Let’s go to the movies together?

Zhao Dongchuan pretended to be ordering food, while listening to the whispers of a few people at the next table.

They were talking about the recent situation and gossip, which made his originally joyful mood fade a bit.

He couldn't control these matters, so he immediately ignored them.

After ordering a few dishes, he waited patiently.

...

After finishing his meal, Zhao Dongchuan paid with money and tickets and left.

He went straight back to the guesthouse. The exchange meeting at the Cultural Bureau hadn't been organized yet, so he naturally didn't need to go there. Li Dadan had said it would be in 5 days, so he was relatively free during this period.

He planned to use this time to seclude himself and practice the "Qi Refining Introduction," "Wuqinxi," and "Seizing Skill" moves.

Through a year of continuous cultivation, he clearly felt his Inner Energy grow stronger. And because of the growth of his Inner Energy, both Five Animal Frolics and Seizing Skill became increasingly proficient, giving him a feeling of effortless mastery.

Time quickly passed in his training. In the evening, Zhao Dongchuan adjusted his breathing, finished his cultivation, and slowly exhaled a mouthful of turbid air.

He got up, changed his clothes, and went out.

Tonight, he planned to check on Li Dadan's situation. If there was anything unusual, he could prepare in advance.

Riding his bicycle and wearing his system glasses, he quickly arrived at Li Dadan's residence.

Putting away his bicycle, Zhao Dongchuan activated his Breath Concealment Technique and Lightness Skill. With a few agile movements, he entered Li Dadan's courtyard.

With the unique effect of the Breath Concealment Technique, combined with Lightness Skill, it was like entering an uninhabited place, he thought to himself.

However, Zhao Dongchuan quickly discovered... um... there really was no one!

He observed the area and found that there wasn't a single person inside...

It seemed Li Dadan wasn't staying here tonight; he had gone somewhere else.

"He didn't go to a brothel again, did he?" Zhao Dongchuan couldn't help but wonder.

He had no intention of searching the house. There might be markers left by Li Dadan inside, which could easily expose that someone had been there. Since he found nothing, Zhao Dongchuan decided to return directly to the guesthouse.

Just as he was riding his bicycle, passing through the low-rise streets of Pengcheng under the faint lamplight, he suddenly noticed several suspicious individuals ahead. They were huddled in a corner of a courtyard, whispering to each other, seemingly plotting something.

Although Zhao Dongchuan was a bit puzzled, he didn't want to meddle in others' affairs, so he didn't think too much and rode past them.

However, just as he averted his gaze to focus on cycling, his peripheral vision caught the courtyard gate opening from the inside. A figure emerged and waved to the group of people, who then immediately got up and went inside.

He didn't investigate further and went straight back to the guesthouse.

The next day, just as he was preparing to continue his training, someone from the Cultural Center came to inform him that the exchange meeting had been arranged and would be held in the Cultural Bureau auditorium three days later.

The one-day exchange meeting invited local progressive youths, outstanding literature enthusiasts, and well-known local writers.

Zhao Dongchuan still needed to prepare. He organized his thoughts and devised a logically consistent sequence of events for the publication of those works. Otherwise, he feared that with many people asking questions, he might accidentally expose himself.

He circled and drew on draft paper, connecting various problematic points, and when he felt it was sufficient, he put the draft papers into his space, planning to burn them later when he had the chance.

"Brother Dongchuan! Are you there?" A knock on the door came, along with a clear female voice.

"Yes! Just a moment!" Zhao Dongchuan walked over and opened the door.

"Xiao Yu, you're here!"

Li Yuer stood at the doorway, wearing a floral long dress, with two small braids, looking shy and timid, truly endearing.

"Brother Dongchuan, I'm off today, and my mother gave me two movie tickets..."

The more Li Yuer spoke, the shyer she became, and her voice grew softer.

Zhao Dongchuan naturally knew that Li Yuer's parents were trying to set them up. He definitely... had to go see this movie. It certainly wasn't because he had a beautiful companion; he wasn't that kind of person. He just wanted to contribute to the nation's GDP.

...

Before long, Zhao Dongchuan was riding his bicycle, with Li Yuer on the back seat, traveling through the streets of Pengcheng.

Upon arriving at the cinema, the showing hadn't started yet, and many people were waiting inside by the entrance.

The movie they were going to watch today was "South China Sea Storm," starring Tang Guoqiang, a new release from February this year, produced by August First Film Studio.

It told the story of South China Sea fishermen, led by Yu Hualong, outwitting and bravely fighting against Vietnamese warships, ultimately achieving victory.

Seeing that the movie hadn't started yet, Zhao Dongchuan went to the cinema's snack bar and spent ten cents on some loose crispy twisted dough sticks and melon seeds.

He could eat them while watching the movie later.

"Take these. We can eat them while we watch the movie later!" Zhao Dongchuan said, handing the items to Li Yuer.

"Thank you, Brother Dongchuan!" Li Yuer took them a little shyly.

Ever since Brother Dongchuan visited her home last time, everyone was quite satisfied with him. She wasn't a child anymore and naturally understood her parents' intentions. Having passed the 'inspection,' they implicitly agreed to their courtship.

Today, her mother gave her two movie tickets and told her to invite Brother Dongchuan to the cinema, which made her both shy and a little excited.

"Comrades, 'South China Sea Storm' is about to begin. Please enter in an orderly fashion, Comrades, no pushing..."

The staff member shouted through a megaphone, informing everyone to enter.

Zhao Dongchuan then protected Li Yuer as they entered the screening room together.

Since it was the weekend, there were many people, and everyone was squeezed together, so pushing and shoving were inevitable. Li Yuer was in front of Zhao Dongchuan, and they slowly made their way in.

He didn't know which bastard pushed, but Zhao Dongchuan was involuntarily pushed forward...

Inevitably, he pressed against Li Yuer, their chests against her back...

Zhao Dongchuan felt a faint fragrance emanating from Li Yuer's neck, and at the same time, a soft sensation against his front, which made his heart feel a surge of heat.

"Which bastard was that? I really have to... thank you!!!"

...Li Yuer's body stiffened, and her legs couldn't move. She could only be pushed forward by Zhao Dongchuan.

Fortunately, after only a couple of steps, they entered the screening room. The space became larger, and everyone took their seats. Zhao Dongchuan also took the opportunity to create some distance, pretending as if nothing had happened, and led Li Yuer to their seats.

Li Yuer's face was flushed with shyness as she silently followed him.

The atmosphere had a hint of awkwardness, a hint of ambiguity!

As the movie began, both of them pretended that nothing had happened. They munched on melon seeds and twisted dough sticks while watching the movie, though Li Yuer's gaze towards Zhao Dongchuan held a bit more charm.

...

"So beautiful!!" Zhao Dongchuan said, eating melon seeds and glancing at Li Yuer.

"What?"

"I said the movie is really good!"

"Oh!"

...

When the movie ended and the crowd dispersed, Zhao Dongchuan learned his lesson and didn't rush out. Instead, he and Li Yuer continued to finish the remaining melon seeds.

"Let's go. You treated me to a movie, I'll treat you to dinner..." Seeing that most people had left, Zhao Dongchuan stood up and said.

"Mmm..."