A Date
Too Bad There’s No Ring
“Director Chen, I want to ask for tomorrow off.”
“ASK FOR LEAVE!” Director Chen’s roar could have collapsed the floorboards even through the phone.
Lin Sifei[ef guiltily picked at the window frame. “Director Chen, please don’t be angry. I’m just asking for one day. I don’t have many scenes left, and making them up the day after tomorrow won’t cause any delays.”
“NO DELAYS!” Director Chen turned into a Roaring Emperor1. “Do you have any idea how hard it was for Feng Xiao to get into character? You two should be building chemistry for me, and instead, you’re asking me for time off. WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU COME BACK FROM YOUR LEAVE AND FENG XIAO CAN’T ACT WELL AGAIN?!”
“Don’t worry, Director Chen. She just couldn’t get over a mental block before. Now that she’s managed to push past that feeling, there won’t be any more problems with the shoot.”
“That’s still not okay. The movie comes first. Push everything else back.”
Lin Sifei scrunched up her face and grabbed her hair in frustration. Luo Ke had come specifically to see her, and she wanted to take Luo Ke out, get something to eat together, see the sights—how nice would that be.
Luo Ke was usually busy with work. Since she’d made a special trip over this time, it was the perfect chance to go on a date or something.
“Director Chen~” Lin Sifei started to wheedle.
“NO!” Director Chen, a righteous man with a wife and daughter, refused her, chopping a nail and severing iron2. “Don’t try to act cute with me. If my wife found out, it would be hard to explain.”
Lin Sifei sighed helplessly, ruffling her hair in annoyance.
“What are you doing?” Luo Ke walked over, drying her hair, and saw that her phone was on a call screen. “A call from Director Chen?”
“I was calling him to ask for time off. I want to go on a date with you.” Lin Sifei pouted and wrapped her arms around her neck.
Luo Ke took the phone. “Hello, Director Chen.”
“Ah, President Luo.” Director Chen laughed heartily. “My, my, look at Xiao Lin, not even telling me it was to go on a date with you. Still, a full day off is a bit long. How about this, what do you think of half a day?”
Luo Ke looked at Lin Sifei questioningly, and she immediately nodded.
Luo Ke put the phone back to her ear. “Alright, half a day it is. What time does your shoot start in the afternoon? I’ll bring her over.”
“I’ll have to check tomorrow’s schedule and make some adjustments. I’ll message you in a bit.”
“Okay, I’ll wait for your message then.” Luo Ke hung up and raised an eyebrow at Lin Sifei.
“You’re the best!” Lin Sifei jumped up happily and planted a smack on her cheek. “Tomorrow we’ll go out to eat. Chen Qiyuan told me about several good snack streets, said the food is great. There are also a few lakes not far from here, a scenic spot without many people. We can go there together.”
“Okay.” Luo Ke hugged her and kissed her cheek. “Now, our kitty needs to go to sleep, or you won’t have time to play with me tomorrow.”
Lin Sifei pouted. “I really want to sleep in your arms until dawn.”
Luo Ke’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and she pressed her lips together. She smiled and gave Lin Sifei a peck on the lips. “Be good, let’s sleep.”
Lin Sifei pounced onto the bed and turned into a kitten. She burrowed into Luo Ke’s embrace, looked up to rub against her face, and closed her eyes to sleep.
Luo Ke stroked her head and closed her eyes as well.
Luo Ke sank into a dream, her body gradually relaxing. A long road appeared before her, like a small concrete path, but with neat streetlights.
She tilted her head up to look at a streetlight, frowning strangely, and began to walk forward. However, the road ahead seemed to have no end. She walked and walked, but there were only repeating streetlights and the same road.
Exhausted, Luo Ke leaned on the streetlight pole, sliding down against it to sit on the ground.
“Meow~“
Luo Ke raised her head. “Xiao Xiao?”
“Meow~“
Luo Ke pushed herself up from the ground. She looked all around, searching for Xiao Xiao’s figure. Standing up, she scanned her surroundings, then kicked off her high heels and walked forward.
“Xiao Ke.” A familiar voice reached her, and Luo Ke stopped in her tracks.
She looked behind her. A woman was standing in the middle of the pitch-black street. Luo Ke stared at her warily as the woman gradually walked under a streetlight, revealing her face. It was Luo Bihua.
“Eldest Aunt, what are you doing here?”
“Xiao Ke, why won’t you listen?”
