Once everything was ready, the amusement park staff came forward for the final safety check.
This was a necessary step before riding the roller coaster, to ensure everything was foolproof and prevent any accidents.
If a mishap occurred due to inadequate safety measures—even something minor that didn’t harm anyone—it could instantly plunge the entire park into a massive public relations storm.
After all, though the odds of such an accident were minuscule, even smaller than the chance of crashing on the way to the park,
once it happened, the thrilling nature of the roller coaster would amplify people’s fears endlessly.
Shen An was experienced; the safety checks he’d done for Song Rui and Wang Yuqiong were all up to standard.
The staff member checked everything carefully, confirmed it was good, gave a few routine reminders, and waved them on.
With the announcement over the speakers, the roller coaster slowly started up. Under the force of acceleration, everyone’s bodies gradually stiffened.
The roller coaster didn’t start off too fast at first; it gave enough buffer time for bodies to adjust gradually.
But little by little, the speed picked up until it surpassed the limit of normal driving speeds, charging straight down the track ahead!
Whooshing wind battered their faces nonstop, blowing everyone’s hair back.
“Waaah, Mommy!!!!”
In the third row, Qi Taili cracked first, letting out a panicked scream.
The piercing shriek made Yu Wen clap her hands over her ears and yell, “Calm down!!!”
The roller coaster shot up a hill, then came to a sudden halt. Everyone’s bodies jolted, instinctively leaning forward.
The slowdown on the uphill was to build up for the sharp drop ahead.
Whoosh!
The wind roared past their ears like an angry beast, their cheeks stinging as if slapped.
The roller coaster plunged straight down vertically, like tumbling off a cliff from a height of ten thousand feet into a bottomless abyss.
The instant drop in altitude triggered the primal fear in human bodies. This time, it wasn’t just Qi Taili—even Yu Wen couldn’t hold back a scream.
“Mommy!!!”
Shen An had lost count of how many times he’d ridden roller coasters, so he stayed completely calm, his face serene without a hint of yelling.
He even had the leisure to observe the reactions around him.
He first turned to look at Song Rui beside him.
Song Rui wasn’t doing well at all right now.
Her face was ashen white, her disheveled long hair whipping wildly in the wind, her little hands clenched desperately on the safety bar, her face a mask of raw terror.
Shen An glanced slightly back at Wang Yuqiong. Her ability to handle pressure was much better than Song Rui’s.
Even though it was her first time too, Wang Yuqiong managed to stay relatively calm.
Her little face was a bit pale, and the tension and stiffness in her body betrayed her unease.
But compared to Song Rui, Wang Yuqiong clearly wasn’t as rattled.
Hmm~
Shen An shifted his gaze to Zhao Qingyu’s face.
This usually arrogant and haughty young lady now had her eyes squeezed shut, her exquisite, icy features slightly twisted.
She wasn’t screaming, but her fear seemed even greater than Song Rui’s.
That caught Shen An off guard—he hadn’t expected Zhao Qingyu to be the weakest of the four.
Was this some kind of contrast?
Unintentionally, he caught Wang Yuqiong’s little glance: she seemed to be observing Zhao Qingyu’s reaction too, with a faint smug curve to her lips.
Shen An chuckled to himself…
Suddenly, he realized Wang Yuqiong was probably panicked to the extreme as well, but sitting next to Zhao Qingyu, her pride overrode her fear, forcing her to stay calm.
The roller coaster hit level ground and accelerated up another climb.
Each hill was steeper and more twisting than the last. When it hit a full 360-degree loop, Song Rui finally couldn’t hold back her terror and screamed at the top of her lungs.
Her little hands, from sheer tension, let go of the safety bar and flailed around wildly. She was completely beside herself.
At the same time, Zhao Qingyu in the second row was covering her mouth.
She wanted to scream. She was terrified.
But she couldn’t make a sound!
Face—she had to save face above all!
Wang Yuqiong clung to the same mindset as Zhao Qingyu, holding onto her pride with grim determination. No matter what, she wouldn’t scream!
Seeing Song Rui’s face grow even paler, Shen An slowly extended his hand to her.
Like a drowning person grasping at straws, Song Rui seized it desperately, squeezing so hard that even Shen An felt a twinge of pain.
In moments of extreme tension, people instinctively reached out to grab onto something.
Perhaps it was humanity’s primal drive for security in the face of danger.
“Aaah~~~~”
Song Rui screamed hoarsely, the volume so piercing it hurt Shen An’s ears.
He gripped her little hand tightly in return, his fingers gently stroking the smooth back of her hand in silent comfort.
