By the time the weekend evening rolled around, Qian Wei, rather uncharacteristically, wasn’t buried under her blankets reading novels — she’d actually gotten up and was getting ready to head out.

Liu Shiyun, playing mahjong online, glanced over at her. “Get me a takeout dinner later!”

“I’m not eating at school tonight,” Qian Wei explained. “I’m going to watch a movie at Da Guang Ming Cinema.”

Liu Shiyun set down her laptop, her face full of gossip. “Ooh, is this a date?” She sized Qian Wei up and frowned. “But why are you dressed like that for a date? That black crow-looking outfit again, it’s way too ugly! Forget men, even I’d want to break up with you if I saw you like that! Go change, quick! Want me to help you pick something out?”

“No need! This is perfect!” Qian Wei glanced at her watch, grabbed her bag, and rushed out the door.

She and Lu Xun had agreed to meet at four o’clock in front of Da Guang Ming Cinema. The cinema was about one bus stop away from University A. Though Qian Wei had left in a bit of a rush, she’d actually given herself plenty of time — by the time she arrived at the cinema entrance, it was only quarter to four.

She’d arrived fifteen minutes early, only to find that Lu Xun had gotten there even earlier and was already waiting at the entrance.

At work, when Lu Xun scheduled a meeting with a client for eight o’clock, he would arrive at exactly eight — never a minute early — because, according to him, at a consulting rate starting from five thousand an hour, on average, each minute of his time was worth 83.3333333…

And this man, who so devoutly believed that time was money — and for whom time really was money — had actually shown up early for Mo Zixin, willing to wait for someone else. Qian Wei couldn’t help but marvel — this truly was the power of love!

“Have you been waiting long?”

Lu Xun’s expression showed a flash of embarrassment at being caught out, but he still tried to maintain his composure. “No, I just got here myself.”

Yeah right, who are you trying to fool, Qian Wei thought. I spotted you from a whole street away from the cinema — with looks like yours that draw attention wherever you go, of course you’d stand out like a crane among chickens.

Qian Wei’s sharp eyes immediately caught sight of what Lu Xun was holding — a bag of snacks. Seeing that, she felt a wave of gratified emotion, like a proud elder. Not bad — Lu Xun, with his negative emotional intelligence, had actually thought to prepare snacks for a date with a girl.

This time, Lu Xun had clearly thought things through — he hadn’t forgotten drinks either. Qian Wei glanced at the bag in his other hand and immediately understood. Molly Milk Tea — because they used real milk instead of creamer, the flavor was authentic, and this shop had once dominated the college town, with a period where it was wildly popular beyond compare. Qian Wei remembered that every time she passed by, there’d be a long line outside, and buying just one cup meant waiting at least half an hour. Lu Xun claimed he’d “just gotten here,” but the milk tea in his hand had already given him away — he must have been waiting at least half an hour.

Ah, love really was a wonderful thing — it could even soften and warm up someone as calculating as Lu Xun!

But before Qian Wei could finish singing the praises of love, she looked closer and realized… damn it! Lu Xun really was a stingy tightwad after all! Such a hard-to-get milk tea, and he’d only bought two cups! One was already in his own hand, being sipped, leaving only one in the bag!!

No need to spell it out — Qian Wei already knew that cup was meant for Mo Zixin.

Was a third wheel like her not even entitled to a cup of milk tea? Was everyone except Mo Zixin simply not human in Lu Xun’s eyes? So annoying!

But just as Qian Wei was seething inwardly, Lu Xun beat her to the punch and started complaining first.

He tugged at her black jacket, frowning. “Why did you wear this out?”

See! Now he was even looking down on her clothes! Did being a third wheel also require dressing beautifully and virtuously?!

Qian Wei stiffened her neck defensively. “Didn’t you buy this for me? Didn’t you say it suited me well?”

Lu Xun choked for a moment. “That doesn’t mean you have to wear it all the time!”

“You bought it for me, and I feel honored wearing it! I feel like it’s your way of showing your approval of me!” Qian Wei shook her head. “I treasure the things you buy me so much, isn’t that a good thing? Or do you yourself think this jacket is ugly?”

This time, Lu Xun had nothing to say in response.

There were only five minutes left until four o’clock, and the movie started at 4:10. Qian Wei craned her neck, looking around. “Where’s Mo Zixin? Why isn’t she here yet? Did something come up?” Qian Wei couldn’t help but complain a little. “I should have just brought her along myself.”

She glanced at Lu Xun. “But you insisted Mo Zixin wanted to come alone and told me not to go find her. Look what happened — what if she’s stuck in traffic somewhere? The movie’s already checking tickets, we can’t miss it!”

Compared to Qian Wei, Lu Xun seemed remarkably composed — probably confident in his own charm, certain that Mo Zixin would show up.

But of course, things never go as planned. By 4:05, no matter how anxiously Qian Wei kept craning her neck, Mo Zixin still hadn’t arrived.

Qian Wei paced anxiously in circles. “I’ll give her a call.”

