137: Chapter 136 The Thrilling Ferris Wheel

Su Bai also changed into a white tracksuit, grabbed the car keys, and said, "Let's go."

The amusement park was in the east of the city, a half-hour drive away.

Su Bai bought three all-access passes. Upon entering, Chu Yi walked in front, bouncing along like a little rabbit, finding everything fresh and new.

Lin Qiaoyou followed behind Su Bai, keeping a distance of one or two steps, like a docile little cat, following her master wherever he went.

Chu Yi said she wanted to ride the carousel, so the three of them went to line up.

Chu Yi picked a white horse, climbed on, and turned back to wave at them.

Lin Qiaoyou chose a carriage, sat inside, and Su Bai sat beside her.

The music started, and the carousel began to turn, moving up and down. Up ahead, Chu Yi was laughing like a fool.

Lin Qiaoyou sat next to Su Bai, her hands on her knees, her back straight, not daring to look at him.

Su Bai reached over and took her hand.

Her hand was very soft, and her fingertips were cool.

She didn't pull away, nor did she look at him, just letting him hold it.

The carousel turned round and round. When the music stopped, Su Bai let go. Lin Qiaoyou pulled her hand back and clenched her fingers on her knees.

Then the three of them went to line up for the roller coaster.

When they were riding, as the roller coaster slowly climbed to the highest point, Chu Yi's face had already turned pale. She closed her eyes, muttering, "I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid."

When the roller coaster dove down, she let out a scream and then went silent, shrinking into her seat like a terrified little chick.

Lin Qiaoyou sat next to Su Bai, looking very calm.

The wind blew through her hair, her expression unchanged, and the corners of her mouth were even slightly upturned, as if she were enjoying the sensation of weightlessness.

Su Bai glanced at her. She sensed it, turned her head, and smiled at him.

The roller coaster stopped, and Chu Yi's legs were weak. She walked out, holding onto the railing, her face deathly pale.

"I… I'm never riding a roller coaster again…" Her voice was trembling.

Su Bai handed her a bottle of water. She took it, drank a large gulp, and it took her a while to recover.

Chu Yi said she wouldn't play any more high-altitude rides no matter what.

Su Bai and Lin Qiaoyou accompanied her to play a few rides for children—teacups, bumper cars, and Dumbo.

Chu Yi had a great time, laughing like a little kid.

Getting off the bumper cars, Chu Yi saw the Ferris wheel.

She stood below, looking up at the giant wheel slowly turning. The setting sun shone on her face, and her eyes were bright.

"Why don't you two go ride the Ferris wheel?" She turned to look at Su Bai and Lin Qiaoyou.

"I don't dare to ride it, but since we're here, I feel like it'd be a waste if we didn't."

Su Bai was indifferent.

"Sure."

He glanced at Lin Qiaoyou.

Lin Qiaoyou's face flushed. Riding the Ferris wheel with Su Bai in front of Chu Yi still made her feel a bit embarrassed.

But she didn't refuse. Lowering her head, she followed behind Su Bai toward the Ferris wheel.

The staff opened the door, the two walked in, the door closed, and the cabin slowly ascended.

The ground below grew further and further away, and the people became smaller and smaller, like ants.

Chu Yi waved at them from below, getting smaller and smaller until she became a dot and disappeared from view.

There were only two people in the cabin.

Su Bai sat on one side, and Lin Qiaoyou sat opposite him. She kept her head down, her fingers clutching the denim of her jeans so tightly her knuckles turned white.

Seeing how obedient she was, Su Bai couldn't help but get some mischievous ideas; he wanted to tease her.

He pulled her from the opposite seat into his arms. Lin Qiaoyou was startled and fell against his chest, her hands bracing against his shoulders, her eyes wide.

Su Bai smiled mischievously. "Sister Qiaoyou, they can't see us now."

Lin Qiaoyou's eyelashes trembled, and her voice shook as well. "What… what do you want to do?"

Su Bai smiled without answering and pressed her onto the floor of the Ferris wheel cabin.

Lin Qiaoyou lay on her back, her hair spread out on the wooden floor. Her brown turtleneck sweater was pulled up slightly, revealing a strip of fair waist.

