The Retired CEO's Guide To Being Spoiled-Chapter 255: A Sweet Night Out

The romantic movie, which had been screening for two and a half hours, finally came to an end. As the credit roll began to run down the screen and the pale yellow lights in the theater slowly turned on, Julian Sterling suddenly startled and bit his lip, using his slight strength to gently push Ethan Caldwell’s broad shoulders away. Julian lowered his head slightly, his breathing still a bit ragged, trying to hide his blushing cheeks and his rosy lips, which were swollen from the passionate kiss they had just shared.

Ethan Caldwell chuckled softly, husky laugh made Julian’s face turn even redder. Fortunately, Ethan had no intention of continuing to tease Julian, otherwise, Julian would not know where to hide his face. Even though they were sitting in the deepest hidden corner, Julian knew perfectly well that there were always surveillance cameras inside the movie theater. The mere thought of being intimately entangled with Ethan for half of the movie, and potentially being seen by the security guards monitoring the screens, kept Julian’s cheeks burning continuously, with no way to cool down the heat.

Surely the security guards would not be staring at the screens all the time, right...

Julian could only comfort himself with such self-deception. Just the mere thought of other people staring intently at him being intimately entangled with Ethan Caldwell was enough to make his face burn completely red. But then again, typical romantic movies like this were designed to provide a perfect atmosphere for couples to get intimately entangled with each other anyway. Julian had noticed that there were quite a few people exactly like them inside the movie theater. Whenever it came to the passionate scenes between the movie characters and the screen lighting grew dimmer, one would inevitably catch a few ambiguous, blush-inducing sounds.

Ethan Caldwell beside Julian did not think that much. Ethan picked up Julian’s striped scarf that was resting on his thighs, carefully wrapped the scarf around Julian, and pulled the fabric up a bit higher to cover half of Julian’s shy face. After that, Ethan naturally intertwined his five fingers with Julian’s long, slender fingers, holding Julian’s hand tightly before pulling Julian up to stand.

"Let us go."

Leaving the confined space of the movie theater, the cold breeze of the frosty night brushed past, making Julian involuntarily shiver. But in an instant, Ethan Caldwell’s large hand exerted force to pull Julian closer, taking advantage of the motion to tuck both of their tightly intertwined hands into the pocket of Ethan’s long wool coat. A strong warmth radiated from Ethan’s palm, traveling along Julian’s arm and going straight into Julian’s heart. The bouquet of pure white Lily of the Valley was carefully held against his chest by Julian’s free hand, its faint, pristine fragrance dispelling the frigid chill of the night air.

"Where are we going now?"

"How about a late-night snack?"

Their heights were slightly different, so every time Julian said something, Ethan would tilt his head to listen to Julian.

The two of them were in no rush to call the driver to pick them up, instead, they decided to hold hands and walk along the brick-paved pedestrian street illuminated by dazzling neon lights. Before long, the atmosphere changed, and the night food street that Louis York had once mentioned appeared right before their eyes. The place was bustling with passersby, the bright lights illuminating a corner of the sky, the lively sounds of chatting and laughing blending seamlessly with the sizzling of greasy pans and the boisterous hawking of the street vendors. Smoke billowed thickly from the roadside barbecue stalls, carrying the distinctively spicy and fragrant flavors of the street food into the wind.

Ethan Caldwell was not very familiar with this place. Although the movie theater they had just visited was located in the bustling commercial center of the city, stepping over here felt like entering an entirely different district. This area was considered a newly planned zone. It used to be quite desolate in the past and had only risen in popularity over the last few years. The pedestrian street could still be seen as carrying a bit of the glitz and glamour of a top-tier urban area, but the night market was entirely different.

It carried a stronger scent of everyday life, and the scenery of the mortal world was far more pronounced.

For a CEO who was always accustomed to luxurious five-star restaurants, where waiters poured wine in a quiet and private atmosphere like Ethan Caldwell, this noisy and chaotic night market was truly a completely alien world, perhaps even a place Ethan would never normally set foot in. However, when Ethan looked down and saw Julian’s eyes suddenly light up, sparkling as if they contained a miniature galaxy, Ethan’s footsteps showed absolutely no hesitation or disdain.