Round after round, the roller coaster finally came to an end amid the girls’ screams.
As it slowly returned to the starting point, Shen An looked at Song Rui’s still-pale little face and couldn’t help laughing softly. “Everyone’s like this the first time. Ride it a few more times, and it’ll be fine.”
Song Rui was still shaken, still clutching his hand tightly.
She turned her head, her eyes red-rimmed, her voice thick with sobs. “I… I never want to ride it again.”
She had genuinely developed a psychological shadow from it—the constant feeling of teetering on the edge of losing control was something she never wanted to go through again.
Song Rui might have a timid streak and a gentle personality, but she rarely cried—almost never in front of others.
But this time, she really cried, scared to tears by the twisting, turning aerial tracks.
Still, she was pretty brave.
After all, not many girls dared to hop on a roller coaster, and even boys weren’t always chill about it.
Countless people had visited amusement parks multiple times without ever trying one.
Even now, Song Rui was still gripping his hand tightly, showing no sign of letting go.
By comparison, Wang Yuqiong’s reaction was much more composed.
Her little face was a bit pale too, clearly startled, but overall she stayed calm enough to get out on her own.
With one hand, Shen An unbuckled the safety bar and lifted the restraint. He gently soothed Song Rui, stroking her little head nonstop and saying softly, “There, there, it’s all over now. You’re safe.”
He tried to pull his hand back from hers, but it was no use. Song Rui turned to look at him, still rattled, desperate to hold on tight.
Shen An stopped urging her and continued comforting her in a gentle voice.
In the third row, Qi Taili practically rolled out of her roller coaster seat. Clutching Yu Wen’s hand, she bolted straight away. “No more! I’m never doing that again. I want to go back—wuwuwu!”
Meanwhile, in the second row, Zhao Qingyu stepped off her seat with a face drained of color. The instant her feet hit the ground, her legs trembled beneath her.
But for some reason, a subtle thrill stirred deep in her heart.
It was like…
This sensation wasn’t half bad.
In a heartbeat, she wiped the fear from her expression and forced herself to look nonchalant, as if it were no big deal.
Wang Yuqiong, however, stayed glued to her seat. Just as she started to rise, her eyes landed on Shen An soothing Song Rui nonstop right in front of her.
She tilted her head, her gaze flickering thoughtfully.
Zhao Qingyu sneered to herself. She stepped forward, unfastening Song Rui’s safety belt and restraint bar. “Let’s get off and catch our breath first,” she cut in firmly.
Shen An nodded. “Right, a little breather down here and you’ll be fine.”
Under Zhao Qingyu’s warning glare, Song Rui shrank her head back a touch. Reluctantly, she stood. “Oh…”
Shen An hopped off next.
But Wang Yuqiong still didn’t budge.
He arched a brow. “Class President, end of the line!”
Wang Yuqiong lifted her head just a fraction, her eyes brimming with a sheen of moisture. Pitifully, she gazed at Shen An. “I… I can’t move…”
Shen An: ……
Zhao Qingyu: ………
Song Rui: …..
To be fair, extreme panic could indeed lead to losing control of one’s body.
But…
Shen An narrowed his eyes. Didn’t you stay cool as a cucumber the whole ride?
Zhao Qingyu had watched Wang Yuqiong the entire time. Her lips twitched faintly as she muttered under her breath, “Shameless!”
Song Rui had no idea what to say.
“Hug~” Wang Yuqiong kept her eyes misty, brimming with grievance as she trembled and reached out both arms toward him.
Black lines crept across Shen An’s forehead. Truth be told, he wasn’t exactly thrilled about this windfall.
He could keenly sense a wisp of killing intent wafting from nearby.
Sigh~ Fine. He’d steeled himself for it anyway.
Somewhat helplessly, Shen An ruffled her silky hair. “Unfasten your safety belt first,” he said softly. “How else am I supposed to pick you up?”
Wang Yuqiong shook her head, her pitiful little expression unchanged.
Shen An was at a loss. “Fine. Just stay still, then.”
With no other choice, he unbuckled her safety belt and restraint bar. Then, with one hand, he scooped under Wang Yuqiong’s legs while gripping the hem of her skirt tight with the other to ward off any mishaps. His free hand hovered near her shoulder. The whole maneuver flowed seamlessly.
Thank goodness for his freakish strength. Otherwise, with Wang Yuqiong’s 177cm frame, anyone else would’ve been out of luck.
It had nothing to do with her weight—just the sheer height.
