At seven o'clock in the morning, Cheng Che stood at the hotel entrance on time.
Baseball cap, face mask, white T-shirt, dark shorts, and sneakers.
She was carrying a bulging little bag, so full that the zipper could barely close.
When Su Miaoyin came out of the revolving door, she glanced at him, tilted her head, and asked:
Why are you wearing a mask?
"Just in case." Cheng Che pulled down the edge of his mask. "I was recognized on the Bund last time. If we get surrounded again today, I won't be able to play in tomorrow's match."
Su Miaoyin thought about it and realized he was right.
She pulled a mask out of her bag and put it on.
Qin Lie parked the car at the entrance, rolled down the window, and glanced at them.
Don't do anything too strenuous. There's another competition tomorrow.
"Know."
Cheng Che waved to him and strode towards the front door.
There was already a long line of people at the entrance of Disneyland at 7:30 a. m.
Cheng Che stood in the line, looking up at the castle spires in the distance.
The pointed spire gleamed with a pale golden light in the morning glow, like a lollipop poked out of a fairy tale book.
"It's huge." He tilted his head back, his mouth slightly open, his eyes shining brightly.
Su Miaoyin stood next to him, looking at his profile.
His expression at this moment is completely different from his expression on the court, but it's not the kind of childlike innocence.
It's more like someone who's always on the move suddenly looks up and sees a landscape they've never seen before.
After entering the park, Cheng Che stood at the intersection of Mickey Avenue and looked around.
The shops on both sides of the road have cartoon signs, the streetlights are decorated with Mickey Mouse wreaths, the carousel is turning in the distance, and music is drifting in from all directions.
"Where to go first?" Su Miaoyin tilted her head to look at him.
Cheng Che glanced down at the strategy guide on his phone.
" TRON Lightcycle Power Run. The guide says this is the most popular one, and if you go late, you'll have to wait for more than an hour."
The two walked towards Tomorrowland.
Cheng Che walked quickly, but he would slow down and take a look at each area he passed through.
When he passed the " Jet Packs," he stopped and looked at them for a few seconds, his gaze following the backpacks that had risen into the air before continuing on his way.
When he arrived at the TRON Lightcycle Power Run, he looked up at the blue track.
The track curves overhead like a glowing snake.
"Are you nervous?" Su Miaoyin tilted her head to look at him.
"I'm not nervous." Cheng Che's gaze was still fixed on the tracks. "I just want to see just how fast this thing really is."
When he sat down, he took off his hat and handed it to the staff member, and then pulled his mask up.
Su Miaoyin sat down next to him and pulled her mask up properly as well.
The moment the roller coaster started moving, Cheng Che finally understood what it meant to be "flying ahead while your soul chases after you."
The track suddenly dipped, and his body was pressed into the seat by inertia. The wind rushed in through the gaps in his mask, whistling into his mouth.
At the first bend, the entire carriage almost swayed sideways. His right hand gripped the handrail tightly, while his left hand somehow grabbed Su Miaoyin's wrist.
"Holy crap--!"
He shouted it out.
The sound was torn apart by the wind, but he did shout.
Su Miaoyin next to her was also shouting, and their voices mingled together, drowned out by the roar of the roller coaster.
The second dive, the trajectory is almost vertical downwards.
Cheng Che felt like he was about to fly out of his seat; his heart was pounding in his chest, and his adrenaline was making his scalp tingle.
He opened his mouth wide and roared along with the wind.
"Ah--!"
The roar was long and loud, drowning out Su Miaoyin's shouts from the side.
She glanced at him sideways; he was shouting into the wind with his mouth open, his mask plastered to his face, but his eyes shone like lamps.
She couldn't help but laugh.
Then she started singing loudly.
After getting off the car, Cheng Che's hair was a mess from the wind, and his mask was askew.
He stood there, his legs a little weak, but he couldn't suppress the smile on his face.
"One more time?"
Su Miaoyin, panting, glared at him and said, "Are you crazy?"
"Let's come again this afternoon." Cheng Che pulled his mask up straight and jumped up and down excitedly, "That was awesome!"
Su Miaoyin looked at him like this and shook her head with a smile.
She suddenly realized that this boy, who was so calm and almost ruthless on the court, was essentially just an eighteen-year-old boy.
