I woke up at six the next morning, unusually early. Wang Dali was still dead asleep, probably from last night's drinking, and so were the rest of my roommates. I tiptoed around the room, doing my best not to wake anyone up—especially since I had no idea how I'd explain where I was going.
I spent ages rifling through my wardrobe before settling on what I thought was a stylish British-style hoodie. I paired it with jeans and sneakers, then used my eldest brother's hair gel to style my hair. At first, it looked way too formal, so I ended up washing my hair and starting over. It took forever before I was finally satisfied. By the time I stepped out, it was already 7:00 a.m.
I arrived at the entrance of Jinlong Mall by 7:30 and waited until exactly 8:00, when Huang Xiaotao showed up—right on the dot, almost to the second.
I barely recognized her at first. She wore a white long-sleeve shirt under a short red jacket, paired with tight white jeans that perfectly showed off her long, slender legs. Her shoes were simple sneakers, and she had on a pair of lensless glasses that gave her a youthful vibe. With a small shoulder bag completing the look, she seemed refreshingly casual—no one would ever guess she was a captain of the criminal police.
"How long have you been waiting?" she asked.
"I just got here," I said with a smile, then added, "Why the glasses? You're not nearsighted, are you?"
She adjusted her frames playfully. "I got them back when I was undercover. Just felt like wearing them today. What do you think? Do I look young? Like a college girl from your school?"
"Not really," I said, shaking my head.
"Why not?" she raised an eyebrow.
"You just… don't have that student vibe. You've got a different kind of presence," I answered sincerely.
She laughed. "What can I say? Some people are born with an aura you just can't hide."
I asked, "Do you live nearby?"
She looked surprised. "How'd you know?"
"Well, you didn't drive, your shoes are spotless, and the ends of your hair are still damp. I'm guessing you walked here from home."
She clicked her tongue in amusement. "Wow, that's some Sherlock Holmes-level deduction. You're right—I live just around the corner. Alone, actually."
"You bought a place here?" I asked.
"Yep." She nodded.
I was impressed. Jinlong Mall was in one of the most expensive areas in Nanshi City. Owning a place here meant you weren't short on cash. Huang Xiaotao was basically the textbook definition of a "rich, beautiful, and independent woman."
"Have you eaten breakfast yet?" she asked.
"Nope," I replied, shaking my head.
"Me neither. Want to hit the McDonald's nearby?"
"Uh… sure."
We grabbed a quick breakfast—she insisted on paying—and then she gave me a mischievous grin. "So, Detective Song, what's the grand plan for our date?"
I had actually done some prep the night before—scoped out the area on Baidu Maps. The usual options were there: movies, shopping, and the park. So I tested the waters: "How about we catch a movie? Should be over around lunchtime, and then I'll take you to the food street nearby. My treat."
She laughed. "Jumping straight to a movie? That's what people do on actual dates, you know. Aren't you afraid I'll say no?"
I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. "Then… what would you like to do?"
"I didn't say no," she said with a teasing smile. "I've been wanting to see this one movie, just haven't had the time."
I sighed inwardly. Women—so hard to read.
We strolled over to the nearest cinema. The movie had already started five minutes earlier. After we bought our tickets and stepped into the darkened theater, I suddenly felt nervous. No wonder couples love going to the movies—there's something about the dim lighting that just feels… intimate.
I led the way, holding my phone up as a makeshift flashlight. The screen was too bright for my phone light to be much help, though.
"Hey," Huang Xiaotao whispered. "Hold my hand."
She reached out. I took her small hand in mine—our second time holding hands—but it still made my heart flutter.
Thanks to my exceptional night vision, I found our seats with ease. When she pulled her hand away, I felt a little pang of disappointment. Honestly, holding her hand felt really nice.
During the movie, a couple in front of us kept talking, then started making out—very loudly. I frowned, annoyed. But the seats were assigned, so we couldn't move.
Then Huang Xiaotao raised her voice deliberately. "Hey Song Yang, did you know the surveillance cameras in theaters have night vision? No matter what you do, they can see everything."
The couple froze. They glanced back, looking sheepish, and sat upright. Huang Xiaotao scoffed softly.
"How do you know that?" I asked.
"I'm a cop, remember? Now hush and watch the movie."
The film was a crime thriller, but she couldn't stop pointing out flaws:"This is ridiculous.""No way a prison break's that easy.""Shot five times and still running? Please."
But I barely followed the plot. I spent most of the time sneaking glances at her side profile—or at her hand resting near mine. I kept inching my finger closer, swallowing hard, thinking maybe I could hold her hand again… but in the end, I chickened out. I really was hopeless.
After the movie, I asked, "What'd you think?"
"It was okay," she said. "You watched it, didn't you?"
I hesitated. "Yeah… I'm not really into these kinds of movies."
She gave me a knowing smile. "Were you watching me the whole time?"
"No way," I denied instantly.
She just smirked. Then she checked her watch. "It's eleven. Let's grab lunch."
We headed to the food street nearby. I asked if she wanted barbecue or pizza.
She shook her head. "I'm not really that hungry. Something light is fine."
"That won't do. I said I was treating you to something nice."
She laughed. "Nice doesn't have to mean expensive. I've tried most of the places here anyway. And that movie already cost us 200 yuan—you don't have to splurge."
"You've treated me plenty of times. This is nothing," I insisted.
She grinned. "That's different. You don't have a job yet—I do. But hey, can you cook? If you can, why don't we grab some ingredients and head to my place? You can make me lunch."
I scratched my head. "Uh… I can't cook."
Looking back, I realize I must've been the densest man alive. That was clearly her way of inviting me over—and I turned her down.
She sighed. "Alright then, let's just walk around. No need to be so formal. We've known each other long enough."
"Sure."
We wandered aimlessly. There wasn't much conversation.
"You've never strolled around with a girl before, have you?" she asked.
"Nope. You?"
"Never with a guy."
Last night, I had imagined all kinds of progress on our first date. But now that it was happening, I found myself totally lost. I didn't even know what to talk about. Outside of forensics, I knew nothing—couldn't even name a couple of movie stars. I was a boring guy, through and through.
Eventually, we came to a quiet park surrounded by lush trees. Huang Xiaotao said her legs were tired and she wanted to sit down. I noticed a small convenience store nearby.
"You must be thirsty. I'll get you a drink," I offered.
She smiled. "Wow, look at you being thoughtful. I'll have a chilled blueberry juice."
"Got it. Don't go anywhere," I said.
I jogged off to grab the drinks. But when I came back…
Huang Xiaotao was gone.
All that remained was her small shoulder bag, lying on the ground.