Chapter 9: A Midnight Invitation

As dusk began to settle, Xia Zhiquiu arrived at the bar for her shift, just as she always did.

True to her expectations, the young man appeared shortly thereafter, a vibrant rose clutched in his hand.

“Sister, this is for you.”

Hearing his words, Xia Zhiquiu merely arched a brow.

“Aren’t you afraid I might not even like roses?”

Bai Hao shook his head, his expression earnest.

“I believe, Sister, that you are just like a rose—beautiful, yet possessing thorns. My intuition simply told me you would appreciate it.”

‘What a load of rubbish intuition,’ Xia Zhiquiu thought, rolling her eyes internally. ‘He only knows because I told him.’

Despite her thoughts, she feigned a pleased expression as she accepted the rose, offering a faint smile.

“Your intuition is surprisingly accurate, little brother. Thank you.”

“As long as you like it, Sister. By the way, how about I treat you to a movie tonight? Would you be willing to grant me the pleasure of your company?”

Bai Hao asked with an air of anticipation, though a confident certainty resided within his heart.

Xia Zhiquiu was naturally reluctant to hear the young man’s invitation, yet recalling her own carefully laid plans, she ultimately acquiesced.

“Since you’ve put it that way, I suppose I’ll reluctantly agree.”

Upon hearing this, Bai Hao beamed with joy, resembling a simpleton. While this was merely a façade, it genuinely deceived Xia Zhiquiu, causing her to pause in slight astonishment.

After all, in her estimation, he was nothing more than an uneducated delinquent. Yet, despite everything, he was still just an eighteen-year-old boy, and thus, the emotions he displayed felt remarkably genuine.

‘Could he truly be this delighted to simply watch a movie with me?’

A faint flicker of complexity stirred within Xia Zhiquiu’s heart at this thought, but it swiftly vanished as she recalled the young man’s past actions.

‘Hmph, a delinquent will always be a delinquent…’

***

In the early hours of the morning, Ningcheng remained a vibrant tapestry of lights and revelry, dazzling in its brilliance.

For the city’s youth, the night had only just begun; the commercial street still teemed with people, countless couples strolling leisurely through its vibrant thoroughfare.

Yet, the striking combination of Xia Zhiquiu and Bai Hao, with their undeniable good looks, drew frequent, lingering gazes from passersby throughout their journey.

After all, one was a mature and alluring woman, while the other was a fresh-faced, youthful boy; the disparity in their ages and temperaments was instantly apparent.

Observing the woman beside him, whose expression betrayed a touch of absentmindedness, Bai Hao deliberately spoke.

“Sister, I’m finding that being out with you, I’m almost drowning in the envy, jealousy, and outright hatred from other men.”

Xia Zhiquiu merely rolled her eyes at him in response, speaking without delay.

“Perhaps we should just head back then?”

As she spoke, she made a motion to turn and depart, for in truth, she found the peculiar stares of strangers unbearable and already regretted agreeing to accompany the young man.

Yet, Bai Hao had no intention of letting her escape. He promptly extended his hand, grasping her delicate, jade-like one.

Instantly, the soft, warm, jade-like sensation enveloped his palm, a wave of secret satisfaction washing over Bai Hao.

“Wait, Sister! Since we’ve already come all this way, there’s no sense in turning back now.”

Xia Zhiquiu’s delicate frame stiffened as she gazed at her hand, now firmly held by the young man. A wave of resistance immediately surged within her, and she quickly attempted to pull free.

“Then… then you should release me first…”

Still possessing a man’s mindset, Xia Zhiquiu found it utterly bizarre to be dragged along by another man in such a manner.

However, Bai Hao had been waiting for precisely this moment. Now that he had her hand, why would he ever let go?

Thus, no matter how fiercely Xia Zhiquiu tried to escape his grip, she found the young man still held her hand firmly, pulling her inexorably forward.

Xia Zhiquiu, singularly focused on making the young man release her, overlooked a crucial detail.

As an ability user, her strength far exceeded that of ordinary people. Yet, the young man was still able to hold her hand so tightly, which in itself was incredibly abnormal!

