Yan Zhen tapped his shoulder. When he turned, she held out her hand. "Give it to me."

Chen Huaixu glanced down at her palm, then back up at her, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"Hurry up. Dinner tonight, they're all waiting for me," Yan Zhen lied without a flicker of emotion. "Give me what I left behind. I have to go."

He paused, a rare hesitation. "Dinner?"

Seeing his serious expression, Yan Zhen fought to suppress a smile, continuing her deadpan urging. "Yes, don't waste my time. I—"

Just then, the others emerged from a different exit, chattering in groups. Someone spotted Yan Zhen from afar and called out, "See you later, Senior! We're heading off. Let's get together again soon. Bye!"

And so, Yan Zhen's lie was ruthlessly exposed in less than a minute.

"Oh, so you were lying to me." Chen Huaixu tapped her outstretched palm lightly with his knuckles. "Miss Yan Zhen, weren't you going to dinner?"

She coughed, withdrawing her hand and looking away, stubbornly insisting, "Who lied to you? They can't exactly kick me out now, can they?"

She turned to leave, but before she could take a step, her wrist was caught. Chen Huaixu pulled her back, half-turning her into his arms, his chest pressing against her shoulder.

"They're too far gone. You can't catch up now." He held her wrist firmly. "You can only come with me."

As he led her towards his car, Yan Zhen asked, "What did I leave behind, anyway?"

Chen Huaixu didn't answer.

Realization dawned on her. "Chen Huaixu, you wouldn't be lying to me, would you?"

He opened the passenger door and ushered her inside, his tone perfectly calm. "Didn't you just lie to me? We're even."

"That's not the same!" Yan Zhen's eyes widened. "I even turned down dinner for you tonight! It turns out it was all a pretense."

"For me?" His voice lifted slightly at the end, a hint of amusement in his tone. "My apologies, then. I'll be sure to make it up to Miss Yan tonight."

"Make it up to me how…?" He sounded serious, but for some reason, Yan Zhen suddenly recalled the "compensation" in the car during their road trip. Flustered, she looked out the window and hummed, "I don't want anything."

Chen Huaixu took her to dinner. Starving, Yan Zhen ordered a table full of dishes. After eating her fill, she offered a rare compliment. "Thank you, Mr. Chen, for the hospitality. What's next on the agenda? Going home?"

"A movie."

"Oh, okay… wait, a movie?"

She reached up to touch his forehead. "Do you have a fever? Why are we suddenly seeing a movie?"

He took her hand down. "I want to. Is that a problem?"

"Of course not, it's just… strange." She tilted her head. "I don't recall you being much of a moviegoer."

He stood, picking up her coat and bag. "A sudden whim. Consider it my treat, a way for you to relax."

They took the elevator to the top floor of the mall. Chen Huaixu retrieved the tickets from the counter. Yan Zhen glanced down. "Did you get the wrong tickets? Why is this a couples' ticket?"

Chen Huaixu replied calmly, "Discount."

Yan Zhen was shocked. "Chen Huaixu, are you broke? Saving money on this?"

She pulled out her phone, curious. "I have to see how big this couples' discount is to tempt even you."