Chapter 10

 Bai Xunyin didn't expect that the "fun place" Yu Luoyin mentioned would turn out to be taking her to the cinema.

Following the tall and slender figure of the young man into the mall, they squeezed into the crowded elevator. In the cramped and stuffy atmosphere filled with chattering voices, Bai Xunyin instinctively tightened her grip on her hand, her palms becoming slightly damp with sweat.

Sensing that she might not enjoy being in such a crowded place, Yu Luoyin lifted his eyelashes slightly and took a step forward—using his own body to shield Bai Xunyin from the people around her, cleverly separating her from the crowd.

Bai Xunyin was stunned, her heart fluttering.

Just like that rainy day, Yu Luoyin's back at this moment was like an umbrella, protecting her in a small corner.

Her tense nerves unconsciously relaxed a bit, and Bai Xunyin sighed softly, feeling that she might have been overly sensitive.

The elevator quickly stopped at the top floor of the mall.

People gradually exited, and Yu Luoyin glanced back at Bai Xunyin behind him. "Keep up," he said.

Then he raised his arm. "Should I hold onto my sleeve?"

...

"Scared you'll get lost." He smiled satisfactorily, seeing the faint blush on Bai Xunyin's fair earlobes, and casually withdrew his arm as if nothing had happened, continuing to walk forward.

Bai Xunyin silently followed behind, her fair neck now slightly pink.

She looked around—this was the sixth floor of the Linlan Business Center, with various exquisite shops cluttered around, and at the end, a cinema.

Did Yu Luoyin bring her here to watch a movie?

"Want something to drink?" Passing by a bubble tea shop, Yu Luoyin stopped, his voice faint as he brought Bai Xunyin back to reality.

She turned her head to look at the elaborately decorated tea shop with long queues and shook her head.

Yu Luoyin didn't insist. By the time they reached the cinema entrance, he bought two cups of cola from the vending machine and handed one to her.

The paper cup of iced cola had a thin layer of frost on the outside, quickly chilling her fingertips.

Bai Xunyin bit the straw with her porcelain-white teeth, her eyes innocently clear as they stared at Yu Luoyin's profile for a while, watching as he bought a bucket of popcorn and handed it to her—like feeding a small animal.

Yu Luoyin scanned the movie schedule on the screen, then turned to ask her, "Which one do you want to watch?"

Unable to resist anymore, Bai Xunyin typed out: [Why are we suddenly watching a movie?]

Yu Luoyin's answer was simple, just two words: "Wanted to."

...

Bai Xunyin could only shake her head, indicating that she didn't really care what they watched.

Finally, probably to cater to "girl's tastes," Yu Luoyin chose a romantic film that looked very refreshing.

There were many showings, and they bought tickets that allowed them to enter in ten minutes. Passing through the dark corridor, they stepped onto the steps and walked to the last row.

There weren't many people watching movies on a bright afternoon like today, and the last few rows were completely empty.

Just the two of them, alone in the theater.

Before the movie started, it was so quiet around them that even Yu Luoyin's shallow breaths seemed close, lingering around them.

Bai Xunyin unconsciously tapped her fingers on the popcorn bucket, making a rustling sound.

Luckily, the movie started quickly, and the darkness of the theater relieved her discomfort.

Bai Xunyin was a serious person, so initially, sitting uncomfortably next to Yu Luoyin and watching the movie was like forcing herself to do so, but as she watched, even though the movie was boring, she got into it.

It was just that sitting in the last row, the sound was too loud during intense scenes that her brain felt buzzing.

Halfway through the movie, Bai Xunyin glanced sideways and unexpectedly found Yu Luoyin looking at her—just as the white light from the screen coincidentally brushed across his handsome face, his bones distinct, and his pitch-black eyes unblinking.

Bai Xunyin was stunned, her lips silently moving: [Why are you looking at me?]

Her heart pounded uncontrollably.

Yu Luoyin's gaze was too sharp, even in this dim light...

It made her feel ambiguous yet elusive.

"Looking at you," Yu Luoyin's voice was very low, amidst the clear noise around them, his clear voice pierced into Bai Xunyin's ears like a thin thread, "Waiting for you to turn around and look at me."

It had been almost an hour since the movie started, and Bai Xunyin had really been focused on watching the movie all this time, so she really had no presence?

His somewhat "accusatory" tone made Bai Xunyin's scalp tingle, and after a while, she quietly took out her phone to type: [Why should I look at you?]

Yu Luoyin found it amusing and also took out his phone to send Bai Xunyin a message—under the pretext of "making up for missed contact time," he had long ago gotten the girl's WeChat.

Communicating in text made it easy to say those somewhat "shameless" words: [When I go out to watch movies with girls, they always sneak peeks at me.]

He often went out to watch movies with girls? She suddenly thought of Sheng Churan.

Bai Xunyin pursed her lips. She didn't know why, but for the first time, she replied to him with some emotion: [They are them, and I am me.]

After sending it, she heard the boy seem to chuckle.