Lu Xun, however, finally sprang into action, quick to stop her. “I’ll call her.”

Perhaps out of embarrassment, Lu Xun walked a short distance away from Qian Wei. She watched him hold up his phone, exchange a few words, and before long, he hung up and walked back over.

“What did she say?”

“She can’t make it.” Lu Xun’s answer was terse. “She suddenly came down with an upset stomach.”

Qian Wei’s reaction was even bigger than Lu Xun’s. She let out a wail. “How could this happen!!!”

Lu Xun’s confidence seemed to have taken a devastating blow, and yet his face remained frighteningly calm, as though this news hadn’t affected his mood at all.

Qian Wei recalled that there was psychological research suggesting that when a person suffers a major blow, some individuals’ reactions become abnormally calm — it’s actually a psychological defense mechanism protecting them. For these people, the calmer they appear on the outside, the more turbulent the storm raging inside…

Qian Wei looked at Lu Xun and thought to herself, this guy had honestly lived a charmed life — always getting whatever he wanted. But it was often said that people whose lives went too smoothly tended to have a particularly poor tolerance for setbacks when they finally hit one…

Qian Wei didn’t dare ask Lu Xun what to do next, terrified that his composure might crack…

Fortunately, after a moment of silence, Lu Xun finally spoke. “Since she can’t make it, and I’ve already bought the tickets and we’re both here at the theater, there’s no point wasting them.” He glanced up at Qian Wei. “You watch it with me.”

Behind that calm exterior, how much pain must Lu Xun be feeling inside!

The moment that thought crossed Qian Wei’s mind, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy, and she didn’t dare provoke him further. She just kept nodding. “Okay, okay, I’ll watch it with you!”

“Here, your milk tea.”

Qian Wei was indeed a bit thirsty. She took the cup and had a sip — ah, oolong milk tea with tapioca pearls at thirty percent sugar, exactly her favorite flavor. She felt a pang of pity for Mo Zixin — Lu Xun had rarely been this proactive, and of all times for it to go wrong, she’d fallen ill! This could have been such a memorable date for the two of them!

“Let’s go in, then.”

Lu Xun nodded, then paused, as if remembering something, and glanced at Qian Wei. “I’d rather you not bring up the fact that Mo Zixin wasn’t feeling well today when you talk to her afterward. I don’t want to put pressure on her, or make her feel like I’m holding it against her.” He added, “And I’d like you to keep everything about today confidential.”

Qian Wei understood immediately. “I get it, I get it!” Even though the real reason was that she felt unwell, no matter how you looked at it, for a man to be stood up by the girl he liked wasn’t exactly flattering — talking about it would be embarrassing for him. And confronting Mo Zixin about it directly would risk making it look like Qian Wei was scolding her on Lu Xun’s behalf, as if he’d put her up to it — which wouldn’t reflect well on him either.

Qian Wei looked at Lu Xun with admiration — turns out that once this guy had opened his eyes to love, he really was teachable after all! Thinking things through so carefully and thoroughly! Full marks!

After handing Qian Wei the milk tea, Lu Xun passed her the snacks too. The two of them made it into the theater with just a minute to spare before the movie started. Once seated, Qian Wei opened the snacks and was rather surprised — she knew Lu Xun normally had no habit of eating snacks at all, and she’d assumed he wouldn’t have put much thought into it. But this time, for Mo Zixin’s sake, he’d clearly gone to great lengths. The bag was full of especially delicious imported snacks. In 2009, unlike 2018, imported snacks weren’t something you could just pick up anywhere — gathering this many in a day or two would have been nearly impossible. He must have really put in the effort.

As Qian Wei mused on this, she unwrapped a piece of imported chocolate, the strawberry-filled center slowly melting in her mouth. Savoring the sweetness, she thought with some sympathy — poor Lu Xun, how bitter his heart must feel right now!

But that sweetness didn’t last long for Qian Wei either. As luck would have it, in order to help push Lu Xun and Mo Zixin’s relationship along, Qian Wei had arranged a horror film for them, and the atmosphere was deeply eerie — the score especially was bone-chilling. Qian Wei had always been afraid of ghosts, and she’d assumed she’d just sneak out partway through and avoid having to sit through it. Instead, she’d shot herself in the foot.

She glanced sideways at Lu Xun, sitting upright beside her, seemingly completely unaffected by the horror on screen — while she, on the other hand, had already begun trembling.

Though Qian Wei kept silently reciting Marxist materialism in her head, telling herself that ghosts and spirits were nothing but feudal superstition, all fake — the moment a terrifying image flashed on screen, her timid nature betrayed her instantly. Mindful that she couldn’t scream out loud in a movie theater and disturb the other viewers, she could only vent her fear through action — without thinking, she instinctively grabbed the hand Lu Xun had resting on the armrest.

The hand she’d grabbed twitched slightly, but ultimately didn’t pull away, instead remaining still, quietly letting itself be held.

A bloody scene flashed on screen. Qian Wei immediately tightened her grip on that hand.

