Chapter 3: Bumper Cars
As a true man, Lu Li had a shameful secret: he was a little afraid of heights. Perhaps it was because Sister Yameng used to swing him around like a helicopter propeller when he was a child, or perhaps it was a deep-seated fear of plane crashes. In any case, after getting off the roller coaster, Lu Li felt nauseous and his face was pale.
Long Jing, seeing an opportunity, started taunting him. Lu Li suspected she would be laughing about this in her dreams tonight. Chu Jingyi was much more considerate. She helped him to a bench, fussing over him more than he did himself. Seeing the tiny beads of sweat on the girl’s delicate nose, her concern palpable even through the falling snow, Lu Li thought: If I could marry a girl like this, I would use up all my future luck, wouldn’t I?
“Yi Bao, go play with Long Jing. I’ll rest here for a bit.”
“But… but…”
“We came here to accompany Long Jing. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to come together in the future, right?” Lu Li gently stroked her cheek. “Go on, go play with Long Jing.”
“Okay.” Chu Jingyi reluctantly agreed. “Don’t wander off. Stay here. We’ll be back soon.” Her tone was like a mother worried about her child getting lost. Were all girls naturally maternal? Lu Li wondered.
Long Jing made a face at him, proudly walking away with the hesitant Silly Goose.
Lu Li waited for them to disappear from sight, then his throat tightened, and he leaned over the trash can, vomiting. Fortunately, he hadn’t embarrassed himself in front of Yi Bao. Humanity clung to the earth but yearned for the sky. Perhaps fear of heights was heaven’s punishment for disloyalty.
The amusement park was bustling with people, but no one stopped to ask if Lu Li was okay. He leaned against the trash can, vomiting unceremoniously. Lu Li swore he would never come to an amusement park again, not even if An Baili begged him to.
A pair of grayish-white running shoes appeared in his field of vision. The owner of the shoes stopped beside the trash can he was clinging to.
Lu Li looked up weakly, trying to see the person’s face, but he was facing the sun and could only make out a blurry silhouette. But the figure was slender, so it must be a young woman, right?
“Outstanding Representative, don’t eat and drink too much.” She said.
Lu Li raised his eyebrows. He wanted to salvage his image. “…I’m not the Outstanding Representative.”
He squinted, finally adjusting to the light, and saw the girl’s appearance. She was slender like a floating cloud, wearing a light dress that hinted at her figure. She smiled without showing her teeth, her expression calm and serene, like still water. Her platinum blonde hair shone even brighter under the sunlight, making her even more beautiful, drawing admiring glances from men and women alike.
He thought for a moment and corrected himself, “I didn’t eat or drink too much.” He suddenly realized that he was leaning against a trash can, looking like a scavenging animal.
Damn it, his perfect image in front of Wen Hupo was completely ruined.
Wen Hupo seemed to smile, but he couldn’t be sure.
And why was Wen Hupo at the amusement park? Was she the kind of girl who would go to an amusement park? Was she here with someone else?
Thinking of this, Lu Li looked around nervously. He didn’t want Wen Hupo to be with another boy. It was a selfish and genuine feeling.
“I came alone.” As if reading his mind, Wen Hupo said with an almost imperceptible smile.
Tsk. Lu Li pursed his lips inwardly. Was I that obvious? He tried to appear nonchalant and generous. “Isn’t it boring to come alone?”
“Yes, it’s quite boring.” She nodded earnestly. “Why don’t you join me, Outstanding Representative?”
Her invitation was casual and relaxed, as if she didn’t care about his answer. Lu Li had always thought that girls like her were the most dangerous. They always maintained an ambiguous attitude, pretending to be innocent when a fish took the bait, and acting terrified when the fish escaped. Only a fool would fall for it.
“Okay.” He was surprised at how quickly he agreed, it was almost without thought.
At the same time, Lu Li felt a twinge of unease. Silly Goose was still with Long Jing, wasn’t she? Would it be bad to leave them alone with Wen Hupo? Maybe he should tell Silly Goose. Lu Li decided to send a message to Silly Goose, explaining that he had run into Wen Hupo.
The two of them walked side by side in the amusement park. Strangely enough, after getting off the roller coaster, his weakness vanished. Was it the vibrant life force of a young man, or the facade of a hypocritical ego? He didn’t know.
“Why… why are you at the amusement park?” After hesitating for a long time, Lu Li finally asked.
He suddenly felt awkward about his hands, unsure of what to do with them. Placing them by his sides felt too stiff, putting them behind his back felt too formal, and clasping them in front of his stomach felt too wretched.
“If I don’t come now, I might not have another chance.” She tilted her head, looking at the crowd. Lu Li couldn’t see her expression, nor could he decipher the tone of her voice. “I want to experience more of the world.”
“It sounds like you’re terminally ill.”
“Isn’t a mental illness still an illness?” she countered.
Lu Li was stunned. Before he could think of a response, Wen Hupo pointed at the bumper cars ahead. “I want to play that.”
Bumper cars? Wasn’t that something little boys liked?
“Okay.” He agreed without thinking.
The bumper car seats were smaller than he expected, and he and Wen Hupo could barely squeeze in. He guessed it was because they were usually occupied by an adult and a child.
Wen Hupo’s scent was light and fresh, not the smell of shampoo, but her natural body scent. Her slender arms brushed against his, and the two of them were pressed together so tightly that Lu Li could feel Wen Hupo’s breathing becoming a bit erratic. This sent his teenage hormones into overdrive.
The bumper car announced, “Little friends, fasten your seatbelts, the bumper cars are about to start~” Wen Hupo smiled, seeming to find a bit of childish joy. She urged Lu Li to hurry up and start, eager to join the throng of seven- and eight-year-olds.
This was the first time Lu Li had seen Wen Hupo like this. He had no other thoughts in his mind except to make her happy. He stepped on the accelerator, and the red bumper car shot out, crashing into the other bumper cars with Lu Li’s terrible driving…
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