MTMIO Chapter 69

Chapter 69: Love is the Submersion of Free Will

After calling Auntie Liu to report that she wouldn’t be home for dinner because they were going to see a movie that night, they casually finished their dinner in the pedestrian street and then went to the cinema on the top floor.

She bought popcorn and held it out for Yue Yunxi.

Lu You suddenly remembered and said, “Do you remember that one time you took several of us little kids to the arcade?”

Yue Yunxi nodded, “Yes.”

Lu You took out the movie tickets and handed them to the ticket taker, saying, “That night we went to see a movie together, and you bought everyone popcorn.”

There were many people that time, and Tao Xin’s seat was next to his classmate, so Lu You was lucky enough to sit next to Yue Yunxi.

Yue Yunxi remembered it immediately, and her lips curled into a smile, “You ate my popcorn, ate more than half of it, and then stuffed the bucket back to me, saying, ‘I don’t want any more, it’s all for you, eat more.'”

Lu You was amused by her past self and laughed all the way until she reached the entrance of the corresponding theater.

“I thought it was my popcorn. It wasn’t until after the movie that I realized my bucket was on my left,” Lu You said, glancing at the seats on the movie ticket by the light of the aisle, “Last row, 6 and 7.”

Going inside and walking up the steps, she continued, “You don’t even know, my hand touched yours when I reached for the popcorn. I was thinking, ‘Huh? Does Yunxi-jie really like popcorn that much? Did she finish hers so quickly? She’s already eating mine.'”

“So you kindly gave it all to me?” Yue Yunxi said with a smile.

The two sat down in their seats, and Lu You asked, “Weren’t you speechless at the time?”

Yue Yunxi fell into her memories.

She still remembered that they were watching a horror movie.

A domestic horror movie, as usual, without any real ghosts, relying entirely on startling music and camera angles to scare people.

The plot was illogical and boring, and she was getting sleepy until Lu You took her popcorn.

The first time she took it, she didn’t think much of it.

The second, third time… she slowly discovered a pattern. Whenever a scary scene played, Lu You would tilt her head, cover her ears with one hand, and reach over with the other to take her popcorn, stuffing one piece after another into her mouth.

She was overly well-behaved, not making a fuss, just quietly eating popcorn when she was scared.

Yue Yunxi’s heart immediately softened. She wanted to accompany this coward by sharing popcorn.

So she also reached into the bucket, picking out one piece of popcorn after another.

After the movie revealed that the strange events were all man-made, Lu You stuffed the popcorn bucket into her arms.

The little girl leaned half her body on the armrest, leaned close to her ear, and said very considerately, “Eat more if you like it.”

“I was a little speechless,” Yue Yunxi said with a faint smile, “I thought you were pretty nice, still knowing to leave me half.”

It was both embarrassing and funny.

Lu You raised her hand to cover her face and laughed quietly for a while. She caught sight of someone entering the theater from the corner of her eye and finally stopped, saying, “I almost couldn’t hold back.”

Yue Yunxi picked out a caramel-covered piece of popcorn from the bucket on her lap and held it out to her, “So you’re the one who likes popcorn.”

The people who had just entered the theater were walking up the steps, chatting softly, and didn’t pay much attention to this area for the time being.

Lu You didn’t reach out to take it. She lowered her head and quickly bit the popcorn from her fingers into her mouth.

Her teeth grazed her fingertips, creating a slight tingling sensation. Yue Yunxi curled her hand slightly, silently curved her lips, and handed her another one.

Lu You still took it directly with her mouth.

After being fed four pieces, Lu You finally found an opportunity to stop the next feeding, “Um, no more for now.”

Yue Yunxi already had a piece of popcorn in her hand. Hearing this, she turned and put it in her own mouth.

Her fingertips were covered with a thin layer of caramel. Her red lips parted slightly, and she gently licked it off.

“You…” Lu You turned her head and happened to see this scene, involuntarily swallowing.

Yue Yunxi: “Hmm?”

