I have a wildlife zoo

After Auntie had left, Fang Ye shook his head, "Hey, I can't believe Auntie would make such a joke, don't take it to heart, okay?"

Lan Li was actually quite happy, but she still obediently nodded, "Mm."

Her face flushed, she then added in a voice as quiet as a mosquito's, "Actually, I don't mind at all."

"Huh? What did you say? A little louder, please," Fang Ye said, puzzled.

Lan Li got startled and hurriedly explained in a fluster, "Nothing!! I was asking where the cinema is!"

Fang Ye opened the map on his phone and looked, "Oh, it should be in that shopping mall up ahead."

Lan Li occasionally stole glances at Fang Ye, her face wearing a happy smile, but Fang Ye didn't notice; he was internally struggling, "What do guys and girls usually do when they go out together? How can I make a girl happy? What should we talk about?"

Ah, he had also forgotten to check online for some dating advice before going out, this really hit his blind spot.

A love rookie in both past lives, when you think about it, it's quite tragic.

Wanting to chat but not knowing what to say, now that he was about to speak, all that came to mind were topics related to animals; he could talk excitedly about them without end, but now wasn't the time for work, and discussing animals during time off seemed inappropriate.

Suddenly recalling the news on his friend's social media feed, it seemed like "The first cup of milk tea in autumn" was recently popular. Noticing there was a milk tea shop ahead, he suggested to Lan Li, "Shall we get some milk tea? What flavor would you like?"

Lan Li looked at the menu and responded, "I'll have a Peachy Creamy Tea, please."

"Alright, then I'll have the Brown Sugar Boba Tea."

While waiting for the milk tea, Fang Ye thought that if not animals, then they could talk about family, "Hey, this National Day holiday my mom and dad came to visit and gave me a fright, I bet it was mom's idea."

Lan Li was curious about Fang Ye's family but afraid of prying into potentially dramatic family matters, so she never asked. Hearing Fang Ye bring it up, she inquired, "Why did your uncle and auntie leave after just one day? They must not have seen you for a while, they must have been happy seeing you. Didn't they want to stay a bit longer?"

A smile spread across Fang Ye's face, "Heh, they were in a hurry to have a romantic getaway in the Maldives, they took a flight that evening. They were even showing off during dinner, sending me all this lovey-dovey stuff. They're already so old, it was really too much."

He lamented, "Ah, when will I be able to show off like that, too bad no girl has liked me from childhood to now."

Lan Li hurried to reassure, "How is that possible, Director Fang is so handsome, surely many girls like you!"

A single delivery guy in yellow clothes waiting to pick up his milk tea on the side listened to their conversation and looked at Fang Ye with an extremely odd expression.

Looking at the pure and beautiful girl by his side, who was gazing at Fang Ye with adoration, he took a couple of deep breaths, nearly crushing the handlebar of his electric bike.

How much more coupley can you get, for the love of God, just act human!

Why is it that he messages his goddess every day, consistently saying good morning and good night, warmly inquiring whenever he sees her mention she's not feeling well on social media, and yet she only occasionally responds with a lukewarm "Taking a bath" or "Going to sleep," and only getting enthusiastic with a "Thanks, bro, xoxo" when receiving money during holidays.

How can there be such a vast gap between people?

The milk tea shop employee placed a bag with a tag at the side of the counter and called out, "Number 43, who's number 43? Number 43, your order is ready!"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

This call snapped the melancholic delivery guy out of his sad reverie.

His eyes gradually hardened with determination, to hell with catering to a goddess!

One day, I will tear apart this fake sky, and make the whole world tremble!

"Number 43!"

"Hey, here it comes!"

The delivery guy hastily agreed, grabbed his bag, mounted his little electric scooter, and rode off, leaving a spirited silhouette fading into the distance.

"Order 44! Hello, your 'Peachy Milky Bliss' and 'Brown Sugar Bobo', please enjoy, and welcome back anytime!" Read new chapters at empire

Fang Ye handed a cup of milk tea to Lan Li and sighed, "Sheesh, what's the use of being handsome when you can't find a partner just the same.

Back at the end of high school, the only time I confessed, I was rejected by a female classmate.

God gave me handsome looks, a clever brain, and a warm, wealthy family but took away my chances of having a girlfriend. They say every gain has its loss, and when one door opens, another closes, huh?"

"Ahem, Director, you've never had a girlfriend?" Lan Li's emotions spiked, she took a big gulp of her milk tea, choked on it, and, with wide eyes, said in utter surprise.

"Drink it slowly," Fang Ye said morosely. "Even though it's true, why does it hurt so much to hear it? Let's not talk about this anymore—it just makes me sadder. Let's go, let's go; off to the movies."

In the cinema's lobby, at the most conspicuous spot stood the poster for "Your Orange"!

"Hello, is it your orange? No, it's your orange!

Don't wander off here; I'll buy you two oranges.

When the oranges ripen, let's eat them together!

Bonded over an orange, a bittersweet tale of young love unfolds..."

In the lobby waited pairs of sweet, lovey-dovey couples, but not all were lovers—there were also girls holding hands, arriving together.

A loli-like girl pointed excitedly at the poster and said, "Yaoyao, let's watch this one, okay?"

Another girl in a white dress, seemingly uncomfortable with the crowded public space, nodded slightly, "Mhm."

Lan Li looked at the young man and woman on the poster, her eyes shining with anticipation, "It looks really touching!"

Fang Ye, observing the hand-holding couples, and even those who couldn't restrain themselves and passionately kissed in public, their mouths glued together as if with superglue, felt a wave of sadness.

Why would a single dog like himself impulsively come to watch a romance movie? This was like asking for others to rub salt in the wound.

Lan Li kept stealing glances at Fang Ye, noticing his envious, jealous, grinding-his-teeth-add-heartache expression as he watched the other couples, she quietly reached out and poked his hand.

"Hmm? What's up?"

Fang Ye shivered, turned his head, and saw Lan Li blushing, her expression shy and cute, which made him drift into fantasy land again.

This was a tender, delicious-looking red apple—how he wanted to take a bite.

Lan Li's ears turned bright red, she stumbled over her words in extreme nervousness, "No, no special reason, just... hand... holding hands..."

After speaking, she instantly regretted it, struggling to catch her breath.

Ah, has my brain gone up in flames? What kind of shameless thing have I just said? So direct—what if it scared the Director away!

Staring down and fiddling with her fingers, her heart pounded like a frightened deer, awaiting its final judgment!