After Zhui Ye yanked off the person’s wig, the doll uncle covered his head and ran inside. Whether or not it was because he tipped off his companions, the “ghosts and monsters” on the rest of the way didn’t dare get too close to Zhui Ye. Wu Man also conveniently basked in his “glory,” swaggering all the way out of the haunted house.

But the four people behind them weren’t so lucky. Since they didn’t come at Zhui Ye, all the scares were directed at them instead. After coming out, even Ji Sijia, who had looked like a badass queen when entering the haunted house, had turned pale.

Qin Fanlei helplessly opened the next task note and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Great, I thought the next one would be a pirate ship or something. Fortunately, it’s just a shooting game.”

Zhui Ye immediately frowned and pulled Wu Man aside to ask quietly.

“This one, aren’t you…”

Wu Man shook her head slightly: “Don’t worry, this one seems fine.” She smiled gently. “After all, it’s not a real gun, just an air rifle. In my memory, it’s been powerfully overwritten by a warm, free memory.”

Qin Fanlei continued reading from the note: “The guests will be divided into three groups to compete. The group with the worst results will face the punishment of riding the giant pendulum. Second place is slightly better – they have to ride the pirate ship. The winning group can leisurely ride the Ferris wheel and watch the other two groups’ screams from above…”

Jian Qun’s face darkened: “Are we also separating men and women…”

Qin Fanlei laughed matter-of-factly: “Do your best, Xiao Qun. Although I love you very much, I know you’re useless in this area. Don’t blame me for abandoning you.”

She scurried over to Zhui Ye’s side: “I can tell Zhui Ye is definitely good at this!”

He shook his head, touching his nose: “I’ve never been good at shooting games. When I was young, there were air rifle stalls at the night markets in my hometown. I played a few times but never hit anything once.” Thinking of the second half of what Wu Man had just told him, he couldn’t help but show off: “Until later, I was fortunate enough to meet someone who swore she would help me win the grand prize…”

“Did you get it?”

Zhui Ye smiled meaningfully: “I got it, and it’s the best prize I’ve ever received in my life.”

“That’s too exaggerated. You’re even better at talking nonsense than me. I’ll give you the title of ‘fast talker.'”

Zhui Ye shook his head seriously: “Really. I’m not joking.” He touched his heart. “How good is this prize? After a hundred years, when I’m buried in the ground, it will be the only thing carved into my epitaph.”

After saying this, he pretended to casually turn his head, his gaze gently sweeping over Wu Man in the corner.

She had walked to the side to send a voice message and hadn’t noticed their conversation.

He only glanced at her once, but a rich smile appeared on his face. He didn’t care that Qin Fanlei beside him was still chattering: “The little golden statue from Cannes should be crying to death.”

When Wu Man finished handling the sudden message from her studio, she found the other four had already divided into groups. Qin Fanlei didn’t believe Zhui Ye’s claims and insisted on teaming with him. Weng Shaoyuan, perhaps because Wu Man had repeatedly rejected him, tactfully didn’t seek to team up again and instead invited Ji Sijia.

What remained was Jian Qun, who had terrible shooting skills.

He looked at Wu Man with hope: “Sister Man, how’s your technique?”

Wu Man twisted her neck and shook her waist, proudly saying: “Piece of cake. I was exposed to this stuff over ten years ago!”

Zhui Ye vaguely heard her words and was charmed, wrinkling his nose.

Wu Man almost immediately glanced at Zhui Ye after speaking and caught his half-smile.

She must redeem herself!

The group moved toward the shooting stall. When they reached a fork at the corner, Wu Man deliberately stopped to look at the map on the board.

Then she said very certainly: “We need to go that way.”

The camera crew had already scouted the location. Seeing Wu Man point in the completely opposite direction, they sweated and weakly raised a hand: “Teacher Wu Man, the direction you’re pointing seems not quite right…”

Wu Man smiled especially gently, squinting to find the person who spoke: “Are you saying I have no sense of direction?”

“No… maybe I remembered wrong.”

He silently retreated and quietly complained to a nearby staff member: “Tsk, really thinks she’s all that.”

At this moment, Ji Sijia stepped forward to look at the map and said bluntly: “You do have no sense of direction. He’s right – the direction is reversed.”

Weng Shaoyuan also took a look and said hesitantly: “It is indeed reversed, but it can also reach the shooting stall, just requires taking a big detour. Man Man, let’s not take that route.”

