Edited by: Mel
“Mom, my legs are very, very sore. How much longer do we have to wait? I really want to squeeze to the front.”
“We’ll be there soon. Xiao Bao, we can’t jump the line. Look at those two uncles, they are so tall, but they still obey the rules, right? We have to learn from these two uncles.”
“En en! I want to be tall too!”
“Our Xiao Bao is awesome!”
Qiao Yi felt a little awkward after hearing the conversation between the mother and child that stood behind them.
After all, he was not one of those people that had been in the line for the last fifteen minutes. It was only when they were about to receive the stamp card that Li Zhongchen had him come over in order to prove that they were a two-person team. Otherwise, he would have still been seated at the rest area.
These were Li Zhongchen’s original words. “Except for children who aren’t watched over well, which pair doesn’t have one in line and the other waiting at the rest area. Is standing around fun? Or are you going to treat me as a child? And besides, it was me who said I wanted to participate in this event. Dare I let you queue in the line while I rest?”
“……” Qiao Yi was speechless after being tricked like this.
The memories came to an abrupt end, and several people in front of them had just retrieved their cards and left.
Li Zhongchen and Qiao Yi took a step forward. The staff handed them the stamp card with a bright, professional smile as she repeated the sentence that had been said countless times.
“Hello, guests. This is the stamp card needed for today’s event. After collecting five stamps, you will be able to redeem the mysterious gift at the guest services station before the park closes today. The stamp collection card is only valid on the corresponding day. You will need to head to the automated card dispensing machine to draw a card that will tell you what the tasks are. Then, please enjoy yourselves and have a wonderful time at Happy Valley.”
Li Zhongchen and Qiao Yi said in unison, “thank you.”
They stared at the cards and mulled over them for a moment.
The two of them walked outside. At this time, there was no one around the card dispensing machine. They could immediately draw the card, which was very convenient for them.
Li Zhongchen spoke shamelessly. “These old hands of mine are unlucky. You draw, or we’ll end up with a high difficulty task. I’m afraid you can’t handle it.”
He smiled, energetic and bright, and even added.
“Those who have just celebrated their birthday have the priority.”
“……” Qiao Yi was a mess on the inside. He wanted to say that he was not that weak, but instead started on another topic. “I already said that I didn’t really want to play. You don’t have to take my thoughts into consideration. What are you planning to accompany me and make up for my birthday? Isn’t it also fine to just stop here and not waste each others’ time?”
Despite saying that, hidden beneath his icy exterior was the feeling of anticipation that Qiao Yi could not deceive himself no matter how much he tried.
The rational part of himself persuaded him not to continue. After all, it has been more than a year since they had broken up. That year, Li Zhongchen did not say a single word to hold him back, and now, he was probably only obsessed with signing with him because it would benefit the both of them.
Or perhaps it was the guilt he held towards the past and wanted to make it up in order to trade for an ease of conscience. In other words, it was nothing more than pity for him.
“How is it a waste of time? It’s rare for us to come here. You and I both don’t have anything else going on today.” Li Zhongchen could not help but say, “in the past, we also did not have many chances to go to amusement parks. And besides, today’s event should be giving away candies and the like. Isn’t it festive to receive many candies on your birthday? It even comes with a good luck bonus.”
His eyes were blazing and his tone sincere that one would not be able to sense even a hint of perfunctory intention. Qiao Yi could not bear to reject him at all.
Qiao Yi could not help but reminisce about the past. When he and Li Zhongchen were dating, they had gone to the amusement park a few times. But whenever he came across an activity he was interested in, Li Zhongchen’s attitude would always be—
“What about you, do you want to play?”
Qiao Yi could not understand his temperament better than he already did.
Whenever he asked for his opinion, it meant nothing more than: I’m fine with whatever. If you want to play, I will accompany you. If you don’t want to play, then let’s not play.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
It wasn’t that Li Zhongchen was half-hearted about it.
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A paper card slid out of the machine with a ratcheting sound—
Li Zhongchen was ready, reaching out to catch the card. After pulling it out, he leaned closer to Qiao Yi for the both of them to look at it.
“Go to the Grandfather Clock and complete a round of play, then return to the Balloon Shooting range at the foot of the mountain and successfully shoot the balloons a minimum of five times. “ Li Zhongchen read out loud and noticed the fine print at the bottom. “Congratulations on drawing……”
His speech began to slow, and Qiao Yi could not help himself and continued. “The most difficult task in the entire event.”