They might be scared, they might scream, and they might jump up and down with excitement.
While queuing for the mine carts, Su Miaoyin took out a bottle of sunscreen from her bag, pulled Cheng Che's hand, and squeezed a dollop onto the back of his hand.
"Apply some. The UV rays are very strong today."
Cheng Che looked down at the white ointment on the back of his hand, then looked at her.
Su Miaoyin had already turned around and was being squeezed by her other hand.
She lowered her head and carefully applied the ointment to the back of his hand with her fingers, her movements very gentle.
A feeling of comfort welled up in Cheng Che's heart.
He hadn't felt this way of being taken care of in a long time.
When he was a child, his parents were busy running a breakfast shop, so he had to take care of himself.
Later, with the system in place, we had to rely on ourselves for everything.
But the sight of Su Miaoyin squatting beside him, bending down to apply sunscreen for him, made him realize how wonderful it was to come out and have fun today.
"When did you buy the sunscreen?" he asked, his voice a little softer than before.
"I bought this at the convenience store downstairs from the hotel yesterday when you were searching for travel guides."
Su Miaoyin didn't even turn her head, but twisted the cap back on the bottle and stuffed it back into her bag.
After getting off the mine cart, the two walked along the main road towards Treasure Cove.
As we passed through the square in front of the castle, cheerful music suddenly came over the loudspeaker.
Cheng Che turned his head to look, and saw that the roadside was already full of people, some holding up their phones and others calling out names.
"The floats are coming." Su Miaoyin stood on tiptoe and glanced into the distance. "The guide says there's a parade at this time."
Cheng Che walked a few steps into the crowd, found a spot where he could see the intersection, and waved to Su Miaoyin.
"Come quick, you can see it from here!"
Su Miaoyin followed beside him, shielded from the crowd, which saved her from being jostled by the throng.
The music grew closer.
The first float appeared around the corner, with Mickey standing at the front, waving to both sides.
Cheng Che watched the giant rat pass by, and the corners of his mouth slowly curved into a smile.
Mickey waved at him, and he instinctively raised his hand as well, then paused for a moment, and laughed.
Su Miaoyin saw it, but pursed her lips and didn't laugh out loud.
The second float was themed around Frozen, with Elsa and Anna standing on it singing.
Cheng Che watched as the little girls in dresses jumped up excitedly and shouted "Elsa." His gaze lingered on them for two seconds, and he felt both amused and touched.
Then he glanced at Su Miaoyin and saw that she was also looking at the little girls, a smile playing on her lips.
The third one is Pirates of the Caribbean.
Captain Jack stood on the float, sword in hand, his eyes scanning the crowd.
Cheng Che's eyes lit up when he saw Captain Jack.
He watched Pirates of the Caribbean on an old TV in his hometown when he was a child. At that time, his father was still working in a factory, and he would occasionally rent DVDs to watch on weekends.
He never imagined he would see Captain Jack alive here one day.
"Want to go on that Pirates of the Caribbean ride?" Su Miaoyin asked from the side, as if she could read his mind.
Cheng Che nodded vigorously. "That one is ranked third in the strategy guide."
"Let's go. We've finished watching the floats."
The two walked through the crowd toward Treasure Cove.
Su Miaoyin walked behind him, watching his back.
He walked steadily, but his shoulders were a little looser than usual, and he didn't put his hat back on, just carrying it in his hand.
At noon, the two sat on a bench by the roadside eating turkey legs.
Cheng Che pulled his mask down to his chin, took a bite, chewed it twice, and squinted his eyes.
"Tasty."
Seeing his mouth glistening with oil as he ate, Su Miaoyin handed him her tissue.
Cheng Che took the mask, wiped it haphazardly a couple of times, pulled it back up, and started looking at his phone.
"We're going Soaring Over the Horizon in the afternoon, followed by Pirates of the Caribbean. There are fireworks at 8:30 PM, so we need to arrive 40 minutes early to get a good spot."
"Okay." Su Miaoyin put down the turkey leg, leaned back in her chair, and looked up at the sky.
The October sun wasn't harsh, and the wind carried a hint of autumn coolness.
She turned her head to look at Cheng Che.
He was engrossed in gnawing on a turkey leg, unaware that a little oil had gotten on the tip of his nose.
