Shi Yi’s formal suit stood out exceptionally in a mall filled with casual clothing. Combined with his striking appearance, almost everyone who passed by stopped to look at him.
“Who is that? He is so handsome.”
“He is dressed so formally. Is he here to attend some kind of event?”
Even someone as thick-skinned as Shi Yi felt a little embarrassed. Because he had misjudged the setting, he had picked the wrong outfit. He never expected that Qianyi would invite him here for this kind of outing, an occasion so ordinary that he hadn’t even considered it as a possibility.
Watching a movie dressed like this?
Outwardly, however, he showed no sign of it, keeping his demeanor calm and composed as he followed Qianyi to the cinema’s service window.
“Hello, how can I help you?” The young staff member saw two handsome men walking toward her, and her voice involuntarily pitched up a few octaves.
“A lemon tea, and you?”
Shi Yi glanced at the beverage options on the display board. Not holding out much hope for movie theater drinks, he picked the one he ordered most often. “Coffee is fine.”
The corners of Qianyi’s mouth curved up into a slightly mischievous smile. “Would you like some popcorn?”
“No, thank you.”
Shi Yi felt a dark line cross his forehead. If he went around in a custom high-end suit holding a bucket of popcorn to watch a movie and got photographed, he wouldn’t be able to show his face in public anymore. He quickly changed the subject. “Ahem, what movie are we watching? Knowing you, you probably picked a sci-fi film.”
“That would just make me feel like I am still at work. Let’s watch something else to relax.”
Qianyi’s gaze swept across the movie posters hanging on the wall. For this season’s lineup, the available genres were reasonably diverse.
“Then… a romance film?” The mere thought of watching a romance movie with Qianyi made Shi Yi feel amused. Imagining what kind of reaction Qianyi would have to those mushy plots, he would probably find them completely boring.
Shi Yi leaned in close to Qianyi’s ear, lowering his voice into a sultry and ambiguous tone. “If you feel sleepy, you can lean on me.”
Unfortunately, his suggestion was not adopted. Qianyi pointed at one of the many movie posters.
“Let’s watch this one.”
The two of them walked into the screening room and found their assigned seats. They were going to watch a spy thriller. Once the screening started, the auditorium lights went completely dark, and everyone’s attention locked onto the screen. In the film, the opposing forces spared no effort to gather intelligence, bypassing enemy surveillance to pass along messages while plot twists unfolded one after another in a tense and fierce confrontation.
[Judging by the blueprints of this base, these spots are the most likely locations.] The protagonist’s side stood around a map holding a strategic briefing.
[But information like this leaking out could be a trap. We need to be careful!]
On screen, the vanguard team was exploring the facility. Carrying illumination equipment to scan their surroundings, they discovered an area supposedly marked as abandoned that was actually holding numerous children tied up with chains.
In the pitch-black theater, only the light reflecting from the screen illuminated their faces. Meanwhile, Shi Yi was dividing his attention, keeping most of his focus on Qianyi to observe his reactions.
[They are actually keeping children locked up in a designated demolition zone?! Using tactics like this to stall is completely inhumane!]
Shi Yi noticed that Qianyi, who had maintained a completely expressionless face throughout the movie, suddenly clenched his fists when he heard that line, a flash of anger crossing his features.
Was this really a scene worth such a strong reaction?
The locked-up children? Or something else?
He recalled the background file he had obtained on Qianyi earlier, which noted parents unknown, adopted into the Saint Laurent Orphanage at the age of three.
Shi Yi seemed to guess something, sinking into thought.
Two hours later, the movie ended, and the audience filed out still buzzing with lingering excitement. The film hadn’t disappointed; it was well worth the price of admission, and everyone who watched it was lively discussing the plot details.
“That was actually filmed quite well. It has been a long time since I saw a movie of this quality.” Shi Yi offered a rare, high compliment.
Qianyi felt there were still many flaws, finding some of the plot arrangements rather rigid. “In the end, they only broke the deadlock because of the villain’s mistake. They should have designed multiple contingency plans to adapt on the fly, instead of relying on luck like that.”
“You are so strict.”
Shi Yi smiled. This person was serious about everything he did. “Isn’t that just a dramatic technique? To create tension for the audience and things like that.”
“The more rigorous the plan, the more controllable the risks.” Qianyi retorted with serious, unwavering earnestness.
The two went back and forth arguing over the movie’s plot design. Shi Yi thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of exchanging banter with him, and the current atmosphere was just right.
Well, it was getting late, so they could continue the conversation over dinner.
If he picked a restaurant with a nice ambiance, could a candlelight dinner work? They could book a window-side seat to enjoy the scenery while sharing a gourmet meal, and then he could drive him home, rounding out the day nicely.
“Would you like to grab dinner together afterward? Is there anything you want to eat?” Shi Yi invited him, stepping in closely to get a clearer read on his intentions.
