Do we look like friends?
With not so simple thoughts in mind, Qiao Yu and the others embarked on their trial trip to the City of Dreams.
The five agreed on a meeting time and met directly at the entrance of the City of Dreams, where a staff member received them and explained the available attractions for this open session before leaving, letting them five discuss what to play on their own.
“Speaking of which.”
Before this, Qiao Yu had something else she cared more about and turned to look at Cong Ye.
“…What are you doing bringing this?”
“Hm? Isn’t this the birthday gift you gave me?”
“No, what I gave you was a full set of Iron Man armor, but now you’re only holding a helmet.”
Indeed, Cong Ye had been holding an Iron Man helmet since he appeared today. Qiao Yu, who had seen the full armor, couldn’t help but feel uneasy, feeling like he was holding a head.
“Ah, I actually wanted to wear it over, but the vision is indeed quite narrow, so I took it off first.”
“Really? Then why didn’t you just wear the full set over?”
“Because my mom won’t let me.”
“…”
Have you actually considered it? Qiao Yu felt a complex mix of emotions and didn’t know what to say for a moment.
Hearing Cong Ye’s regretful remark, Lu Yao eagerly approached, his eyes shining brightly with envy.
“Cong Ye, Cong Ye, let me try it on, please!”
“Really can’t help it… Here you go, be careful not to break it, okay!”
The boys gathered around the helmet, bustling with excitement, their exclamations and praises overlapping. Qiao Yu, unfazed, puffed out her chest, feeling very satisfied with her choice of gift.
“No wonder you wanted to prepare in advance…”
Naturally, the girls also came together. Lin Qing smiled at Qiao Yu, while Mi Yi shifted her gaze from watching the boys like they were mischievous kids next door chasing and roughhousing, and sighed.
“Qiao Yu’s gift is quite thoughtful, unlike mine.”
“What did you send?”
“I just ordered a snack gift pack online and filled in Cong Ye’s address directly.”
“…”
In a certain sense, it’s very much like Mi Yi.
Both groups chatted for a while and soon fell into silence.
The reason why—
“…It’s my first time coming to such a spacious amusement park.”
Cong Ye’s words fell without a sound, and everyone silently nodded. Under the cheerful background music of the amusement park, the five people standing at the entrance seemed particularly desolate. Who would have thought that having the amusement park all to ourselves would feel like this…! Without the bustling crowds and the noise of people, the atmosphere of the amusement park became a bit eerie.
How to put it, it just makes one a little less cheerful.
“What should we do? Shall we go try something?”
Feeling that this couldn’t go on, Qiao Yu was the first to break the silence, and Lin Qing nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, there should be those kinds of activities that are fun even without a lot of people.”
A thought struck Qiao Yu, and she blurted out: “Like, for instance, a Ferris wheel?”
“Who comes to an amusement park and goes to the Ferris wheel as their first ride!”
The team leader for the day, Cong Ye, perked up at this moment and quickly extinguished the little idea Qiao Yu had just mustered.
She silently gazed at the distant and immovable giant Ferris wheel, only able to sigh with longing.
Unable to come up with any better ideas either, Cong Ye brightened up and made a spirited fist.
“Let’s ask that sister we met earlier! Which activities are suitable for a few people to enjoy together!”
“…Indeed, this place doesn’t require many people.”
“Right, it’s rather the fewer, the better.”
Standing at the entrance of the attraction, the group stared at the sign above, with its blood-red letters spelling “Haunted House.” Apart from the dull exchange between Qiao Yu and Cong Ye, no one else could utter a word.
After finding a staff member and expressing their request, she kindly led them here and, without further explanation, said she needed to prepare something before heading inside, leaving the group stunned outside. The whole scene resembled a tour where the guide pulls the visitors into a shady shop.
“Why does the City of Dreams have a haunted house? Do kids really come here to play?”
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“Yeah, I’ve heard that as soon as the City of Dreams opens, this place becomes incredibly busy. You can hear kids crying from a hundred meters away.”
