Chapter 212: A Beauty with Its Own Soft Glow
The Saturday morning sun shone brightly, full of the unique energy that bridged late spring and early summer.
Beneath the giant, cartoonish archway at the amusement park entrance, a crowd had already formed. The air was filled with the laughter of children and the roar of the rides.
Chen Mo, Su Yuqing, Zhao Yueyue, and Huang Mao met up at the entrance, right on time.
They had also invited Lin Yu’an and Zhao Yueyue’s sister, Zhao Yuanyuan, but Lin Yu’an didn’t come, as he wasn’t comfortable in crowded places.
When Zhao Yuanyuan heard Lin Yu’an wasn’t coming, she figured it would be two couples on a date. Not wanting to be a third wheel, she declined the invitation as well.
"Brother Mo! Yuqing! You’re here so early!" Zhao Yueyue, dressed in colorful overalls with her signature high ponytail, was like a cheerful sparrow. She waved her arms from a distance, her face alight with an excitement she couldn’t contain.
As usual, Su Yuqing was dressed in an elegant white dress. Its hem fluttered gently in the breeze, making her look as fresh as a gardenia in bloom.
A faint smile played on her lips, but it deepened when she saw the vibrant Zhao Yueyue.
Chen Mo stood beside her in crisp, casual clothes, his gaze gentle.
"Yellow Hair, you look like you just rolled out of bed," Zhao Yueyue said as she drew near, only then noticing Huang Mao standing there.
She unceremoniously poked Huang Mao, who was in the middle of a yawn.
Rubbing his messy hair, Huang Mao shot back irritably, "You brat, you think everyone’s a bottomless pit of energy like you? It’s the crack of dawn, and you’re ruining a man’s sleep."
Though he grumbled, his eyes darted toward the towering roller coaster tracks inside the park, a hint of eagerness in his gaze.
"All right, all right, stop bickering. Here are the tickets. Let’s go in," Chen Mo said with a laugh, handing the tickets to the other three. He naturally took Su Yuqing’s cool hand in his. "The goal for today is to have an absolute blast!"
"Yeah! Let’s go! First stop—the roller coaster!" Zhao Yueyue cheered, dragging a still-groggy Huang Mao with her as she charged inside.
"Hey, hey, hey! Slow down! Who said I wanted to ride that thing?!" Huang Mao’s protests were quickly swallowed by the clamor of the crowd.
Chen Mo and Su Yuqing shared a smile and followed at a more leisurely pace.
Su Yuqing felt the warmth and strength from his hand in hers. Watching their two friends squabble playfully ahead of them, she felt her mood become as clear and bright as the sky above.
For her, this simple joy of an outing with friends was the most relaxing time she could imagine.
However, as they got closer, Su Yuqing looked up at the towering, winding steel dragon. Hearing the waves of screams coming from the ride, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of fear and glanced at Chen Mo with some hesitation.
Chen Mo understood immediately. He smiled gently and said, "We came all this way, it would be a waste of the ticket price not to try something exciting. Don’t worry, this amusement park has a very high safety rating. There won’t be any accidents for the next ten years. It looks pretty fun. If you’re scared, you can just hold on to my hand."
’The biggest fear with amusement park thrill rides is a *Final Destination* scenario. The good thing for Chen Mo was that he knew in advance which rides at which parks would fail, and when.’
At the very least, there had never been any reported accidents at this particular park, thanks to their rigorous quality checks.
Feeling Chen Mo’s grip on her hand tighten, Su Yuqing’s cheeks grew warm. She gave a soft "mm-hm."
Soon, it was their turn.
As she settled into the front row of the roller coaster, Su Yuqing was already filled with nervous tension. She took deep breaths, but as the car began its slow ascent, her heart leaped into her throat.
Seeing her knuckles white as she gripped the safety bar, her face a little pale, Chen Mo gently placed his hand over hers and patted it. "Don’t be afraid. I’m right here."
The words had barely left his lips when the coaster reached the peak of the hill, poised to drop.
Su Yuqing had only just managed an "mm-hm" in reply when, in the next instant, the coaster shot downward like an arrow released from a bow.
A powerful feeling of weightlessness and the whistling of the wind instantly overwhelmed her senses. The screams of Zhao Yueyue and the excited roars of Huang Mao became background noise. All Su Yuqing could feel was the world shaking violently around her, the only real sensation being Chen Mo’s dry, warm hand holding hers tight.
She didn’t have time to think. She subconsciously grabbed hold of Chen Mo’s arm, clinging to it as if it were the only piece of driftwood in a raging sea.
An uncontrollable scream escaped her lips, but it also seemed to release some of the long-suppressed emotions bottled up inside her.
When the coaster finally glided to a smooth stop at the station, Huang Mao stumbled out, his face pale. He grabbed the railing and started to dry-heave, earning him merciless ridicule from Zhao Yueyue. "Hahaha! Yellow Hair, who was it that was just shouting ’I’m not scared!’ at the top of their lungs?"
Chen Mo, however, had been perfectly calm the entire time. He had even managed to smile and turn his head to watch Su Yuqing’s reaction during the main drop.
’Recalling Su Yuqing’s face just now—eyes squeezed shut, gripping the safety bar for dear life, her voice cracking a little as she screamed—Chen Mo thought he should bring her out to experience more new things. It was the only way to see these different sides of her.’
’The everyday Su Yuqing would rarely ever shout until her voice cracked. It was actually kind of cute.’
Su Yuqing patted her chest as she got off the ride. Her face was pale, but her eyes were sparkling. "That... was so thrilling!"
After laughing at Huang Mao, Zhao Yueyue also patted her chest. "I almost screamed my throat raw! What’s next? The drop tower?"
"N-No!" Su Yuqing quickly waved her hands in protest. That experience had been more than "thrilling" enough for her. "I... I need a breather. Can we... can we do something else?"
Chen Mo’s gaze fell on her small hand, which was still clinging tightly to his. The smile in his eyes was like a sun-drenched stream, warm and gentle.
"Let’s head over there, then. They have some gentler rides." He didn’t remind her to let go. In fact, he subtly shifted his arm to let her get a more comfortable grip.
Chen Mo pointed toward an area up ahead.
Su Yuqing and Zhao Yueyue both followed his gesture.
It was a carousel.
In theory, it was a ride for little kids, but looking at it now, they saw that most of the riders weren’t children, but couples.
Seeing this, the other three fell silent.
Even Huang Mao felt a little awkward.
Standing in front of the carousel, they all looked a little bashful.
For one, they felt the ride was a bit childish. For another, seeing all the couples made the atmosphere feel... different.
"Don’t be shy. If you’ve never been on it, you should give it a try. There’s an empty white horse over there. Why don’t you take that one?" Seeing that there were no two-person seats available, Chen Mo figured he could let Su Yuqing go on by herself first to ease some of her bashfulness.
Su Yuqing climbed onto a snow-white steed. She was a little shy at first, but as the music started and she began to bob up and down, she found the floating sensation was actually quite fun.
Watching Su Yuqing, her skirt fluttering and her smile pure and lovely, Chen Mo stood outside the railing and couldn’t resist raising his phone to take a picture. Through the lens, it was as if she had her own soft-focus filter, making the photo come out exceptionally beautiful.