Once the Head Maid received the order, she personally came over to secure the safety belts for Ye Zhibai and Su Yuqiu on the Children’s Edition Roller Coaster, double-checking everything to ensure it was perfectly safe.
She then stepped to the side, clasping her hands in front of her as she gave a slight nod. “Please rest assured, Eldest Miss. I’ve already coordinated with the park staff. This Mini Roller Coaster has no height restrictions—short or tall, anyone can ride, including you. I’ve also instructed the Medical Maid Corps to station medical equipment nearby. Should anything happen, we can provide immediate treatment. So there’s no need for any concern.”
Eek!
Head Maid, I know you’re just reporting on your work, but could you stop phrasing it like I’m about to tumble off this roller coaster and shatter every bone in my body?
The Medical Maid Corps is here for Little Qiu! You absolutely have to make that point clear!
“There’s one more thing. Aside from the children already boarded on this ride, the rest of the Maid Corps members have disguised themselves as amusement park staff and are temporarily blocking new visitors from approaching. Things will return to normal once you’ve finished this ride.”
“Why is that…?”
“This will effectively preserve your dignity.”
“……”
Wah… The Eldest Miss was sacrificing her own dignity and image, all to fulfill Miss Su’s wish by willingly riding this roller coaster meant only for little kids. The Head Maid was deeply moved by such selflessness.
So really, no need to stand on ceremony.
Eldest Miss, this level of dedication is exactly what the Maid Corps is for!
Thanks ever so much.
Sigh… Yun’er and the others had originally said they could ride along with Ye Zhibai.
But Ye Zhibai, out of nowhere, had mustered some righteous grandeur and casually declared that such a trivial matter didn’t require them going one by one—she would handle it herself.
Thinking back now, what an absolute fool she was!
She gave up any struggling, especially since the safety belt had her pinned down anyway.
Ye Zhibai let out a cold sigh and leaned back into the seat of the Mini Roller Coaster, which was noticeably smaller than the big one from earlier that morning.
All around her, front and back, echoed the joyful laughter and chatter of children.
“Look! There’s a big sister over there!”
“Hee hee hee, is she the navigator? I heard every train has one~”
“You’re so dumb. Navigators don’t sit in the middle. She’s obviously just a childish grown-up!”
Hey!!
Which little brat was spouting such rudeness?
Believe me, once this Mini Roller Coaster is done, I’ll come find you and give you a good whack!
“Please prepare, everyone. The Chunni Roller Coaster is about to depart~ Due to venue maintenance, parents and guardians, please stay back beyond the ticket checkpoint. Once the ride ends, we’ll safely return the children to you~”
Oh ho, the Head Maid hadn’t lied.
With her influence reaching everywhere, things got done smoothly.
The Mini Roller Coaster’s seats were arranged in pairs, side by side.
Ye Zhibai tilted her head slightly to glance beside her.
Little Qiu was blinking up at her with wide, innocent cherry-pink eyes, utterly harmless-looking.
They shimmered with ripples of light and swirling cherry dances, as if she hadn’t been the one to drag Ye Zhibai onto this blasted ride at all.
In fact, Little Qiu was apologizing right now.
“Yezi, are you mad…?”
“No, this is just my face.”
“Mm… I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to drag someone down with me on purpose. Actually… being too embarrassed to ride the kids’ coaster alone was only a secondary reason…”
So that really was part of it, huh?!
You sneaky group leader, pulling your trusty admin to take the fall for tough stuff like this.
When we get back, you’re sending me at least fifty v-ups on Thursday as penance, right?!
Guang Yu, that fox… she’d bailed at a time like this too, claiming her divine power was too low for this Mini Roller Coaster. Hah, she just wanted to play the mature type and act too refined for a kids’ version ride.
Once home, she’d be getting a full wardrobe of children’s clothes as recommendation!
Oh, and Little Qiu, I’m really not mad—it’s just my resting face. Why won’t you believe that?
The tracks beneath the Mini Roller Coaster began to slowly rise above the ground.
Amid the children’s cheers, the massive screen at the far end lit up with a cartoonish five-minute startup countdown.
Heh, look at how hyped these kids were getting.
This childish style wouldn’t faze any mature adult.
Right, Little Qiu?
Little Qiu…?
“……”
In Little Qiu’s eyes shimmered an excitement no less sparkling than the kids around them—a brilliant glow of pure anticipation!
Fine, no more snark from me. Our one goal here is for you to have fun.
