A Pirate Ship Disguised as a Hot Wheels Car

At the sound of those two words, Lin Yu’s brows lifted with delight.

For a man—

There was nothing quite like those two words to stir up the emotions in his heart...

What?

You thought I meant some two-character reduplicated phrase?

Damn!

Could you just casually say something that unethical?

Except in bed!

Tang Manman’s skin was fair, and even the slightest change in mood showed clearly on her face.

As he looked at the delicate profile of her face, now tinged with an appetizing blush, Lin Yu was just about to shamelessly lean over and steal a couple of kisses when the seat beneath him suddenly began to jolt and sway.

The pirate ship had started.

Lin Yu immediately sat up straight.

He sat obediently in his seat, firmly locked in place by a heavy safety bar.

All he did was tighten his grip on the hand in his palm.

As if repeating his earlier promise to the person beside him.

I’m here.

Don’t be afraid!

...

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!!!!

Lin Yu squeezed his eyes shut, clinging desperately to anything he could get his hands on.

When his butt was pointing at the sky and his head at the ground, he finally understood why there had been so few people in line for this pirate ship.

Because the operator’s advertising was complete false advertising!

What pirate ship?

What kind of ship spins in a full three-hundred-and-sixty-degree loop?

This was a goddamn looping pendulum ride!

Lin Yu kept his eyes tightly shut.

The terrifying sensation of hanging upside down had cold sweat breaking out all over his body, leaving his mind nearly blank.

In his daze, he vaguely felt something drawing close to him, as though seeking protection.

Instinctively, he let go of the handle he had been gripping and firmly clasped that soft, delicate little hand instead...

The horrifying five minutes finally came to an end.

The pirate ship stopped swinging.

Lin Yu opened his eyes and let out a breath, as though all his strength had drained away.

He instinctively turned to look at Tang Manman beside him.

Her pale little face was now so white that there was barely any color left in it. She gave Lin Yu a pitiful, helpless smile.

Lin Yu forced the corners of his mouth upward.

He managed an equally fragile-looking smile.

He stared at Tang Manman, who was close enough to touch, for a moment. Then the smile on his lips froze as he suddenly noticed something was off.

Tang Manman was on his left.

Both of her hands were on his left too...

So whose hand was he holding in his right hand?!

Lin Yu turned his head in horror.

On his other side—

Tang Qinqin’s eyes were unfocused, her body limply slumped against the massive safety bar across her chest.

Her mouth hung slightly open, as though a round, white little ghost were dangling from the corner of her lips, ready to drift out of her at any moment.

“Hiss!”

The moment Lin Yu saw that the other hand he was holding belonged to Tang Qinqin, he quickly pulled his hand back.

His face was full of disgust.

Lin Yu’s movement startled Tang Qinqin awake.

She swallowed the soul that was practically about to fly out of her mouth.

When she realized what she had just done, the color of her fair face subtly changed.

Then, unwilling to be outdone, she shot Lin Yu a fierce glare.

The three of them staggered off the pirate ship with weak legs, blending into the crowd.

The moment his feet touched solid ground, Lin Yu felt an indescribable sense of security.

It was good to be alive and back on the ground!

After that ordeal, the three of them had lost most of their appetite for thrills.

They grabbed some snacks in the food court to soothe their traumatized souls, and by the afternoon, the three of them were already sitting at the same table as the little kids.

Don’t even mention it.

No, really—don’t mention it.

A carousel has its own kind of charm, too!

They played all the way until the night sky glittered with stars.

After watching the park’s eight o’clock fireworks show hand in hand, Lin Yu led Tang Manman and Tang Qinqin out of the amusement park and into a taxi.

“Driver,”

“Take us to Qinglin Pavilion.”

Lin Yu closed the door and spoke to the taxi driver in front.

The driver nodded calmly, looking quite familiar with the place—as though he had taken plenty of passengers there before.

“Hm?”

“Aren’t we going back to the hotel?”

Tang Qinqin, seated in the front passenger seat, turned around and asked curiously.

“Not yet.”

“Money’s a little tight lately.”

“I’m going to sell you off first and make some cash.”

Lin Yu said it as naturally as could be.

Like that most annoying middle-aged uncle every kid encountered during the Lunar New Year—always blurting out thoughtless jokes that could make children cry.

Only, Tang Qinqin had long since stopped being a child.

By the second grade, she had already learned to roll her eyes dramatically at adults who said things like that.

Still, being teased by Lin Yu as if she were a little kid made her grind her teeth in irritation.

Quietly, she began plotting her revenge.

“Where are we going?”

In the dim backseat of the taxi, Tang Manman leaned against Lin Yu’s chest. She tipped up her chin, and her delicate face seemed a little thinner than usual.

“Didn’t I say?”

“We’re selling your sister in a bit.”

“To earn money for your bride price.”

Lin Yu lazily rested a hand at the curve of Tang Manman’s waist, loosely holding her in his arms.

Tang Manman gazed at Lin Yu.

A soft shimmer moved through her clear, gentle eyes.

She was a little annoyed that he was once again joking around and teasing her younger sister.

Yet she couldn’t stop a faint sweetness from rising in her heart.

He said he’d use the money from selling Qinqin as my bride price.

He wants to marry me~

Tang Manman quietly lowered her eyes, her thick lashes concealing the tender joy in them.

She snuggled closer into Lin Yu’s arms, the corners of her lips lifting slightly as she murmured in a soft voice,

“Don’t sell my sister.”

“I don’t need any of that…”

“You don’t?”

“Perfect.”

“If you don’t want a bride price,”

Lin Yu seemed determined to sell off Tang Qinqin, the third wheel. He continued chattering away.

“Then we’ll use the money from selling her to make the down payment on a four-bedroom, two-living-room apartment.”

“Then we’ll have two kids.”

“Our family of four can live in a big place without feeling cramped…”

“Hey!”

“That’s enough, you two!”

“Could you please not build your happiness on selling me off?!”

Tang Qinqin in the front finally snapped and shouted back.

Lin Yu and Tang Manman both burst out laughing. Even the driver couldn’t help but laugh.

Outside the window, the city lights shimmered brilliantly.

The warm summer night breeze slipped through the gap at the top of the window and into the car.

It lifted the hair from Lin Yu’s forehead, fully revealing his sharply defined face.

Up front, Tang Qinqin’s protests continued without pause.

Lin Yu leaned lazily against the window.

One arm curled around Tang Manman as she nestled against him.

The wind lifted Tang Manman’s raven-black hair.

The fine ends brushed lightly against Lin Yu’s forearm, smooth as silk.

Outside the car window,

warm, golden lights streaked into the dim yet cozy interior like shooting stars, racing backward in their eyes.

Lin Yu tightened his arm around Tang Manman and rested his cheek against her forehead.

Tang Manman nuzzled against his chest, soft and affectionate like a kitten.

Inside the car, far from quiet,

even time itself seemed to grow happier.