Cradling the stunning beauty in his arms, Shen An instantly became the off-ride spectacle everyone fixated on.
And with such a gorgeous girl in his hold? The pair of them—handsome guy and knockout beauty—had folks around them choking down jealousy left and right. It only fueled those juicy rumors swirling through the Art Troupe lately.
Sure, envy came with admiration too, especially from the girls.
Shen An’s move screamed peak boyfriend energy.
Well… except for one certain nameless vixen.
Zhao Qingyu’s eyes dulled, losing their shine as flecks of icy chill crept in. She stared at the two like fresh cadavers on death row.
Her ire zeroed in on Wang Yuqiong.
How the hell did this little brat come up with that trick?
If only… if only…
Zhao Qingyu berated herself for the blunder. Why play it cool? A touch of frailty would’ve been smarter.
And that Song Rui right there!
She’d seen it plain as day—from the big drop onward, Song Rui’s hand had clamped onto his the whole way!
Zhao Qingyu tamped down the murderous glint in her eyes. She’d bottled up her own terror mostly to one-up Wang Yuqiong.
Never in a million years…
One by one, playing the damsel to score extra points.
The squeaky wheel gets the grease, huh!
Ugh~
Zhao Qingyu reined herself in a smidge.
Maybe it wasn’t all an act—at least not for Song Rui.
She still looked pretty out of it…
As for Wang Yuqiong… yeah, the kid might’ve legit frozen up.
But that self-soothing rang hollow. The more Zhao Qingyu repeated it in her head, the more bitter resentment soured her mood.
Shen An carried Wang Yuqiong clear of the ride area before gently setting her down.
“Better now?”
His gaze shifted to Zhao Qingyu. “See? Senior Sister here rode it for the first time too—and handled it way better than you.”
Hm?
Zhao Qingyu’s head snapped up with pride. Proof that toughing it out pays off.
“Nothing to it,” she said coolly. “Everyone’s pain threshold varies.”
Wang Yuqiong’s lips quirked. “Can’t be helped. I just can’t measure up to Senior Sister.”
Just like that, the budding glee in Zhao Qingyu’s heart evaporated.
“Still smug about it? What am I gonna do with you?” Shen An chuckled wryly, murmuring low. “In this state, how’re you gonna chain-ride the next one? Take a proper break.”
“Mm~” Wang Yuqiong dipped her chin.
The four drifted back to the sidelines, reclaiming their original bench spots.
Qi Taili huddled tight against Yu Wen, her petite frame quivering now and then. Sadly, Zhao Qingyu paid her no mind.
Her stare locked onto Wang Yuqiong’s hand. And stayed locked.
They’d cleared the roller coaster zone, yet Wang Yuqiong’s fingers still clenched his.
What gives?
Zhao Qingyu arched a brow and closed in. “Yuqiong, you holding up okay now?”
Wang Yuqiong’s color had returned nicely. “Mm-hmm. Not as scared anymore.”
“Good. But mind yourself in public.”
Zhao Qingyu’s tone dripped sarcasm.
Huh? What was that supposed to mean?
Wang Yuqiong blinked in genuine confusion, glancing at Zhao Qingyu for clarification.
That lit Zhao Qingyu’s fuse. Still playing innocent?!
Shen An stifled a laugh—he had both girls’ numbers.
He stepped in, waggling the hand she gripped. Teasingly light, he said, “Planning to hold on forever? I’m starting to charge by the minute.”
Wang Yuqiong’s eyes sharpened. Only then did she notice her hand on his—and yanked it free.
Shen An pressed on. “Heh, gripped me like a vice earlier, now dropping cold turkey. Kinda stings, y’know.”
“But I’m big-hearted. You’re off the hook.”
As he spoke, he swiped his hand across Wang Yuqiong’s skirt.
Yup. Wiped it right there.
Not groping—Wang Yuqiong figured he was drying sweat.
Palm sweat!!
What the—?
It screamed post-kiss wipe-down from one half of a couple!
Wang Yuqiong ground her teeth. “Shen An!!!”
Shen An made tracks. Wang Yuqiong gave chase on those dainty legs of hers.
“That’s a limited-edition skirt!”
“Your skirt’s dirt’s got zilch to do with me.”
“Your fault! Why use my skirt for your sweaty paws?!”
“Not my sweat. Yours.”
“Aaaah~~ Shut it!”
The pair devolved into their usual antics, the cozy vibe snapping right back.
Zhao Qingyu pursed her lips. “Legs working fine now? Heh.”
Song Rui blinked, utterly lost.
