Is This The Right Way To Repay A Favor? Chapter 96

The Movie Theater

After The Echoes of Deep Space premiered, its high-quality production and grand sci-fi narrative sparked a viewing frenzy. Almost every showing was packed, and tickets were nearly impossible to get.

That evening, Jiang Zhou had just finished an impromptu meeting. When he reached the parking lot, he found Shen Zhiyu sitting in his car.

“Where are you taking me this time?” Jiang Zhou asked, sitting into the passenger seat and buckling his seatbelt.

Shen Zhiyu noticed the fatigue in his eyes and reached over to massage his temples. “Don’t worry, we’re not going far this time, just downtown.”

Jiang Zhou remained skeptical.

Shen Zhiyu’s dating ideas were endless. Sometimes he would drive a hundred miles just to watch a sunrise together, other times he’d enthusiastically drag Jiang Zhou out for an all-night sea fishing trip, or suddenly decide to chase dolphins. Jiang Zhou had gone from being surprised to simply being accustomed to it.

He had a feeling this destination wouldn’t be close either, so he adjusted his seat, closed his eyes, and prepared to nap.

However, just as his consciousness began to drift, the car gently stopped.

Shen Zhiyu leaned over to help him unbuckle his seatbelt, his crisp scent brushing past Jiang Zhou’s neck. Jiang Zhou groggily opened his eyes and was startled to see they were in a bustling shopping mall parking lot. “What are we doing at a mall?”

“Watching a movie.” Shen Zhiyu pulled two tickets from his pocket and waved them in front of him. “Let’s go, it’s about to start.”

Shen Zhiyu expertly put on his hat and mask, helped Jiang Zhou put his on, and led him into the elevator.

They arrived at the cinema at the precise moment the advertisements ended. Using the dim light, Shen Zhiyu tightly held his hand, navigating the packed auditorium toward a secluded corner seat in the very last row.

The familiar opening melody of the film began. Jiang Zhou suddenly remembered the sci-fi movie he had watched at Shen Zhiyu’s house a long time ago, after accompanying him for physical therapy.

So, he likes sci-fi films. Jiang Zhou realized belatedly.

“I’m sorry,” Jiang Zhou said softly, glancing at the less-than-ideal seats. “I didn’t know you wanted to see this one. I can have them arrange better seats.”

“No need.” Shen Zhiyu removed their hats and masks and tucked them into his jacket pocket.

The flickering light from the screen swept across his bright profile. He turned to Jiang Zhou and smiled faintly, reaching out to precisely grasp Jiang Zhou’s hand. His fingertip subtly hooked Jiang Zhou’s palm in an suggestive manner, his voice lowered to a whisper, blending with the movie score, barely reaching Jiang Zhou’s ear: “What we watch isn’t important, as long as I’m with you. Besides…”

He paused, drawing out the final syllable with a hint of intimacy, “The last row is quiet.”

He held the word “quiet” between his lips, exhaling it with warm breath, carrying an unspoken ambiguity. Jiang Zhou’s heart skipped a beat unexpectedly. He felt as if he had grasped something, yet he dared not dwell on it.

The lights completely dimmed, and the magnificent interstellar canvas slowly unfolded on the giant screen. The stunning visual effects and score instantly captivated the entire audience.

Jiang Zhou, however, was somewhat distracted, his gaze involuntarily drifting toward Shen Zhiyu beside him, seemingly anticipating something nervously.

Yet Shen Zhiyu appeared utterly focused, his eyes fixed on the screen, his profile looking exceptionally serious as the light and shadows shifted.

Watching his concentrated side profile, a strange sense of annoyance rose in Jiang Zhou’s heart. His own recent romantic thoughts seemed particularly “impure” compared to the other man’s perfectly proper demeanor.

He took a slight breath, sat up straight, and tried to pull his scattered thoughts back to the movie plot.

Just as he managed to focus, Shen Zhiyu’s hand, still holding his, moved slightly. He didn’t let go; instead, maintaining their clasped position, his fingers slowly and firmly intertwined with Jiang Zhou’s, turning the light grip into a tight, perfectly meshed interlock.

Jiang Zhou’s body stiffened almost imperceptibly. He abruptly turned to look at him.

