Chi Yi was curious to see how Meng Jingnian would respond to the provocation, but the person leaning against his shoulder stirred at that moment, frowning as she lifted her head.
"…I fell asleep?" Lin Qin pressed at her throbbing temples.
"Yeah." Chi Yi smiled ambiguously. "Your uncle's come out to pick you up."
Lin Qin hurriedly looked out the window.
Meng Jingnian stood slightly turned to the side; from where she sat, she couldn't see him in full, only that he wore a dark grey t-shirt, his frame broad yet lean, and even standing there casually he carried an air of effortless grace.
Lin Qin didn't have time to look more closely—she quickly pulled at the car door. "Thanks for driving me back. Be careful on your way home—send me a message on WeChat when you get there."
Before Chi Yi could say anything, she was already out, slamming the door shut. He let out a scoffing laugh. "Sure ran off fast enough."
He lounged lazily against the back seat, cigarette held between his lips, watching as Lin Qin circled around the front of the car and quickly made her way to the other side of the road to join Meng Jingnian. The two of them then walked off toward the rear of the vehicle.
After a moment, he instructed the driver: "Let's go."
Meng Jingnian walked quickly.
Lin Qin had wanted to explain her late return, but she couldn't get a word in.
He already had long legs, and once he quickened his pace, she had to jog to keep up.
She followed for a while, then gave up, stopping in her tracks as she watched his figure grow distant. She called out: "…Little uncle."
Meng Jingnian stopped in his steps.
The address hit him like a bucket of cold water poured over his head.
After a pause, he turned around, looking at Lin Qin, who was now a distance away in the night. He said, very gently: "Was I walking too fast?"
"Yeah."
Meng Jingnian stood where he was, waiting for Lin Qin to walk over slowly. She had changed her clothes at some point—during the day she'd been wearing a t-shirt and trousers, but now the trousers had become an irregular plaid skirt, the hem of her t-shirt tucked into it, making her look especially tall and slender.
When she reached him, he caught a whiff of alcohol on her, mixed with the scent of her shampoo—somewhat muddled. He didn't much care for it.
"Chi Yi invited a band I really like. I got carried away having fun and didn't notice my phone had died."
"It's fine." Meng Jingnian smiled. "Let's go."
Though his expression was still that usual gentle smile, Lin Qin felt something was different. His eyes were slightly lowered, his gaze hidden beneath the shadow of his long lashes, and the whole of him seemed a little harder to read.
"…I'm really sorry. Next time I make plans with you, I'll make sure in advance to confirm there's nothing else going on…"
"No need to apologize again, Yiyi. I said it's fine." Meng Jingnian cut her off, his expression even gentler. "Let's go."
Lin Qin still hesitated, but she hummed in acknowledgment and walked alongside him.
Their footsteps, one light and one heavy, echoed through the silent night.
Neither spoke until they reached the door of 1108.
After entering, Lin Qin went straight to her room, grabbed her change of clothes, and obediently went to shower.
She didn't linger too long in the bathroom. She tossed her dirty clothes into the washing machine on the service balcony, started it, and returned to her room.
She did some of her pre-sleep routine, but felt a bit thirsty, so she went out to get some water.
Opening her door and walking to the corner of the hallway, she realized Meng Jingnian had gone to the living room at some point.
The lights were off, only the television on. He sat on the sofa, the light from the screen casting shifting shadows across his face.
She watched the content on the TV for a moment and determined it must be a horror film.
"…Are you in a bad mood?" Lin Qin walked over.
Meng Jingnian turned his head. "Not sleeping yet?"
The dim lighting obscured the details of his features, but his brows and eyes were especially dark and deep.
Lin Qin didn't answer that. She walked over, hesitated for a moment, then sat down beside him. "Want me to keep you company for a bit?"
"Afraid it'll scare you."
"There's a film called Hereditary—my roommate said it's really good. Have you seen it?"
"I have."
"Then watch it with me."
Meng Jingnian let out a soft laugh. "Didn't you say you were keeping me company? How did it turn into me keeping you company?"
"Is that not allowed?" Her tone was almost like coaxing.
It felt like a wisp of down brushing against his throat—a faint itch that a cough couldn't dispel.
