Once she got into the car, her phone buzzed softly.
A message from Yike.
"Share your route with me, and change the drop-off point to the park entrance next to sni. It's too crowded there—cars can't really stop."
"Okay."
Susu replied and adjusted the destination in the app.
About twenty minutes later, the car stopped where he had mentioned.
She got out, checked the map, and walked toward the entrance of sni on her own.
"I'm here. Where are you?" she texted.
The reply came quickly.
"Turn around."
She did.
Yike was walking toward her.
"Come on," he said.
"Okay."
They stepped into sni together.
Music shifted constantly—
punk, R&B, jazz, then something heavy and dance-driven.
The lights were dim and flickering, the crowd loud and tightly packed.
For Susu—who was a little socially anxious and not used to being so close to strangers—it was overwhelming.
She stayed close behind Yike without realizing it.
He noticed.
Yike reached his hand back.
She hesitated for a second, then took it.
As their hands met, he tightened his grip slightly and led her forward, slowly guiding her into the center of the dance floor.
The crowd closed in around them.
He pulled her gently against him, her back to his chest.
His taller frame hovered close, less than a hand's width between them, shielding her as they moved with the rhythm of the crowd.
Yike hummed along to a song he clearly knew, relaxed and smiling.
Susu felt her tension ease.
The music grew louder, the energy higher, and she began to move more freely.
She didn't tell him—
that she loved dancing.
That she had once been part of a dance team back in school.
As the rhythm took over, excitement bubbled up.
Suddenly, she turned around and tugged on Yike's hand, wanting to dance face to face.
But he froze.
He didn't pull away.
He didn't step forward either.
He just stood there.
Susu kept moving for a moment, still caught in the music—until she realized he wasn't responding.
Her excitement faltered.
An awkward silence crept in.
She let go of his hand, pretending nothing had happened, and turned back around.
A quiet doubt slipped into her thoughts.
Did I scare him?
Is this… too much?
They danced a while longer.
Then Yike leaned in close to her ear.
"Tired? Want to take a break?"
"Yeah," she said.
They moved away from the dance floor and ordered two cocktails, standing in a quieter corner, watching the crowd lose itself in the music.
After they finished their drinks, Yike took the empty glasses back to the bar.
When he returned, he leaned down and kissed her lightly.
"Are you tired? Want to head back and rest?"
He always did this—
sudden, unannounced closeness.
It caught her off guard.
But it made her happy.
She froze for a second.
Yike noticed and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into his chest.
This time, she reached out and tugged gently at his sleeve.
He looked down at her.
"Yeah," he said softly. "Let's head back together."
"Okay."
They left sni and called a car.
Because of the crowd, the car stopped about three hundred meters away.
"We might have to run," Yike said.
"Alright."
They jogged toward it.
Near the car, he laughed.
"You've got good stamina."
She smiled, slightly out of breath.
"I work out."
They climbed into the back seat together.
The door closed.
The car pulled away, carrying them back into the night.