Chapter 39: Get the Color

Chapter 39

The movie was a romance film. The few couples in the almost empty theater also left midway due to the boring plot.

Throughout the movie, the male and female leads were making out, then broke up. After a heart-wrenching and agonizing separation, the female lead contracted a terminal illness.

Lin ChuSui looked back and asked, "Brother Octopus, why did you choose this movie?"

Zhang Cheng Yu innocently said, "The poster wrote it was a youth idol and tear-jerking masterpiece. I thought since we have two girls, a romance would be quite suitable."

One of the girls, Lu TianBai, was already asleep on her brother's shoulder.

Snoring lightly, she was sleeping soundly.

Lu Chi said, "My sister can barely be considered a girl. As for the one in front... Do you really think she can appreciate a romance film?"

Zhang Cheng Yu saw Lin ChuSui's utterly confused expression and said, "My bad."

...

The male and female leads on screen started intimately kissing again.

Lin ChuSui glanced sideways at Xiao Yan. He was watching very attentively and seriously, no less focused than when he was studying.

"Xiao Yan, is this nice to watch?"

"It's nice."

"Nice???"

Xiao Yan seriously asked back, "You don't think it's nice?"

"It's not that, but what's nice about it?!"

"Their love, it's very touching."

"It's obviously so contrived!"

"The female lead contracted a terminal illness," Xiao Yan said matter-of-factly. "After overcoming all sorts of difficulties, the lovers still couldn't be together in the end. They became separated by life and death. The male lead will forever cherish her memory."

"That's what you find touching?"

Xiao Yan said, "How can you be so cold-hearted?"

"... "

Lin ChuSui shut up completely.

Previously she thought there was just a 500 point gap between her and Xiao Yan. Now she saw there was an insurmountable chasm between their mindsets.

She snuck another peek at him.

He watched attentively without any expression, his pitch-black profound eyes seemed somewhat forlorn.

A Xiao Yan who could genuinely appreciate contrived romance films was a bit cute.

Lin ChuSui took out the last piece of popcorn and decided to give it to Xiao Yan to eat.

Xiao Yan had learned to be smart. He asked, "Is this giving me, or feeding me?"

"Feeding, feeding, feeding."

Only then did he casually take the popcorn with his mouth.

"Xiao Yan, last time you said you like girls with nice figures. Was that for real or just joking?"

"Why ask about this?"

"Just...casually asking. If there was a girl who met your criteria that came to date you, would you agree?"

"I wouldn't."

"Oh."

Receiving his unhesitating response, Lin ChuSui didn't know whether to feel happy and relieved, or disappointed. "Why not?"

"It's true I'm not in good health," Xiao Yan replied in a flat tone. "I'm also very poor. Dating costs money, which I don't have. I also don't yet have the ability to make any promises to someone I like."

Lin ChuSui carefully considered his words. Very realistic, also very truthful.

This was Xiao Yan's personality. He took every step steadily.

Because his life was already hanging by a thread, with an abyss under his feet. He couldn't make a single misstep.

Lin ChuSui thought about what Xu Jia Ning just said, that she liked Xiao Yan.

Did she really like Xiao Yan?

It seemed...she did like him a bit.

Lin ChuSui asked somewhat indignantly, "Since you have no interest in dating, why do you watch romance films so seriously?"

"Because they keep kissing."

"You like watching kisses?"

"I'm 18 years old. Scorpio."

"?"

Lin ChuSui truly didn't understand what Xiao Yan meant.

But she was a good girl who asked when she didn't understand. She immediately searched Scorpio's traits, and from the descriptions like "possessive", "jealous", and "vengeful", she found a key word—

"Strong sexual desire."

For the rest of the movie, Lin ChuSui's mind wandered. Whenever there was a kissing scene, she would involuntarily glance at the youth beside her.

He had no expression, his pitch-black eyes stared intently at the screen, unknown what he was thinking.

Lin ChuSui's inner thoughts were exceptionally rich, as she got herself all flushed and hot.

Exiting the theater, Lu Chi and the others were all chattering about the plot—

"This movie was too crappy. What was with the female lead suddenly getting a terminal illness at the end? Just watched it for nothing."

Lu TianBai who had slept groggily said, "The plot was so exciting, why didn't you wake me up?"

"Little sister, what kind of misunderstanding do you have about 'exciting'? It was contrived!" Lu Chi said agitatedly, "Just you wait, in a couple years he'll definitely forget about her."

Lin ChuSui said, "No, the male lead will forever cherish her memory. That's true love."

"Pfft, that just shows you don't understand men, and you don't understand love."

"In any case, I won't," Lin ChuSui said. "The person I like, I'll remember for a lifetime."

The waiter led them to the dining area. Lin ChuSui chose a window seat with a night view and sat down.

Xiao Yan naturally sat down next to her and took out his phone to transfer her a red packet.

Ding.

The red packet contained only two words:

"Thank you."

Lin ChuSui looked up at him. His dark eyes were also staring at her, raising the corners of his eyes, hinting for her to take the red packet.

Lin ChuSui sent him a message: “It was Xu Jia Ning showing off. We would never come to such an expensive restaurant to eat before.”

Xiao Yan replied: "Why mention this?"

Lin ChuSui said: "Just...saying it randomly."

Xiao Yan said: "I earn money by the minute and second, this is nothing."