“What, disappointed?” Shen Zhiyu’s voice was extremely low, almost a breath, mixed into the stirring background music.

Jiang Zhou’s ear tingled slightly from his breath, and his breathing instantly fell out of rhythm. “Disappointed about what?”

He tried to pull his hand back, but the force was so weak it was almost a coy invitation.

“Do you really want me to say it?” Shen Zhiyu leaned closer.

The distance instantly closed. Their arms pressed tightly together, and the continuous warmth of their bodies transmitted through the fabric, creating an overwhelming presence.

Jiang Zhou nervously averted his gaze. “That’s not necessary.”

Shen Zhiyu turned his head, his lips practically touching Jiang Zhou’s earlobe. The hot breath rushed in, causing a subtle shiver. “Were you just thinking about this?”

In the darkness, the other man’s movements were precise and decisive.

Jiang Zhou’s heart hammered in his chest, his mind completely swallowed by the surrounding darkness. He felt nervous and shy, yet an uncontrollable, thrilling sense of transgression began to sprout.

Even though the seats around them were full, light flickered in the air, and whispers and soft laughter intertwined, beneath this surface of safety, a certain boundary was being silently crossed.

He felt his skin become overly sensitive, as if clusters of flames had ignited on his body, spreading like a wildfire that was impossible to resist.

He wanted to break free, but his body seemed to choose compromise before his will, even beginning to offer a faint, shameful response in an unguarded moment.

Just then, the screen light abruptly brightened, instantly illuminating the pair of eyes so close to him. They were swirling with dark emotions and undisguised heat, like a bottomless vortex threatening to completely consume him.

“Be good, don’t make a scene. It’s not appropriate in public,” Shen Zhiyu released his hand, and his warm lips gently landed on Jiang Zhou’s slightly trembling eyelid, kissing away the moisture that was about to fall.

Jiang Zhou was so exasperated by his shameless, blame-shifting behavior that he almost laughed. He turned his head and glared fiercely at him, but the look was watery and utterly lacking in menace.

Shen Zhiyu seemed genuinely content with just teasing him, and didn’t continue his mischief afterward. However, Jiang Zhou’s heart rate refused to calm down. The heat inside him rose instead of subsiding, and his blood still roared through his veins. He barely registered anything that happened in the second half of the movie.

It wasn’t until the end credits rolled and the lights came up that the surrounding audience began to rustle and stand up to leave.

Jiang Zhou was still immersed in that intense mix of shame and excitement, his cheeks flushed crimson.

Shen Zhiyu, acting as if nothing had happened, naturally helped him put on his mask and hat, then took his hand and stood up. “Let’s go, the movie’s over.”

Jiang Zhou let himself be pulled along, keeping his head down, not daring to make eye contact with anyone in the dispersing crowd.

The surrounding noise and bright lights created a stark contrast to the secrecy of the darkness where his senses had been infinitely amplified, making him feel increasingly disoriented. Yet, his heart continued to pound due to this disorientation and the lingering thrill.

Stepping out of the cinema and into the relatively quiet and spacious underground parking lot, the cool draft of air slightly dispersed the heat on Jiang Zhou’s face.

Shen Zhiyu turned his head, looking at the man beside him whose ears were still red and whose eyes were flickering. He couldn’t help but chuckle again, naturally wrapping an arm around Jiang Zhou’s waist and pulling him closer. “President Jiang, still craving more? How about we go back and ‘re-experience’ it?”

“You!” Jiang Zhou was choked with anger. He wanted to call him shameless, but the words caught in his throat as he recalled the embarrassing scenes in the theater, causing his cheeks to flare red again. In the end, he just squeezed the palm of Shen Zhiyu’s hand that was holding his.

Shen Zhiyu cooperated with a pained grunt, though the amusement in his eyes deepened. He held Jiang Zhou’s struggling hand tightly, refusing to let him escape, and continued to propose in that low, seductive voice: “Fine, if you don’t want to go back, we won’t. Then, how about in the car?”

This highly suggestive remark sent Jiang Zhou’s slightly calmed heart racing out of control once more.

He looked up, glaring at Shen Zhiyu, but in those deep, smiling eyes, he clearly saw the undeniable, thoroughly ignited flutter and confusion on his own face.