My Demon Friends-Chapter 596 - 570

"You can't really take pictures on the roller coaster, right?"

"Probably not."

"Then why don't you join us, Baozi?" Brother Nan looked at Little Cousin. Though she knew Little Cousin intended to take photos, she still felt sorry for her. "Today, you've only been on the Ferris wheel and have just been taking photos for us."

"Brother Nan is right," Zhou Li chimed in. "The sun has been so harsh this afternoon, and it's really tough on Baozi, carrying her camera around without going on any rides herself."

Baozi thought about it and quickly nodded.

After waiting for another ten or so minutes, it was finally their turn.

They were at the very front of this batch. As soon as the gate opened, Brother Nan led them quickly to the front seats, as if she were afraid those two rows at the very front would be taken by others. But, in reality, few people rushed to the front row immediately.

First, under the guidance of the staff, they stretched their bodies before getting into the cars. The first row was for Brother Nan and Zhou Li. Ji Xuan and Baozi took the second row, and Huai Xu had to settle for the third. A pretty girl, who was with her own friends, hurried over to sit next to him.

The ride started.

It moved slowly out of the station, then climbed sharply. People who had initially acted relaxed soon became tense.

Zhou Li and Brother Nan, sitting in the first row, reached the highest point first. In the distance, they could see many of the attractions they had visited that morning. But when they looked down, the roller coaster track was completely out of sight; there was only a void below. Behind them, people's suppressed cries began to filter through. A natural fear of heights, encoded in the DNA of terrestrial creatures, began to sprout. The roller coaster then paused momentarily, as if to let people savor this fear, allowing it to grow stronger.

A hand reached out and grabbed Zhou Li's.

He turned his head and saw Brother Nan's excited face. She asked him, "Do you think this thing could go off the tracks?"

"I don't know."

"This high up, if it goes off the tracks, you're definitely doomed."

"Hmm..."

"Eh?"

Brother Nan's eyes darted around. Then, she suddenly ducked her head and shouted loudly, "I see the wheels coming off the track!!"

The voices behind them suddenly erupted:

"Damn!"

"Is that for real?"

"Don't scare me!"

Brother Nan listened carefully, her mouth split into a wide, joyful grin.

Zhou Li turned his head to look back. His half-sister's eyes were wide with panic, her hands gripping the safety bar tightly as she tried to look down. In contrast, Baozi, beside her, was very calm, her eyes tightly shut...

Further back, Huai Xu was taking pictures with his phone.

CLICK.

The roller coaster began its descent.

"Woohoo!"

Brother Nan shouted, still holding Zhou Li's hand, but not from fear. Her other hand was spread wide as if trying to catch the wind, her whole body relaxed, ready to enjoy the thrill.

The roller coaster's speed picked up, the wind whooshing past their ears, accompanied by sudden turns, spins, rises, and drops.

Shouts of surprise rose in a chorus from behind them.

Brother Nan turned her head to Zhou Li and had to shout to be heard, "Why aren't you screaming?"

"..."

Zhou Li certainly wouldn't.

As a Heavenly Master, he had some resistance to such speed and height.

Brother Nan was still intermittently shouting beside him, "You have to scream... to enjoy... the process!"

It's rather embarrassing, isn't it?

The thrill wasn't very long-lasting; it ended before Zhou Li could bring himself to scream. When the roller coaster returned to the boarding point, Brother Nan was still not satisfied. If it weren't for such a long queue, she probably would have chosen to ride it again.

Zhou Li then turned his head to look back.

The young girl's hair was a mess, her face flushed. The thrill had left her entire body limp, and she was pressing a hand to her chest, her heart still pounding from the lingering fear. Next to her, Little Cousin still had her eyes closed, one hand holding the safety bar in front of her, the other gripping the side railing. Her calm expression conveyed a sense of detachment, as if the world around her was of no concern.

Zhou Li said, "It's over."

"Oh."

Only then did Baozi open her eyes and turn her head to look at him expressionlessly.

Zhou Li felt quite helpless; to him, her experience was no different than riding a motorcycle in the wind. "Were your eyes closed the whole time?"

"I opened them a few times in between."

"Really?"

"If you don't believe me, forget it."

The next batch of riders was already preparing.

Zhou Li got off the car and was just about to grab his phone and other items when Baozi, who had stood up, seized his arm.

"Hold on..." Baozi said very calmly. "Let me lean on you for a second."

