Professor Xie, isn't this a case of forcing customers to buy products that don't match the

Tickets checked, entry.

The theaters were packed with people on the weekend.

Their seats were right in the middle, with an excellent view.

After Shang Song sat down, he habitually looked around. The seats around them were empty, and the people Lin Zhou had arranged were sitting in the outermost ring, firmly protecting Xie Jing in the middle.

He looked around but didn't see Lin Zhou. He guessed that Lin Zhou was controlling other control points on the outer perimeter.

Without thinking much, he took out his milk tea and started poking the straw.

The lights dimmed, and the movie began.

The lighthearted and funny comedy quickly filled the theater with bursts of laughter.

Shang Song hugged the bucket of caramel and cream popcorn and ate it happily, occasionally laughing so hard at the plot that he was doubled over. But he was afraid of disturbing others, so he could only cover his mouth and chuckle quietly, his shoulders swaying.

He picked up the milk tea again and took a big, satisfying sip. The sweetness of the full-sugar drink combined with the chewy texture of the taro balls brought him an instant blissful feeling.

Xie Jing remained seated upright, holding the bucket of popcorn in his arms, but he didn't touch a single grain. The milk tea was placed in the cup holder on the armrest, but he didn't drink it either.

Most of the time, his eyes were on the screen, seemingly engrossed in watching the movie, but his overly straight back betrayed that he was not completely relaxed.

He just hid it very well.

Halfway through the movie, it entered a relatively warm and soothing segment, and the laughter in the theater gradually subsided.

Shang Song's mouth was a little dry from eating popcorn, so he took a big gulp of fruit tea. He turned his head and looked at Xie Jing's profile next to him in the flickering light of the big screen.

He was still wearing a mask, which covered most of his expression, revealing only his calm and focused eyes and his high nose bridge.

The way he held the popcorn bucket in the dim light made him look less awkward and more... clumsy and obedient than he had in the mall earlier.

Shang Song looked at Xie Jing, watching him endure the noisy environment and sit upright with snacks he didn't like, all to accompany him to this "ordinary people's" movie. It was as if a dandelion had sprouted in his heart, and with the warm breeze in the theater, some thoughts couldn't help but fall to the ground.

He wanted to kiss him.

Not the kind of deep, lustful kiss.

It was just a simple touch.

He knew Xie Jing had contact disorder, but perhaps the darkness gave him courage, or perhaps Xie Jing looked too harmless as he held the popcorn.

Shang Song's heart raced, blood rushed to his cheeks, and he leaned slightly towards Xie Jing, stopping just as his head was about to touch Xie Jing's shoulder.

Then, he tilted his head back, lowered his voice, and whispered in Xie Jing's ear:

"Xie Jing...can I...kiss you? Just...on the cheek. Through the mask."

The moment the words left his mouth, Shang Song regretted it.

Isn't he being too unreasonable? Xie Jing's willingness to come to the movies with him is already a huge concession; how could he make such an excessive request? Especially in a public place?

He held his breath, waiting for Xie Jing's reaction. Would he frown? Would he look away? Or would he look at him with that cold gaze?

However, Xie Jing only froze for a moment.

He didn't even turn to look at Shang Song immediately, maintaining his gaze straight ahead, but his long eyelashes seemed to tremble, and even the fingers holding the popcorn bucket seemed to tighten.

The movie reached another funny moment, and everyone around burst into laughter.

Shang Song could only hear the pounding of his own heart.

Just when he thought Xie Jing's silence meant rejection, he felt Xie Jing's body lean towards him.

Shang Song's heart skipped a beat; this meant he had agreed!

Without further hesitation, taking advantage of a funny scene in the movie that made the whole audience burst into laughter, he quickly leaned over and, through the soft black mask, gave Xie Jing a quick "smack" kiss on the cheek near his cheekbone.

The touch was the softness of a cotton mask, and underneath was the warmth of Xie Jing's cheek.

They separated in an instant, as fast as a bird skimming across the water.

After kissing Xie Jing, Shang Song immediately shrank back into his seat, his cheeks burning, his heart pounding, and he almost dared not look at Xie Jing again.

He pretended to be staring intently at the screen, but unconsciously held the popcorn bucket in his hand, his ears perked up, catching every movement of the people around him.

Xie Jing... froze completely.

He remained in that slightly tilted position, holding the popcorn bucket, his gaze fixed on the screen in front of him. But his deep, ocean-like eyes seemed to have lost focus, his pupils slightly dilated, churning with extremely complex emotions.

There was no nausea. No vomiting. No feeling of wanting to escape.

Shang Song's warm breath, carrying a hint of the sweet aroma of milk tea, felt... strange as it passed by.

But I don't dislike it.

Even the taut string in my brain was strangely... loosened a little because of this careful kiss.

He likes it.

The body's instinctive reactions do not lie.

He didn't experience stomach cramps, nor did he instinctively recoil; he simply froze, and then a strange...thrill and satisfaction welled up inside him.

So this is what it feels like to be touched so intimately by someone you like.

He had no idea what the movie was about; all his senses seemed to be focused on that small patch of skin on his cheek, which felt slightly warm.

Shang Song waited for a long time but didn't get any reaction from Xie Jing. He secretly glanced at Xie Jing and saw that Xie Jing was still in the same position, motionless, like a statue.

However, by the light of the screen, Shang Song seemed to see that Xie Jing's ear, which was exposed outside the mask... seemed... even redder than before? It was so red that it was almost dripping blood, and the redness spread all the way down to his neck.

He seemed...completely... stunned?

Was I stunned by a kiss through a mask?

The tension that Shang Song felt suddenly vanished in the face of Xie Jing's reaction.

This piece of wood... how can it be so cute?

He's so adorable that you can't help but want to push your luck and see more of his reactions.

Shang Song pursed his lips, suppressing the smile at the corner of his mouth. He leaned forward slightly again, bringing his ear close to Xie Jing's, and whispered in a softer, more coaxing voice than before:

"Professor Xie... I kissed you..."

He paused, then deliberately blew a breath, brushing it against Xie Jing's earlobe, the sound as soft as a feather:

"...Aren't you going to kiss me back?"