No particular emotion showed on Qianyi’s face; it was neither agreement nor rejection. Shi Yi looked straight into his eyes, but his gaze remained entirely devoid of ripples.
Qianyi looked toward the entrance of the mall. “Let’s take a walk in the park nearby. I have something to say to you.”
The park was canopied by lush trees, and the afternoon sunlight filtered down through the branches, casting dappled patterns. Golden light beams peeked through the gaps, looking dazzling and trance-inducing when looked at directly.
Fortunately, there weren’t many people in the park, and the surroundings were quite quiet, leaving plenty of space for conversation.
The temperature was also pleasant, neither too cold nor too hot, with the occasional chirp of birds echoing around. The two walked in silence for a stretch. If not for Qianyi’s opening remark, Shi Yi truly would have thought this was just an impulsive, casual stroll.
“What did you want to tell me?”
Shi Yi broke the silence first. Before they knew it, they had reached the center of the park, where a distant fountain sprayed water and numerous pigeons splashed around nearby.
Qianyi finally stopped. Standing ahead without turning back, he left Shi Yi with only his profile. “What on earth are you trying to achieve by getting close to me?”
“Huh? Didn’t I say before? I want to understand you.”
In truth, he wasn’t lying. Understanding Qianyi was indeed his primary objective. But a partial truth was not the whole truth, and Shi Yi still wore an unhurried smile to lend credibility to his words.
Qianyi was not going to be satisfied with such an answer. In his ears, that kind of reply was nothing more than light evasiveness.
It seemed Shi Yi was prepared to keep up the act until the end.
Qianyi turned completely around to face Shi Yi. His expression turned grim, his gaze growing colder. “From my perspective, you are completely wasting your time. Whatever you are hoping to get from this simply does not exist.”
“Nothing is absolute. How do you know it won’t work if you don’t try?” Shi Yi still smiled with absolute confidence, bordering on arrogance.
“It seems I need to spell it out more bluntly.”
Qianyi stepped toward Shi Yi, step by step, until he made sure there was nowhere left to retreat. They had never been this close before, their bodies nearly touching. Because they were so close, Shi Yi actually found it harder to read Qianyi’s face clearly.
“Which target am I on your list?”
A flock of pigeons by the fountain suddenly took flight in unison, blocking out the light from above and casting their faces in shadow.
Qianyi’s voice sounded right beside his ear, blending with the fluttering sound of beating wings. His ears seemed to ring, making the words feel a bit distant and unreal.
“You have been quite patient, I must admit. There really were hardly any flaws.” Qianyi’s deliberately lowered tone carried a hint of threat. “However, when the effort and the return are so obviously disproportionate, it is clear you have ulterior motives.”
The distance between them remained closed. Shi Yi’s expression was hidden beneath his bangs; he seemed momentarily stunned, offering no immediate reaction.
It was the first time anyone had pointed out his intentions with such sharpness and without leaving any room for escape, dismantling his defenses purely through logic.
None of his acting had ever fooled Qianyi even once. The other person had easily seen right through it all, piercing past the glittering bubbles to lock onto his true nature, leaving him feeling as exposed as if he were standing bare before him.
The face wrapped in layer upon layer of masks began to burn. All his senses grew restless, and an indescribable inner impulse instantly overrode his reason, bringing a sensation of his blood freezing for a split second before boiling over.
“I have no idea what you are trying to get out of me. I advise you to face reality sooner rather than later.” Qianyi stepped back slightly, continuing to utter heartless words in a chilling tone.
“Hahahahahahaha.”
Shi Yi, who had remained frozen in place, suddenly covered his face. His irrepressible laughter was no longer his usual gentle, refined veneer, nor his alluring, wicked smirk, but a laugh that belonged to Shi Yi himself, carrying the expression of someone deeply, intensely intrigued.
“No one has ever given me an answer like that before. You are truly thrilling.”
His red pupils flickered with a strange light, exposing Shi Yi’s frantic true nature, much like a bloodthirsty hunter with long-coveted prey placed right in front of him, igniting all his desires.
“You are even more sick than I imagined.” Qianyi widened his eyes. Shi Yi’s reaction completely exceeded his expectations.
Shi Yi leaned forward, trapping Qianyi within his shadow. Reaching out to brush a lock of hair from his temple, he murmured right beside his ear amid Qianyi’s shocked gaze.
“I am actually becoming more and more interested in you. Since you are so confident, why don’t we test it out? Let’s see whether I give up first, or you fall first. What do you say?”
“How can someone like you even exist?” Qianyi realized he had severely miscalculated this person. Not only were his behavioral logic and objectives vastly different from anticipated, but instead of scaring him off as intended, he had only made the situation infinitely more complicated.
After delivering his declaration, Shi Yi was met with a face of utter bafflement from Qianyi.
The game had officially begun.
He was looking forward to it. The days ahead were bound to be exceptionally interesting.