Hazel could hear the rapid whir of the wheelchair's wheels. The theater corridor's carpet absorbed most of the sound, leaving only the click-clack of empty rotation. However, fueled by the powerful sprint, the heavy, stagnant indoor air stirred up, creating a whooshing echo in her ears. The ultimate speed triggered cheers from every cell in her body.
"Hey, you two! What are you doing?"
Suddenly, a reproachful voice came from behind. Hazel tensed up entirely. "Paul, hurry, hurry!" But she hadn't anticipated that laughter would burst out of her, "Haha, quickly!"
Paul was equally flustered, "Number seven, number seven, number seven." It was like a magic spell. He shouted, laughed, and ran while turning the corner. Then the two slipped into the screening hall and leaned against the side of the door, taking in big gulps of air, yet still holding their breath.
Hazel sneakily looked back, "Did they catch up?"
Only now did Paul realize his muscles were tensed up, his mouth dry, and he was wheezing like a bull. He couldn't help but chuckle again in a hushed voice, "Shh." He signaled Hazel to be quiet, but the muffled laughter kept reverberating in his chest. The more they thought about it, the funnier it became. The laughter seemed impossible to stop.
Paul stole a glance outside, tensely saying, "Let's go, let's hurry in. If we're inside, they won't find us."
Renly stood at the ticket checkpoint, watching as Paul and Hazel disappeared around the corner and waited for a while. The sound vanished completely. The ticket checker turned around, looked at Renly, and a big smile appeared on his face. "I envy her, having a friend like you."
Renly smiled faintly, "If she can't handle such a trivial matter, what's the use of friends?" His teasing words made the ticket checker burst into laughter. Renly glanced at the badge on her chest, "Megan, thanks for your cooperation just now."
"My pleasure. I hope you enjoy the movie today and that your friend likes it too." Megan blinked at Renly, then helped him rearrange the popcorn and cola. She waved the three ticket stubs in her hand and carefully tucked them back into Renly's pant pocket, "Well, hurry in, the movie is about to start."
Renly nodded in thanks to Megan and started walking.
The earlier scolding wasn't because Hazel and Paul were found out; it was Megan cooperating with Renly's request to put on a show. Pranks and counter-pranks, no matter who ended up as the victim, the most important thing was that everyone had a good time today.
Renly entered the screening hall, scanning the area. He was somewhat surprised. "Buried" had been playing for quite a while, yet there were still a dozen or so audience members in the theater today. It might not be many, but considering it was a weekday afternoon, it was commendable.
Hazel waved to indicate their location.
Only then did Renly notice that Hazel and Paul were seated in the center without the wheelchair. He turned to look, and they had placed the wheelchair in a corner near the door. Did that mean Hazel walked up that stretch of road herself just now?
Paul waved to Renly multiple times, indicating, "I want popcorn." This made Renly burst into laughter and walk over.
After they had seated themselves, the lights in the theater gradually dimmed. The movie was about to begin. Watching Hazel, who was sitting in the center, brimming with excitement and unable to contain herself, she even couldn't resist gently shaking her head, much like a bobblehead doll. Her childish exuberance was dazzling and irresistibly endearing.
Once the movie started, the entire screening hall fell silent. "Buried" was a gripping piece, and once you were in its grip, you couldn't escape. Even for Renly, watching it for the third time, the experience was different.
"Beep..." Abruptly, a strong electronic tune blared through the theater. Astonishingly, it was the hit single "Poker Face" from recent years, still popular to the point of annoyance. Someone's cellphone ringtone disrupted the movie's rhythm, and such discourteous behavior immediately caused a commotion among the other people in the theater.
If someone unexpectedly forgot to turn off their phone or switch it to silent mode, that could be understandable; they just needed to quickly hang up the call.
However, it was beyond expectation that the person on the other end actually answered the call, "Good afternoon." Then they began conversing, "Haha, I'm watching a movie right now. It's that recently popular one, "Buried"... It's not good, so boring, I'm almost falling asleep..."
From the sound of it, they had a Harlem local accent, and the gratuitous use of profanity was ear-piercing. Though not shouted loudly, there was no effort to suppress the volume. The compact and thrilling atmosphere of "Buried" was instantly shattered.
The audience at the scene couldn't help but furrow their brows. Such rude behavior, even in the Harlem district where average behavior was less than satisfactory, was still surprising.
However, precisely because it was Harlem, where gangs were rampant and many people carried firearms, brawls breaking out at the drop of a hat were commonplace. When rage overtook reason, street shootings weren't unheard of. Moreover, with the way the person on the phone was speaking without any regard, spewing profanities, it was impossible to predict what might happen in the darkness.