"Hmm..."

Zhou Li stood still.

Baozi stepped off the car but still didn't let go of him, holding onto his arm as she walked step by step towards the storage lockers.

Zhou Li discreetly observed her expression and found it to be as unreadable as ever, except that her already fair face seemed even paler than before. Now he believed her; she probably had indeed opened her eyes a few times during the ride.

"Are your legs feeling weak?"

Baozi just hummed faintly in response.

They went downstairs and outside.

The sunlight outside had become really glaring, burning hot on their skin. Baozi stood by the roadside, still holding onto Zhou Li, and looked up at the sky. "Cousin, I think I might not be able to walk anymore. I need ice cream."

"Oh."

So Zhou Li went to buy ice cream. The ice cream here was so expensive.

Then they walked to the shade of a tree, as all the chairs were taken. They didn't mind and just sat on the steps, leaving space for people to walk by.

Baozi held a paper bowl and scooped a bit of ice cream with a wooden spoon, gently putting it into her mouth. She immediately squinted her eyes in delight.

But she didn't forget her job. She quickly stood up; a mouthful of ice cream seemed to have fully revived her. She began taking photos of everyone sitting in a row, even directing Zhou Li and Brother Nan to lean on each other and for Brother Nan to feed Zhou Li.

It was a hot day, perfect for playing with water.

After that, there were some gentler rides. Zhou Li, feeling sorry for Little Cousin, pulled her along to participate in those too.

「Dusk was approaching.」

Brother Nan, who had claimed to have 'lost interest' earlier, went on the Ferris wheel again with Zhou Li, specifically to see the twilight scenery.

As evening progressed, the wind by Dian Lake grew stronger, seeming to make the Ferris wheel cabin sway. Zhou Li and Brother Nan chatted about pointless topics, feeling neither fear nor any special emotions. They just slowly rose to the highest point and then slowly descended. Not romantic at all.

"Huh?"

Zhou Li saw Ji Xuan and Baozi each holding a huge doll and couldn't help asking, "Where did these stuffed dolls come from?"

Ji Xuan pointed excitedly and said, "We just went to do some archery! Brother Huai Xu won these! Brother Huai Xu hit the bullseye with every arrow, and he could shoot an arrow in the blink of an eye. WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH, ten arrows shot just like that! So amazing!"

Boring.

Zhou Li shook his head, not wanting to say more. He only said, "Are we leaving? You must all be tired after playing all day."

Little Cousin also nodded. "Aunt is already waiting for us outside."

"Huh? When did she get here?"

"Two hours ago."

"Why didn't she tell me?" Zhou Li asked.

"She didn't tell me either," Ji Xuan said, blinking.

"Aunt told me not to tell you all, so you could enjoy yourselves; she's been at the cafe outside," Baozi explained. She put the cap on her camera, tugged at the hem of her clothes, lowered her head to wipe the dust and fingerprints off the camera body, then picked up her phone. "I'll ask her."

"Okay."

"She's still at the café, asking what we want to drink."

"Whatever."

The group quickened their pace towards the exit.

The amusement park was in a rather remote location, surrounded mainly by snack stalls and fast-food restaurants. There was one coffee shop, but it had hardly any customers.

When they entered, only Ms. Ji was sitting inside. She was by a window, a fashion magazine provided by the café on the table in front of her. She had been resting her chin on her hand, looking out at the people leaving the park through the floor-to-ceiling window. When she sensed someone approaching, she turned her head and immediately smiled.

"Which way did you come from?"

"This way."

"No wonder I didn't see you," Ms. Ji said, pointing to the few cups of coffee on the table. "They were just served."

"Are they good?"

"They taste like coffee."

"Haha..." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

The group sat down to rest for a while.

Brother Nan casually picked up a coffee, tilted her head back, and gulped it down in two big swigs, not minding the bitterness. She finished it completely.

Ji Xuan followed suit, chugging her cup—after just a few days together, she was already showing signs of being influenced by Brother Nan.

"Isn't it hot?"

"It's okay."

"Is it good?"

"Can't really tell."

"Want another cup?"

"No, thanks. It's a waste of money."

Hearing this, Ms. Ji's smile brightened. She closed the magazine and casually placed it aside. Then, she quietly asked them about their day: what rides they went on, where the large dolls came from, what they had for lunch, and so on. Her voice was soft, and she occasionally took a delicate sip of her black coffee, looking very elegant.