Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 23

Lu Yiyao felt that the only reason he survived the Soaring Over the Horizon ride was thanks to the designer’s mercy.

Firstly, it was a 4D spherical screen movie, so the environment was completely dark. He could feel he was in mid-air, but looking down only revealed his feet illuminated by the screen, not the actual height.

Secondly, once the seat reached a certain height, it stopped moving, only occasionally bumping slightly in sync with the scenes on the screen, but very gently, within his tolerance limit.

So, throughout the ride, Lu Yiyao kept his eyes tightly shut. Once he lost the “high-altitude visual sensation” and with the relatively stable seat, only the fear induced by the thought of “hanging in mid-air” remained. Gradually, he managed to bear it, though still stiff all over.

However, Ran Lin was unaware of all this.

He watched the screen intently, not wanting to miss any visual wonders. And just when he thought the visual experience couldn’t get any better, he smelled scents related to the scenes!

Naturally, he wanted to share his excitement with his companion—

Ran Lin: “Do you smell the grass? It’s really like grass!”

Lu Yiyao: “Yeah!”

Ran Lin: “The scent of spices!”

Lu Yiyao: “Right!”

Ran Lin: “Ah, the smell of coconut. Is that coconut?”

Lu Yiyao: “It must be!”

Ran Lin was content.

Lu Yiyao had no guilt.

Although he kept his eyes tightly closed throughout, not even glimpsing a millimeter of the horizon, anyone could smell scents, right?

When the seat landed and the lights came on, Ran Lin was still immersed, while Lu Yiyao felt like he had been reborn from disaster.

Although Ran Lin wanted to savor the experience, they were racing against time for the tasks, so he quickly unfastened his seatbelt and stood up. Then he noticed Lu Yiyao still sitting, motionless.

Ran Lin nudged him, amused. “Don’t linger. We still have seven attractions waiting for us.”

Lu Yiyao remained as still as a statue, his expression serene. “Let me reminisce for another minute—just a minute.”

Ran Lin waited patiently, understanding him. Lu Yiyao gazed ahead, his face calm, and continued to secretly rub and knead his thigh muscles with his hands resting naturally on either side.

As promised, a minute later, Lu Yiyao, no matter how stiff, unfastened his seatbelt and stood up, embodying the upright man he was.

“Are you okay? Was it that cold inside?” Once out in the sunlight, Lu Yiyao’s face looked pale, as if he was freezing.

Lu Yiyao moved his arms and legs, appearing as if he just needed to stretch after sitting for too long. “Yes, the wind was blowing the whole time. Whatever the scene, it felt a bit cool.”

Ran Lin, puzzled, didn’t understand why their experiences were so different.

Eventually, he just assumed that Lu Yiyao was more sensitive to cold.

“It’s okay. You’ll warm up once we start running. Let’s go! Off to Fantasyland!” Ran Lin said, about to pull Lu Yiyao, a natural gesture.

Lu Yiyao also naturally… stepped back half a step.

“Shouldn’t we return to Roaring Mountain Rafting? I remember that’s on the list too.” He still remembered the attraction they had missed. After all, that was in the water and seemed more… down-to-earth.

Ran Lin shook his head without hesitation. “There will only be more people queuing there by now. We can’t turn back. We need to push forward. Everyone is playing their way through the park, so each attraction will distribute visitors. This means the further ahead we go, the fewer people in line and the faster the play. We might miss some attractions, but we must strive to stay ahead of the main crowd. That’s the only way to play the most attractions in the shortest time.”

Lu Yiyao had no counterargument and followed.

Just as Ran Lin predicted, half an hour after the park opened, the closely connected “Adventure Isle” and “Treasure Cove” successfully captured most of the crowd. By the time they reached “Fantasyland”, except for the popular “Seven Dwarfs Mine Train” with a longer queue, the other attractions looked quite inviting.

Within fifteen minutes, they queued up for the Winnie the Pooh Adventure!

Riding the whimsical car, wandering through a hundred-acre forest, and Pooh’s dream world…

The journey was short, but memorable.

