MC - Chapter 23

In the days that followed, Shen Mingjin would “coincidentally” have plans to visit a barista friend every evening—claiming it was to keep in touch. Zhang Rufan would tag along, partly for work, and partly because he had once told her: if you like someone, find excuses to get close.

For several nights in a row, they had dinner together at places chosen by Shen Mingjin. Sometimes it was a full-course meal; other times just street snacks. After a few days, even someone as slow as Zhang Rufan noticed a pattern: whenever it was a fancy meal, Shen Mingjin had already paid in advance. But when it was just casual snacks, he would allow her to foot the bill.

Though she was the one doing the chasing, he never took advantage of her—if anything, he spent more than she did. Zhang Rufan had always known Shen Mingjin was a gentleman, but it was in these little details that he continually touched her heart. Again and again, he reminded her: this was someone truly worth liking.

On Friday evening, Zhang Rufan had plans to head back to the Binhu District for dinner. She’d mentioned it to Shen Mingjin the day before. Yet when the workday ended, her feet still took her, almost on instinct, to Jindu—as though the day wouldn’t feel complete without seeing him first.

Shen Mingjin glanced toward the door, checking the time. Even though she’d said she wouldn’t be coming, he still found himself hoping.

“Bro, you waiting for Sister Fan?” Xiao Mu craned his neck toward the entrance, then turned and asked curiously, “Where do you two even go every night?”

“To cafés. For coffee.”

Xiao Mu furrowed his brow, staring at his boss with an expression that practically screamed, Are you okay? “Bro… you do remember you run a café, right?”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

Since he didn’t understand, Xiao Mu gave up, shrugged, and turned to leave—but he’d barely taken a step when he was stopped dead in his tracks.

Shen Mingjin had spotted Zhang Rufan walking in.

He immediately turned away slightly, then, once she came closer, casually cleared his throat and said to Xiao Mu, as if in idle conversation, “You were just talking about that movie coming out tomorrow, right? The thriller one? I love thrillers. Great cast too… haven’t been to the theater in a while. I’m free tomorrow night—maybe I’ll go.”

Xiao Mu blinked, confused—his boss hadn’t said a single word about any movie before. But as soon as he saw Zhang Rufan approaching the counter, realization dawned.

He couldn’t help but laugh.

 He’d seen people use wingmen before, but never someone be their own.

Finishing his “casual” monologue, Shen Mingjin turned back, pretending to just now notice her. “Oh? What are you doing here? Weren’t you going back to Binhu District tonight?”

“I am,” Zhang Rufan said. “I just wanted to stop by and say thanks—for the past few days.”

“No need to thank me. I was seeing an old friend anyway.”

She had said what she came to say, and he had seen her. Zhang Rufan should’ve been on her way out—but something held her back. Her steps hesitated, like her feet were rooted.

Shen Mingjin noticed her lips pressed together in thought. He waited, patient, and started counting silently in his head: One… two… three…

“What movie were you talking about just now?”

Three seconds.

 A big improvement.

Amusement glimmered in his eyes. He wasn’t the least bit surprised she’d asked and replied with practiced ease, “Oh, a new thriller. Starring [famous actor], one of my favorites.”

Zhang Rufan didn’t really keep up with movie news, but even she knew the name. She was quiet for a beat, then took a step closer.

“Can I ask you to go watch it with me tomorrow?”

Shen Mingjin smiled—getting exactly what he wanted, yet still playing coy. “Is this… a date?”

Zhang Rufan didn’t deny it. “Is that okay?”

And of course—there was no reason he’d say no.

Off to the side, Xiao Mu had witnessed the entire exchange with wide eyes and an open mouth. Once Zhang Rufan left, he turned to Shen Mingjin.

“Bro… what was that whole performance?”

Shen Mingjin raised a brow, utterly nonchalant. “What? Can’t you tell? She’s chasing me.”

Xiao Mu squinted suspiciously. “Then why do I feel like you’re way more enthusiastic than she is?”

Shen Mingjin was in excellent spirits, already mentally arranging plans for the next day. Hearing Xiao Mu’s remark, he lifted an eyebrow and repeated, once again with cryptic flair,

 "You wouldn’t understand."

Xiao Mu, clearly not understanding, could only shake his head and sigh,

 "I’ve hooked myself."

Once Zhang Rufan boarded the subway, she found a seat and took out her phone. She wanted to use the ride time to book two tickets for the movie tomorrow.

