The Irritation in the Popcorn Bucket

After swallowing the elixir, Lin Mo began meditating on the spot.

The pill contained an immense amount of spiritual energy, which further expanded the swirling vortex of qi within his body.

Elixirs, by their very nature, always carried diverse effects.

Lin Mo could feel transformations occurring in his skin, muscles, bones, and even his internal organs.

As the qi vortex grew stronger, his bones underwent a change as well—their originally grayish-white hue took on a jade-like quality.

The density of his muscles also intensified.

Greater density meant greater mass.

Lin Mo’s weight began surging uncontrollably, only to return to that of an ordinary person the very next second.

This was a process of self-restraint.

Not only that, but his spiritual sense rapidly expanded and solidified.

Spiritual Sense as a Blade!

A single strike landed on a rat lurking in the shadows of the urban village.

The oversized rodent, larger than a cat, dropped dead without a sound.

To annihilate a living being spiritually and soulfully—Lin Mo didn’t even need to lift a finger, and no one would ever detect it.

Such was the power of spiritual sense as a weapon.

......

After the incident with the real estate agent, Chu Miaomiao had grown even more distant toward strangers.

Fortunately, she had become close friends with Xie Yuling.

However, this left Lin Mo feeling neglected.

Watching the two girls walking arm-in-arm ahead of him, Lin Mo sighed.

"I’m going to the movies this Saturday. You two coming?" he asked casually.

Xie Yuling glanced back at him. "Nah, I don’t like movies. What about you, Miaomiao? Wanna go?"

So she’d gone from "Miaomiao" to "Miaomiao-meow," huh?

The speed and intensity of female friendships truly knew no bounds.

Chu Miaomiao looked between Lin Mo and Xie Yuling, then whispered into Xie Yuling’s ear, "We should go. Otherwise, he’ll end up watching it alone with Jiang Yunlu."

Hearing this, Xie Yuling shot Lin Mo a displeased look.

"If we don’t go, are you planning to watch it with Jiang Yunlu instead?"

Lin Mo shrugged. "Well, Fang Jun and Wang Qin are coming too. I’m guessing An Yuexin and Mai Chuwen might tag along as well."

But after a moment’s thought, Xie Yuling turned to Chu Miaomiao. One look at her face told her that Chu Miaomiao actually wanted to go.

With a soft huff, she relented. "Since you’re so sincerely inviting us, we’ll graciously—"

Lin Mo breezed right past her. "Eh, suit yourselves~"

"Lin Mo! Stop right there!"

Lin Mo immediately picked up his pace, a faint smirk playing on his lips as he effortlessly stayed ahead of Xie Yuling.

In the end, when Saturday arrived...

Neither Chu Miaomiao nor Xie Yuling showed up at the cinema.

Wang Qin was surprised to see Lin Mo arrive alone.

"You... came by yourself?"

Lin Mo shrugged. "Well, Fang Jun ditched to game at an internet café."

"Oh..." Wang Qin hesitated but ultimately said nothing more.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yunlu returned with popcorn and soda in hand.

Noticing no other girls accompanying Lin Mo, she couldn’t help but feel a little pleased.

Just then, Wang Qin’s phone rang. She answered swiftly.

"Hello? What? Really? Okay, I’ll head back right away!"

Hanging up, she turned to Jiang Yunlu. "Something came up at home. Sorry, let’s do this another time. Lin Mo, take care of Yunlu for me. I’ve gotta go."

With that, she dashed out of the theater like the wind.

Now that was what you called a true wingwoman.

In an instant, only Lin Mo and Jiang Yunlu remained.

Watching Wang Qin’s retreating figure, Lin Mo sighed in admiration. "Who wouldn’t want a friend like that?"

Jiang Yunlu blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

Lin Mo could tell—this was entirely Wang Qin’s own little act.

The "call" she’d answered? Just an alarm screen on her phone, though she probably thought no one noticed.

Jiang Yunlu, meanwhile, was completely in the dark.

"Ah, I even bought an extra ticket," Jiang Yunlu murmured, staring at the two center-seat tickets she’d reserved in advance—one of which now went unused.

Lin Mo felt no sympathy for the rich girl’s wastefulness. Instead, he quipped, "Rich girl, treating me to dinner later?"

After the tickets were checked, the two settled into their seats in the seventh row—the prime spot for an IMAX screen.

Jiang Yunlu handed Lin Mo the popcorn and soda.

"Thanks."

Lin Mo accepted them and sat down.

The movie had been out for nearly two weeks, so the theater wasn’t as crowded as expected.

Side by side, they put on their 3D glasses.

The film began shortly after.

Lin Mo had already seen "Life of Pi" online before—along with its analysis.

With those interpretations in mind, rewatching the story gave him a different perspective.

Still, the sheer spectacle of the IMAX screen was breathtaking.

Even a decade later, few films could replicate this level of 3D immersion.

On the surface, "Life of Pi" was a simple tale.

After a storm sinks his ship, Pi finds himself stranded on a lifeboat.

With him are a zebra with a broken leg, a wounded hyena, an orangutan who’d lost her child, and a Bengal tiger.

One human and four animals struggle to survive the vast, unforgiving ocean.

But peace doesn’t last.

The hyena kills the zebra, then the orangutan—only for the fierce tiger to finish off the injured hyena.

In the end, only Pi and the tiger remain.

As the tension between the boy and the beast played out on screen, Jiang Yunlu occasionally let out soft gasps, as if fearing Pi might be devoured at any moment.

Lin Mo sipped his soda and munched on popcorn.

Then, their hands brushed against each other inside the bucket.

"Hm?" Lin Mo turned to look.

The girl instinctively met his gaze.

Neither pulled away.

Instead, Jiang Yunlu’s pinky lightly hooked around Lin Mo’s finger.

Lin Mo didn’t speak either, simply turning back to the screen—but his fingertip began tracing playful, teasing circles against her palm.

That faint tickle seemed to ripple straight into Jiang Yunlu’s heart.

Her face burned crimson.

Thankfully, the theater was pitch-black. Surely Lin Mo couldn’t see her like this.

Except he could. Even without light, his vision pierced the darkness effortlessly—let alone with the glow of the movie illuminating everything.

Her flushed cheeks and reddened ears would’ve made any young boy weak in the knees.

But Lin Mo wasn’t just any boy. He was a seasoned flirt, a disciple of the future grandmaster of romance.

So their hands lingered in the bucket, entwined in silent battle.

In the end, Jiang Yunlu surrendered first, withdrawing her hand.

Not a single word passed between them the entire time.

And the popcorn bucket? Still nearly full, as if barely touched.

Yet their hands found each other again within it.