After collecting their glasses, they entered the theater. Cheng Lele, having never seen much of the world, still felt it was novel to wear glasses to watch a movie. As soon as she entered the theater, she looked around while wearing the glasses. She took them off and put them on repeatedly, finding no difference. Only when the screen lit up did she discover—wow, movies could actually be filmed like this.
Previously with 2D movies, she thought it felt immersive, but now she realized what truly interactive viewing felt like. Those magnificently beautiful and breathtaking special effects left Cheng Lele dumbfounded. How could she have known before that technological revolution could create such a leap in audio-visual enjoyment?
No wonder so many people were queuing outside. Who wouldn’t be willing to pay for this outstanding audio-visual experience? Next time, she definitely had to bring Big Brother to open his eyes too.
When the showing ended, Cheng Lele deliberately paid attention to the movie ticket price, convenient for splitting the bill. When she looked at the price—wow, one hundred twenty per ticket. Why not just go rob a bank?
Zhong Ming refused to accept money no matter what. He said carelessly: “Treat me to a meal then. I’m starving to death.”
The three of them wandered to the food street behind. Right now was dinner time, and the street was packed with people. The three squeezed together, huddling on a long bench eating spicy hot pot. Cheng Lele couldn’t eat spicy food, but the other two could, so Cheng Lele ate along with them. One bite, one gulp of water, then a gasp. Amid the din of voices, the three had to raise their voices to review the movie plot. Because of his father’s connection, Zhong Ming understood more about projection equipment knowledge than they did—things like visual distortion, saturation, the difference between single-machine and dual-machine 3D. Quite professional. Cheng Lele listened with half-understanding and increasingly looked at Zhong Ming with new eyes. Like a little fan, she proactively asked: “Do you have materials on this subject?”
Zhong Ming said his laptop at home had some, but they were in English.
Cheng Lele then asked for Zhong Ming’s QQ number, telling him to send them to her when he got home so she could study them.
The three returned in high spirits. By the time Cheng Lele got home, it was already past eight in the evening. Ye Xiaomei had gone out of town for a performance, and Cheng Dong was on night duty and wouldn’t be coming home either, so she was alone at home. After showering, she lay in bed wanting to log into QQ to wait for Zhong Ming’s materials when she suddenly noticed the news broadcast image on her phone’s wallpaper and was so startled she nearly jumped off the bed.
She instinctively felt she couldn’t tell Big Brother about meeting Zhong Ming today. After hesitating for a long time, she started typing: Big Brother, I got my period today and my stomach hurts a bit. I just fell asleep. I won’t call today, I’ll call double tomorrow.
Chen An quickly replied: Early? There’s still medicine I bought last time in the coffee table drawer.
How could Cheng Lele remember whether it was early or not? Only now did she recall that Big Brother knew about her period better than she did.
She stubbornly continued fabricating: I won’t take it yet. I’ll sleep some more.
She harbored a sliver of wishful thinking. After all, her parents weren’t home—dead men tell no tales.
Zhong Ming was knowledgeable, good-tempered, quite generous, and they had common topics. She was determined to make this friend. She wanted to find a suitable opportunity to introduce him to Big Brother, but this suitable opportunity was definitely not now, when she had just stood Big Brother up.
Chen An replied: Mm, good girl. If you still don’t feel well, don’t endure it. If it’s uncomfortable, call Big Brother.
Cheng Lele threw out her all-purpose golden phrase: Big Brother is the best to me. What would I do without Big Brother?
After this, Cheng Lele never found that “suitable opportunity.” As the time for the decisive winter camp drew nearer, the training rhythm became increasingly intense. Chen An was working very hard, and on the ride home, his face was written all over with exhaustion. Cheng Lele tried all sorts of ways to tell jokes. Sometimes Chen An would smile, and sometimes he just mechanically pedaled the bike with his brain on autopilot.
Cheng Lele felt like she was a burden. Even someone who couldn’t take care of herself in life had started thinking about boarding at school.
Zhong Ming returned to Taixi every week. The second weekend, Zhong Ming took her to visit the projection room she had long coveted. Cheng Lele saw the legendary film projectors and digital projectors, touched this and that for a while, then leaned against the projection window to watch the excitement. In the dust-free space where footsteps made no sound, she prowled around like a little cat.
Coming out of the projection room satisfied, Cheng Lele treated Zhong Ming to milk tea. As they drank, they chatted about other things, like how tattoos were done, how to maintain a mohawk, whether ear piercing hurt, and so on. Zhong Ming answered every question and didn’t think Cheng Lele’s questions were childish. Zhong Ming would also ask Cheng Lele if her studies were stressful, whether she had a school in mind, if Tai High School’s cafeteria food was as terrible as always—very upperclassman-style care and communication.
The next few weeks were all clear and cloudless good weather. Taixi’s air quality was excellent, like an oxygen bar. Zhong Ming suggested in their group chat that they go cycling to the suburbs for a picnic.
Chen Xiaomu immediately seconded the motion.
Cheng Lele weakly asked: Who among you can give me a ride?
Cycling meant each person rode their own bike. Who had ever seen someone sitting on the back seat of a cycling team?
Cheng Lele weakly added: I don’t know how to ride a bicycle.
Zhong Ming: …
In Zhong Ming’s eyes, as long as someone had two legs, a bicycle could roll. Cheng Lele’s legs looked straight and long—could they be prosthetics?
Chen Xiaomu: I’m begging you to learn to ride. Can your big brother take care of you for a lifetime? When he starts dating later, will one person sit in front and one behind? Won’t that anger your future sister-in-law to death?
Cheng Lele had never considered this question before. She had only thought about how her butt had to stay on Big Brother’s back seat. But recently, under Chen Xiaomu’s brainwashing, she had been reflecting, feeling that dragging down Big Brother like this really wouldn’t do. She needed to be more independent.