Coming out, Lu Yiyao’s face had turned from pale to rosy, full of energy. “I like this one!”

Ran Lin nodded. “I could tell. Your eyes lit up when you sat in the car.”

“A theme park should be warm and whimsical like this,” Lu Yiyao said, taking out the list and seriously studying it for once. “What other task is this kind of ground train mode? We can go there first.”

“…” Ran Lin felt something was off. “You don’t love Pooh’s world but love this kind of experience?”

Lu Yiyao coughed lightly, calmly putting away the list. “I love Pooh, and I love this experience.”

Ran Lin laughed, teasing: “This kind of ride is common. You can find track cars like this in any children’s park. What exactly do you love about it?”

Lu Yiyao looked into the distance, answering seriously, “Stability.”

Next to Pooh’s attraction was Fantasyland’s souvenir shop—Forest Treasures. In addition to shopping, it served another purpose—stamping for the Dream Stamps!

Ran Lin’s strategy was to enjoy attractions first, then complete stamps and photos. But if they could stamp a few along the way, it was a bonus.

As the stamp machine slowly spit out the passport, Ran Lin saw a new green circular stamp on the Hundred-Acre Wood page. It depicted Pooh, Piglet, and Tigger, with “Friends of the Hundred-Acre Wood” written above. Pooh was in the middle with honey, and Tigger was beside him, tail swaying.

Theme parks are indeed magical places where, when fully immersed, even a small stamp can bring immense happiness.

Ran Lin felt just that, increasingly fond of the stamp he held. He even showed it to Lu Yiyao, pointing out the thin pig on it and asking, “Don’t you think this little guy looks like Xia Xinran?”

Lu Yiyao seriously considered it. “What’s its personality?”

Ran Lin thought for a moment. “Seems shy and a bit neurotic.”

Lu Yiyao shook his head. “Then it’s nothing like him.”

Ran Lin was amused that Lu Yiyao seriously matched personalities. “If we’re talking lively, then it would be Tigger. But I already have you, so we can’t have two Tiggers, right?”

Lu Yiyao: “…I never agreed to this character assignment!”

Fantasyland had the most tasks, and after stamping, they moved to Voyage to the Crystal Grotto.

Lu Yiyao finally encountered a water ride, but it was a million times gentler than Rafting, with a “smooth, contemplative” experience.

Unlike Soaring Over the Horizon and Winnie the Pooh’s fully dark interior, Voyage to the Crystal Grotto was outdoors and well-lit, so the cameramen could film both the scenery and the guests’ reactions.

They didn’t notice anything special entering the ride, but after completing it, they felt the increase in crowd density in Fantasyland.

This wasn’t a good sign.

“We need to speed up.” Relaxed from completing two attractions, Ran Lin finally geared up again, spurred by the growing crowd. Lu Yiyao was ready to run like mad to avoid the masses.

“Please wait a moment!” A young man in a black down jacket stopped them as they were about to dash off.

They paused, Ran Lin thinking he was a passerby with a question, and Lu Yiyao assuming he was a fan wanting an autograph. But it was neither. The young man, with a simple and honest smile, asked directly, “I saw you two come out of the Crystal Grotto. Can you tell me what classic scenes are inside? Every ride has a long queue, and I’m afraid it won’t be worth it.”

Exchanging glances, they wondered why he chose them—did the trailing cameraman make them look like outdoor show hosts?

“It’s pretty, but there’s no lighting during the day,” Ran Lin shared succinctly. “If you’re not in a hurry, it might be better at night.”

The young man eagerly asked for more details. Good Samaritan* Ran Lin obliged, listing scenes from memory. “There’s Mulan, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Tangled… about that.”

*Send Buddha all the way to the west (送佛送到西). It’s an idiom referring to if you’re going to help someone, help them thoroughly, and don’t leave things half-done.

The man frowned, dissatisfied. “There should be one more. They say it’s six scenes. Think again…”

Ran Lin was stumped. He hadn’t paid that much attention, remembering five was already impressive…

“Mickey,” Lu Yiyao suddenly added. “There’s also a scene with Mickey in a dream.”

