Agreed to Just Once - Chapter 12 :Two Movie Tickets
Chapter 12 :Two Movie Tickets
Grandma Jiang had prepared too much dumpling wrapper dough, so the three of them worked until midnight.
Fortunately, the weekend had arrived.
Early in the morning, Jiang Yinian and He Wenshuo accompanied Grandma to the airport together. After listening to her detailed instructions, they took a taxi home.
In the backseat of the car, He Wenshuo nudged the arm resting against Jiang Yinian’s: It’s the weekend again. Any plans?
What plans could there be? Jiang Yinian’s eyelids were heavy with sleep: Going back to sleep.
They had stayed up too late last night, past his usual bedtime. As a result, his mind was still active when he lay down, and after playing on his phone for a while, it took him a long time to finally fall asleep.
An afternoon of catching up on sleep should be enough. He Wenshuo pulled out the two movie tickets he had obtained yesterday from his pocket and suggested, How about we go watch a movie tonight after we wake up?
What movie?
Jiang Yinian took the tickets and looked at them. The showtime was at 7 PM at a cinema they had been to before. He remembered that the popcorn at this theater was quite good.
Shall we go?
Sure.
After all, there was nothing else to do.
After catching up on sleep, Jiang Yinian and He Wenshuo had a simple dinner and arrived at the cinema waiting area twenty minutes before the movie started.
Tao Hao and the others were already there. The boys were gathered around a small table in the waiting area, chatting idly, and naturally, the topic turned to He Wenshuo, who had also received movie tickets but hadn’t shown up yet.
Let’s guess whether He Wenshuo will come to the movie today.
He should come, right? He got two tickets yesterday. It’s the weekend, and there’s nothing else to do. Why wouldn’t he come watch a free movie?
Maybe he’s on a date. You know how he never shows up on weekends. It’s impossible to get him out.
Maybe he’ll bring his girlfriend with him later.
You’re really daring to guess. He definitely won’t.
Why not take a guess? Want to make a bet? Let’s bet on Monday’s breakfast. The loser has to get up early and wait in line to buy it.
Deal. Guo Jian was the first to place his bet, raising a finger: I bet he doesn’t come at all.
Tao Hao joined in: Then I bet he brings his girlfriend.
Zhu Xing: I’ll go for the underdog. I bet he comes alone!
No sooner had he spoken than a familiar figure appeared at the cinema entrance—it was He Wenshuo.
He came!
Zhu Xing had just celebrated inwardly for two seconds about securing Monday’s breakfast when he noticed He Wenshuo was accompanied by another boy.
Huh? A boy?
He turned to look at Guo Jian and Tao Hao, spreading his hands: He came, but he brought a guy. Who wins the bet?
Tao Hao waved them over: He Wenshuo, over here, come over.
He Wenshuo brought Jiang Yinian over to the group.
Guo Jian glanced at Jiang Yinian, then turned his gaze to He Wenshuo: I thought you weren’t coming.
I never said I wasn’t. He Wenshuo introduced Jiang Yinian to the others: This is Jiang Yinian, my good friend.
The boys smiled and greeted him cheerfully: Hey, friend.
Jiang Yinian: Hey.
On the way there, He Wenshuo had already told him that, barring any surprises, they would likely run into his classmates at the cinema.
Although they had briefly met before, Jiang Yinian wasn’t worried about being recognized. To be honest, whether he wore a wig and dress made a significant difference.
Come, come, sit over here.
Tao Hao kicked Zhu Xing and Guo Jian who were taking up space, making room for Jiang Yinian and the other.
Alright.
Jiang Yinian didn’t stand on ceremony either. Since they were all around the same age and shared similar interests, he blended into this small friend group quite naturally.
I’m going to buy drinks.
He Wenshuo informed Jiang Yinian before heading to the cinema concession stand. Of course, watching a movie required snacks to pass the time. They had only eaten a simple dinner earlier, and Jiang Yinian hadn’t eaten much.
Upon hearing this, Guo Jian stood up as well: I’ll go with you. I need to buy something too.
