Right then.
The phone screen on the table suddenly lit up, accompanied by a soft vibration.
Ethan glanced at it reflexively.
It was Sarah.
Just a few lines appeared:
[Hey, you free tonight? Wanna catch a movie? There's a 5 PM showing of "Interstellar"—I already grabbed tickets. After the movie we could hit up that food truck area downtown and grab some dinner?]
Ethan was slightly caught off guard.
"Interstellar"?
He knew this classic sci-fi film was getting a re-release, but he didn't expect the first movie invitation after his rebirth would come from Sarah.
Sarah's face—always with that calm, composed expression—immediately appeared in his mind. She was completely different from Ashley's bubbly energy, more like a deep lake—calm on the surface, but with its own currents underneath.
Before he could reply, Diana had already keenly picked up on his momentary distraction.
She followed his gaze and saw the lit screen. Although she didn't peek at the content, as a perceptive woman, she instantly understood that whoever was texting at this time to make Ethan show that expression was most likely a friend his age—and very possibly a girl.
The smile in Diana's eyes suddenly deepened, with a hint of amusement and knowing insight.
She gently withdrew her hand, picked up her coffee cup, and took an elegant sip, her tone relaxed and natural:
"Well well, looks like our busy man has evening plans?"
Ethan snapped back to attention, met her smiling, understanding eyes, and responded calmly with a smile:
"Yeah, she bought tickets for the 'Interstellar' re-release and asked if I want to go tonight."
"Interstellar?"
Diana raised her eyebrows lightly, and a flash of genuine appreciation crossed her eyes:
"Nolan's masterpiece."
"Sci-fi movies are perfect for you young people to watch together. Go ahead and enjoy yourself."
There was no jealousy or concern in her words, only an almost elder-like tolerance and support for Ethan's social life.
She knew Ethan's world was vast, and it was enough for her to firmly occupy a unique and important corner within it.
"Yeah."
Ethan's smile widened.
He quickly tapped out a reply:
[Perfect! 5 o'clock show, right? Which theater? I'll be there on time!]
Almost instantly:
[AMC Theater, IMAX. Sent you the ticket code.]
Ethan's heart warmed slightly, and the corners of his lips couldn't help but rise.
Diana's tone remained soft:
"Business is all squared away. I'll contact the design firm and cleaning company when I get back to finalize schedules. If everything goes smoothly, I'll fly to New York tomorrow afternoon or early the day after."
"Thanks for handling all this, Diana."
Ethan said sincerely, looking at her composed demeanor and feeling completely at ease.
"Why are you being formal with me?"
Diana shot him a look, set down her coffee cup, and started gathering her tablet and purse with smooth, practiced movements.
She smiled, her posture as dignified and calm as ever:
"Alright, you should get going. Don't keep her waiting."
Ethan also stood up, casually brushing off his pants, saying with a grin:
"Okay, I'm out then."
"Mm."
Diana nodded, walked over to him, and naturally reached up to straighten his collar.
It was the subtle wrinkle left from when she'd grabbed it earlier, and she smoothed it gently, as tender as brushing away dust.
The next second.
She rose slightly on her toes and leaned close to Ethan's ear.
Her warm breath carried a faint coffee aroma, and her soft voice was extremely low, with that intimacy and hint of playful teasing that only they understood:
"Have fun, honey~ and remember... when you're watching movies with her, don't let the poor girl down~"
That "honey," delivered with the gentleness of someone who understood everything, gently swept across Ethan's heart, making it tremble like an electric current.
What a damn smooth operator! Is this the charm of an experienced woman?
No wonder powerful men throughout history had a thing for older women.
Ethan couldn't help but laugh, and replied in an equally teasing tone:
"Yes ma'am!"
He leaned closer and kissed her smooth cheek:
"I'm out. Call me if you need anything."
"Go on."
Diana's cheeks showed a light blush, and she quietly watched him walk out of the café with that brisk stride.
The afternoon sun shone through the glass, reflecting on his tall figure, as if coating him with a layer of bright radiance, radiating that unique vitality and energy of youth.
Diana had a gentle smile on her lips as she turned to leave.
.....
Ethan got home and took a quick shower, washing away both the morning's shopping exhaustion and the lazy café atmosphere.
Put on a clean white cotton t-shirt paired with light gray casual pants, and ran his fingers through his still-damp hair in front of the mirror.
He grabbed his phone and sent a message to the family group chat:
[Mom, Em, meeting up with friends for a movie and dinner tonight, won't be home for dinner!]
Almost instantly, Linda's message popped up:
[Got it! Don't stay out too late! Be safe! And NO drinking!]
Emily was concise:
[K.]
Ethan smiled and pocketed his phone.
At 5:10 PM, he appeared at the AMC Theater entrance right on schedule.
The noisy lobby was packed with people, but his eyes instantly found that quiet figure.
Sarah stood next to the IMAX hall entrance, carrying a simple canvas tote bag.
She was wearing a soft light blue linen button-up with the sleeves casually rolled up to her elbows, revealing fair, slender forearms.
Below that, she had on a pair of cream-colored cropped wide-leg pants and clean white canvas sneakers.
Her long black hair fell softly over her shoulders, and her face was makeup-free, but naturally beautiful like fresh rain on lotus petals.
She had her head slightly lowered, looking at her phone, and her calm, composed demeanor stood out in the noisy crowd like an island in a chaotic sea.
"Sarah!"
Ethan walked over with a smile, his voice upbeat.
Sarah looked up at the sound.
The moment she saw Ethan, her usually quiet eyes seemed to have a stone dropped in them, creating clear ripples that instantly lit up.
The corners of her lips lifted slightly, revealing a subtle but genuine smile:
"You made it."
"Yeah, perfect timing."
Ethan walked up to her and naturally took the movie ticket she handed over, a smile on his lips:
"Let's go, it's about to start."
"Okay."
Sarah replied softly, falling into step half a pace behind him as they walked together into the dimly lit theater.
As the massive screen lit up, the vast and lonely imagery of "Interstellar's" universe instantly engulfed the audience.
Magnificent nebulae, icy spaceships, crushing black holes... and the grand proposition of humanity's survival in desperate circumstances, unfolding layer by layer under the sound effects.
Ethan was completely absorbed. He'd loved this movie in his previous life, but rewatching it now, combined with his own rebirth experience, hit differently.
When Cooper made his desperate journey through the wormhole, he instinctively held his breath.
When Professor Brand's line "Love is the only thing that transcends the dimensions of time and space" echoed through the theater, his heart shook hard.
There are 70 advance chapters ahead in my Patreon. If you are interested can check it out.
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