Ran Lin raised an eyebrow, surprised at his partner, as if to say, “So you were paying attention!”

Lu Yiyao smiled calmly, secretly relieved. He only remembered that one because Mickey’s sleeping cap in that scene seemed perfect for Ran Lin.

Just as the teammates shared a silent understanding, the young man suddenly zipped open his down jacket, making a harsh, grating sound.

Startled, they braced for anything, but the man pulled out two steaming fast passes and offered them with a sly grin. “Congratulations on completing the bonus question!”

…Seriously?!

They finally realized it was a setup but couldn’t complain on camera about the director’s trickery. Besides, those were fast passes for Roaring Mountain Rafting!

While waiting for the Crystal Grotto, Ran Lin had sneaked a peek at a passerby’s phone, which showed Thunder Mountain Rafting’s queue time equal to Soaring Over the Horizon at “135 minutes”—and that was just an hour after opening!

With the fast pass time approaching, they darted back to Adventure Isle for Roaring Mountain Rafting!

Perhaps good luck does have a chain reaction. Their journey afterwards was exceptionally smooth. They completed all but one of the eight attractions, with the initial decision to tackle Soaring Over the Horizon and the lucky fast passes for Roaring Mountain Rafting saving them at least four to five hours!

What does five hours mean? They had completed all seven tasks and obtained a fast pass for Tron Lightcycle Power Run, the park’s second-most popular ride, within just five hours of entering the park.

Tron Lightcycle Power Run is the second-most popular attraction in the theme park. Its queue time is slightly shorter than Soaring Over the Horizon, primarily because of its high speed—reportedly the fastest roller coaster ever built by Disney. Riders sit on devices resembling high-speed motorcycles, holding onto the handlebars, leaning forward, and securing the back with safety supports. They then experience the exhilarating sensation of rapid flips and turns.

Thus, compared to Soaring, its cycle time is shorter, allowing faster turnover of guests.

Surprisingly, Ran Lin managed to get a fast pass for the Tron Lightcycle Power Run. Although the designated time slot on the ticket was after 4 p.m., still three hours away, those three hours could be efficiently used to collect stamps, take photos, and watch performances. These activities generally didn’t require queuing, so as long as you find the right spots quickly and accurately, three hours should be more than enough to complete them leisurely.

“We’ve got this win in the bag!” As soon as Ran Lin pulled out the fast pass, he beamed confidently at Lu Yiyao.

“Yeah,” Lu Yiyao nodded, pocketing his own fast pass.

Ran Lin found it odd. “You don’t seem very excited?”

Lu Yiyao quickly shook his head. “No, it’s not that. Maybe I’m just a bit tired from all the running.”

Ran Lin didn’t suspect anything amiss and reassuringly patted his teammate’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. Next up is just walking around. Most of the stamp machines are in the shops, so we’ll collect stamps as we shop and can also complete the photo and performance tasks.”

Lu Yiyao didn’t respond but suddenly suggested, “Let’s find somewhere to eat first.”

It was already one in the afternoon, and neither had had lunch. Ran Lin naturally agreed, “Okay, wait here. I’ll go buy a couple of burgers.”

As Ran Lin was about to leave, Lu Yiyao stopped him, adding, “I don’t really want to eat while walking…”

Ran Lin was surprised at Lu Yiyao’s sudden concern for manners and patiently explained, “Though we have ample time, we should still try to move forward. Eating in a restaurant would waste too much time.”

Fwish—

Suddenly, the roar of the Tron Lightcycle Power Run whizzed past nearby, leaving only the echo of high-pitched screams from its riders in the air.

Lu Yiyao straightened his back and swallowed hard, then looked earnestly at Ran Lin. “I’d still prefer to eat sitting down in a restaurant.”

Ran Lin had never thought of Lu Yiyao as whimsical or stubborn. If it were Xia Xinran insisting, it would be understandable, but coming from Lu Yiyao, it seemed oddly out of character.

Still, considering they had enough time, indulging his teammate seemed harmless.

So they ended up eating until nearly two o’clock, with Lu Yiyao finally finishing lunch under Ran Lin’s increasingly impatient urging.

