Chapter 138: Morse Code

For the time being, Yurong really didn’t speak again.

She said she wouldn’t talk to Li Yan, but now there were only the two of them watching the movie together. If she didn’t speak, Li Yan would only occasionally murmur a few words, and it wasn’t right to keep teasing her.

Her excuse was keeping her eyes glued to the big screen, indicating she was focused on watching the movie. Li Yan tried a few times, but he didn’t persist, though he still held her, not letting her break free.

He had already seen the movie once, so it no longer felt fresh. Last time, he secretly held hands with Li Jie and Hai Fu while watching it. Now, he could openly hold Yurong while watching, and that satisfied Li Yan.

Amidst everyone’s laughter, Li Yan endured and watched half of it. He really was watching it with Yurong. Later, he felt that whether she was shy or annoyed, after dozens of minutes, Yurong’s feelings should have dissipated. Even if it was inappropriate to make a move, being a bit more intimate should be acceptable, right?

How could he ’bother’ her a bit? Spoil the plot for her? Repeatedly tell her what’s coming, forcing her to speak up?

That method would definitely make her speak, but it would definitely annoy her, too. The most annoying thing about watching a movie is the spoilers. If you know the story, what’s the point?

Li Yan had to think of another way. He reached over to grab Yurong’s small hand, placed it on his leg, and then opened her fist.

The action startled Zhang Yurong. She quickly pulled her hand back and turned to glare at Li Yan, scolding him softly, "What do you think you’re doing? Can you not be so shameless?"

Shameless?

Li Yan was taken aback, feeling a bit wronged. Just touching her earlier was considered over the line, but now grabbing her hand was called shameless? But he was happy to hear her speak up.

"How am I shameless? I just took your hand to use for a bit. I didn’t touch you again," Li Yan murmured.

If their struggle made too much commotion, it would draw people’s attention, and Zhang Yurong would have forcefully shaken off his embrace. She could only sulkily whisper her disdain: "This is a movie theater! It’s a public place! You hugged me, I endured; you kissed me, I endured; you touched me, I still endured... But you actually wanted to use my hand to do that shameless thing! Do you have to be even more perverted?"

Her strong reaction left Li Yan bewildered, "Do what shameless thing? I was just taking your hand to write in your palm! You said you didn’t want me to talk to you, so I was going to write. What did you think I was going to do?"

After saying that, Li Yan glanced down. He had just placed her hand on his leg because his other hand was still holding her, making it impossible to hold her palm and write with just one hand. So, he pulled it over, placed it on his leg, opened her fist, and was about to start writing. But he didn’t even get to write before she pulled it back.

On the leg, opening her fist...Oh no, did she think I was going to make her hand reach into my pants?

Realizing this, Li Yan looked at Yurong in disbelief, "You...thought I wanted to use your hand..."

Writing in the palm? Zhang Yurong was also bewildered, not expecting that his action was just a prelude to writing in her palm. She thought he wanted to do something dirty. Misunderstanding him, and even speaking about it out loud, made her extremely embarrassed, her face blushing bright red, burning all the way to her neck and earlobes...

Hearing Li Yan repeat his question, Zhang Yurong could only bravely continue, "Yes...yes, so what? Writing in someone else’s palm...isn’t that very shameless? Don’t you know... it tickles?"

"..."

Li Yan was a bit dizzy. Was that even possible? But hearing her stammering rebuttal, he realized she must have misunderstood earlier, but now refused to admit it. Since he understood and had already clarified his intention, there was no need to force her to embarrassingly admit her thought.

Sometimes it’s best to be oblivious...

He acted as if he just realized, "Oh! Is that why it seemed a bit perverted of me? Alright, to show my punishment, I’ll give you my hand so you can write in my palm as punishment."

Seeing him extend his hand in front of her and place it on her leg, Zhang Yurong quickly pushed it away, "I’m not that bored!" She was more afraid he might take the opportunity to touch her lower body.

"Alright, then watch the movie carefully and don’t talk to disturb me," Li Yan said seriously.

Zhang Yurong felt stifled; she had never seen such a shameless person. Clearly, he was disturbing her, yet he was turning the tables! Ignoring him, ignoring him, ignoring him!

She secretly decided not to react to any of his little antics again and refocused all her attention on the screen.

After a while, Zhang Yurong realized Li Yan wasn’t doing anything mischievous anymore, not even holding her. She couldn’t help but sneak a glance and saw Li Yan with both hands placed earnestly on his legs, watching the movie with a serious expression. No more of the previous cheeky demeanor.