During this dispute, Zhui Ye wasn’t present. He came back from the restroom to witness Wu Man single-handedly challenging the masses.

“…What’s going on?”

Qin Fanlei stuck out her tongue: “Sister Man insists the route she pointed to is correct, but on the map, it requires a huge detour. Don’t know if she didn’t study geography well… can’t distinguish east, west, south, and north.”

This clearly wasn’t Sister’s style.

Zhui Ye looked up at the map strangely and understood in a flash.

Along the route they were walking, up ahead was a carousel.

“…”

Zhui Ye was speechless. His thoughts were like a gold miner, digging through the clutter of his mind to extract a golden line—

“She may fade, she may wither. I don’t care. As long as I look at her once, infinite tenderness surges in my heart.”

That was how he felt about her.

Because he knew deeply that his Sister had a seed that made one unable to escape – it would always, at some critical juncture, grow rustling into a towering tree.

Wu Man had her back to him, neck stiff, still stubbornly insisting: “You’re the ones looking at it wrong! Anyway, I’ve decided to take this route. You go ahead first. I’ll wait for Zhui Ye.”

This was the true purpose of her words – deliberately opposing to stay behind, waiting for Zhui Ye to return so she could nonchalantly lead him down a different path.

However, he returned faster than expected, and this group was more troublesome than expected, which coincidentally let him see everything she had silently laid out for him.

Ji Sijia pursed her lips: “He’s already back. Why don’t you ask him if he’ll follow you, this directionally challenged person?”

Wu Man turned around in surprise and met Zhui Ye’s undisguised gaze staring at her.

She immediately felt the embarrassment of being completely seen through.

“Of course I’ll follow.” Zhui Ye said without hesitation. “If I don’t follow my Sister, who else would I follow?”

Ji Sijia was instantly speechless.

In the end, the team was split into two by Wu Man’s single-handed effort. She and Zhui Ye went toward the “correct route” she pointed to, while the other four continued forward along the original route.

The program director was very satisfied with this result, muttering: “This Wu Man is quite capable. She even knows to create disagreement to maximize the variety show effect. Not bad, really sensible.”

She had just finished praising when the walkie-talkie transmitted the panicked voice of the cameraman following Wu Man and Zhui Ye.

“They disappeared!”

“What what what… what do you mean?!”

“Zhui Ye grabbed Wu Man and suddenly started running. They ran too fast – we couldn’t catch up at all!”

At this moment, Wu Man was also confused.

With Zhui Ye gripping her fingers tightly, she was suddenly led forward in a sprint. The not-too-scorching summer evening breeze brushed past her cheeks. The two of them were like two out-of-control bumper cars crashing together, sparking crackling flames that burned the entire amusement park full of electric current.

After shaking off the camera master behind them, Zhui Ye relaxed and stopped. Wu Man, however, was panting from exhaustion.

“Why suddenly… run…”

He said unhurriedly: “I wanted to make this date with you more realistic.”

Just in this ordinary amusement park, hand in hand, not needing to worry about exposure.

Even if captured by the crowd, it could be covered up with the excuse of filming the show.

“Realistic is realistic… but shaking off even the cameras is going too far, isn’t it?” Wu Man’s heart itched from his words, but she still maintained a trace of rationality. “Don’t you think we’re… exposing too much right now?”

“Of course I’ve thought of an excuse. I won’t put Sister in a difficult position.” He pinched her sweaty palm. “We’ll just say that as we walked, we finally realized we were indeed going the wrong way and needed to make a big detour. To prevent them from waiting too long for us, that’s why we ran.”

“You’ve really learned to be bad.”

“Sister, I know why you chose this route.” He put away his jokes, his expression serious. “I’m really happy, but next time, don’t make yourself a target for everyone.”

Wu Man was slightly stunned: “But that thing…”

“That thing is indeed my weakness.” A bitter smile flowed from the corners of Zhui Ye’s pressed lips. “But Sister, you to me… are an even more vulnerable weakness than that thing.”

Wu Man scratched her own palm. The drop tower in the distance transmitted shrill screams – it was as if shouting for her instead.

The words that came from her mouth were as soft as a mosquito’s buzz, stammering like a little girl: “I understand.”

They didn’t dare linger long on this route and jogged all the way to the shooting stall.

Looking at the two people running until they were drenched in sweat, Ji Sijia couldn’t wait to mock: “One blindly believes, one blindly follows.”

Jian Qun, who had already detected a hint of something fishy, casually followed up: “Anyway, isn’t love all like that?”

