Professor Xie, isn't this a case of forcing customers to buy products that don't match the

"...Aren't you going to kiss me back?"

After speaking, he did not immediately step back, but maintained that extremely close distance, his eyes sparkling as he stared unblinkingly at Xie Jing, waiting for his reaction.

To continue petrifying? Or...?

Xie Jing's body seemed to stiffen for a moment, and then, finally, he slowly turned his head.

Those deep eyes locked onto Shang Song, who was so close, in the darkness.

The movie plot is entering an emotional climax, with melodious background music, but Shang Song can only hear the pounding of his own heart.

It's unclear whether it belonged to him or Xie Jing.

Time seemed to stretch out infinitely, and then he saw Xie Jing's Adam's apple bob with extreme difficulty.

Then, Xie Jing moved.

He turned slightly to face Shang Song, lowered his head, and closed his eyes.

Her long, thick eyelashes were trembling.

The movements were slow and gentle.

Shang Song could feel his warm breath gently brushing against her cheek through the mask.

Then, a kiss, also through a mask, gently landed on Shang Song's cheek.

The location is roughly above the cheekbone, near the outer corner of the eye.

The force was very light, so fast it felt like an illusion, but it was real.

Shang Song clearly sensed it.

She felt the softness of the cotton mask, the general outline of Xie Jing's lips beneath it, and all the struggle, courage, clumsiness, and... solemnity contained in that gentle kiss.

After Xie Jing finished kissing him, he jumped away almost immediately, with astonishing speed.

He sat up straight again, his gaze fixed ahead. His ears and neck, exposed outside his mask, were burning red, and in the flickering light, the crimson had a breathtakingly vibrant color.

This time, it was Shang Song's turn to be completely stunned.

Every cell in my body is screaming, cheering, and jumping for joy.

Xie Jing kissed him!

Xie Jing kissed him first! Even though they were wearing masks, even though it was so awkward, even though Xie Jing looked like he was about to evaporate on the spot!

But Xie Jing did it! He took the initiative to approach him! He responded to him!

He suddenly raised his hand to cover his cheek where he had been kissed, and he felt almost dizzy.

He couldn't help but lower his head, burying his burning face in his arms, his shoulders beginning to tremble violently.

He is laughing.

I'm so happy I could burst, but I can't laugh out loud.

Like a little bear who has stolen the sweetest honey in the world, rolling around wildly with joy in a dark corner, yet afraid that the laughter would disturb the whole forest, it can only hold back its laughter, suppressing all the ecstasy and sweetness inside its body, turning into waves of uncontrollable trembling.

He felt so happy he was about to die.

After a while, the overwhelming joy subsided slightly. He slowly raised his head from his arms, his eyes still moist from laughing.

He turned his head to look at Xie Jing, who was still sitting upright beside him, his ears bright red.

The more he looked, the softer his heart became.

As long as... as long as it can always be like this, even if we're always separated by masks, just a light touch... it seems... would be okay.

It seems like he doesn't even need to wait five months; he feels like things can go on like this forever.

Those worries about the gap and the future don't seem so terrible anymore.

Just that one touch through the mask made him feel that all his previous anxiety, unease, and doubts had been soothed.

He even absurdly thought that if Xie Jing could only kiss him through a mask forever, if their intimacy could only ever remain at the level of childish playful touching, then... it might not be so unacceptable.

He seems to like this piece of wood even more than he imagined.

Of course, the thought only flashed through my mind.

No, no.

He doesn't want to wear a mask forever.

He's so greedy.

He wanted more.

I want unobstructed skin-to-skin contact, I want hugs, I want deeper kisses, I want all the intimacy that ordinary lovers can have.

This piece of wood is so good, so lovely, he wants it completely, without reservation.

But now... he already feels that such a kiss through a mask is an immense blessing from heaven.

He wanted to lead him, step by step, out of that cold shell.

Even if it's slow, even if it's difficult.

But at least they've started moving, haven't they?

Just as Shang Song's mind was racing, Xie Jing, who was next to him, finally came to his senses from that "out-of-body" state.

He moved his neck very slowly, his gaze still somewhat unfocused, but the arm holding the popcorn bucket no longer seemed so tense, and the color of his bright red ears had faded slightly, though they were still covered with a layer of pink.

Then, under Shang Song's gaze, Xie Jing made a move that surprised Shang Song somewhat.

He turned his head slightly to look at Shang Song, then his gaze shifted from Shang Song to the half-finished milk tea next to the armrest of Shang Song's seat, and then to the two unopened milk tea cups hanging on the armrests of the two of them.

