A semester passed in the blink of an eye. The demanding training and classes came to an end, and a month-long break officially began.
Afternoon sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, warming the living room. Na'er nestled into the soft sofa, holding her soul-guidance phone as her fingertips slid lightly across the screen. She was engrossed in what she was watching.
Before long, she looked up at Lin Chen beside her and held out the soul-guidance phone.
A popular promotional video was playing on it, showing an amusement park on the outskirts of Shrek City, run by the Xuan Shi Tangmen Company.
"Brother Lin Chen, look at this." Na'er's voice was soft and sweet, full of anticipation. "How about we go to the amusement park?"
Seeing the hopeful look on Na'er's face, Lin Chen couldn't possibly refuse. He agreed, and they decided to go the next morning.
The following day, the entrance to the grand amusement park was a riot of color, with a lively atmosphere everywhere.
Na'er wore a pristine white dress, its hem adorned with delicate embroidered lace. It swayed gently as she walked, making her look all the more lovely and lively. She was like a little angel straight out of a fairy tale.
Lin Chen wore a simple white shirt with a neat cut. His glassy eyes looked warm and gentle in the morning light, making him a perfect match for the girl beside him.
Na'er gazed up at the amusement park's towering gates, unable to hide her delight. She grabbed Lin Chen's hand and ran inside. "Let's go, let's go!"
Once inside, Lin Chen looked toward the towering, twisting tracks in the distance. With a mischievous grin, he turned to the girl beside him and suggested, "Na'er, how about we try the roller coaster first? I heard it's the most fun ride here!"
Na'er stopped in her tracks and looked into the distance. Seeing the coaster plunge downward, she instinctively shrank her neck. She could even faintly hear the passengers screaming.
"Brother Lin Chen, won't it be too scary?" Na'er gripped the sleeve of his shirt.
Lin Chen looked utterly confident. "Don't worry, Na'er. You're the bravest. Besides, I'll be right there with you."
The two soon reached the roller coaster ticket booth. After paying, they took their tickets and sat down, fastening their seat belts as instructed by the staff.
Lin Chen's expression betrayed his unease. A hint of fear crept into his heart. I kind of regret this. I've never been on a roller coaster before.
But when he looked at Na'er beside him, he could only put on a brave face and say, "Don't be scared. We're brave, right?" He tried to encourage both her and himself.
Na'er nodded firmly. "Brother Lin Chen, we can do this!"
As the car moved slowly along the track, the roller coaster finally reached its highest point. From there, they could clearly see all of Shrek City, as well as the towering Spirit Pagoda Headquarters that pierced the clouds.
Lin Chen turned to look at Na'er. The composure he'd shown when suggesting the ride was long gone. His brows were tense, his face slightly pale, and both hands gripped the safety bar in front of him.
Seeing the usually "calm" and dependable Lin Chen looking like this, Na'er couldn't help bursting into laughter. "Brother Lin Chen, you look really scared!"
A flush crept up Lin Chen's ears. He stubbornly tried to argue his way out of it. "How could I be scared? The wind's just a little strong, you know."
As soon as he finished speaking, the roller coaster plunged downward. The intense sensation of weightlessness swept over him. He instinctively sucked in a breath, wanting to scream, but his throat felt as though it had been seized. He could only tighten his grip on the safety bar.
Watching him stubbornly insist he wasn't scared, Na'er smiled, her eyes curving into crescents. Her bell-like laughter mingled with the rushing wind.
At last, the long and thrilling ride reached its end. The roller coaster came to a slow stop, and Lin Chen's whole body went limp. His legs could barely hold him up. He swore he would never ride this again.
Na'er had to help him off. The two went to a quiet corner with few visitors, where Lin Chen could no longer keep up his pretense. He hurried to the wall, bent over, and dry-heaved.
Na'er quickly followed and gently patted his back. Her purple eyes were full of worry, her earlier laughter gone. She softly asked, "Brother Lin Chen, are you all right?"
Lin Chen felt a little better, but he still answered Na'er weakly. "I'm much better. Can you keep this a secret, Na'er?" The feeling from before surged back into his mind, and he dry-heaved several more times before managing to add,
"Keep this secret for me, Na'er. Don't tell Uncle Zhuo Shi or the others. They'll definitely laugh at me if they find out."
Na'er nodded vigorously at once and patted her chest in reassurance. "Don't worry, Brother Lin Chen. This is a secret just between us. I definitely won't tell them!"
Only after Na'er promised did Lin Chen finally relax a little. He rested for a long while before his complexion slowly returned to normal.
He looked at Na'er beside him and forced himself to perk up. "All right, Na'er. Let's go try something else."
Na'er immediately flashed a bright smile and nodded. She took the initiative to lead Lin Chen toward the busier part of the amusement park.
The two soon reached the park's artificial lake. Little boats of all kinds drifted slowly across the water.
A little while later, Na'er sat by the side of the boat, her head tilted slightly. The warm sunlight made her look like a fairy. Her violet eyes gazed into the distance, then occasionally turned toward Lin Chen.
Lin Chen took out his soul-guidance phone and aimed it at the girl. Click! He captured the moment.
He changed angles several times in a row, taking a number of photos—some of Na'er glancing back in profile, and others of her reaching out to gently touch the water.
"Na'er, look. My photography skills are pretty good, right?" Lin Chen showed her the photos on his phone.
Na'er leaned closer, curious, and looked at herself in the pictures. Her cheeks turned slightly red. "Brother Lin Chen, you're so good at taking pictures. Thank you!"
Before they knew it, noon had arrived. Warm sunshine fell upon them as Lin Chen and Na'er, each holding a freshly bought ice cream cone, came to a row of claw machines.
"Hey, Brother Lin Chen, how about I win you a plushie?" Na'er's eyes lit up, a little ice cream still clinging to the corner of her mouth.
Lin Chen agreed and took Na'er to the service counter to exchange some game tokens. Once they had them, he handed them all over to her.
Na'er took the heavy handful of tokens, excitement all over her face. She quickly dropped one into the claw machine, fixing her gaze on the little Azure Dragon plushie inside the glass cabinet.
When she pressed the button, the mechanical claw slowly descended, precisely clasped the Azure Dragon plushie's body, and lifted it steadily.
With a clunk, the toy dropped into the prize slot. Na'er had won! She immediately bent down to retrieve the little Azure Dragon plushie, cradling it carefully in her hands. Then she hurried over to Lin Chen and held it out to him, her eyes brimming with anticipation and joy.
"Brother Lin Chen, here!"
Lin Chen took the plushie and reached out to pat Na'er's hair. "Thanks for the effort, Na'er. I really like it."
As the sky grew dark, Lin Chen carried Na'er on his back and walked step by step toward home. Perhaps she was tired from all the fun; she rested against his back, her breathing gradually growing even.
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