Chen An arrived in Taixi around seven or eight o’clock. The next day was the weekend, so the cinema’s foot traffic was somewhat larger than on weekdays. When he first entered the lobby, he didn’t immediately notice there was a situation at the customer service center.

After walking two steps inside, cursing and swearing voices drifted over. Chen An looked in the direction of the sound and saw Huang Wei and Cheng Lele standing together, being pointed at and cursed by a fat-headed, big-eared man.

Chen An walked forward quickly but was blocked by the crowd leaving from a screening. Through the gaps, he saw Huang Wei say something.

He quickly pushed through the crowd and walked another step closer to them, then saw that man make a throwing motion at Huang Wei. However, he wasn’t hitting her—rather, he threw the cola in his hand.

Huang Wei wasn’t splashed because Cheng Lele swiftly blocked in front of her. The flying cup struck hard against Cheng Lele’s forehead. The lid came off, and the sticky black beverage rapidly spread from her temple across half her face.

Cheng Lele felt a coolness on her head. Her eyelashes were coated with liquid, making it difficult to open her eyes, but she still caught sight of Chen An at a glance. When their eyes met, her gaze suddenly panicked. That murderous look—she’d seen it at the entrance to the locker room at X. Afterward, her little brother had rushed in and beaten people like a madman. Even now, thinking about it made her heart palpitate with lingering fear.

Chen An had already approached. Cheng Lele swiftly ran out from inside the counter and grabbed his arm: “I’m fine. Little brother, calm down.”

That pot-bellied customer, after arrogantly throwing the cola, turned to see a man with a cold gaze who seemed ready to tear him apart alive. He couldn’t help but shrink back, shouted, “We’ll let it go this time!” Before the last word was finished, he had already run out.

Cheng Lele was terrified Chen An would chase after him, so her hands kept pressing down hard on Chen An’s arm. The residual cola on her face gathered into droplets at her chin, dripping at a pace that slowed from fast to gradual. The sensation was a bit itchy, but she couldn’t spare a hand to wipe it.

Finally Chen An said: “I’ve calmed down. Go to the office and wipe it off.”

Cheng Lele uncertainly observed Chen An’s expression. The cinema deliberately created dim lighting, and now the sticky liquid on her eyelashes was getting heavier and heavier, affecting her vision. She couldn’t see very clearly.

After entering the office, Chen An pulled out several tissues, grabbed Cheng Lele’s face, and wiped roughly.

Cheng Lele didn’t dare say it hurt. She saw the veins bulging on Chen An’s hands and knew this was already the force he was using after restraining himself again and again.

When that customer had been unreasonably making a scene and threatening them just now, she hadn’t been afraid. The moment she was splashed with cola, she also wasn’t afraid. But seeing Chen An’s angry face, she felt very panicked. She was afraid her little brother would get into a fight, afraid he would lose his temper at her, and also afraid he would feel distressed for her.

No one spoke. There was only the sound of tissues rubbing.

After a long while, Chen An confirmed there was no residual beverage left on Cheng Lele’s face, threw the dirty tissues into the trash can, pulled over an office chair and sat down. In a tone that was fairly calm, he asked: “Suffering so much humiliation, why don’t you resign?”

Cheng Lele, who had been feeling apprehensive, heard this tone and her heart settled. It was just that the content of Chen An’s words was very much like a wealthy young master asking a starving person “why not eat meat?”

Of course, she didn’t dare complain like that. She feigned nonchalance and asked back: “Should I resign just because someone splashed some cola on me?”

Cheng Lele intended to hide the matters at Tongda from him. Chen An could only continue pretending not to know and didn’t speak up. If he opened his mouth, he would only say some very excessive, very harsh words—like, the person he treasured and cherished, whom he doted on and loved and couldn’t do enough for, why should she have to endure being humiliated and wronged by others?

But that would be crossing the line. Chen An could only remain silent.

Chen An sat in the chair with his head lowered. His downcast eyes were shadowed by dense eyelashes, his lips a straight line—an appearance of being in a very bad mood.