Lu You was like a rusty machine, running hot with friction, unable to think, and slowly finished asking the question: “Don’t you like it?”

As Yue Yunxi turned around, all the lights in the theater suddenly went out.

In the few seconds of darkness, Lu You felt the warm breath approaching with utmost clarity.

Almost instinctively, she leaned in.

The projection landed on the screen, and the big screen lit up. Another pair of soft lips covered hers.

It wasn’t just a simple touch. Yue Yunxi’s tongue licked her lips.

Lu You’s cerebral cortex instantly went numb.

Someone had mentioned online a long time ago that there were night vision cameras in the theater, and everything you did would be clearly seen by the people in the back.

But she couldn’t care about that anymore. Yue Yunxi’s lips were still pressed against hers, moist, warm, and soft. The lingering taste of caramel popcorn filled the intimate contact of their lips and teeth.

How could she not have distinguished between friendship and love before?

In this love, every word and action could arouse a pounding heartbeat and throbbing.

Like the heat of boiling water, filling her entire heart.

The feeling on her lips disappeared. Lu You heard the sound of the movie officially starting in her right ear, and Yue Yunxi’s moist breath in her left ear.

“I like it quite a bit.”

It was unclear whether this was saying she liked the popcorn.

Or saying she liked the popcorn-flavored kiss.

And there was no need to distinguish.

There was an annoying armrest between the chairs. Lu You flipped it up, shifted her position, moved closer to Yue Yunxi, and watched the movie while picking a piece of popcorn from the bucket on her lap and putting it in her mouth.

She also liked it quite a bit.

The first half of the movie was humorous, but the second half was full of sighs and regrets.

In case I don’t see you, good morning, good afternoon, and good night.

When she walked out of the theater, Lu You’s mind was still replaying the last classic line and Truman’s extremely gentlemanly bow. Thinking about it, she couldn’t help but sigh.

“What’s wrong?” Yue Yunxi asked.

Lu You folded her arms and stood firmly on the escalator, saying, “I’ve only seen explanations of this movie before. I feel like watching it completely is a completely different experience. It has so many thought-provoking points.”

“Yes, that’s why it’s called a classic,” Yue Yunxi said softly, “Want to talk about your feelings?”

“I don’t know how to say it.” The bag containing the umbrella was a bit heavy. Lu You lifted it onto her shoulder, “So many thoughts, so complicated, all messed up.”

There were too many feelings, like a tangled mess, impossible to unravel.

“Then just say whatever comes to mind. You don’t have to be so organized when chatting with your girlfriend.”

Lu You smiled, “I just feel like that fake world is like his comfort zone. If the truth hadn’t been revealed, staying in it might not have been bad.

But I also really liked the part where he broke away from his predetermined life trajectory and fell in love with Lauren at first sight.”

Speaking of this, she subconsciously looked at Yue Yunxi.

Yue Yunxi was also looking at her, her eyes gentle and soft, and her response was also gentle: “Love is the autonomous choice of free will. I also like that part very much.”

Lu You immediately felt relaxed and happy, and the corners of her mouth turned up.

There was nothing more pleasing than having matching views and harmonious thoughts.

“And the part where he escaped, he was so brave, able to overcome his psychological fear of the sea, daring to face the unknown storm, no matter what the future holds, just striving for it.”

Her piano journey was also like this.

Lu You habitually went to turn her pinky ring, pinched the bone of her left little finger, and then remembered that the pinky ring was hanging around Yue Yunxi’s neck. She had to lower her hand and give up.

Yue Yunxi’s gaze lingered on the scar on her knuckle. She reached out and took her hand, interlacing her fingers through her fingers, and suggested, “Let’s take a walk before going back.”

“Okay.”

Except for the little finger that wasn’t connected to the nerve and uncontrollably tilted slightly, Lu You bent her other four fingers and clasped Yue Yunxi’s hand.