At the concession stand, Lin Nao—the one who had obtained numerous free movie tickets for everyone—was the only one not watching the film, as his name unfortunately appeared on today’s cinema schedule.
Not only did he have to work at the counter selling popcorn and drinks, but he also had to endure his classmates’ shameless exploitation.
He Wenshuo: The largest portion, freshly made popcorn. If it’s not fresh, it won’t taste good enough.
Guo Jian: Please fill my Coke cup to the brim, as full as possible. You know how much I love Coke. Also, my popcorn needs to be fresh too, piled high.
Lin Nao leaned on the counter, silently watching the two: …
After a long pause, he still professionally reminded the two oblivious customers: Please pay first.
After collecting the payment, and since the popcorn bin was running low, Lin Nao skillfully began making a new batch.
He Wenshuo and Guo Jian stood waiting at the counter.
Guo Jian glanced back at Jiang Yinian, then nudged He Wenshuo with his elbow: Hey, why didn’t you bring your girlfriend along?
He Wenshuo also looked back at Jiang Yinian, who was chatting with Tao Hao and the others, then turned back: Since the tickets were given to me, I can bring whoever I want.
Guo Jian sometimes felt like He Wenshuo was schizophrenic. Hey, is your buddy more important than your girlfriend?
He Wenshuo: There’s no comparison. They’re equally important. Coincidentally, his current girlfriend and his best buddy were the same person.
Though Guo Jian didn’t understand, he surprisingly felt that He Wenshuo was somewhat loyal: So, you’re saying Tao Hao and the rest of us are as important as your girlfriend?
He Wenshuo gave Guo Jian a speechless look: That’s different.
Guo Jian: … As if anyone cared.
The popcorn emerged with a rich buttery aroma, instantly captivating everyone nearby.
Taking advantage of his position in line, He Wenshuo secured the freshest large portion and placed it on the table in front of Jiang Yinian, generously sharing it this time.
The popcorn was golden, crispy, and carried a creamy fragrance.
It tasted even better.
In a good mood, Jiang Yinian kept popping one piece after another into his mouth. He wondered what ingredients were added to cinema popcorn—he and Grandma had tried recreating it at home but could never achieve such a fragrant flavor.
Seeing Jiang Yinian enjoy the popcorn, He Wenshuo glanced toward the concession stand again, considering whether to buy another portion as backup. With so many people and mouths to feed, this large serving would likely be finished soon.
It was rare to see the tightwad being generous for once. Tao Hao and the others happily mooched some snacks while continuing their earlier topic: We were just betting on whether He Wenshuo would show up today, and whether he’d bring his girlfriend.
Jiang Yinian casually asked, Who won?
Guo Jian: No one won, because none of us guessed he’d leave his girlfriend behind and bring you, his buddy, to the movies instead.
Jiang Yinian smiled without responding and kept munching on popcorn.
He Wenshuo scanned the group: Don’t you have anything better to do? Why were they always gossiping about him day in and day out.
Guo Jian shrugged: We’re betting precisely because we’re bored.
Tao Hao was curious: So why didn’t you bring your girlfriend?
He Wenshuo replied stiffly: He wasn’t available.
Pfft~
Tao Hao struck up a conversation with Jiang Yinian like they were old friends: You’re not from our university, are you? I’ve never seen you around. With Jiang Yinian’s looks and demeanor, he’d definitely remember if they’d met before.
Jiang Yinian: No, I’m not. He rarely visited He Wenshuo’s campus, as He Wenshuo usually came to his instead—it was conveniently on the way home.
Tao Hao rubbed his hands together: Can I ask you something? Are you seeing anyone?
Jiang Yinian shook his head.
He Wenshuo cut in: Yes, he is.
Tao Hao: ?
Guo Jian joined in: Oh? Which is it?
He Wenshuo pointed at Tao Hao: What’s your problem? Why are you always so concerned about whether other people are dating?
Tao Hao looked innocent: I was going to say, if he isn’t, I could set him up. A junior recently asked me to help her find a boyfriend. He thought Jiang Yinian would be perfect for her, absolutely ideal.
