Zhou Jiayu intended to take the cup for himself, but when he reached for it, she jerked back in surprise.

The coffee fell and spilled, wetting her shoes.

Shen Zhirou felt a momentary panic for having done something wrong, but Zhou Jiayu remained calm and composed.

“Step back a bit, don’t step on the spill,” he gently pulled her back. “Wait a moment.”

Then she watched as he went to the self-service counter to get some napkins.

His tall frame squatted down, wiping the spilled coffee from the floor with the napkins, and then threw the used ones away.

When he returned, he had a fresh stack of napkins.

Shen Zhirou watched as he squatted down again, his thumb and forefinger lightly gripping her ankle as he pressed the napkin to the toe of her coffee-stained shoe.

“I… it’s fine… it doesn’t matter…”

“Lift your foot a bit. If you can’t keep your balance, you can hold onto my shoulder, it’s alright,” Zhou Jiayu said, gently squeezing her ankle.

Shen Zhirou felt awkward and clumsy but noticed his seriousness and that he wasn’t trying to take advantage of her.

She tentatively placed her hand on his shoulder, lifted her foot slightly with his help, and watched as he carefully wiped the coffee off her shoe.

Once her foot was back on the ground, his hand quickly released her ankle.

It wasn’t until Zhou Jiayu stood up that Shen Zhirou realized her hand was still on his shoulder.

“Wait a moment for me,” he said, looking at her before heading back to the coffee counter.

Shen Zhirou watched him throw away the trash and get the new coffee he had ordered for her.

She felt… a little bit moved.

He wasn’t as frivolous as she had imagined, but rather steady and considerate.

As he returned with the coffee, he had already placed a sleeve on the cup and held an unused straw. “If you want to drink it now, give me the straw paper and I’ll throw it away. If you want to drink it later, I can hold it for you.”

“I’ll take it myself,” Shen Zhirou said, taking the coffee and avoiding his hand.

Her gaze lingered on his hand, recalling the moment he squatted in front of her, gripping her ankle.

The strength was just right, strong yet gentle, with a clear sense of his masculinity…

She shook off the thought and asked, “Where to next?”

“How about a movie?” Zhou Jiayu suggested.

Going to the movies was a classic date activity. He hadn’t been to the cinema in years and had almost forgotten the experience.

Shen Zhirou nodded, not refusing.

They picked a recently released thriller with good reviews and headed to the cinema in the mall.

Shen Zhirou walked slowly, and she could clearly feel Zhou Jiayu slowing his pace for her.

He kept his eyes ahead but was always aware of her. When she went to insert the straw, he took the straw paper from her to throw away.

He maintained a respectful distance, offering help when needed, like adjusting her bag strap when it slipped off her shoulder, but never intruding.

This made Shen Zhirou feel more at ease around him.

When they arrived at the cinema, they collected their tickets and saw there was still some time before the movie started.

Zhou Jiayu was about to suggest sitting on a nearby bench when he saw Shen Zhirou looking at a row of claw machines.

“Want to play for a bit? We have time,” he said.

Her eyes lit up, and she nodded.

If Zhou Jiayu had asked if she wanted to play, she might have refused. But since he seemed interested too, it boosted her enthusiasm.

As she reached for her phone to pay, Zhou Jiayu had already scanned the code.

Coins clattered down, and he turned to her, handing over the basket of coins in exchange for her coffee.

“Go play,” he said, a hint of indulgence in his tone.

Shen Zhirou wanted to say she could buy the coins herself.

“Make the most of the time before the movie starts,” Zhou Jiayu urged.

She didn’t hesitate any longer, taking the basket of coins and choosing a machine with a stuffed toy she liked.

After several tries, each attempt to grab the toy ended in failure, which frustrated her.

Zhou Jiayu stood by, watching her earnest effort, amused by how her lips pursed in concentration.

He remembered how he used to think it was childish when Lu Fanghuai and Fang Wenting went on dates to the arcade. Now, he found it quite entertaining.

It was fun just to watch.

He casually grabbed the strap of her bag that had slipped from her shoulder. “You play, I’ll hold this.”

But his movement seemed to break her focus.

“Why don’t you give it a try?” Shen Zhirou handed the bag to him and stepped aside to let him play.

Since he bought all the coins, it didn’t feel right for her to use them all.

Besides, having him hold both the coffee and the bag felt too much like a boyfriend’s duty!

Although she was helping Xu Jia to flirt with him, knowing he had a girlfriend made her feel a bit uncomfortable.

Zhou Jiayu could clearly see Shen Zhirou’s deliberate coldness.

It only piqued his interest in her more.

Last time she had been coy and provocative, stirring his emotions. Now she was distant and indifferent.

“You play,” Shen Zhirou said, avoiding his gaze and stepping back a bit.

After a moment, she took her coffee back to free his hands.

Zhou Jiayu watched her delicate fingers, clearly avoiding any contact with his hand.

Her attitude had noticeably cooled.

But looking at her sipping her coffee, she seemed natural…

He couldn’t figure her out.

As he started playing the claw machine, his mind was already occupied with thoughts of Shen Zhirou.

“We’re late! I’ll buy popcorn, you go to the ticket check!” Shen Zhirou suddenly exclaimed, throwing away her empty coffee cup and running off.

Zhou Jiayu checked the time and saw they were indeed late for the movie.

He quickly walked towards the concession stand, but before he got there, Shen Zhirou was already returning with a bucket of popcorn.

“Let’s go,” she urged.

Seeing her already eating popcorn, he didn’t offer to carry anything.

When they got to their seats, the movie had already started.

The cinema was dark, and Zhou Jiayu led the way, frequently looking back to check on Shen Zhirou.

Every few steps, he turned to make sure she was okay, finally grabbing her wrist and holding her hand for safety.

His grip was firm and secure.

In the dim light, she saw his back leading the way and, distracted, tripped over a seat, falling onto his back.

Fortunately, they were already at their seats, and Zhou Jiayu turned to catch her, pulling her down into the seat with him.

Popcorn spilled, and a few pieces even fell into her bra, getting stuck inside.

Shen Zhirou felt uncomfortable, and Zhou Jiayu was equally unsettled.

When they fell into the seat, her back pressed against his chest, sliding down, her bottom brushing against his groin.

He felt her buttocks slide from his shaft to its base, causing him to start getting hard.

Especially when she apologized softly while trying to move to the side.

She had no idea that when she lifted herself, her butt pressed against his groin, rubbing it.

She really had a way of making him constantly think about her!

Zhou Jiayu watched her settle into her seat, his mind no longer on the movie.

She placed the popcorn between them, her slim waist catching his eye.

When he had held her, he had noticed her waist was even slimmer than it looked.

It felt so soft, his palm almost sinking into it.

As his thoughts wandered, Shen Zhirou was also distracted.

The popcorn stuck in her bra was very uncomfortable.

It seemed to have fallen deep inside, stuck in her cleavage, making it impossible to ignore.

She regretted wearing this V-neck top, which made it impossible to shake out the popcorn.

She shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Zhou Jiayu.

She regretted choosing the last row of couple seats, with nothing between them.

Debating whether to go to the restroom, she feared tripping in the dark again. Their seats were far inside, and passing through a row of people was troublesome.

She glanced at Zhou Jiayu, who was focused on the movie. She turned her back to him, trying to hide in the corner.

Pulling down the V-neck and her bra slightly, she tried to retrieve the popcorn.

Just as she reached in, a beam of light cut through the darkness of the cinema, shining directly on her exposed, fair chest.