Li Zhongchen: “……”
Qiao Yi: “You should have drawn this card.”
“How is it difficult! What is so difficult about shooting! What a joke, could the two of us be afraid of shooting guns?!”
“……”
But the fact remained that things were often not up to one’s expectations.
What was difficult was not about shooting guns. It was the frightfully chilling giant Grandfather Clock ride.
The machine operated in a way where it spun at high speeds at a height of more than 20 feet.
High in the skies, Qiao Yi listened to the screams and cheers all around that accompanied him as they were flung into the skies before returning to the ground, only for it to repeat. Finally, it was over.
The safety belt was unfastened, and a sigh of relief from others came from behind him.
Qiao Yi subconsciously turned over to look at Li Zhongchen, only to see that the other’s complexion was not very good. His lips were pale, and his heart squeezed. “Are you alright?”
Li Zhongchen frowned slightly and waved it off. “I’m probably feeling a little nauseous after having lunch.”
Sweat was visible on his forehead as he unfastened his safety belt with the intention of heading straight to the shooting range right after he touched ground.
For a moment, Qiao Yi could not tell what that feeling in his heart was. Anxious and irritable, he quickly caught up to him and snatched over the collection card. “You can find whoever else is interested to play with you. I have no interest in this at all.”
They were standing near the exit.
Not only did he block the tourists behind him, what he said was even overheard by others. He received many strange looks from others and internal thoughts of how these two handsome brothers looked like a pair of lovers who just had a couple’s tiff.
Had it been in the past, Li Zhongchen would definitely have lost his temper along with him. But in the present, he took the card back, shamelessly put his arms around Qiao Yi’s shoulder and led him out.
Forget about being all touchy-feely with him, he even whispered breathily into Qiao Yi’s ear. “Baby, we’ve already broken up, but you’re still so worried about me.”
“……” The expression that appeared immediately on Qiao Yi’s handsome face could not be said to be irritated or angry. He blushed to the tip of his ears, drawing away from the other in a panic. “Li Zhongchen!”
Li Zhongchen laughed heartily.
But as soon as he laughed, the churning sensation in his stomach returned once again. “I’ll stop teasing you. I even sent away Zheng Xiaokui and your family’s obedient disciple. It’s not a big deal, so let’s just continue playing. But could you get me a bottle of water? I feel sick.”
Having been with one another for several years, Li Zhongchen was still someone with foresight.
He was well aware that Qiao Yi yielded to soft approaches and rejected brute force. The relationship between the two of them remained complicated and awkward, but as soon as he exaggerated his physical discomfort, Qiao Yi would never be able to leave him be.
Qiao Yi sighed as he expected. “Wait for me here.”
After saying that.
Qiao Yi actually went and bought him water. However, his expression remained cold as he turned around to leave.
Li Zhongchen’s mood was like riding on a roller coaster. He did not know if he should be happy or concerned.
When they got to the shooting range, he closed his eyes and made all ten of his shots. A group of elementary school students exclaimed in admiration and envy, and the age of fans of the number one assault player in the domestic server reached an all new lower limit.
At this time, his stomach was feeling much better. As an emotionless killer, he put on his sunglasses once again, heartlessly passing by the elementary school students and returned to the stamp collection area.
When Qiao Yi came back, he was holding a glass full of warm water in his hands.
On the other hand, Li Zhongchen, who had just finished stamping the seal, was surprised. He had originally wanted Qiao Yi to just casually bring back a bottle of mineral water. He did not expect that the other actually went back to the dining area. No wonder it took him so long to return.
“The shops around here only sell iced water,” Qiao Yi said coldly. “I don’t want to harm you, or I will be held responsible in the end.”
Li Zhongchen almost shed tears.
He remembered once reading an article. It was a poisonous chicken soup that should have been written by a divorced man, saying that you would only understand how good your wife was after you have divorced. Li Zhongchen felt even more sad. “Thank you, baby. I knew that you wouldn’t not care about me.”
Qiao Yi could not be bothered to correct him. “Are you feeling better?”
His words were dull and bland.
Li Zhongchen’s heart squeezed out of fear that the other would have the intention of not continuing to play. “Alright, we can continue to collect the cards now. You should continue to draw again this time, I don’t buy it……”
On the inside, Qiao Yi was worried about him, but he could only endure. “Why do you have to be like this? What’s the point of buying me, a player with conflicting play styles? Why force yourself to do things like these, there is no need for it. And besides, I’m not interested……”
“I’m not planning anything. A yard is a yard. The stamp collection has nothing to do with you coming to my team.”
