Third, taking a walk. I don’t think anyone would disagree that this offers great value for money—it’s a completely cost-free date. Find a relatively quiet place to go for a walk with the girl. If the weather is cold, don’t make the date too late. Generally, around five or six in the evening, right after dinner, is the most suitable time. The advantage of taking a walk is that you can keep moving places with the girl, shifting from one spot to another. This process can strengthen your closeness and also boost the girl’s sense of security with you. Because girls will naturally think to themselves: if I can walk this far with a guy, it means I trust him a lot. Who would walk that long with a stranger? A word of caution—this kind of walk is not window shopping, so avoid shopping malls, parks, or university campuses. Instead, choose an environment you know well but is relatively unfamiliar to the girl. This way, you can take the lead, making her naturally rely on you and feel she should follow you. Now, how to take things further during the walk? When you’re crossing the street side by side, you can gently touch her shoulder or hold her hand for a while. This not only lets you advance your relationship but also shows your tenderness and thoughtfulness. Of course, let go right after crossing the street; don’t keep holding on, or she’ll think you’re taking advantage of her.
Naturally, there are plenty of other options: hot springs, small bars, ocean parks, cat cafés, and so many more. These places naturally provide topics for conversation, so there will be no awkward silences or failure to deepen your relationship. Why bother buying two movie tickets at the cinema and acting like a simp? Besides, it’s precisely because there are so many simps that you can see what kind of movies theaters are showing these days. Take last year’s examples: *Creation of the Gods I*, a bunch of bare-chested young idols, *Lost in the Stars*, *Never Say Never*—all targeted at women. What we men want to watch is passion, the Marvel Universe, not young idols falling in love or leftover women going on blind dates. So if you really want to watch a movie at the cinema, go with your buddies instead. Men should stay away from movie theaters in terms of both film genres and dating outcomes. You have to understand that a date is about two people interacting, not sitting together to kill time without any emotional connection.
Many people follow the standard dinner-and-movie routine for dates. This pattern stems from the pursuit of efficiency in commercial real estate. Every district in a city has a commercial zone and a large building—a commercial complex. To maximize land use efficiency, these massive buildings gather all the dating facilities you need, covering every aspect, as if you’re spending 1000 yuan on a date with a girl.
Lacking experience, people just go with the flow and choose these commercial zones. But then you’ll face several problems: first, the pre-made meals you’ll have all day. Open flames are not allowed in these large commercial complexes, so there are no traditional kitchens. Everything you eat at the mall can be considered pre-packaged food just heated up and served.
Then there are the endlessly repetitive entertainment options—from indoor ice rinks to claw crane machines. All these offerings are carefully calculated to be profitable, and single-format attractions are quickly replicated in malls nationwide. So no matter which city you’re in, malls are more or less the same. Plus, there’s the heavily overpriced accommodation. All this means your money is poorly spent; very little of it goes toward your actual experience, with most going to real estate developers.