Consequently, everyone looked at each other, observing in silence. For a moment, no one spoke up to interrupt them.
"Sir!" A crisp voice rang out from diagonally behind, carrying a hint of softness within its delicate tone, much like the crisp sound of breaking a fresh lotus root, combined with the refreshing feel of summer. "If you want to make a call, please leave. Otherwise, hang up immediately."
The girl's voice was deliberate, articulate, and polite, yet with a resolute undertone. The stern scolding didn't come across as overly domineering.
As soon as this voice emerged, the air in the screening hall tightened slightly. Everyone wanted to applaud and cheer for the girl, but before they could react, the man on the phone turned his head directly and scolded loudly, "Who said that!" His tone, full of confidence, sounded quite nerve-wracking.
Sitting in place, Renly let out a soft sigh.
One of the most important lessons of aristocratic education was not to meddle in other people's business easily.
Because in public settings, those who liked to create disturbances were often people with low levels of refinement. Just as a scholar couldn't reason with soldiers, it was usually futile to argue. Once things escalated to a physical altercation, the scene would become unsightly. The aristocrats always sought to maintain their elegance, composure, and dignity. They naturally wouldn't concern themselves with those who were not on the same level.
Moreover, Renly wasn't a fervent worshipper of personal heroism and righteousness.
However, now the situation had subtly changed. The other party actually didn't show any restraint, coming across as overbearing and seemingly intent on intimidating and suppressing with force. This was unbearable to watch.
"Who said that? Does it matter?" Renly raised his voice, "Either hang up the phone or get out."
Precise and decisive, cold and piercing, Renly's words carried an authority that left the other person subdued. In the brief moment of shock, Paul's voice immediately followed, "Respect the etiquette of watching a movie, shut up right now!"
Subsequently, the others in the theater finally snapped back to their senses and chimed in, "Exactly," "Shut up," "I still want to watch the movie."
Seeing that he was outnumbered, the man's arrogance instantly deflated. He angrily hung up the phone, turned around, and focused his attention back on the big screen.
After a brief disturbance, the screening hall returned to tranquility. Hazel turned her head to look at Renly, then at Paul, and couldn't help but smirk. She then shifted her gaze back to the big screen, once again immersing herself in the story.
Hazel had to admit that "Buried" was indeed a brilliantly captivating movie, far surpassing her expectations. She hadn't even had time to notice that Renly was one of the performers. All her emotions were tightly entwined with the story's twists and turns. When the movie ended, she hadn't yet snapped out of it, sitting in a daze in her chair.
As the lights in the theater came on, Hazel turned her head, still dazed, to look at Renly, "Is it over just like that? He wasn't saved? He... was really buried alive? Is there a post-credits scene?"
"No. This is the ending," Renly gave a straightforward answer. He then saw Hazel slump her shoulders in a daze, lost in thought.
"It was you just now!" A coarse shout rang out from the front. It was possible to see a tall, thin man with long black hair styled into an exaggerated pompadour. His sunken eyes, slightly hunched shoulders, and pale complexion made him look like a drug addict. The wide neckline of his T-shirt exposed chaotic tattoos inside, making it difficult to discern the specific design.
The man blocked a girl's path.
The girl was petite and lovely, with a loose bun of reddish-brown hair on her head. Strands of hair fell casually and effortlessly. She wore a simple black T-shirt paired with black sweatpants and a dark brown leather jacket over it all. Despite the simplicity, her outfit exuded youthful energy.
However, standing in front of the man, the girl was undeniably too small, unable to put up an effective resistance.
"You shameless...!" The man raised his fist and swung it forcefully in front of the girl, viciously spewing profanities with flecks of spit flying around. His brutish gaze was intimidating.
At this moment, when the lights came on, everyone saw the man's appearance. At a glance, they could tell he was a troublemaker not to be trifled with. The audience members who were leaving the theater didn't dare to step forward and help.
Renly hadn't even had time to react, but from the corner of his eye, he saw Paul already clenching his fists and charging forward, "Get lost! You jerk!"
Seeing this situation, even though Renly didn't like handling things in such a dramatic way and knew there were countless ways to defuse such a crisis, his friends had already charged into battle. How could he stand by and do nothing? Renly could only shake his head, pat Hazel's shoulder, and then follow suit.
The man looked at Paul and Renly rushing toward him like tigers descending a mountain. He panicked, took two steps backward, and then reached behind him to grab something.
This action immediately created chaos in the screening hall. Clearly, the man was reaching for a gun! The feared moment was finally happening, in such an urgent situation, the situation was about to explode!