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墨書 Inktalez
As the two stepped out of the building, Chen Rui realized he had nowhere to go. He was unfamiliar with this city, and his only purpose was to confirm Yuki Chiba's identity. Now that he had achieved that goal, there seemed to be no need for further action. Yet, he found himself caught in a trap of his own making.
"Where to?" Yuki Chiba asked, her expressive eyes fixed on Chen Rui, and she smiled unconsciously.
"Hmm? How about watching a movie?" Chen Rui suggested tentatively. His experience in this area was minimal, so he could only rely on memories of film plots to find an answer.
"Hmm?" Yuki Chiba's response was long and meaningful, leaving Chen Rui at a loss. "Sure, let's go."
Finally, Yuki Chiba said something that eased Chen Rui's anxiety.
They got into a taxi, and neither spoke during the ride. Chen Rui stared out the window while Yuki Chiba occasionally glanced outside before her gaze settled on him for a moment. Whenever Chen Rui sensed her looking, he quickly turned away.
The taxi driver caught sight of their interaction in the rearview mirror and couldn't help but chuckle. "You two must be a couple, huh? Why so quiet? Other couples are all lovey-dovey in the car, but you seem to have something on your minds."
"Um... it's not like that..." Chen Rui fumbled for words, stumbling over his response and inadvertently shrouding the situation in an air of intrigue.
"Oh come on, you're a boy! What's there to be shy about? Shouldn't the girl be the one to find topics to talk about?" The driver glanced at Chen Rui through the mirror. "You look pretty handsome; why so bashful? You’re acting like a girl. Right, miss?"
Yuki Chiba found the driver's words amusing and laughed. "Exactly! I’m starting to wonder if you were born in the wrong body; your personality is so much like a girl's."
"Hey!" Chen Rui frowned in dissatisfaction. "Are we really that close? I'm just following orders." As soon as he said it, he realized his mistake. Although there was some frustration behind his words, they could easily hurt feelings. He wished he could slap himself.
"That's true," Yuki Chiba replied softly, her gaze dimming instantly. The lively atmosphere from earlier had been brought down to freezing point by Chen Rui's comment.
They arrived at the cinema in silence. Observing Yuki Chiba's mood shift back to coldness made Chen Rui feel a pang of guilt. He sighed helplessly as he looked at the colorful movie titles flashing on the screens, unsure which one to choose. Turning to Yuki Chiba, he noticed she was fixated on something on one of the screens.
Following her gaze, Chen Rui saw a promotional poster displaying two hands that were clearly about to part ways yet still straining to hold onto each other tightly.
Looking closely at the movie title above, "Ha Year, Are Yu Si11!" it seemed to be a nostalgic youth romance film.
Chen Rui couldn't help but smile, cursing himself for being foolish; weren't girls always interested in this kind of movie?
Taking advantage of Yuki Chiba's dazed state, Chen Rui hurriedly bought the movie tickets and approached her with a smile, handing her the tickets.
Shock, joy, confusion, and satisfaction transformed Yuki Chiba's face into a flurry of expressions upon seeing the tickets. A myriad of emotions flickered across her beautiful face, but none lingered for long. Eventually, her expression settled back into calmness as she smiled lightly at Chen Rui and said, "Thanks."
There were no silly questions like other girls would ask after getting excited, no ecstatic grabbing and kissing him, and no pretending to be indifferent. Just a calmness that was almost eerie, unsettling in its tranquility.
Chen Rui felt at a loss in this situation. Fortunately, there was still some time before their movie started. He decided to take her for a cup of coffee or milk tea, hoping to awaken her lively side; after all, coffee shops were sacred places for couples to nurture their feelings!
The two arrived at a café next to the cinema, where the waiter naturally led them to a couple's booth by the window.
"What can I get for you two? We just introduced a batch of authentic High Mountain No. 1," the waiter said with a smile.
"Latte, with milk only, no foam," Yuki Chiba ordered effortlessly, clearly a regular at such places.
The waiter nodded with a smile and then turned to Chen Rui. It was then that he realized he rarely drank coffee. He smiled and said, "I'll try your newly introduced High Mountain."
"Alright, would you like any desserts?" After receiving simultaneous refusals from both of them, the waiter silently walked away. With just him and her left in the booth, Chen Rui felt a bit nervous.
