Chapter 233

Chapter 233 – Sorry, Yuan Yuan (5000-word Chapter)

In the distant year of 2012, for children from county towns, movie theaters held an indescribable allure, a special kind of urban complex.

After all, their memories of watching movies were limited to open-air screenings at school and the idea of buying tickets to watch films in glamorous cinemas on TV seemed like a far-off dream.

“Originally, we agreed to go see a movie together, but after coming to Jiangcheng for almost a year, we haven’t been to a cinema even once. We really need to reflect on this,” Xia Yuan was quite dissatisfied.

Mei Fang helplessly shrugged his hands, “It can’t be helped. Jiangcheng Shi No. 1 Affiliated is quite far from the city center…”

Lin You Xi chimed in, “Anyway, since we’re here today, let’s make the most of it?”

Despite being a girl from a small county town, both Xia Yuan and Lin You Xi now dressed similarly to city kids, adopting a cute yet playful youthful style. They walked hand in hand, looking very close, while Mei Fang seemed like an extra person walking beside them.

They arrived at a meeting spot by car. Xia Yuan looked at her phone, “The movie starts at 2:30 PM, we still have plenty of time. Do you want to play some claw machine games?”

Mei Fang, who was just there to accompany You Xi, said, “Sure, I’m fine with that.”

Lin You Xi was less enthusiastic, “If we end up catching too many toys, we won’t have space for them when we watch the movie. That would be a waste.”

“Just play a little. This is a big city arcade; we haven’t been here much before, so there must be lots of cool stuff to do.”

Under Xia Yuan’s encouragement, Lin You Xi and Mei Fang entered a game arcade inside a mall. The first thing they saw were two large dancing machines where two fashionable girls were competing.

“I’ve always been curious about this since I saw it on TV… How do they know how to dance?”

“The game itself is something like Dance Dance Revolution or rhythm games on phones. If you hit the right spots at the right times, you score points.”

Mei Fang continued, “But fundamentally, the game sets the rhythm based on real dances. If you know the dance, it’s easy to get high scores and perform well.”

“Oh! So that’s how it works! A Fang knows everything about games…”

Lin You Xi nudged Xia Yuan from behind, “Since you’re so interested, why don’t you try it yourself?”

“I? I can’t… I don’t know how to dance. What’s the point of me going?”

“You should buy one for home next time, practice at home first, then go out and dance. That way, you won’t feel conflicted.”

“There’s no room at home, where would I put it?”

“Once Yueyue handles her company’s affairs, we could consider playing at the office or even buy a house.”

House prices in China had been steadily rising since the 2008 economic crisis. In 2014, they started skyrocketing. Although prices had risen quickly in recent years, they were still considered affordable and a good time to buy.

Mei Fang, previously restricted by his age, couldn’t purchase property. But now, with Yueyue as a shield, he could hold properties for others.

Xia Yuan found Mei Fang’s ideas incredible.

“That will only work if our songs or ‘Cloud Journey’ make money. Right now, our funds barely cover daily expenses… But if we were to buy a house, I’d be excited.”

“What kind of house do you like?” Lin You Xi asked.

“A huge villa by the sea! Every day, I can plant flowers in the garden, play games at home, listen to music, and watch shows. After dinner, we can stroll by the beach, feel the sea breeze, admire the sunset, and return to cook and eat, take a bath, and sleep. How blissful!”

“Won’t living by the sea feel damp? And wouldn’t that novelty wear off quickly?”

“What kind of house does You Xi like?”

Lin You Xi smiled, “I like top-tier luxury apartments, one per floor, with great lighting and large glass walls to overlook the city.”

Mei Fang was surprised, “Youxi, you actually like this? I never noticed…”

Xia Yuan teased, “Youxi, your standards are too high. A Fang might not be able to afford it.”

“Hmm… Who knows?”

Lin You Xi smiled at Mei Fang, “Let’s go in and try other games.”

Jiangcheng’s arcade machines were more advanced than those in Baimei County, with a wider variety. However, there weren’t many scenes where people crowded around one person. Instead, more middle school students came to play.

Everyone seemed to have money.

Mei Fang bought 100 yuan worth of tokens. The games in Jiangcheng were generally easier than in Baimei County, making them seem fairer. Lin You Xi could ride a motorcycle through the entire game without stopping, and she consistently beat Mei Fang and Yuan Yuan at various games.

Finally, they played for so long that they had leftover tokens, which unexpectedly doubled when inserted into the token pusher machine. They exchanged the tokens for some small gifts.

“Still ended up with stuffed animals…”

Xia Yuan handed a giant Doraemon plush to Mei Fang, “We’ve been playing for a while, I’m tired. There’s still some time before the movie, shall we get some dessert?”