She rarely went to the cinema. When she did, it was usually for documentaries that piqued her interest. In fact, the last time she set foot in a theater was during the New Year, when she’d accompanied her grandmother to see a comedy.

There was only one new release slated for tomorrow. After confirming that the lead actor matched the one in the thriller Shen Mingjin had mentioned, she tapped into the listing to buy tickets. The film had plenty of screenings, but to her surprise, most theaters were already sold out.

It had been so long since she last bought a movie ticket that she hadn’t realized just how impossible it was to get seats for a popular premiere. After combing through nearly every cinema in the city, she was stunned—and a little helpless.

She switched to a different ticketing app, only to find the same result: sold out, everywhere. It honestly hadn't crossed her mind that their date might hit a roadblock right out of the gate.

After refreshing the app several times to no avail, Zhang Rufan gave in to her disappointment and messaged Shen Mingjin:

 "Would it be okay if we postponed the movie a few days?"

"You have something on tomorrow?"

 Shen Mingjin replied quickly.

"No," she explained. "I just can’t get tickets."

She felt a twinge of dismay just typing that out—but almost immediately, Shen Mingjin responded:

 "I’ve got tickets."

Zhang Rufan blinked in surprise.

 "Which theater?"

"The one in your mall."

She was even more shocked. OW Cinema had been the first one she tried—and every showing had shown as sold out.

"Wasn’t it fully booked?" she asked.

This time, Shen Mingjin didn’t reply instantly. Half a minute later, a message finally came through:

 "Xiao Mu bought two earlier. His friend flaked, so he gave them to me."

"Two?"

"Mm," he replied.

 "He’s not even into thrillers anyway."

It all sounded logical enough, and Zhang Rufan didn’t question it further.

 "What time’s the show?"

"7 p.m."

Perfect.

 "Can I come find you a bit earlier tomorrow?" she asked.

Then clarified:

 "To have dinner together."

"Sounds good."

Zhang Rufan smiled without realizing it.

Thinking back, she realized that Shen Mingjin had never once rejected any of her requests. Every time she gathered the courage to take a step closer, he always met her halfway. Scrolling through their chat history, she noticed just how naturally their conversations now flowed. Saying good morning and good night to him had become second nature.

She wasn’t sure if their pace was fast or slow—but at least it felt steady. And that was enough. She wasn’t in a rush. She kept reminding herself of what Shen Mingjin once told her:

 If you give it your heart, you’ll catch me eventually.

The next evening, right on schedule, Zhang Rufan stepped out of her room. In the living room, the two elders were sitting with Zhang Zitong, keeping her company while she drew. Zhang Rufan greeted them and said she wouldn’t be home for dinner.

"Where are you headed, Xiaofan?" Li Huishu asked.

"OW."

"For work?"

Zhang Rufan shook her head.

 "To see a movie."

Li Huishu looked surprised.

 "With your colleagues?"

"No," Zhang Rufan replied.

 "A high school classmate."

"Cheng Yi?"

Zhang Rufan shook her head again.

That was when Zhang Zitong piped up loudly,

 "Is it Big Brother?"

"Mm."

Zhang Shengyi’s eyes remained on Zitong’s drawing, but he was clearly tuned into the conversation. When he heard that Zhang Rufan was going out for dinner and a movie with a man, he looked up at her, as though wanting to say something.

"I wanna go too!" Zhang Zitong suddenly shouted, raising her hand.

"Nope," Li Huishu waved her hand with a smile.

 "You can’t go bothering your big brother and sister. It’s not safe for little kids to go out at night. If you want to see a movie, Mommy will take you tomorrow—how about that?"

"But I want to see Big Brother do magic," Zhang Zitong pouted unhappily.

Tonight’s thriller obviously wasn’t suitable for children. Zhang Rufan thought for a moment, then said gently,

 "How about I take you to see him tomorrow instead?"

Zhang Zitong instantly lit up with joy.

Zhang Rufan turned to look at Zhang Shengyi. He opened his mouth, but in the end, didn’t ask anything—only reminded her:

 "Don’t stay out too late."

"Okay."

Leaving the house, Zhang Rufan took the subway to OW. Since Shen Mingjin had been the one choosing their dinner spots lately, she’d done her homework the night before. Considering they’d be heading to a movie afterward, she settled on a fish hotpot restaurant at OW and sent him the details.

