His physiological preference

"It's delicious," Qin Yuzheng said. He looked into her eyes, the candlelight flickering in her pupils, his gaze full of deep affection. Yang Zhiyan blushed under his gaze.

After dinner, the two went to the movies. Qin Yuzheng had bought the tickets in advance; it was a romance film, one that had recently received high ratings.

He bought the couple's seats, the last row, a two-seater sofa with no armrests in the middle, so the two people could sit very close together.

When Yang Zhiyan saw the seat number on the movie ticket, her face flushed slightly, but she didn't say anything.

She followed Qin Yuzheng into the theater, found a seat, and sat down. The sofa was soft, and as the two of them sat down, their bodies naturally slid towards each other, their arms touching.

Qin Yuzheng placed the milk tea and popcorn on the small table next to him.

The movie begins. The opening shot is a long take, swooping down from the sky to the street, then from the street to a window where a man and a woman are arguing.

Yang Zhiyan stared at the screen, and Qin Yuzheng looked at her. The lights in the theater went out, leaving only the flickering light from the screen, its blue and white glow falling on her face.

She watched the movie very attentively, staring intently at the screen, her lips slightly pursed. Occasionally, she would laugh at the plot and her lips would curve into a smile, and occasionally, she would be moved and her nose would wrinkle.

Qin Yuzheng had never known before that a person's profile could have so many expressions.

Yang Zhiyan reached for popcorn. Her hand went into the paper bucket and bumped into another hand; Qin Yuzheng's hand was also reaching for popcorn.

Their fingers touched in the paper bucket; she flinched, and he grasped them.

In the dark theater, in the popcorn bucket, his hand held hers, his fingers weaving between hers, his palm pressed against hers.

Yang Zhiyan turned to look at him. The light from the screen shone on his face, and his expression was serious, but he was looking at Yang Zhiyan.

A tiny image of her appears in his eyes, illuminated by the light from the screen.

"Why are you watching me instead of watching the movie?" Her voice was soft and gentle even when she was accusing her.

"You're prettier than the movie." His voice was soft, his breath brushing against her face, carrying the sweetness of popcorn and the milky aroma of milk tea.

Yang Zhiyan blushed. It wasn't noticeable in the darkness, but she could feel the heat spreading from her cheeks to her ears.

She tried to pull her hand back, but he wouldn't let her; his fingers tightened their grip even more.

Halfway through the movie, the male lead confessed his love to the female lead in the rain. The rain was heavy, soaking his hair and clothes, but his eyes shone brightly, like two lamps.

I like you. I've liked you since the first time I saw you.

Yang Zhiyan's eyes welled up with tears. Seeing others also struck by love, she felt happy and moved for them. She sniffed.

Qin Yuzheng turned to look at her. He reached out and gently cupped her chin with his fingertips, turning her face toward him.

"Zhiyan." His voice was very low.

"Hmm?" Her lips parted slightly.

He kissed him.

In the dark theater, amidst the background music of the male lead confessing his love on the big screen, and the sweet smell of popcorn and milk tea, his lips touched hers.

Unlike the tender, lingering kiss that morning, this kiss was aggressive.

She could hear her own heart pounding, so fast it felt like it was going to jump out of her throat. She didn't know where to put her hands, so she finally gripped the shirt at his chest.

His hand encircled her slender waist, as if he wanted to meld her into his body.

The movie is still playing. The rain is still falling. The male lead is still confessing his love.

They are kissing.

When the movie ended, the lights in the theater came on. Yang Zhiyan's legs felt a little weak when she stood up from her seat, and she had to hold onto the sofa armrest to steady herself.

Qin Yuzheng stood next to her, reached out, and naturally took her hand.

"What's wrong?" he asked, a smile on his lips that she couldn't quite understand, like that of a child who had secretly eaten candy.

"It's nothing," Yang Zhiyan said, her head down, her voice barely audible, "My legs are numb."

Qin Yuzheng smiled but didn't expose her.

As the two walked out of the movie theater, the August evening breeze greeted them, warm and humid, carrying the smell of asphalt roads dried by the daytime sun.

The neon lights along the street were still flashing, pink, blue, and purple, making the whole street look like daytime.

There were a few more stars in the sky than last night, and the moon was still a crescent, hanging between two tall buildings, a little brighter than last night.

Qin Yuzheng took her hand and walked towards the parking lot. She walked on his right, and he walked on her left, on the side closest to the road.

She looked down at their clasped hands; her small hand was nestled in his.

"Qin Yuzheng," she called him by his full name.

"What's wrong?"

Yang Zhiyan looked into his eyes. The streetlights shone down from above. His eyes were very bright.

"I'm very happy today," she said.

Qin Yuzheng tightened his grip on her hand a little.

"Me too," Qin Yuzheng said.

The two continued walking forward, their shadows stretched long by the streetlights, creating two parallel, closely spaced shadows on the asphalt road, indistinguishable from one another.

The wind blew by, and the leaves of the sycamore tree rustled.

It was almost 11 p.m. when the movie ended. From the parking lot to the elevator, and from the elevator to the corridor on the 22nd floor, Qin Yuzheng held Yang Zhiyan's hand the whole time, never letting go.

One by one, the motion-activated lights in the corridor turned on, as if clearing a path for them.

Yang Zhiyan walked to her door and rummaged through her bag for her keys. Qin Yuzheng stood behind her, his chin resting on her shoulder, watching her search.

"You're so close, it's hard for me to open the car." Yang Zhiyan turned his head slightly, his chin sliding from her shoulder to her neck, his warm breath brushing against her ear. Her fingers trembled, and she almost dropped the key.

"You drive yours." His voice was muffled, carrying a certainty that he had no intention of moving away.

The key was finally inserted into the lock and turned.

The two walked in, and before the lights were on, Qin Yuzheng's hands were already around her from behind, one arm around her waist, the other hand touching the wall, and the lights came on.

Yang Zhiyan was hugged from behind, feeling as if she were wrapped in a warm embrace. His chin rested on the top of her head, and his breath brushed against the whorl of her hair.

"Qin Yuzheng, it's very late," she said.

"Hmm." He didn't let go.

"Aren't you going to work tomorrow?"

"superior."

"Then why don't you go back to sleep?"

"Hold me a little longer."

Yang Zhiyan leaned against him, saying nothing more. She could hear his heartbeat, steady and strong, coming from his back.

She could feel her own heartbeat, faster than his, pounding as if responding to his rhythm.

The two of them stood there in the entryway, the light was on, neither of them moved, the door was still open, the motion-activated lights in the hallway were off, and darkness poured in from outside the door, stopping outside the threshold, afraid to come in.

The phone rang.

It wasn't Qin Yuzheng's, it was Yang Zhiyan's. The ringtone rang out in the quiet entryway.

Yang Zhiyan struggled free from his embrace, and Qin Yuzheng released her grip. She ran to the coffee table, picked up her phone, and said, "Teacher Mu."

She answered the phone, her voice still soft and sweet from being hugged earlier.