"Two tickets for 'Terminator,' please."
He Fang was buying tickets at the counter while Qin Guanglin wandered over to the popcorn stand.
"Two medium... Oh no, make it one large bucket." He thought about grabbing a cola too, but realized it might be too much to handle during the movie.
Having bought the tickets, He Fang walked over, looked at the large bucket of popcorn, then at Qin Guanglin, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Weren't you the one treating us to this movie?"
"But you bought the tickets, didn't you?" Qin Guanglin tossed a piece of popcorn into his mouth. They were still warm and crispy from the popper, sweet and crunchy. "Do you want orange juice or cola?"
"...I want milk tea." He Fang didn't choose any of the options he offered, and she also tossed a piece of popcorn into her mouth. "The movie starts in twenty minutes. You sit here for a bit, I'll go to the next shop for milk tea."
"Alright." Qin Guanglin looked around. This little theater only had an LCD screen playing promotional clips. Next time he would choose the Shengtian Square theater.
Oh... he forgot to tell her he only liked carrot juice—he stood up for a glimpse, but He Fang was already out of sight.
Oh well, drink is drink.
Outside the theater, Qin's Mom and Aunt Wang were about to sneak away, when they saw the young woman come out, but the young man from their family was still inside.
The two exchanged a look—what was happening here?
When they glanced again, the young woman saw them. She paused momentarily but then continued walking, entering a milk tea shop.
The two forty-something aunties breathed a sigh of relief... so she just went out to buy milk tea.
They would have to reprimand that young man when they got back. Sitting there and letting a girl go buy milk tea? Unbelievable!
Sneakily, the two moved away from the theater entrance and made their way out of the square.
"Didn't expect your kid is sneaking out on movie dates," Aunt Wang glanced at Qin's Mom. "Looks like you're pleased now—your pig learned to snatch a cabbage."
Qin's Mom thought for a moment and looked back, "Did that girl just recognize us?"
"Do you know her?" Aunt Wang recalled the little cabbage they just saw; she seemed nice. The boy was lucky.
"I don't know her." Qin's Mom shook her head. "The kid is keeping it under wraps. I bet you that if I ask him about it tonight, he's going to deny it."
"Alright, alright." Aunt Wang scrunched her face in disgust. "Privacy, young people care about privacy nowadays. Don't pester them. Let them develop first. Anyway, they'll have to get past you eventually."
Qin's Mom chuckled, "That girl looked pretty nice; Lin did well."
Aunt Wang clicked her tongue, feeling a touch of unease. When would her boy learn to grab a cabbage?
—————————————
Qin Guanglin spent some time reading a brochure, noticing there were quite a few good movies out. If there were no other plans next week, inviting her out for another movie would be nice.
"Here, your carrot juice." A small, fair hand suddenly stretched from the side, handing him the drink. He glanced up; as expected, He Fang had a kumquat lemon in her hand.
He and she were remarkably similar in some ways... maybe that was why their relationship developed quickly?
"Dear customers, due to special circumstances, the third theater requires temporary maintenance. Please proceed to the counter to reschedule or refund your tickets. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. Thank you for your understanding."
An announcement suddenly echoed in the theater. Qin Guanglin looked at He Fang. "Which theater are we in?"
"Let me see..." He Fang fished the tickets out of her pocket, frowning slightly. "It's the third theater."
"What a coincidence?" Qin Guanglin sighed, quickly getting up and leading her to the counter. "Let's hurry and reschedule before the line gets too long."
There were many people who bought tickets for this screening, and quite a few hadn't realized it yet.
"Hi, can we reschedule our 'Terminator' tickets from Theater Three? When's the next show?"
"I'm sorry, there are only two 3D theaters, and the other one is fully booked for today," the cashier apologized to them after checking. "I'm really sorry, would you like to consider something else?"
Qin Guanglin and He Fang looked at the milk tea and popcorn they had already bought; a refund was not an option.
"How about this one? I just saw it has a good rating, light and funny," Qin Guanglin pointed at a poster next to the counter.
He Fang hesitated, "You want to watch this?"
"It seems to have the best reviews out of what's currently showing," Qin Guanglin turned around. "What do you think?"
"Let's watch it then." She gave Qin Guanglin a glance before turning to the cashier, "Are there still seats for 'Goodbye, Mr. Loser'?"
Picking two seats in the middle towards the back, they sat down with their milk tea and popcorn quickly, waiting for the show to begin.
With the popcorn placed between them, Qin Guanglin glanced at He Fang—he usually watched American blockbusters with the guys, but this was his first time watching a movie with a girl, leaving him with a peculiar feeling.
He Fang turned her head to look at him. "What are you thinking?"
"Uh... if those two guys hadn't fought, we'd be watching a blockbuster now." Qin Guanglin replied offhandedly. They had heard earlier while waiting that the third theater needed repairs because two people had gotten into a fight damaging something.
She pursed her lips, "Yeah, I originally did it for you..."
Her voice trailed off into a murmur, forcing Qin Guanglin to lean in to hear, "What did you say?"
"I said, focus on the movie." The promotional clip ended and the movie officially began, with He Fang now facing forward and no longer speaking.
Qin Guanglin was surprised to find that this movie was even more entertaining than he had expected, filled with fresh humor. He sneaked a glance at He Fang's profile. She seemed fully relaxed, leaning comfortably against the seat, almost melted into it.
Unlike the people beside them, who were leaning forward and laughing wildly, she watched quietly, her expression unreadable in the dim light.
He picked up a piece of popcorn and offered it to her, signaling her not to forget to eat. He Fang leaned over and directly ate the popcorn from his fingers.
Feeling the slight dampness on his fingertips, Qin Guanglin was momentarily stunned, his mind lagging as he popped another piece of popcorn into his mouth to calm his nerves. Then he looked at his fingers, dazed again.
Turning his head to He Fang, she was no longer reclining into the seat. Instead, she leaned slightly forward, watching Qin Guanglin with interest.
"You're blushing," He Fang teased with a mischievous smile.
Qin Guanglin tilted his head, wondering if he'd just been teased.
A small hand with popcorn reached towards him, and as Qin Guanglin reached out to take it, the hand dodged, stubbornly bringing the popcorn to his lips.
Feeling flustered, he hurriedly ate the popcorn and confirmed that he had indeed been teased this time.
What happened to our friendship?!
How could this happen?!"