As soon as his words fell, everyone looked at him in unison.

He scratched his head: “What’s wrong?” Although it doesn’t rhyme perfectly, it flows pretty well, doesn’t it?

Wu Man patted his shoulder kindly: “If you don’t want to lose in a bit, don’t talk nonsense.”

Jian Qun immediately made a gesture of zipping his mouth shut.

Zhui Ye prepared to go to Qin Fanlei’s side. Before leaving, he brushed a sentence past her ear: “I don’t expect Sister to take first place. Just don’t let the little balls fly up into the sky.”

It almost made Wu Man’s nose crooked with anger.

She rolled up her sleeves, picked up the air rifle, and struck a pose just like she had over ten years ago, moving Jian Qun beside her to tears.

He seemed to already foresee himself sitting elegantly in the Ferris wheel, gently swaying a wine glass, crossing his legs, looking down arrogantly at the other two groups getting shaken into facial paralysis.

“Sister Man, you’re really hiding your talents!”

He fawningly gave a thumbs up. Zhui Ye at the neighboring stall heard this and cast him a pitying look.

Jian Qun smugly looked back and said to Wu Man: “See, Zhui Ye is still jealous of me.”

Wu Man, however, paid no attention, only focusing on squinting one eye, aiming at her target.

Tsk tsk, look, this is the demeanor of an expert.

This thought lasted until Wu Man shot the little ball out.

“Where’s the ball?”

Jian Qun looked at the sandbags across from them that hadn’t moved at all, dumbfounded.

Wu Man wiped her sweat and pointed at the sky.

“It seems… it flew up.”

Laughter came from the neighboring stall. Zhui Ye’s arm rested against the air rifle handle, his chin propped on his arm, watching her the entire time.

Wu Man gritted her teeth: “Again.”

That expression was exactly like hers back then.

Zhui Ye was stunned watching until Qin Fanlei called out to him, snapping him back to awareness.

“Wow, I actually performed beyond my usual level!! Did you see that!!”

He answered vaguely: “I was watching them to scout out the enemy.”

Qin Fanlei suspiciously watched Wu Man hit the sandbag and accomplish nothing, clicking her tongue: “I think… we don’t need to watch that group for so long. At a glance, you know they have no chance. The more threatening one is the group on the right.”

She pointed at Weng Shaoyuan and Ji Sijia’s group, but couldn’t pull back even half of Zhui Ye’s gaze.

Qin Fanlei inexplicably thought of the sentence Jian Qun had muttered… anyway, isn’t love all like that?

Wu Man finally embarrassingly gave up, tossing the air rifle to Jian Qun and turning to look at Zhui Ye and the others.

At this moment, it was Zhui Ye’s turn. His posture mimicked hers but was a completely different flavor.

Cleanly and decisively aiming, lying in wait, patiently waiting for the most suitable opportunity, steadily, ruthlessly, and accurately hitting the target.

The little boy who once only reached her elbow, who needed to look up at her and pray for a prize, had now transformed and become a splendid youth who could easily claim the crown himself.

The sandbag fell in response. Zhui Ye turned his head sideways, his hair flying, casting Wu Man a look of determination to win.

The final result was that Zhui Ye and Qin Fanlei’s group won, taking away the panda plushie that belonged to the stall.

Zhui Ye gave the plushie to Qin Fanlei. She joyfully hugged the doll, saying repeatedly: “Thank you, little brother! Oh my, I haven’t received such a pure gift in so long!”

Jian Qun stared at that doll resentfully: “Is that a gift?! That’s clearly a get-out-of-jail-free card!”

“Bye-bye to you.” Qin Fanlei waved the little panda arrogantly, twisting the knife further.

The three groups separated in different directions. Jian Qun walked beside Wu Man with a mournful face, saying: “I really can’t stand all that swaying. What if I throw up directly on the giant pendulum!”

Wu Man said coolly: “Then it’ll be like ‘flying down three thousand feet, like the Milky Way falling from the ninth heaven.'”

“…Nice one. I’ll go straight from entertainment news to social news.”

He had an expression of life having no meaning, walking slower and slower, as if this way he wouldn’t reach the giant pendulum and could escape disaster.

Whether or not God heard his strong prayers, his back was suddenly patted.

Jian Qun turned around and saw Zhui Ye jogging over, his breathing still a bit rapid.

“Brother Jian Qun, go to my group.”

“?! What’s happening!”

Wu Man was also stunned. He should be going to the Ferris wheel.