"Idiot, why are you so nervous? You're not a kid anymore..." Chen Rui scolded himself internally as he adjusted his mindset and prepared to find a topic to talk about. When he looked up, he unexpectedly met Yuki Chiba's gaze; she had been watching him all along.
"Is there something on my face?" Chen Rui asked with a smile. "Or is it just that I'm too good-looking?"
"Is it because you're too good-looking? I'm afraid I won't get to see you in the future, so I want to take a good look now," Yuki Chiba replied with a smile.
Chen Rui never expected that his joke would receive such a response, and he couldn't help but misunderstand. "Don't worry, we will definitely protect your safety."
Yuki Chiba shook her head with a smile and said nothing more.
Seeing Yuki Chiba like this made Chen Rui feel a sense of helplessness; this girl was truly beyond his reach.
"Hey, hey, hey!" A familiar voice suddenly appeared beside him. "Is coming out to do business just an excuse to drink coffee? Or is it something more?"
Peng Hao had unknowingly sat down next to Chen Rui, startling him with his sudden words.
"What are you doing here? Isn't it your turn to be off?" Chen Rui deftly dodged the sharp edge of Peng Hao's words and retorted sharply.
"I'm here for the same reason as you," Peng Hao said with a grin, winking his right eye. Chen Rui's gaze shifted directly to Ye Han, who was sitting next to Yuki Chiba.
"Then just keep quiet," Chen Rui said, not bothering to pursue the matter further. Peng Hao was always a bit of a joker, but he had never let him down in critical moments; his various skills were quite formidable.
"What movie did you guys watch?" Ye Han asked Yuki Chiba with a smile, clearly having seen the two come out of the cinema.
"We haven't watched anything yet. What are you guys planning to see?" Yuki Chiba replied cheerfully.
Now it was Ye Han's turn to be surprised. How did she know that they hadn't seen a movie yet?
Yuki Chiba pointed at Peng Hao's hand, where a shiny film reel glimmered.
"Well, we are watching 'Ha Year, Are You Si11!' What about you?"
Yuki Chiba happily replied, "Same here! Which screening are you guys attending?"
Ye Han smiled and gave Chen Rui a knowing glance, clearly indicating, "Oh no, you're starting to charm the girls again."
"Our screening is..."
...
"Thank goodness we ran into you," Chen Rui said with a sigh of relief as he handed the ticket to the attendant.
Peng Hao joked, "Why do I feel like there's a hint of sourness in your words?"
The four of them were watching the same movie, and because of it, a certain misunderstanding regarding Chen Rui seemed to deepen.
This film wasn't particularly popular; it lacked a famous director, well-known actors, or a big production company behind it. The clichéd plot had led to a disappointing turnout.
The screening room had over a hundred seats, and naturally, the four of them didn't follow the rules and ended up sitting together.
The movie employed a non-linear narrative style, opening with a funeral that offered no cheerful elements at all. The screen was filled with sorrow, creating an oppressive atmosphere.
The main story revolved around a wealthy young woman who met a retired soldier during a university orientation event.
Though the soldier was older than the young woman, he was also a freshman. Due to his years in the military, he lacked the enthusiasm typical of new students. This caught the young woman's attention, leading her to perceive him as overly proud or perhaps feeling that her own status wasn't enough.
Since she could remember, the young lady had never faced defeat. Although she understood that she was merely a pawn in her family, this pawn had breached countless defenses. Thus, the proud young lady began to employ various methods to 'capture' this soldier.
Familiar patterns and clichéd plots—that was Chen Rui's first impression of the film. Rubbing his temples, Chen Rui turned to glance at Chiba beside him. She appeared calm, not shedding tears like the girl in front who was already in tears, nor was she indifferent enough to fall asleep like Peng Hao. Instead, she watched intently, her gaze serious.
After enduring the young lady's relentless 'torment,' the soldier finally reached his breaking point and, in a fit of anger, made her cry. This incident completely captivated the young lady.
She attempted to introduce the soldier to a life of luxury, but he seemed utterly indifferent or even disdainful of such a lifestyle.
Instead, it was the soldier who introduced the young lady to the joys of a commoner's life, allowing her to savor its pleasures and adapt to its simplicity. However, this led to discontent from her father and elder brother.
The young lady's family was involved in real estate, and just as they were about to go public, a fire burned away their hopes.
The fire ignited on the second floor of a building where the first five floors housed a shopping mall. At that time, the young lady and the soldier were shopping on the fourth floor when the flames erupted. The soldier quickly escorted her out of the mall but then bravely re-entered.