Another ghostly image flashed by, and once again Qian Wei clamped down hard on his hand.

Terrified as she was, she’d promised to accompany Lu Xun and felt she couldn’t go back on her word and slip away halfway through, so she forced herself to keep watching.

Finally, the movie reached its climax — the eerie set, the terrifying score, and a ghost suddenly flashing into view. Just as Qian Wei’s scream was about to burst out of her, a hand calmly reached over and covered her eyes.

“If it scares you, don’t watch.”

In the darkness, Qian Wei heard Lu Xun’s voice right beside her ear — to avoid disturbing the people around them, he’d leaned in close, deliberately keeping his voice low. Yet somehow, that faint breath of a whisper, in a theater currently echoing with terrifying music, sounded all the clearer.

“Do you want to leave?” Lu Xun’s hand was still covering Qian Wei’s eyes, and with her sight limited, her other senses seemed to sharpen. She could even feel Lu Xun’s warm breath against her ear, and for some reason, she could almost picture the way his lips moved as he spoke — the thought left her feeling flustered.

Qian Wei thought, now I finally have real, practical experience to back this up, so I can say with full confidence — in a dark movie theater, when a guy leans in close and speaks softly in a low, sexy voice, it really is incredibly moving; this trick absolutely works on girls!!! Because even Qian Wei, in that moment, felt her thoughts turning dangerously astray. She had to silently recite the core socialist values the whole way just to convince herself she hadn’t strayed off the righteous path.

At the same time, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for Lu Xun — imagine if it were Mo Zixin sitting beside him right now instead, and this trick were being used on her — how perfect that would have been!

Just as Qian Wei’s thoughts were running wild, the hand she’d been clutching as a lifeline the whole time took the initiative and turned to grasp hers instead, and then Lu Xun pulled her along, starting to walk out.

“You’re this scared, don’t watch it anymore.”

Qian Wei let herself be pulled along by Lu Xun, and amid his softly murmured apologies, they made their way past row after row of other viewers. After a brief moment in the darkness, she finally emerged back into the light.

Once outside the theater, Qian Wei checked the time and felt rather ashamed — she’d only lasted half an hour inside. “I’m so sorry, Lu Xun, it’s my fault you had to leave before the movie even finished, what a waste of the ticket you bought.”

Qian Wei pressed her palms together. “I’ll definitely make it up to you!”

Perhaps because of the earlier blow of being stood up by Mo Zixin, Lu Xun didn’t seem to care much about a small thing like this. Instead, he seemed rather interested in the idea of being compensated. “How will you make it up to me?”

“How about this — next time I’ll treat you to a movie! A comedy!” Qian Wei ventured cautiously. “Though, would you not like comedies?”

The moment she said it, she felt a flash of regret. She glanced at Lu Xun. In her previous life, her mother had introduced her to a few eligible bachelors, but Qian Wei, buried in work, never actually met any of them in person — she’d just added them online and chatted. Every time the conversation turned to favorite movies, things fell apart. Whenever Qian Wei mentioned her beloved comedies, the other party would always look rather disdainful.

“I like House of Cards, you should watch it too. Though girls probably only like comedies or Korean dramas.”

“Comedies? Those are pretty vapid, don’t you think it’s a waste of time watching that stuff?”

Over time, this had made Qian Wei too embarrassed to recommend comedies to anyone anymore.

“I know a lot of people look down on comedies, thinking that once the laughter fades there’s nothing left, no deep themes or substance. But I still really like them, because I think watching something funny puts you in a good mood, and it’s meant to be entertainment in the first place, right? There’s no need to be obsessed with sophistication and only watch obscure, heavy films all the time. People need entertainment too. If it can make someone laugh, I think that’s already pretty good…” Qian Wei rambled on, trying to save face while feeling a bit embarrassed herself — why would Lu Xun even like comedies? A guy with Lu Xun’s cold, aloof aura seemed far more suited to some obscure European art film with minimal dialogue. Refined, understated — that matched Lu Xun’s vibe. Popcorn comedies, appealing to the common crowd — surely Lu Xun wouldn’t like those!

“I like them.”

“Hmm?”

Lu Xun smiled. “Qian Wei, you don’t need to keep explaining. I don’t look down on comedies, and I don’t think less of people who enjoy them. I actually really like comedies.”

Qian Wei perked right up and recommended all her favorite domestic and foreign comedies to Lu Xun one after another. To her astonishment, no matter how obscure or ancient the comedy she mentioned, Lu Xun could accurately recite the plot and even recall the exact punchlines.

In her previous life, aside from discussing cases with Lu Xun, Qian Wei had almost never talked to him about anything outside of work. Now she was surprised to discover they had quite a few interests in common, and the more they talked, the more she realized how well they clicked. If someone had told her before that she’d one day enjoy chatting so animatedly about comedies with the cold, hard-to-approach Lu Xun, she never would have believed it — and even less would she have guessed she’d witness him deadpanning corny jokes with a completely straight face.