After lunch, Miao Jing and Lu Zhengsi's date was about to end when Tu Li suggested going to watch a movie together. She and Chen Yi had never been to the cinema before—they usually went to the billiards hall, mahjong tables, or arcades. With four people, it would be livelier.
No one had any objections, and they all nodded in agreement one after another. Tu Li browsed her phone.
"There's a popular family film with great reviews—both hilarious and tear-jerking. The lead is a recently trending comedy actor. How about we watch this one?"
Lu Zhengsi also liked this film, but Miao Jing and Chen Yi reacted indifferently and asked if there were other options.
"The other movies have longer wait times; this one has the most screenings."
In the end, Tu Li bought four tickets.
The theater was completely full, and their seats weren't together. Miao Jing and Lu Zhengsi were in the front rows, while Chen Yi and Tu Li were several rows behind. The four split up to find their seats. The lights were too dim, so Lu Zhengsi held Miao Jing's hand and guided her step by step to their spots.
Miao Jing's skirt was short, and the suede seats didn't look very clean. Lu Zhengsi happened to have a thin jacket with him and smiled as he handed it over. "It's come in handy."
"Thank you."
He was a very considerate guy.
The movie was indeed entertaining—a loving but irresponsible parent, a mischievous and unlucky child, and comical mishaps during a trip. The audience around them roared with laughter. Miao Jing kept her eyes open, staring at the screen until the scene where the family hugged and cried. She signaled to Lu Zhengsi that she was going to the restroom and slipped out of the theater in the dark.
She went to the restroom for some fresh air, then turned to leave. In the dimly lit corridor, a crisp snap echoed. Miao Jing turned her head and saw someone in the smoking area at the end of the hallway. One hand in his pocket, the pale gray light from the narrow window cast onto his white shirt. He squinted slightly, tilting his chin up, smoke swirling in his throat like a hazy mist.
Miao Jing had no intention of returning to the theater and walked straight over, stopping in front of him.
"Why did you come out?"
"Didn't feel like watching."
"Want to find a place to sit? Wait for them to come out?"
"Let me finish this cigarette first."
"Okay."
"How's the new boyfriend? Do you like him?"
"I do." She tugged at Lu Zhengsi's jacket she was wearing. "He's very gentle and attentive."
"That's good." He lazily lowered his eyes.
After exhaling the last of the smoke, he stretched out his arm toward her. His shirt sleeve revealed a tanned forearm, blue veins visible under the thin skin. His slender fingers still held half a cigarette as he offered it to her, his voice muffled. "Want a puff?"
"I don't smoke."
"I know." He gave a tired smile. "It's not like you haven't tried before... The movie wasn't that great, was it?"
Miao Jing's eyelashes fluttered as she took the cigarette from his hand. Her posture holding it was identical to his. She took a clumsy drag, wrinkling her delicate brows at the pungent smoke, her eyes stinging slightly. She exhaled fully before handing the cigarette back to him.
He leaned forward slightly, took it, and inhaled twice before stubbing it out in the ashtray.
"Let's go."
The two walked away side by side, leaving behind a cigarette butt in the ashtray with a faint lipstick stain.
Chapter 14: Do You Teach Other Girls to Play Pool Like This Too?
After getting together with Lu Zhengsi, their weekends often included gatherings, and Miao Jing's leisure activities became much more varied.During that business trip to Jincheng—boyfriend, two or three months, family member seriously ill—that was all Miao Jing explained at the time. Lu Zhengsi accepted it with a nod the next day. Compared to other male colleagues who were still ambiguously and vaguely expressing their goodwill, he had already secured an advantage by being in a favorable position.
Miao Jing gave a faint smile with dimples and extended her hand to Lu Zhengsi. She didn’t think he would refuse at all. As for a more detailed explanation, she smiled charmingly and said, "You’ll find out gradually."
The two didn’t make a big deal of it. After roughly agreeing, they entered a somewhat ambiguous state of friendship. From the 8 a.m. company morning meetings to working overtime until 10 p.m., they were always on the same side. Combined with their private time on weekends, Lu Zhengsi felt that Miao Jing was someone who made others feel comfortable both professionally and personally—aloof yet approachable, serious yet considerate, strong-willed yet gentle when yielding.
She didn’t really like to talk much. Lu Zhengsi rarely heard her mention her personal affairs. He only knew that she had moved to Tengcheng after her mother remarried, and Chen Yi was the son from the blended family. Later, her stepfather passed away, her mother remarried again, and after finishing university, she returned to Tengcheng.
Though the story was told in just a few words, it was quite complicated. Miao Jing brushed it off lightly, and before Lu Zhengsi could fully process it, she switched to a work topic, saying seriously, "Have you confirmed with the process team whether the welding and assembly feasibility of these sheet metal parts match? If we issue the mold-opening order and have to backtrack, the mess afterward will be hard to clean up."
Such a cool and beautiful woman, yet so dedicated and hardworking at her job. Everyone in the department, to some extent, looked out for her, but Miao Jing was truly outstanding, even far surpassing her male colleagues.
Lu Zhengsi was captivated, completely following her pace.
Because of the bowling day’s dinner and movie, Lu Zhengsi also added Tu Li and Chen Yi on WeChat. He learned that Chen Yi ran a billiards hall, and Tu Li laughingly suggested they all hang out again, mentioning that the billiards hall had a mahjong table and the four of them could form a group to play.
When Miao Jing went out on weekend dates, Tu Li, of course, urged Chen Yi to go on dates too. She had a bit of a woman’s intuition—something was off about Chen Yi.
What was off was that Chen Yi had gone to Yunnan during the summer break, and it had been three months since he left without sleeping with her.
Additionally, he had been much more settled lately, rarely hanging out with his rowdy friends for food and fun, and seldom initiating anything with her. When she called, he was mostly practicing at the billiards hall. Tu Li asked Bo Zai about the recent happenings at the billiards hall and whether Chen Yi was being pestered by other women. Bo Zai said that lately, Chen Yi went straight home after closing the shop, rarely joking around with girls, and seemed pretty normal?
She wanted to spend the night, but Chen Yi wasn’t in the mood. She wanted to stay over at his place, but he refused with a dark expression. Tu Li thought he was still upset about the misunderstanding in front of Miao Jing last time and laughed it off, saying Miao Jing was an adult, so what did it matter? Besides, they could just get a hotel room. He coldly tossed his cigarette aside, said he knew she had other options, and told her to find another man.
They had met in a bar initially, and Tu Li had pegged Chen Yi as a player, thinking they were just having fun. She never expected Chen Yi to give her the title of girlfriend, and of course, she held on tight. They had been together ever since. Now, with Chen Yi saying such things, she frowned, feeling suspicious and unsettled, unable to make up her mind.
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