“Sure.”

Lin You Xi pointed to a nearby Xu Liushan dessert shop, “Let’s go there.”

Xu Liushan was famous for its mango desserts, and it was already summer. Their mango treats were excellent for cooling down.

Following Lin You Xi’s recommendation, Xia Yuan ordered a large cup of a dessert made from a mountain of mango, ice cream, cream, and chocolate. Initially, they planned to share it, but in the end, Lin You Xi and Mei Fang didn’t eat much due to their lack of appetite, while Xia Yuan ate most of it herself.

“Phew… That was amazing.”

Xia Yuan rubbed her stomach contentedly. Seeing her flat belly despite eating so much, Mei Fang couldn’t help but tease, “You girls really have two stomachs, don’t you? One in another dimension? Don’t rush to the bathroom during the movie.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll go beforehand.”

Xia Yuan turned to Lin You Xi, who was staring at the posters along the cinema aisle, “A Fang didn’t use his, that’s okay. He’s always like that. Why did you eat so little today, You Xi?”

“I wanted to save some appetite for popcorn. After all, movies and popcorn go best together, right?”

“Yes, yes, we can get the popcorn family pack. It’s a huge bucket, feels like it could last forever!”

Xia Yuan had often gone to the cinema with her parents in Jiangcheng when she was young, so she knew the procedures well. Mei Fang, however, was visiting a cinema for the first time and followed Xia Yuan’s lead. They ordered a popcorn combo and waited in line for tickets.

Xia Yuan had been handling ticket purchases on-site. Mei Fang glanced at their seat numbers, “Hmm… Row nine, seats eighty to ninety… This position seems a bit off?”

“All the good seats were taken…”

Xia Yuan looked away guiltily.

“Back rows are also good.”

Lin You Xi smiled, “Maybe we can sneak a peek at other couples making out in this corner.”

“No, no, that shouldn’t happen in this movie!”

Xia Yuan disliked discussing such topics in public, so she shifted the conversation, “But wearing 3D glasses should be the same experience.”

Xia Yuan deliberately left the middle seat for Mei Fang, then smiled at Lin You Xi. Lin You Xi returned a gentle smile, showing great chemistry.

While they queued up, a movie finished playing. Xia Yuan went to the restroom and found the line would be long, so she decided to enter with Mei Fang and Lin You Xi.

Mei Fang sat down and sighed, “This movie has no good breaks. I’m worried you might not hold it.”

“I wouldn’t do something so embarrassing, thinking I’m the bedwetting king.”

Xia Yuan gave Mei Fang a playful look and gestured for him to place the popcorn in his lap.

“This way, all three of us can eat.”

Mei Fang didn’t mind being a popcorn holder. They all put on 3D glasses and began enjoying the remastered 3D version of “2012: The End of the World.”

Though the theory was absurd, the movie remained a popular classic disaster film even ten years later. The epic disaster effects were stunning, and the interactions and emotions before the disaster were memorable. Building the ark on the world’s highest peak was a clever touch.

Of course, the idea of only saving a few elite individuals by building ships was very much in line with the style of a lighthouse world. The decision to let shipyard workers join in the escape at the last moment was somewhat condescending.

Mei Fang had seen “The Wandering Earth,” so he wasn’t particularly moved by the plot. He mainly watched for fun and to give a bit of a spoiler to the younger ones who hadn’t seen “2012.”

“The current husband is annoying. To reunite the ex-lovers, he will surely die soon. I tell you, he will die miserably.”

“Aaaah… A Fang, did you see it? Don’t spoil it!”

The early plot was relatively mundane, but whenever Xia Yuan felt the urge to go to the restroom, the sudden acceleration of the plot kept her engaged. When she first saw the natural disasters, she subconsciously tensed up and then leaned into the movie seat to experience the thrilling effects.

Lin You Xi remained calm throughout, eating popcorn from Mei Fang’s lap while naturally leaning on his shoulder, not at all shy.

Seeing the tense plot, Xia Yuan felt uncomfortable and saw Lin You Xi eating popcorn from Mei Fang’s shoulder. She felt a mix of surprise and a desire to compete.

She saw Mei Fang feeding himself popcorn and then grabbed his arm, pulling the popcorn into her mouth.

“Eating so much and still hungry, your appetite is amazing.”

Mei Fang fed Xia Yuan popcorn, and Lin You Xi nudged him, so he also fed her.

Damn, am I just a tool for feeding popcorn?

As Mei Fang thought, the screen showed a scene of mountains and seas, and the cinema erupted in exclamations. The 3D effects were indeed impressive.

