Her head held captive, Huo Rou swiftly grabbed Qin Ningyi's hand, a fierce glint in her eyes, like a lone wolf whose vital spot has been threatened.
Qin Ningyi's tone remained exceptionally gentle, "A Rou."
Under his tender gaze, Huo Rou regained her senses, knowing he meant her no harm. The strength in her hand loosened.
However, just as she was about to speak, Qin Ningyi forcefully pulled her towards him, his intent undeniable.
Amidst gasps of surprise, his lips met Huo Rou's icy cold ones.
He wanted to taste someone even more stubborn than himself.
The calmness in Huo Rou's eyes shattered in an instant. She stood frozen, forgetting to overcome her fear and forgetting to maintain her composure.
Qin Ningyi's initial forceful kiss gradually softened into a tender, lingering embrace. Within his patient, gentle kisses, Huo Rou finally closed her eyes, which she had been forcing open.
In darkness, she drifted amidst a profound sense of weightlessness, inhaling only Qin Ningyi's crisp scent. Under his meticulous and gentle attention, she slowly succumbed.
The rushing wind in her ears, the excited screams, all seemed shrouded in a thick mist, their clarity dulled.
The world fell silent, leaving only the warmth of lips and the clear, sweet taste in her mouth.
As the roller coaster slowed, Qin Ningyi slowly released her.
Huo Rou opened her hazy eyes. The roller coaster gradually came to a halt, marking the end of the ride.
She looked at Qin Ningyi's flushed lips, felt the heat on her own cheeks, and for a moment, didn't know how to react.
Qin Ningyi rarely saw Huo Rou so demure and dazed. Now, her eyes reflected his face, completely devoid of the feigned indifference she usually projected.
"Feeling any better?" Qin Ningyi's voice was soft, as if the person who had forcefully kissed her moments ago wasn't him.
Huo Rou didn't know how to answer. She wasn't dazed anymore, but her heart was beating far too fast.
As she hesitated about what to say, her body suddenly plunged downwards.
The roller coaster hadn't ended; it had merely paused on a long platform before commencing another vertical drop.
Unprepared, Huo Rou let out a soft cry and instinctively grabbed Qin Ningyi's hand resting on her cheek.
Qin Ningyi looked at her tightly shut eyes and the strength in her grip. A startled fawn always evoked tenderness; what if this fawn began to learn trust…
Qin Ningyi suddenly laughed.
He freed one hand, pressing Huo Rou to his shoulder, stroking her head with utmost gentleness, calling her name repeatedly.
Finally, after this rapid descent, the roller coaster slowly stopped back at its starting position.
An An was brought over by a staff member and waited nearby. Upon seeing Qin Ningyi and Huo Rou appear, he immediately ran to greet them.
"Mom and Dad, was it fun? Was this fun?" he asked, his large, round eyes fixed on them.
As Qin Ningyi stood up, he extended his hand to Huo Rou.
Huo Rou pretended not to see it and used her hands to prop herself up on the safety bar, intending to stand.
Qin Ningyi now knew how to interact with Huo Rou. Ignoring her actions, he stepped in front of her, slid his hands under her arms, and lifted her entirely.
Like picking up a child, Qin Ningyi turned and placed her next to An An.
Huo Rou's face instantly flushed, looking considerably rosier.
Qin Ningyi felt a slight sense of relief. Disregarding An An's curious gaze, he walked away, holding both their hands.
"Wow, Mr. Qin is so handsome!" a staff member exclaimed from the side.
"More than handsome, he's so manly, so romantic!" another staff member, responsible for printing photos, rushed over with a picture. "Mr. Qin kissed his wife on the roller coaster! Are we still going to sell this photo to other riders?"
The roller coaster attendant glanced at the photo. Amidst the blurred background, everyone else was either screaming loudly or squeezing their eyes shut in fear. Only Qin Ningyi, completely oblivious to his surroundings, held the person beside him and kissed her.
The adoration and tenderness on his face were unmistakable.
The attendant snatched the photo back. "Don't sell it. Are you tired of living?"
He chased after Qin Ningyi with the photo. "Mr. Qin, this is a souvenir photo, please take it."
As the photo was handed over, Huo Rou's eyes immediately fell on Qin Ningyi's sharply defined jawline, her own tightly shut eyes, and their lips pressed together.
"An An wants to see too!" An An, being short, hadn't seen anything. He curiously tugged at Qin Ningyi's clothes. "Dad, show An An quickly."
Qin Ningyi looked at the photo, at Huo Rou nestled against him, completely trusting, his eyes overflowing with tenderness.
Before Huo Rou could shyly snatch the photo, Qin Ningyi took it first and put it in his pocket.
"Qin Ningyi!" Huo Rou's voice rose slightly as she called his name.
Qin Ningyi looked at her with amusement. Huo Rou, showing emotion, was truly adorable. He responded with a smile, "Hmm?"
"The photo," Huo Rou realized her previous exclamation had revealed her emotions. She steadied herself and spoke calmly.
"That's me on it," Qin Ningyi didn't engage directly. He turned to the staff member and said, "Send the negative to my email, thank you."
Receiving a thank you from Mr. Qin was an overwhelming honor. The staff member nodded earnestly in agreement.
No matter how much Huo Rou protested along the way, Qin Ningyi remained unyielding. Huo Rou glanced at the pocket holding the photo, but found it difficult to reach in and retrieve it.
Qin Ningyi was unusually ungentlemanly today. Something felt different.
An An looked from Huo Rou to Qin Ningyi. Their interaction after the roller coaster was so different from before. An An felt the roller coaster had been very worthwhile, so he pointed to the pirate ship next to them and said, "Mom and Dad, let's go on that one!"
Huo Rou looked at the pirate ship. It swung back and forth, seemingly without much sense of weightlessness. Moreover, there were other children on the ship, so An An could also go. She nodded, "Okay."
"No," Qin Ningyi said, his refusal absolute.
"An An wants to play," Huo Rou turned her head away, not wanting Qin Ningyi to see her eyes.
She felt as if he could see right through her.
"An An wants to play, I'll take him. You wait below," Qin Ningyi's "no" was directed only at Huo Rou.
If she hadn't known, Huo Rou's earlier distress made him reluctant for her to experience things she feared, even though he had benefited from it.
Huo Rou understood Qin Ningyi's concerns, and her heart warmed. Yet, she replied somewhat stiffly, "That doesn't have that much weightlessness."
"It just goes fast, it'll be fine," Huo Rou confirmed the pirate ship's trajectory again.
Qin Ningyi was hesitant to take risks. After all, for someone like Huo Rou who was accustomed to putting up a facade, a moment's inattention could lead her to retreat into herself again.
"You wait below," he stated, and then boarded the pirate ship with An An.
Huo Rou's heart warmed as she watched the pirate ship slowly begin to move. Behind the father and son, sat Xia Qingxue and Ren Zhen.