Not wanting to interrupt Shen Mingjin at Jindu and potentially affect his work, she went straight to the restaurant, planning to wait there. She assumed he’d still be tied up at the café—but to her surprise, as soon as she walked in, she saw him already seated at their reserved table.

Thinking she was late, Zhang Rufan’s expression tensed in alarm, and she instinctively reached for her phone to check the time—

 But Shen Mingjin spoke first:

 "You’re not late. Have a seat."

"You’re here… early?" she asked, still a little surprised.

"I figured you’d get here ahead of time," Shen Mingjin said. "The café was slow this afternoon, so I just came early too."

 He glanced at his watch—twenty minutes early. Looks like in the future, if he had plans with Zhang Rufan, he’d have to show up twenty minutes in advance if he didn’t want to keep her waiting.

The server came over to take their order. Zhang Rufan had heard from Yuan Shuang that their black fish hotpot was good. She asked Shen Mingjin for his opinion; he had no objections, so she ordered that along with a few small dishes.

Not long after they ordered, the bill was brought over. Just as Shen Mingjin reached for it, Zhang Rufan swiftly took it before he could.

Momentarily caught off guard, he looked up at her.

"I invited you today, so I should be the one paying," Zhang Rufan said seriously.

Seeing her so determined, even defensive as she guarded the bill, Shen Mingjin couldn’t help but laugh. He raised both hands in mock surrender and said quickly:

 "Okay, okay—I won’t fight you for it."

Zhang Rufan placed the bill beside her and said,

 "You’ve helped me so much, and I’ve never even properly treated you to a meal."

"You’ve already treated me plenty of times," Shen Mingjin replied casually.

After all, most of their recent dinners had been his idea. Zhang Rufan hadn’t really planned any of them—at most, she’d just covered a few snacks. Even tonight’s dinner didn’t feel especially meaningful to her.

She remembered how her grandmother used to always cook herself when she invited someone over for a meal. After a slight hesitation, she asked,

 "Will you be at the apartment tomorrow?"

"Hm?"

"I’d like to cook for you," she said, her tone slightly tight, a trace of nerves slipping through. "I’m not great in the kitchen, and I only really know how to make southern-style dishes. I don’t know if you—"

"Sounds great."

 Shen Mingjin didn’t even let her finish. He already knew where she was going with it, and worried she’d lose her nerve halfway through and back out, he gave his answer before she could ask the full question.

 "I’m not picky."

Zhang Rufan felt a quiet sense of relief and gave a soft smile.

 "Then come upstairs around noon tomorrow."

Shen Mingjin had already thought her asking him to a movie was a pretty big step—but now this: an invitation to a home-cooked meal, something entirely initiated by her, with no prompting on his part.

She was learning to take the lead.

 And that made Shen Mingjin quietly optimistic: the day she truly won him over might not be far off.

The fish hotpot restaurant was on the third floor of the mall, the cinema on the fourth. After finishing their meal, seeing it was nearly time for the screening, they headed upstairs.

Being the weekend—and with a major actor headlining the film—the cinema was packed. Fans had turned out in droves for the premiere, every showing sold out. The entire floor was buzzing, with waves of people heading into and out of theaters.

Shen Mingjin went to pick up the tickets. Zhang Rufan stepped aside to avoid the crowd, quietly watching him from a corner. She was lost in thought when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

Startled, she turned—and to her surprise, saw Cheng Yi, standing next to a man, Wu Zheng.

"I thought I’d mistaken you," Cheng Yi said, just as surprised.

 "Isn’t today your day off? What are you doing here—working overtime?"

Zhang Rufan collected herself and shook her head.

 "No, just here to see a movie."

Cheng Yi’s eyes widened.

 "By yourself?"

"No."

"Then who—"

 Cheng Yi didn’t finish the question. Her words caught in her throat as she saw Shen Mingjin walking toward them, holding a tub of popcorn and two drinks—

 And stopping right beside Zhang Rufan.

Cheng Yi was speechless for a moment before she finally found her voice. She pointed at Shen Mingjin and Zhang Rufan in disbelief.

 “You… you two came to watch a movie together?”

Zhang Rufan nodded.

Shen Mingjin greeted her calmly, “Long time no see, old classmate.”

“What’s going on?” Cheng Yi pulled Zhang Rufan aside and glanced back at Shen Mingjin, who was already chatting comfortably with Wu Zheng.