This made her secretly sigh. When this guy gets serious, he does have a sort of look, but he always prefers being unserious... But why did he pull his hand back? Was it because of what I just said that hurt him, making him feel there’s no point in forcing himself to hug me anymore, so he gave up?

Since entering, to disguise it, she had been held like that and leaned towards him. Now that his hand was gone, Yurong was used to it, finding it awkward to sit upright, let alone lean towards the stranger on the other side. Without his embrace, her shoulder and arm felt a bit chilly, a slight loss in her heart...

"Ha..."

"Haha..."

Next, although Li Yan still maintained a serious demeanor, when comedic scenes and humorous lines appeared, he would join in with laughter, as if he was really watching the movie seriously. It was just a laugh or two, seeming very mechanical.

Just now, Li Yan’s attention was entirely on her, and Yurong was focused on watching the movie. Now, Li Yan’s unusual reaction diverted a large part of her attention onto him, making it hard for her to concentrate on the movie.

...

While Zhang Yurong was in a complex mood, torn between gains and losses, she felt Li Yan’s foot move slightly over and bump into her shoe.

Once... twice... three times...

She secretly counted, realizing that Li Yan’s foot had bumped hers three times. Quickly, she pondered what that could mean?

Because of my angry words, he stopped talking, intending to write words in my palm; just now I said that was a shameless behavior, so now he’s using his foot?

Bumping with the foot... could it be Morse code? Does he actually know Morse code?

Oh no, I haven’t learned that. The movie ’Infernal Affairs’ didn’t explain what sending Morse code means...

In a moment of helplessness, Zhang Yurong felt his foot bump hers again, she secretly counted, still three times. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

She immediately realized, even if she didn’t understand Morse code, she could follow his lead, he taps three times, she’ll respond with three times too!

Thinking of this, Zhang Yurong felt a little excited, yet a little nervous, believing no other couple in the whole theater was communicating via Morse code while watching a movie. Truly unique!

She gently tapped her shoe against Li Yan’s shoe three times.

After a moment, Li Yan tapped back three times.

Although she didn’t quite understand what he meant, Yurong responded with three taps again.

The two indulged in this secret foot code for several minutes, she started to find it a little monotonous, as Li Yan only seems to know this one signal!

"Hey..." she called softly.

"What is it? Interrupting me again?" Li Yan turned his head to look at her.

Hearing him tease her first, Zhang Yurong snorted lightly, interrupting you, huh? Then I’ll use the ’shameless’ move to make you itch!

She reached over, pulling Li Yan’s left hand, which was close to him and originally holding her, across to her chest, and wrote in his palm with her other hand.

"What did you mean just now?"

Li Yan felt his hand being pulled to her chest, already a bit agitated, with his right hand already having enjoyed a benefit. Now with the left hand having the opportunity to touch through her clothes, should he?

But since it was pulled over in reverse, it wasn’t very convenient. Not wanting to startle her, he didn’t move, obediently letting her write in his hand.

After she finished writing, she let go of his hand and proactively offered her right hand to Li Yan.

Li Yan didn’t hold back, writing in her soft palm: "What are you saying?"

The two switched hands again, Li Yan extending his hand over.

"What did you mean by bumping me with your foot earlier? Was it Morse code?"

Li Yan was a bit embarrassed. Morse code... really? We’re dating, not spies exchanging secrets. Yurong is really extraordinary to think of that!

Feeling her switch hands again, he wrote in her palm: "What I sent wasn’t Morse code, it was a love code."

"?" This time Zhang Yurong, too lazy to switch hands, nudged him with her elbow, casting a questioning look at him.

Li Yan had a lot to express next, so he stopped writing with his hand, instead extending his arm to hug her as he did before, clasping her hand with another. Leaning close, he whispered, in a voice only they could hear:

"You said not to talk to you, nor to write in your palm, I solemnly thought for a while, and could only think to use my foot to convey my meaning. At first, tapping your foot three times meant ’I’m sorry,’ expressing that I shouldn’t have upset you earlier, considering this is a public place, some matters are best left for home. Seeing you didn’t respond, I repeated it with my foot. Later, you did respond, also tapping me three times. I believed you understood my meaning, and your return meant ’It’s okay.’ So, I was happy, and the subsequent three taps always meant ’I love you.’ You quickly responded too, which I believe was the same meaning!" (To be continued, for more, please visit www.qidian.com. Support the author, support legitimate reading!)