Chapter 37 - Deeply In Love With You [Quick Transmigration]

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Chapter 37: A Date (2)

 

 

"N-not really…" Lin Heng felt a little embarrassed about how clingy he was being. "What are you doing?"

 

"Reading," Zong Que replied. "If you've got something to say, just say it."

 

After some hesitation, Lin Heng said, "I was wondering... if practicing the piano would bother you?"

 

"It won't," Zong Que assured him.

 

"Then… could we not hang up the call?" Lin Heng asked. He had heard about couples keeping a call open while doing their own things—it had sounded silly before, but now it felt like with the call connected, Zong Que was right beside him.

 

"Mm," Zong Que replied.

 

"If it gets too noisy, just mute me," Lin Heng said, his heart swelling with a quiet, unspeakable joy. He opened the door, carrying his phone into the piano room, placed it on the music stand, and began to practice.

 

The room was soundproofed, so almost no sound leaked out. Yet Mother Lin still paused her show, smiling to herself as she thought of her son's poorly hidden happiness. Between the TV and her son, she was being showered with affection from all sides.

 

Pulling out her phone, she called Father Lin: "Hey, what time are you coming home today?"

 

Meanwhile, Zong Que, after setting down his phone, pulled out his earphones from the drawer and put one in, returning to his book.

 

The earphones picked up the piano clearly. The notes were lively and beautiful, though a little rusty from lack of practice.

 

Again and again, the same piece was played, each time a little better than before—clearly regaining familiarity and touch.

 

As the sun grew less harsh, Zong Que turned a few pages of his book. On the other side of the line, the music finally came to a close.

 

The sound of the piano lid shutting echoed softly through the call. Then he heard a quiet, hopeful voice: "Are you still there?"

 

"Mm." He knew that simple sound would make the other boy happy.

 

Sure enough, Lin Heng's uncontrollable laughter floated through. "Thank you for your patience. I'll be heading out soon. Fengshang Mall is pretty close by. How about we meet there?"

 

"Sounds good," Zong Que said, standing up and closing his book.

 

"Then I'll hang up now. See you in a bit." Hearing Zong Que's familiar "Mm," Lin Heng hung up, packed away his music sheet, and left the piano room, heading straight for the door.

 

"Mom, I'm heading out!" he called.

 

"Remember to bring your keys," Mother Lin reminded him without looking up.

 

Seeing her son's eager pace, she thought to herself: definitely going out on a date. Young people—grabbing a meal, strolling around, catching a movie, maybe even singing karaoke—and before you knew it, the night would be gone.

 

"Got it," Lin Heng replied as he slipped on his shoes.

 

Meanwhile, Zong Que was also getting ready to leave when an elderly voice called out to him, stopping him mid-step. "Xiao Que, I heard you say you're planning to buy a computer?"

 

"Mm, there'll be a lot of things I'll need it for in college," Zong Que said.

 

"Hold on a second." The old woman wiped her hands and went into the inner room. When she returned, she was holding a bankbook. "You helped your father repay his debts before—you probably don't have much left. You're starting college; buy a good one."

 

"It's okay. I have enough money," Zong Que said.

 

After all these years of careful management, his savings far exceeded the scholarships he had received.

 

Technically, Father Zong's debts should have been his own burden to bear. But if they hadn't been repaid, once word got out that Zong Que had scholarships, trouble would have come knocking. Better to pay off the debts and keep things quiet, blending back into the crowd without drawing attention.

 

Keeping a low profile was, for now, their best way of staying safe.

 

"You still think you have enough? You'll find out soon enough how fast money flies in college." Grandma pressed the bankbook into his hand. "You'll need to eat, buy clothes... Sure, we can't compare ourselves to rich folks, but we also can't let others look down on us, right?"

 

Zong Que took the bankbook and flipped it open. His brow twitched slightly at the number inside. "Grandma... where did you get so much money?"

 

It wasn't a few thousand—it was tens of thousands.

 

The old man sighed. "Your dad sent it. He said he might not come back. Told me to clear the debts and move your household registration onto mine."

 

"Is it... legally obtained?" Zong Que asked.

