Chapter 99

Outside the cinema, the staff were removing the barriers that had been used to separate the queues.

The movie was about to start.

Qi Shaobai, for some inexplicable reason, reached into his pocket.

When he pulled his hand out, he was holding an extra movie ticket.

He handed it to the girl in front of him.

"I have an extra ticket. Do you want it?"

Chi Xia lowered her gaze and saw that it was a ticket for the long-awaited movie "Burning Desires." She was momentarily stunned.

Surprise slowly spread across her fair face.

Happiness shimmered in her beautiful eyes as she looked up at him, her smile reaching the corners of her eyes and lips.

"Thank you. I'll transfer the money for the ticket to you."

She rummaged through her bag, searching for her phone.

"No need," Qi Shaobai replied calmly, his expression unchanged. He tilted his chin slightly, his voice as gentle as the breeze that had just passed.

With his hands in his pockets, he walked forward, taking long strides.

As he brushed past her, he left a sentence by her side:

"The movie is about to start."

Chi Xia hadn't even had a chance to take out her phone when she saw the boy had already walked far ahead.

She pursed her lips.

It was always like this. He did a good deed and then ran off, like Lei Feng.

She turned her head and raised her voice slightly.

"Wait, I have something for you."

The ginkgo leaves on both sides of the road blocked most of the streetlights.

Qi Shaobai headed towards the illuminated intersection, his shadow stretching long.

When he heard the girl calling him, he paused.

He turned around, his voice clear.

"Let's talk later. Walk faster, or we'll miss the ticket check."

The girl smiled, picking up her pace and running past him.

"Thank you, Lei Feng classmate. I'll treat you to a drink."

"...Lei Feng classmate?"

"I'll get you whatever flavor you want, Lei classmate."

"My last name is not Lei, it's Qi."

The girl smiled with a hint of mischief. "I know."

The summer heat scattered in disarray, and a refreshing breeze carried the scent of grass and trees.

The voices of the two of them faded into the distance, blending into the evening breeze of late summer.

* Sheng Mumu held a large bucket of popcorn. Before entering the theater, she couldn't resist eating a few pieces enticed by the sweet aroma.

Qi Mo walked behind her, holding her bag and two cups of orange juice.

On the side, Qiao Li widened her eyes.

She had never seen her cousin carrying someone else's bag before.

It was a scene that challenged her perception, and for a moment, her cousin didn't seem like the cousin she knew.

But then she realized it was his sister-in-law's bag.

Everything made sense again.

She couldn't help but wonder what was going on.

Cheng Zhuo noticed her distraction and, after a few seconds of pondering with his own thoughts, asked, "What's wrong? Are you debating whether to go to the restroom before the movie starts?"

Qiao Li was snapped back to reality, looking perplexed. "......?"

Without another word, Cheng Zhuo took the popcorn from her hand.

"Go ahead, there's still time. I'll wait for you at the entrance."

Qiao Li smiled helplessly and took back the popcorn.

"Hurry up and go in, you fool."

Cheng Zhuo: "???"

The screening hall was the VIP theater of the cinema, with spacious seats totaling about fifty to sixty.

The four of them sat together, in seats that were slightly towards the middle and back.

Cheng Zhuo and Qiao Li entered first.

Sheng Mumu sat to the right of Qiao Li, and Qi Mo sat to her right, crossing his long legs with his jacket draped over them.

As Sheng Mumu took her seat, she noticed a couple sitting in the front row, their heads leaning against each other with the armrest between them lifted up.

In the cinema, it was not uncommon to see such intimately close couples, so she didn't think much of it.

She turned her gaze back and was about to place the popcorn on the armrest between her and Qi Mo when someone gently took the popcorn away.

"I'll hold it," Qi Mo's voice was deep and magnetic.

In the next moment, he lifted his wrist and moved the armrest between them up.

With the popcorn bucket resting on his forearm, he leaned in a little closer to her.

Sheng Mumu was momentarily stunned. "..."

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, and a shallow dimple formed on her cheek.

Once again, she silently praised the gentlemanly demeanor that Qi Mo, her fake husband, always displayed.

Where else could she find a movie partner who willingly grabbed the popcorn?

The lights in the cinema suddenly dimmed, and the screen lit up.

The bright light carved out the contours of the man's superior profile, making it even more three-dimensional.

In a trance, she caught a fleeting smirk at the corner of his mouth.

But when she looked again, the man's face had returned to its usual calm expression.

Sheng Mumu: "???"

Maybe she had mistaken it.

The surrounding noise gradually subsided as two latecomers hurriedly bent down and took their seats a few rows ahead.

The movie began to play.

Her attention was completely absorbed in the plot.

The director's techniques were skillful, and the handheld camera shots were not uncomfortable to watch.

The male and female leads, both newcomers, brought a fresh feeling to the audience.

Everyone was engrossed in the movie, and silence filled the air. In Sheng Mumu's ears, she could hear the faint sound of fabric rubbing when her shoulder brushed against Qi Mo's.

She reached into the popcorn bucket and grabbed a few pieces.

There was a mix of butter and chocolate flavors.

Like a lottery, she didn't know what flavor she would taste next.

She grabbed another one.

Suddenly, her hand felt a warm touch.

In the cramped popcorn bucket, their backs of the hands touched.

She instinctively turned her head to look, and the man looked calm and composed, as if nothing had happened.

Realizing that the man next to her was also "drawing lots," she chuckled inwardly.

Qi Mo, the CEO who liked sweets.

What a contrast.

As the movie approached its climax, the plot took a sharp turn. The details laid out for the main characters earlier by the director became knives that stabbed the audience's hearts.

Sobs and sniffles could be heard in the cinema.

Gradually, more than half of the audience were moved to tears.

Even the tough girl Qiao Li couldn't escape it.

Qiao Li didn't bring tissues, and without thinking about her image, she used her hand to wipe her face.

When her tears blurred her vision, someone poked her arm.

She turned her head and saw Cheng Zhuo handing her a tissue.

Qiao Li's face was blotchy from crying, and her voice was choked, "Thank you."

Cheng Zhuo didn't seem to be affected by the sad plot at all. He even tried his best to hold back a smile when he saw Qiao Li's teary face.

On the other side,

Sheng Mumu also sniffed.

Qi Mo lowered his gaze and looked at her.

The bright light from the screen reflected his concern in his dark eyes.

Sheng Mumu looked back at him, blinked in confusion, and fluttered her long eyelashes.

Realizing that he might have thought she was crying, she rubbed her arms and glanced at the air conditioner blowing cold air above the theater.

Using body language to communicate, Sheng Mumu, with her high sensitivity to tears, indicated that she was just feeling a bit cold.

The plot was mildly intense, but not enough to make her cry.

As she turned her gaze back to the screen, a cool breath enveloped her.

He draped his coat over her.

Naturally, the slender hands of the man reached out and tightened her collar.

After confirming that no cold air could seep in, he withdrew his gaze and continued watching the movie.

Not a single word was spoken.

Wrapped in his expensive and exquisite coat, the chill gradually dissipated.

Sheng Mumu took a shallow breath.

In the dark environment, her senses were amplified.

The scent of pine lingered around her nose.

Although faint, it felt particularly strong at this moment.

It was the scent she would smell every night.

Something she had grown accustomed to. An aroma that put her heart at ease.