Emily Carter spoke with righteous indignation: "What does it have to do with me? Weren't you the one who said you'd treat them to dinner? I'm just tagging along with a handsome guy for a free meal." She gestured with her eyes at that guy, "Someone like this—I doubt we'll meet another one this outstanding this year. What's wrong with having a meal? Besides, it's not like Charles Webb and I are officially together yet, and you and David Hayes aren't dating either. You're about to break up again, so what's there to worry about?"

Ethan Turner didn't really care about that, so she didn't say much, just sighed, "Just don't scare him off for me."

She did have her own plans in mind. But she wasn't very good at chatting with people, especially guys.

Henry Clark was just about to say, since you both have boyfriends, I'll just go home and eat instant noodles, when Brian Brooks, who was squatting down tying his shoelaces, spoke up without even looking up, "Sure, where are we eating?"

He was squatting, so all you could see was his fluffy, soft hair and his broad, straight back, like the ridge of a mountain at sunrise, making people want to climb it.

Ethan Turner suddenly felt that maybe he wasn't that hard to get along with after all. Staring at the top of his head, she said, "Just at the entrance."

Brian Brooks slowly finished tying his shoelaces, gave them a final strong pull, and stood up. The two of them stood by the tree, but Ethan Turner felt his presence was even more substantial than the tree, enveloping her completely. A faint scent of sage shower gel drifted to her nose, and the night felt like a giant net. Ethan Turner felt as if he was holding up the sky behind him, giving her an inexplicable sense of security.

"You guys go ahead, I need to go back and lock the door." He turned and walked inside, and the guy next to him, like a little shadow, immediately followed.

"We'll wait for you at the entrance!"

Ethan Turner and Emily Carter stood under the streetlamp at the bottom of the stairwell, waiting. Fireflies were still fluttering about aimlessly, and under the warm, hazy light, their shadows stretched long and motionless, looking just like two "waiting wives" statues. Ethan Turner reminded her, "Emily Carter, wipe your drool."

"That's not drool," Emily Carter said, "it's tears of envy."

"Envy for what?"

"Envy for his future girlfriend."

Ethan Turner asked, "How do you know he doesn't have a girlfriend?"

Emily Carter stared fixedly at the building entrance, speaking with absolute certainty, "You can just tell he's single. Besides, a guy this handsome is definitely hard to win over."

As soon as she finished speaking, they heard a soft door closing sound from inside. Immediately after, two tall, young figures came out one after the other from the building. The "shadow" had clearly tidied up, with a bunch of random trinkets hanging around his neck, jingling like an old music box as he walked. He'd just changed into a simple, clean black T-shirt, and maybe because he was worried about the evening chill, he had a sports jacket draped over his shoulders. His fair skin stood out, his arms were smooth and muscular, and his veins were quite prominent.

He walked lazily behind the "shadow," head down, plugging a power bank into his phone. The "shadow" said something with a cheeky grin, and he smiled back, but perfunctorily. The next second, his gaze drifted over to Ethan Turner and the others, probably unsure how to address them, then he looked away indifferently and stood still. For some reason, Ethan Turner felt there was something secretive in his eyes.

Without another word, Emily Carter dragged Ethan Turner over, and the four of them headed out of the alley.

In that short time, Brian Brooks had already found a movie to watch. Emily Carter complained, "Seriously? Is it that boring to go out with us that you have to watch a movie to kill time?"

"Don't mind him. He's like this even when he's out with his girlfriend. You guys don't know, but at Bohui Cinema—" Henry Clark started to spill all his secrets, but Brian Brooks shot him a cold glance, and Henry Clark immediately changed the subject, "He's seen every single movie that's played at Bohui Cinema."

Emily Carter thought maybe she'd misjudged, and quietly asked the "shadow," "Oh, he has a girlfriend?"

Henry Clark clicked his tongue twice, "Hey, didn't you say it was just a meal? What, thinking of chasing after my bro?"

"Pfft, I have a boyfriend, okay?" Emily Carter rolled her eyes, refusing to back down. "But let me tell you, speaking of Bohui Cinema, their tickets are really expensive, and they never give out coupons—"

"Nonsense, they're the biggest cinema in the city—"

Ethan Turner was left behind. She glanced over and saw that guy really was watching a movie, head down, clearly not interested in chatting with her, and it was an old disaster film.

"Why are you only watching it now? I remember this movie came out in our first year of high school." Ethan Turner tried to make small talk like a pro.

"Really? Maybe I was too busy before and didn't notice."

"The sequel is coming out this summer."

"Mm."

Ethan Turner racked her brain for topics: "Do you always watch movies at Bohui?"

"Mm." Even more indifferent than before.

"Is there any movie you want to see lately? I could treat you," Ethan Turner said.

Brian Brooks finally looked up at her, a bit baffled, as if he didn't quite get it. "What do you mean? Isn't one meal enough for you to say thanks?"

Ethan Turner couldn't just shamelessly say, I want to treat you to a movie so you can introduce me to your mom. How could she get closer to his mom more naturally?

"Nothing."

Ethan Turner felt she just wasn't being natural enough.