Chapter 8

“Hello, is this Yu Qing’er?”

“This is Yu Qing’er.”

“I’m Mo Hongshen.”

Knew it!

It was that voice—the same familiar voice. Yu Qing’er snapped back to reality, and her heart immediately started racing uncontrollably.

Everything about Mo Hongshen was nearly identical to her ex-boyfriend from her previous life, including this voice. Especially over the phone, just hearing him speak felt surreal.

She couldn’t help but mentally replay those old scenes of her chatting with her boyfriend on the phone.

“I have the day off today. I wanted to see if you’d like to meet up—do you have time?” he asked.

“Oh…” Yu Qing’er paused for a moment, then said, “Sure, I’m free today.”

“Where should we meet? Or would you like me to pick you up?”

After agreeing on a time and place, Yu Qing’er hung up the phone, unaware that her lips were curved into a smile. Her heart rate was slowly returning to normal.

There was still a little time before their meeting. She could go back to her room and do some sketching—head out once it was almost time.

That was the plan… but once she stepped into her room, she didn’t even pick up her pencil. Instead, she opened her wardrobe.

“This outfit?” Eh, too outdated.

“This one?” No good either—it doesn’t show off my figure.

Yes, Yu Qing’er had a scar on her face, but she still stood at 168 cm (about 5’6”), with a naturally graceful and elegant build. If people could look past the scar, she still had a striking beauty about her.

Before she knew it, she had pulled out her favorite outfit—the one she thought looked best—and changed into it. Then she started doing her makeup. It wasn’t until she stood in front of the mirror that she realized what she’d just done.

Yu Qing’er: “…”

Wasn’t she supposed to be sketching? How did she end up getting all dressed up?

Oh well. She was already dolled up. No point taking it all off now.

She quickly accepted her own behavior, grabbed her small purse, and happily left the house.

By the time she arrived at the meeting spot, Mo Hongshen was already there.

He was early. If she hadn’t left early herself, this big guy would’ve been waiting another twenty minutes.

“Mo Hongshen—!” she called from a distance. He turned around.

That one glance left Mo Hongshen slightly dazed.

From the start, he had never thought of Yu Qing’er’s facial scar as a problem. But seeing her now, he realized just how true that was.

Even with makeup, the scar was still visible.

But beauty came from bone structure, not just skin. Even with that scar, it barely detracted from Yu Qing’er’s overall presence. She was still very beautiful—beautiful enough to leave Mo Hongshen momentarily stunned.

“Hello, Comrade Yu,” Mo Hongshen said, regaining composure and giving a slight nod, trying hard to hide his earlier distraction.

Comrade Yu?

There was nothing wrong with the term, but it sounded a bit awkward to Yu Qing’er. She also sensed a bit of tension between them.

“Actually, just call me by my name. I’ll call you by yours, too—is that okay?” Yu Qing’er asked.

“Sure,” Mo Hongshen nodded.

Now that they’d met up, it was time to move on to the next part of the date.

Mo Hongshen was a bit surprised—he could tell Yu Qing’er had put effort into her appearance.

In contrast, he was wearing a basic tank top under a plain jacket, with casual pants. He looked… too casual.

I should’ve cleaned up more… he thought, slightly regretting his choices.

“So, what’s the plan now?” Yu Qing’er broke the silence and asked about their date activity.

“A movie—would you be interested?” Mo Hongshen asked.

He had already thought it through before coming out. Better to have a plan than to stand around awkwardly. But if she didn’t like the idea, he had backup options too.

“Sure.” Yu Qing’er nodded. She wasn’t picky.

They started walking toward the cinema. Along the way, their high visibility drew plenty of attention—both of them were attractive enough to turn heads.

“What kind of movies do you like?” Yu Qing’er asked.

She wasn’t particularly fussy, but she hoped it wouldn’t be a horror film. She was a bit of a scaredy-cat.

“I’m good with anything. How about we choose the soonest available showing when we get there?” Mo Hongshen figured she wouldn’t want to wait too long.

“Sounds good.”

Their conversation wasn’t overly lively, but there was no awkward silence either. It was the kind of pleasant neutrality you’d expect from two people just getting to know each other on a blind date.

But since both were already secretly satisfied with the other, the atmosphere felt easy and comfortable.

At the cinema, Mo Hongshen went to buy the tickets.

“What’s the next movie showing?” he asked the staff.

The employee checked the schedule. “There aren’t many showings left today. The only movie with available seats right now is this horror film. How many tickets do you want?”

Mo Hongshen turned to ask Yu Qing’er, but she had already overheard from just half a step behind him.

“We’re not in a rush. Are there any tickets left for other movies?” Yu Qing’er asked.

The staff shook their head.

Yu Qing’er: “…”

So… horror it is?

“This one’s actually really good,” the employee said enthusiastically. “It’s more suspense than pure horror—very popular right now, we even added extra showtimes. Want to give it a try?”

Yu Qing’er was speechless. Even if it’s suspense-based—it’s still a horror movie!

But for some reason, she didn’t want to admit she was scared. This was their first date. Most people wanted to show off their strengths, not their weaknesses.

“Alright, then should we go with this one?” she tilted her head and asked Mo Hongshen.

“Sure. Two tickets, please.” Mo Hongshen paid.

They were lucky—the movie started soon after, so they didn’t have to wait long before heading into the theater.

The whole time, Yu Qing’er kept mentally reassuring herself: It’s not a big deal, just a movie. It’s fake. There’s nothing to be afraid of. What matters most is keeping up my image in front of Mo Hongshen.

No problem. It’s fake, fake, fake…

But then—when a disheveled, ghostly head suddenly popped up in close-up on the screen, her mental defenses crumbled in an instant.

“Ugh…” She tried hard not to scream, but her body was far more honest.

By the time Yu Qing’er regained awareness, she had latched tightly onto Mo Hongshen’s arm.

And wow—his muscles really were well-trained! They felt even better than they looked!

Yu Qing’er immediately scolded herself mentally.

You’re scared out of your mind, and you still have the nerve to swoon and take advantage of him? she thought. Then she gave his arm a small squeeze.

So firm… so good to touch.