Chapter 165: Chapter 166: Tragedy
Silas Cheney was only thinking about avoiding Ian Preston and Thea Lynch but forgot that entering the venue after them still carried this risk.
There was no choice, the two of them waited until the venue lights dimmed for the start before sneaking in hurriedly.
As soon as they entered, they were noticed by Thea Lynch.
Thea Lynch had been quite nervous at the moment, and her gaze was darting around everywhere.
Suddenly her gaze froze, and then she saw two figures crouched low, running in from the entrance, nearly tripping on the steps halfway.
The two quickly ran to the last row and sat down. Due to the lighting, Thea Lynch turned to look but couldn’t clearly see their appearances.
Just judging by their movements, they seemed particularly odd.
The person behind was alright, not moving too fast. But the one in front looked clumsy, nearly kneeling on the ground after tripping, practically rolling and crawling the whole way.
It’s just a movie, is there really a need to get so excited?
But soon Thea Lynch realized, what were these two grown men coming to watch such a beautiful romance film for?
She had glanced at the screen playing trailers before entering; the movie didn’t feature any major stars—just new faces—it seemed like a low-budget film.
With their sneaky actions, a thought suddenly popped into Thea Lynch’s head.
"What are you watching?" Ian Preston handed her the popcorn bucket, "It’s starting."
"Oh, okay."
Thea Lynch looked down at the bucket of popcorn that was bigger than her head, lost in thought.
She had come back from the "restroom" but hadn’t seen Ian Preston in their original seats.
She looked around and finally saw him at the counter buying something.
She sat down and waited for a while, soon seeing him come back with drinks and popcorn.
Probably because he saw others buying a share, he mimicked others’ actions and prepared them for her.
Actually, when watching movies, she never eats anything or drinks.
But clearly, Ian Preston didn’t know that. Looking at this, he didn’t entirely understand her.
Thinking carefully, it seemed indeed they had never watched a movie alone in all these years.
In the past, a group of them did watch once, but it was so long ago that she didn’t remember many details.
Because none of the guys in their group liked watching movies, found them boring, didn’t chase after any celebrities, nor had favorite actors, so they hadn’t gone again.
She and Ian Preston also never had the opportunity to watch alone.
Back in Westmere, academics were intense.
Ian Preston wouldn’t take her out to mess around and waste time. Their only leisure activity was passing by game arcades and playing for ten minutes while shopping.
Thea Lynch only then realized this was actually their first time.
——
In the last row of the venue, Silas Cheney bent down to rub his shin, grimacing in pain.
Sean Bell sat on one side, legs crossed, calm and composed, forming a sharp contrast with him. Probably sensing eyes constantly lingering around them, Sean Bell got up and separated himself from Silas Cheney.
When Silas Cheney sat up straight, the seat beside him was already empty. He scanned around and saw Sean Bell had somehow moved to a vacant seat in the row below, sitting right in front of him.
"..."
There weren’t many people in the venue; apart from them and Ian Preston and Thea Lynch, the rest were couples.
Just five or six pairs.
Silas Cheney knew it was awkward and didn’t call Sean Bell back. He leaned forward and whispered to Sean Bell, "We didn’t get noticed by Thea Lynch earlier, right?"
"No."
"I saw her constantly looking back."
"Do you even need to ask? She definitely thinks you’re gay."
"... Fine, a misunderstanding is better than getting discovered and beaten up."
——
The movie started, and Thea Lynch’s attention quickly shifted to the film.
She didn’t particularly enjoy watching movies; when studying abroad, she was dragged by her club mates. She rarely went voluntarily.
Especially this genre.
She grabbed a piece of popcorn, chewing it for a long time before swallowing.
"Don’t like it?" Ian Preston’s peripheral vision seemed to be on her all the time, noticing immediately.
"Uh." Thea Lynch didn’t want to ruin the mood.
Before coming, Silas Cheney had repeatedly reminded her about this point.
"No, just finished dinner, a bit too full to eat."
Ian Preston reached out, "Give it to me."
"It’s uncomfortable for you to hold too."
The man was exceptionally considerate.
Thea Lynch hesitated, didn’t move. "No worries, I’ll have some later."
Accidentally glancing at her leg, Ian Preston lowered his eyes, then wordlessly took off his jacket, casually draping it over her legs.
Autumn had already arrived, and Thea Lynch was still wearing a skirt that exposed her legs.
Indeed, it was somewhat cold.
The coat still carried his warmth, transmitting it clearly, tightly against her skin.
Thea Lynch instinctively explained, "I didn’t pay attention to the weather when leaving."
Not intentionally wearing this...
If it were others, this might sound like a poor cover-up. But from Thea Lynch, Ian Preston didn’t think much of it.
"Recently, it’s transitioning seasons, temperatures are falling steadily, be careful not to catch a cold."
"Mm." Thea Lynch breathed a sigh of relief and subconsciously held the coat tighter.
From such a distance, Silas Cheney had no idea what they were talking about, but seeing the two whispering, having some interaction, he finally felt relieved.
"Look, look, passing a coat." Silas Cheney was even more excited than the persons involved.
Sean Bell coldly glanced sideways at him, "Do you need to explain? Can’t I see?"
"Tsk." Silas Cheney hated his tone the most, but now he could understand Sean Bell. He chuckled and patted his shoulder, "No worries, today I’ll let you have it."
"After all, I’m watching this scene smiling, you’re watching it... probably about to cry?"
"Your heart must feel uneasy."
Sean Bell squinted, feigning a smile, "You think I’m you?"
"Whoever feels sad knows it themselves." Silas Cheney certainly knew why he followed.
Sean Bell came to spectate, sure, but he wasn’t here with a blessing mindset.
Judging by his fierce, cold look, he seemed eager to separate the two in front.
Though he said he hoped Thea Lynch would be well, in his heart, he just couldn’t let go.
This was destined to be a tragedy; after all, he couldn’t win by force.
What else could he do but silently watch?
Thinking this, Silas Cheney also considered Sean Bell a bit sick, as if he was torturing himself.
——
The movie reached a small climax; the male and female protagonists kissed.
Thea Lynch glanced and quickly turned away, coincidentally crashing into Ian Preston’s gaze.
Locked eyes, his gaze was somewhat heated.
For a moment, Thea Lynch didn’t know where to look, casually finding a topic, "I’m going on a business trip next week, have to go to my uncle’s place."
"Are you okay with flying?" Ian Preston worried about her, "If it’s not possible, let Silas switch with someone else."
"I’m fine." Thea Lynch shook her head, "Anyhow, I can sleep it off."
"For how long."
"If nothing unexpected happens, about a week."
