"What are you thinking about? You seem lost in thought," Qin Si Ye said, glancing at her with curiosity as he noticed her absentmindedness.
She wasn't even watching where she was going, and had almost collided with a stout man earlier. Fortunately, he had stepped in front of her, shielding her with his body.
Thinking back now, his decision to tag along, however brazen, had been incredibly correct.
"Ah?" Shen Xi was startled and quickly pulled her thoughts back. "Nothing. I was just wondering which scenic spot we should visit next."
Chen Chen, diligently studying the scenic spot map in his hands and glancing at the smart watch on his wrist, turned back and said, "Daddy, Mommy, there's a 5D dinosaur movie at 11 o'clock. It's 10:40 now, so we can just make it."
"That's great! I love watching movies the most," Shuo Shuo and Yan Yan exclaimed, clapping their hands joyfully upon hearing this.
"Really? Then let's hurry," Qin Si Ye said, naturally placing his left hand on Shen Xi's shoulder and propelling her forward with large strides.
Shen Xi wanted to dodge, but there were too many tourists, jostling shoulder to shoulder, leaving no room to maneuver. Coupled with the tight schedule, she could only run forward with him.
After queuing for over ten minutes outside the 5D cinema, they finally entered the hall.
The three children walked ahead, found seats in the middle row, and settled down.
"Yan Yan, could you move? I want to switch seats with you," Shen Xi said, concerned that the children might be scared, suggesting she sit between them.
Yan Yan hesitated for a moment, then looked towards Chen Chen. Chen Chen chuckled and leaned his head, saying, "No need, Mommy. We three aren't afraid of dinosaurs, and we can sit together. But you, don't scream later."
He then cast a meaningful glance at Qin Si Ye beside her.
Qin Si Ye immediately understood the implication in his gaze, a slight smile playing on his lips as if to say, "Don't worry, taking care of your mother is what I'm happiest to do."
Shen Xi shot Chen Chen a mild glare, straightened her back, and said, "I won't scream."
Two minutes later, the spotlights in the hall dimmed, and the movie officially began.
The film started with the Mesozoic Era, the age of dinosaurs.
Following that, various dinosaurs from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods appeared successively. They seemed to be right in front of them one moment, and then swiftly passed over their heads or from the sides the next.
Occasional screams could be heard throughout the theater.
Shen Xi clasped her hands together, her body trembling slightly, doing her utmost to suppress any sound. When faced with tense scenes, she simply closed her eyes.
The man to her left occasionally glanced at her, the corner of his lips unconsciously curving into a handsome arc.
At that moment, the chair beneath them vibrated continuously, and occasionally, mist sprayed out, creating a truly immersive experience.
Shen Xi, unable to suppress her curiosity, slowly opened her eyes. Directly in front of her, a colossal creature with a gaping maw stood before her, letting out a terrifying roar.
"Ah!" Shen Xi shrieked, instinctively turning her face to her left, her hands flailing uselessly in the air.
Seeing this, Qin Si Ye immediately leaned in and patted her shoulder, while his other hand tightly held her small hands, gently comforting her, "It's okay, it's all fake."
Panting and trembling, Shen Xi finally managed to compose herself, feeling utterly embarrassed by her display. She quickly sat up straight, pulled her hands away, and said, "Thank you!"
Qin Si Ye suddenly leaned towards her, "That's the second time."
"What?" Shen Xi looked at him, not understanding.
"Ten 'thank yous' to collect, this is the second one," Qin Si Ye said with a slight smile, his interest piqued.
Shen Xi rolled her eyes at him, sat up properly, and stared intently at the screen. For the subsequent scenes, she forced herself to watch bravely, without looking away even for a moment, nor did she scream again.
Half an hour later, the five of them walked out of the cinema one after another. The three children were brimming with excitement, discussing the movie's content non-stop, seemingly still unsatisfied.
At this point, Chen Chen suddenly turned and looked at Shen Xi, who had just let out a long sigh, "Mommy, you did very well just now. You only screamed once the entire time."
They had all known that Shen Xi was afraid of dinosaurs. However, her performance today had truly exceeded their expectations. It was much better than her reaction when they watched "Jurassic Park" abroad last time.