SBAB Chapter 35

“I’m so bored.”

“Me too.”

[Actually, I’m pretty bored as well.]

These two casual remarks and one inner thought come from Lin Xin and Cheng Shiyin, who are sitting behind the haunted house watching a live stream on an app, and Shang Xiaoxia, who is pretending to have fun but is running out of steam.

After riding yet another kiddie attraction, Shang Xiaoxia secretly turned away from Wu Lian and stifled a yawn. Glancing up, she noticed Wu Lian hadn’t caught her act. Instead, he was earnestly studying the park brochure, looking for more simplistic attractions to try. At this point, Shang Xiaoxia could no longer lie to herself—or to Wu Lian—that she enjoyed all this childish stuff.

She covered the brochure with both hands, stood on tiptoe, twisted Wu Lian’s head ninety degrees, and said, “Let’s go on this one.”

What appeared in Wu Lian’s line of sight was the park’s centerpiece, visible even from the children’s area: the largest pirate ship ride in the country.

“Sure,” he replied. The blush spreading across his neck like a slow-burning fuse betrayed his calm tone.

Noticing this faint, unexpected flush, Shang Xiaoxia felt a sudden flutter in her chest. That soft pink hue seemed to ignite a heat that traveled back through her arms, delivering an adrenaline jolt straight to her heart.

Thump-thump! Thump-thump!

Was it possible to experience the suspension bridge effect without even moving?

To steady herself, Shang Xiaoxia quickly withdrew her hands. But Wu Lian wasn’t about to let her off the hook. Letting go of the brochure with one hand, he firmly grasped her now retreating one. Before Shang Xiaoxia’s nervous system could process an escape plan, Wu Lian was already pulling her toward the pirate ship ride at full speed.

Startled by the sudden burst of movement, Shang Xiaoxia instinctively tightened her grip on Wu Lian’s hand. Feeling her increasing hold, Wu Lian sped up even more, plunging them into a feedback loop of reckless momentum. The whirlwind chase only ended when Wu Lian came to an abrupt stop at the end of the line, leaving Shang Xiaoxia to crash headlong into his solid back.

Hearing her cry out in pain, Wu Lian immediately crouched down to check on her. Shang Xiaoxia, clutching her nose with both hands, wasn’t seriously hurt, but she wasn’t about to let this moment slide. She decided to get a bit of playful revenge. As soon as Wu Lian leaned in close, she threw a light punch at his tall, sturdy nose.

Feigning hurt, Shang Xiaoxia covered her face entirely with both hands. From Wu Lian’s angle, it looked like she was trying to hide her pain out of stubbornness, making him feel even guiltier. In reality, Shang Xiaoxia was sneakily peeking through her fingers to gauge his reaction.

But when Wu Lian’s concerned face drew even closer, so genuine it could melt anyone’s heart, Shang Xiaoxia panicked. Mechanically, she stretched her hands forward to keep him at bay, entirely forgetting her plan for revenge.

Before Wu Lian could brush her hands aside to confirm she was okay, the ride attendant separated the two of them and ushered them to opposite ends of the pirate ship.

The ride began to move.

At first, there was only the sensation of the wind brushing against her face. The speed wasn’t too intense, and Shang Xiaoxia took a deep breath of the cool air, feeling like a bird soaring through the sky. When the ship plunged downward, it was as if she were a hawk diving for prey.

The experience was exhilarating. Imitating others, Shang Xiaoxia let out a few carefree screams, which only made her feel even more liberated.

After two full swings, she suddenly realized something—there was no sound from Wu Lian. Turning to him, she eagerly suggested, “Don’t hold back! Just scream—it makes the ride way more fun!”

But as soon as she saw him, the example scream she had started to demonstrate got stuck in her throat.

Wu Lian’s face was ghostly pale, his eyes unfocused. Both hands clung desperately to the metal bar in front of him, gripping with all his might. Shang Xiaoxia was stunned. She never would have guessed that the man who had so confidently chosen the amusement park for their date couldn’t handle thrill rides at all. The cool breeze she found refreshing must have felt like razor blades slicing Wu Lian’s face.

Shang Xiaoxia recalled the brochure’s description of the pirate ship ride: seven full swings, each one higher and more intense than the last. Looking at Wu Lian, who resembled a candle flickering in the wind, she made up her mind. Ignoring conventional boundaries, she pulled Wu Lian into her arms, shielding him from the onslaught of the ride with her small frame.

The result was better than she’d expected.

At this point, Wu Lian’s dictionary no longer contained the word “weightlessness.” He had entirely forgotten what it felt like. His soul, however, seemed to have ascended to a higher plane.