“Phew… That was intense.”

Mei Fang sighed, and Xia Yuan suddenly hugged his arm, unable to watch further.

“What are you doing? Watching a disaster movie like it’s a horror movie. You weren’t this scared watching horror movies before.”

“No… It’s just that…”

Xia Yuan blushed, “I need to go to the restroom.”

“What? Why didn’t you say earlier…”

Mei Fang quickly made room for Xia Yuan, “Go to the restroom quickly…”

“But the plot is so good… I might miss something—”

“Don’t overdo it. You don’t want to wet yourself. Go to the restroom, go, go…”

Mei Fang urged Xia Yuan to go to the restroom, then continued watching the movie.

“Youx Xi, do you want to guess how the husband dies?”

“Asphyxiation? Given the altitude, the chances of oxygen deprivation are high…”

“Haha, he won’t die that easily. Listen, I’ll tell you—”

Before Mei Fang could finish, Lin You Xi suddenly leaned forward and kissed him.

…

Popcorn flavor…

Since Lin You Xi didn’t mind, Mei Fang didn’t protest either and kissed back.

Phew…

Lin You Xi’s attack today was unusually fierce, nearly suffocating him.

Mei Fang remembered seeing a couple kissing in the cinema once. He had always thought it inappropriate in public.

Now he had become exactly what he despised, feeling a strange sense of—

Unexpected relief?

Hahaha…

“You said no spoilers.”

Lin You Xi, slightly annoyed, tucked her hair behind her ear and sternly reminded Mei Fang, “Don’t ruin my movie experience. Otherwise, you’ll regret it.”

“It’s pretty fun, hahaha.”

“Pervert.”

Lin You Xi complained about Mei Fang while gently removing a popcorn kernel stuck to his lips.

After a while, Xia Yuan returned from the restroom, relieved. She saw Mei Fang and Lin You Xi engrossed in the movie.

“What happened?”

“The husband died.”

“Was it the ex-husband or the current one?”

“The ex-husband is the main character. He wouldn’t die. It must be the glasses-wearing guy.”

“Phew… He really died.”

Xia Yuan rubbed her hands, watching the screen. She hadn’t fully enjoyed the movie, and the experience of watching with A Fang was only half satisfactory. Suddenly, she felt cheated.

No… It’s too much of a loss to leave like this…

Sorry, You Xi, I have to sneak out!

Xia Yuan casually tossed a paper ball on the ground and bent down as if searching.

“What fell?”

Xia Yuan whispered, “I lost the keychain I bought at the arcade.”

“The movie is almost over. Let’s find it after the lights come on.”

“Mm… Okay… Just worried someone might step on it.”

“I’ll help you. It’s inconvenient for you. I’ll look…”

Mei Fang bent down to search, while Xia Yuan outside the seat also squatted to look.

Suddenly, Xia Yuan pulled Mei Fang’s arm.

Using the excuse of searching, she leaned in for a quick kiss.

This time, Xia Yuan was bolder!

She only let go after a few gentle kisses.

Phew… Popcorn flavor, so sweet.

Mei Fang was caught off guard by Xia Yuan’s sudden advance, but after a brief moment of shock, he understood her intentions and returned to his seat.

Lin You Xi looked up at Mei Fang, “Did you find anything?”

“Yeah… Found it.”

“Good to hear.”

Lin You Xi smiled at Mei Fang and continued watching the final moments of the movie.

After the movie, Xia Yuan, feeling guilty, steered the conversation back to the plot, “That ending was quite lame.”

“I agree, it was average.” Lin You Xi nodded. “But the cinema experience was great. By the way, did you see any couples kissing during the movie?”

“No.”

Mei Fang answered Lin You Xi straightforwardly, while Xia Yuan seemed nervous.

“So I said, who would think about kissing during a movie like this!”

“I don’t think so. Some people might only care about kissing during the end of the world.”

“Mmm…”

Xia Yuan pouted and leaned toward Lin You Xi, “Youxi, if you saw it, just say so. Stop being cryptic with me.”

“Haha… No, just joking.”

Lin You Xi stuck out her tongue at Xia Yuan, “Sorry, Yuan Yuan.”

“OK, I forgive you.”

Xia Yuan smiled and waved at Lin You Xi, “But you owe me a McFlurry later.”

“How many stomachs do you have?”

Today, I wrote 5000 words for you. This was obviously from yesterday. As for today, I have a bit of business and might be busy—but screw that! I plan to take a day off and write more to entertain my single brothers on Point Mama. That’s it, I promise not to stand you up.

(End of Chapter)