The construction company behind the building was owned by her family. Investigations revealed that the fire spread due to faulty fireproofing materials, which directly led to her family's downfall and eventual acquisition by others.
The scene shifted back to the funeral. The soldier had few friends; only a handful attended the ceremony. However, what surprised the young lady was that those who came were either wealthy or influential!
The soldier was a retired serviceman. Even without a flag or honor guard, a solemn funeral march filled the air, signifying respect for a former military member and gratitude for his service to the people.
The proceedings moved swiftly. Soon after, the funeral concluded; no one spoke or lingered. The young lady could not discern their sorrow nor understand why they attended the soldier's funeral.
As she prepared to leave, an elegantly dressed boy blocked her path. He appeared to be underage.
“He asked me to give this to you,” he said calmly, placing two letters wrapped in stationery on the ground.
Qianjin opened the first letter, which was a property transfer certificate: a substantial amount of funds and partial shares of a company had been transferred from Bing to Qianjin.
With tears she could barely control, Qianjin opened the second letter, already having guessed its contents through her intelligence.
However, the reality was still beyond her expectations. The second letter contained only a note, elegantly written in cursive English: "You are no longer a pawn."
It turned out he had always known.
Soldier's Father ran a Real Estate Company, positioned directly opposite the Wealthy Family. As the sharp blade of her family, Qianjin took the initiative to approach Bing, attempting to gather useful information by pretending to be his girlfriend.
Her feelings had been worn down over the years, yet Bing gave her a different sensation—simple, ordinary, warm, and reliable.
When Bing rushed into the fire scene, Qianjin felt a twinge of conflict. Letting him in would surely pose no threat to her family, but what about to herself?
In the end, she let go and allowed him to return to the flames.
Tears soaked the note as Qianjin struggled not to cry in front of others, but the tears continued to flow uncontrollably from her eyes.
The boy sighed lightly. "He gave you all his shares. Even if it's not much, it's enough for you to squander for half your life."
"What do you know?" Qianjin shouted angrily, disregarding her usual facade of false modesty as her fury erupted toward the boy.
"I may not understand, but if you do, what have you been doing this year?" The boy replied coldly, tossing a small box onto the lawn before turning away.
With trembling hands, Qianjin opened the box. A Jade Ring lay exposed under the sunlight, and she suddenly remembered that she had never liked gold or diamonds.
The inner band of the ring had three indented numbers, which happened to be today. Suddenly, Jin recalled that today marked one year since they had met.
Tears once again streamed from her eyes, but unlike last time, she didn’t hold back; she cried as if her heart were breaking.
The curtain fell.
Even this kind of plot twist was not a new trick; no wonder it wasn’t popular, Chen Rui thought as he turned to look at Chiba beside him, who remained calm.
As they exited the screening room, Chen Rui suddenly heard a Chinese song playing: "The lights are on, the scene before me; a vast room, a lonely bed. The lights are off, everything looks the same..."
Yuki Chiba pulled out her phone and answered a call...
After hanging up, Yuki Chiba smiled at Chen Rui. "It was my dad; he’s always worried about me."
"Why did you choose a Chinese song?"
"Oh? Is it in Chinese? I thought it was Korean. The melody is beautiful, and the lyrics are sung well, even though I don’t understand what they’re saying," Chiba explained with a smile. "So, where should we go?"
Looking at Yuki Chiba, Chen Rui suddenly thought of Li Xue and shook his head, smiling at Yuki Chiba. "Where do you want to go?"
"An amusement park? But it seems there aren’t any fun amusement parks around here," Yuki Chiba pondered as they slowly walked out of the cinema.
Chen Rui thought that Chiba looked really good like this; no, it should be said that aside from when she was expressionless, she looked great at all other times when she showed emotion.
Chen Rui felt that the ringtone was familiar but couldn’t recall its name. Without realizing it, he began to hum along:
The lights turned on, revealing the scene before me.
A vast room, a lonely bed.
When the lights went off, everything remained the same.
The wounds in my heart could not be shared.
Life flows away with the years, turning gray with age.
With your departure, happiness vanished without a trace.
As memories fade away, I drift into dreams.
As my numb heart gradually drifts further away.
I Miss You I miss you so much, yet I leave no trace...
Chen Rui stopped humming here, suddenly remembering that the song was called “I Miss You”!!!
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