Chapter 66: Ambiguous Romance at the Cinema

Xu Jiaojiao was fully absorbed in the movie, never having found such a dull art film so interesting. Ever since she transmigrated here, she hadn’t even had the chance to watch the village’s collective movie screenings, let alone a real film. Her only daily entertainment had been that old radio.

But what she didn’t know was that the man beside her was staring at her without blinking, his gaze utterly captivated, as if he wanted to devour her whole.

Foreign films from this era were generally quite bold. Not long into the movie, the female lead in a dress and the male lead embraced and rolled around on the grass, kissing passionately.

Their kiss was so intense that Xu Jiaojiao could even see their tongues. The atmosphere in the theater instantly ignited—several young couples discreetly snuggled together.

Her face felt warm as she turned to glance at Xie Zhi, only to see him gazing at her with eyes like burning torches. His palm slowly reached over and intertwined with hers.

Then, Xie Zhi leaned in and gently kissed her. His lips were unbelievably soft, and the girl, too, behaved obediently. He deepened the kiss with pressure.

As the scenes on screen grew more and more daring, Xu Jiaojiao’s weak hand rested on Xie Zhi’s chest, a rare flush of restlessness rising within her—she didn’t even dare open her eyes.

By the time she felt like she was about to suffocate, Xie Zhi finally let go. Her delicate face was streaked with tears and blush, so stunning it was almost unreal.

Xie Zhi wiped away her tears with a clean finger, his voice low and teasing: “Jiaojiao, why are you crying?”

Seeing his seductive posture and violin-like deep voice, Xu Jiaojiao felt her soul slip away. “You can’t kiss me like that again,” she whispered.

Xie Zhi’s kiss was completely different from his appearance—dominant and passionate, with a strong sense of control. Every time he kissed her until she couldn’t breathe, she felt like prey caught in a beast’s jaws, fragile and helpless.

Xie Zhi chuckled quietly. “Okay.”

And so the two returned to watching the movie seriously. The film was long—over three hours—and full of restricted scenes, which only made the man beside her more tempted to take advantage of her every chance he got.

By the time they left the cinema, it had started to drizzle. The dark sky and warm yellow streetlights made the whole scene look almost wintry. Holding hands tightly without an umbrella, they barely got wet.

“This feels like a scene from a Korean drama,” she murmured.

“What?”

“I mean, us in this setting—it’s beautiful. Like we’re the leads in a romance movie,” she explained.

“Yes, Jiaojiao is my leading lady.”

They kissed by the fields, under streetlights, in the cinema, and during countless nights. They were the protagonists of each other’s lives.

Xu Jiaojiao was already full—just that little pack of peanuts from the cinema had satisfied her. Xie Zhi cleaned up the rest, and they decided not to eat out. Instead, they took the bus home.

When they arrived, Xu Shu had just gotten off work.

“Jiaojiao, was the movie good?” Xu Shu asked curiously. Young folks loved watching that stuff, but he preferred films about guerrilla warfare—those were thrilling and satisfying.

Every time he finished one, he’d feel the urge to write a few thousand words of reflections just to express his overflowing feelings.

“It was good,” Xu Jiaojiao smiled.

If she had known what her big brother was thinking, she probably would’ve given him a thumbs-up. He was definitely the kind of person literature teachers and workplace supervisors adored. What a surprise!

After a bit of small talk, they all returned to their rooms. Xu Shu had work the next day and needed to rest.

Since Xu Jiaojiao had decided on her goals, she planned to spend the next few days just playing and relaxing. Once things got busy, she’d have no time for fun. She even paused her sketching for now.

She was a pragmatist—if selling clothes didn’t bring in profit or create viral hits, she’d just close shop early. With so many talents from the future, she couldn’t let herself go to waste.

And just like her brother said, getting into university and working a cushy job for life sounded pretty good too.

That night, having clarified her plans, she decided to visit Watsons tomorrow. Yes, Watsons. Ever since learning that this store had existed since the Qing dynasty, she couldn’t believe it. It was like a cross-time miracle.

But she was truly curious—how had a country so closed-off managed something like that?

That night, Xu Jiaojiao once again sneaked into Xie Zhi’s room, her head resting on his chest. His arms wrapped tightly around her, filling her with peace.

Xie Zhi also slept like a baby, holding the sweet, soft girl in his arms, his head nestled at her neck and his nose full of her scent.

The next morning, when they woke, Xie Zhi had already brought breakfast. Eating at home was better—no interruptions.

After eating, Xu Jiaojiao wandered around the yard. Thankfully, her brother had bought a reclining chair, and the morning sun felt especially nice.

Unlike modern girls who covered themselves head to toe for sun protection, she didn’t agree with that. A little sun was good for the body, as long as it wasn’t too long or intense.

The yard was filled with flowers—an overwhelming array. Xie Zhi brought out a chair and rocked her gently while reading his book.

Xu Jiaojiao had seen what he read—dull, thick foreign books, many of them lab reports. She had no interest and would fall asleep just glancing at them.

Honestly, she wondered how Shen Yun was doing now—the story’s female lead—who hadn’t come to Qingcheng or seen the lanterns.

Just then, the woman she’d done makeup for yesterday entered the yard, smiling shyly. “Jiaojiao, can I get my makeup done again today?”

The girl raised her trembling hand helplessly, her tone apologetic. “Sister Wang, there were too many people yesterday. My hands still hurt—I don’t think I can today.”

“Oh, right. There really were too many of us. I brought you some homemade marinated peanuts—don’t mind them, okay?”

She placed a large bag of peanuts on the nearby table. Her face looked sallow, but she was clearly a kind, genuine person.

“I can’t accept this, sis. You brought too much—take it back.”

“Just keep it. You’re leaving the day after tomorrow. Take it with you for the road.”

Seeing this, Xu Jiaojiao stopped refusing and smiled. “Alright then, thank you, sister.”

Turning her head, she curiously asked, “Hubby, have the peanuts in our village been harvested yet?”

“Not yet.”

“Then let’s bring these back for the family as snacks.”

She thought of the white rice she ate here, while her family back home mostly had coarse grains—sometimes even mixed with bran. She’d been away too long; this place and her village felt like two separate worlds.

“Let’s go buy some glutinous rice and candy this afternoon to bring back. I’m the only one eating white rice every day—it’s starting to feel a bit awkward.”