Perhaps sensing how immature she looked, Little Qiu caught Yezi’s gaze and hurriedly blinked to hide the little stars of expectation in her eyes.
When the Mini Roller Coaster reached its peak—which was actually less than four meters off the ground—Little Qiu grew too embarrassed to meet Ye Zhibai’s eyes any longer.
Her words came out soft and halting.
“Cough… um, y’know… with everyone around earlier, I was too shy to say… Remember last time at the hospital? At the entrance.”
“Ah… yeah. The protective amulet you wrote by hand, wishing for safety.”
“Don’t just remember that!! Wah… What I mean is! Back then, you… you held me for a bit, right? And somehow… my aching heart calmed down without any meds. It’d never happened before… Even forcing it without medicine usually leaves me miserable for half a day, but that time it was magical! So I thought… if something happens, having you beside me would make me feel safe… No, wait, I mean… Aah, that’s the gist!”
“I see…”
“Yeah, exactly!”
Hm.
Guang Yu, I told you before—you’re terrible at reading people.
You said Little Qiu wasn’t some twisted weirdo.
—As if.
Look at her now—she’s twisting up a storm.
Little Qiu desperately twisted her body, trying to turn her face away from Ye Zhibai’s gaze, which carried a strangely captivating chill. But the safety belt held her firmly within that gaze’s reach.
“Don’t twist. It’s not safe.”
“Oh… okay…”
“Follow my lead. It’s your first time—you’ve got no experience. I’m the veteran here.”
“……”
Look at me go, sounding all pro.
That’s right—I’m the veteran!
Your debut ride? Just a few hours ago, I conquered the full-sized roller coaster.
On this front, I’m your senior. Obey!
“Chunni Roller Coaster departing soon~ Kids, let’s countdown the final minute. Dreams, set sail!”
“””Fifty-nine! Fifty-eight! …”””
Oh yeah, only kids’ games had this kind of electric atmosphere.
Ye Zhibai had never experienced a childhood like this.
In her mind, she silently counted along like a total childish goof, even wondering with keen interest if Little Qiu was doing the same.
Unexpectedly… she wasn’t.
Su Loli’s eyes were unnaturally wide, her throat bobbing frequently as she swallowed.
Cold sweat beaded on her forehead, standing out starkly now that the sunset was fading into night.
Was she… nervous?
Just like Ye Zhibai had been that morning on the massive roller coaster dozens of meters up?
Probably even more so for Little Qiu.
After all, for Ye Zhibai, this was fulfilling a dream.
For Little Qiu, it was that—plus steeling herself to challenge her illness head-on.
A kid like that deserved protection.
“You got this.”
“Eh…? Y-yeah… G-go for it, Yezi. Don’t… don’t get scared and cry.”
“I told you, I’m the veteran.”
“Mm… Then… Yezi-senpai? If you’ve got any spare energy… could you hold my hand? For real… I’m kinda scared.”
…?
What’s with the sudden honesty?
Is it because the Chunni Roller Coaster’s launch was under thirty seconds away?
In any case… Ye Zhibai spotted the tentative reach of Little Qiu’s small, delicate hand—tender enough to stir pity in anyone’s heart—creeping into her field of vision.
The Mini Roller Coaster’s safety belt didn’t restrain the wrists; hands could move freely. Apparently, the design ensured that no matter how wildly the kids flailed, their hands wouldn’t hit anything dangerous. Super safe.
The sight gave Ye Zhibai a moment’s pause.
“Twenty… nineteen… eighteen…!”
But the hesitation didn’t last long.
As Little Qiu’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment and she started to withdraw her hand in defeat…
Ye Zhibai reached out decisively.
She politely clasped Little Qiu’s fingers first, then enveloped her entire palm.
“Eek…!!”
“Eek?”
Little Qiu let out a bizarre single-note squeak for no reason.
Ye Zhibai, ever the doofus, tilted her head and mimicked it back in her deadpan style.
Somehow, dealing with Little Qiu never brought that faint tension she felt with other girls.
Maybe because she was so tiny, so utterly childlike?
Besides, if this helped ease her mind, Ye Zhibai wouldn’t hold back.
After all, Ye Zhibai knew better than anyone: for a long, long time before Yun’er came along, no one had ever been willing to hold her hand.
“Ten… nine…!”
The kids’ cheers have reached a full-on scream—never seen them this hyped even when memorizing the nine-nine multiplication table!
Little Qiu stared in surprise at her own hand being held.
