Early summer evenings are pleasantly cool.
Xu Xing dragged Kang Chen away from the restaurant, a gust of wind sweeping through the intentionally aged alley, occasionally carrying the scent of unknown flowers and foliage.
She glanced up at the second-floor tea restaurant, and it felt as if the tension constricting her chest had been largely dispersed by the breeze.
Just as she was about to turn, a hand waved in front of her before swiftly retreating behind her ear.
Xu Xing froze for a moment, instinctively brushing the loose strands of hair tucked behind her ear.
She looked up at Kang Chen.
His gaze remained calm.
Meeting his eyes, the remnants of her earlier unease solidified within her heart once more.
She quickly lowered her gaze, murmuring an apology, "I'm sorry, Kang Chen. I actually… happened to win a free dining voucher, not from a group purchase…"
Kang Chen remained silent.
Her head bowed even lower, fingers nervously twisting the hem of her shirt, her voice tinged with anxiety, "You must… not have been shooed away while dining, right? I truly… feel terrible. It's all my fault; I was just being petty…"
At the alley's exit, a car sped by, crushing the manhole cover with a clatter, mingling with the splash of water from a small puddle, making Xu Xing's murmurs seem less substantial.
"When I first got out of prison, I didn't think money was particularly important. But… I gradually realized that without money, one struggles to get by in this society. Initially, I was unemployed, relying entirely on my friends, but I had my pride, too. I couldn't just let her support me, so I kept thinking about saving money, and that became a habit."
As she spoke, her voice grew softer. After a while, she bowed her head, covering her face with her hands, not wanting to succumb to deeper despair.
Back when her uncle was alive, she could buy things without glancing at the price tags, easily refusing discounts or small deals out of convenience.
Without the shelter of a protective figure, all she could do was motivate herself to live well.
In college, she had read Stefan Zweig's biography "The Headless Queen," where the most famous line states: "At that time, she was too young to know that all gifts of fate come with their hidden price."
She had optimistically believed that her prison time, amnesia, and subsequent decline in lifestyle were her prepayments, and fate should have a corresponding gift in store for her—just not yet arrived.
Yet, occasionally, self-doubt would creep in—was her future merely a payment for the abundance of her first twenty years?
Suddenly, a hand rested gently atop her head, merely a touch, without any further reassuring gesture, yet somehow preventing her from sinking deeper into self-doubt.
She remained with her head bowed and hands over her face, but her thoughts began to untangle from memories, abruptly returning to reality, with the soft wind, her heartbeat, and breathing—all so tangible.
After a moment, the hand withdrew.
Kang Chen gazed at her, saying, "You haven't done anything wrong, and there's no need to apologize. The restaurant that seeks to attract customers while treating them differently is the one that should apologize. And using a voucher… I don't find it shameful."
His voice flowed through the breeze, softer than usual.
Xu Xing was momentarily taken aback.
Kang Chen checked the time, suddenly shifting the subject, "Aren't you supposed to treat me to a movie? Since it's getting late, why don't we head straight to the cinema?"
Xu Xing instinctively asked, "Aren't we getting something to eat?"
"Can you still eat?"
"..."
Indeed, she was full of frustration.
Xu Xing's emotions fluctuated swiftly; brushing aside the sudden wave of disappointment, she looked up at the tea restaurant and softly declared, "I'll complain about them as soon as I get back."
"Yes, you should."
Kang Chen agreed with an airy nonchalance, as if discussing the weather, yet Xu Xing sensed an ominous hint that "this restaurant is doomed."
She paused, realizing Kang Chen had already moved ahead. She hurried to catch up, taking a couple of steps before faltering, weakly adding, "By the way, the movie ticket was also exchanged using points. It says it's valid for 3D screenings, any showtime, no additional fees… it should be fine, right?"
"..."
***
Fifteen minutes later, the two arrived at the cinema on foot.
The screen was showing a trailer for a recent blockbuster that had been heavily advertised.
Xu Xing tapped Kang Chen's arm, "Shall we watch this? It looks good."
She glanced at the schedule, "The next show starts in twenty minutes."
Kang Chen nodded, his focus differing from hers, "This film is in 3D, so since your voucher is valid for 3D, it's obviously more economical to use it for this."
…?
He even considered practicality.
Xu Xing rushed to exchange the ticket, still somewhat surprised.
Exchanging the ticket went smoothly; she thanked the attendant while examining the details on the ticket.
Upon noticing the film's duration, her eyes widened.
One hundred and fifty minutes—two and a half hours!
Sitting for that long would surely make someone hungry.
Pondering this, she turned back and pulled Kang Chen outside the cinema, exclaiming, "This movie is two and a half hours long, and it starts in twenty minutes. Let's grab a bite first!"
"I'm not hungry."
"I am."
"..."
***
The cinema was on the fifth floor of the mall, accompanied by an ice rink, an arcade, and various snack shops.
Xu Xing's sharp eyes caught sight of a shop selling takoyaki, and her excitement grew.
She bounced ahead, occasionally glancing back at Kang Chen, urging, "Hurry up!"
Kang Chen followed at a leisurely pace, casually unfastening a wooden button on his collar.
