Swallowing her food with effort, Hua Lianxi lifted the bowl of soup and drank it straight down. She gulped more than half the bowl before stopping, then proceeded to sweep through the rest of the dishes on the table with a whirlwind appetite, leaving Cheng Yi standing there dumbfounded.
"Weren't you supposed to eat slowly? Are you watching me eat? It's been so long—looks like your cooking skills have improved. Hmm, this braised pork is delicious!" Hua Lianxi puffed out her cheeks, stuffing a big piece of braised pork into her mouth while praising Cheng Yi.
Stunned, Cheng Yi picked up her chopsticks and silently ate small bites, carefully observing Hua Lianxi. She felt as if her friend had turned into a madwoman. Fear crept in that Hua Lianxi might spiral into despair and become another Hua Zhenzhen.
With a gulp, Hua Lianxi swallowed and picked up a piece of meat, placing it into Cheng Yi's bowl. "Eat quickly! Once you finish, we're going to have a blast outside!" Then she buried her head and shoveled in another big mouthful of rice—without even bothering with vegetables.
"Oh, take your time! What's the rush? If you yell, I'll follow you through fire and water—anything at all, just for you to be happy!" Worried she might choke, Cheng Yi hurriedly set down her own chopsticks and refilled Hua Lianxi's soup bowl to the brim.
Suddenly, a tightness gripped Hua Lianxi's throat. Her swallowing slowed, and then she started coughing violently, "cough, cough, cough."
"I told you to eat slowly!" Cheng Yi gently patted her back to help her catch her breath, pouting as she scolded, "Hua Lianxi, you're so useless! That lousy man just paid up—who does he think he is? Besides, this was a deal. So why are people gossiping all over town? Hmph! Why didn't he come forward to clear things up? And why did those gossip mongers dig up Auntie's past? For that alone, he deserves to die!" Regardless of their relationship, exposing the innocent Hua Zhenzhen's past without shame for everyone to gloat over was unforgivable.
Lowering her head to sip the soup, Hua Lianxi's delicate face nearly buried in the bowl, she listened silently to Cheng Yi's fiery words without a single rebuttal.
The hidden scars were mercilessly torn open, bleeding and mangled before her eyes—yet all she could do was watch from afar, helpless. She couldn't even utter a word to defend her mother. At least now, she was grateful her mother was insulated in self-entwined oblivion, severed from reality. As long as she remained isolated, unaware, she would avoid pain.
Cheng Yi's relentless tirade finally subsided upon noticing Hua Lianxi's silence. Sheepishly, she returned to her seat, quietly picking up some vegetables. She glanced at Hua Lianxi again and finally moved her lips, "I'm sorry, Xixi." Though wanting to vent for her, Cheng Yi realized she had just forced open Hua Lianxi's concealed wounds and harshly trampled on them.
"Cheng Yi, don't worry. My mom and I are doing fine. Your job today is just to keep me company and have fun!" Hua Lianxi put down her bowl and stood up, winking playfully. "We're going to the amusement park soon—to ride the roller coaster!"
Cheng Yi dropped the vegetables she had just stuffed into her mouth, letting them fall onto the table. "Hua Lianxi, no way! I'm NOT going! I refuse to ride!" Slamming down her chopsticks, she stubbornly resisted.
"Hmph, remember who braved breaking her legs to climb mountains with you for three days straight after your breakup? And now you're backing out?!" Hua Lianxi glared, dredging up the blood, sweat, and tears of how Cheng Yi insisted on climbing every day to lose weight, her body almost paralyzed for a week afterward, mocked and gossiped about on campus.
"Wah wah… Hua Lianxi, is that how you count your debts? After all these years, you still remember? You're so cruel!" Hysterically sobbing face-down on the table, Cheng Yi refused to admit how immature she once was. Now she especially didn't want to push her limits. Years ago, she swore she would never ride roller coasters or play thrilling games—to avoid scaring herself silly.
A snicker escaped Hua Lianxi. She paid no mind to Cheng Yi's wails. "Hurry up! I changed clothes and we're leaving soon!"
An hour and a half later, dressed in casual clothes, the two friends stood at the entrance of the amusement park.
Looking up at the vertical roller coaster zipping through the air like a tornado, Cheng Yi shivered and, trembling, clutched Hua Lianxi's sleeve. "Xixi, I'm the only daughter in the Cheng family. What if I die halfway through? Can you bear my parents, already in their fifties, losing their daughter? My brother won't have a sister anymore!"
