PAIN - CHAPTER 10:
Bai Xun Yin never expected that when Yu Luo Yin said he was taking her somewhere fun,
he meant the movie theater.
She followed his tall, lean figure through the shopping mall and into a crowded elevator.
The air was stuffy and hot, full of chatter and laughter. Instinctively,
Bai Xun Yin tightened her grip on the strap of her bag,
her palms growing damp with sweat.
Noticing her discomfort, Yu Luo Yin lifted his lashes and stepped forward,
positioning himself in front of her. His body became a quiet barrier
between her and the jostling crowd, sheltering her with effortless grace.
For a moment, Bai Xun Yin froze. Then, like that rainy day when
he’d held an umbrella over her, his back became that same quiet refuge
her small corner of safety.
Her tense nerves loosened a little.
She exhaled softly, realizing maybe she was just too sensitive.
The elevator soon stopped at the top floor.
People began to file out, and Yu Luo Yin glanced back at her.
Follow me.
Then he raised his arm slightly. Want to hold onto my sleeve?
Bai Xun Yin blinked, stunned.
So you don’t get lost, he added, and when he saw her ears turning pink,
a lazy smile tugged at his lips. Satisfied, he lowered his arm and kept walking.
She trailed behind, her pale neck tinged faintly red.
Looking around, she saw that they were in the Linlan Business Center
on the sixth floor, filled with trendy boutiques.
At the far end stood the glowing sign of a cinema.
So that was it. They were going to see a movie.
When they passed a bubble tea shop bursting with bright colors and long lines,
Yu Luo Yin stopped. Want one? he asked lightly.
Bai Xun Yin shook her head.
He didn’t insist. When they reached the cinema entrance,
he bought two cups of Coke from a vending machine and handed one to her.
The paper cup was frosty, beads of condensation forming along the sides, chilling her fingertips.
She sipped quietly through the straw, her clear eyes glancing up at his profile.
Yu Luo Yin was already buying popcorn, and without asking,
he pushed the tub into her arms like he was feeding a small animal.
He studied the screen displaying the movie schedules, then turned to her.
Which one do you want to see?
She couldn’t help typing a question on her phone.
Why suddenly a movie?
His answer came easily, with just two words:
Felt like it.
Bai Xun Yin could only shake her head, meaning she didn’t mind.
Perhaps to match her taste, Yu Luo Yin picked a sweet-looking romance film.
There were many showings, and they only waited about ten minutes before they could enter.
They walked through the dark corridor, climbed up the steps, and found seats in the last row.
It was the middle of the afternoon few people had come.
The rows around them were empty, quiet enough that
Bai Xun Yin could almost hear Yu Luo Yin’s calm, even breathing beside her.
She fidgeted with the popcorn bucket, the faint rustling of kernels breaking the silence.
The movie began, and the dim light brought her some relief.
At first she forced herself to watch, sitting stiffly beside him,
but as the film went on, she found herself slowly drawn in.
The only problem was that sitting so close to the speakers
made every loud scene vibrate in her skull.
Halfway through, she turned her head and caught Yu Luo Yin watching her.
The glow from the screen brushed across his sharp features, lighting his deep eyes.
He didn’t look away.
Bai Xun Yin’s heart skipped. She mouthed silently,
Why are you looking at me?
Her pulse thudded uncontrollably.
Yu Luo Yin leaned closer, his voice low enough that only she could hear.
To see when you’d finally look back at me.
He’d been watching her for almost an hour. Not once had she turned his way.
Did he really have that little presence?
The playful edge in his tone made her scalp prickle.
She quickly picked up her phone and typed,
Why should I look at you?
Yu Luo Yin found her reaction amusing.
He took out his phone as well and sent her a WeChat message
he had gotten her contact information long ago under the excuse of tutoring coordination.
When I used to go to the movies with girls, they’d always sneak glances at me.
Her fingers hesitated. Used to? Girls?
