Ch. 28 - The Water Bottle in Front of the Theater

My Fake Girlfriend is Going All Out to Defend Against Their Attacks

After leaving the park and braving the blazing afternoon sun, we turned a corner and arrived at the subway station. The theater wasn't far from here, there was no need to transfer lines; just three or four stops would take us directly to the station nearest the theater. At this hour of the day, there weren't many people around.

The subway station—which normally packed commuters together like sardines during rush hour—felt unusually spacious. The moment we stepped inside, a wave of cool air-conditioning washed over us. The sweat on my back seemed to retreat instantly.

For the first time in my life, I realized riding the subway could actually be enjoyable. Like dance partners at a formal ball, Tang Xin continued holding my hand with one hand as we entered the station. Even she quietly let out a sigh of relief. A faint sheen of perspiration glistened on her neck. Clearly, the heat had been tormenting her as well, and yet...Despite the weather, she showed absolutely no intention of letting go of my hand.

Although Tang Xin acted like a sly fox whenever she was alone with me, the moment she entered a public place she transformed into a proper young lady from a distinguished family,so after boarding the train, she sat upright on the bench. Aside from occasionally glancing at me, she remained perfectly composed, her hat resting on her lap. Combined with her blue eyes and silver-white hair, she looked refreshingly cool amidst the summer heat.

"Vice President, your taste is rather indecent."

Without warning, Tang Xin turned her head. Her sapphire-blue eyes met mine and a knowing smile curved her lips. Startled, I immediately jerked my head away. Embarrassment consumed me instantly.

"Y-You're blocking my view... of the advertisement."

Thinking quickly, I pointed toward the display screen behind her. To be fair, I'd originally been looking at the advertisement, but at some point, my attention had unconsciously drifted toward Tang Xin instead. Any advertisement incapable of holding someone's attention deserved to fail.

Tang Xin didn't even bother turning around to look at the screen. The smile on her face remained unchanged. Instead, she tilted her head slightly then rested it on my shoulder. The cool strands of her hair brushed against my face, her fragrance drifting into the air.

"If that's the case..."

Her sweet voice echoed beside my ear.

"Then Vice President can see it now, right?"

The intimate gesture instantly attracted the attention of the few passengers nearby. I froze, too scared to move. The worst part was that I couldn't even criticize her, because technically...I could see the screen perfectly now.

"...I can see it."

My voice sounded stiff.

"But if you lean on me like this, my shoulder is going to get tired."

For some reason, my back now felt even hotter than it had outside the subway station. Damn weather.

"Vice President was leaning on me exactly like this earlier."

Tang Xin's voice carried obvious amusement. Just like I had done while drunk, she gently rubbed her head against my shoulder. Of course. Of course this woman was going to remember every embarrassing thing I'd done while drunk. Still...Letting her lean on me for a little while wasn't a big deal. Right?

With that thought, I sighed. My stiff body slowly relaxed. I allowed her to remain there while I turned my attention back to the advertisement playing on the screen.

Tang Xin didn't say another word. Her right hand rested against the bench, and her left hand held down the hat on her lap. Eyes closed, she quietly leaned against my shoulder. I didn't know how much time passed. Nor how many station advertisements flashed by outside the train windows. Eventually, the familiar announcement sounded.

"We're here."

I moved my shoulder slightly, signaling Tang Xin that we'd reached our stop.

"...Already?"

Tang Xin murmured. Yet she made no effort to get up. I looked at the motionless Tang Xin. Then I looked at the train doors not far away. Panic began creeping into my heart.

"Um... the doors."

I shook my shoulder urgently, hoping she'd understand.

"The doors..."

Tang Xin lazily half-opened her eyes. Her right hand casually lifted in front of me.

"What about them?"

There wasn't much time left. Without thinking, I grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet, then we sprinted toward the doors. At the very last second before they closed, we darted out like two carp leaping from the water. The doors shut behind us. I turned back and let out a sigh of relief.

"I mean..."

Staring at the closed train doors, I turned toward Tang Xin, ready to say something, but the moment I saw the smile tugging at her lips, I gave up. I'd been tricked again. Of course I had.

"...Forget it. Let's go."

I released her hand and shrugged. If I kept talking, she'd probably find some new angle to tease me from. That was her specialty.

"Mm."

Tang Xin nodded. Her elegant steps seemed noticeably lighter now as she fell into step beside me.

As the largest theater in the city, the building had a rather unique design—it combined classical architecture with modern elements. Its predecessor had been a theater over two hundred years old, unfortunately, years of neglect had left the original structure beyond repair. Eventually, it had been demolished and rebuilt from scratch.

After leaving the subway station, we arrived at the plaza in front of the theater. The afternoon sun was at its fiercest. Even so, many people were lining up under umbrellas to buy tickets or enter the venue. Originally, I had assumed a competition performance wouldn't attract much attention, yet, judging by the long lines, the event was surprisingly popular.

Most of the people waiting appeared to be students. Many even wore uniforms from nearby middle and high schools. They were probably here to support their friends or their school's team. The organizers had even managed to turn that support into ticket sales; quite the business strategy.

"Please line up over here."

A volunteer approached and guided Tang Xin and me to the end of a queue. Looking ahead, I saw that the ticket inspection process was moving at a decent pace. The line wasn't particularly long either. We probably wouldn't have to wait long.

Perhaps because I'd thrown up earlier after drinking, I suddenly felt thirsty.

"You stay in line."

Tang Xin noticed immediately. She handed me the two VIP tickets and adjusted the brim of her hat.

"I'm going to buy some water."

"Okay."

I nodded.

Then she headed toward a nearby kiosk. The line slowly moved forward. I followed along, taking a step ahead with everyone else.

Thunk.

A plastic water bottle lying on the ground got kicked over by my foot. Someone had probably abandoned it after drinking half of it. Since I was stuck in line, there was no way for me to take it to a trash can. I simply stepped over it and continued following the queue. A volunteer would probably clean it up later anyway.

Ch. 28 - The Water Bottle in Front of the Theater

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