Ran Lin’s patience was nearly worn thin. Without further ado, he grabbed Lu Yiyao and headed straight to the Frozen Sing-Along Celebration!

After enjoying the Frozen performance, completing the stamp collection and photo tasks became a breeze, except for Lu Yiyao’s inexplicably slow pace. Everything seemed to be heading in a good direction, especially after collecting the last stamp at the Marvel Hero Headquarters, filling Ran Lin with immense satisfaction.

“There’s no Iron Man in the photo tasks, right?” Lu Yiyao watched as Ran Lin excitedly dashed towards the towering Iron Man statue, making various unreasonable requests to the cameraman for shots from distant to close, panoramic to close-up. He couldn’t comprehend the fan-like excitement on Ran Lin’s face.

Bearded Cameraman Sun was very accommodating, shooting as requested. His indulgence was like that of a loving father taking his son to Disneyland.

Lu Yiyao sighed and looked at his own cameraman. The cameraman got the hint. “You want one too?”

Lu Yiyao hesitated. “No, I like Spider-Man more.”

The cameraman excitedly pointed to the side.

Confused, Lu Yiyao looked over and saw an out-of-place temporary sign in Disney’s dreamy style—[Spider-Man Photo Op This Way.]

After posing with Iron Man, Ran Lin had only one feeling—a dream come true!

After posing with Spider-Man, Lu Yiyao had only one feeling—he couldn’t bear to look back.

He couldn’t fathom why he mimicked Spider-Man’s crouching, web-slinging pose during the photo op, eliciting cheers and applause from countless kids waiting for their turn.

He must be sick.

This place called Disney must be enchanted!

“Ran Lin, this is Xia Xinran calling Ran Lin!” As they exited Marvel Headquarters, Sun Ge’s walkie-talkie crackled with Xia Xinran’s familiar call.

Kindly, Sun Ge handed the walkie-talkie to Ran Lin.

Taking it, Ran Lin pressed the talk button. “I’m here. I’m here.”

“How’s the situation on your end?” Xia Xinran’s voice sounded hoarse, either from exhaustion or shouting all day.

“We’ve finished everything except the Tron Lightcycle Power Run!” Ran Lin had been waiting all afternoon to proudly proclaim this. Unfortunately, they completely missed the other four teammates in the vast park. Thankfully, Xia Xinran reached out first.

“Stamps and performance too?”

“Yeah.”

“Ahhhh!” Xia’s scream of frustration echoed through the walkie-talkie. “How can you be faster than me? We’ve finished everything too, just missing Soaring Over the Horizon and Tron Lightcycle Power Run!”

Ran Lin’s mouth curled smugly. “You got the tactics wrong.”

Xia Xinran ignored him and asked directly, “So you’re queuing for the Tron Lightcycle Power Run now?”

Ran Lin was almost grinning. “We got fast passes. Time’s up, so… we’re heading there now, haha!”

Whenever Ran Lin interacted with Xia Xinran, he always felt an inexplicable urge to tease him a bit. As expected, Xia Xinran’s wails over the walkie-talkie were heart-wrenching. “Our rapid roller coaster also needs fast passes, but they can only be used after five o’clock. Ahhhhh—”

“If you keep howling like that, the staff will kick us out…” Gu Jie’s deep and magnetic voice easily pierced through Xia Xinran’s high decibel shrieks, transmitting clearly through the walkie-talkie.

Xia Xinran’s screams abruptly stopped. Then, the walkie-talkie buzzed again, this time with Gu Jie speaking. “Guys on the other side, don’t get ahead of yourselves. It’s not over until it’s over.”

Xia Xinran’s howls were out of frustration, but Gu Jie’s words conveyed a determination to never give up until the last moment. Ran Lin’s fighting spirit was ignited. “Alright, we’re heading to the rapid roller coaster now!”

Returning the walkie-talkie to Sun Ge and taking one last reluctant look at Iron Man as a farewell, Ran Lin took a deep breath and turned decisively to Lu Yiyao. “Let’s go. Let’s make them accept their defeat convincingly!”