Luo Ke took a step back. The moment the woman got close, she violently grabbed her arm and executed a shoulder throw.
She was panting heavily. Shaking her off, she walked forward. “XIAOXIAO! XIAOXIAO!”
“Meow~“
“XIAO KE!”
Luo Ke turned her head and saw the people following her—Eldest Aunt, Second Aunt, Second Uncle. She whipped her head back around and ran forward with her head down.
Old Madam Luo3 appeared before her, carrying something in her hand.
“Grandma?4“
Old Madam Luo held up the cat in her hand. “Are you looking for this?”
“MEOW!”
Blood splattered onto Luo Ke’s face. Her eyes flew wide open.
“LUO KE! LUO KE!” Lin Sifei was shaking Luo Ke’s shoulder.
Luo Ke groaned, pressing her temples. “Xiao Xiao, what’s wrong?”
“You’re asking me what’s wrong? You were having a nightmare. Your forehead is covered in sweat.” Lin Sifei used a tissue to wipe the sweat from her forehead.
Luo Ke sat up, holding her forehead. “What time is it?”
“Seven in the morning.”
Luo Ke drew in a sharp breath and stood up. “I’m going to take a shower. Do you want to sleep a little longer?”
“No need, I’m not sleepy either.” Lin Sifei threw off the covers and followed right behind her, sticking close.
Luo Ke swept her hair back, and when she turned her head, she was cheek to cheek with her. She smiled. “What’s this? Being so clingy.”
Lin Sifei pouted. “I’m just worried about you.”
“I’m fine.” Luo Ke gave her a kiss. “I’m going to take a shower. You get ready, and we’ll head out.”
Luo Ke pulled open the bathroom door, and the smile on her face vanished. Her brow furrowed slightly. It was just a dream, just a dream.
Lin Sifei nodded and sat back down on the bed. She took out her phone, arranged their itinerary for the morning, and glanced at the message from Director Chen with a sigh.
She wanted to finish filming sooner. No wonder they always said that being in a relationship gets in the way of your career. She didn’t want to act anymore; she wanted to fly home with Luo Ke right away.
She opened her phone’s photo album and flipped through the pictures she’d taken of Luo Ke: driving, signing documents, looking at her watch…
She couldn’t help but smile, holding her phone up as she lay on the bed kicking her legs. Ah! How is my girlfriend so beautiful!
The sound of water from the bathroom stopped, and Luo Ke walked out. Lin Sifei immediately dropped her phone, stuck close to her, and said with shining eyes, “Let me dry your hair!”
Luo Ke smiled and handed her the hair dryer. “What? Did you learn how?”
Lin Sifei raised an eyebrow. “This is super easy.”
As she spoke, she turned on the hair dryer. She ran her fingers through Luo Ke’s hair, lifting it up to dry it bit by bit. Although she’d dried her own hair many times, drying it for someone else was a little different. Lin Sifei moved the hair dryer around, a little worried.
“Is it too hot? If it’s hot, you have to tell me.”
Luo Ke smiled. “It’s not hot, dry it without worry.”
Despite her saying that, Lin Sifei was still very careful.
Her hair was still a little damp, but Luo Ke stood up to stop.
“It’s not dry yet.”
Luo Ke took the hair dryer and set it aside. “You can’t tell anymore. If we dawdle any longer, you’ll have to turn into a cat again.”
Lin Sifei wanted to go on a date, not turn into a cat. “Alright, then just leave your hair down.”
“Mm.”
This was the first time Luo Ke had gone out with her hair down. She was on the taller side, and her clothes were all the kind that gave off a powerful aura. With her hair down and wearing sunglasses, she looked like some celebrity or model.
Lin Sifei linked her arm through Luo Ke’s, and they walked out the door together.
“Hurry, hurry, if we get to this place early, there’s a migao5 shop.” Lin Sifei urged her as soon as she got in the car, and when they arrived, she dragged Luo Ke into the line.
Luo Ke was pulled along, panting from the run. She took off her sunglasses. “Are you here on a date with me, or are you just dragging me around to find food?”
Lin Sifei looked up at her, biting her lower lip. “I want to be on a date with you and I also want to eat. You don’t like it? We can go somewhere else, then. How about we skip the food and go straight to the scenic spot?”
Lin Sifei took out her phone and scrolled through pictures of the lakes. “There’s also a place with ancient architecture, but I didn’t think you’d be particularly into it, so I didn’t mention it.”
