His tone was serious and solemn, and it really sounded like the real deal.
Zhou Zhou nodded vigorously twice, "Mmm!"
[Author's Note: The Future]
Zhou Zhou: No scanning, no money, find a job, girl.
Girl: Excuse me?
Chapter Fifty-Nine: Laugh When You Want
=============================
The movie was about to start, and there was a long queue at the ticket checkpoint. Zhou Zhou glanced at the ticket in his hand. The movie was called "Youth Shines," and it was Fu Heng's choice. He hadn't looked into the movie beforehand, but judging from the title, it should be a youth romance film with a campus theme.
'No, no, I want to eat that~'
The young couple at the front of the line had the girl swinging her boyfriend's arm and pointing at the snack section, whispering sweet nothings.
"Okay, okay." The man looked at her with a doting expression.
Is it necessary to eat while watching a movie?
Fu Hengzhi took in the whole scene and then turned to look at Zhou Zhou behind him.
stare--
Zhou Zhou's attention was focused on her phone. She had just opened the movie review section to learn more about the film when she felt something was off. She looked up and met Fu Hengzhi's deep eyes.
"What's wrong?" Zhou Zhou glanced at him, and then happened to see the man in the couple ahead leave the line to buy popcorn.
Oh, I think I understand.
"Should we bring some snacks with us when we go in to watch the movie?" Zhou Zhou asked, and Fu Hengzhi nodded in affirmation.
"Okay, wait here for me, I'll go buy it." Zhou Zhou smiled; the domineering CEO always has some inexplicably endearing qualities.
The snack area wasn't crowded. The young couple who had just left soon returned, bought a bucket of popcorn and a soda. The girl took a sip first, and then the boy took a sip. They shared the bucket of popcorn, feeding each other bites.
Yes, there's a touch of romance in it.
Fu Hengzhi nodded calmly, then turned around and was taken aback.
"Quick, quick, lend a hand." Zhou Zhou came over carrying two buckets of popcorn, and also holding two cups of soda in his hands. The popcorn buckets were unusually full, with one or two kernels about to pop out.
Fu Hengzhi took one of the portions, glanced at the sweet moment of the young couple sharing a portion in front of him, and then stared blankly at the brightly colored and tempting popcorn in his arms.
So why buy two?
It's not unusual for two men to watch a romantic movie in a world where same-sex marriage is legal. The two were the last to enter the theater at the end of the line. Zhou Zhou looked around and saw that most people were in pairs, and there were also a few people in groups of three.
The theater was mostly full, and the two of them were seated in the middle of the back row. Perhaps because they were in the back, there weren't many people around them, which made it a great spot to watch the movie.
Several people in the front row kept turning their heads back, their eyes mostly fixed on the two of them, until the film began to darken and this continued.
It was only at this moment that Zhou Zhou dared to take off her mask, grabbed a handful of popcorn and put it in her mouth, marveling at how long it had been since she had eaten such a snack.
Fu Hengzhi absentmindedly popped the popcorn into his mouth one by one. The taste was sweet and cloying, and he suddenly realized he didn't really like this kind of food. The same went for the cola; the bubbles bursting on his tongue, and he didn't like that either. The only thing he liked in the entire room was…
Fu Hengzhi turned to look at Zhou Zhou's bulging cheeks, leaned closer, and asked softly, "Do you like this?"
"It's alright." Zhou Zhou said, putting another handful of food into his mouth, and mumbled, "It's just that I haven't eaten in a long time."
After saying that, she noticed the popcorn bucket in Fu Hengzhi's arms, which hadn't changed at all, and blinked, asking, "Why aren't you eating?"
"I don't have a sweet tooth." Fu Hengzhi picked up a piece of popcorn and brought it to the other person's lips. "Next time, just buy one serving. If you like, eat more."
There's no reason not to accept something offered to you, but Zhou Zhou wasn't used to being fed by others. He carefully bit half of the popcorn, and with a gentle flick of his tongue, the popcorn rolled into his mouth.
A blush crept up Zhou Zhou's ears again. It seemed that her tongue had accidentally brushed against Fu Heng's finger. She couldn't dwell on such details; the more she thought about it, the redder her face became.
The white light from the screen flashed, reflecting on everyone's faces. Fu Hengzhi noticed the blush on the other person's ears, rubbed his fingers, picked up a piece of popcorn and put it in his mouth. Instantly, he felt that the sweetness was not so strong.
Treating this as a minor incident, Zhou Zhou's attention gradually became drawn to the plot on the screen. When her mind was idle, she leaned over and whispered a question to Fu Hengzhi beside her.
"By the way, why didn't you book the whole place?" Zhou Zhou asked casually. He had just thought of it and was a little curious, since the domineering CEOs in the book didn't book out the whole place all the time.
Fu Hengzhi was paying close attention, seven-tenths to his side and three-tenths to the screen. Hearing the question, he answered.
"Isn't the atmosphere of watching a movie more important when there are many people?" Fu Hengzhi said, then paused for a moment. "I thought you liked that kind of atmosphere."
Moreover, nine times out of ten, renting out a theater to watch a movie is not just for the sake of watching the movie. President Fu saw through this but didn't say anything.
Zhou Zhou chuckled upon hearing this, "Indeed, movies are more fun when everyone watches them together."
"Youthful Glory," a campus romance film, is indeed quite good. The opening plot is fast-paced, and the story revolving around the male and female leads is realistic and interesting, allowing viewers to immerse themselves in the story.
You're sitting here watching a movie, and the person next to you is watching you through the screen's lighting.
Fu Hengzhi refused to book the entire theater, and his mind wasn't on the movie. He reached out and grasped Zhou Zhou's hand, which was resting on the armrest, and gently rubbed her knuckles.
