Fireworks

The music of the float parade grew closer, and the crowd surged toward the main road from all directions.

Chen Zhi felt he was bumped in the back at least three or four times. Someone had a selfie stick, someone was carrying a child, and an older woman's thermos jabbed right into his lower back.

Colorful bubbles sprayed from the floats danced in the air, landing on the tourists' hair and shoulders before quickly popping.

Chen Zhi braced his arms on either side of Pei Ningxue, shielding her from the front.

Trapped in the tiny space he created, Pei Ningxue looked up to see his chin right above her.

The Mickey Mouse headband was still on his head, swaying slightly every time a passerby bumped into him from behind.

She suddenly felt a strong urge to laugh.

The dignified boss of Deep Space Tech, a man valued at fifteen billion dollars, was wearing two round ears on his head and acting as a human shield for her at Disney.

But she didn't laugh.

Because Chen Zhi's heartbeat was too close, thumping steadily through the fabric of his hoodie.

"Stop pushing!" someone yelled from behind.

"Make way in the front!"

Another wave of people surged forward. Chen Zhi was pushed, leaning forward so much that his chin almost hit the top of Pei Ningxue's head.

Pei Ningxue reached out and pressed her hand against his chest to help hold him back.

Where her fingers touched, the heartbeat quickened.

It was hers, not his.

"Chen Zhi."

She called his name.

Her voice was so soft it was almost drowned out by the cheering and music around them.

"Yeah?"

"It would be nice if time could stop at this moment forever."

She murmured softly.

Chen Zhi looked down at her.

Pei Ningxue didn't look at him. With her face pressed against his chest, her gaze landed on the floats slowly passing by not far away.

Mickey and Minnie waved from the top of the float. Bubbles drifted over, and one landed on her eyelashes, popping against her long lashes.

Chen Zhi tightened his arms, pulling her even closer.

Pei Ningxue felt it. She didn't look up or pull away; she just buried her face a little deeper into his chest.

The parade lasted for nearly twenty minutes.

After the crowd dispersed, the main road finally returned to normal foot traffic. Chen Zhi let go, took a half-step back, and stretched his numb arms.

"Are your arms sore?" Pei Ningxue stood up and brushed some popcorn crumbs off her hoodie.

"Not bad. Basic requirement for an exclusive bodyguard, after all."

"Come on, let's go over there." Pei Ningxue grabbed his hand and walked toward Fantasyland.

Chen Zhi was dragged a couple of steps before realizing where she was heading.

She wanted to ride the carousel.

A circle of white wooden horses stood on the round platform, each adorned with golden patterns.

It was evening, and the sky was gradually growing dark.

The sky turned a deep Klein blue, and the streetlights in the park lit up one after another.

Warm yellow halos formed circles of light, looking like a scene from an old movie.

There weren't many people in line, mostly parents with young children. Standing at over 1.8 meters tall, Chen Zhi stood out awkwardly among a group of preschoolers.

"Boss Pei, I don't think the target demographic for this ride includes my age group."

"Shut up and get on."

Pei Ningxue picked a white horse on the outermost circle and swung herself onto it.

Helpless, Chen Zhi had no choice but to sit on the horse next to hers.

The bell rang, and the carousel slowly started.

The white horses began to bob up and down, spinning round and round.

Sitting on the horse, Pei Ningxue held the golden pole with one hand and rested the other on the horse's neck. The warm light from the dome shone on her, dyeing her white hoodie a pale gold.

She suddenly turned her head.

Her ponytail brushed against her shoulder, and the breeze from the ride blew her bangs to the side of her forehead.

She just looked at Chen Zhi like that.

She smiled very happily.

Chen Zhi inexplicably felt that this was the most beautiful he had ever seen Pei Ningxue.

Not the Boss Pei in a suit skirt arguing forcefully in the conference room, nor the little girl in a nightgown acting spoiled at the Wanliu House.

Just an eighteen-year-old girl riding a carousel under the warm lights.

Chen Zhi took out his phone and pressed the shutter.

"Why are you secretly taking pictures?" Pei Ningxue turned back.

"Saving it to use as blackmail later."

"Don't you dare."

"Let me see."

Pei Ningxue leaned over to grab it.

Chen Zhi raised his hand high, deliberately teasing her.

The two of them playfully wrestled on the bobbing horses.

When the carousel stopped, Pei Ningxue, panting slightly, fixed her hair.

"If it's ugly, you're dead."

The two walked along the cobblestone path in front of the castle.

It was completely dark now, and the silhouette of the castle stood out clearly against the dark blue sky behind it.

Tourists were scattered in twos and threes on the lawns and benches, waiting for the evening fireworks show.

Chen Zhi went to a nearby food cart, bought two cups of hot cocoa, and found a somewhat secluded bench with a good view.

They sat side by side.

Pei Ningxue leaned her head on Chen Zhi's shoulder, holding the hot cocoa in her hands.

