My online dating circle has millions of followers, why would she put a collar on me?

The theater was not crowded; less than a third of the seats were occupied.

Jiang Yixuan's seat was in the corner of the last row, offering good privacy and ensuring he wouldn't be disturbed.

The movie is an action comedy with plenty of laughs and exciting fight scenes, and bursts of laughter frequently filled the theater.

But Jiang Yi didn't really pay attention to it.

His attention was half on the screen and half on the cell phone in his pocket.

To be precise, they were waiting for news from Su Xiaoyue.

This realization made him feel like an asshole.

I was watching a movie with my girlfriend, but I was actually waiting for a message from another girl.

Although that "other girl" was a burden, a debt, and a trouble he had to deal with, the behavior itself was still awful.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to focus on the movie.

On the screen, the male protagonist is being chased by a group of villains, jumping from the roof to the balcony, and then climbing through the window, creating chaos along the way.

Xia Anmian leaned on his shoulder and laughed softly, but her shoulder trembled slightly every time she laughed.

Jiang Yi turned his head to look at her.

The theater was dark, with only the screen's light reflecting off her face, flickering on and off. Her eyelashes were long, her profile was soft, and the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned—a relaxed, unguarded smile.

His heart suddenly softened.

"Mianmian," he called softly.

"Hmm?" Xia Anmian didn't turn around; her gaze remained on the screen.

"Nothing, I just wanted to call your name."

Xia Anmian turned her head to look at him, her eyes filled with a hint of doubt, but it was quickly replaced by a smile.

You're acting strange today.

"What's strange about it?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it," she said, leaning back against his shoulder. "It just feels like you have something on your mind."

Jiang Yi's fingers tightened slightly.

Something's on your mind.

Of course he had something on his mind.

A debt of 1.3 million, an online boyfriend he was about to meet, and a girlfriend he was keeping in the dark.

He has so many worries that they could fill a book.

"No," he said.

Then he said "no".

Su Xiaoyue is right; every time he says "no," it's because he's nervous.

Xia Anmian didn't speak, but simply gave a soft "hmm" and continued watching the movie.

After the movie ended, the two of them came out of the theater.

"Where to?" Xia Anmian asked.

"Eat first, then you can go wherever you want."

"You're so generous today," Xia Anmian smiled, taking his arm. "Have you been making a lot of money tutoring lately?"

Jiang Yi smiled guiltily, "It's alright, enough to treat you to a few good meals."

When he said "not bad," he meant his tutoring income over the past two days.

Two thousand yesterday, two thousand today, a total of four thousand.

Treat Xia Anmian to a meal, buy her two movie tickets, and save the rest of the money to pay off her debts.

Every penny must be carefully calculated before spending.

The two found a Sichuan restaurant in the mall, ordered a few dishes, and chatted while they ate.

Xia Anmian talked more than usual today, discussing many things related to the company.

"...That Mr. Liu, the one I ran into at the Japanese restaurant last time, he came to see me again these past two days, saying that the project plan needs to be adjusted and he insisted on inviting me to dinner."

Jiang Yi paused, his hand still holding the food he was picking up. "Is that the one who calls you 'President Xia'?"

"Yes, it's him." Xia Anmian's tone was casual. "But I declined. I said I didn't have time recently."

"Does he have feelings for you?" Jiang Yi asked, trying to keep his tone calm, but his chopsticks tapped against the edge of the bowl, making a crisp sound.

Xia Anmian glanced at him, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Jealous?"

"no."

"Every time you say 'no,' you're just being stubborn."

Jiang Yi was taken aback.

This sentence sounds familiar.

I heard it for the second time today.

The first time was Su Xiaoyue, and the second time was Xia Anmian.

Two girls said the same thing.

"I really didn't." He put down his chopsticks, looked into Xia Anmian's eyes, "I just felt that the way that person looked at you was a little off."

"What's wrong?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it, but something just doesn't feel right. It's like... like the way someone looks at something valuable, not like the way they look at an ordinary employee."

Xia Anmian's expression was slightly unnatural for a moment, but she quickly returned to normal.

"You're overthinking it." She picked up her water glass and took a sip. "That's just the kind of person he is. He's polite to everyone, but nobody knows what he's actually scheming in his heart."

Jiang Yi simply said "Oh" and didn't ask any further questions.

"By the way, I'm going on a business trip by plane tomorrow."

Jiang Yi was stunned, then looked up and asked, "How many days will you be away on a business trip?"

"Three days."

What time is your flight tomorrow morning?

"Around eight o'clock, almost nine o'clock."

"Go to Shanghai?"

"Um."

"how long?"

"I'll probably be back on Saturday or Sunday."

Jiang Yi did some mental calculations.

Su Xiaoyue arrived in Kyoto at 2 PM on Wednesday.

Xia Anmian left on Wednesday morning.

The timing was perfectly avoided.

Jiang Yi felt much more relaxed, at least there was no risk of his girlfriend finding out.

"Then be careful on your journey, and text me when you arrive," he said.

"I understand," Xia Anmian replied, then suddenly stopped and turned to look at him. "Jiang Yi."

"Um?"

"Is there anything I can help you with lately?"

This is the same question again.

She asked me that during our last meal, and she asked me again today.

Jiang Yi looked into her eyes, which shone brightly under the streetlights, carrying an emotion he couldn't decipher.

He opened his mouth, the words "My sister cheated me out of 1.3 million yuan" swirling in his throat, but he ultimately swallowed them back.

"No, you just do your thing." He forced a smile. "Go to Shanghai and work hard; this opportunity is hard-won."

Xia Anmian stared at him for several seconds, her eyes holding something indescribable.

It was as if they were reluctant to part, and also as if they were worried.

It was as if she was waiting for him to say something first.

In the end, she didn't say anything, only gave a soft "hmm".

The two walked along the street and passed a milk tea shop. Xia Anmian said she wanted to drink some, so Jiang Yi went to queue up and bought two cups.

When he returned with the milk tea, Xia Anmian was standing under a ginkgo tree by the roadside, looking up at the newly sprouted buds on the treetop.

The light shone down on her head, softening her silhouette.

Jiang Yi walked over and handed her the milk tea.

"What are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking..." Xia Anmian took the milk tea, lowered her head and bit the straw, saying indistinctly, "This tree must be very beautiful in spring."

"Then let's come back in the spring."

Xia Anmian looked up at him and smiled, "Okay."

The two continued walking, chatting intermittently.

We talked about university, work, and the books and movies we'd recently watched.

When the conversation turned to a certain topic, Xia Anmian smiled, her eyes crinkling and revealing two small tiger teeth.

Jiang Yi looked at her smile, and that sense of peace returned to him.

But at the same time, the phone in my pocket vibrated.

a bit.

Another one.

Another one.

Several messages in a row.

Jiang Yi's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

He knows who posted it.

At this point in time, there could be no one else but Su Xiaoyue.

"What's wrong?" Xia Anmian noticed his unusual behavior.

"It's nothing, probably just spam."

Jiang Yi casually put his hand in his pocket, pressed down on the phone, and didn't take it out.

"Aren't you going to take a look?" Xia Anmian glanced at him.

"No need, what's the point of reading junk text messages?" Jiang Yi smiled, took her hand, and said, "Let's go, there seems to be a park up ahead, let's go for a walk."