Zhui Ye said lightly: “Aren’t you especially prone to dizziness on this giant pendulum? Actually, I quite like this kind of stimulating ride. How about we just switch? The director also agreed – after all, I’m the winner, I have the right to exchange.”

“Daddy!” Jian Qun blurted out, full of tears. “You’re like a reborn parent to me!”

Zhui Ye’s mouth twitched: “That’s not necessary…”

Jian Qun, completely opposite to his earlier dawdling, joyfully sprinted madly toward the Ferris wheel. Once he left, Zhui Ye’s hands, which had been behind his back the whole time, finally came forward, coordinating with a “ta-da” sound from his mouth.

“Look!”

A pink pig plushie.

“What’s this for…”

Wu Man stared at the pig, then stared at him.

“For you. When I was at the shooting stall just now, I noticed this pig.”

Zhui Ye took out his phone and pointed at his lock screen – a photo of her curled up asleep in the passenger seat with a pig nose and blush added by an app filter.

“Doesn’t it look alike!”

Wu Man’s pupils shook: “When was this taken?!”

“That time in the Northwest…”

Before he could finish, Wu Man pounced on him and covered his mouth.

Zhui Ye then realized too, making muffled sounds to indicate he understood.

Wu Man released her hand and asked in a low voice: “Did you put on a privacy screen protector or not!”

“No…”

No wonder Jian Qun had said that earlier – maybe he saw Zhui Ye’s lock screen.

“Change it quickly. Don’t use it until you put on a privacy screen protector.” Wu Man muttered, “And where does it look alike? Have I gained weight in my face?”

She pinched her own face, completely falling into her own mental trap.

She didn’t quite understand that in Zhui Ye’s eyes, he liked to use all kinds of round, silly things to compare to her. Even so, it couldn’t express one ten-thousandth of her teeth-grindingly adorable nature.

Zhui Ye could only say helplessly: “Okay, it doesn’t look alike. Your face hasn’t gotten fat either.” He gently placed the pig plushie on top of Wu Man’s head. “That panda I gave to Sister Fanlei was as a teammate. This little pig is for you, as my…” He mouthed, “boyfriend.”

Wu Man’s breathing shallowly hitched.

She took the little pig from her head and hugged it to her chest, secretly squeezing the pig’s foot tight. The afternoon five o’clock sunlight was a gentle gold color, painting the young man’s temples, damp with sweat from running, as if one could smell the aroma of butter on toasted bread.

She reached into her pocket wanting to take out a tissue to wipe his sweat but only felt an empty plastic wrapper.

“Wait a moment.”

After Wu Man spoke, she ran to a nearby stall, bought tissues, and two bottles of orange soda.

She pressed the cold glass bottle against Zhui Ye’s face. The melted water droplets mixed with sweat and slid down from his chin. She then pulled out a tissue and unhurriedly wiped that moist trail clean.

Zhui Ye obediently lowered his head the entire time, letting Wu Man fuss over him.

The two people’s dawdling and stickiness almost made the cameraman on the side choke. He couldn’t help but speak up to remind them. Only then did the two realize they were still filming and hurriedly separated.

The camera brother couldn’t help but feel a bit dazed – was he here to film a variety show or to film a romance documentary?

Later, after the second episode aired, the Spring Night couple’s CP fans were almost all knocked out in front of their screens.

“This damn well IS dating? If they’re colleagues, then my boyfriend and I are strangers.”

“No way, no way. If she’s not his girlfriend, why would he set a secretly taken photo as his lock screen? That’s not appropriate!”

“The key point is the covered-up words… so when Wu Man was filming in the Northwest, Zhui Ye secretly went there?!?”

The shipping points were countless, especially the final scene of the two riding the giant pendulum together. If there were a year-end top ten classic CP scenes ranking, this scene would definitely make the list.

Under the rose-colored burning clouds, the pendulum flew into mid-air, like breaking into a soft dream of cotton candy. Wu Man and Zhui Ye mixed among the screaming crowd. From far away, they looked so small, just two tiny black dots. They embraced like an ordinary couple. She looked at him with a gentle smile, using her finger to wipe away the residual orange soda juice hanging at the corner of the young man’s mouth.

Spring had passed. After sunset would be the sweltering summer night.

**Author’s Note:**

While writing this chapter, I kept listening to Sunset Rollercoaster’s “Vanilla” – so fitting for the final scene.

Also, suddenly received a big red envelope airdropped from a reader in the background – so flattered~