We agreed not to date, so why are you crying now that I've become the richest man?

A few minutes later, Ye Chen returned carrying two large cups of cola and a giant bucket of popcorn in his arms.

Collect your ticket and have it checked.

The two walked into the screening room side by side.

The old movie theater in the county town has been open for many years, and the facilities are somewhat outdated, with the seats very close together.

The two sat down in the middle.

Their elbows could touch each other with the slightest movement.

A new romance film, released during the National Day holiday, is playing on the big screen.

The lights dimmed, and the surrounding voices gradually faded away.

Ye Chen placed the popcorn on the armrest between the two of them.

The movie is currently showing the male and female protagonists taking a walk along the river.

Shen Anran looked at the screen and subconsciously reached for the popcorn.

Just then, Ye Chen reached out his hand.

Their fingertips touched.

Ye Chen's palm was warm as he brushed against the back of her slightly cool hand.

Shen Anran recoiled as if burned, immediately pulling her hand back.

She placed her hands neatly on her knees, gripping the hem of her pleated skirt, her back straightening up a bit more than before.

Ye Chen, however, acted as if nothing had happened.

Grab a handful of popcorn and slowly toss it into your mouth.

Click.

The sound of popcorn being crushed was exceptionally clear in the quiet screening room.

After a while, Ye Chen moved closer to her, using the flickering light from the screen.

Their shoulders touched gently.

"This male lead is pretty silly, isn't he?"

He lowered his voice, speaking almost into Shen Anran's ear.

A warm breath brushed against my ears.

Shen Anran's back stiffened, and she stared intently at the screen, not blinking for a long time.

The tip of my nose was filled with Ye Chen's clean and refreshing scent.

Her ears turned red instantly.

"Um……"

Shen Anran responded softly.

As for whether the male lead on the screen was stupid or not, she didn't understand at all.

I didn't get much into the movie, but my heart was pounding non-stop.

Nearly two hours later, the movie ended.

Stepping out of the dimly lit screening room, the outside light was somewhat dazzling.

But the thick, warm, ambiguous atmosphere in the theater just now seemed to linger.

Whether it was the accidental touch of their fingertips or the lingering warmth of their shoulders touching, it was as if a mark had been left on their skin, one that could not be erased.

Shen Anran walked with her head down shyly, deliberately focusing her gaze on the tips of her shoes, pretending to be watching the road carefully.

She walked slowly, clutching the straps of her bag with both hands, but her burning earlobes had already betrayed her thoughts.

Ye Chen slowed his pace, walking leisurely beside her in rhythm with her, a faint smile playing on his lips.

As the evening breeze blew by, the crowds on the street gradually thickened, and the noise around us seemed to act as a protective layer, slightly easing the tense tranquility that had just filled the theater.

Ye Chen turned his head to look at her, breaking the silence: "Are you hungry? I think I ate most of the popcorn earlier."

Hearing his slightly teasing tone, Shen Anran nervously gripped her bag strap, looked up and quickly glared at him, muttering under her breath, "It's all because you stole it..."

That glance, tinged with a hint of coquettishness, somewhat diluted the previous awkwardness and embarrassment.

"Okay, I'll make it up to you later and order you an extra hamburger." Ye Chen smiled.

The two walked along the pedestrian street for a while and then went to the KFC in the center of the county town.

As soon as you enter the store, the warm air mixed with the aroma of fried chicken hits you, and there are several children playing inside.

This lively and bustling environment completely dispelled the last trace of awkward ambiguity.

Ye Chen ordered crispy fried chicken, hamburgers, fries, and cola.

The two sat in a double seat by the window.

As soon as she sat down, Shen Anran held her Coke cup rather politely and asked, trying to make conversation, "Is the cost of living in Shanghai very high?"

Ye Chen followed up on the topic, telling her about the strange prices in Shanghai, and also complaining about the bizarre things his roommate did to save money.

As she listened, Shen Anran's tense shoulders finally relaxed, and she couldn't help but smile.

Following the topic, the two naturally started talking about fun things that happened in high school. Once those shared memories of youth were brought up, the previous awkwardness and distance completely disappeared.

