After spending an entire week at the Granger family home, Lin Yue had more than enough time to learn the Grangers' work schedules and the general outline of their daily routines.
The Grangers usually left for work at eight in the morning and got home at five in the afternoon.
They ate lunch in the staff canteen or at a restaurant near work.
But once Lin Yue had figured out their schedules, she took care of their lunches, too.
Lin Yue got up at six, making her the earliest riser in the Granger family. No one else could beat her to it.
Hermione liked to sleep in during the summer holidays, too. She usually didn't get up until almost nine.
The Grangers were used to getting up sometime after seven. They would throw together a little breakfast, eat a few bites, and head straight to work.
Now that Lin Yue was getting up at six, they simply couldn't make breakfast themselves. They hadn't even woken up before breakfast was already on the table.
She even prepared their lunches in advance, packing them into two insulated lunch boxes so the food would still be warm when they ate it.
According to Lin Yue, her mother had told her that restaurants tended to use too much oil and salt, and weren't always hygienic. So they usually avoided ordering takeout and ate home-cooked food instead.
Mrs. Granger tried to stop Lin Yue from making breakfast and preparing their lunches. After all, the thought of a child who wasn't even twelve handling all sorts of kitchen equipment made them a little uneasy.
They wouldn't mind if she broke something. They were just afraid she might hurt herself.
But the words died on Mrs. Granger's lips when she saw Lin Yue's expressionless face and heard her ask without hesitation, "Did I make something that didn't taste good? I'm sorry. I'll improve."
Mrs. Granger could only swallow her words, then reach out and ruffle Lin Yue's hair. She told her that everyone loved her cooking; they were just worried she was working too hard.
Lin Yue immediately shook her head, saying she wasn't tired at all. She could even memorize her textbooks while cooking, so it wouldn't affect her studies. She told Mrs. Granger not to worry.
Mrs. Granger sighed helplessly. In the end, all she could do was gratefully accept Lin Yue's "kindness."
With Lin Yue around, it wasn't just the Grangers' lives that had changed. Hermione's holiday routine had undergone a major transformation, too.
Looking at the pile of completed homework in front of her, Hermione fell into deep thought.
It had only been a week since the holidays started, hadn't it? How had she already finished all her summer homework? Usually, she spread it out over the entire break and worked on it bit by bit!
But after spending the past week constantly following Lin Yue around and making sure she rested on time, Hermione had somehow finished everything ahead of schedule.
And that was despite Hermione repeatedly insisting that she and Lin Yue could only study in the afternoons, and that they had to rest properly in the mornings and evenings.
Otherwise, Hermione had no doubt Lin Yue could have finished all the homework to a high standard in just two or three days.
By now, Hermione had completely given up on trying to compete with Lin Yue academically. They were different—completely different. Hermione studied because she loved it; Lin Yue had been driven to the point where studying was all she knew.
Under the circumstances, Hermione knew she couldn't compare herself to Lin Yue in her studies. Instead, she focused all her attention on figuring out how to drag Lin Yue away from her books.
Taking a deep breath, Hermione turned to look at Lin Yue, who was reading yet another page of her textbook. She waited until Lin Yue had finished the page before speaking.
"Lin Yue, how about we go to the amusement park together? We can have some fun."
Hearing her name, Lin Yue immediately snapped out of her studies. She closed her book and looked at Hermione.
"The amusement park?" Her mind paused for a moment. The amusement park in her memories wasn't a place for children—or rather, not a place for ordinary children like her.
Could she and Hermione really go to the amusement park?
"Yeah, yeah!" Hermione nodded enthusiastically, ready to tell Lin Yue all about how much fun the amusement park was and persuade her to go. She had only been once herself, and she'd found it too noisy. She preferred the library.
But taking Lin Yue... Merlin forgive her, she really didn't dare go to the Library with her. She was afraid that once Lin Yue learned where it was, she'd go there every day and get lost in her studies all over again.
"The amusement park is loads of fun! There's a Ferris wheel, a Merry-go-round, bumper cars, and we can even ride the Mini pirate ship."
As she spoke, Hermione looked at Lin Yue with shining eyes. She hadn't had much interest in the amusement park before; she'd only suggested it because she wanted Lin Yue to go out and have fun.
But when she thought about going there with Lin Yue... Hermione couldn't help feeling excited. Going to the amusement park with Lin Yue! It would be so much fun.
Even the noise she'd once disliked now seemed like a sign of how lively the place was.
Lin Yue couldn't work out why the amusement park would let ordinary children like her and Hermione in. Still, she followed the voice deep in her mind and nodded to Hermione.
"Okay. Let's go," Lin Yue agreed in her emotionless voice.
Hermione cheered. "Wait here. I'll call Mum and Dad and let them know."
She turned and ran over to the house phone. She and Lin Yue had to tell her parents before going to the amusement park. More importantly, she needed to ask where they kept the money.
She couldn't suggest going to the amusement park and then make Lin Yue pay for her once they got there!
Hermione picked up the phone and dialed her parents' office number from memory. After several rings, someone answered, and Mrs. Granger's voice came through.
"Good morning, Mum," Hermione said brightly.
Hearing her daughter's voice, Mrs. Granger couldn't help smiling, too. "Good morning, Hermione. What is it?"
"Mum, can I go to the amusement park with Lin Yue?"
Go to the amusement park? Mrs. Granger was taken aback at first. Then a wave of relief and joy swept over her.
At last! Her daughter was finally going out to have fun during the holidays instead of going to the Library or staying home to read.
As she thought about it, Mrs. Granger found herself liking Lin Yue even more. She knew Hermione had suggested the amusement park to keep Lin Yue from studying all the time.
As for Hermione not liking amusement parks... That was when the three of them had gone together. This time, she'd be going with Lin Yue. Surely Hermione would enjoy it!