Su Miaoyin reached out and gently rubbed the tip of his nose with her fingertip.
Cheng Che paused for a moment, then turned his head to look at her.
"It got oily." Su Miaoyin withdrew her finger, her tone very natural.
Cheng Che lowered his head and continued gnawing on his turkey leg. But he felt that Su Miaoyin seemed a little different than usual today.
She usually carries a bit of arrogance in the music club, and speaks crisply and decisively.
But from morning till now, she has been taking care of him, applying sunscreen, handing him tissues, and wiping the oil off his nose.
This feeling of being treated so attentively warmed his heart, making him feel comfortable and enjoyable.
After finishing the afternoon's activities, it was already getting dark.
The castle was bathed in a pinkish-purple light, like a macaron standing upright on the ground.
The two followed the crowd toward the fireworks viewing area.
Cheng Che walked for a while, then suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong?"
He pointed to the side: the Ferris wheel.
The Ferris wheel in the distance was lit up and slowly turning.
There weren't many people in line; the queue meandered under the lights.
"Go sit on that," he said, his tone carrying an unyielding expectation.
Su Miaoyin tilted her head to look at him. "Weren't you going to reserve a spot for the fireworks?"
"You can see it from here too," Cheng Che pointed in the direction of the Ferris wheel, "When it reaches the highest point, it's right in front of the castle."
Su Miaoyin looked at him but didn't expose him.
The two people joined the Ferris wheel queue. After waiting for about fifteen minutes, it was their turn.
The cockpit slowly rose.
Cheng Che sat opposite Su Miaoyin, looking out at the amusement park through the glass.
Lights spread out beneath your feet, and the castle, streets, and carousel all shrunk to the size of building blocks.
The distant city skyline drew a luminous edge on the horizon.
The cabin stopped when it reached its highest point.
Cheng Che stood up and leaned close to the glass window to look outside.
The castle was right in front of us; the fireworks hadn't started yet, but the lights had already illuminated it brightly.
As he looked at it, the corners of his mouth slowly curved into a smile.
The scene before him reminded him of his childhood, a weekend when his father was rarely free, and the three of them squeezed into a rented room to watch rented DVDs.
Back then, he felt the castle on the screen was so far away, something he'd never see in his lifetime. Now, it stood right in front of him.
Su Miaoyin sat opposite him, not looking out the window. She was looking at Cheng Che.
The man who brought the world's fifth-ranked player to his knees on the court is now pressed against the glass, his eyes reflecting the castle lights.
As the cabin began to descend, the first firework exploded in the sky above the castle.
Cheng Che turned his head.
A pale purple light shone in from the window and fell on his face.
His eyebrows and eyes appeared clean and soft in the light.
"It looks good," he said softly, but the corners of his mouth turned up in a wide smile.
Su Miaoyin looked at him and suddenly remembered the first time she heard the name Cheng Che at Peking University.
What she saw was a video of his game, the guy standing on the court, expressionless, beating his opponent to a pulp.
At that moment, as the light of fireworks burst across his face, she realized that the image in the video did not match the person in front of her at all.
The second firework exploded.
He turned his face back to the window and continued looking. She continued looking at him.
When the cockpit landed back on the ground, Cheng Che was still standing by the window, watching the embers of the last firework slowly dissipate outside.
"I'm leaving." Su Miaoyin stood up and patted her skirt.
He nodded and got out of the cockpit.
The night breeze outside was cool, blowing against his face. He zipped up his jacket a little and straightened his mask.
Su Miaoyin followed behind him, watching him shrink back. She took off her scarf and handed it to him.
"You have a match tomorrow, don't catch a cold."
Cheng Che looked down at the scarf.
It was dark gray, very thin, and still warm from her body. He took it, folded it, and wrapped it around his neck.
The scarf had a very faint fragrance, the same as the one Su Miaoyin wore.
He lowered his head and took a sniff, feeling that he had made the right decision to come today.
"And you?"
"I'm not cold." Su Miaoyin put her hands in her pockets and quickened her pace a little.
Cheng Che followed, and the two walked along Mickey Avenue toward the exit.
The streetlights lit up one by one, and the Mickey Mouse wreath swayed gently in the wind.
He pulled his scarf down to his chin, his steps were light, and he was in such a good mood that he felt like he was floating.