Shen Jianxi was unaware of what had happened the previous night. She was preoccupied with deciding what to wear today.
Fu Yi had messaged her in the morning, inviting her to watch a movie that afternoon. Despite sensing something odd about him, Shen Jianxi decided to go. After all, he was a target for her to influence. She couldn't possibly heed Xie Shu's advice and never see him again, and she was curious about Fu Yi's true intentions.
Fu Yi had arrived at the cinema early. When Shen Jianxi arrived, he was standing at the entrance, holding a cup of milk tea in one hand and a bucket of popcorn in the other, looking down at his toes listlessly.
"Fu Yi!" Adjusting her expression, she broke into a sweet smile and jogged over. "Am I late?"
Fu Yi handed her the milk tea, smiled at her gently, and said, "No, I just got here early."
Taking the milk tea, Shen Jianxi glanced at her phone. "Let's go! They'll be checking tickets soon."
To her surprise, Fu Yi reached out and took her bag, slinging it over his shoulder while she watched in astonishment.
"Didn't you say it was almost time?" Fu Yi took a few steps forward and, noticing she wasn't following, turned back to her. His gaze was clear, revealing nothing.
"Oh, okay, coming."
They entered the cinema side by side. From behind, they looked like an enviable young couple. The tall young man occasionally leaned down to ask the petite and cute girl beside him something, and she responded with a smile, appearing perfectly matched.
As the movie began and the entire cinema darkened, Shen Jianxi ate her popcorn, her eyes fixed on the big screen.
Suddenly, warm breath brushed against her ear, the tickle causing her to flinch. She turned her head and found themselves incredibly close.
"W-what?"
The girl's expression was flustered, tinged with a hint of inquiry.
Fu Yi stared at her and, in a voice only they could hear, said, "How about we be together?"
As if to allay her worries, he added, "We can keep it a secret, so your boyfriend doesn't find out."
As he spoke, his expression was innocent, as if such a shocking statement hadn't just come from his lips.
"What are you talking about?!"
Even Shen Jianxi was taken aback by his words, stumbling over her response.
What kind of grudge was this? He actually wanted to cheat on Xie Shu.
"Can't we? Then you'd have two boyfriends, and I'm much better than Xie Shu. Won't you consider giving it a try?" He then leaned on the armrest, propping his chin on his hand as he looked at her.
Seeing her frozen in place, Fu Yi didn't rush. He quietly waited for her answer.
While the first meeting was his design, he couldn't possibly have missed Shen Jianxi's deliberate attempts to get closer to him afterward.
Fu Yi could tell she didn't like Xie Shu at all. Though he didn't know why they were dating, it didn't stop him from wanting to snatch her away. After all, Xie Shu cared about her deeply.
Thinking this, a strange excitement surged from the depths of his heart. He eagerly anticipated Xie Shu's expression when he saw her taken. The thought of Xie Shu being heartbroken made him impatient.
"Stop talking!" Shen Jianxi pushed him away, her expression angry. "I'll pretend I didn't hear anything you said today. What happens between Xie Shu and me has nothing to do with you!"
With that, she grabbed her bag, stood up, and left.
The smile that had been on Fu Yi's lips froze. His eyes turned dark, the light from the screen casting a somewhat eerie glow on his profile.
He touched his wrist, which he had bumped, let out a light laugh, and got up to follow her.
Shen Jianxi wasn't walking fast. As soon as Fu Yi emerged from the cinema, he saw her back. He quickly caught up and grabbed her arm. "Don't be angry. I was just joking."
She ignored him, pulled her hand away, and continued walking.
"Didn't you say to just pretend you didn't hear it? Since you didn't hear it, then don't be angry."
Hearing this, Shen Jianxi stopped and looked at him in disbelief.
How could this person be so shameless?
Fu Yi blinked and looked at her with innocent eyes, as if genuinely puzzled. "What's wrong? Isn't that right?"
Shen Jianxi was so angered she laughed. Just as she was about to retort, "You..."
"You laughed, which means you're not angry anymore. That's good!"
Shen Jianxi: ???
"Since when did you start acting like a hooligan?"
Fu Yi pulled her hand, seemingly not hearing her words, and walked forward on his own. "Since you're not angry anymore, let's go look around!"
Shen Jianxi struggled a few times, but couldn't break free. Instead, Fu Yi held on tighter. No, why was this person acting like a bandit now?
There was a photo booth inside the mall where you could print photos instantly. Shen Jianxi wasn't particularly interested, but Fu Yi seemed very keen and insisted on dragging her in to take pictures. Unable to refuse him, she was reluctantly pulled along.
"Just one photo, understand?" Shen Jianxi said, annoyed.
Fu Yi, who was studying how to use the machine, replied without looking back, "No problem!"
"Hurry, hurry, it's starting."
After pressing the button, Fu Yi returned to her side, his smile radiant. The countdown on the screen began.
Three,
Two,
One,
"Fu Yi!"
...
"Don't be angry anymore. I was wrong, really wrong."
Fu Yi kept apologizing behind her, but no matter what he said, the person in front didn't turn back.
This time, Shen Jianxi didn't look back. With a straight face and her gaze fixed ahead, she walked on.
Who would have thought that at the last second, Fu Yi would kiss her?
Her phone buzzed. A message arrived.
She looked down and saw their photo from earlier. In the picture, the boy had his eyes closed, kissing the girl's cheek. The girl's eyes were wide with surprise. Even Shen Jianxi had to admit that the photo looked good.
But! This didn't stop her from being even angrier. What did Fu Yi mean by sending this to her again? Was it a provocation?
She stopped abruptly, fuming. Xie Shu was still trailing behind her, apologizing. Due to her sudden halt, he almost bumped into her and stumbled back a couple of steps to avoid it.
"Why did you send this to me?!"
"Because it's beautiful, and I thought you'd like it," Fu Yi said with a smile. The dimples on his cheeks made Shen Jianxi feel like a bully picking on a naive young boy.
Shaking her head, she banished the strange analogy from her mind and looked at him with a forced smile. "Like! It! Your! Ass!"
As if taken aback by her use of profanity, Fu Yi froze, staring at her blankly.
She glanced up. They had already reached the residential complex. "That's all. I don't want to talk to you anymore. Goodbye."
With that, she turned and left, no longer looking at his expression.
It wasn't until 77 suddenly chimed in with a remark that Shen Jianxi's footsteps paused. She reached up with her right hand and touched her ear. When her hand dropped, her earring fell to the ground. She continued walking as if unaware.
Fu Yi behind her only realized when her figure disappeared into the complex. Just as he was about to leave, he saw a glint on the ground.
He walked over, bent down, and picked up the object, only to realize it was Shen Jianxi's earring.