“…Its infamous reputation precedes it.”
Thanks to Teacher Mi Yi’s considerate answer, Qiao Yu, who was unaware of the truth, became more wary of this unimpressive-looking house.
Actually, Qiao Yu isn’t really scared of these things; she’s the type who feels at ease knowing it’s all fake. So, she looked at the others with a mindset of being okay with playing or not and noticed everyone had different expressions on their faces.
Mi Yi seemed genuinely indifferent, commenting that since it’s Cong Ye’s birthday, it should be up to Cong Ye to decide, and then she busied herself with her phone.
The two boys, meanwhile, had expressionless faces and started making casual conversation, feigning calmness.
“Ah, I’m also okay with either playing or not. After all, I’m not scared of these things, um.”
“I, I think so too! These kinds of pretend ghosts can only scare little kids. I’m sure I’ll be fine going in!”
Wow, this was the first time Qiao Yu had seen such a perfect portrayal of “bluffing.”
She didn’t have time to pay attention to that; her gaze fell on Lin Qing. Lin Qing’s delicate face was a bit stiff, her lips pressed tightly in a nervous manner.
It didn’t look like it was nothing serious. Qiao Yu quietly held Lin Qing’s hand and shook it gently, whispering, “Are you scared?”
“…Maybe a little.”
Lin Qing didn’t try to act tough, leaning slightly closer to her side, her eyelashes fluttering uneasily.
“I’m not very good at these things… but it’s okay if we’re going to play, after all, we’re walking together, right?”
As she said this, she gently gripped Qiao Yu’s hand back, lifting her clear eyes to look at her, with a tone that carried a hint of coquetry: “You have to hold onto me well, okay?”
“Mhm, mhm, of course.”
How could anyone say no to that? It’s not just about Qiao Yu not being scared; even if Qiao Yu was actually terrified, in such a situation, she would inevitably force herself to play the hero in front of Lin Qing.
The law of wanting to present the best version of oneself in front of someone they like applies to both genders.
For boys, it might be a broader case, as they probably do not want to show weakness in front of anyone. Thus, Qiao Yu could only watch as those two boys, probably the least willing to participate among the five present, egged each other on with every word, eventually leaving no choice but to finalize the plan to go in and explore.
Before entering, Qiao Yu looked at the two of them, their faces both green and pale, and couldn’t help trying to offer them a way out, kindly suggesting, “If you’re scared, we might as well not do this?”
Who knew that her words would act like a shot of adrenaline, turning their eyes red as they jumped around, stubbornly toughening their necks, one more vocal than the other.
“I’m not scared at all! Today, it’s impossible for me to be afraid!”
“Same here! When I go in, I’ll be chatting and laughing with the ghost brothers!”
“Then I’ll be making small talk with the ghost sisters!”
“In that case, I’ll form a sworn brotherhood with the ghost brothers!”
“I’ll become sworn siblings with the ghost sisters right there on the spot!”
“…There’s really no need for you two to go that far.”
Qiao Yu, somewhat speechless, separated the two glaring at each other and casually took the helmet to put it on Cong Ye’s head.
“Alright, alright, just make do with this helmet on. The narrow field of vision means you won’t see any ghosts.”
“Huh?! Qiao Yu, are you looking down on me—Open the helmet!”
Cong Ye made a fuss, using a voice command to open the helmet’s face shield, revealing a proud and spirited face.
“Wow, it has this function? Impressive!”
Lu Yao, who had just been verbally sparring with Cong Ye, was immediately drawn over, and the childish boys quickly made up. Qiao Yu watched them with a cool gaze, too lazy to bother with them any longer, and with a final touch of thoughtfulness said.
“If it really comes down to it, you two can also hold hands and walk together.”
Saying so, she flaunted the tightly clasped hands between her and Lin Qing, swaying them slightly, then huffed and walked towards the haunted house, leaving them with a proud back.
