Fake alcohol drinker Chao Xin took a few days to rest before the three of them finally set off for the amusement park on a KFC crazy Thursday[1].
Crowds of people.
That’s the only description the author wanted to use.[2]
Xiang Wan had a slight ‘fear of crowds’, and she was already regretting her decision at the entrance. However, Paipai’s excitement began the moment she saw the gate. She rested her hands like a pillow against her face, gazing adorably at the cartoon characters at the entrance.
It’s as if she’s found a long-lost relative.
After getting their tickets checked, Paipai had a clear goal. First, she would go to buy a headband with little horns from the souvenir stall. Then, she would take photos at the flower bed at the entrance. With her little sunglasses and polka-dotted red skirt, she was sure to look like a little princess.
Hence, Chao Xin was dragged along. They stopped at the stall before Paipai excitedly started choosing. Xiang Wan looked at the price tag.
Nearly 200 yuan for a headband… She thought it’s a bit expensive.
Chao Xin looked at her and said, “Do you want to pick one?”
“I’m an adult,” Xiang Wan said.
“Adults wear them too,” Chao Xin gestured to a group of young people laughing nearby.
“Why does everyone wear them?” Xiang Wan was curious. “Is there some special meaning to wearing these?”
“You become a princess,” Paipai said seriously.
“Become a princess?” Xiang Wan was intrigued.
Could it… transport her back in time?
“Yep, a runaway princess, don’t you know?” Paipai said in a cute voice.
“I don’t know.” The princesses in the Li Dynasty didn’t have horns on their heads.
“So”, Xiang Wan looked at Chao Xin, “Will you wear one, Ms. Chao?”
“I…”
“Adults wear them too,” Xiang Wan said, a smile tugging at her lips. Turnabout is fair play.
Chao Xin laughed too before she told the shopkeeper, “Three, please.”
Xiang Wan pushed her long hair back and placed the headband on with reverence. Her fingers slightly raised, as if she’s pinning an ornamental hairpin.
Xiang Wan completely misunderstood the headband, thinking it’s some kind of crown similar to those worn in the Li Dynasty, something that princesses and ladies wear only on special occasions. She thought, no wonder it’s so expensive.
Chao Xin was amused by her seriousness and casually tied up her own hair, securing the headband.
Once Xiang Wan was done, she gazed at Chao Xin, who then asked her, “What?”
“You look kind of cute,” Xiang Wan said.
Chao Xin seemed different from her usual self, especially today in her simple white T-shirt and black jeans, looking youthful and lively. Apart from the mole and a hint of arrogance, she was very approachable.
“Hey!” Paipai squeezed herself between them, looking up at them both, she said, “I’m the cutest, okay?”
“Alright, Princess Paipai.” Chao Xin bent down to caress the little one’s bow tie.
Paipai giggled, fluttering like a butterfly to the flowerbed, donning her sunflower sunglasses. She first snapped a cool solo shot, then pulled Xiang Wan in for a group photo.
She was a little bored with taking too many photos with Chao Xin.
Xiang Wan stood at the center, pulled by Paipai, who gathered her own dress to one side, then instructed Xiang Wan to do the same on her side.
There were onlookers waiting to take photos around them. Xiang Wan, feeling a little embarrassed, whispered, “Can I just do a pose? I won’t hold my dress, I’m an adult.”
“But this is my design, I want to send it to Luo Yu.” Paipai seemed a bit disappointed.
“I have a very cool pose, it will look very… dashing.” Xiang Wan tried to think of a modern adjective.
“Okay,” Paipai agreed.
Xiang Wan nodded, looked at Chao Xin’s phone before taking a breath, clapped her hands together, raised her right hand and pointed her index finger to the sky, grinning, “Awesome!”
Her radiant smile was frozen in the phone, next to Paipai, who turned her head in shock.
Chao Xin, who was taking the photo, put down her phone, stood up straight and burst into uncontrollable laughter.
She gently covered her face with her fingers, her palm against her lips, hiding her slightly uncontrollable features.
“I have another idea,” Xiang Wan pulled Paipai over, “We didn’t bring a scarf today, what a pity. If we had one, we could spread it out, hold it above our heads with both hands, cross our legs, look noble, and quite eye-catching.”
Paipai was almost in tears, “Who did you learn these poses from?”
“My godmother, Ms. Zhao Qingxia,” Xiang Wan said.
The previous pose she learned from Yu Zhou, and the latter was taught by Yu Zhou’s mother.
“Chao Xin, save me.” Paipai tugged at Chao Xin’s hem.
Chao Xin used the back of her hand to cover her lips, no longer looking at Xiang Wan, she just laughed and said, “Let’s go.”
Xiang Wan never knew that amusement parks could be such a tiring experience, seemingly designed for people to experience queuing. Usually, they had to queue for an hour to play one game. The game only lasts for five to ten minutes, and then Paipai drags her to the next queue.
She suspected that children didn’t actually enjoy the games, but rather the ‘collecting’ experience.
After three or four games, Xiang Wan could barely stand. Paipai was also worn out, leaning against Chao Xin in the queue, hugging her waist.
Xiang Wan, who usually preferred sitting while recording, was not used to standing for so long, not to mention the eighteen years of pampered life she had before. She feels quite exhausted now, she leaned against the railing, lifted her left foot to relieve pressure, and then did the same with her right foot.
“The railing is dirty.” Patting Paipai’s wilted head, Chao Xin spoke to Xiang Wan, “Why don’t you lean against me instead?”
Xiang Wan contemplated for a moment before grasping Chao Xin’s wrist.
Chao Xin felt a bit unnatural. As they moved with the crowd, she suggested, “You can loop your arm through mine.”
She saw many people[3] ahead doing the same.