Ultimately, Xia Zhiquiu gave up. She glared at the young man, who held her hand with an utterly nonchalant expression, her teeth practically grinding with frustration.

Yet, she couldn’t simply lash out at him now…

Soon, the two arrived at a cinema. Being a midnight showing, the audience consisted almost entirely of young couples—a situation whose implications were universally understood.

Bai Hao turned his head to gaze at the captivatingly beautiful woman beside him, a faint smile gracing his lips as he inquired.

“Sister, what kind of movie would you like to see?”

Xia Zhiquiu lifted her gaze at his question, her eyes sweeping over the large screen. She noted that the midnight offerings were predominantly horror and suspense films, with romance movies as a secondary option.

None of these piqued her interest, so she responded indifferently.

“You choose. Anything is fine with me.”

Bai Hao didn’t dither. He swiftly selected a romance film, then led her to collect their tickets and proceed to the screening hall.

Within the cavernous hall, a dim ambiance persisted, even before the film had begun.

Bai Hao deliberately chose a seat towards the back. Beside them sat two other young couples and a lone youth wearing a baseball cap.

Bai Hao merely cast a fleeting glance at the lone youth, then dismissed him from his thoughts. For in that very moment, his grip remained firmly clasped around Xia Zhiquiu’s delicate hand…

Xia Zhiquiu, for her part, had resigned herself to the situation. ‘Whatever,’ she thought. ‘I’ll just pretend I’m being led by a dog.’

As the film slowly began, the hall plunged into complete darkness. In such an environment, whatever transpired would likely go unnoticed by others.

Xia Zhiquiu felt utterly indifferent to the movie. Before long, a wave of drowsiness washed over her, but just as she contemplated a brief nap, she became aware of some unusual sounds.

Xia Zhiquiu glanced around at the surrounding couples, a sudden feeling of speechlessness washing over her.

Even if Xia Zhiquiu wasn’t prone to embarrassment, these unsettling noises would certainly prevent her from getting any peaceful sleep.

Bai Hao, however, appeared quite eager. He observed the stunning, mature woman beside him, who seemed increasingly restless, and promptly leaned his head closer to her.

In that instant, a subtle, intoxicating fragrance, uniquely belonging to a mature woman, drifted into the young man’s nostrils, stirring his very soul.

Bai Hao felt a touch intoxicated by the scent. ‘If it smells this good,’ he mused, ‘it must taste even more delightful.’

However, he understood the importance of not rushing things. With a subtle glance, he feigned sleep, allowing his head to gently fall onto the woman’s fragrant shoulder.

Xia Zhiquiu froze, then glared at the young man beside her, who appeared to be soundly asleep with his eyes closed. Her face darkened considerably.

‘This rascal,’ she fumed, ‘drags me to such a dull movie, only to comfortably fall asleep himself?’

With this thought, Xia Zhiquiu immediately decided to rouse him. Indeed, she acted on that impulse.

This particular move had not factored into Bai Hao’s calculations. Realizing his charade was unraveling, he could only rub his eyes and stir awake, feigning confusion.

“Sister, what’s amiss?”

Xia Zhiquiu shot him an exasperated look, then gestured toward the screen.

“Didn’t you want to watch the movie? If you fall asleep again, you’ll miss it.”

Hearing this, Bai Hao rubbed his nose, momentarily unable to discern if the woman was genuinely concerned or merely playing a trick on him.

Nevertheless, Xia Zhiquiu’s mood had lightened considerably. Just then, the movie reached its most captivating scene: the male and female leads locked in an inseparable, passionate kiss.

Watching the scene, Bai Hao felt a stir of eagerness. He lightly scratched her delicate hand, which he still held, and murmured softly.

“Sister, have you ever been in love?”

Xia Zhiquiu paused, startled by the question, then after a moment’s hesitation, shook her head.

Seeing her reaction, Bai Hao lowered his voice.

“Then… why don’t we try it? Sister, even though we haven’t known each other for very long, I’ve realized that I’ve already fallen for you.”