Her thoughts were still stuck in her confused feelings. Following Yue Yunxi’s words, she said whatever came to mind, “Friends, family, lovers, participating in nearly a third of a person’s life, it’s fake and it’s real. Everyone knows the truth, knows how his life should go, knows that his father has always been there, only he has been kept in the dark…”

Noticing that Yue Yunxi’s hand tightened, Lu You paused before continuing, “In the end, he can still give a blessing as usual, how magnanimous.”

Her tone was ambiguous.

Before she finished speaking, she noticed the watch store on her hand. She turned her feet and pulled Yue Yunxi into the store.

Whether it was because she turned too suddenly or because Yue Yunxi was distracted, Lu You clearly felt Yue Yunxi pause for a moment.

After entering the store, the shop assistant greeted them with a professional smile and asked if they needed any recommendations.

Lu You waved her hand and said that they would look around on their own first.

The shop assistant retreated behind them tactfully, maintaining a safe distance that wouldn’t bother the customers.

The fragrance in the store was fresh and elegant, lingering in the air, giving the entire space a refined atmosphere. Combined with the texture of the watches and the attentive service, the shopping experience was pleasant and comfortable.

While Lu You admired Yue Yunxi’s good taste, she couldn’t help but think it was funny how hard she was selling.

Walking forward along the display case, she looked around and suddenly heard Yue Yunxi ask softly, “If you were Truman, would you be so magnanimous?”

Lu You asked, “Then are you in the crowd deceiving me?”

Yue Yunxi rolled her throat, her voice even softer, “…What if I was?”

Lu You imagined this kind of “what if,” and didn’t say anything for a moment. After a moment, she shook her head.

Yue Yunxi’s heart was rapidly beating. It was suddenly paused, hanging high in the unknown.

Lu You glanced sideways, saw her pursing her lips, smiled mischievously, and said after a beat, “I don’t know. It’s hard to say whether I would be, because I’m not Truman. My limited imagination really can’t put myself in that kind of situation.”

She paused and added, “And there are no ‘what ifs’ in the world.”

Hearing this, the corner of Yue Yunxi’s eye twitched slightly, very lightly, as if the muscle was twitching from the feeling of weightlessness caused by the sudden fall of her heart.

There wasn’t a watch in the display case with a dial that showed the day and night area in the shape of a deer, but there was a watch of the same style and different color as the one on her wrist. Under the lights, it had a subtle shimmer of black, with only the moon on the dial being a pale white.

The silver card next to it introducing the design concept compared the crescent moon to a heart.

It wrote: “Carry a sincere heart, and you can light up the stars even when walking in the dark.”

Lu You inexplicably thought of Yue Yunxi’s feelings for her. She raised her right hand and placed it on the counter, and the watch circling her wrist lightly tapped the surface.

The metal clasp collided with the glass, making a subtle sound.

Lu You shook her head and immediately called the sales assistant to take the watch out of the display case.

Holding it in her hand and examining it for a circle, Lu You didn’t find any problems. She glanced at the side of her eye and said, “Put it on and let me see.”

Her gaze suddenly stopped, and she turned to that side.

Yue Yunxi’s gaze was fixed on her, but she wasn’t really looking at her. Her thoughts were lost in something, and her expression was very faint, without any expression.

Like paper scooped out of the water, thin, transparent, as if it was about to break at any time, but it hadn’t reached that point yet.

Lu You shook the hands of the two people, and asked her to regain her senses.

Yue Yunxi came back to her senses and reached over to try on the watch.

The watch circled Yue Yunxi’s wrist bone, setting off her fair skin, and was also very suitable for her temperament, elegant with a hint of charm, very feminine.

Lu You put her hand close to it and mentally added the most important thing: it matches the one on her hand very well.

After admiring it enough, Lu You hooked the small tag on the watch with her fingertip and said grandly, “Please help her cut this off and give me the bill.”

The tag was cut off, and the salesperson went to get the POS machine.

Yue Yunxi curled her hand and asked uncertainly, “A new watch, is it for me?”