Shen Anran started laughing as she recounted jokes from her university dormitory, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

Ye Chen would occasionally chime in, making her so amused that she would lie face down on the table.

A waiter came over to collect the empty tray, glanced at the two of them, and casually placed the remaining packet of ketchup between them.

They clearly already considered the two of them as a newly dating couple.

But halfway through the meal, Shen Anran suddenly slowed down.

She held the chicken burger, which she had only bitten half into, her eyes lowered, and didn't move for a long time.

The Coke straw in her mouth suffered an undeserved fate, as she bit it flat.

"Why aren't you eating?"

Ye Chen wiped his hands.

"Don't you like this?"

Shen Anran shook her head and put the hamburger back on the tray paper.

"Your train leaves around 9 PM tonight."

"Okay, let's go to Beijing first, then take a bus to Shanghai."

Ye Chen leaned back in his chair, his tone relaxed.

"My train is tomorrow morning, and I'm going back to Tianjin."

Shen Anran raised her eyes, her voice much lower.

"After today, the holiday will be over."

"See you next time, maybe during winter break."

There are still more than three months from National Day to winter vacation.

Shen Anran lowered her head and poked the cup lid with the straw.

She poked the straw until it was bent over and out of shape.

The disappointment in her eyes was impossible to hide.

Ye Chen looked at her for a few seconds, but didn't say any of those dry words of comfort.

He leaned forward slightly and reached out his hand across the table.

His palm landed on Shen Anran's head, and his fingers gently rubbed her soft hair a couple of times.

Shen Anran was stunned.

She looked up, forgetting to let go of the straw in her hand.

Ye Chen withdrew his hand and looked into her eyes.

"Tell me when you miss me."

He paused for a moment.

"I'll come to see you when I have time."

Shen Anran stared at him blankly.

My nose suddenly felt a little sore, and my eyes welled up with tears.

She lowered her head and sniffed.

When he looked up again, he tapped it hard.

"Um."

After finishing their meal, the two left Dicos.

The county town is small, and there are no must-see places.

The two decided to walk slowly along the road on the edge of the county town toward Shen Anran's house.

An autumn evening breeze swept through the streets.

The streetlights cast long shadows of the two people.

They occasionally overlap, then slowly separate again.

The two walked and stopped intermittently.

A journey that wasn't originally very long took us until 7 p.m.

Downstairs at Shen Anran's apartment, the dim light in the unit door had a faulty connection and flickered twice before turning on.

"arrive."

Ye Chen stopped in his tracks.

"Let's go up."

Shen Anran stepped onto the first step and then turned around.

Be careful when traveling at night.

"When you arrive in Shanghai, remember to send me a message to let me know you've arrived safely."

"it is good."

Ye Chen nodded.

Shen Anran bit her lip before turning around and going upstairs.

Footsteps echoed in the hallway, gradually fading into the distance.

Ye Chen stood in the shadows outside the foyer, his hands in his pockets, not in a hurry to leave.

He planned to wait until the motion-activated lights on the second floor came on before leaving.

Available in the next second.

"Thump thump thump!"

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway.

The sound was getting closer.

Ye Chen raised his head.

Before he could react, a figure rushed out of the stairwell.

Shen Anran returned, slightly out of breath from running.

She stood in front of Ye Chen and, using the height of the steps, grabbed his shoulders with both hands.

Ye Chen's eyebrows twitched slightly.

"How..."

Before she could finish speaking, Shen Anran had already closed her eyes and stood on tiptoe.

A soft touch spread across my cheek.

Ye Chen stood still, unusually slow to react.

Shen Anran's face was already bright red.

"Sleep well on the train!"

She left behind a nonsensical remark, covered her burning face, and turned to run away.

"Thump thump thump!"

He rushed up to the second floor in one breath.

Immediately afterwards, the security door slammed shut.

The hallway fell silent again.

Only the motion-activated lights on the second floor were on.

Ye Chen stood at the bottom of the steps and raised his hand to touch his right cheek.

My fingertips paused for two seconds.

A moment later, he shook his head with a wry smile.