At the takoyaki stall, after placing her order, Xu Xing glanced at the menu and casually asked Kang Chen, "What do you want to eat?"
Kang Chen didn't respond.
Turning back in confusion, Xu Xing found him staring intently at the takoyaki mold.
She waved her hand in front of his eyes, "What are you looking at?"
"It's interesting."
…Interesting?
What does that even mean?
Xu Xing, puzzled, gazed at the mold for a while but couldn't discern anything special. Unable to hold back, she asked, "What's… interesting?"
Kang Chen enthusiastically explained, "Look, the mold is semi-circular. You solidify one half, then stand it upright to pour the remaining quarter, flip it, and fill the last quarter. It's quite an intriguing process. However, I would prefer to create two interlocking circular molds with a hole in the top for direct injection; this way, the shape remains intact and heats evenly."
"..."
Did he think he had never seen takoyaki before? If he wanted some, he could just say so—no need for such convoluted hints…
Meanwhile, the young attendant making the takoyaki seemed slightly stiff, glancing between Kang Chen and Xu Xing with a hint of sympathy.
He's quite handsome, yet a bit odd.
With that thought, the young woman shook her head unconsciously.
After five minutes, the fresh takoyaki was ready. Xu Xing took the hot balls and poked one towards Kang Chen, "Want to try one?"
Kang Chen bit into it directly, savoring it thoughtfully.
Once he finished, Xu Xing tentatively offered him another, but he leaned back slightly, saying, "No thanks, it's a bit strange."
"What's strange?" Xu Xing wondered, trying one herself.
Seeing his continued reluctance, she decided not to press him further, "Fine, if you don't want any, I'll enjoy them myself."
As they walked and ate, Xu Xing, unable to remain idle, asked, "By the way, why were you staring at that mold?"
"I was observing."
"Observing…?"
Takoyaki?
Kang Chen shot her a glance, "You should observe more; a thousand words at least earn you fifty cents."
What does that mean?
Xu Xing felt a surge of indignation and was about to retort when someone called out, "Hey, Xu Xing!"
The voice sounded familiar, and she instinctively turned toward the sound—
She froze in surprise.
Just hours ago, her colleagues Xiao Fang and Su Su, who had been bidding farewell at the entrance, emerged from the arcade, each holding a plush toy, their faces filled with astonishment.
Xiao Fang was the first to regain her composure, glancing between Xu Xing and Kang Chen, a spark of realization illuminating her eyes as admiration crossed her face, "What a coincidence, Xu Xing! You're out shopping with your boyfriend!"
Su Su, who often spoke without thinking, immediately asked, "Hey, Xu Xing, didn't you say you were engaged…?"
"Wait!" Xu Xing interrupted, regardless of the situation.
After calling out, her mind went blank; she hadn't prepared anything to say. Glancing at Xiao Fang and Su Su, she looked up at Kang Chen and met his gaze.
After a moment, she swallowed hard, cautiously saying, "Kang… Kang Chen, could you help me throw this away?"
With that, she shoved all her belongings into his arms and, without knowing where her newfound courage came from, pushed him toward the trash can.
Kang Chen paused, giving her a look that seemed to say, "You're getting bolder," yet he complied and walked toward the trash.
Xiao Fang and Su Su exchanged glances, slightly displeased.
Xiao Fang remarked, "What's up, Xu Xing? You don't even want to introduce us? Your boyfriend is really handsome!"
Su Su chimed in, "Is it because he's too handsome? Afraid he'll get stolen away? Xiao Fang and I are both married; it's not a big deal…"
Xu Xing laughed awkwardly, feeling a thousand alpacas galloping inside her.
She stammered, "No, it's because… my boyfriend, he has a bit of social anxiety; he doesn't know how to greet people in sudden encounters."
"And our movie is about to start. Next time, I'll prepare him in advance and then invite you both to dinner."
"..."
"..."
Xiao Fang and Su Su fell silent, their expressions complex as they eyed the man behind Xu Xing, whom she had just labeled as socially anxious.
After concocting this excuse, Xu Xing was drenched in cold sweat. Sensing the strange looks from Xiao Fang and Su Su, she instinctively turned around and was startled to find Kang Chen standing only a couple of steps away.
Her heart raced.
What?! Did he throw away the trash that quickly?! This is bad!
Xu Xing's mind raced; she decided that in this situation, it was best to protect at least one party.
Gritting her teeth, she resolved to solidify Kang Chen's social anxiety in front of her colleagues, turning on her heel and dragging him away.
***
Arriving at the cinema entrance, Xu Xing had lost the courage to explain, bracing herself against her knees as she caught her breath.
Once she recovered, she attempted to act as if nothing had happened, saying casually, "Um, the movie has started; let's head inside."
She patted her pocket and paused, "Where's the ticket?"
Suddenly recalling that she had likely stuffed the pink tickets into Kang Chen's belongings, she cautiously asked, "Did you throw everything away?"
Kang Chen looked completely unfazed, "Wasn't that what you asked me to do?"
"..."
Suddenly, she felt an overwhelming urge to strangle him!