The phone lit up quickly: [Are you jealous?]

...

Jealous? Was she jealous?

In an instant, that indescribable emotional agitation reached its peak, and Bai Xunyin, blushing, stood up.

Ignoring the fact that the movie hadn't ended and ignoring Yu Luoyin, she hurriedly walked out.

As if afraid the boy would catch up with her, Bai Xunyin walked quickly, almost running, and quickly ran to the restroom outside the movie theater.

Just in time, when another session in the other hall ended, there were quite a few people in the restroom, all in line.

Bai Xunyin had no intention of going to the bathroom. She stood in front of the mirror, numbly looking at herself in the mirror—she was thin and slender, with a cold look in her eyes, a seemingly uninteresting gloomy girl.

With Sheng Churan's bright and passionate "little sun" surrounding her, why would Yu Luoyin come to provoke her?

Bai Xunyin wasn't stupid. She couldn't fail to understand what Yu Luoyin's recent actions meant.

Helping her move tables, skipping class to study—could be coincidences between classmates, but later, makeup classes, watching movies... Bai Xunyin couldn't pretend to be indifferent all the time.

But she didn't understand why it had to be her?

"Oh? Bai Xunyin?"

Just as her mind was so confused that she was almost numb, a familiar voice came from behind, with a hint of doubt in the sweet voice.

Bai Xunyin turned her head and saw Liu Yufu coming out of the bathroom, looking somewhat surprised at herself.

"What a coincidence," she walked over, standing beside Bai Xunyin to wash her hands, smiling and asking, "Are you here to watch a movie too?"

Compared to at school, Liu Yufu outside school seemed more "gentle," with a faint smile on her face.

Compared to the class's cold math representative, she seemed more like a seventeen-year-old charming girl.

They were closer now, and Bai Xunyin noticed that Liu Yufu had taken off her usual black-framed glasses, wearing colored contact lenses with large black eyes.

She had even put on makeup, wearing a knitted skirt completely different from her school uniform, making her look soft and delicate.

"With whom did you come?" Liu Yufu naturally knew that she couldn't wait for Bai Xunyin's 'answer,' and after washing her hands, she applied lipstick while asking, "Is it Lu Ye?"

Her skilled movements momentarily stunned Bai Xunyin, but upon hearing the question, she quickly shook her head, busily typing on her phone to show Liu Yufu: [I have nothing to do with Lu Ye.]

"Haha, my mistake then," Liu Yufu couldn't help laughing at Bai Xunyin's anxious clarification, her voice carrying a hint of playfulness, "But even if it were true, it wouldn't be a big deal. It's normal to date, you know. I came with my boyfriend too."

...

Bai Xunyin momentarily couldn't decide which was more shocking: "It's normal for high school students to date" or "Liu Yufu actually has a boyfriend."

Today's Liu Yufu seemed so unfamiliar to Bai Xunyin. Was she still the class representative who only cared about studying? Moreover, was it really normal for high school students to date? But the school clearly prohibited early romantic relationships.

"Are you finding it strange? A bookworm like me dating?" Liu Yufu seemed to understand Bai Xunyin's thoughts, smiling as she glanced sideways at her, continuing with surprising remarks, "It's actually quite normal. Nowadays, who isn't dating? It's just that you're not nosy, that's all. Even He Rou and Lu Xue have boyfriends."

She was referring to the class president and the chemistry representative.

Bai Xunyin couldn't help but feel a slight shock in her pupils. Just as she didn't know what to say, her phone vibrated in her hand.

She looked down and saw a message from Yu Luoyin: [Come out. If you don't, I'll come in.]

Even from the text, she could sense his anger. Bai Xunyin's body trembled slightly, her eyebrows furrowing slightly.

She inexplicably felt that Yu Luoyin was capable of anything, but she couldn't really let him enter the women's restroom.

Biting her lip, Bai Xunyin quickly typed a farewell to Liu Yufu, who was meticulously applying makeup, and hurriedly ran out.

Liu Yufu raised an eyebrow in surprise—it was rare to see Bai Xunyin, who was usually cold and emotionally stable, so visibly agitated. She hesitated for a moment but followed after her.

What she saw was Bai Xunyin's slender figure walking side by side with a tall, thin boy, whose posture exuded an air of nobility. They took a few steps and stopped, seemingly arguing, while Bai Xunyin occasionally lowered her head to type on her phone.

That boy's figure... why did it seem so familiar? Could he be from their school?

Liu Yufu squinted her eyes and looked more closely. Then, the boy happened to turn his head slightly, revealing a glimpse of his profile.

Liu Yufu was stunned for a moment, her heart skipping a beat.

Could it be... Yu Luoyin?

At Third High School, apart from Bai Xunyin, who was oblivious to outside matters, almost everyone had paid some attention to Yu Luoyin. Especially with Sheng Churan loudly declaring her intention to pursue him in their class, Liu Yufu was certainly aware of him.

But how could it be that now, Bai Xunyin was walking together with Yu Luoyin?

................................................................................................................

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