“How did you end up watching a movie with Shen Mingjin? Did he invite you? Is he trying to pursue you?” Cheng Yi bombarded her with questions.

Zhang Rufan hadn’t expected to run into Cheng Yi tonight, but since she had, she saw no reason to hide the truth. Calmly, she answered,

 “I’m the one pursuing him.”

“What?” Cheng Yi almost dropped her jaw. “You’re the one chasing him?”

“Yeah.”

There was no hint of teasing on Zhang Rufan’s face, and Cheng Yi knew she wasn’t joking.

“OMG, what’s happened between you two? Are you even the same Xiaofan I know?”

Zhang Rufan understood why Cheng Yi was so shocked. A month ago, if someone told her she’d be chasing a guy like this, she wouldn’t have believed it either.

The movie was about to start, and the staff were checking tickets. Zhang Rufan thought it wasn’t the right moment to explain everything.

 “Can I tell you later tonight?” she asked.

Cheng Yi had tickets for the same 7 p.m. show, but her curiosity about gossip had already overtaken her interest in the thriller. She took a deep breath, resisting the urge to press Zhang Rufan for details, and let her go.

They all entered the theater and took their seats. By coincidence, Cheng Yi and Wu Zheng sat right behind Shen Mingjin and Zhang Rufan.

By the time the movie ended, Shen Mingjin felt Cheng Yi’s gaze burning a hole in the back of his head.

After the movie, Zhang Rufan went to the restroom. Seeing Cheng Yi staring at him like a hawk, Shen Mingjin went over to talk to her.

“You didn’t get your money’s worth tonight,” he joked. “My backside isn’t nearly as good-looking as the movie star’s face.”

Crossing her arms, Cheng Yi stared him down and got straight to the point.

 “Xiaofan said she’s chasing you? Is that true?”

“Yes.”

“Do you like her?”

“Yes.”

Cheng Yi hadn’t expected such a clear, immediate answer. She blinked in surprise and asked,

 “So… are you two dating?”

“Not yet.”

Frowning, Cheng Yi snapped,

 “Are you just playing with her?”

Shen Mingjin sighed, sounding a bit helpless and even a little wronged.

 “I’m the one being played.”

“What do you mean?”

He took a serious tone.

 “I could say yes anytime, but she’s not ready to jump into a relationship.”

“I’m afraid she’d regret it.”

Lately, Shen Mingjin had been torn. Every second with Zhang Rufan was a struggle.

On one hand, he worried that her feelings weren’t clear yet, and rushing into things would only cause anxiety, not happiness. So he gave her time to get to know him, to ease into their new relationship, and to have room to back out if she wanted.

On the other hand, he feared she might really regret stepping away. Selfishly, he kept encouraging her to hold on and keep trying.

He was stuck between these two feelings. The only thing he was sure about was this: with Zhang Rufan, he wasn’t just trying to make up for lost time—he wanted a real future.

1.  From the raw, there actually wasn't an actual  famous actor name.

Characters

章入凡 (Zhāng Rùfán) – The protagonist.

沈明津 (Shěn Míngjīn) – A former classmate who wrote Zhang Rufan a love letter in high school, in her copy of Anne of Green Gables.

章胜义 (Zhāng Shèngyì) – Zhang Rufan’s father. 

李惠淑 (Lǐ Huìshū) – Zhang Rufan’s stepmother ("惠姨 Huìyí").

章梓橦 (Zhāng Zǐtóng) – Rufan’s much younger half-sister (~18 years age gap). 

章胜嫔 (Zhāng Shèngpín) – Rufan’s aunt (father’s sister). 

程怡 (Chéng Yí) – Rufan’s close friend from middle school. 

谢易韦 (Xiè Yìwéi) – High school class monitor who is getting married, prompting the reunion.

杜升 (Dù Shēng) – Someone Zhang Rufan didn't want to add as a friend on WeChat at first.

刘品媛 (Liú Pǐnyuán) – The planning department manager at OW.

孙璐 (Sūn Lù) – Zhang Rufan’s direct supervisor at OW, who goes by "Sister Lu" (璐姐, Lù Jiě).

袁霜 (Yuán Shuāng) – A friendly coworker in the planning department.

周慈 (Zhōu Cí) – Shen Mingjin’s mother

Sevyn here ~~~

Lol Cheng Yi is such a good friend. SMJJJJJJ the man that you are 🤧