Get lost. He Wenshuo shoved Tao Hao aside. Why don’t you date her yourself? Why was he always meddling in other people’s business?
Tao Hao sighed: No can do. She’s not my type. Besides, I’m not setting you up, so why are you getting so worked up?
He Wenshuo turned to look at Jiang Yinian.
Jiang Yinian took a sip of his drink and stated: I don’t need it either. I’m not planning on dating for now.
Tao Hao was disappointed his matchmaking had failed: Alright, if you change your mind, feel free to contact me anytime.
He Wenshuo couldn’t sit still any longer. He pulled Jiang Yian away from these problematic people. It’s about time. Let’s go queue for ticket checks.
Hey!
Tao Hao reached out, trying to stop Jiang Yinian, and complained to He Wenshuo: We were just talking. What’s your deal? If your girlfriend keeps a tight leash on you, fine, but why are you so possessive of your buddy too?
He Wenshuo didn’t look back: What’s the difference? My partner is mine, and my buddy is mine too.
Guo Jian laughed heartily at the spectacle: There’s a pretty big difference, you know.
The movie was about to start, and they passed through ticket checks quickly.
Perhaps because they were using free tickets, their seats were all toward the back. Jiang Yinian and He Wenshuo were in the second-to-last row, while Tao Hao and the others were in the third-to-last row, all sitting close to one another.
The screening room was quite large, and likely because it was a private booking, the attendance was low. Many seats in the front rows were empty, but those with free tickets conscientiously didn’t take liberties and sat in their assigned seats.
There was a brief commotion in the front rows when they entered, but Jiang Yinian didn’t pay much attention because the movie started soon after.
A decent film with beautiful visuals and a tight pace. The only drawback during the viewing was that just as the movie reached its most exciting part, the large screen suddenly flickered. The originally beautiful scenes vanished, replaced by a carefully prepared proposal documentary.
Jiang Yinian withdrew his gaze from the screen and lowered his head to fiddle with the nearly empty popcorn bucket.
Being cut off abruptly was somewhat uncomfortable, but remembering the ticket was free made it feel less bothersome.
They’re here, they’re here!
Tao Hao and a few others stood up and moved toward the front rows to watch the excitement. After all, it was a real-life proposal scene, something they rarely got to witness firsthand.
But the warm atmosphere in the front rows unexpectedly shifted.
The couple who had just been intimately engaged in a proposal suddenly started arguing.
Jiang Yinian sensed something was wrong. When he looked up, he happened to see the main couple from the documentary running out of the theater one after the other.
Speaking of which… it seemed the proposal had derailed. Would the movie continue playing?
He Wenshuo hadn’t joined the crowd in the front rows either, remaining in the back with Jiang Yinian as they chatted.
He had seen more of the proposal video than Jiang Yinian: So proposals can actually fail. The footage just shown had depicted the couple as incredibly sweet and deeply in love.
Jiang Yinian speculated, They probably didn’t discuss it beforehand.
He Wenshuo found it contradictory: But surprise proposals lose their surprise if discussed in advance, don’t they?
Jiang Yinian, familiar with similar cases, explained, That’s true, but it’s best to propose when the girl subtly shows willingness. Otherwise, the surprise might turn into a shock. He noted how the proposed girl had fled as if frightened.
He Wenshuo withdrew his gaze, muttering to himself, Girls’ thoughts must be so hard to decipher.
As if boys’ thoughts were any easier to figure out. Jiang Yinian also felt sorry about the failed proposal, but he thought He Wenshuo was being unnecessarily dramatic: Why worry when you don’t even have a girlfriend right now?
What? What!
Guo Jian suddenly popped up from behind, wide-eyed as he stared at He Wenshuo: You don’t have a girlfriend anymore!
He Wenshuo whipped his head around: !
What was this guy doing here!
Jiang Yinian’s hand, still holding the popcorn, froze. Oh no—he’d accidentally spilled He Wenshuo’s secret without realizing it.