Over an hour later, the group finally concluded their chaotic journey through the haunted house.
The moment he stepped out and saw the sunlight, Xia Shan’s tears nearly spilled over.
"I am never playing a haunted house again," he declared with absolute finality—conveniently forgetting that the suggestion to come here had been his in the first place.
Ding Banfan didn't dare reach back to pat the person still clutching his clothes. He could only say helplessly, "Tang Wanbai? You can let go now. It’s over."
Only then did Tang Wanbai let go, her hands still trembling.
Yang Xiangtong, standing nearby, laughed at them mercilessly.
The two girls who had joined them parted ways with the group as soon as they exited. The likely reason was that Lu Zisheng’s "inhuman" acting skills had left a deep psychological scar on them.
The culprit himself, however, seemed completely oblivious. He spent the entire time acting like a silent accessory attached to his boyfriend’s arm, looking quite well-behaved.
Shen Yannan had just tactfully expressed his desire for some "alone time" with his boyfriend when the rest of the group promptly shooed them away.
Jiang Wei and Tang Zihe were the last to come out. Neither of them looked particularly out of sorts; they even went so far as to bet that Xia Shan’s "never again" vow wouldn't last six months.
"So what if it doesn't?" Xia Shan was quite resilient, and his spirits recovered quickly. Within a few minutes, he was back to his pre-haunted house self. "Anyway, at least I was right about one thing. Look at this bright morning sun, listen to the bustling crowds—doesn't the psychological shadow of the haunted house just vanish instantly?"
"No," Tang Wanbai said weakly, her face still a bit pale. "I still feel like those scenes are vivid in my mind."
"What did you even see?" Yang Xiangtong asked, amused. "Did you even have your eyes open for more than five steps the whole time?"
"I..." Tang Wanbai tried to argue stubbornly. "Don't you know that the most terrifying thing is a person's imagination?"
Besides, a female ghost who clearly lacked boundaries had reached out and stroked her shoulder twice, her hair practically brushing Tang Wanbai's nose. How could she not be scared?!
Yang Xiangtong shrugged, essentially saying, "Whatever makes you happy."
At an amusement park, the most important thing was to challenge the more thrilling attractions—like the roller coaster or the drop tower.
While waiting in line for the roller coaster, Tang Zihe suddenly started laughing as he watched a little kid nearby crying and wailing.
The others were a bit puzzled. Although the kid, with snot and tears all over his face, did look somewhat funny, it wasn't enough to make someone burst out laughing like that.
"I just remembered something interesting," Tang Zihe explained, realizing they had misunderstood.
"What is it? Funny stories should be shared," Xia Shan said, his eyes lighting up as he turned around, bored from waiting in line. "Brother Tang, tell us!"
Tang Zihe turned to look at Jiang Wei, his expression almost asking for permission: "Can I tell them?"
Jiang Wei was stunned. Although he still didn't understand what riddle Tang Zihe was playing at, he saw the hopeful gazes of the group. Trusting that Tang Zihe still had some sense of discretion, he nodded in agreement.
"When your Brother Jiang was little, he went on a roller coaster too. Back then, there were many adults on it screaming in fear," Tang Zihe pointed to the roller coaster currently plunging from the peak, the riders letting out high-pitched screams right on cue. "To be honest, even I couldn't help but scream a couple of times. But your Brother Jiang kept his eyes shut and his lips pressed tight the whole time. His face was deathly pale, but he didn't make a single sound. I actually thought he had fainted from fright."
*Pfft.*
The group burst into laughter, showing no mercy.
Jiang Wei also belatedly recalled the scene. Remembering what he had said back then, he felt a rare wave of embarrassment.
"Then I asked him why he didn't scream if he was so scared. Guess how he answered me?" Tang Zihe paused for effect, leading the captivated group forward a few steps as it was almost their turn.
"Tell us, tell us! How did he answer?" Xia Shan was the first who couldn't hold back.
"He said he wasn't actually that scared, but he was afraid that if he opened his eyes, the wind would blow his retinas off, and if he opened his mouth to scream, the wind would blow his teeth out." Tang Zihe couldn't help but laugh again as he spoke.
Who knows who had told Jiang Wei that, or if his young mind had come up with it himself. Regardless, the idea had been deeply rooted in Jiang Wei's head, to the point where he still somewhat agreed with it even now.
The group erupted in laughter again.
Jiang Wei scratched his head amidst the laughter and shot Tang Zihe a glare.
Tang Zihe spread his hands innocently, as if to say, "You're the one who agreed to let me tell it."
*Hmph.*
Jiang Wei turned his head away, yet he still reluctantly followed Tang Zihe to sit in the very last row of the roller coaster.
"It’s not embarrassing," Tang Zihe comforted with a smile, looking at the huffy Jiang Wei.
"It is. It’s not your dignity on the line," Jiang Wei muttered sullenly.
Tang Zihe reminded him to buckle his seatbelt. As the roller coaster began to move, he said, "It’s really not embarrassing. It was quite cute."