So, Xiang Wan moved closer again, her arm entwined with Chao Xin’s. After standing for a while, she let her body sink a little, gently resting her head on Chao Xin’s shoulder.
Just like the people in front of them.
Overwhelmed by the heat, Xiang Wan closed her eyes. As the crowd swelled, a gap opened up ahead. Chao Xin wanted to step forward, but Xiang Wan didn’t move. So, Chao Xin extracted her hand, gently rubbed Xiang Wan’s head, like she used to awaken the young Paipai.
Signaling that it’s time to move forward.
Xiang Wan slid her hand along Chao Xin’s, grasping her fingertips, allowing herself to be led forward.
Chao Xin playfully pinched her hand. Not to be outdone, Xiang Wan also tightened her grip. Chao Xin pinched again, and Xiang Wan clung to her, increasing the pressure.
Then Chao Xin chuckled, “Not tired anymore?”
Since Xiang Wan’s hand had regained its strength.
“Mmm.” Xiang Wan stood straight, peeking ahead, they’re close to the pirate ship ride.
An inconspicuous little boat, it didn’t look thrilling compared to other attractions.
It merely rocked back and forth, not like other rides that spin you upside down, suspending people in the air.
She wouldn’t dare to try those. Xiang Wan has a weakness, she highly valued her life.
So, she casually sat down on the ride. Confirming that there were no seat belts, only instructions to grip the rail in front. It seemed like a simple amusement.
The creaking sound of a large chain pulling started, and the pirate ship slowly began to move.
Chao Xin instructed Paipai to hold on tight and double-checked Xiang Wan’s posture.
The tail end gradually raised, sporadic screams began. Paipai, with a scrunched-up face, also whistled from her throat.
Xiang Wan blinked, the pirate ship stopped at its highest point, her body hovered, and a weightless feeling overwhelmed her.
Screams echoed through the sky.
Chao Xin didn’t scream. She just clenched her teeth with her eyes closed.
She expected to hear Xiang Wan’s cry, but there was none. Only Paipai’s pig-like shrieking in her right ear, and a deafening silence in her left.
Upon the next ascent, she glanced at Xiang Wan.
Xiang Wan was remarkably calm, hands properly grasping the railing, her expression as usual, still sitting like a flight attendant.
Quite a brave young lady, Chao Xin raised her eyebrows in surprise.
Stepping off the pirate ship, Paipai was a mess of snot and tears. She cried loudly for over ten seconds, then broke into laughter, exclaiming, “Hahaha, that was so thrilling!”
Chao Xin chuckled, finding the little girl’s quick change of facial expressions even more exciting.
Xiang Wan didn’t speak on the way they reached a shaded area, only clutching Chao Xin’s hand, her steps growing slower and slower.
Seeing her face paler than a ghost and her expression grave, Chao Xin paused to ask, “Are you alright?”
Xiang Wan shook her head, “I’m just thinking.”
Her voice trembled slightly.
“Thinking about what?”
“Why humans torture themselves this way?” She forced out the words before her legs gave way.
Chao Xin and Paipai rushed to support her, moving her to a nearby bench. Xiang Wan leaned against Chao Xin desperately, her hand trembling as she attempted to pull out a handkerchief to soothe her heart, only to realize she didn’t have one.
Suddenly, Xiang Wan felt wronged.
She truly didn’t understand why this ‘human purgatory’ was called an amusement park.
Chao Xin, both heartbroken and amused, held her in arms, sending Paipai to buy a bottle of room temperature water.
It took Xiang Wan a while to gather her thoughts again. Suddenly, Chao Xin asked her, “Where exactly did you come from?”
Her speech pattern, her reactions to new experiences, especially outside, were too peculiar.
Leaning against her, Xiang Wan felt a stir in her heart.
Chao Xin asked again, “Why were you so scared, yet didn’t scream?”
“Screaming, does it help?”
“Yes, playing these kinds of games is about releasing stress. If you shout, scream, or cry out loud, you won’t feel sick.”
“Really?” Xiang Wan breathed weakly.
“Yes, want to try it again?”
“I can’t cry out loud.”
“Why?”
“I’m a T.” Peng Xiangzhi had told Xiang Wan that a true T doesn’t cry when she was eating a sour candied haw that made her teeth ache.
Chao Xin touched her head, finding herself at a loss for words.
Throughout this trip, Xiang Wan’s unique, incompatible relationship with the world was fully displayed. Other girls were excitedly queuing up to see a super cute lamb doll, when it was Xiang Wan’s turn, she greeted it a few times and the mascot enthusiastically responded with gestures. Xiang Wan frowned, then turned to Chao Xin and said, “It’s mute.”
A woman behind them sprayed water from her mouth in laughter.
This was also evident when she could accept one or two mascots passing by, but when it came to the night parade, she looked at the clusters of mascots, her lips tightly shut, not daring to move.
She was a bit scared, as if stepping into a monster’s domain.
Others greeted the mascots enthusiastically, rattling off their names as if recounting their personal treasures, but she didn’t even recognize a single one.
It’s not until the fireworks show began that Xiang Wan looked up, she and Paipai – one adult, one child – exclaiming in unison. Chao Xin leaned against a nearby railing, her laughter tired yet peaceful.
But Xiang Wan and Paipai were not entirely in sync. For example, amidst the grand fireworks, Chao Xin looked down at her own shadow.
At that moment, Xiang Wan turned her head and looked at her.
- An internet meme, every Thursday, people would come up with various stories, ending with “KFC Crazy Thursday, give me money to eat KFC.” [return to text]
- This sentence is a fourth wall breaking by the author. [return to text]
- In the original raw text the word used was 闺蜜, which is used for female besties specifically.[return to text]
CNYuriTranslation 