"Of course you can! I'm so happy you're taking Lin Yue to the amusement park instead of the Library."
In her good mood, Mrs. Granger couldn't resist teasing her daughter.
"Mum!" Hermione's face turned a little red, and she called out softly. If she were going alone, she really would have gone to the Library. But with Lin Yue, how could she possibly go there?
"Haha." Mrs. Granger laughed, then composed herself. "All right, all right. I'll stop teasing you. There are five hundred Pound Sterling in the top drawer of the bedside table in our room. Take it all."
"Have fun, and get yourself something to eat if you want. Don't worry about saving it."
"Okay, I know. Thanks, Mum." Hermione hung up, then ran in her slippers to her parents' room. She opened the top drawer of the bedside table and, sure enough, found five hundred Pound Sterling inside.
She took the money from the drawer, rolled it up, and stuffed it into her trouser pocket. Then she left the room and went to find Lin Yue in the living room.
Lin Yue was sitting on the sofa, staring blankly at the floor in front of her while quietly memorizing Magical History.
Hermione sighed helplessly and went over to gently put an arm around Lin Yue's shoulders. "Stop memorizing. It's time to go. Mum said we can."
"Okay." Lin Yue nodded without changing her expression, then mechanically stood up and followed Hermione to the doorway to put on her shoes.
The two girls left the house, locked the front door and garden gate, then hailed a taxi by the roadside.
Sitting in the back, Hermione automatically pulled Lin Yue into her arms and gently stroked her hair, hoping to soothe her to sleep.
Lin Yue blinked. Her eyes, still as lifeless as a pool of stagnant water, slowly closed.
She began organizing the knowledge from Magical History in her mind. By the time the taxi reached the amusement park, she had organized every key point in the entire Magical History textbook.
The taxi pulled to a stop by the roadside. Hermione gently patted Lin Yue's shoulder. "Lin Yue, we're here."
Lin Yue's eyes flew open. She nodded, watched Hermione pay, then let her lead her out of the taxi and toward the ticket booth outside the amusement park.
At the ticket booth, Hermione smiled politely at the woman inside. "Hello. Two child tickets, please."
The woman at the ticket booth couldn't help smiling at the two adorable little girls outside.
She kindly handed them the tickets and told Hermione how much she owed.
Hermione nodded, counted out the right amount, and handed it over. The woman nodded and smiled warmly. "Enjoy your visit, and stay safe!"
Hermione nodded obediently and cheerfully pulled Lin Yue toward the amusement park entrance.
With Hermione pulling her along, Lin Yue quickly approached the entrance. Everything before her was both like and unlike the amusement park she had once seen in the news on television.
The amusement park itself was the same: a grand, imposing entrance, laughter and chatter all around, and glimpses of rides within.
What was different was that there were far more children than there had been in the amusement park she remembered.
Her gaze passed over the children running around and laughing. Lin Yue's mind paused for a moment.
This amusement park accepted ordinary children? Wasn't it afraid their parents would report it?
The two thoughts flashed through her mind, but she felt no hint of doubt. She followed Hermione through the amusement park gates, and a scene she had never seen before opened up before her.
In the distance, a towering Ferris wheel turned slowly. A roller coaster raced along its track, and staff dressed in mascot costumes moved about. For a moment, Lin Yue felt overwhelmed by the sights.
But only for that instant. The Ferris wheel's path and rotation cycle were immediately calculated in Lin Yue's mind.
Her mind quickly worked out the forces acting on the roller coaster and its state of motion.
Every ride within sight transformed into a series of problems in Lin Yue's mind.
And just like someone taking a test, Lin Yue analyzed their various values without pause, the equations in her mind constantly updating. She had turned the entire amusement park into a huge exam paper full of problems.
Hermione looked around carefully, then turned her attention back to Lin Yue. She was just about to ask which ride she wanted to try first when she noticed Lin Yue's eyes moving rapidly and her lips silently forming words.
Frowning in confusion, Hermione cautiously leaned closer to listen, but she couldn't hear anything. Lin Yue wasn't making a sound.
After hesitating, Hermione decided to interrupt her. "Lin Yue, what are you doing?"
Hermione asked uncertainly, reaching out to take Lin Yue's arm.
Lin Yue had been caught up in intense calculations, but she snapped back to herself at once and turned to Hermione.
In a flat voice, Lin Yue answered honestly, "I'm calculating the values and data for all the rides."
Hermione couldn't help closing her eyes as she listened. Seriously... Could Lin Yue really not set her studies aside, even at the amusement park?
She was suppressing herself far too much. "Can you stop thinking about that? We're here to have fun. You're not allowed to think about anything else!"
Hermione pinched Lin Yue's cheek with her other hand, trying to sound fierce.
But she wasn't actually trying to be mean, so her feigned sternness came out as more cute than threatening.
Lin Yue couldn't hear anything unusual in Hermione's voice, or work out why she was speaking that way. Anyone else might have laughed.
Lin Yue blankly looked away from the rides and turned to Hermione, nodding obediently.
"Okay. I won't think about it."
"That's more like it!" Hermione smiled happily and gestured at all the rides around them. "Which one do you want to try? We can go together."
While she'd been calculating, Lin Yue had already looked over all the rides she could see. Without even thinking, she pointed to the one she had seen most often on test papers, but had only seen in person once: the Ferris wheel.
"I want to ride this one first."
Hermione followed Lin Yue's pointing finger and looked at the huge Ferris wheel.
"No problem. Let's ride the Ferris wheel first." Hermione nodded and led Lin Yue toward it, keeping up a steady stream of conversation along the way so Lin Yue wouldn't "accidentally" get caught up in calculating the rides' data again.
They'd come to the amusement park to have fun and relax together, not to study maths or physics!
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