"What?" Since they were in the back row, Jiang Wei only heard a loud rumble in his ears. He raised his voice. "What did you say? I didn't hear you!"
Tang Zihe shook his head, indicating it was nothing, then added, "I'll buy you ice cream later."
Jiang Wei was about to say "okay" when he realized the roller coaster had reached the peak. It paused for a second, poised to drop. He quickly shut his mouth—and his eyes—and gripped the handle on the back of the seat in front of him.
***
Fortunately, the roller coaster didn't leave any lasting trauma. Everyone was still full of energy after getting off, looking like they could go another two rounds.
Taking advantage of the excess hormones in everyone's brains, Ding Banfan suggested the drop tower.
To his surprise, everyone actually agreed.
Standing beneath the drop tower that seemed to pierce the clouds, Jiang Wei's face gradually darkened. He sighed inwardly.
Hormones are dangerous!
"I'll pass. You guys go ahead." For the sake of his life, Jiang Wei decided to stay below and admire their "heroic figures" from afar.
Tang Wanbai also chose to stay behind. Are you kidding? Her heart rate hadn't dropped below 120 since they entered the haunted house. If she went on this, her heart might actually explode from the frequency.
The two of them sat on a nearby bench chatting idly. Tang Wanbai took some sunscreen out of her bag to reapply. Halfway through, she heard someone calling her name.
Looking up, she saw Fu Cong'an walking toward them with several other girls, seemingly also looking for a place to rest.
"What a coincidence," Tang Wanbai said with a smile. She took the opportunity to rub in the last bit of sunscreen before waving.
Fu Cong'an sat down on the other side of Jiang Wei.
"You don't mind if I sit here, do you?" she asked with a smile.
*You're already sitting, why ask?* Jiang Wei grumbled internally, but he still gave a polite nod.
His opinion of Fu Cong'an had always been complicated. Originally, he just thought she was a very smart Omega who was gentle and friendly toward him, so he figured she was a good person. But ever since he saw that persistently popular "CP thread" about her and Tang Zihe, he hadn't been able to maintain a positive view of her—it was purely subconscious, and he couldn't quite explain why.
Tang Wanbai had already been pulled away by the girls who came with Fu Cong'an to buy things and chat. Only the two of them were left, sitting on the same bench.
Jiang Wei forced himself to look at the long queue in front of them, searching for familiar faces.
"Would you like something to drink?" Fu Cong'an spoke up suddenly, her voice sounding a bit nervous.
Jiang Wei declined. "No thanks, thank you."
Silence fell between them again.
But Jiang Wei could feel that the situation wasn't as peaceful as he hoped. There was a heavy undercurrent, as Fu Cong'an cast glances at his face from time to time. It was hard not to notice.
"You..." Jiang Wei was just about to break the deadlock when he heard Fu Cong'an speak at the same time.
"I want to ask you for a favor."
A favor? Jiang Wei thought about it and felt that this reason, given the context, was quite logical. It was just that he didn't think there was anything he could actually help her with.
Seeing that Jiang Wei didn't speak, Fu Cong'an took it as a lack of refusal. She steeled herself, her face flushing as she lowered her head slightly. "It's about... Tang Zihe."
"I like him, and I hope to get your help."
So that was it.
No wonder she had asked if he wanted a drink; she was trying to recruit a potential wingman.
Jiang Wei suddenly felt all his previous vague suspicions come true in an instant. He was about to force a smile and refuse, but he was interrupted even faster.
"I... I know you and Tang Zihe grew up together. You know his preferences best. If you're willing to tell me..."
Jiang Wei didn't know when he had tuned out, but he didn't hear a single word after that. If he hadn't been clenching his hands so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, he might not have even snapped back to reality in time.
He adjusted his expression, forcing himself back into his usual, somewhat irreverent persona. "The success rate for this is very low."
Fu Cong'an looked up sharply. She opened her mouth but chose to let Jiang Wei continue first.
"Of course, the low success rate isn't your problem, it's his," Jiang Wei gestured toward the person already standing in the innermost circle of the ride's queue. "Did you know... he likes Alphas?"
He had hoped this sentence would make her back down so he could escape this awkward situation, but to his surprise, Fu Cong'an nodded.
"I know, almost the whole school knows," Fu Cong'an smiled, but the light in her eyes didn't fade one bit. "But with things like this, you always have to try."
"If you don't try once, you'll always be unwilling to let it go."
They had been talking for a while, but this was the first time Jiang Wei had looked directly into Fu Cong'an's eyes. They were shimmering with laughter, expectation, desire... they really did seem to shine, reflecting straight into his own eyes. They were even more dazzling than the sunlight, making him want to look away in a panic after just a second of eye contact.
*If you don't try once, you'll always be unwilling to let it go... huh?*
"I'll think about it," Jiang Wei said after a long silence. "Maybe he really will soften up because you're a cute Omega girl."
With that, he didn't care what kind of expression Fu Cong'an had; he hurriedly walked away in the other direction.
Before boarding the drop tower, Tang Zihe looked back. His gaze swept across the area, but he never found the figure he was looking for.