He was silent for a moment, then reached out, his movements a little stiff but steady, and took out a still-warm cup of milk tea from the milk tea bag, handing it to Shang Song.

His fingers were long and clean, but the tips were slightly curled, revealing his nervousness.

"...I haven't tried this one yet." Xie Jing's voice came through his mask, very low. "Try it."

Shang Song was stunned for a moment. Looking at the milk tea handed to him, and then at Xie Jing's focused eyes, the soft, sweet feeling in his heart swelled up several times over.

Is this piece of wood taking care of him?

Shang Song foolishly accepted the cup of milk tea, his fingertips inevitably brushing against Xie Jing's slightly cool fingertips.

Both of them paused for a moment, but neither of them immediately withdrew their hands.

Only after Shang Song firmly held the cup did Xie Jing withdraw his hand, placing it back on his lap, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing against each other.

Shang Song looked down at the heavy cup of milk tea in his hand, feeling as if he had a cage of little birds fluttering wildly in his heart.

He inserted the straw and, under Xie Jing's gaze, lowered his head to sip his milk tea.

Shang Song sipped his drink slowly, the sweetness in his heart bubbling up.

While sipping his milk tea, he quietly extended his free hand and, in the narrow shadow between their seats, very slowly approached Xie Jing.

The fingertips first touched the back of Xie Jing's hand, which was resting on his knee.

Xie Jing's slightly curled hand trembled slightly for a moment, but he did not dodge.

Shang Song grew bolder. He was no longer satisfied with just touching, but carefully hooked Xie Jing's curled little finger tip with his little finger.

A very light, very light connection, as if a butterfly alights, or a nightingale hangs in a dream.

Xie Jing's body seemed to stiffen again.

But a few seconds later, just when Shang Song thought he wouldn't react any further, he felt Xie Jing's little finger, which he had hooked, twitch slightly, and then, in turn, it twitched gently as well...

She hooked her little finger around Shang Song's.

A barely audible response, yet the clearest acquiescence—you can do this, I… don’t hate it, I even… kind of like it.

Only when the movie ended completely, the theater lights came on, and people began to leave did the two intertwined little fingers reluctantly separate.

With an irrepressible smile on his face, Shang Song began to tidy up his pile of snacks.

There was still a large popcorn bucket left, two cups of milk tea that were mostly drunk at the beginning, another cup of milk tea that I only drank a few sips of because I was focused on hooking my fingers, and a cup that was completely unopened.

Just as he was about to pick up everything, a hand reached out from the side and took the bags containing varying amounts of milk tea from him.

Shang Song looked up and saw that Xie Jing had regained his calm demeanor. "The milk tea is more than two hours old, so the best time to drink it has passed. I don't recommend drinking it anymore."

His voice was calm, as if he were explaining common scientific knowledge.

He was carrying the two bags, seemingly intending to dispose of them immediately.

"Ah? No!" Shang Song quickly stopped them, looking at the two bags with some heartache. "The milk tea can still be drunk after three or four hours! And some of them are unopened! At most, the taste won't be as good..."

Xie Jing glanced at him, his tone indifferent, "If you want more, you can buy more. These are no longer drinkable."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the young men and women leaving the venue. He seemed to remember something and looked somewhat puzzled: "And from what I saw, everyone else seemed to be buying one drink each, but you... bought four."

Shang Song: "..."

What could he say?

Is it because he has decision-making difficulties and wants to try everything? Is it because he thinks Xie Jing might try it too? Is it because... he just wants to buy it and is happy?

Finally, he could only mutter somewhat dejectedly, "Well... at least I can still eat the popcorn, right? There's no time limit!"

As he spoke, he hugged the bucket of caramel and cream popcorn, which was still mostly full, tightly as if he were defending his popcorn.

Xie Jing's gaze fell on the popcorn bucket. He paused for two seconds, then nodded: "Yes, the popcorn is fine."

He carried two bags of "expired" milk tea, and with one hand holding his untouched popcorn bucket, he turned around first and walked towards the exit.

He walked with a calm and composed gait, as if he weren't the one who had just been kissed to the point of mental breakdown in the darkness.

Shang Song could only hurry after him, clutching his precious popcorn bucket.

As he passed the trash can, he watched helplessly as Xie Jing tossed the two bags of milk tea in without batting an eye, and inwardly groaned.

Ah... Xie Jing, that spendthrift!