually quieted down, except for couples walking hand-in-hand, reluctant to part.
Qiu Wuji watched a girl sit on the back of a boy's bicycle, her arms around his waist, leaning against his back. The evening breeze made her long hair flutter, and her smile was sweet.
It's unclear whether she meant the movie was good or the scene itself.
Anyway, Chu Ge had absolutely no idea what the movie was about, and hadn't even paid much attention to what the male and female leads looked like. Right now, he just felt like he was being subjected to a public display of affection.
Everyone else was out celebrating Qixi Festival with couples watching movies. They're probably heading to a hotel now, all lovey-dovey, while my hand still aches.
Just as Chu Ge was looking constipated, Qiu Wuji asked in a low voice, "This bicycle... can you ride it?" Chu Ge paused, then his eyes lit up: "Yes! Absolutely!" Shared bikes can't carry passengers, but it has to be admitted that businesses these days are incredibly clever; there's a bike rental service not far from the movie theater.
They even offer overnight rentals, so you can return it the next day.
The shop owner blinked at the couple before him, revealing an ambiguous smile: "Ninety-nine a night, wishing you two a long and happy life together."
Chu Ge looked at the beat-up bike, which wouldn't even be worth ninety-nine on the secondhand market, but still found the blessing extremely appealing.
Because Qiu Wuji didn't object.
Thinking back to when the little girl selling flowers, she didn't object either… maybe she'd gotten used to being misunderstood and was too lazy to argue?
Anyway, Chu Ge felt his hand stop hurting and happily hopped on the bike: "Come on, Father God will take you to see the riverside night view, it's very beautiful."
Qiu Wuji didn't respond, and like the other girls, sat sideways on the back seat.
The bicycle sped along the riverbank, the river breeze whipping through the air, causing Qiu Wuji's disheveled hair to obscure her face.
She didn't brush it away, looking up at the Milky Way, then lowering her head to gently inhale the scent of the rose in her hand.
Is this what girls in this world are meant to experience?
If Chu Ge had eyes in the back of his head, he would most likely have seen the ever-present smile on Qiu Wuji's lips, a beauty that seemed otherworldly.