Chapter 89: A Date

Chapter 89: A Date

The movie theater looked quite old, presumably built during the Republican era.

The interior decorations still carried the style popular at the time, with vintage wallpapers in vibrant colors, wooden floors that showed scratches and missing pieces, clear marks of time, and antique brass lamps hanging from the ceiling, emitting a soft glow.

Su Zhaozhao followed Gu Heng into the auditorium.

The inside of the auditorium was dimly lit, and people entering were looking for their seats.

The seats were arranged in a stepped layout.

Their seats were at the back, and as they climbed the stairs, Gu Heng turned around to give her a hand, letting go quickly as if afraid someone might see.

Once they found their seats, Gu Heng handed her a soda, “Drink up.”

Seeing Su Zhaozhao looking around curiously, he said, “It hasn’t started yet. When it does, the lights will go off, don’t be scared.”

I’m not scared.

Gu Heng thought this was her first time in a movie theater and fussed over her like a child.

Su Zhaozhao played along, nodding obediently and softly responded, “Mm.”

She took a sip of the soda and grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds, waiting for the movie to start.

The screen lit up, and the lights went out.

The movie was in black and white, as color films weren’t available yet. The picture quality wasn’t very clear, but Su Zhaozhao was thoroughly engrossed.

Seeing this, Gu Heng felt he had made the right choice in bringing her here.

Couples in love liked to come to the movies these days.

Inside the auditorium, men and women, almost all in pairs.

Su Zhaozhao noticed too. The people sitting in front of her were probably a couple. They were quite funny, clearly acquainted but deliberately leaving a gap in between, not daring to let their shoulders touch.

The man also had soda and seeds in his hand, offering them to the woman.

Of course, there were the bolder ones who, in the darkness, secretly held hands.

The auditorium wasn’t quiet at all, with constant whispering. People went out and came back in, and the narrow gaps between rows caused a chorus of complaints.

There were also those sneaking in without tickets, who knows how they got in. With no seats, they sat on the stairs.

Halfway through, ticket inspectors came in. When they entered, those without tickets ran to the back, hiding who knows where, only to come back out once the staff left.

Su Zhaozhao was multitasking, watching the movie while observing the myriad ways of life.

She glanced at Gu Heng, who was staring at the screen.

Gu Heng immediately noticed and leaned over, asking in a low voice, “Do you need to go to the restroom?”

Su Zhaozhao: “……No.”

She just wanted to do something naughty.

She still remembered when Gu Heng had taken her hand earlier, only to let go immediately.

Su Zhaozhao reached out with her right hand and directly grabbed his hand.

Gu Heng: …

He looked around, then tightened his grip on it and placed it on his leg, even giving it a little rub.

Su Zhaozhao almost burst out laughing.

Throughout the entire movie, Gu Heng never let go of her hand.

When the lights in the theater came on, the couple behind them noticed their joined hands. Su Zhaozhao even heard the male companion behind them say, "Look at them."

The female companion who came with him blushed and spat at him.

She cursed, calling him a rogue.

The "rogue" Gu Heng finally let go of her hand, stood up, his face as composed as ever, and said, "Let's go, we'll grab lunch."

The two left the cinema and returned the soda bottles.

"What do you want to eat?"

"Anything is fine."

"Then let me take you to an old, established restaurant."

Su Zhaozhao followed Gu Heng, going wherever he wanted to eat.

She thought they would go to the state-owned hotel she had visited last time, but instead, after following him through several twists and turns for about ten minutes, they arrived in front of a restaurant.

The exterior looked quite upscale, with a decor that clearly dated back to the Republican era, just like the cinema. A plaque with the bold, flowing characters "Li Ji" hung above the entrance.

As soon as they entered, a waiter came over to greet them.

He led them to a window-side table.

He handed two menus to Su Zhaozhao and Gu Heng, then poured water in front of them. The service was excellent.

At that moment, Su Zhaozhao had the illusion that she was in the modern era, rather than the 1950s.

Su Zhaozhao lowered her head to look at the menu and compared the prices with the last time she went to the state-owned hotel. No wonder the service was so good—it was really expensive!

There was a wide variety of dishes, unlike the small restaurants outside where only a few dishes were available each day.

"Have you been here before?"

Gu Heng nodded. "I've been here twice with my superiors. This place has been open for many years and has now transitioned into a public-private joint venture. The environment and the taste are both excellent. Some private receptions are arranged here."

Private receptions meant hosting friends unofficially.

"Then you order. You must know what dishes are good."

Gu Heng closed the menu. "Let's order the Eight-Treasure Duck..."

The two of them ordered three dishes and one soup, with two meat dishes and one vegetable dish. It was quite luxurious for this era.

While waiting for the dishes, Su Zhaozhao looked around.

She wasn't afraid of being called a country bumpkin or someone who had never seen the world.

In the 1950s, it was rare to get into a high-end restaurant, so she had to observe carefully.

The reality was different from watching TV.

There weren't many people in the restaurant, but every customer looked like someone who wasn't short of money.

Su Zhaozhao even saw a foreigner.

Gu Heng saw him too and explained, "Probably an expert sent from the Soviet side. Don't be afraid."

I'm not afraid!

Where did you see that I was afraid?

Su Zhaozhao knew that Gu Heng thought she had been in the countryside all the time and had never seen a foreigner with blonde hair and blue eyes.

It was natural to be surprised the first time you saw one.

Actually, her Russian was quite good. In college, her elective course had been Russian.

The dishes arrived quickly.

As soon as the Eight-Treasure Duck was served, Gu Heng picked a piece and put it on Su Zhaozhao's plate. "Try this."

Su Zhaozhao took a bite and nodded several times. "Delicious!"

Gu Heng smiled slightly. "This is their signature dish." He then picked another piece for her.

Su Zhaozhao ate happily. Being taken care of like this really felt great!

It was as if a flower had bloomed in her heart.

The other dishes were also very good, and even a simple tofu soup was so fresh it was tongue-tingling.

Halfway through the meal, Su Zhaozhao glanced around. "...That looks like Sister Yu."

Gu Heng turned to look and indeed, it was Yu Huixin who had just entered the restaurant, accompanied by several people, both men and women, young and old, seemingly family or relatives.

As soon as they entered, they were led by the waitstaff to a private room upstairs.

Gu Heng turned back. "Keep eating."

He didn't seem interested in going to say hello.

Su Zhaozhao lowered her head and continued eating.

Upstairs, sitting in the private room, Yu Huixin was puzzled. When she entered just now, she thought she saw Gu Heng's country wife.

But then she thought it was impossible. How could she be here, eating at such a place? She would probably be scared just looking at the menu.

"Huixin, why didn't Xiao Yan come?"

Yu Huixin snapped out of her thoughts. "Today's not a public holiday. It's hard for him to ask for leave."

When this was mentioned, Yu Huixin felt upset. Her brother-in-law didn't even want to come for his uncle's birthday.

Isn't it just a family banquet at Li's? Does he really need to be so concerned about appearances?

And saying he couldn't come because of the unit—it's all just excuses.