Her face was beet red, her eyes closed, her eyelashes trembling, and her lips slightly parted.

"Su Bai…"

The Ferris wheel turned slowly. When the cabin reached the highest point, it stopped for a moment.

The entire amusement park was beneath their feet, and the distant city turned into a golden silhouette in the sunset.

Su Bai tilted his head back, eyes narrowed, looking at the golden sky outside the window.

"Su Bai." Lin Qiaoyou's voice was muffled.

"Hmm."

"Will anyone see?"

Su Bai glanced out the window; there was only sky on all sides. There was no place higher than them.

"No."

"Mmh."

The Ferris wheel began to descend.

The cabin slowly went down, the ground drew closer, and the people grew larger.

Su Bai pulled Lin Qiaoyou up from the floor and helped her tidy her clothes.

Lin Qiaoyou kept her head down, her face as red as a boiled shrimp, her fingers fumbling over her sweater, not knowing what she was touching.

The cabin touched down.

The door opened, and Chu Yi was standing outside, holding a cotton candy, her mouth covered in sugar threads.

"You're down!"

Her eyes darted between Su Bai and Lin Qiaoyou, then landed on Lin Qiaoyou. She paused, and asked suspiciously, "Sister Qiaoyou, what is that on your sweater?"

Lin Qiaoyou looked down. There was a smudge on her sweater, which stood out conspicuously against the brown fabric.

Her face turned even redder. In a panic, she pulled a tissue from her bag and wiped it while saying, "I… I have rhinitis, I accidentally got some snot on it."

Chu Yi said "Oh," didn't think much of it, and continued eating her cotton candy.

Lin Qiaoyou kept her head down, scrubbing at the mark hard, and it took several wipes to clean it off.

She crumpled the tissue into a ball and clutched it in her palm, not daring to look at Su Bai or Chu Yi.

Su Bai stood by, the corners of his mouth slightly raised. "Let's go, it's getting dark."

The three of them walked toward the amusement park entrance.

The setting sun sank slowly behind them, stretching their shadows long, casting them on the ground where they overlapped, indistinguishable from one another.

Chu Yi walked in front, still nibbling on the cotton candy, her steps light as if she were dancing.

Lin Qiaoyou walked in the middle, head down, fingers still clutching that ball of tissue.

Su Bai walked at the very back, hands in his pockets, his pace steady.

He watched the backs of the two women in front—one bouncing along, the other quiet and still—like two flowers blooming on the same branch; one swaying in the wind, the other blossoming in the sunlight.

The car drove out of the amusement park and merged into traffic.

Chu Yi sat in the back seat, still talking about the rides they had played, saying how fun the carousel was, how scary the roller coaster was, and how high the Ferris wheel was.

Lin Qiaoyou sat in the passenger seat, looking out the window. The sunset shone on her face; it was flushed, and the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, though she didn't know what she was thinking about.

Su Bai held the steering wheel with one hand and reached out with the other, placing it on Lin Qiaoyou's leg.

Lin Qiaoyou's body stiffened for a moment, but she didn't look at him, nor did she push him away.

His hand rested on her leg for a while, then he withdrew it and continued driving.

Lin Qiaoyou secretly let out a breath, clenched her fingers on her knees, then relaxed them.

It was dark now, and the streetlights were on, dragging streaks of orange light across the car windows.

The car drove over a bridge. The river water beneath was pitch black, reflecting the lights from both banks like a flowing galaxy.

Chu Yi, tired of talking in the back seat, leaned against the backrest and closed her eyes.

Lin Qiaoyou also closed her eyes, her breathing light and even.

By the time they arrived home, it was completely dark.

Su Bai parked the car and woke Chu Yi up.

Chu Yi opened her eyes groggily, yawned, pushed the car door open, and got out. Lin Qiaoyou also woke up, rubbed her eyes, and unbuckled her seatbelt.

The three of them went upstairs. Chu Yi walked in front, and as soon as she entered the door, she threw herself onto the sofa, saying she was so tired.

Lin Qiaoyou changed her shoes and walked toward her room with her head down.