" Brother Yan." Xiao Rong, perched on his shoulder, suddenly blurted out, "Didn't the uncle who gave us the Cube of Light last time come?"
Lu Lin is actually only 30 years old, but his handsome and cold appearance, and the fact that everyone listens to him, has a great impact on these young people who have almost no social interaction. Unlike Yan Heqing, whom they often interact with, they are both afraid of and respect Lu Lin.
In Xiao Rong's mind, any particularly capable or kind man is called "Uncle," which is also an affectionate term, like "Dean Uncle" or "Director Uncle."
His long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and a hint of a smile appeared in Yan Heqing's eyes. "He's waiting for you at the amusement park."
Xiao Rong blinked, "Oh, I heard the uncle with glasses say that Uncle invited us to the amusement park! The amusement park has a very big and beautiful Ferris wheel that we can ride, and you can see very high and far places. Brother Yan, have you ever ridden one?"
"No."
"Ah." Xiao Rong covered her mouth, then said with a grin, "Then you can sit down today too!"
Yan Heqing's voice was very soft, "Mmm."
The children from the fifth floor were the last to board the bus. Auntie Zhang ran over, her face covered in sweat. " Xiao Yan, you'll stay on this bus. We'll meet up again at the amusement park. Oh my goodness, so many retired employees came today. I have to take care of them. Honestly, they try to take advantage of every perk..."
Yan Heqing agreed, got on the bus, counted the number of people, and set off.
The amusement park is in the suburbs, a two-and-a-half-hour drive away.
*
On its first day of operation, the park declined all media visits and did not even promote the park online.
Only amusement park enthusiasts posted a few inquiries in the super topic.
A long line of buses drove into the Dream Amusement Park.
Besides Rainbow Bridge Welfare Home, there were also welfare homes from all over the country. They were picked up in advance by Lu Group's private jet and stayed at the theme hotel in the amusement park last night.
Yan Heqing's car could already see the gate, which was decorated with colorful sculptures of various cute little animals, all very lifelike.
The bus moved slowly through the congested traffic, while upbeat and playful music filled the park. The children were already restless, pressing their faces against the windows to curiously observe the completely different dream world.
Amusement parks are like another dimension, where only happiness exists.
A short while later, the bus drove into the amusement park and stopped at the temporarily marked parking area.
Apart from vehicles provided for children within the park, all other vehicles, including staff vehicles, are prohibited from entering the park during its operating hours. Today, a special green channel is being opened for children from welfare homes across the country.
The bus doors opened, revealing a ramp for wheelchairs. Yan Heqing helped each child onto a wheelchair and then pushed them off the bus.
Xiao Rong was the last one.
Pushing the cart forward to meet Auntie Zhang, after a few steps, Yan Heqing looked diagonally ahead.
Beijing license plate number A1111.
Lu Lin has arrived.
Yan Heqing didn't see Lu Lin all day.
Around dinnertime, after playing the bumper cars, everyone from Rainbow Bridge Welfare Home gathered together to go to a nearby restaurant for dinner.
The restaurant's theme is a gathering of forest animals, with simulated forest trees, a gently flowing stream with colorful fish swimming around, and each table is a 20-meter-long log table.
The menu is specially designed for children—pork chop buns, omelet rice, roasted chicken wings and drumsticks, various cute animal-themed meal packs, and fresh fruit.
And, pineapple fritters with shrimp.
Yan Heqing ordered a plate of pineapple shrimp with fried dough sticks.
He ate with his head down, feeling like he was being watched ever since he entered the restaurant.
He looked up and followed the gaze to the other side of the long table, where he saw an elderly man.
She must be a long-time employee of the welfare home.
Yan Heqing nodded politely, and the old man smiled back at him.
A few minutes later, the loudspeaker came on.
"Children, have you finished eating? The sky lantern release activity starts in half an hour. After you finish eating, hurry back to the gathering square, right in front of the carousel. Come and get your own sky lantern! Write your wish on the lantern, and your wish will come true!"
Cheers erupted throughout the restaurant, and the children who hadn't finished eating sped up their pace.
Yan Heqing only then learned about the sky lantern release activity.
After Xiao Rong finished eating her omelet rice, he Xiao Rong and followed the crowd toward the gathering square.
It was almost eight o'clock, and the sky was completely dark. The streetlights in the park and the orange LED strips overhead were all lit up.
Every few meters there's a large bubble machine that keeps blowing bubbles, it's been blowing bubbles since daytime. The temperature is actually a bit cool on your face today, but nobody cares, and people are still trying to catch the colorful bubbles in the air.
The songs played on the loudspeakers will vary depending on the theme of the different tourist areas.
As we approached the gathering square, an unexpected song drifted from afar, carried on the joyful atmosphere.
[There once was a ship that put to sea
the name of that ship was the Billy of Tea]
It was the song that Yan Heqing and Lu Lin listened to together at the boiled food stall in the Beijing University Food Street when it was raining.
The children couldn't understand the lyrics, but they found the melody particularly cheerful.
Xiao Rong even danced and gesticulated excitedly.
She was so happy today that she forgot her sadness. Usually, if her leg was touched, she would lower her head and remain silent, but today her eyes remained curved into lovely crescent moons.
A little girl had a small sky lantern. Yan Heqing helped the Xiao Rong with it, handing her an unscrewed pen. "Make a wish. Ask me if you don't know how to write a word."
Xiao Rong happily took it, staring at the candlelight inside with delight, resting her chin on the pen and contemplating her wish.
A moment later, the pen tip fell, the scratching sound abruptly stopped.
Xiao Rong raised her little face and looked at Yan Heqing curiously, " Brother Yan, where's your sky lantern?"
Yan Heqing explained, "I don't--"
"Here it is." A large sky lantern appeared before Yan Heqing's eyes.
The candlelight spilled out, and as he slightly raised his head, Lu Lin came into view.
Behind Lu Lin, countless sky lanterns slowly rose into the sky, filling the vast expanse.
A second later, he took it. "What will you do if you give it to me?"
"I've let it go." Lu Lin took the pen from his breast pocket, unscrewed the cap, turned the nib towards himself, and handed it to Yan Heqing. "Make a wish."