Chapter 61 Remade Old Movies Back then, I was young, and time always seemed to drag on...

The two strolled along the brightly lit corridor of the mall, the shops on both sides were dazzling and bustling with people. Ahead was a large chain cinema, and at the entrance, a huge electronic poster suddenly caught Lin Yuwei's eye.

The poster prominently displays the movie that she and Gu Qingyan dreamed about during their junior high school years but ultimately missed out on. More than a decade later, a remake has been released. The classic characters on the poster have been digitally restored, retaining their original appearances and even adding a touch of historical weight.

Lin Yuwei's steps seemed to be nailed to the spot, and she suddenly stopped. She looked up, staring blankly at the huge poster, her eyes shimmering with an unbelievable nostalgia and an undisguised, long-standing regret.

“It’s this one…” she murmured to herself, her voice so soft it was as if she were afraid of disturbing a dream, “I never thought… after so many years, it would actually… be re-released.”

The floodgates of memory burst open!

Lin Yuwei clearly recalled that hot and oppressive weekend. The pressure of the big exam was overwhelming, and she had a fierce argument with her mother, Lin Yulan, over trivial matters, which led to her being strictly confined to her home.

Their secretly planned trip to the cinema was completely ruined. In the end, they could only huddle in front of the computer screen, watching a blurry, shaky pirated copy interspersed with coughs from the audience. Lin Yuwei was extremely frustrated, her lips pouting, constantly muttering complaints: "What is this! I can't even see the male lead's handsome face!" "Ugh, this sound is so grating!" "I'm so angry, if it weren't for my mom..."

Sitting next to her, Gu Qingyan frowned, clearly also extremely dissatisfied with the movie's picture quality. But hearing her complaint, he turned his head, his bright young eyes filled with a feigned mature consolation. He even exaggeratedly patted his still-thin chest, making two muffled thuds, and solemnly promised, "Don't be upset! In the future—" He drew out his words, as if describing an absolutely certain future, "In the future, we'll definitely be able to sit in the biggest movie theater and watch the clearest IMAX version! It's on me! I promise you can watch as much as you want!"

The word "later" came out of the mouth of young Gu Qingyan so lightly and naturally, as if a straight and unobstructed broad road was laid out in front of them. At that time, they were young and always felt that time was long and the future had infinite possibilities. How could such a simple wish not be fulfilled?

They even started imagining with great enthusiasm what it would be like, wanting to buy the biggest bucket of popcorn and sit in the best seats. The two of them chattered away, making plans, and smiles returned to their faces. It seemed that the top-notch movie-watching experience was just around the corner. At that time, they had an almost blind certainty in their hearts, taking it for granted that the people around them would never leave. The word "separation" simply did not exist in the dictionary of children.

Little did they know that fate often takes unexpected turns. With just a casual turn, a seemingly ordinary parting, the torrent of time easily swept them apart, sending them drifting to different shores. The promise they made that summer about "the future" was like a piece of candy forgotten in a corner, lying quietly in the dust of time, slowly fading, becoming a remnant of youth that no one mentions, yet occasionally stirs a bittersweet feeling in their hearts.

Lin Yuwei never imagined that, after so many years, at such an unprepared moment, this faded candy would be presented to her again in such a way.

Gu Qingyan stopped and stood beside her.

He didn't look at the poster, but instead turned his head to gaze at her. The light from the mall's overhead lights cast a soft outline on her face, and he could clearly see the complex emotions surging in her eyes—nostalgia, melancholy, and a hint of barely perceptible grievance. He was silent for a moment, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, his voice low and almost gentle, as if afraid to startle a perched butterfly: "Now," he said, each word clear and slow, "I can keep my promise and buy two more tickets for this movie."

These words were like a precise key; with a gentle turn, they unlocked the long-sealed box in her heart. Lin Yuwei's heart trembled violently, as if she had been gently bumped by something. She suddenly turned to look at Gu Qingyan!

Gu Qingyan's eyes were deep, reflecting the mall lights, yet they seemed to penetrate time. Lin Yuwei clearly saw in them the same regret as herself, as well as a kind of... long-buried, quietly waiting meaning.

“Just in time,” he said casually, as if suggesting a perfectly reasonable pastime, but his gaze was fixed on her with an undeniable tenderness: “The next show is about to start, do you want to watch? Consider it… fulfilling a promise you didn’t keep back then.”

The regrets of the past, the unexpected reunion, the opportunity to perfectly reunite across time and space... all the clues intertwine at this moment into a powerful, fateful vortex. Her rationality regarding avoiding suspicion and maintaining distance seems so pale and powerless in the face of this almost romantic emotional pull, and crumbles instantly.

A few seconds of silence hung between them, the air seeming to thicken. Finally, Lin Yuwei heard her own voice, slightly dazed yet unusually clear, reply: "...Okay."

Gu Qingyan returned quickly, his tall figure weaving through the bustling crowd in the cinema lobby. He carried two tickets and a large bucket of sweet-smelling popcorn. He walked towards her with steady steps, his gaze lingering briefly on her with an indescribable focus. As he handed her the ticket stubs, his fingertips lightly brushed against her palm. That fleeting touch was warm, yet brief, making her want to chase after him.