She mumbled to herself, thinking of other places. Watching her seriously counting on her fingers, Luo Ke reached out and pinched her cheek. “I was just kidding. This is great.”
“Really?” Lin Sifei looked at her doubtfully. “Don’t just go along with it for my sake. A date should be fun for both people.”
“I know. I’m very happy.” Luo Ke took her hand.
Lin Sifei looked at her, a sweet feeling blooming in her heart, and they couldn’t help but look at each other and smile.
“Can you two move up? There’s a huge gap in front of you,” someone in line behind them complained, displeased.
Lin Sifei snapped back to reality, pulled Luo Ke forward a ways, and then turned back to apologize to the person behind them. “Sorry, sorry.”
Having made a bit of a scene, Luo Ke and Lin Sifei couldn’t help but laugh again, their faces flushing with slight embarrassment.
The migao at the shop were all made fresh. Holding the warm cake in her hands, she said, “The owner just sprinkled sugar on it. I know you don’t like sweet things, but this one has no flavor without it.”
Luo Ke nodded obediently and took a bite of the migao in her hand. “It’s pretty good.”
“Right? Right?” Lin Sifei stuck her tongue out from the heat, but still smiled happily at her.
Luo Ke narrowed her eyes and leaned closer to her. “But, how did you know it doesn’t taste good without sugar? Who did you come here with?”
“Lue lue lue.” Lin Sifei stuck out her tongue. “I looked up a guide, okay?”
Luo Ke gave her a peck on the mouth. “I’m just teasing you.”
Lin Sifei raised a hand to hit her playfully. “You’re always teasing me. You’re the worst.”
Lin Sifei pulled Luo Ke all along the snack street, eating their way through it. She knew Luo Ke’s tastes very well and recommended all her favorite things.
“You’re buying all my favorites. What about you?”
“I’m fine, I’m not a picky eater. I’ll eat anything,” Lin Sifei said with a laugh and happily ran to the next shop.
Luo Ke stood behind, watching her back, and furrowed her brow. Has Xiao Xiao gained some weight recently?
She opened her palm and made a few grasping motions in the air in front of her. It does seem like she feels fleshier than before.
She thought for a moment and decided to hide this fact. A little chubbier is good—comfortable and healthy.
Without a shred of guilt, Luo Ke bought Lin Sifei more meat and watched her eat happily.
“It’s about time, we can head to the lakes now!” Lin Sifei raised an arm with a cheer and pulled her into a run.
The sunlight wasn’t intense yet, but it was gradually rising.
Lin Sifei and Luo Ke stood on a wooden bridge, watching the placid lake surface gradually change from a tranquil blue to a kaleidoscope of colors—green, purple, cyan, orange, all mixed together. Yet, it didn’t look like an overturned paint palette, because their fusion was too natural, too clear.
The lake was very clean, with an occasional ripple stirring its surface from the wind.
“Doesn’t seem like there are any fish,” Lin Sifei said, leaning over the bridge to look down.
Luo Ke carefully held onto her belt, afraid she might fall over.
“The water here probably isn’t suitable for fish to live in.”
Luo Ke and she continued walking forward, the forests on both sides reflected in the lake. Although this was a scenic spot, it hadn’t been well-publicized, so no one else was there.
In the quiet, it felt as if they were the only two people between heaven and earth.
Luo Ke looked at the scenery before her, her hand slowly moving closer to Lin Sifei’s until she was holding it.
Lin Sifei smiled, pressing her lips together.
“It’s a shame,” Luo Ke sighed.
Lin Sifei looked at her in confusion. “What’s wrong?”
“This place is so beautiful, it’s perfect for a marriage proposal. It’s a shame I came in such a hurry. I originally just planned to see you and leave, so I didn’t prepare a ring.”
Lin Sifei’s eyes widened slightly. “A m-marriage proposal!”
Luo Ke clasped her hand. “Yeah. Aren’t we planning to get engaged? So shouldn’t I propose first, or… propose for an engagement?”
She fell into confusion, tilting her head slightly in thought.
Lin Sifei burst out laughing and gave her a light pat. “Where did you learn this whole proposal routine? You don’t even have the process straight.”
“Everyone I know has a marriage proposal,” Luo Ke said, her brow furrowing slightly. “If they don’t propose for an engagement, then how do they get engaged?”
Lin Sifei puffed out her cheeks and shook her head. “I don’t know either.”
“Hmm—” The two of them, big eyes staring at small eyes, fell into deep thought.
So how do you get engaged, anyway?
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