After some roughhousing, Shen An took a few performative punches from Wang Yuqiong to square things.
They looped back.
“More downtime?”
He grinned playfully.
Wang Yuqiong’s cheeks pinked. She huffed lightly. “Nah. Onward—next ride, now.”
A few steps in, she glanced back at Zhao Qingyu with pointed intent. “Senior Sister Zhao, Senior Sister Qi and Senior Sister Yu are waiting on you back there.”
Zhao Qingyu—who’d geared up to tail them—froze solid. She mustered a stiff smile. “Mm.”
Awkwardly, she wheeled around toward Yu Wen and Qi Taili.
“Tsk. Things are turning south.”
Yu Wen lounged unflappably, eyeing the scene with relish.
Qi Taili was still half-gone, slumped on Yu Wen’s shoulder. “South? Understatement. Bail, stat.”
One roller coaster spin, and Qi Taili’d likely flinch at the sight of them for life—full PTSD.
Yu Wen cocked a brow. “Miss how the Troupe Leader’s losing ground?”
Oh-ho?
Qi Taili rallied faintly. “She is?”
Yu Wen rolled her eyes. “Just a coaster. Not the end of the world.”
Qi Taili pouted, all wounded. “You know I’ve got acrophobia! Twisting, flipping—I swear I was plummeting half a dozen times!!”
“Uh, grudges have owners, debts have payers…”
Yu Wen’s words hung when Zhao Qingyu’s frosty voice sliced in. “What was that about grudges and payers?”
Yu Wen jolted, surprise flashing as she eyed Zhao Qingyu. “Troupe Leader, you…”
“Me?” Zhao Qingyu deadpanned at them. “What’re you two scheming behind my back?”
Uh…
Why aren’t you going with them?
That was what Yu Wen had wanted to say.
But in front of Zhao Qingyu, Yu Wen shook her head repeatedly. “No, no.”
“How are you holding up? You okay?”
Zhao Qingyu turned her gaze to Qi Taili, whose face was still pale.
A flicker of warmth rose in Qi Taili’s heart. “Much better.”
“Good. Then let’s go. On to the next ride.” Zhao Qingyu clapped her hands, her face alight with vengeful glee.
???
The budding warmth in Qi Taili’s heart shattered in an instant.
Her mouth twitched. “Troupe Leader… I never knew you loved these rides so much.”
“Heh, there’s a lot you don’t know about me.”
Zhao Qingyu patted Qi Taili’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s not waste time.”
Yu Wen watched as Shen An and the other two gradually walked away. She sighed inwardly. Today, she’d truly been nothing but a scapegoat.
“Um… Troupe Leader, what ride are we doing next?”
Qi Taili walked along cautiously, then asked, “I… I don’t mean anything by it. I just want to know in advance.”
Zhao Qingyu didn’t answer right away. She just kept her eyes fixed ahead.
Ahead of them, Shen An happened to be asking Wang Yuqiong the same question. “What ride do you want to do next?”
Wang Yuqiong pretended to turn and consult Song Rui, but really, she was using the corner of her eye to glance back at the situation behind her.
Seeing Zhao Qingyu and the other two girls following close, she sneered inwardly.
Can’t shake you off today, huh?
Song Rui’s voice trembled slightly. “I… I don’t know what to play, but… maybe something… not so intense.”
After that roller coaster, she wasn’t the only one with a psychological scar—Song Rui was wiped out too.
“Not so intense, huh? Let me think.”
A sly glint flashed in Wang Yuqiong’s eyes.
She refused to believe Zhao Qingyu could keep up all day!
“Got it. Let’s do the drop tower.”
Wang Yuqiong suddenly pointed to the towering drop tower in the distance.
Whoosh!
The sound of the drop tower plummeting from on high coincided perfectly with her fingertip, making Song Rui’s heart jolt.
“This… this isn’t intense?”
Song Rui muttered softly, voicing her protest.
In her eyes, the drop tower was no different from the roller coaster!
It just lacked the roller coaster’s acceleration and deceleration—still heaven and hell flipping back and forth.
“What do you think?”
Of the three, one wanted to ride, one was reluctant. The deciding vote fell to Shen An again.
Wang Yuqiong beamed at him, a hint of wheedling in her smile.
Shen An didn’t rush to respond to Wang Yuqiong. Instead, he turned, ruffled Song Rui’s hair gently, and murmured, “Can you handle it? If not, you can sit this one out and wait for us.”
Wang Yuqiong’s eyes lit up. “Yeah, you don’t have to ride. Just wait a bit.”
This…
Song Rui hesitated, but then Shen An chuckled softly. “I’d kind of like you to give it a try. Who knows? A few rides might toughen you up.”
Wang Yuqiong rolled her eyes. Can’t you shut up for once?
Buoyed by Shen An’s encouragement, Song Rui mustered her courage. “Alright then. Let’s do the drop tower.”
The plan was set. The three headed toward the drop tower.
Meanwhile, the three girls trailing behind…
Seeing them head for the drop tower, Qi Taili’s little feet began to tremble, her voice quivering along with them. “Yu Wen… they… where are they going?”
“It’s not the drop tower, right? Right?”
She forced a smile, hoping for some reassurance from Yu Wen.
But Yu Wen’s feet were trembling too. “I think they’re definitely going for the drop tower.”
At those words, both girls turned to Zhao Qingyu, their gazes full of deep affection—and desperate pleading.
No…
Please, no…
Zhao Qingyu wasn’t confident either, but she couldn’t back down now!
She gritted her teeth. “If they can play, so can we. What’s there to fear?”
Woo~
Qi Taili let out a wail, on the verge of tears right there.
Yu Wen patted her shoulder hurriedly, looking troubled as she glanced at Zhao Qingyu. “Troupe Leader… Taili… she doesn’t look so good.”