Lin Yuwei quickly lowered her eyelashes to hide her momentary panic, pretending to carefully examine the show information on the ticket stub, as if all her attention was drawn to it. The rich, sweet aroma of popcorn lingered around her nose, mixed with his cool scent, creating a subtle yet unsettling atmosphere.

The dimly lit cinema creates a sense of isolation from the world.

They found their seats and sat down. As the familiar yet unfamiliar grand melody began again, and the high-definition giant screen perfectly presented every detail, an indescribable emotion silently spread between them.

This is no longer just a simple movie screening; it's more like a ritual that's been delayed for an entire youth, quietly filling that small, yet never truly healed, void deep within my heart.

However, this nostalgic tranquility did not last long, as a young couple sitting next to them seemed completely absorbed in their own world.

At first, the couple simply snuggled together and whispered and laughed, but soon their feelings deepened. In the darkness, the subtle rustling of clothes, the wet, soft smacking sounds of their passionate kisses, and the girl's suppressed, trembling moans that escaped her lips spread like invisible ripples, inevitably encroaching on the delicate distance between Lin Yuwei and Gu Qingyan.

The sound was like a hook, precisely stirring the already turbulent atmosphere in the air.

Lin Yuwei's body stiffened instantly, her back straightened, her eyes fixed on the dazzling screen in front of her, but she couldn't focus on any of the images. Her cheeks began to burn uncontrollably. The couple's oblivious intimacy was like an overly blatant mirror, suddenly reflecting the vivid and sensual fragments of memories about the man beside her that she had deliberately buried deep in her heart.

In the darkness, it was as if another beam of light shone, and memories surged like a tide, carrying with them the scorching heat and humidity.

Lin Yuwei suddenly remembered that many years ago, in that warm apartment, only a dim yellow lamp illuminated the corner. Gu Qingyan was like that too, his kisses starting from her nervously pursed lips, going down, with hot wetness and chilling patience, lingering on her sensitive, trembling neck and collarbone... She remembered how helplessly she grabbed the sofa beneath her, and how, under his clumsy yet incredibly passionate caresses, she, like the girl next to her, squeezed out a soft, shameful yet completely uncontrollable whimper from deep in her throat, like a kitten.

She remembered the thin layer of sweat on his palms from nervousness, the strength conveyed through the thin fabric of his taut arm muscles, and the burning heat of his breath as he buried his face in her neck, which made her soul tremble...

Those sealed images, sounds, and sensations became incredibly clear and vivid at this moment, even more impactful than the stunning audiovisual effects on the giant screen! Lin Yuwei's breathing involuntarily became rapid and shallow, her heart pounding wildly in her chest, making her eardrums buzz. She could clearly feel the skin on her ears, neck, and even collarbone burning hot. A familiar, long-lost heat swirled up from deep within her lower abdomen, quickly spreading to her limbs and bones, making her fingertips slightly numb.

Lin Yuwei almost frantically and instinctively brought her legs together, her body slightly curled up, her fingers nervously gripping the cold armrests of the seat. It was so awkward! This suffocating distance and the undeniable ambiguity…

Just as she was in turmoil and almost fled, a warm and dry hand, with undeniable strength and a hint of tentative caution, gently covered the cold back of her hand that was tightly gripping the armrest.

Lin Yuwei's body trembled violently, as if she had been unexpectedly struck by a weak electric current.

Gu Qingyan's initial action was merely to cover her. His warm, dry palm completely enveloped her slightly cool skin, bringing a strange sense of comfort. Seeing that she did not immediately pull away, perhaps she was so surprised that she forgot to react, or perhaps the secret desire in her heart finally overwhelmed her reason. His fingers then slowly, yet with unwavering determination, slid between her fingers and intertwined tightly with hers.

Their fingers are intertwined.

This gesture was far more intimate and profound than a simple covering, carrying a possessive, declarative meaning. Gu Qingyan's fingertips, burning hot, pressed tightly against every inch of her palm's texture. She could even feel the intense, equally turbulent beating hidden beneath his steady pulse.

His thumb began to stroke back and forth gently on the most delicate and sensitive skin of the back of her hand, extremely slowly, with a tormenting, almost hypnotic quality, drawing silent, ambiguous circles.

In the darkness, vision was almost nonexistent, and all the senses were magnified infinitely, focusing on the two tightly intertwined hands. Gu Qingyan's palms had some rough calluses that rubbed against her delicate skin, bringing waves of tingling, itchy shivers that made her scalp tingle. The sensation traveled up the nerves of their closely pressed skin, straight to her heart, making her weak all over, her heartbeat disordered, and almost unable to think.

-----------------------

Author's Note: The thrill of holding hands was even stronger than the previous lovemaking, hehehe.

Having finished writing this chapter... I have so many feelings. Back then, I was young and always felt that time was long and the future held infinite possibilities. How could such a simple wish not be fulfilled?

Whom did you think of this time? Are you still in contact with them? [Chin resting on hand]