"This one's a bit frightening. Are you sure you want to watch?" Meng Jingnian picked up the remote and exited the current film.
"You can give me warnings before the scary parts."
"If you already know the plot, wouldn't watching it lose the surprise?"
"No, it wouldn't. Knowing in advance means I can prepare myself. I actually wish that for everything in this world, you could know the ending ahead of time."
Meng Jingnian said nothing. It was precisely because he could foresee the ending that he held himself back.
The film began.
After sitting for a while, Lin Qin got up, went to the kitchen fridge, grabbed two cans of cola, and handed one to Meng Jingnian.
Meng Jingnian took it but didn't open it, setting it aside on the coffee table instead.
"So health-conscious of you."
"If I were health-conscious, I wouldn't be here watching a horror movie with you at this hour."
Lin Qin laughed.
The can opened with a "pfft" sound. Lin Qin took a sip, then sat cross-legged on the sofa. "If there's anything scary coming up, you have to warn me in advance."
"Okay."
Meng Jingnian had no idea where her threshold for fear lay, so he could only remind her as they went along.
The opening scenes weren't particularly terrifying. It wasn't until the movie reached the part where the male protagonist was driving his allergic sister to the hospital that Meng Jingnian gave a pointed warning: "In a moment, the sister's head is going to hit a utility pole. This part is pretty scary."
Lin Qin was visibly tense, curling in on herself and instinctively leaning closer to him. "When…"
"Right now. Three, two, one…"
A loud bang sounded from the TV.
Startled, Lin Qin ducked her head quickly, burying her face below his shoulder. After a moment, her lashes fluttering, she opened one eye to peek at the screen. "…Is it over?"
"…Yeah."
She had just showered, wearing that light gray-blue pajama set, her hair freshly blow-dried and fluffy as it brushed against his arm, carrying the faint scent of shampoo.
Her breath was a warm puff against his shoulder.
Back when he was studying in Hamburg, he'd shared an apartment with a colleague from the research institute. The colleague had a cat—a plump, sturdy British Shorthair. Sometimes when he sat on the sofa writing his thesis, the cat would jump up, curl into a ball against his leg, and fall asleep.
For some inexplicable reason, that scene came to mind.
He drifted off for a moment, and before he realized it, the plot had already reached the next high-intensity moment—a head crawling with ants was about to appear.
There was no time to warn her. He simply raised his palm and blocked her view.
"…I saw it through the gaps between your fingers." Lin Qin reached up and pressed his hand down. "Can you be a little more professional?"
"Fine, then watch it yourself. I won't warn you anymore."
Lin Qin immediately grabbed his hand as he started to pull it back, pressing it against her eyes again. "No way, I'll be scared to death."
"…You're so hard to please, Lin Yiyi." Meng Jingnian let out a low chuckle.
Lin Qin's heart gave a sudden thump.
His palm was slightly cool and dry, his distinct knuckles like jade stones pulled from a river.
So this is what holding his hand felt like.
After a moment, she realized her own palm was sweating. She let go immediately, leaned forward, and pretended to be calm as she picked up the cola from the coffee table.
It took great restraint not to press the cold can against her already burning cheeks.
Lin Qin's original motive for coming over to watch a horror movie with him had been genuinely simple. Watching horror movies alone was his habit when he was in a bad mood.
She had stood him up at the last minute today, and a verbal apology always felt too thin. She wanted to do something to make up for it.
And she didn't want to see him alone.
It wasn't until this moment that she realized there was a saying—that when a man and a woman watch a horror movie together, it's easy for feelings to heat up because of intentional or unintentional physical contact, and the flushed hearts caused by the suspension bridge effect.
But how could her feelings for him heat up any further? They had already reached a critical point where, with the slightest carelessness, they would burst forth and burn even her.
Lin Qin took another sip of cola, lowering her gaze. She saw Meng Jingnian shift his sitting position, leaning slightly forward with his forearms resting on his knees, his hands hanging naturally. His fingers were long, and in the dim gray-blue light, his skin had a faded pallor.
It was the hand she had held.
"In a moment, the sister will possess the mother…" Meng Jingnian warned.