“Okay,” Lu Yiyao naturally agreed, his heart beating chaotically, thumping and crackling.

Ran Lin was so focused on achieving a perfect finish that he didn’t notice Lu Yiyao’s unusual behavior. It was only when they reached the entrance of the rapid roller coaster in Tomorrowland that Lu Yiyao refused to move any further, making Ran Lin finally realize something was amiss.

“You’re not scared, are you?” At first, Ran Lin didn’t take it seriously, half-joking and half-reassuring. “Anyone over 122 centimeters can ride, and although it’s fast, considering children, it mainly moves at high speed without any real 360° flips. At most, it’s just a tilt of the body.”

Lu Yiyao remained silent, only lifting his head to stare at the roller coaster tracks above.

Ran Lin thought he was still hesitating and simply said, “Okay, let’s just stand here and watch it once, and you’ll know it’s not as scary as you think.”

Two minutes later, the roller coaster, filled with tourists, sped past the two standing on the overpass. This group of passengers was energetic, leaving behind hearty roars instead of screams.

“See, it’s not that bad,” Ran Lin said, relieved, turning to Lu Yiyao.

But then he was taken aback.

Lu Yiyao’s complexion was even paler than before, a good two shades lighter than Ran Lin’s memory of the Famous Lu. And his expression was off, no longer showing any hesitation or frowning, just stiff, like he was petrified.

Ran Lin tentatively touched his teammate.

“Hmm? Are you calling me?” Lu Yiyao seemed to come back to his senses, looking over blankly.

Ran Lin swore that Lu Yiyao’s body trembled slightly when touched. Although it was faint and almost imperceptible to the eye, the feeling at his fingertips did not lie.

“Are you okay?” Ran Lin didn’t try to persuade him further, feeling the situation might be more serious than he thought.

After an unknown length of time, so long that Ran Lin began to doubt whether his question was just an illusion, Lu Yiyao finally leaned on the railing of the overpass, his stiff body gradually relaxing.

“I’m fine.” Lu Yiyao sighed softly, finally looking at Ran Lin, seemingly trying to smile but failing. “I’m just gearing up.”

Ran Lin looked at his teammate’s face, realizing for the first time that “gearing up for courage” was such a solemn matter.

“How much longer?” Lu Yiyao suddenly asked.

Knowing he was referring to the validity of the fast pass, which was only an hour, Ran Lin immediately checked his watch. “Fifty minutes left.”

Lu Yiyao pondered for a moment, then asked in a negotiating tone, warm and gentle. “Can I gear up a bit more?”

Ran Lin instinctively nodded and added, to avoid pressuring Lu Yiyao, “Xia Xinran and the others have tickets for after five o’clock, so they’ll have to wait behind us anyway.”

Lu Yiyao nodded, saying nothing more, just staring at the Tron Lightcycle Power Run track ahead, continuing to gear up.

Ran Lin didn’t say anything more either. He just quietly stood by, waiting for his teammate to be ready.

Half an hour passed.

Lu Yiyao was like a beautifully sculpted statue, and Ran Lin always wondered why no sparrows landed on his shoulder.

With a sigh, Ran Lin slapped his teammate on the back.

Caught in deep thought, Lu Yiyao jolted, turning around sharply and silently, but his face was darker than ever.

Ran Lin grinned while the sun shone radiantly. “Let’s go watch the parade.”

He was now immune to Lu Yiyao’s pallor. The man was just a paper tiger, intimidating at first but easily punctured.

Lu Yiyao hadn’t expected Ran Lin to slap his back for this, pausing for a while before saying, “After the parade, the fast pass will expire.”

Ran Lin was embarrassed, thinking to himself that Lu Yiyao had the awareness to gear up at the Tron Lightcycle Power Run for half an hour.

But instead he said, “Then we’ll just queue again.” He seemed impatient, pulling Lu Yiyao’s arm to leave. “Come on, let’s go, the parade.”

Lu Yiyao let Ran Lin pull him, but his feet didn’t move.