Gulp
The swallowing motion came to an abrupt halt.
Ah…
This is real…
Holding Yezi’s hand… she really wasn’t nervous anymore.
But why—
—does her heart feel like it’s beating even faster?!
“Three… two… one! Launch!!”
Scraaaape
The little coaster’s wheels scraped against the rails with a screech.
The Chunni Express officially sets sail!
“It’s moving, it’s moving! Yezi, it’s really moving!”
“I know… get ready, though. It’s not gonna stay this easy.”
“Got it!”
Haha… Little Qiu’s excitement is rubbing off on her; even this kids’ ride feels kinda fun all of a sudden?
Uh, no.
Wait… she just decided to hold hands on her own— isn’t that risky?!
Everyone knows amusement park rides have tons of rules.
While the speed was still low, Ye Zhibai tilted her head to look at the ground.
Yun’er and the others were all craning their necks up, but from this angle, it was hard to see each other’s faces—the iron panels were blocking the view.
But at four meters apart, voices could still carry.
Ye Zhibai amplified her voice as much as possible, overpowering the kids’ cheers!
“Head Maid…! Is it okay to hold hands? Little Qiu says she’s scared!”
“Yezi…! Don’t say it like that!! I’m not scared…!”
Okay, okay, I believe you aren’t scared.
Just be honest, I won’t tease you.
The Head Maid was pro as always—response came lightning fast.
“No problem! Eldest Miss, rest assured… Huh? Second Miss?!”
“Sis!! No holding hands!! Absolutely not!!”
Huh?! Why.
Did Yun’er notice something? Is holding hands dangerous?!
Before Ye Zhibai could act,
Yun’er’s anxious voice rang out again!
“But you haven’t held my hand at all today!! How could you do this to meeee!!! Sis!!!”
Ah… Yun’er.
Your words have left me utterly shocked.
Good thing—the little coaster sped up.
The voices behind her were drowned out by the kids’ tsunami of shouts and the gentle whoosh of the wind.
And Ye Zhibai could feel her hand being gripped even tighter.
“How’s it feel… getting used to it?”
“Yezi… Yezi!!”
“Hm?”
“It’s gonna crash into the ground! The ground!”
“No it won’t… see, it’s rising again already.”
“Wow… it really is. Heh heh, this roller coaster isn’t so bad after all!”
“That’s why I said—this is the kiddie version. The full one? You’d be in hell by now.”
“So no problem at all now~ a mere roller coaster is no big de— AAAAAAAAAAA!!!!”
“Hm?!”
The little coaster—consecutive banked dives!
It wasn’t just Little Qiu screaming; all the kids on board were shrieking in shock.
Even Ye Zhibai’s heart skipped a beat.
Whoa—
This little coaster’s dives pack a punch—not holding back compared to the big one!
Craftsmanship at its finest—scaled-down but authentic thrills. Truly heartfelt!
“Ah… I can’t take it, Yezi… I really… I can’t!”
Ye Zhibai snapped to high alert.
Her other hand held an indicator.
One press, and the Head Maid would get the signal—emergency brake on the coaster.
“Heart bothering you? I’ll—”
“No!” The wind was roaring; she had to yell to be heard. “I can’t take it—I mean, I’m so freaking happy! Yezi, you happy too?! I’ve never felt like this! Hahaha! Whoaaa!!! Charge!!”
“Ah…”
Guess she worried too much.
Little Qiu’s pink hair fluttered in the wind.
Revealing her forehead under the pink bangs, making the light in her pink eyes even clearer.
Yes.
From the ground earlier, Ye Zhibai hadn’t seen such brilliant light in her eyes.
Little Qiu was still yelling random stuff.
“Qiqiu! Daimao! Little Bell! Dog! Today is just perfect!!”
“What even…?”
“Names of my cats at home!”
Whoa, you have a cat named Dog?!
She was really happy.
Ye Zhibai’s lips didn’t curve into a smile, but she let out a couple rawrs along with her (deadpan).
The wind grew louder.
After charging through the air mid-flight for a while, hearing dulled out.
Plus the kids’ endless energy yelling nonstop.
If someone whispered now…
No way it’d be heard.
“Yezi, I think… I might really like you a lot.”
“Ah… what’d you say?”
“I said! Yezi, you like this coaster?!”
“It’s alright.”
“Liar! You scaredy-cat, bet you’re about to cry! Hahaha!”
“Oh ho? That’s how you talk to a roller coaster veteran? Bold, aren’t ya…!”