Li Zhongchen interrupted him.
After saying that, he even cornered Qiao Yi into a dead end, isolating them from the lively atmosphere of the amusement park. “Besides, do you really not want to play? Please, after all these years, could I not be clearer if you are merely just pretending or are you truly not interested in these things?”
“……” Qiao Yi lost all sense of propriety because of how Li Zhongchen abruptly closed the distance between them and forgot to push him away.
Li Zhongchen inched his face closer. “This face is too good-looking. Many people must have tried to chase after you later. How is it that you have been single for so long.”
Qiao Yi glared at him, embarrassed and angry.
It took him a moment to remember to retort. “I heard that there have been men and women who want to be slept by you. How could I compare, how many partners have you changed so far?”
Unexpectedly, the corners of Li Zhongchen’s mouth tugged upwards into a smile. “My heart still pines for the one that it is most attracted to, I really can’t like anyone else.”
The two of them could only be petty to each other on the inside with nowhere to vent.
After that, Li Zhongchen did not continue. Basing off the rationale of not wasting the first stamp they had collected, he tried to persuade Qiao Yi not to let him suffer in vain.
There was always a common problem with soft-hearted people, and that was it was difficult to turn others down. At the moment that Qiao Yi hesitated, he was already taken to another card dispensing machine nearby.
They drew another card from the dispensing machine.
The second task: join in the merry shopping.
It was very simple. All they had to do was to buy a small gift from any store in the amusement park and gift it to one another and they would be able to immediately collect a stamp.
Li Zhongchen gave Qiao Yi a kitty figurine hand warmer that he could use in the winter.
Qiao Yi, who had no other choice, also gifted Li Zhongchen a mousepad that had two Tyrannosauruses printed on them.
The third task: Dessert station hands-on expert BALABALA and a bunch of game instructions.
……Actually, it was nothing more than to spend money to create a dessert. Li Zhongchen had destroyed the kitchen before, and so Qiao Yi could only take the initiative to make a cup of hot chocolate.
After that.
The fourth task: The bumblebee spins at a high altitude and transforms into a flying superman!
Qiao Yi: “……”
Li Zhongchen’s nausea that came from conditioned reflex: “……”
Qiao Yi quickly said, “I’ll go find someone to exchange tasks.”
But fortunately, they were able to trade cards with a couple to go to the Magic Pavilion to watch a show instead and were spared from quite the torture.
They collected four stamps.
For the last time, the card dispensing machine once again dispensed a paper card with a ratcheting sound.
Li Zhongchen prayed. “It better not be any high intensity tasks, old people can’t be tormented like this.”
Perhaps it was because they have been tortured for most of the day, Qiao Yi had also began to relax, his features softening.
The card was dispensed, and the card was impressively printed with——
Congratulations on drawing one of the only three available SSR cards for this event! Please head to the Star Pavilion to redeem the exclusive sweet stamp~
Qiao Yi immediately became nervous.
Only because of the sounds of amazement that came from people around them. “Huh?! Isn’t that the limited edition couple card? These two brothers actually managed to draw it, what a waste.”
He was a person that was actually soft-hearted and easily coaxed. His words were laced with frost, yet also came from the heart. Towards Li Zhongchen, the unknown feelings in his heart were too complicated. Both the stubborn and fragile side of himself were both consumed.
Qiao Yi glanced over at Li Zhongchen. The other party was smiling arbitrarily with his handsome facial features and unruly temperament. He even clung to his shoulders indifferently, just like he did when they were together in the past.
His heart throbbed wildly and uncontrollably, an aching sensation filled his body to the point that it was almost overwhelming his sanity—
There was not a place where he could not see the shadows of the man who was his beloved, even if it was just a casual gaze cast his way.
It did not usually rain at four o’clock in the morning in San Francisco. Wet tears turned into raindrops that fell from the sky, and everything fell into disorder wherever tornadoes went; it mirrored the default state of his insomniac self. And the person before his eyes was the one he would think of countless times whenever he was unable to fall asleep.
Noa’s Notes: In QY’s recollection of LZC’s attitude towards doing activities together, LZC’s tone comes off as indifferent despite his words sounding considerate. That’s why QY felt that things were meaningless and could not fully enjoy himself in the past at amusement parks. But also look at how much LZC has changed and grown since then ^^
Qiao Yi is so cute!
thanks for the chapter <3
Thanks for the chapter ❤️❤️