“Yes.”

“Why not for yourself?”

Lu You supported her head with the hand wearing the watch, “Because I don’t want to give the time back to you.”

Yue Yunxi chuckled softly and responded with a “Okay~”.

The elongated syllables were filled with an indulgent and doting tone.

She withdrew her hand from the counter and put it in her coat pocket: “I accept your time.”

–

After leaving the watch store, Lu You was led by Yue Yunxi to several more jewelry stores.

The scar on her little finger was hideous and distorted, and the everyday style of the pinky ring couldn’t cover it. The ones with a stronger sense of design depended on fate.

After picking and choosing, Lu You still didn’t see one she liked. She continued browsing until Fantacy, noticing a separate glass cover display case in the corner of the store.

Inside lay a very beautiful snowflake ring. It was a bit special, with the texture of ceramic, but it didn’t seem to be made of ceramic.

The salesperson said that it was their CEO Fu’s own ring. It was made by that CEO Fu’s girlfriend using stone clay, bit by bit. Dozens of them were broken before this perfect one came out. The boss wanted to show off his love and ordered it to be placed in every branch store in Nanquan City for a week.

Lu You twitched the corner of her mouth, having been shown a face full of love.

The salesperson comforted her, saying that it was much more fragile than ceramic, and recommended that she look at the other styles in the store.

Yue Yunxi saw her puff up her cheeks and couldn’t help reaching out to pinch them twice, “I’ll make one for you when we get back.”

Lu You thought of the salesperson saying that dozens of them were broken, and shook her head, “It’s too much trouble, no. I’m just curious what it’s made of.”

In the end, she picked out a similar style to the one Yue Yunxi was wearing around her neck at the Fantacy store, which could just cover the scar. She was quite satisfied.

While Yue Yunxi was paying, Auntie Liu called to remind them not to go home too late.

After picking out some cakes and pastries at the pastry shop for tomorrow’s breakfast, the two didn’t linger any longer and headed straight for the open-air parking lot, preparing to go home.

However, the weather wasn’t on their side. After leaving the mall and turning into the alley, the rain that had been stored in the clouds for a day poured down like a bucket had been overturned.

Lu You quickly took out an umbrella from her bag and opened it.

The rain was too heavy to drive for the time being. Lu You sent a text message to Auntie Liu while holding the umbrella and said to Yue Yunxi, “There’s a Shiguang Bookstore ahead. Let’s go inside and read for a while, and go back when the rain gets lighter.”

Lu You closed the umbrella under the eaves outside the bookstore, and Yue Yunxi went inside to ask the front desk for a plastic bag to put the umbrella in.

Holding the umbrella handle, Lu You swung off most of the rainwater before remembering that she hadn’t asked Yue Yunxi about the umbrella.

The door of the bookstore was pushed open from the inside, and the wind chimes rang.

Yue Yunxi opened the plastic bag and handed it over. Lu You stuffed the umbrella in after smoothing it out.

Her fingers pressed on the wooden deer antlers carved on the umbrella handle, slowly moving away, revealing the bow on it. She looked up and clearly caught Yue Yunxi’s eyelashes fluttering slightly.

“This umbrella…” Lu You asked hesitantly, “Is it mine?”

“Yes,” Yue Yunxi admitted frankly, “You lent it to me, but I never gave it back to you.”

“Why didn’t you give it back to me?” After entering the bookstore, Lu You looked around.

There were many people lingering in the store waiting for the rain to stop. They were all casually looking at the books on the shelves and chatting softly.

Yue Yunxi said, “I forgot.”

Lu You lowered her voice, sounding like she was gnashing her teeth, “Whenever I lend out my umbrella, no one ever returns it to me. I pray every day for someone with a conscience to appear.”

Lu You glared at Yue Yunxi, accusing her of being unconscionable.