Cong Ye and Lu Yao looked at each other, realizing they both had an expression as if they smelled the sourness of love.
Thus, the memorable first attraction was chosen to be the haunted house. Qiao Yu really wanted to use the same question to ask Cong Ye back: Who comes to the amusement park and heads to the haunted house as the first attraction?
Their phones were taken away, and under the guidance of the staff, they arrived inside a house, listening to the background story of the haunted house being explained.
It seemed they were already inside the haunted house, themed around a school, and the place looked like a storage room. Before Qiao Yu had the chance to take a closer look, a staff member asked with a smiling face, “Are you going to split up or stay together?”
“?! Do we even have to choose?!”
Cong Ye’s voice broke with excitement, while Lu Yao managed to keep his expression steady, but his pupils were noticeably trembling.
Mi Yi maintained an indifferent demeanor—honestly, Qiao Yu could not even imagine what it would look like for her to be scared.
Now wasn’t the time to enjoy the boys being insincere. Qiao Yu was the first to raise her hand, responding, “Let’s stay together.”
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“Alright, alright, no problem.”
Perhaps because they were briefed beforehand, the staff was exceptionally accommodating, handing each person a small flashlight, advising them it could illuminate the way but to use it sparingly, or it would run out of battery.
After the instructions were given, the staff said they would perform a blessing ritual for them, arranging them to stand evenly against the wall in a line.
“…Is it always this complicated?”
Hearing Cong Ye mutter not too far away, Qiao Yu’s heart skipped a beat. She looked towards Lin Qing, who seemed a bit uneasy as they had momentarily let go of each other’s hands.
“Ready?”
Hearing the staff’s enthusiastic voice, Qiao Yu nodded nonchalantly while giving Lin Qing a reassuring smile.
She was about to say something witty to ease Lin Qing’s nerves when suddenly, the wall she was leaning against gave way. She fell backward but was quickly caught by several hands that pulled her back to her feet.
Qiao Yu finally realized the wall she leaned on was a revolving secret door. By the time she could react, it was too late. The wall had closed, and all she managed to utter was an expletive, “Sh*t.”
“Hey! You guys are really going all out with this haunted house!”
She was both frustrated and amused, futilely feeling for the seam where the secret door had closed. Turning back, she saw a pitch-dark corridor. She noticed the two brothers who had helped her disappearing into a room that looked like a classroom, and then there was silence.
…What the heck! This is clearly premeditated! The choice they had them make was meaningless!
Qiao Yu was both angry and amused, as if timing the moment they all would recover from the confusion, an announcement suddenly blared overhead.
“Welcome to the City of Dreams.”
“I’m Cong Zhao——Cong Ye’s mother.”
The voice from the broadcast was very familiar. Qiao Yu looked at the speaker with the expression of an elderly person scrutinizing a smartphone, patiently listening on.
“This is a birthday surprise prepared under my planning for Cong Ye. I think since he’s turned eighteen, he should have a memorable coming-of-age ceremony.”
“…”
Is this mother-son relationship actually pretty bad? President Cong actually calls this thing a surprise?
“Additionally, the few other people dragged into this by him can choose to give up at any time if they don’t want to play. After going out, you can settle accounts with him, no problem. However, if you walk down here, Auntie will give you guys gifts, of course, Cong Ye will also compensate you, rest assured.”
Saying very irresponsibly, President Cong explained that their task was to find the exit, and the current location of everyone could lead to a public area where it was possible to meet up. In the end, she emphasized not to beat up the staff before going offline, seeming to be just a recording.
What kind of situation is this…
For a moment, Qiao Yu didn’t know what kind of expression to show, her face twitched twice. Before she could speak, the system in her head started panicking.
“What to do, host! Lin Qing got separated! Ah, is she going to give up, then should we follow——But what if she doesn’t give up? Then we can’t help her ah!”
“Yeah…”
Qiao Yu murmured, her calm returning amidst the chaos. She wasn’t afraid of ghosts; her only fear was that Lin Qing wouldn’t be able to handle it alone.
