The First Time

Qin Chaochen held the water and shook it.

There were many people walking on the street. Fu Quezhi realized that ever since Qin Shu came along, he and Qin Chaochen hadn’t spent time alone together for a long time. Back when they first got together, even though it was during school, the thrill of a secret romance, the teenage hormones, and the curiosity about love made them endlessly eager.

After getting pregnant, they went through the phase of being new dads, often arguing because of Qin Shu. During the pregnancy, Fu Quezhi was irritable and sensitive.

“The cinema is crowded,” Qin Chaochen said excitedly.

“There’s a new romance movie out tonight, and it’s pretty good,” Fu Quezhi explained, his mind stirred.

“I want to watch it,” Qin Chaochen said. He hadn’t watched a movie in a long time, and after losing his memory, he still dreamt of doing math problems at night.

He looked at the person next to him, “Are you coming?”

Fu Quezhi was startled, his palms slightly sweaty, and his lips dry.

*

Senior Year

“Chaochen, there’s something at the company tonight. I have to fly to Country C. Find someone else to watch the movie with you, or ask your buddies.”

“Men are liars. You weren’t like this before,” Qin Chaochen said, frustrated and angry.

“The company is busy. I’ll bring you a gift when I get back.”

Qin Chaochen felt wronged and wanted to cry. He finally found a movie he wanted to watch, and Qin Yuanshen stood him up.

He immediately put aside his unreliable brother and called He Ze.

“He Ze, are you free tonight?”

“No, I’m at the old house today, stuck at home pretending to be a good grandson in front of grandpa. What’s up?”

Qin Chaochen: “…”

“Nothing, never mind.”

Qin Chaochen called other friends, but they all seemed to have vanished, busy with important matters. One friend even righteously said, “We’re in senior year. We should study hard. What can movies do for us? As senior students, our mission is to study! Movies are useless distractions!”

Qin Chaochen protested, “But movies can help us relax.”

Top student: “…”

“In senior year, we must stay tense all the time. The college entrance exam determines half of our future. Watching movies is a no-go! Qin Chaochen, I hope you motivate yourself and don’t fall into temptation!”

Qin Chaochen felt wronged, “But movies can help us relax.”

Top student: “…”

“Anyway, top students like Fu Quezhi wouldn’t watch movies!”

Really?

Qin Chaochen felt a bit ashamed. He immediately did three sets of practice papers to show his determination, then picked a name from his contacts, looking for a new target.

“These guys are all study maniacs. Better not ask them.”

Qin Chaochen’s finger hovered over Fu Quezhi’s name, “The movie time is passing, but I kind of want to invite Fu Quezhi.”

He was slightly defiant, “Even in senior year, we can relax a bit.”

With a mix of defiance and gratitude for Fu Quezhi tutoring him, Qin Chaochen invited Fu Quezhi.

“Qin Chaochen, what’s up?” Fu Quezhi’s cool voice came through, and Qin Chaochen instantly regretted making the call.

He braced himself, “I want to invite you to watch a movie. Are you coming?” His tone grew more assertive towards the end.

“What kind?” Fu Quezhi paused, holding his pen.

“A romance movie.” Qin Chaochen didn’t hear anything from the other side for a while, so he raised his voice, “What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”

Fu Quezhi: “…”

Only light breathing came through from the other side. Qin Chaochen gripped his phone tightly. Normally, he would have hung up by now, but instead, he felt a bit nervous.

Both sides of the call exchanged shallow breaths, as if they were in the same space.

Qin Chaochen’s face felt hot, and his eyes were moist.

Was Fu Quezhi thinking about how to reject him? Fu Quezhi wouldn’t go to the movies with him.

He didn’t care at all!

“…” Fu Quezhi: “Okay.”

“What time?” Fu Quezhi hesitated, “Is it tonight?”

Fu Quezhi patiently waited for a while, but the person on the other side seemed to have fallen asleep, not speaking anymore.

“Qin Chaochen, what’s wrong?” Fu Quezhi frowned, closing his practice paper.

Just as Fu Quezhi was starting to worry, a voice came through the phone, choked with sobs.

“I thought you weren’t coming! You were just thinking of reasons to reject me!”

Fu Quezhi’s cold face softened, “It’s just this, what’s there to cry about.”

“Stop crying, I’ll go with you.”

Under the streetlight, Qin Chaochen held two movie tickets, watching the movie time slip away, feeling a bit anxious.

He should have invited Fu Quezhi from the start; they would have been at the cinema by now.

“Let’s go.” A figure emerged from another villa, and Fu Quezhi walked up.

Winter was cold. He wore a scarf and hat, bundled up in a thick down jacket, looking very afraid of the cold. His face was flushed from running, his nose red from the cold, and his eyes bright as he looked at Qin Chaochen.

“Let’s take the car.” Qin Chaochen wore a black down jacket and a gray scarf, curiously eyeing Fu Quezhi’s wool hat.

Qin Chaochen opened the car door and told the driver uncle, “To Guxiang Cinema.”

He quietly turned up the car’s heater, making it very warm. Fu Quezhi felt his whole body warm up.

“The movie time is almost here. Driver uncle, please drive faster.”