Yue Yunxi laughed softly and explained, “I did remember it in the middle, but I was abroad at the time. I didn’t want my mom or Tao Xin to help return it. If I asked them to return it, the umbrella might become Tao Xin’s. So I just kept it there. Later…”

She paused and looked at Lu You, her eyes gradually softening, “It’s because I didn’t want to return it anymore.”

Someone else came in, setting off the wind chimes on the door. The sound of the chimes colliding mixed with the sound of the rain, all being sent by the wind into this corner of the bookshelf where no one was.

But Lu You seemed to hear her own heartbeat in the midst of these noises.

“Is it time to tell me now?” She turned around, approached Yue Yunxi, looked directly into her eyes, and asked in a softer voice, as if bewitching people, “When did that ‘later’ happen? When did you start liking me?”

Yue Yunxi’s eyes flickered, like ripples on a calm lake stirred by the wind.

In the circle of ripples, she seemed to return to Tao Xin’s birthday party, seeing the water stage where the ripples spread at the corner of the hotel lobby.

A piano was placed in the center of the stage.

She had just returned to the country not long ago and was busy contacting concerts and invitations from major music academies. She had been working non-stop for several days and finally got a break. Originally, she didn’t want to go, but she couldn’t resist Yue Shao’s repeated urging.

She went very late.

And fortunately, she went very late.

Walking into the hall, she saw Lu You, wearing a moon-white shiny little dress, taking off her high heels in front of the water stage and stepping barefoot into the water, holding up her skirt.

She was walking very slowly, as if she wasn’t afraid of the water, but was controlling the water. Every step of the scene was very beautiful.

Like a frame from an art film that could be cut out as a background image.

Especially when she finally stood in front of the piano, holding her skirt with one hand and playing the piano with the other.

The piano piece “Kiss the Rain” was very fitting for the scene, but she played it messily with one hand.

When the piano stopped, Yue Yunxi had just walked to the edge of the pool and heard her laugh and say: “The piano is good, the song is good, but she is not good.”

How could she not be good?

She was clearly the best of the people she knew.

Yue Yunxi couldn’t help but stop.

Then, Lu You raised her head, flicked her long hair behind her ear with the hand that had been playing the piano, and turned her face to look at her, smiling softly.

She called her Yunxi-jie, saying it had been a long time.

They hadn’t seen each other for two years.

To her, it was the unfamiliar yet familiar, twenty-year-old Lu You.

…

“Twenty-four years old,” Yue Yunxi said, “My twenty-four years old.”

Lu You’s heart trembled, like a cut had been opened, pouring in the wind and rain outside. The surging was all sadness.

Six years.

It really had been that long.

It had really been this long.

“You told me it wasn’t that long,” Lu You’s voice was filled with moisture.

“I always thought that the first heartbeat originated from the charm of appearance.”

Yue Yunxi brushed the slightly damp hair beside her temples, her voice like it had broken through the rain and mist to reach her ears.

“I haven’t liked you for a long time, I just always have been moved by you again and again at different times.”

Love is the autonomous choice of free will.

It is the sinking of countless autonomous choices.

Lu You’s eyes rippled again and again, accumulating a layer of water mist at the bottom, and her chest felt severely sour and blocked.

Footsteps approached, and the strangers who walked to this place looked at them again and again, gossiping.

Lu You grabbed Yue Yunxi’s wrist and walked out quickly.

She regretted it. Why did she ask this question here?

They couldn’t kiss, or even hug.

“Not reading anymore?” Yue Yunxi asked her softly with a smile.

Lu You didn’t say anything, thinking in her heart that she was going to read what P book.

It was still raining outside, pattering on the surface of the umbrella. The small deer antlers on the umbrella handle were pressing into her palm, a dull pain.

Walking to the car, she unlocked it. Lu You held the umbrella and sent Yue Yunxi to the passenger seat. She opened the car door and saw the flowers waiting on the seat through the gap.

Such a large bunch, it must be in the way when holding it!

Lu You put her hand on the car door and pushed it closed again.

Yue Yunxi turned around to look at her.