But giving up now didn’t seem right either. Sighing, Qiao Yu resolved to move forward.
She found herself in what seemed to be a school corridor, identifiable as the first grade from the classroom signs, though the lighting was abysmal, with only a few lamps emitting a faint green glow.
…This is too much, City of Dreams. Would small children cry at this point?
While thinking this, Qiao Yu walked aimlessly forward. Only a few steps later, a deliberate wail came from the path she had just crossed. Without looking back, she knew there must be a staff member rolling on the ground there.
But the path was clean when she had walked past, and the nearby doors were locked tight, with no sign of anyone coming out —
An idea struck her. She switched on her flashlight and, with quick steps, turned around and walked up to the ghost brother, who was taken aback by the sudden light. She crouched down and firmly grabbed his suspiciously dark red garment hem.
“You’re okay — no, I mean no harm.”
It was the first time the ghost brother had seen a guest turn the tables from the start, panicking at the thought of being attacked, only to see the girl with a calm expression waving her hand in a friendly gesture.
“I just wanted to ask, do you guys have a staff-only passage for ghosts?”
Having had to separate from Qiao Yu, Lin Qing was now exploring methodically.
For such a delicate and pretty girl, the ghosts felt restrained, not having the heart to scare her too much.
As a result, Lin Qing was hardly frightened, and she didn’t have any thoughts of giving up.
After all, she was already here, and she wasn’t really afraid of ghosts.
If you were to ask why she had told Qiao Yu she wasn’t good at this—it’s because she isn’t good at it. Compared to studying, going through a haunted house was definitely not her strength.
Originally, she had hoped to explore closely together with Qiao Yu, but now that their plan was disrupted, Lin Qing wasn’t in the mood for anything but to quickly find a way out.
Just as she was searching for a hidden door in another room, there was a sudden distinct clicking sound from a corner of the room. Right under her eyes, a small door opened, and a disheveled ghost crawled out.
…Wasn’t this directly giving away the game?
Lin Qing remained unshaken, quietly watching the ghost, waiting to see what tricks he might have up his sleeve. Contrary to her expectations, it seemed like he had no intention of scaring her. The two stared at each other tensely for a while, until the ghost brother began to speak in a somewhat dejected voice.
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“She’s not afraid of me, and you? You’re also not afraid of me.”
“I met one of you before, she was not only unafraid of me, but also asked me to lead her through the staff passage—this really won’t do, I’ll get scolded by the boss.”
“So, I can only help her relay a message, otherwise, she wouldn’t let me go.”
The young man spoke as if he was on the verge of tears, feeling utterly dejected at his incompetent performance as a ghost.
At this moment, the delicately beautiful girl opposite him widened her eyes in surprise and slowly smiled, her visage glowing like the first emergence of moonlight.
Qiao Yu stood by the secret door and waited for a long while before the ghostly young man sluggishly made his way back.
“She said she won’t give up, waiting for you to go find her.”
He spoke matter-of-factly, recalling the way Lin Qing had smiled, her eyes brimming with gentleness, he felt he could never emulate that.
“Oh! Thanks! What’s your employee number? I’ll make sure to compliment you to your boss when I go out!”
Qiao Yu suddenly perked up, insisting on seeing the young man’s employee ID. With no way out, the young man hurriedly changed the subject, saying, “You… You and that sister care so much about each other, it’s my first time seeing someone so worried about others after getting separated… You must be very good friends, right?”
“….”
What was initially a mere casual remark to divert her attention, made Qiao Yu suddenly halt in her actions, her brow furrowing as if deep in thought.
“Do we look like friends?”
“…Eh?”
Caught off guard by the counter-question, the young man blinked in confusion, witnessing the girl’s expression softening like ice melting in spring.
“Then it seems I haven’t made it clear enough. After I find her, I need to reflect on myself.”
Hahaha
Hahaha