Cheng Lele’s heart softened. She remembered that it seemed like a very, very long time since anyone had cherished and loved her. Back then, she was very accustomed to her little brother’s protection, charging around recklessly while blessed without knowing it, not knowing how to treasure it. Now that her little brother showed such an expression, she spontaneously felt a sense of regaining something lost—a sweetness tinged with a bit of unfamiliarity.

She smiled gently: “Little brother, do you still remember that my childhood dream was to open a cinema?”

Chen An looked up at her.

Cheng Lele said: “Back then it was just said on a whim. But I don’t know why—when choosing my career direction, I entered this field without hesitation. Now looking back, perhaps it was because subconsciously I was nostalgic for the wonderful times we spent at the cinema together that I made such a choice. So after coming back and seeing you’d acquired this cinema, although I found it incredible, I was actually very happy in my heart.”

Chen An still didn’t speak.

Cheng Lele continued: “I entered this industry in a daze back then. After formally entering it, I discovered that cinema ecology is simple, the threshold is low, and the requirements for management level aren’t high—it’s not an expansive career path. Perhaps later I’ll jump to managing department stores or supermarkets, perhaps I’ll switch to distribution. I haven’t decided yet, and even if I did, it would be meaningless. Because right now, I can’t even manage a mere small cinema well. If I jump ship at being splashed with cola, thinking about those things is just aiming too high, looking at another mountain while standing on this one.

“Every job has aspects that aren’t so glamorous. I get splashed with cola on the front line, but there are also powerful people forced to drink until they get perforated ulcers. Doctors face medical disputes, airport management personnel get mobbed… People who persist—some do it for money, some for fame, some for ideals, and some, like me, for infinite possibilities.

“If I want to go further, I believe I still need to be tempered, trained, and grow. Compared to this insignificant setback, I care more about other things, like opportunities for learning and exploration.

“Before taking over Taixi Cinema, I’d never independently managed a cinema before. Previously I had sufficient financial support, branch managers making decisions and taking responsibility, personnel with detailed divisions of labor cooperating with each other. What I wanted to do, what the company would let me do freely, were all very limited. In that small domain, I became more and more skilled, but I was very worried I’d become arrogant and numb. But this time, I have to face many problems on my own. I need to have macro, long-term goals while also focusing on various details of achieving those goals. I’m very busy every day, facing new challenges every day, facing failure every day, gaining a little surprise every day. Each day here is worth several months of my previous growth. President Chen, I’m still very small and I treasure this work opportunity. I don’t want to be fired by you, and for now I don’t want to lose my job at Tongda either. Tongda’s platform and your cinema—both are very important to me.”

Having delivered this lengthy speech, having opened her heart to this extent, Cheng Lele touched Chen An’s hand and forced him to look into her eyes: “President Chen, can you give me a chance to continue fighting alongside you?”

Chen An looked at Cheng Lele’s firm, beautiful eyes brimming with bright light—vivid and brilliant, vigorous and flourishing, like a little poplar tree full of vitality. She was no longer an orchid he could keep at home.

She wanted to be an eagle, to be a great roc—not to be his canary kept in a cage.

Seven years ago, she just wanted to depend on him, hide behind him, too lazy to think about anything.

Seven years later, she was transformed, ambitious and soaring, wanting to fight alongside him.

Perhaps the headache medicine had taken effect. During the conversation, the stabbing pain had already disappeared without a trace, but his mind still wasn’t clear enough.

He vaguely thought that perhaps he liked this version of Cheng Lele better, but he could be certain that even without those first eighteen years, he would very easily fall in love with such a beautiful, vivid, spirited girl who was so good at tugging at heartstrings. Then his thoughts wandered further—if there hadn’t been those eighteen years, could he pursue her freely? And would she, as with any unfamiliar boy’s pursuit, fairly include him in her considerations?

Chen An remained silent all along. Cheng Lele shook his hand and persistently asked him: “President Chen, are you willing?”

He felt that Cheng Lele might be proposing to him, bewitching him so he couldn’t resist and could only say unconditionally: “I am willing.”

Cheng Lele was obviously stunned, but then her eyes curved and she laughed: “Little brother treats me the best.”