"Mm…"
Her attention could no longer focus on the movie itself. Amidst the eerie soundtrack, she found herself tracking his breathing instead. Even though they weren't touching, she could feel the subtle warmth radiating from his body.
Lin Qin suddenly spoke up: "…Why do you like watching horror movies?"
"I think the director works hard to arrange all kinds of scenes just to give people a scare."
"…Is that the only reason?"
"Yeah. If the scenes are clumsily done, I think—well, at least they tried."
"That perspective on watching films feels a bit arrogant."
"Have you ever considered that I might just be an arrogant person to begin with?"
"Occasionally, I get that vague feeling."
Meng Jingnian turned to look at her. "For example?"
Lin Qin raised her eyes to meet his. "…For example, when you told me I didn't need to apologize anymore. You were clearly still upset, but you put on a magnanimous front, as if that suited your role as my elder. I think that's actually a bit arrogant."
Meng Jingnian was taken aback for a moment. "…I wasn't angry because of you, Yiyi."
"Then why?"
"…Because of myself."
"I don't understand."
Meng Jingnian shook his head.
"If you don't explain, I'll never understand."
After a moment of silence, Meng Jingnian finally spoke: "Have you ever had a moment like this? You know that things developing in a certain direction would be more correct, more in line with the interests of the vast majority. But when things actually develop that way, you still find yourself feeling unhappy about it."
"Of course I have. But… what does that have to do with today?"
Meng Jingnian smiled, said nothing more, and stood up, saying he was going to get some water.
"…Don't go! I don't dare to be alone!" Lin Qin said hastily.
Meng Jingnian had no choice but to sit back down, amused. "Terrible at this but still addicted—isn't that exactly you?"
“I’m not that bad, am I? So far I think…” Lin Qin glanced at the screen, suddenly let out a sharp scream, and buried her face into Meng Jingnian’s shoulder, clutching his arm tightly.
The female lead was upside down, repeatedly banging her head against the attic door—one of the most terrifying scenes in the film.
“…Why didn’t you warn me?” Lin Qin’s voice trembled.
“On purpose. And why? Didn’t you say you weren’t scared?” Meng Jingnian laughed. “You’re the one who startled me.”
Lin Qin waited until her heartbeat settled slightly before realizing what position she was in. Just as she was about to sit up straight, Meng Jingnian reached out and pressed her head back down. “In a moment, the female lead will saw her own neck with a wire saw. Wait until that scene passes.”
“…Mm.”
So she buried her face in his shoulder with a clear conscience, breathing in the scent of him.
Opening one eye and glancing slightly upward, she could see the fair skin on the side of his neck. If she just lifted her head, she could press a kiss right there.
Merely imagining it made her heart pound like a drum.
If she were to end things with him on a note like this, it wouldn’t be such a loss after all.
“Alright…” Meng Jingnian reminded her, his voice a little hoarse.
“Mm…” Lin Qin responded in a muffled tone, paused for a moment, then released his arm and sat up straight.
There weren’t many jump scares after that. The film ended with the eldritch god successfully returning—from that angle, it could even be called a perfect ending.
Meng Jingnian picked up his phone to check the time. It was almost two in the morning.
“Go get some rest, Yiyi.”
Lin Qin yawned. “I’ll go brush my teeth again.”
Meng Jingnian smiled. “Not scared, are you?”
“…”
Lin Qin walked to the bathroom, turning on every light along the way and leaving the door open. After a quick brush of her teeth, she returned to the living room.
Fortunately, Meng Jingnian hadn’t left her alone—the living room’s main light was on too.
“You go to your room first. I’ll turn off the lights,” Meng Jingnian said.
Lin Qin obediently walked down the hallway and stopped at the study door. “…Good night.”
“Good night.”
Meng Jingnian poured out the leftover cola from Lin Qin’s can, tossed the can into the trash, tied up the garbage bag, set it by the front door, and replaced it with a fresh one.
After washing his hands, he turned off all the lights, went back to the bedroom, and lay down.
Just as he turned off the lamp, his phone buzzed.
He picked it up and saw a message from Lin Qin.
Lin Yiyi: Uncle, I’m scared.