 

The elder's face twisted with discomfort. "He divorced your mother. She remarried, and he married into someone else's family as a live-in son-in-law. Claimed he had no children. Xiao Que, he's worthless, but Grandma still has you, okay?"

 

"Mm. I understand," Zong Que said, tucking the bankbook away. "I'm heading out now."

 

He had been wondering why Father Zong never came back after the debts were cleared. Now he knew.

 

Becoming a live-in son-in-law wasn't shameful, but pretending to have no child—and abandoning his debts—made the reason obvious. If he couldn't return, it meant he had tied his fate elsewhere.

 

Everyone had their own fate. As long as it didn't interfere with him, what became of his nominal parents no longer mattered.

 

The heat outside was blistering, but inside the mall it was cool and comfortable. As Zong Que walked in, his instincts tingled, and he stopped just as a whoosh of air swept from behind.

 

A pair of fluffy hands covered his eyes, and a laughing voice said, "Guess who?"

 

"Lin Heng," Zong Que said, pulling down the soft, plush hands and turning to see a boy dressed in a bear costume. "Where did you find this?"

 

"Congratulations, you guessed right! Here's your prize—a little red flower," the boy wearing a bear costume said, handing over a rose wrapped in paper.

 

Zong Que took it.

 

Inside the bear costume, Lin Heng pulled off his oversized headgear with a sigh. "Ugh, it's so hot! Wait for me—I'll go change real quick!"

 

His hair was a little messy, a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead. Before Zong Que could say anything, he had already bounced away toward a corner where a bunch of mascot costumes were gathered.

 

Zong Que twirled the rose between his fingers, watching as the boy shed the clumsy costume, flashed a sunny smile of thanks to the staff, and then came running back toward him.

 

Lin Heng's hair fluttered lightly with his steps. When he finally stopped, his breath was slightly uneven, but his eyes shone, full of warmth. "Were you surprised?"

 

"Next time, don't sneak up on me from behind," Zong Que said.

 

Lin Heng looked puzzled for a moment, then realization dawned. "Wait, were you about to throw me over your shoulder?"

 

Zong Que stayed silent.

 

Lin Heng laughed and squeezed his cheeks gently with both hands. "So it was because you heard my voice that you didn't react?"

 

"Mm," Zong Que replied.

 

"Alright, I forgive you." Lin Heng let go, slinging an arm around his shoulders. "Let's book our movie tickets on the phone. I heard the new release is supposed to be pretty good."

 

The fried chicken shop nearby was bustling with summer vacation crowds. Kids laughed and played while Lin Heng looked down at his phone, picking seats. "How about these two?" he asked, tilting the screen toward Zong Que.

 

The seats were right in the middle of the fourth row—prime viewing spots.

 

"You're not choosing the back row?" Zong Que asked.

 

Lin Heng, who had been biting on his straw, missed and blushed faintly. "Why would you want the last row?"

 

"For no particular reason," Zong Que said seriously.

 

Lin Heng met his gaze and, after a brief moment, a lightbulb went off in his head. "You didn't happen to read online that couples sit in the last row, did you?"

 

"Mm," Zong Que admitted.

 

"Actually, even from the last row, the entire theater can see you clear as day," Lin Heng said, amused at his seriousness. "We should focus on watching the movie, not thinking about... weird things."

 

"What weird things?" Zong Que asked earnestly.

 

"Nothing," Lin Heng muttered, quickly choosing the seats.

 

"Hey, can I add you on social media?" a girl's voice piped up from above.

 

Lin Heng looked up and saw a girl standing in front of Zong Que, nervously smiling after noticing Lin Heng's gaze.

 

Zong Que glanced at her calmly and replied, "Sorry, I already have someone."

 

The girl smiled apologetically, picked up her phone, and walked away.

 

"Handled like a pro," Lin Heng said, grinning once she was out of earshot.

 

Zong Que looked at him; there wasn't the slightest hint of hesitation or uncertainty in his expression.

 

"You weren't worried?" Zong Que asked.

 

"People only worry about things that aren't certain," Lin Heng said, recalling the past.

 

Zong Que had always had a serious, quietly handsome look that made him seem incredibly trustworthy as a boyfriend. Of course others would be attracted. Back when they spent time together at the hospital, Lin Heng's heart had still been unsettled. But now, it was different.