“Okay, young master.”

Fu Quezhi raised an eyebrow, his expression displeased at the thought of something.

“Your hat is… cool.” Qin Chaochen swallowed the word “cute.”

The hat on Fu Quezhi’s head had a round pom-pom dangling from it, resembling a hat he had seen kids wear before. But on Fu Quezhi, it looked perfectly fine.

His cold aura made him look cute instead.

“Want one?” Fu Quezhi offered generously.

“No need, I don’t like childish hats like that.” Qin Chaochen refused Fu Quezhi’s offer with a pained expression.

He’s a grown man; how could he like wool hats? He should like sci-fi mechas and such, not wear thermal pants in winter, just ripped jeans.

“We made it!”

Qin Chaochen dragged Fu Quezhi along, holding popcorn and soda, into the cinema.

The cinema was a bit crowded. The movie had just come out and was quite popular, with a strong cast.

“Fu Quezhi, do you notice those two look like our English teacher and your math teacher?” Qin Chaochen’s sharp eyes spotted a familiar-looking man and woman in front.

Fu Quezhi looked up, “…It’s them.”

Qin Chaochen’s first thought was to hide. If they saw two guys watching a romance movie, wouldn’t it be weird? Would it give Fu Quezhi a bad impression?

“Maybe we should wait for the next show.”

“No need, their seats are in front of us.” Fu Quezhi hinted, “A gentleman is open and honest, while a petty person is always worried.” With that, he set an example by sitting down.

Qin Chaochen: “Well, okay then.” How could he be more cowardly than Fu Quezhi?

Qin Chaochen, feeling timid, suggested, “Maybe we should wait for the next show.”

English teacher: “Teaching seniors is so stressful, and I’ve caught a few couples.”

Math teacher agreed, “Indeed, the boy in the first row and the boy in the last row in our class are dating.”

English teacher: “Fu Quezhi in your class is a good student. With him, there’s nothing to fear.”

Math teacher: “But in your class, there’s… Qin Chaochen. That’s something to be wary of.”

English teacher: “…”

Fu Quezhi heard these words too, his expression unchanged, “The movie is about to start.”

Sure enough, once the movie started, the two teachers in front stopped discussing work and focused on the film.

Qin Chaochen, not hearing the teachers’ words anymore, sighed in relief. He watched the movie, feeling a bit restless.

Next to him was a couple, seemingly still in the honeymoon phase. The guy was already kissing the girl.

The movie was a youthful romance film, and Qin Chaochen thought bitterly that he should have picked a horror movie. Then maybe he wouldn’t encounter couples.

And with Fu Quezhi sitting beside him, Qin Chaochen felt awkward, a warmth flowing through his body.

He stuffed a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

Watching the male and female leads kiss on campus.

The cinema’s atmosphere was strong. In such an ambiance, in the dimly lit cinema, many couples were kissing, the screen’s light casting a hazy, ambiguous warmth over them.

He instinctively glanced at his nemesis, Fu Quezhi.

Fu Quezhi pursed his lips, his cold face expressionless as he watched the movie.

As expected, Fu Quezhi was still like this, and Qin Chaochen relaxed.

“Want some popcorn?” Fu Quezhi asked coolly.

“Yes, yes, yes.” Qin Chaochen’s heart raced, and he reached into the popcorn, a piece bouncing out onto Fu Quezhi’s knee.

“I’ll get it for you.” Qin Chaochen hurriedly reached for the mischievous popcorn on Fu Quezhi’s knee.

His fingers touched the popcorn, but before he could relax, a hand pressed down on his, Fu Quezhi’s fingertips pale, applying slight pressure, his dark eyes intensely focused on Qin Chaochen.

A burning sensation filled Qin Chaochen’s chest. His face flushed, feeling both angry and that Fu Quezhi was acting strange, he said blankly, “You’re holding my hand.”

The grip didn’t lessen, and Fu Quezhi’s tone remained as cold as ever, with a hint of something more, “You didn’t want to invite me first. Who were you going to invite before me?”

“In this situation, you’re asking that? And it’s not important,” Qin Chaochen whispered, feeling guilty.

Fu Quezhi lowered his voice, “I’ll pick it up myself.”

Fu Quezhi picked up the popcorn, his expression displeased, yet he still didn’t let go of Qin Chaochen’s hand.

Qin Chaochen’s first thought wasn’t about watching a romance movie with him. Fu Quezhi’s eyes dimmed.

Qin Chaochen didn’t dare move. He felt that Fu Quezhi seemed unhappy again.

He stared at the pom-pom on Fu Quezhi’s hat.

Suddenly, on a whim, he reached out a finger and touched the pom-pom on Fu Quezhi’s head.

It was like a head pat.

Inside, Fu Quezhi felt a small flame burning.

*

“We’ll go to the movies after Shu Shu finishes his nap,” Qin Chaochen bought a midnight movie ticket without even checking the name and handed it to Fu Quezhi.

Qin Chaochen loved watching movies, especially on the big screen in cinemas.

“‘99 Times of Escaping Marriage: The Little Wife Falls for the President,’ this title is interesting.”

▍Author’s Note

Qin Chaochen: Midnight mini-movie