Lin ChuSui felt a little more at ease. She sent him a thumbs up cat emoji: "Scholar god (Xiao Yan) is awesome."

Hearing the “ding dong” sounds of their phones, Lu Chi dissatisfiedly said, "You guys are so close, yet still messaging each other. Can't you just talk directly? Wasting mobile data."

Zhang Cheng Yu laughed, “Mind your own business, mutt. Let the classmates whisper to each other, what's it to you?”

Lu Chi retorted, “What whispering? Have you seen me whispering with Xu Jia Ning?”

Lin ChuSui put her phone down and said, "Just receiving and sending red packets."

...

The waiter came to take their order. Lu Chi pointed to all the dishes on the menu and asked, "All of these are self-service buffet items with unlimited quantities, right?"

Waiter: "That's right."

Lu Chi looked at the menu, "Iron plate grilled matsutake beef tenderloin, small pot burnt iron plate green onion cod..."

Lin ChuSui added: "And sashimi autumn knife fish, North Pole scallop sushi, French pan-fried anglerfish..."

The waiter's mouth twitched as he politely said, "I suggest you order some first, then order more after finishing those."

"We've barely started, we can..." Seeing the waiter's expression, Lin ChuSui glanced at Xiao Yan and changed her words, "We...have more than enough. I don't eat much."

Lu Chi exclaimed, "Chu Ge, stop pretending to be a lady. 480 yuan per person, you absolutely have to eat until you throw up! Might as well order everything on the menu and try it all."

Waiter: "If you don't finish, you'll have to pay penalty fees based on the weighed leftovers."

Lu Chi scoffed, "You really underestimate us. With Chu Ge's appetite alone, she's equal to ten people..."

"Lu Chi!!!" Lin ChuSui had completely lost her mind. Clenching her fists, she glared at him and threatened in a low voice, "I'm going to kill you."

Perhaps truly sensing Lin ChuSui’s murderous intent in her eyes, Lu Chi wisely shut up.

Soon, dish after dish was served, filling up the table.

Zhang Cheng Yu and Lu Chi demonstrated the fierce potential of sports team boys, wolfing down huge portions in minutes.

Xu Jia Ning didn't eat much, though his eyes rolled plenty as he said, "I'm never eating with you sporty types again. How embarrassing."

Lu Chi chugged his drink and said, "Food, color, and s*x appeal, yet you eat so daintily. I bet you're just as prim in bed."

"Don't worry, I'm definitely more civilized than you there."

Zhang Cheng Yu covered Lu TianBai's ears. "There's an underage girl here, what kind of vulgarity are you spewing?"

Seeing Xiao Yan steadily eating, not too fast, not too slow, not overly refined, nor sloppy, just very focused on eating, Lin ChuSui unconsciously started imagining if he was just as attentive in other matters.

Noticing the girl's odd gaze, Xiao Yan glanced at her, "Just looking at me already full?"

"Ah no."

Lin ChuSui hurriedly buried her head to eat beef. After a few pieces, she quietly asked Xiao Yan again, "Can you eat these comfortably? Want some rice?"

Xiao Yan put down his chopsticks. "I'm not as...unsophisticated as you think."

"Oh, sorry."

She shut up and continued eating, not daring to babble anymore.

Xiao Yan knew that ever since the bill splitting earlier, Lin ChuSui had been carefully trying to protect his self-esteem, just that the little girl was too clumsy, being a bit too obvious about it.

He wasn't angry, on the contrary feeling rather touched.

It was rare for someone to be so considerate of him like this.

"Lin ChuSui," he called her name softly.

"Hmm?"

"Help me get some foie gras."

"Okay!" Lin ChuSui immediately stood up and brought over the plate of foie gras from in front of Lu Chi, placing it in front of Xiao Yan. "Xu Jia Ning said their foie gras is quite authentic. You're missing a kidney, so eat this to replenish!"

Xiao Yan rubbed the corner of his eye. "I didn't lose a kidney, it was my liver. This is the last time I'll explain it."

"What's...the difference?"

"Is there a difference between your brain and this lump of foie gras?"

Lin ChuSui laughed. She picked some beef for Xiao Yan again, "No difference at all. As long as my deskmate is happy, eat more."

She was actually quite fond of bantering with Xiao Yan like this, unconsciously edging closer to him. She gave him all the beef from her own bowl, "Eat more, get your health better. I know you want to find a girlfriend with a good physique, but your own strength can't fall too far behind, right?"

Xiao Yan said, "You make sense. Lack of harmony in life can lead to many conflicts."

Lin ChuSui nodded, "Yes."

Lu Chi covered Lu TianBai's ears again. "When did you two get close enough to talk about s*x?"

Lin ChuSui asked, "Where was anything s*xual mentioned?"

"Talking about disharmony in life, how vulgar, corrupting my sister!"

Lin ChuSui explained, "He's so frail, of course he'll make his future girlfriend do all the work. How can life be harmonious like that?"

Lu Chi said, "You really think when he said he wants to find a girlfriend with a good physique to be on top, he meant someone strong who can do housework?"

Xiao Yan stated plainly, "That is exactly my meaning. You're the vulgar one."

Lin ChuSui affirmed, "See."

Lu Chi conceded, "...Yes, yes, it's me."

Xu Jia Ning gently clinked glasses with Lu Chi, "You can never wake two people pretending to be asleep, especially when they are 'deskmates for life' who have pledged eternal devotion."