Chapter 84: A Date at the Cinema

December 25, 2237

It was afternoon, but since they were in London, daylight was already fading; the sky had begun to darken. Wenxin and Mingchuan, who had just rushed to the cinema, were already breathless and exhausted.

"Wenxin, was it necessary? We could have taken a car, so why did you insist we run here? At least we made it in time…" Mingchuan, being a special forces soldier, was barely winded even after sprinting several miles with Wenxin. "It… couldn't be helped…" Wenxin was so worn out she could barely speak, and Mingchuan didn't bother to press further. "Whatever you say, my lady. Weren't you the one who wanted to experience a normal civilian date?"

After a string of unusual encounters, neither of them had been able to truly enjoy themselves together. But now, far from the war and free for a time from the shackles of their identities, the two finally had the chance for a proper date.

"Alright, let’s get our tickets. We still need popcorn and cola!"

"Fine! You go in first. Now it’s all just identity verification anyway; I’ll get the popcorn." Mingchuan handed Wenxin an identification card, seemingly ordinary, yet in reality a special card used exclusively by members of the Welsh Party. Within the Welsh district, it granted access to the fabled luxuries of a hyper-capitalist society. But as the Welsh Party operated discreetly, outsiders believed it to be nothing more than a standard ID.

"Alright, but don’t be long!" Wenxin said, already striding toward the cinema’s entrance. Once he saw the attendant escort Wenxin inside, Mingchuan relaxed and approached the concession stand. "Two medium popcorns, one regular cola, and one coffee, please." Mingchuan casually presented an ID card—one belonging to Baron Benjamin. This was their own territory, and even new employees understood the significance of these cards.

"Oh, Mr. Benjamin, here’s your popcorn, your cola, and your coffee. Thank you for your patronage!" The girl serving him was barely twenty, delicate and fair, seemingly from the Eastern Union. Yet…

"So, it’s you, working here now? Not bad," Mingchuan said, recognizing her. She hadn’t placed him at first, but upon hearing his voice, she hesitated. "Cole?"

"No, not at all. I just know him, and I've heard about you," Mingchuan replied with a smile. She was someone he’d met as Cole, but that hardly mattered now. As Mingchuan walked away, the young woman watched his retreating figure, sighing softly, "Senior, when will you ever notice me?"

"You’re so slow!" Wenxin complained as Mingchuan returned with the popcorn, sliding into the seat beside her. Watching movies wasn’t really Mingchuan’s idea, but Wenxin had insisted. The film’s title was "The Last Light: The Blade of Arcana," an adaptation of an old novelist’s work. It told the story of the protagonist, Xiao Shi, and the heroine, the spirit of a demonic sword—an adventure that began with fear and caution, evolved into a contract based on blood and human desire, and finally blossomed into romance.

"We’ve finished all the popcorn already!" Wenxin whispered. Though she dared not raise her voice, the entire cinema was Welsh Party property; most of the clientele were party members too, and with Mingchuan—or Prince Tracey—present, no one would dare complain.

"Alright, alright! How do you eat so much? I’ll go get more." Barely halfway through the film, Wenxin had devoured both her own and Mingchuan’s popcorn. With a resigned sigh, he left the auditorium. Just outside Screen 3, a white-bearded old man approached him. He appeared to be over seventy—common in this aging era, but still well past retirement age.

"Young man, wait a moment!" the old man called. Mingchuan turned, resigned, "Grandpa Leiden! How are you?"

This was Swan Leiden, the cinema’s honorary director. After retiring from the Welsh Party, his love of films led him to frequent the theater. Prince Tracey, knowing this, had appointed him honorary director, with a pension equal to a director’s salary. Over time, Leiden had taken to living at the cinema and helping with its management.

"This isn’t Tracey…"

"Grandpa, I’m Lei Mingchuan now. Best if you pretend you don’t recognize me," Mingchuan said with a wry smile. Ordinarily, protocol would demand Leiden kneel and pay his respects to the prince, but Tracey’s private orders spared him such formality.

