Chapter 21 – Creeping

After dinner, they arrived at the cinema a little earlier than necessary, waiting for the screening to begin.

The movie tickets had been booked in advance. Ye Zhou wasn’t the type to force himself to watch a film he didn’t like just to create a romantic atmosphere. So he straightforwardly asked Guan Heng what he wanted to see. Neither of them liked romantic movies, so they chose a suspense film, watching intently throughout. They even discussed the plot for a while after the movie ended.

Guan Heng’s high IQ stood out during this time. Despite the film’s attempts to mislead the audience, he had already guessed the identity of the murderer by the third act, deducing the entire crime process from seemingly trivial clues. He even pointed out details that Ye Zhou hadn’t noticed. If it weren’t for the fact that the movie had just premiered yesterday and no online reviews were available, Ye Zhou would have thought Guan Heng had read spoilers beforehand. Regardless, Guan Heng was still a great viewer, not spoiling the experience for others by revealing his predictions, saving his insights for discussion with Ye Zhou after the movie.

Aside from lecturing, Guan Heng usually spoke very little. It was only during moments like these that Ye Zhou heard him talk more.

Ye Zhou loved listening to him speak; his deep, sexy voice was a treat for the ears. But he couldn’t help but feel curious, given that he had never experienced the thrill of outsmarting others. “Since you can guess the plot, wouldn’t watching movies get boring?”

In reality, many challenges were no match for so-called geniuses. Ye Zhou felt like nothing could faze Guan Heng. Initially, he thought Zhou Jiayi’s description of Guan Heng as perfect was exaggerated. But after spending time together, he realized it was anything but. Some people were indeed born winners, but perhaps their overly smooth lives could easily rob them of much joy.

“Not at all,” Guan Heng replied without hesitation. He didn’t need to cater to anyone, but he still said what would make Ye Zhou happy. “It depends on who I’m watching with.”

For some reason, Ye Zhou felt that since confessing to Guan Heng, the latter’s attitude towards him hadn’t changed—it seemed to have become even more flirtatious. Even though Guan Heng hadn’t accepted his feelings yet, Ye Zhou sensed that moment was drawing near. He had all the patience in the world.

When the movie ended at 9:30 PM, the cinema lobby was filled with even more people. Tonight was Christmas Eve, and despite having work or school the next day, many wanted to celebrate all night. While the atmosphere was still pleasant, Ye Zhou wanted to increase Guan Heng’s fondness for him and take their relationship further. However, going elsewhere on such a holiday might result in similar crowds. After thinking it over, he asked, “Shall we head back? Or would you like to come to my place for a bit?”

“Sure.”

Guan Heng’s response wasn’t particularly clear, which Ye Zhou took to mean they could decide based on the situation.

They parked their car in the basement of the mall when they arrived, taking the elevator for convenience. But there were many people waiting at the elevator entrance, so they opted for the escalator instead. The advantage of being tall was standing out in a crowd, ensuring they wouldn’t get separated. Ye Zhou felt slightly disappointed that he didn’t have the chance to hold Guan Heng’s hand, but he could still lead the way for him.

Ye Zhou frequently turned around to check if Guan Heng was following him. Perhaps it was due to turning his head too often, but his peripheral vision caught something odd in the corner of the cinema lobby. It was a long line of people waiting to buy tickets, likely for additional screenings. To prevent further congestion in the already crowded lobby, staff had roped off the queue from the rest of the audience.

Ye Zhou noticed a man wearing a baseball cap acting suspiciously. Although the queue wasn’t moving, he kept leaning forward, nearly touching a girl in a skirt. Their stance appeared intimate, initially giving the impression that they were a couple. But when the man pulled out his phone from his pocket, Ye Zhou knew something was amiss.

Who would stick their phone under their girlfriend’s skirt? This was clearly an attempt at voyeurism.

Upon seeing this, Ye Zhou didn’t hesitate and immediately headed toward the man.

“Ye Zhou?” Guan Heng’s voice called out behind him.

But Ye Zhou ignored it, pushing through the opposite direction of the crowd. The crowded space provided the best cover; the man probably assumed no one had noticed his actions, making no effort to hide. He even pressed the corner of his phone against the girl’s thigh, obscenely probing under her skirt.

Although the man didn’t touch her directly, his behavior constituted sexual harassment. Ye Zhou accelerated, pushing through the crowd and rushing into the queue, grabbing the man’s wrist.

“You—” The man, caught in the act, hastily tried to retrieve his phone.

Ye Zhou wasn’t sure if the man had captured anything, fearing he might delete the photos or videos. He held on tightly, determined to expose the man’s crime. In that instant, he wanted to publicly denounce the man’s actions. But the girl they had saved remained facing away from them, trembling and too scared to turn around. Not everyone had the courage to fight back, nor did victims wish to become the center of attention when faced with such incidents. In crowded places like this, it would only attract more onlookers, gathering and gossiping. Sensitive girls might even feel ashamed, potentially blaming themselves upon returning home.

But those in the back of the queue were unaware of the situation, only seeing someone suddenly rush in. They yelled, “Hey, where do you think you’re going? No cutting in line!”

“Get in line properly!”

The man struggling with Ye Zhou seemed to snap out of his shock. “Who are you? I don’t know you! Why are you grabbing my phone? Let go!”

But Ye Zhou wouldn’t let him go. Suddenly, he shouted, “You were taking pictures of me!”

His yell stunned not only the man but also silenced the surroundings. Even the girl in front of them turned around, looking shocked. Guan Heng, who had caught up, heard this and looked at Ye Zhou with a deep gaze.

The drama continued, attracting the attention of many nearby.

The man was quick-witted, his mind working fast. Clearly a repeat offender, he began to counterattack. “What nonsense are you spouting! Why would I take your picture? We’re both guys, what’s there to photograph. Stop being so conceited; being handsome isn’t that impressive—”

Ye Zhou knew this argument was weak, but he couldn’t stand idly by. On impulse, the words left his mouth before he could think: “You were taking pictures in the bathroom—”

Creeping on an attractive man wasn’t unusual, but the location made all the difference.

Everyone now looked at the man as if he were a pervert.

“I—I didn’t—” The man felt slandered, glaring fiercely at Ye Zhou. “Don’t make things up!”

Thanks to Ye Zhou’s confident shout, many believed him. Someone started a commotion. “Did you or not? Just show us your phone, and we’ll know.”

Ye Zhou’s heart sank. If there were any indecent photos on the phone, they couldn’t be shown casually. Indeed, the girl beside him turned pale.

But the man was more rattled, verging on fury. Suddenly, he lunged forward and punched Ye Zhou.

Ye Zhou hadn’t anticipated the man’s move, standing too close to react in time. As he was about to be hit, his body was suddenly pulled back, falling into a broad and protective embrace.