Did he often come to the movies… with other girls?
She suddenly thought of Sheng Chu Ran, the bright,
confident girl who’d once loudly declared she would chase after him.
Her lips pressed together. For the first time, her reply carried emotion:
That’s them. Not me.
A faint laugh drifted from beside her.
A moment later, her phone lit up again.
Are you jealous?
Jealous?
The word struck like a spark in her chest. Her face burned,
her ears went hot, and before she knew it, she was standing up.
Without another look, she strode out of the theater
ignoring the unfinished movie, ignoring Yu Luo Yin.
She walked fast, almost running, until she reached the restroom.
Inside, other moviegoers were lining up, chatting, washing hands.
Bai Xun Yin didn’t go into a stall; she just stood before the mirror,
staring blankly at her reflection.
The pale girl in the mirror looked thin, distant an unremarkable shadow.
With someone like Sheng Chu Ran around, bright as sunlight,
why would Yu Luo Yin ever bother with her?
Bai Xun Yin wasn’t stupid. She knew what his actions had been implying.
Helping her carry tables. Staying after school for tutoring. Now this movie.
None of it could be brushed off as coincidence anymore.
But why her?
Hey, Bai Xun Yin?
A familiar voice snapped her out of her haze.
She turned and saw Liu Yu Fu stepping out of a stall, surprise flickering in her eyes.
What a coincidence, she said, walking over to the sink beside her.
You came to watch a movie too?
Outside of school, Liu Yu Fu seemed softer, almost gentle.
Her usual strictness as math class rep had melted away,
replaced by the warmth of an ordinary seventeen-year-old girl.
She’d taken off her black-rimmed glasses and was wearing contacts that made her dark eyes shine.
Her outfit a soft knitted dress made her look effortlessly polished.
Who are you here with? she asked, reapplying her
lipstick as if it were the most casual thing in the world. Lu Ye?
Bai Xun Yin blinked, startled, then shook her head quickly.
She typed on her phone: I have nothing to do with Lu Ye.
Liu Yu Fu laughed, clearly amused by how flustered she looked.
My mistake. But even if you were, what’s the big deal? Dating’s normal.
I’m here with my boyfriend too.
Bai Xun Yin stared.
She couldn’t tell which shocked her more that high schoolers dating was considered normal,
or that the studious Liu Yu Fu actually had a boyfriend.
The girl standing beside her felt almost like a stranger.
Liu Yu Fu smiled knowingly. You think it’s weird, don’t you?
That a bookworm like me would fall in love? But honestly,
it’s normal now. Everyone’s dating you just don’t gossip enough to know.
He Rou, Lu Xue… they all have boyfriends too.
The class monitor. The chemistry rep.
Bai Xun Yin’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Before she could respond, her phone buzzed.
Come out. If you don’t, I’m coming in.
Just from those few words, she could tell Yu Luo Yin was angry.
Her heart skipped. Somehow, she didn’t doubt that he would actually do it.
She bit her lip, typed a quick goodbye to Liu Yu Fu, and hurried out.
Liu Yu Fu frowned slightly, surprised at the sudden
rush of emotion from someone usually so calm.
Curiosity got the better of her; she followed.
Out in the corridor, she spotted Bai Xun Yin’s slim figure beside a tall boy
. His posture, even from behind, carried an air of quiet confidence.
They walked a few steps, stopped, argued. Bai Xun Yin lowered her head,
typing furiously on her phone.
Something about the boy’s silhouette felt familiar.
Where had she seen him before? Was he from their school?
Then, as he turned slightly, the light caught his face just enough for her to see.
Liu Yu Fu froze. Her heart skipped a beat.
Yu Luo Yin.
Of course she recognized him.
At No. 3 High, everyone knew Yu Luo Yin.
Especially after Sheng Chu Ran had made such a show of chasing him.
But now, instead of Sheng Chu Ran… he was with Bai Xun Yin.