"So, Mr. Lei Mingchuan, what brings you here? You don’t strike me as someone with much leisure time." Leiden had discerned that both Tracey and Cole were always busy with affairs, rarely able to relax with something as simple as a movie. Mingchuan’s presence meant something unusual was afoot.

"I’m just here with my girlfriend. Nothing special, really—just out of popcorn," Mingchuan replied honestly. After all, Leiden was family and could be trusted. His only worry was Leiden’s habit of rambling; even the respectful Tracey couldn’t withstand a lengthy lecture.

"Out with your girlfriend, eh? Ah, to be young! Go on, then—I won’t keep you. A dog that blocks the road is no good dog," Leiden quipped, turning away. Mingchuan breathed a sigh of relief; Leiden was acting strangely tonight, but perhaps it was because he’d brought a girlfriend. Mingchuan dismissed the thought and approached the young woman at the counter again, her name engraved in metal on her brooch.

"Excuse me, could I get another medium popcorn?" Mingchuan remembered her from his days at the Royal Academy of Sciences, when she had been a junior of his, and he had already been considered the most promising researcher. Though attractive, he’d never harbored any inappropriate thoughts toward her.

"Senior, your popcorn!" She quickly filled the bucket and presented it to him with both hands, respectful as ever.

"I told you, I’m not that guy! I’m not even blond, am I?" Mingchuan replied helplessly. They’d had a good relationship back then; she often brought him lunchboxes and drinks, and even after things with Annie improved, she remained as attentive as ever.

"But why are you here? Shouldn’t you be at the Royal Academy, doing research?"

"I needed to rest my brain today, and working part-time is a nice change. But if you’re not Senior Cole, could you at least give me Cole’s number?" Her pleading eyes made Mingchuan’s heart soften—after all, they’d been close.

"Give this to the cinema director; he knows Cole’s number." Mingchuan handed her a copper coin bearing the Welsh dragon and a capital W. The other side displayed what looked like identification codes: "T:25" and "K:10," as if marking the coin’s serial number. After giving it to her, Mingchuan returned to the cinema at ease.

Meanwhile, as Wenxin sat watching the film alone, she suddenly remembered something and fished out a device resembling a phone from her pocket—the reason she’d insisted on running here. On the way, they had passed through Irish Republican territory, and under the pretense of using the restroom, she managed to contact the Earl and obtain a secure phone.

A message arrived: "Miss Wenxin, your request has been received. We will proceed after the film ends and provide remote assistance as needed. Please delete this message upon reading..." Wenxin finally breathed a sigh of relief. Since Mingchuan had led the way, if he was unfamiliar with London, her people could appear at any time. Yet, if Tracey truly was Mingchuan, as she once suspected, the Irish forces alone would be no match for the Welsh.

As she hesitated, another message came through, again from an Irish number, with only six words: "His Highness is not Mingchuan!"

He isn’t? Wenxin sighed in relief. If Mingchuan wasn’t Tracey, then it didn’t matter; she could simply be an ordinary girl, enjoying a date with Mingchuan, unconcerned with identity or politics. Wasn’t that what she’d wanted all along? At that moment, approaching footsteps caught her attention, and she hurriedly put away her phone—just in case it was Mingchuan.

Indeed, it was Mingchuan, returning with more popcorn. "Here’s what you wanted…" He kept his voice low, not wanting to disturb the others, as there were still friends and family of Welsh Party members present.

"Thank you…" Wenxin leaned quietly against his shoulder. She’d seen couples do this on television and had always wanted to try it herself.

"Good girl…" Mingchuan stroked her hair and smiled softly. Even though he’d received a message from his own people just moments ago, it didn’t matter. It only made it easier to enjoy this date as an ordinary man…

--Author’s Note--

Yesterday, my mom caught me writing, so I had to be all sneaky. It feels so good to write three thousand words in one sitting! Less than two days left before I have to go back—not happy about it. We’ll see how it goes; maybe I won’t reach my planned word count. By the way, "The Last Light: The Blade of Arcana" is a story I’ll be writing in the future… It’s clear here that it’s a theatrical adaptation, so I’ll use the current setting for "The Last Light" going forward… Maybe by then, I’ll have graduated from university.