There was a moment of silence.

"Do you know why I insisted on coming here today?"

"Team building."

Pei Ningxue snorted softly.

"When I was little, my dad promised me that once I got a perfect score on my exams, he would take me to Disney."

Chen Zhi listened quietly.

"I got the perfect score. That day, I put on my princess dress and sat on the living room sofa all day, but he went on a business trip."

"Later, he said he would definitely take me during summer vacation. When summer vacation came, he said he was busy with work again."

Pei Ningxue looked at the distant castle, her tone very calm.

"After that, I stopped bringing it up. If I didn't bring it up, I wouldn't be disappointed."

"Do you know what the most ridiculous part is? When I rode the TRON Lightcycle Power Run today, my legs were like jelly from fear. But my first thought after coming out wasn't 'I'm never riding that again,' but rather—"

She paused.

"'So this is what an amusement park feels like.'"

Chen Zhi's hand covered hers.

Pei Ningxue let his fingers interlock with hers, holding tight.

"Chen Zhi."

Pei Ningxue called his name.

"Actually, I purposely brought you to Shanghai a few days early."

Chen Zhi didn't say anything.

He had guessed.

"When we're in Beijing, your time has to be divided with Lin Wanwan and Li Zhiyi. The mornings belong to her, the afternoons belong to her, and only those few hours at night when you return to Wanliu House are mine."

Pei Ningxue turned her head to look at the castle ahead, her expression faint.

"I don't want to fight for it, and I don't want to make a scene. I just wanted to be selfish for once, here in Shanghai."

She looked down at their intertwined hands.

"To have a complete day with you. Just one day is enough."

Chen Zhi fell completely silent.

He couldn't refute it.

All along, Chen Zhi had been used to fooling around with banter, using various excuses to patch up the loopholes in his time management.

Even though Pei Ningxue would often drop bold, suggestive remarks and sign billion-dollar contracts at the company without batting an eye.

But when it came to feelings, she never fought.

She just silently worked overtime until two or three in the morning, silently helped him delete posts and suppress trending searches, silently handled the tax and legal matters that no one else wanted to touch, and then, when he returned to Wanliu House, waited for him at the door in her nightgown.

This woman hid all her vulnerability beneath a strong, dominant shell.

Chen Zhi turned his head, pressing his lips against her forehead.

Pei Ningxue's body stiffened slightly.

"Every year, on this day."

Chen Zhi's voice was muffled as it drifted through her hair.

"I'll come with you. Just the two of us."

Pei Ningxue didn't say anything like "you're lying."

She simply raised her other hand and rested it on Chen Zhi's arm, her fingers gripping the cuff of his hoodie tightly.

Like the little girl from years ago who waited in vain for her father, she had finally found someone willing to hold her hand and wait in line with her.

The two of them sat on the bench for a very long time.

The crowd around them grew larger. Picnic mats were spread across the lawn, and children ran about playing. In the distance, the castle was illuminated by shifting, colorful projection lights, signaling that the fireworks show was about to begin.

Pei Ningxue straightened up from Chen Zhi's shoulder and rubbed her slightly stiff neck.

"Thank you... for today."

"President Pei is actually saying thank you? I should record this as evidence."

"If you record it, I'll kill you."

Pei Ningxue reached out and flicked him on the forehead.

Chen Zhi clutched his forehead, wincing.

"So violent."

"You asked for it."

The corners of Pei Ningxue's lips curled up, though a faint layer of moisture shimmered in her eyes. Fortunately, the evening sky was dark enough to conceal it.

She stood up, grabbing Chen Zhi by the wrist to pull him up from the bench.

"Come on, let's go buy a roasted turkey leg. I'm hungry."

"Didn't you just finish an entire cotton candy?"

"The cotton candy was too sweet. I want something else."

They left the bench and headed toward the park's dining area. While Chen Zhi waited in line for the turkey leg, Pei Ningxue browsed through a nearby souvenir stall, eventually buying a pair of Mickey and Minnie matching keychains.

She hooked the Mickey one onto the zipper of Chen Zhi's pants pocket and tucked the Minnie one into her own pocket.

The two of them circled back to the plaza directly in front of the castle, finding a spot with an unobstructed view.

The surrounding crowd had grown incredibly dense, but this time Pei Ningxue wasn't jostled. Chen Zhi stood right behind her with his hands in his pockets, leaning forward slightly to naturally shield her from the surging crowd with his shoulders.

With her back resting against his chest, Pei Ningxue looked up at the castle as it constantly shifted hues under the colorful lights.

The countdown broadcast echoed through the air.

"Ten, nine, eight—"

The crowd chanted along.

"Three, two, one—"

All the lights suddenly went out in unison.

The entire park plunged into three seconds of total darkness, drawing a collective gasp from the crowd.

And then...

"Bang—"

A brilliant pillar of light tore through the night sky, blooming magnificently above the dreamy, fairytale castle!