 

"Mm," Zong Que answered.

 

"But just to avoid any trouble, here—wear this," Lin Heng said, pulling out two hair ties, handing one over.

 

The band was a simple black elastic, but the one he gave Zong Que had a tiny crystal butterfly attached to it, while Lin Heng's own had a little seashell bunny, barely the size of a pinky nail—hard to notice without looking closely.

 

Zong Que took it, studied it briefly, then slipped it onto his wrist.

 

The small butterfly nestled against the bone of his wrist. Lin Heng, unable to resist, gnawed a little harder on his straw, feeling particularly bold as he teased, "Good boy."

 

"It does save time for both parties," Zong Que said seriously.

 

It would save strangers from wasting time approaching, and him from having to turn them down. Simple and effective.

 

Lin Heng glanced at the tiny rabbit on his own wrist, his gaze deepening slightly. "Actually, I know another way we could hold hands even sitting in the fourth row."

 

"Mm?" Zong Que looked at him curiously.

 

"You'll find out soon enough," Lin Heng said with a mischievous smile.

 

As night fell, they finished dinner and headed upstairs to the cinema. By the time they entered after ticket inspection, the theater was nearly full and the lights had already dimmed. In the flickering light of the screen, Lin Heng stumbled a little.

 

"Careful," Zong Que said, reaching out to steady his arm.

 

"I'm fine. Just as I was stepping up, the screen darkened. You be careful too." Lin Heng found their seats and placed his cup of cola into the holder. "I'll sit here."

 

Zong Que sat down beside him, resting his hand on the armrest—only to notice Lin Heng fiddling beside him. When he looked down, he saw Lin Heng looping the hair tie through both their wrists before tightening it and slipping it back onto his own wrist.

 

A gentle tug. In the darkened theater, no one would notice a thing. The boy's eyes shone with a glimmer of pride. "What do you think?"

 

"It's great," Zong Que said.

 

They could've held hands openly, but this method was indeed quite nice.

 

The movie began. As the screen's light shifted, the story unfolded with all its twists and turns, drawing frequent laughter from the audience.

 

Lin Heng, too, laughed as he got caught up in the plot, leaning in to whisper, "This film's been getting excellent reviews online."

 

"Mm, it's really well made," Zong Que replied.

 

The comedic beats were perfectly timed, never awkward—a truly delightful film.

 

As the story progressed, the sound of laughter filled the room, so much so that no one paid attention to the occasional whispers among the crowd.

 

Zong Que didn't laugh, but the system in his head was nearly doubled over with amusement: [This is too funny! Hahaha... hiccup.]

 

Just as the system's laughter abruptly stopped, the entire theater was plunged into sudden darkness. For a brief moment, the audience was stunned, before an uproar broke out.

 

"What's going on?"

 

"Did the power go out?"

 

"A power outage in a movie theater? Seriously?"

 

"Will they be able to fix it soon? The movie was getting good!"

 

[It wasn't me! The projector had a problem,] 1314 hastily explained.

 

[Mm.] Zong Que calmly surveyed the darkened, chaotic theater. [How long will it take to fix?]

 

[About two minutes,] 1314 replied.

 

[Thanks.] Zong Que said.

 

[No need to be so polite, Host... I haven't even helped with anything yet,] 1314 mumbled shyly.

 

"I wonder what happened..." Lin Heng muttered, disappointed. He reached for his phone but was stopped short by the tug of the hair tie at his wrist—gently pulling his hand closer to his face. "Zong Que?"

 

Just as he spoke, his cheek was cupped lightly, and then—soft, cool lips pressed against his own.

 

The surrounding noise seemed to fade instantly, leaving only the intertwining sound of their breathing.

 

Lin Heng wanted to say something, but the tender kiss deepened slightly, setting his heart pounding wildly. His rationality whispered that the screen might light up at any moment... but how could reason suppress such overwhelming emotion?

 

Seconds ticked by. He knew if they kept going, it might get out of hand—but still...

 

Their lips finally parted. As Zong Que withdrew, before Lin Heng could utter a word, the screen in front of them abruptly lit up again, resuming the fierce gunfight from before.

 

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