Chapter 349 First Date

• “Didn’t you say...” “What? You don’t want to go?” “I do, I do!” The words were barely out when her cheeks flared hot— Was she coming off way too eager? Would he think she had zero chill? Just this morning, Cheng Xiyuan had messaged her: If you want a guy hooked, play it cool. Be mysterious. Don’t be the one to chase. And now she’d basically laid all her cards on the table. Regret hit hard. Still… Why did Ren Yanxu pick a movie for their first date? Was it like Cheng Xiyuan said— When a guy invites a girl to the movies, odds are he’ll choose a horror flick. Easy excuse for getting handsy in the dark... Was that what he was thinking too? “What’s running through your head?” Seeing her drift off, Ren Yanxu stepped closer and waved a hand in front of her face. “No. Nothing.” Whatever’s meant to happen will happen. She chose this path; she wouldn’t second-guess it. Zou Yixin secretly gave herself a pep talk, changed in her room, and headed out with him. The movie wouldn’t start for another thirty minutes. They picked seats near the center. Once they sat down, Zou Yixin realized the rows around them were packed with couples— Ren Yanxu clocked it too. He turned and took in the crowd— It was a hot release, campus romance theme. Aside from a few lousy seats in the corners, the place was basically jammed. He gave up on switching seats. In a calm, low voice, he said, “Out of what’s playing, this campus romance is pretty popular. Let’s start with it. If you don’t like it, we can dip halfway, and I’ll take you to the next showing.” “Okay.” Maybe it was the dark theater—everything felt dialed up and close. From the second she sat down, Zou Yixin went stiff as a board. Her heart thudded hard, like it might leap out of her chest. With his suggestion, all she could do was mumble back. Say less, mess less. Better to soak in the moment. The lights went down. Credits rolled. Not gonna lie, campus romances can be warm and sweet, perfect for a girl like her. Ren Yanxu kept his eyes on the screen, but his mind was full of Jovienne in the team, the two of them hashing out project timelines. Her brilliance—out of reach even for a young girl first tasting love. And yet, right then, his gaze drifted—uncontrollably—to the girl beside him, moved to tears by the story. He had to admit: a girl who loves hard and hates hard like her—what guy wouldn’t fall? If he’d never met Jovienne, would he have fallen for Zou Yixin? The thought blindsided him—so much it scared him. Before he could look away, though, Zou Yixin seemed to sense it and turned to him. On-screen, the leads stared into each other’s eyes, drowning in it, not even trying to pull back… The seats around them rustled, little sounds multiplying. The air got thick, charged. Worse, the couple in front of them leaned in under the dim glow, wrapped up in each other, kissing. For a second, Zou Yixin didn’t know where to look. She’d already lost count of how many times she’d blushed today. Ren Yanxu jerked his eyes away too, but inside he was itching to pull those two apart. The trouble was, that scene on-screen ran long. The pair in front seemed new, sparky, fresh. Kindling and flame—zero signs of stopping. “Maybe… we should catch another showing?” Trying to dodge the next awkward wave, Zou Yixin leaned closer and whispered. The movie wasn’t even thirty minutes in and it was already this intense. She had no idea what the next hour would throw at them. “Yeah.” Ren Yanxu answered softly. But as she began to stand, he moved fast—caught her hand, turned, and pressed his mouth to hers. For a heartbeat, the world went dark for Zou Yixin. Her brain turned to mush. Ren Yanxu… had just kissed her?