Zhou Zhou shuddered at his actions, coughed twice, looked at the other person, and reminded him, "Don't mess around."
As his lips parted and his teeth opened and closed, Fu Hengzhi's eyes flashed with another thought. He leaned closer and whispered, "May I kiss you?"
The handsome face gradually loomed larger in front of him. Zhou Zhou remained motionless, his lips parted slightly as if he were about to speak.
'No way!'
The sudden sound interrupted their next action, causing them both to pause.
The voice was so familiar that Fu Hengzhi's expression froze for a moment.
Fu Hengzhi: "..."
Fu Hengzhi: "I didn't pay attention to the cast list, I didn't know you were also in this drama."
With mixed feelings, the two turned their gazes to the screen. Zhou Zhou watched as 'himself' on the screen performed a dramatic and realistic portrayal of life and death, clearly trying to hold someone back but instead feigning terror as he shouted his lines to the female supporting character.
'No! Don't! Don't go!!!'
It was so awkward it could fill a two-bedroom apartment; Zhou Zhou covered her face, saying she couldn't bear to watch.
At this point, the entire audience burst into laughter, and the faint sounds of others discussing the scene could be heard.
'Zhou Zhou's acting was terrible; she ruined the whole movie.'
'Zhou Zhou's involvement in the production is confirmed!'
'Suddenly I'm glad he left the entertainment industry to pursue writing. Aside from his face, he's clearly not cut out for this.'
Everyone was laughing, except for two people in the back row who looked at each other awkwardly.
It was precisely because of "his" participation that Zhou Zhou became seriously suspicious of the overwhelmingly positive reviews on the film. Was this some kind of revenge against society by pinning the film to the top?
The movie theater seats were linked together, and even though Zhou Zhou was sitting on one side, he could feel the vibrations around him.
"Sigh—" Zhou Zhou turned off his phone screen and sighed, then turned to look at the side. "Laugh if you want to, don't hold it in for me."
Fu Hengzhi pursed his lips into a thin line, shook his head upon hearing this, but ultimately succumbed to the exaggerated acting on screen, resting his head on Zhou Zhou's shoulder and letting out a muffled laugh.
"Damn? You're actually laughing?" Zhou Zhou was amused by his tsundere behavior and laughed and cursed.
The two of them were laughing silently in the back row, their laughter shaking uncontrollably.
Chapter Sixty
==================
This was the first time the two had gone to the movies together. They thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the film. Zhou Zhou played a minor role with limited screen time, and since no one with a face that looked exactly like her appeared on screen, Zhou Zhou breathed a sigh of relief.
That's so distracting.
Conversely, Fu Hengzhi seemed somewhat forlorn because Zhou Zhou did not appear in the remaining episodes.
The powerful influence of family ties led Mr. Fu to believe that Zhou Zhou's comedic performance in the film was outstanding.
They completely ignored the fact that this was actually a tragic character.
One and a half buckets of popcorn from the two buckets ended up in Zhou Zhou's stomach, and he also chugged down two glasses of soda.
As the movie ended, Fu Hengzhi pondered the empty bucket and cup in his hand, wondering whether he should postpone his meal.
"Shall we eat at the restaurant on the fifth floor?" Zhou Zhou remembered that the other party had mentioned booking a private room.
“There’s a pretty good restaurant nearby,” Fu Hengzhi paused, then said, “It’s only a few hundred meters from here.”
They've changed locations? Zhou Zhou had no objection to this and would follow the other party's arrangements.
There was no need to drive for a distance of a few hundred meters, so Fu Hengzhi simply parked his car in the underground parking lot of the commercial building.
The city lights were dazzling, and the streets were bustling with people. It was the first time for both of them to experience the joy of strolling along the street. Fu Hengzhi naturally took Zhou Zhou's hand, and Zhou Zhou's face under her mask blushed unconsciously. This feeling was somewhat strange. The night wind was slightly cool, but their palms were burning hot when they touched. The cool wind amplified that unspoken, wonderful feeling.
The feelings between the two grew like vines.
Fu Hengzhi's lips slowly curled up. He was very glad that he had changed his plans at the last minute. If he had followed the plan, the next step after watching the movie would have been to go to the fifth floor for dinner, and then go home together after dinner.
They seem to be together, but something is still missing.
Fu Hengzhi had never known before that being with the one you love could be such a joyful thing.
"Mr. Fu."
He wished he could hold the other person's hand and walk like this forever.
"Fu Hengzhi." Zhou Zhou frowned and stopped, grabbing Fu Hengzhi who was still trying to pull her forward. When he turned around and looked at her, she pointed to the restaurant next door, "Is this the place we're going to?"
Fu Hengzhi maintained his composure perfectly, showing no embarrassment at being caught daydreaming. He straightened his clothes and nodded, "This is the place."
Zhou Zhou tilted her head and said "Oh".
As it turns out, even the best facial expression management is utterly ineffective in the face of reality.
When the receptionist approached them apologetically, Fu Hengzhi already knew what was about to happen.
Receptionist: "Excuse me, gentlemen, there are no private rooms available at the moment. Could you please sit in the waiting area and wait a moment? I will come and let you know as soon as a private room becomes available."
Zhou Zhou's exposed eyebrows curved into a smile as she said in a light tone, "It's alright."
Yes, it's related. It's the evening rush hour for dining. As Fu Hengzhi looked around the restaurant and saw that it was full of people, his face gradually darkened, and he lost his appetite.
Whether it was early or lucky, although they missed the last private room, the waiting area was completely empty.
As soon as the two sat down, a waiter brought them tea and snacks, and the service was very attentive.