Chapter 64 – Watching a Movie
826 Words
Su Baizhou slipped the white bunny‑ear hat onto her head. It fit perfectly, as if tailor‑made. Though her expression remained icy, the “keep‑away” aura was softened by the playful hat.
On the mall’s fifth floor sat the cinema.
After dinner it was only 7 p.m., and Luo Ye turned to her.
“Senior, want to watch a movie?”
She glanced at him, voice flat, “No.”
She tugged at the little strings on the hat, making the rabbit ears wiggle adorably. The sight melted Luo Ye’s heart. The fairy senior’s cute side was irresistibly charming.
“Are you sure?”
Luo Ye pulled up a ticket app. The film was a highly‑rated foreign sci‑fi blockbuster—something he thought Su Baizhou might enjoy. It had already been out a week, so the theater was half‑empty.
She still replied, “No,” but glanced at his screen. The sci‑fi didn’t catch her eye; instead, a horror‑movie poster beneath the recommendations caught her attention.
“Sounds okay.”
Luo Ye checked his phone: the senior was referring to a foreign horror flick. Horror movies from other countries often faced fewer censorship constraints, giving them a more realistic edge.
He swallowed. He was still a bit nervous—novelists tend to imagine themselves in every scene. Yet, if it was already in theaters, any objectionable content had likely been cut.
He clenched his jaw, bought two tickets, and headed toward the elevators.
Su Baizhou smiled faintly behind him. She hadn’t intended to watch, but the film’s title—“The Vanishing Senior”—piqued her curiosity. She wondered how Luo Ye would react to a horror film, given his seemingly timid demeanor.
In the theater’s plush seats, Luo Ye ordered a big bucket of popcorn and two sodas.
The movie began. They sat in the third row; a couple occupied the seats in front of them.
The horror was intense, but the protagonist was a junior (Luo Ye) and the ghost a senior (the “Senior”). Luo Ye’s immersion was total—fear didn’t disturb him. The idea of his “Senior” turned ghost wasn’t scary at all. She was so beautiful, even as a ghost, that he felt a strange fondness.
Su Baizhou, however, barely watched. Her eyes kept flicking to Luo Ye, reading his reactions. Each time a ghost appeared, Luo Ye’s face lit up with awe. Between appearances, his eyes showed eager anticipation. He seemed almost excited for the ghost to show up.
The onscreen ghost was grotesque—shattered, mangled, a haunted visage that didn’t match Luo Ye’s expectations. Yet he stayed unfazed.
A sudden jump‑scare sent a nearby girl screeching, clutching her boyfriend tightly.
Su Baizhou’s expression flattened, while Luo Ye remained motionless.
Soon the ghost’s backstory unfolded: once a kind soul, betrayed and turned into a vengeful spirit. The plot was cliché, yet Luo Ye felt moved, wanting to defend the spectral senior.
“The senior is so pitiful,” he murmured.
Su Baizhou looked at him, startled—she knew he was referring to the film’s character, yet his tone made it sound as if he were speaking to her.
She grabbed a handful of popcorn; Luo Ye reached out, their fingers brushing. Both froze.
He tried to play it cool, stuffing popcorn into his mouth, but he was visibly nervous.
The theater lights dimmed, casting a soft glow on Su Baizhou’s face; the dim illumination made her eyes sparkle, giving her a moon‑lit beauty. Their brief hand contact, combined with the intimacy of the darkness, sent his heart racing.
He recalled the age‑old movie‑theatre tactic: when a girl is engrossed, subtly slip your hand into hers. If she doesn’t pull away, you have a chance. If she does, it’s likely a dead end.
He stole a glance at her delicate hand, then, with a swift motion, placed his hand over hers—just as he had once done while helping her with the claw machine.
Su Baizhou didn’t resist; she stared, expression vacant, then simply returned to the screen.
Luo Ye felt a surge of triumph; his bold move had succeeded.
After the film, he still held the senior’s little hand. The hand felt soft, warm, addictive—he wanted to keep it forever.
As they stood to leave, his grip loosened automatically.
In the theater’s restroom, Luo Ye finally relieved himself, having held his bladder for the entire movie, as he didn’t want to release his hand mid‑film. He regretted buying the soda now, having drunk far too much water.
The film itself was a disappointment—key scenes had been trimmed, leaving many confusing gaps.
He’d only stayed engaged because he projected the senior onto the screen; Su Baizhou, however, hadn’t been watching at all.
- Writer
