Time Travel: My Comfortable Life After Going to the Countryside

"Hold on tight, let's go." Liu Xiangyang rode onto the road with Chen Jie on his back.

Passing by a state-run restaurant, Liu Xiangyang turned to Chen Jie and said, "Godmother, let's eat out. After we eat, I'll take you to see a movie. It's too tiring to cook at home, and I can't bear to see you so exhausted."

"You have a high salary, eating out is so expensive," Chen Jie said, putting her arm around him and slipping her hands into his coat pockets. "Or are you saying you don't want to eat my cooking anymore?"

"What are you talking about? I was just thinking that after we finish eating, I'll take you to see a movie, just like a normal dating relationship," Liu Xiangyang explained, both amused and exasperated.

Women's thought processes are strange, Liu Xiangyang couldn't understand how he ended up saying he didn't like her cooking.

After hearing his explanation, Chen Jie realized that she had misunderstood him. "Xiangyang, I am so happy and joyful now."

The bicycle came to a steady stop in front of the state-run restaurant. Liu Xiangyang propped it up and reached out to help Chen Jie, who was getting off the back seat, to her feet. Chen Jie held his warm hand to steady herself, but didn't let go immediately. They held hands until they reached the door before letting go.

"You're such a spendthrift," she complained, but her eyes sparkled as she glanced at the restaurant sign and then quickly looked at Liu Xiangyang, her eyes revealing the joy of a girl in love.

Pushing open the door, a wave of voices, a mixture of the aroma of food, the smell of tobacco, and the warmth of the air, hits you.

It was lunchtime, and the hall was almost full, with the clinking of cups and plates and the buzzing of voices.

A waiter stood with his arms crossed under a sign that read "Do not assault customers without cause".

The two found an empty table by the window, which was covered with a plastic tablecloth with light red flowers.

Liu Xiangyang asked Chen Jie to sit in the inner seat against the wall, and sat down opposite her. The menu was handwritten on the blackboard, and the chalk writing was a bit blurry.

"What do you want to eat?" Liu Xiangyang asked.

"Keep it simple." Chen Jie took off her cotton gloves, rubbed her slightly red face, and glanced at the blackboard. "How about a hot pot of sauerkraut and pork belly? It'll be warm. And a plate of dumplings? It's still Chinese New Year, so eating out will be fitting."

"Okay. And another braised pork slices, you like that." Liu Xiangyang told the approaching waiter the order of dishes and also ordered two bowls of rice.

While waiting for the food, Chen Jie leaned forward slightly and lowered her voice, "This will cost several yuan. You need to be careful with your salary." As she said this, she reached out and gently wiped away a snowflake that had just clung to Liu Xiangyang's eyelashes with her fingertips.

"Godmother, I'm going to take care of you for the rest of my life." Liu Xiangyang grabbed her hand, which she was about to pull away, and gently squeezed it under the table.

Chen Jie tried to break free but couldn't, so she let him hold her. Her face turned even redder, and she glanced at the noisy diners next to her, afraid of being seen.

The pot was quickly brought out; the charcoal stove was burning brightly, the sauerkraut in the copper pot was bubbling, and the thin, translucent slices of pork belly were steaming with thick white vapor. The heat made Chen Jie's cheeks even rosier, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

She took off her outer cotton coat, revealing a maroon sweater underneath, showcasing her perfectly proportioned figure.

"Eat slowly, it's hot." Liu Xiangyang picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks and put it in her bowl.

"What movie are you watching?" she asked, her voice sounding somewhat soft against the backdrop of the lively environment.

"What I heard when I got off the bus was a new movie called 'Romance on Lushan Mountain,'" Liu Xiangyang said. "After dinner, I walked over; the movie theater wasn't far."

Chen Jie had heard of the film "Romance on Lushan Mountain." The younger members in the group had discussed it, saying it was about young people dating and that it was very well made. Her heart skipped a beat.

After finishing her meal, it was already dark outside. The cinema entrance was crowded with people, and the poster display area was packed with them. Chen Jie looked up, her eyes somewhat dazed. It seemed like more than ten years ago that she had last been to a movie theater. The blurry figure gradually became clearer, completely overlapping with Liu Xiangyang.

Liu Xiangyang squeezed through the window to buy tickets, then came back and naturally took her hand: "Come on, the show's about to start."

His palm was warm, and Chen Jie let him lead her through the noisy crowd into the dimly lit screening room. They found seats in the last row, with no one around them; the closest seats were two rows in front of them.

The lights went out, the screen lit up, and music began to play.

The movie started, the light and shadow changed, and the story unfolded. Neither of them were fully engrossed in it. They held hands and glanced at each other every now and then.

In the flickering light of the screen, Chen Jie quietly turned her head to look at Liu Xiangyang's profile. His straight nose, focused eyes, and the lines of his chin were particularly clear in the light and shadow. She was mesmerized by what she saw.

In the darkness, Liu Xiangyang seemed to sense her gaze and turned his head.

Their eyes met. The light from the screen danced in his eyes, and their breathing became heavy.

Chen Jie's heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly tried to turn around, but felt a hand firmly covering the back of her head from behind, its fingers running through her hair.

She didn't move anymore. She didn't look at the screen again, and closed her eyes.

The dialogue, music, and hushed conversations of the surrounding audience in the film all became indistinct background noise.

Only the pulse in her palm was crystal clear, striking her heart again and again.

Liu Xiangyang kissed her red lips.

At this moment, the plot didn't matter anymore. In the dimly lit and noisy movie theater, his breath hit her face, and he reached his climax.

Chen Jie felt that what she said before was absolutely right; she was truly happy.

As the movie ended and the lights came on, the crowd surged toward the exit. Liu Xiangyang let go of her hand, but the warm feeling lingered in Chen Jie's mind for a long time.

Stepping out of the movie theater, the snow had stopped, and a thin layer of fresh snow covered the ground, crunching underfoot. The air was crisp and clean.

"Are you cold?" Liu Xiangyang asked, taking her hand and putting it into his coat pocket.

"I'm not cold." Chen Jie shook her head, her fingers intertwining with his in her pocket. "The movie is good."

"Yes, she looks beautiful, and she looks even more beautiful. She also tastes delicious." Liu Xiangyang looked at her flushed cheeks and bright eyes and laughed as he spoke.

"What are you laughing at?" Chen Jie asked reproachfully.

"You, godmother, you only looked at me during the movie," he whispered in her ear. "You probably don't even know the main character's name."

"Who says I don't know? His name is... his name is..." Chen Jie's face flushed, and she tried to pull her hand away, but he held it tightly.

"If you don't know, you don't know. Just know that I'm your only man." Liu Xiangyang said seriously, but his eyes were full of smiles.

The two walked hand in hand, their hands tucked into the same pocket, slowly making their way towards Chen Jie's house. The long street, the quiet night, were only punctuated by their silhouettes and the sound of bicycle tires rubbing against the pavement.

The closer Chen Jie got to home, the faster her heart beat. That immense, unreal sense of happiness, mixed with the tension and anticipation of the upcoming time alone with just the two of them, made her fingertips tremble slightly.

"Xiangyang," she called softly.

"Um."

"Let's...go home quickly, I miss you." She gently rested her head on his shoulder, her voice so low it was almost inaudible.