Ethan Caldwell thought that Julian liked the night market because of Julian’s past life. Even though Ethan knew that the years before Julian returned to the Sterling family were not easy for Julian to live through. But perhaps those were the rare bright spots compared to the hellish period Julian had endured while living with the Sterling family.

But in reality, Julian simply loved breathing in this bustling atmosphere.

Because Julian had never experienced it before, so now Julian just wanted to try immersing himself in it.

The crowd of people passing by jostled and pushed relentlessly. Ethan Caldwell immediately stretched out a long arm around Julian’s waist, skillfully and firmly pulling Julian tight against Ethan’s chest. Ethan used his own tall and imposing body to form a safe barrier, carefully protecting Julian and preventing any pedestrians from bumping into Julian. Julian obediently leaned fully against Ethan’s sturdy chest, feeling the steady beat of Ethan’s heart through the layers of the wool sweater.

The feeling of wandering amidst the bustling crowd, smelling all kinds of ordinary scents of smoke and grease once again awakened every sense within Julian. It reminded Julian that Julian was truly alive, truly existing in this world, and most importantly, right now beside Julian, there was a person who was willing to step into this noisy world just for Julian. Julian was no longer alone.

"Do you want to try that?" Julian excitedly pointed toward a stainless steel food cart selling grilled meat skewers that was billowing massive amounts of smoke, radiating the appetizing aroma of cumin and chili powder.

Not waiting for Ethan Caldwell to nod, Julian eagerly pulled Ethan forward. Julian skillfully bought a few golden-brown grilled meat skewers, completely coated in a thick, sticky, sweet and savory sauce. Julian grabbed one skewer, blew on it a few times to reduce the intense heat, and then brought it up to his mouth to take a small bite. The spicy flavor immediately spread across the tip of Julian’s tongue, making Julian’s lips let out a soft gasp, making Julian look even more utterly captivating.

Julian turned around, lifting his head to offer the half-eaten meat skewer right up to Ethan Caldwell’s lips. The movement was incredibly natural, completely devoid of any hesitation or pretense. Julian’s crystal-clear eyes carried a sparkling hint of laughter, much like a little fox deliberately playing tricks, wanting to test this CEO who possessed extremely strict and immaculate eating habits.

"It is very delicious, you should taste a little bit."

Ethan Caldwell lowered his eyes to look at the meat skewer glistening with grease, and then shifted his gaze to Julian’s face, which was overflowing with a mixture of anticipation and mischief. Without hesitating for more than a second, Ethan slightly bowed his head, opening his mouth to bite exactly into the piece of meat that Julian had just left half-eaten. In that fleeting moment, Ethan’s warm tongue seemed to accidentally brush against the tips of Julian’s fingers holding the skewer. An ambiguous, wet touch generated a spark of electricity that made Julian jolt, instinctively withdrawing his hand slightly as the tips of his ears hidden beneath his hair instantly flushed crimson.

"How is it?" Julian cleared his throat, awkwardly turning his face away to desperately conceal the embarrassment spreading wildly inside his chest.

Ethan Caldwell slowly chewed and then swallowed the food down. Ethan’s profound, pitch-black eyes were glued tightly to Julian’s lips, which were reddened from the spiciness, and Ethan could not help but break into a smile.

"Very sweet." Ethan replied in a low tone, his deep and warm voice melting away into the clamor of the market.

It was unknown whether Ethan was giving a remark about the flavor of the grilled meat skewer, or if Ethan was using it as an excuse to allude to the sweet taste of their kiss in the movie theater earlier. Under the pale yellow streetlights shining down on the vibrant night market, two silhouettes, one tall and steadfast, the other slender and docile, leaned closely against each other. Around them, an invisible barrier seemed to have formed, creating a simple yet profoundly passionate and deeply affectionate picture, to the extent that absolutely no one could intervene to shatter that absolute bond.