There were no lights in this area, only the neon lights of the distant street area vaguely projected on the car body. The wind and rain were like splashing ink at night. In the rich dimness, an umbrella framed an independent world.

They easily captured each other’s sight.

Lu You leaned over, closer, their noses touching. Yue Yunxi leaned her back against the car door and reached out to climb on her shoulders.

She pressed lightly and sealed a kiss.

The car body was being rained on, and the water droplets were flowing down the cold, hard steel and glass, dragging the reflected neon light as if it were about to be submerged in the water.

The feeling ignited by the touch of lips and tongue was the opposite, continuing upward.

The kiss, intertwined with many complex emotions, was more intense than it had been in the theater.

Yue Yunxi tasted saltiness in her lips. She couldn’t tell if it was rainwater or tears, and she reached out to touch it.

As soon as her fingertips touched Lu You’s face, her wrist was grabbed and pressed against the car door.

Her heart jumped heavily.

The umbrella that Lu You was holding with her other hand shook with this action.

Outside the umbrella, the world was windy and rainy, shaking the dense branches of the night. Farther away in the sky, there was a moon hidden in the clouds.

Inside the umbrella, a continuous and airtight kiss, as if to melt her deepest touches into the other’s heart through the rubbing of her lips.

Lu You stroked the watch on Yue Yunxi’s wrist, pursed her lips, and sucked heavily.

She seemed to be able to hear the vibration in Yue Yunxi’s chest in Yue Yunxi’s gasping breath.

A soft heart that had throbbed for her many times.

And people call the heart beating in the darkness the moon.

…

Even after getting into the car, Yue Yunxi couldn’t confirm whether the faint saltiness on her lips was rain or Lu You’s tears.

Lu You bumped her head on the steering wheel and didn’t admit that she was crying. She covered her face and said in a muffled voice, “No, I’m just a little… shy.”

Yue Yunxi chuckled.

The rain was still falling, and she didn’t know when it would get lighter. Lu You couldn’t stand the too quiet atmosphere in the car, because she couldn’t help but savor what she had just done.

Just as she was about to open her mouth, Yue Yunxi spoke first.

“It’s a good thing I didn’t take the flowers to the movies,” Yue Yunxi gently stroked the polyanthus roses inside, “Otherwise they would have been wilted by the rain.”

“This apricot-colored cheerleader was bought yesterday. I wanted to give it to you when I got home, but I was interrupted by grandma. Later, I wanted to let you take it yourself before you left, but I was too sleepy again…”

Yue Yunxi smiled silently, not knowing what she was thinking, and the hand stroking the flowers gradually slowed down.

The car fell into silence again.

Lu You cleared her throat.

Yue Yunxi came back to her senses, but didn’t say anything.

“You’re so distracted today.”

“Am I?”

“Once just now, and once at the watch store.” With the watch pressing against her forehead, Lu You adjusted her posture and asked, “What were you thinking about at the time?”

Yue Yunxi leaned her elbow on the car window, propped her head up, and pondered, “Thinking about two sentences you said.”

“Hmm?” Lu You asked, “Which two sentences?”

Yue Yunxi glanced at her through the dimness, withdrew her gaze and cast it on the bouquet, her lowered eyelashes concealing her exposed thoughts, “I forgot.”

Lu You: “…”

After all, it had been a long time, so it was normal to forget.

Lu You asked, “Then what about just now? What were you thinking about just now? You can’t have forgotten that, right?”

Yue Yunxi was amused by her resentful tone.

A car passed by outside, turned on its high beams, and the bright yellow light fell in from the car window, shining on Yue Yunxi’s body, dividing her whole person into a crescent moon.

Half clear, half dark.

In the darkness, Lu You’s two sentences floated in her mind.

——”Not entirely, people and animals are ultimately different.”

——”It’s hard to say if it would be, because I’m not Truman.”

On the bright side, she raised her hand and stroked the petals of the rose, which was so beautiful.

“I was thinking, it’s really not easy for it to get into my hands.”