The next day, they headed to the amusement park, where Ji He dragged Zhou Zhuoyuan straight to the haunted house.
The surround-sound horror effects created an intensely eerie atmosphere, punctuated by piercing screams from the pop-up animatronics.
Ahead of them walked a young couple. The girl clung tightly to the boy’s side, and he held her close, murmuring reassurances. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”
Suddenly, the coffin to their left flew open, and a zombie lurched out, blocking their path.
“…”
“Aaah!”
The couple froze for a moment before letting out twin shrieks.
Out of the corner of his eye, Ji He saw Zhou Zhuoyuan flinch at the zombie’s appearance, though his reaction wasn’t too dramatic. But when the couple screamed, Zhou Zhuoyuan’s body jolted hard.
…Sudden screams like that really were startling.
They reached the final scare: a staff member dressed as a red-cloaked ghost dutifully thrust out her claws toward them. The couple immediately huddled together in a trembling ball, eyes squeezed shut no matter what.
The haunted house corridors were narrow. Feeling guilty for letting their freak-out ruin Zhou Zhuoyuan’s fun, Ji He stepped forward. “Hey, don’t worry. It’s just a person in costume. They’re gone now.”
The boy cracked his eyes open, shaking, and confirmed it was true. “Baby, we’re good. We made it through.”
Disappointed at not seeing Zhou Zhuoyuan scared, thrill-seeker Ji He pulled him toward the drop tower instead. This time, he succeeded. When Zhou Zhuoyuan staggered off the ride, his legs were jelly, and nothing could convince him to try bungee jumping with Ji He.
Ji He had bungee jumped a few times before and figured he was a pro. He planned to strike a cool pose mid-air for Zhou Zhuoyuan to admire.
But once he was strapped into the safety gear, Zhou Zhuoyuan fixed him with a solemn stare. “You’ll definitely survive this.”
…Was that some kind of death flag?
Fear crept over Ji He. He stared down at the lake far below his feet, vowing that if he made it out alive, he’d never do this again.
After a long session of mental preparation, he gritted his teeth and leaped.
Ji He stumbled off the platform with legs like rubber, too.
Supporting each other, they made their way down. As they passed a bench, a little boy sitting there suddenly stuck out his leg, nearly sending Ji He sprawling face-first.
Ji He stumbled forward several steps. Realizing the mischief he’d caused, the boy jumped up and ran off.
From behind, Zhou Zhuoyuan snapped, “What kind of brat has no manners!”
Ji He had never been pranked like this before. He was about to chase the kid down and give him a piece of his mind when Zhou Zhuoyuan’s words hit him. For some reason, the fury drained from his eyes.
Zhou Zhuoyuan helped Ji He onto the bench. “What a little monster. No manners at all.”
But Ji He didn’t chime in.
Zhou Zhuoyuan gave him a puzzled look. “What’s up?”
Ji He turned his head away and stayed silent for a long moment before mumbling awkwardly, “Sorry.”
Zhou Zhuoyuan blinked in confusion. “For what?”
Ji He seemed to steel himself. “Sorry. Back at your birthday party with Little Yi, we tripped you and laughed at you. I’m sorry.”
The words came easier after that. “Little Yi was always moping because of you back then, so we figured you were a jerk and wanted to stand up for him. We had no idea that after we treated you like that, you’d still save me without holding a grudge. We totally misjudged you—you’re actually a good guy. I’m sorry.”
The winter wind blew cold and sharp. Parents scooped up their children, hurrying to escape the gust.
Zhou Zhuoyuan stared at Ji He, his expression shadowed and unreadable.
When the wind died down, Ji He heard a low, raspy “heh” rumble from Zhou Zhuoyuan’s chest.
“So it was you,” Zhou Zhuoyuan said. “You guys who did that.”
A chill of foreboding rose in Ji He’s heart. On instinct, he wanted to cut Zhou Zhuoyuan off—whatever came next wouldn’t be kind, and it would likely shatter the fragile peace they’d maintained these past days.
But he had no way to stop it.
Zhou Zhuoyuan’s voice turned ice-cold. “If I’d known it was you who did it, back then I definitely wouldn’t have bothered saving you.”