Zhao Qingyu pursed her lips. “I’m not making you ride. I’ll go alone. You two can wait.”
Oh ho!
Qi Taili stopped crying instantly, her eyes widening. “It’s a deal then.”
With that, she grabbed Yu Wen and bolted toward the drop tower—more eagerly than Zhao Qingyu. “Troupe Leader, hurry up!!”
Zhao Qingyu: …
Her face twisted as she eyed the drop tower plummeting from the sky again. She swallowed hard.
But her prideful sense of dignity overrode everything!
She absolutely couldn’t lose to Wang Yuqiong—or let Shen An look down on her.
How could some little girl beat her?
Fine, she’d play!
After psyching herself up, Zhao Qingyu trudged toward the drop tower.
While Shen An and the others waited in line, they saw Zhao Qingyu approach. They knew exactly what was up but said nothing.
The drop tower took four per row, two per seat.
With Yu Wen and Qi Taili sitting out, that left exactly four people—one full row.
No need to discuss pairings: Shen An with Song Rui, Zhao Qingyu with Wang Yuqiong.
They all buckled in, but the vibes couldn’t have been more different.
On Shen An’s side, he calmly double-checked Song Rui’s harness, then soothed her nerves with gentle words—a picture of tender affection.
On Wang Yuqiong’s side, she and Zhao Qingyu were locked in a staredown, buckling their harnesses with fierce determination, like war drums beating and banners flying.
“Senior Sister, you better be careful,” Wang Yuqiong said lightly.
Zhao Qingyu narrowed her eyes. “I’m fine. You, though—you could barely stand earlier. Grip that harness tight.”
“Oh dear, Senior Sister, you’re worrying too much. That was just a little fuss. I’m good now.”
Wang Yuqiong smirked smugly.
“Heh, good then.” Zhao Qingyu rolled her eyes.
Thwack.
Wang Yuqiong’s head got a light knock. She turned—it was Shen An.
“Your skirt.”
He said softly.
Eh… the drop tower was suspended too… even more so than the roller coaster.
Wang Yuqiong pouted. In front of Zhao Qingyu, she whined deliberately, “I can’t reach right now. Help me~”
Hiss…
So cheesy.
Zhao Qingyu shivered, suddenly feeling chilled to the bone, goosebumps rising.
“You really…”
Shen An sighed but obligingly fixed her skirt, tucking it firmly between her legs to prevent any wardrobe malfunctions mid-drop.
Zhao Qingyu watched coldly.
Should’ve worn a skirt today…
She glanced at her own loose pants, a touch dissatisfied.
Once he’d sorted Wang Yuqiong, Song Rui piped up softly. “I… I can’t reach either.”
She gazed at Shen An expectantly.
“Fine, fine.”
Shen An indulgently pinched her cheek and helped Song Rui too.
Then the staff came by for final checks and instructions, and they waited for launch.
Yu Wen, seated nearby, watched with relish—like a live broadcast. “Troupe Leader’s gonna lose big this time. Wonder if she’ll copy that junior sister’s moves later.”
Qi Taili, now free from torment, perked up.
The drowsiness from before the roller coaster was long gone.
She touched up her makeup and shot Yu Wen an annoyed look. “Don’t get your hopes up. Troupe Leader’s just caught up in the moment. Once she calms down, Shen An’s the one who’s in trouble.”
Yu Wen arched a brow and teased back. “You don’t think Troupe Leader’s got real feelings for him?”
Qi Taili drawled, “I’d love to believe it, but reality says: slim chance.”
“Speaking of, you’re awfully interested in Shen An. Why not jump in yourself?”
Qi Taili smirked slyly. “You’ve always wanted to beat Troupe Leader, haven’t you?”
Yu Wen shrugged. “What’s that got to do with me? I’m just watching the show.”
“No, no, you’re missing the point.”
Qi Taili wagged a finger like an old sage. “No matter how much you watch from the sidelines, you’re still an outsider. You can’t see clear.”
“Why not dive in? Become an insider, and you’ll know exactly what’s going on.”
“Plus, it’d fulfill your wish. Steal Shen An’s heart, and Troupe Leader’s your defeated rival.”
Yu Wen scoffed. “You’re talking nonsense. You think this is a game? Just join in whenever?”
Qi Taili grinned mischievously. “Got it. Scared of that junior sister, huh?”
“Hah, as if!”
Yu Wen puffed out her chest. “Sure, she’s pretty, but I’m no slouch either.”
“Yeah, Shen An seems pretty interested in you too—always chatting you up.”
“I… we just talk normally!”
“Then why do you keep warning him so kindly?”
Qi Taili said coolly, “Don’t you realize? By warning him off other girls, you’ve put yourself right in the same boat as them.”
“Telling him not to get too close to other girls… but what about you? You think you’re one of the guys?”
“If the Troupe Leader really falls for him, she’ll see you as one of her potential enemies too.”
Yu Wen suddenly froze.
It seemed…
Yeah, that made sense.
“Don’t tell me you’re really too dense to have thought of that,” Qi Taili said, looking at her.
“I…”
“Hehe, starting to hesitate, are we?”
Qi Taili grinned. “See? You’re actually pretty interested in him too. You even subconsciously wanted to warn him about it.”
“Are you looking out for him… or for yourself?”
Yu Wen turned her head and reached out to pinch the soft flesh of Qi Taili’s cheek.
Eh…
Qi Taili immediately started struggling. “Ow! Lighter… what are you doing?”
“Quit trying to bewitch me, you little fox.”
Yu Wen snorted coldly. “I almost fell for it!”
Qi Taili pouted. “A dog biting Lu Dongbin…”
“Hm?”
“Ah, what a blazing sun we have today.”