As a spectator to this naturally unfolding drama, Cheng Shiyin burst into laughter, fully entertained. She even sighed wistfully at the sight of Wu Lian and Shang Xiaoxia, who looked, to anyone watching, like a playful, awkward couple in their early days of romance. “How lovely,” she remarked.

“Lovely… really?”

Lin Xin didn’t share the same sentiment. He couldn’t bring himself to echo Cheng Shiyin’s words. His eyes were locked on Wu Lian and Shang Xiaoxia’s seemingly seamless embrace on the pirate ship. But what his brain replayed wasn’t the actual scene. Instead, it swapped Shang Xiaoxia with Cheng Shiyin and Wu Lian with Gu Nian, transforming the embrace into a flashback of their first meeting—the hand-holding moment that had burned itself into his mind.

Anxiety, multiplying faster than cancer cells, consumed Lin Xin. He was terrified that someone might snatch away the “lover” who had never been his to begin with.

Misinterpreting Lin Xin’s intense gaze as a reflection of his frustration at simply being a bystander in the amusement park, Cheng Shiyin, though slightly nervous herself, proposed, “Why don’t we go on that ride too?”

“Sure,” Lin Xin said, scattering his negative emotions into the wind. He eagerly responded to Cheng Shiyin’s suggestion and dashed toward the ride. It wasn’t until he was seated on the pirate ship that he regained his senses. Turning to Cheng Shiyin, he confessed, “I… I’m pretty scared of this.”

Hearing this, Cheng Shiyin abandoned any internal pep talks and instead joined the crowd in screaming, “Me toooooo!”

Unlike the romantic moment between Shang Xiaoxia and Wu Lian, Lin Xin and Cheng Shiyin’s embrace on the ride lacked any trace of tenderness. They clung to each other purely out of fear, each treating the other as a lifeline.

Amidst the screaming, Lin Xin tried to keep a shred of composure, reminding himself: I’m “him,” not “her.”

He pulled his arms free from Cheng Shiyin’s grasp and wrapped them around her from the outside, attempting to offer her a sense of security. Yet, his body continued to tremble uncontrollably from fear. Leaning close to her ear, he muttered repeatedly, “It’s okay, it’s okay.”

Cheng Shiyin felt his movement and heard his nervous reassurance, fully grasping Lin Xin’s fear and his efforts to comfort her despite it. Though the embrace was awkward and his efforts seemed futile, her fear inexplicably vanished, replaced by a surprising calm. She leaned against Lin Xin’s shoulder, her heart pounding as if she had just finished a marathon.

After the ride ended, the two of them sat on a nearby bench to recover. For now, their itinerary had reached a standstill. Staying true to her earlier promise, Cheng Shiyin rested her head on Lin Xin’s shoulder, resembling a pair of tired lovebirds taking a break. She reopened the live-streaming app and resumed their “virtual tour” of the amusement park.

Meanwhile, Shang Xiaoxia discovered she had an unexpected compatibility with thrilling rides. Looking at the other attractions in the park, most of which were rated three stars or higher for intensity, her eyes sparkled with excitement. However, given Wu Lian’s strong aversion to such rides, Shang Xiaoxia reluctantly surrendered the decision-making power to him.

Yet to her surprise, Wu Lian became increasingly bold. Although he clung to her in fear during each ride, he continued challenging himself with even more intense attractions.

Bravery + cowardice = adorable. This equation seemed to operate automatically in Shang Xiaoxia’s mind. Even the “sly merchant” impression Wu Lian had initially left on her now morphed into a charming “quick thinker.”

But such bravery didn’t belong to Cheng Shiyin and Lin Xin. After watching several “death-defying” rides—roller coasters, mountains, and free-fall towers—Cheng Shiyin felt she might die just from spectating. She closed the video and rested against Lin Xin’s shoulder for a moment. Tilting her head slightly, she suggested, “Why don’t we find something relaxing and low-key to do instead?”

Lin Xin nodded, dragging his exhausted body along with hers.

Despite his outward exhaustion, Lin Xin’s mind raced at Cheng Shiyin’s suggestion. He frantically scoured his memory for all the relationship tips he’d learned while lying to Shang Xiaoxia, including the now-abandoned suspension bridge effect. He racked his brain for ideas on how to create a romantic atmosphere.

To set the mood, he pushed his dull brain to its limits, only to come up with a trope from a decade ago: reenacting the classic TV scene from “You Are the Wind, I Am the Sand” on the carousel. But before he could put this cliché plan into action, a staff member gave the standard pre-ride warning:

“One person per horse. Two people per horse? Do you have a death wish?”

“…” Why is romance so hard?