Popping her hand free, Hua Lianxi squinted slightly and looked up at the roller coaster looping again and again. The piercing screams from heights nearly pierced her eardrums. "Cheng Yi, you stay on the ground. If I have a heart attack or die up there, then I'm counting on you to look after my mom!" She said seriously, dragging trembling Cheng Yi straight to the ticket booth.
After getting their tickets, Hua Lianxi ignored all other rides and headed directly to the roller coaster. As a group arrived at the same time, they found themselves near the back of the sparse line—and just got on for one round.
Tiptoeing to peek at the track that twisted like a whirlwind, Cheng Yi clenched her teeth.
"Xixi, aren't you scared? Think about it: it's a vertical drop! You dive from the highest point, then climb and plunge again—over and over in a loop. Even screaming would break your voice, not to mention the repeated terror of the steep drops. We're so fragile; how can our hearts take it?" She felt such a thrilling ride was totally unsuitable for them. One wrong moment, truly scared stiff—heart attack in seconds, life over.
Shoving her bag into Cheng Yi's arms, Hua Lianxi climbed into the coaster, pulling down the safety bar, fastening the seatbelt around her waist, and smiling, "Yi Yi, wait for me here. If I die, at least you'll be here to claim my body!"
Seeing Hua Lianxi board without hesitation, Cheng Yi stomped anxiously, running off but returning in less than a minute. She jumped into the seat next to Hua Lianxi, pulling down her safety bar while speaking rapidly, "Hmph! If I die, I'm haunting you!"
"Actually, I was just about to tell you to go store your bag!" Hua Lianxi laughed, adjusting her seatbelt and teasing Cheng Yi.
Despite her complaints about fear, with Cheng Yi's loyal personality, she'd stick with her no matter what. Hua Lianxi was certain this was the Cheng Yi she knew.
Braving danger for a friend was something Hua Lianxi could do, and Cheng Yi was no less brave—that was likely why their strong bond felt like kindred spirits.
"You're ruthless, Hua Lianxi!" Cheng Yi muttered as she checked her belt and shut her eyes early, just like Hua Lianxi guessed. As the saying goes, "Closing your eyes makes things easier to bear."
Though she couldn't leave Hua Lianxi alone to face the thrill, Cheng Yi sensed her friend wanted to vent pent-up frustrations through this adrenaline rush. Even if not needed for company, as a friend she wanted to stay by her side.
The coaster began moving slowly. Hua Lianxi watched the track climbing, wide-eyed, then gripped the safety bar tight as it accelerated. At the highest point, the coaster paused briefly for a second, and she held her breath. Suddenly, it plunged down, and she screamed loudly, "Ah!" Her eyes closed instinctively mid-scream. In those few seconds suspended in midair, overwhelming terror spread through her. Her heart swelled and screamed as if ready to burst from the endless shrieks and fear.
The short plummet felt like a battle between life and death—approaching death infinitely, yet unable to grasp onto herself.
Completing one loop, the coaster climbed again slowly. Hua Lianxi opened her eyes, pale as a ghost, hanging upside down. She saw the blue sky segmented by the curved tracks.
Forgetting the fear that would come next, she drank in the sky's blue with all her soul. She took a deep breath and suddenly felt the beauty of life. All darkness seemed to vanish under the vast blue sky.
Before she fully recovered, the coaster had climbed again and suddenly dove down again, forming a perfect semicircle.
Hua Lianxi opened her mouth to shout, freely releasing the pent-up frustrations and anger alongside the others screaming. She wanted to abandon all her troubles high in the sky, to rediscover herself amid the battle between life and death, returning to her own simple, beautiful world.
After several intense loops in just minutes, when the coaster slowly pulled into the station, Hua Lianxi was dizzy and barely had the strength to push up the safety bar.
Her once-smooth long hair was now completely disheveled from the wild ride. Cheng Yi's face was pale, both hands gripping the safety bar tightly. Even though the coaster stopped moving, she still had her eyes closed, feeling as if her whole body drifted in the terrifying heights.
"Yi Yi..." Hua Lianxi weakly called, turning to her friend, covering her heart with both hands. She was relieved she hadn't had a heart attack midair.
"Xixi... I'm dying... or maybe I'm already dead... my heart's about to explode..." Cheng Yi huffed, leaning weakly against her seat, eyes tightly shut.
"We're off the ride!" Hua Lianxi was first to lift the safety bar and unbuckle. Trembling, she helped Cheng Yi lift her safety bar and unfasten her belt. "Having survived life and death together, we're now best friends who can withstand any storm!"
Being able to share joy is one thing—but to accompany someone facing danger, brushing close to death's threat, knowing the fear yet staying by your side—that kind of friend is rare in a lifetime.