Ran Lin realized for the first time that Lu Yiyao was a powerhouse; if he didn’t want to move, he couldn’t be pulled away.

“Tigger buddy,” Ran Lin said helplessly, using the nickname earnestly. “If you don’t move, we’ll miss the parade too.”

The word “too” illuminated Lu Yiyao’s mind.

“You know I’m afraid of heights.” It was a statement, not a question.

Ran Lin laughed and sighed. “As if I wouldn’t have guessed after half an hour of gearing up.”

Lu Yiyao heard the tease in his teammate’s voice but wasn’t upset; in fact, he felt most apologetic, as they had everything under control.

“I’m sorry.” Lu Yiyao thought it would be hard to admit this, as it was truly embarrassing, but looking at Ran Lin, who kept giving him ways out, it didn’t seem so hard. “I’m actually acrophobic.”

“I know.” Ran Lin patted his shoulder. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t have chosen to eat super spicy rice noodles.”

Lu Yiyao was surprised. “You knew then?”

Ran Lin: “Of course not. I just thought of it!”

Lu Yiyao was a bit embarrassed but still earnestly said, “I know what you’re thinking—that this kind of thing is just a psychological barrier and that it’s fine once overcome. But it’s not that simple. It’s a physiological reaction; not that it can’t be overcome, but it requires a long time and a lot of repetition, like flying. I fly almost every day now, and I’ve mostly overcome the nervousness, but I still can’t sleep soundly. As for roller coasters, where the whole body is exposed to high altitudes, don’t even think about it. Just standing here watching them, my breathing…”

“Who told you that’s what I think?”

“Huh?”

Ran Lin sighed helplessly. “Can you not volunteer to fill in the blanks for others? Of course, I know it’s a physiological reaction that’s hard to overcome. Otherwise, I wouldn’t still be afraid of needles now.”

Lu Yiyao was stunned. “Afraid of needles?”

Ran Lin: “Yes, I get dizzy and nauseous at the sight of a needle tip. When I was young, it was fear of getting shots. Now even seeing my assistant embroider cross-stitch makes me uncomfortable.”

Lu Yiyao: “Why does your assistant embroider cross-stitch?”

Ran Lin: “Maybe she’s… a bit idle?”

Lu Yiyao: “How unpopular are you…”

Seeing the topic veering towards a friendship breakdown, the two partners timely stopped, looked deeply at each other, and hooked their arms together—

“Let’s go.”

Under the sun, the shadows of the two difficult brothers merged into one, each containing the other.

Xia Xinran and Gu Jie, who rushed over in time with their fast pass, saw from a distance the two walking down from the overpass, leaning on each other, supporting each other, like…

Xia Xinran: “Ran Lin, did you fall?”

Gu Jie: “Lu Yiyao, did you twist your ankle?”

Xia Xinran: “…”

Gu Jie: “…”

Xia and Gu: “What’s with that look!”

Xia and Gu: “You’re copying me!”

Ran Lin and Lu Yiyao stood there, supporting each other more firmly—without comparison, there would be no affection. Now, they appreciated their teammates even more.

“Going to see the parade?” Xia Xinran, upon learning that the two were neither sick, injured, nor had twisted an ankle, but were simply going to watch the parade, was frustrated. “Ah, you still got ahead of us!”

Ran Lin was embarrassed, and Lu Yiyao raised his hand. “We didn’t go on the Tron Lightcycle Power Run, so you guys are the real winners.”

“Why didn’t you go?” Gu Jie checked his newly bought Mickey Mouse watch. “You still have time on your fast pass, right?”

Indeed, there were still three minutes left.

And—

Xia Xinran tilted his head, suspiciously sizing up the two partners. “You guys just came down from there, right? You really didn’t go? If you lie to me, I will be really upset.”

Ran Lin rolled his eyes at him and simply took out the unused fast pass from his pocket and handed it over.

Gu Jie and Xia Xinran examined the fast pass thoroughly and finally confirmed that the two really hadn’t gone.

But this didn’t make sense; victory was within their grasp…

“Were you two waiting for us?” Gu Jie could only come up with this explanation.

