The World Is Small

"The braised eggplant with fish flavor smells pretty good." After all the dishes were served, Chen Qin scooped some sauce onto her rice as she spoke.

"Here."

"Thanks." Ye Shuang looked at the rice drizzled with sauce before him, his eyes brimming with nostalgia. "I used to love this in high school... Just this sauce alone could make me finish three bowls of rice."

Chen Qin knew, of course. But she just smiled without saying much.

She knew all too well...

Sometimes, even when she couldn’t recall her own favorite foods, she could effortlessly list his preferences.

Ye Shuang finished his rice quickly, then noticed something and turned to the girl beside him. "What’s wrong? Why aren’t you eating?"

"My stomach’s been a bit sensitive lately. The doctor told me to avoid greasy food," Chen Qin said.

"Then why did you come here?"

"Hehe..." She giggled. "Just... reminiscing. It’s been a while since I last visited."

Ye Shuang stood up, walked over to the stir-fried noodle stall owner, and exchanged a few words. Soon, he returned with a bowl of soup noodles.

"Eat something. You just got off the plane," he said.

"Oh, okay." For some reason, Chen Qin immediately brightened up and dug in happily.

He’s worried about me.

Ye Shuang was full after one bowl of rice and some beef noodles. It seemed his appetite had shrunk since his growing years.

Chen Qin’s appetite was even smaller—she barely finished half her bowl.

"I’m full," she announced.

"That little?"

"I ate something on the plane." She pulled out a pack of wet wipes and handed one to Ye Shuang.

After taking it, he asked, "Where to next?"

"What do couples usually do after a meal?" Chen Qin countered. "Hmm, how about getting a room to rest?"

"Is this 'getting a room' as innocent as it sounds?"

"It doesn’t have to be."

"..." Ye Shuang sighed. "Are you always thinking about... that?"

Chen Qin straightened up with mock seriousness. "What nonsense!"

She slammed the table. "What I’m thinking is way dirtier than what you’re imagining!"

Her deadpan expression and tone left Ye Shuang momentarily speechless. He twitched his lips. "You’re unbelievable..."

"Give in to me."

"Stop messing around. You’re acting like a total creep."

"Only creepy for you."

"That’s still being a creep, you know?!"

After some playful bickering, they paid and left the noodle shop. Since the street catered more to afternoon and evening crowds, some stalls and stores were still closed or preparing.

But Chen Qin spotted a "Big Mouth No. 9" milk tea shop. Side by side, they sipped their drinks—still the same childhood flavors.

"Wanna watch a movie?"

"Now?"

"Yeah." Chen Qin swiped through her phone and paused at the newly released film Ex-Girlfriend 3. The title made her hesitate, so she quickly scrolled to the next page, landing on Pleasant Goat vs. Basketball Chicken.

"This one."

Ye Shuang raised an eyebrow at the poster. "You still follow this? These characters were from elementary school."

Chen Qin fidgeted slightly but, after glancing at the other options, insisted, "Yeah, I love it."

Unaware of her odd reaction, Ye Shuang agreed. After all, today was about accompanying her.

They headed to the nearest mall, taking the elevator from the underground parking lot straight to the cinema on the fourth floor.

Ding. Fourth floor.

As the elevator doors opened, a massive movie poster greeted them—Ex-Girlfriend 3: The Missed White Moonlight.

Chen Qin’s lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t.

Ye Shuang remained calm, barely glancing at it before collecting their tickets.

While waiting, Chen Qin kept stealing glances at him, her furtive looks making Ye Shuang chuckle. "What?"

"Nothing. Just admiring how handsome you are."

"..."

Soon, it was time to enter. After a quick ticket check, they stepped into the screening room.

"Not many people," Ye Shuang remarked, scanning the nearly empty seats.

"Maybe we’re the first ones in." Chen Qin fiddled with something, then pressed a button on the armrest.

Click. The divider lifted and folded back, merging their seats into a cozy couple’s spot.

With no barrier left, Chen Qin naturally scooted closer.

Ignoring her antics, Ye Shuang said, "The movie’s starting."

"Oh."

True enough, no one else showed up. As the film progressed—Pleasant Goat and Grey Wolf battling it out in a basketball showdown—the plot heated up.

Then, a commotion erupted from the entrance.

"Meng Yao! Stop this."

"Me stop? Why can’t you just apologize?"

Hearing the name, Ye Shuang and Chen Qin turned in unison, their expressions shifting.

A woman in sunglasses and a flowing white dress stormed in, followed by a man. After some tugging, she spotted the occupied seats and plopped down right beside Ye Shuang.

The man, visibly annoyed at being embarrassed in public, strode over.

"Your call."

"You—" He hissed, "You think I’ll indulge you like he did? Last chance—are you leaving or not?"

Then he glanced at Ye Shuang. Under the flickering screen light, his face morphed into shock.

"It’s you?!"

The woman turned, meeting a pair of painfully familiar eyes.

"Ye... Ye Shuang?"

Ye Shuang gave her a fleeting look before returning to the movie, as if she were air.

"Small world," Chen Qin muttered, then shot the woman a glare.

Recommend Series

Regretting After Being Forced into Marriage by a Yandere Tycoon

Regretting After Being Forced into Marriage by a Yandere Tycoon

ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】

Poor Talent? I Bought a Year of Cultivation for One Dollar!

Poor Talent? I Bought a Year of Cultivation for One Dollar!

ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!

How Could You Mistake Me for the Villain? Then I’ll Truly Take on the Role

How Could You Mistake Me for the Villain? Then I’ll Truly Take on the Role

] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"

Vampire Freshman Caught by the Campus Female Demon Hunter

Vampire Freshman Caught by the Campus Female Demon Hunter

e school belle recognized by the whole school, a genius girl from the kendo club. She also has a hidden identity, the youngest legendary demon hunter. Chen Shuo just transmigrated and found himself turned into a weak, helpless little vampire. He was caught by Su Xiyen and taken home at the very beginning. Since then, Chen Shuo's life creed only had two items. "First, classmate Su Xiyen is always right." "Second, if classmate Su Xiyen is wrong, please refer back to item one." Many years later, Chen Shuo, who had turned back into a human, led a pair of twins to appear in front of all the vampires to share the secret of how he turned back into a human. "It's simple, I tricked a female demon hunter into becoming my wife!"