The film ended. The credits rolled; the crowd began to disperse.

Su Man and Li Li followed the flow of people heading out.

Li Li gave her a casual sideways glance and said, “What do you want to eat tonight?”

Su Man shook her head. “I’m not eating — I’m going home.”

Li Li startled, then immediately knitted his brows, and asked with a disbelief he made no effort to hide: “You’re going home?”

Su Man looked at him as though the answer were obvious. “Yes. Do you have other plans?”

Inside, Li Li’s temper flared — a rush of heat surging up from nowhere!

But he remembered Wu Xinghai telling him to make a genuine effort to win Su Man back, so he forcibly tamped it down. Even so… the expression on his face was not a pleasant one.

Su Man noticed the shift in his mood and her own expression cooled. “What is it now? You wanted to see a movie — we saw a movie. What more do you want?”

Li Li couldn’t hold it in. He jabbed at her: “You call that watching a movie? You were on your phone the entire time!”

Su Man: “……”

So he’d noticed.

Somewhat awkward, but Su Man held her ground anyway: “The movie didn’t interest me. What’s wrong with me playing on my phone when I’m just sitting there bored?”

“If you didn’t want to watch it, why didn’t you say so earlier?!” Li Li’s irritation crept into his voice. “How was I supposed to know what you like?!”

“You never asked!” Su Man’s own voice rose in return. “The tickets were already bought by the time I got there — what was I supposed to say?!”

Heads turned all around them. Several young couples nearby cast curious glances in their direction.

Li Li had always hated being the center of attention in public — unless it was for an award ceremony. His expression darkened, and he pulled Su Man aside, keeping his voice pressed down as he spoke to her: “I didn’t want to fight today. I went out of my way to ask you out — wasn’t that for your sake? Why do you insist on going against me at every turn?”

Su Man pushed her lips to the side. She knew it was rare for him — someone who never backed down — to make this kind of gesture, so she reined in her irritation and replied stiffly, “Fine. I acknowledge the thought. Thank you. Can I leave now?”

Li Li frowned. “What is wrong with you…”

He paused, staring at Su Man’s eyes. “You’re in such a rush to leave — don’t tell me you’ve already made plans with that pasty pretty boy again?”

“Hey!” Su Man said, agitated. “Could you please not talk about people like that?!”

Li Li said coldly, “Chasing after an official’s son — after your family’s status, your family’s money. If that’s not a pasty opportunist, what is? Only someone with your clouded judgment would be so swept off her feet by him.”

Su Man was shaking with anger. She nodded rapidly, again and again: “Right, fine — my judgment is clouded. I’m completely out of my mind! So out of my mind that I came here to watch a movie with you! This was truly a punishment of my own making!”

She turned and walked away. If she looked at Li Li one second longer, she couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t haul off and hit him!

Li Li grabbed her from behind!

“What do you mean your ‘clouded judgment’ brought you here?! Su Man! Explain yourself!” Li Li was just as furious now. “Haven’t I been good enough to you?! Do you think I’d go to the trouble of asking you out if I weren’t worried about you being taken advantage of?! Would it kill you to show a little gratitude?!”

“Good to me?” Su Man spun around, as if she’d just heard the most absurd joke of her life. “When other people take me to a movie, they at least ask what I want to see! They help me get a drink beforehand, get popcorn. What did you do? Nothing! The air conditioning in there was freezing, and you didn’t even once ask if I was cold!”

Li Li stared at her in disbelief. “You can’t buy your own popcorn? You’re as sturdy as an ox — afraid of a little air conditioning? Su Man, what’s gotten into you? You were never this high-maintenance before. What kind of spell has that man cast on you, that you’d—”

“High-maintenance? …Alright. Fine. Yes, I’m high-maintenance.” The color of Su Man’s face shifted — from furious red to a pale, steely blue. She wrenched her arm free of Li Li’s grip and snapped, “Don’t ever come looking for me again. I’m high-maintenance!”

She was completely done. She turned on her heel and stormed away, seething.

—