Before the parties could answer, Xia Xinran immediately debunked it. “Impossible. Ran Lin was too happy on the phone!”

Ran Lin cleared his throat, pretending he heard nothing.

Gu Jie narrowed his eyes, scanning his two partners for the second time, trying to find a clue to the truth…

Lu Yiyao sighed and pointed to his nose. “This guy is afraid of heights.”

Gu Jie: “…”

Xia Xinran: “…”

Gu and Xia: “Pffft hahaha—”

Ran Lin put his arm around Lu Yiyao’s shoulder, patting him lightly. “Hang in there.”

Lu Yiyao nodded. “I know. It’s illegal to hit people.”

After enough laughter, Xia Xinran finally wiped away his tears, declaring, “I’m going to watch the parade too!”

Lu Yiyao and Ran Lin were stunned.

Gu Jie nodded in approval. “Good idea, seconded.”

Lu Yiyao probably understood his friends’ intentions. He was moved but still felt it was unnecessary. “You guys play your games. Don’t feel it’s dishonorable; after all, acrophobia… cough, is also part of strength.”

Gu Jie, seeing Lu Yiyao couldn’t continue, didn’t tease about the “strength theory” anymore but instead asked, “Why must we ‘win’?”

Lu Yiyao was confused. “There’s always a winner in a competition.”

Gu Jie: “Who said this is a competition?”

Lu Yiyao: “…”

Ran Lin, understanding, smiled and added, “Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were never in competition.”

Lu Yiyao suddenly realized. He was touched and couldn’t help but laugh. “So now we…”

Gu Jie grabbed Xia Xinran, imitating Lu Yiyao and Ran Lin’s poses. “Let’s rise up!”

“Hey, hey, my neck is going to break—”

Under the sunlight, more and more indistinguishable shadows merged.

Finally, Gu Jie used the walkie-talkie to connect with Zhang Beichen and Tang Xiaoyu, only to find that they were already on Mickey Avenue.

It turns out they saved Soaring Over the Horizon for last, but as the parade was about to start and the queue was still long, they gave up and came to watch the parade. After all, visiting Disney without experiencing any attractions but watching the parade is like going to Guilin without cruising the Li River or visiting Sichuan without seeing pandas.

At 10 p.m., the recording finally ended.

The six watched the parade, enjoyed the light show, rode the carousel, ventured through Alice’s Garden Maze, and visited the Fantasy Fairy Tale Castle… They experienced what was on the list and played even those not listed, sometimes queuing multiple times for favorites like Xia Xinran’s beloved carousel and Ran Lin’s obsession, Iron Man.

Indeed, Ran Lin went back for a second photo.

Lu Yiyao’s expression then was no better than Gu Jie’s, waiting by the carousel.

In the end, no group completed all the tasks.

Lu Yiyao, Ran Lin, Xia Xinran, and Gu Jie missed the Tron Lightcycle Power Run.

Zhang Beichen and Tang Xiaoyu missed Soaring Over the Horizon.

To be honest, missing these signature attractions of Shanghai Disney was a regret. But they used the time to explore every corner of the park, every shop, and even revisited some less popular but still beautiful and dreamy attractions—a truly leisurely experience that hours of queuing couldn’t replace.

More importantly, they had no more rivals, only partners.

The joy of one person is one, but six friends together are infinitely joyous.

This episode wasn’t about Fairy Tale First Love, but a Fairy Tale Drifting Group.

The director was surprised but pleased with the outcome. “So this episode’s recording ends here. Thank you all for your hard work today…”

“Wait a minute!” Xia Xinran suddenly interrupted. “We haven’t shouted our slogan yet.”

The director was baffled. “What slogan? Do we have one?”

Lu Yiyao smiled. “We didn’t before, but we do now.”

Without waiting for the director’s reaction, the six put their hands together, one over the other, like team members do before a collective match.

Xia Xinran started, “National First Love Drifting Story—”

Everyone together: “For love and justice!”

Their overlapping hands burst apart, releasing morale and deep camaraderie.

The director, watching, was moved to tears…

Who came up with this slogan!

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