Beauty Snake - Chapter 60

Chapter 60: “Since F Ate Brought us Together Today, The Original Price for Two Was 188, But I’ll Only Take 168 From You.”

“Come and have a taste of sweet, delicious RQ Ice Cream—” The ice cream truck parked in front of the amusement park lot looped its brainwashing jingle and slogans. Ji Yunfei followed the sound and saw a long, winding queue.

Grand Opening Special: Delicious Ice Cream Buy-One-Get-One-Free! Only 9.9! Let RQ accompany you on your romantic journey. The billboard beside the truck featured marketing slogans written in various fluorescent colors; the bright red “9.9” immediately caught Ji Yunfei’s eye.

The midday sun was at its most ruthless. At a time like this, if only she had an ice cream…

Ji Yunfei was tempted. She gently tugged on the sleeve of the person beside her and whispered, “Look, RQ is buy-one-get-one-free…”

“Want some?”

“Well… actually it’s not that—hey!” Seeing the length of the line, she hesitated. But before she could finish her sentence, Xie Yin had already taken her hand and pulled her to the end of the queue.

“Regardless of whether you want it or not, I want to eat it. A-Fei will stay with me, right?” Xie Yin leaned down slightly, her eyes full of mirth as she looked into Ji Yunfei’s.

“Um… of course.” Ji Yunfei nodded, her lips curving upward uncontrollably.

This Xie Yin is getting better and better at this… I wonder where she learned it.

Though the line looked long, the service was fast. The two didn’t waste much time and soon secured two sweet RQ ice creams.

“Mmm… delicious…” The vanilla ice cream melted in her mouth, its sweetness spreading instantly and triggering a dopamine rush. Ji Yunfei’s eyes crinkled into half-moons.

“That good?”

“Of course…”

“Give me a taste? You can taste mine too.” As soon as she spoke, a strawberry cone that had only been nibbled a few times appeared before Ji Yunfei’s eyes.

Xie Yin has definitely been taking extra lessons! Although swapping ice cream is normal enough…

She was gradually getting used to Xie Yin’s proactive side. After all, they had done much more intimate things; what was there to be shy about over an ice cream? She nodded, took the strawberry cone from Xie Yin, and placed her own vanilla one into Xie Yin’s hand.

Mmm… the strawberry one is sweet but not cloying. It’s clearly the same ice cream, so why does it taste better coming from Xie Yin’s hand? By comparison, she suddenly didn’t want her vanilla one back…

A cone touched by A-Fei’s taste… is even sweeter… I don’t want to swap back…

Sharing the same thought, the two tacitly avoided mentioning the swap again. They finished their respective cones in a companionable silence as they strolled toward the park entrance.

A “Grand Opening” banner hung over the main gate, surrounded by pumpkin heads with various expressions. A giant vampire statue stood in the plaza; at night, it would probably make one’s skin crawl. Just as Ji Yunfei was feeling confused by the decor, a “ding” went off in her head—she suddenly remembered today was Halloween.

No wonder there were vendors along the way selling pumpkin lanterns and eerie masks…

“There’s a ‘Ghost Market’ tonight. Want to buy masks first?” Xie Yin gently wiped the corner of Ji Yunfei’s mouth with a tissue. Seeing her look up, Xie Yin smiled and pointed to a vendor near the gate. “The prices will double once we’re inside the park.”

“You certainly know how to save money, CEO Xie~” Ji Yunfei laughed and nodded, leading Xie Yin toward the vendor.

“Care for a mask, ladies? We have vampires, mummies, cat demons, everything…” Seeing business approach, the vendor immediately put on a smile and displayed the masks.

Ji Yunfei’s gaze was instantly captured by two half-face masks in the center—one black and one white, both featuring snake-scale patterns. Before her brain could react, her hand had already reached out.

Under the sunlight, the two masks reflected a shimmering, slightly dazzling light.

“How much for these two?”

Seeing her ask about the snake-patterned masks, the vendor beamed. “Oh, you have great taste, young lady! These are my most finely crafted models, very limited stock.”

“Since fate brought us together today, the original price for two was 188, but I’ll only take 168 from you.”

“…” Ji Yunfei’s smile froze. She exchanged a look with Xie Yin, silently pulled her hand back, and turned as if to walk away.

Seeing them leave, the vendor panicked. “Hey, hey! Let’s talk! How about this, I’ll give you a bit more of a discount. 160, how’s that?”

There’s still room for it to drop. Based on the vendor’s tone, Ji Yunfei made an instant judgment. She turned back around, her face set.

“120 for both. If not, we’ll look elsewhere.”

“Oh, you can’t haggle like that! I can’t even get them for that price. Look at the craftsmanship…” Hearing her offer, the vendor’s face scrunched up as he began his “sales talk.”

Ji Yunfei didn’t want to hear any more of his nonsense and pulled Xie Yin away. Realizing she was truly leaving, the vendor shouted gruffly, “Fine, fine! 120 for the pair, it’s a deal!”

Darn, my offer was still too high…

One hand scanned the payment code while the other took the goods. Ji Yunfei carefully tucked the two masks into her bag, afraid they might get scratched.

“I didn’t realize A-Fei was such a pro at haggling?”

“Not really. Sigh, 120 was still a bit high…” Hearing Xie Yin’s praise, Ji Yunfei suppressed a smile and shook her head with a tone of mock regret.

“But why did you pick these two specifically?” Seeing her protect the masks like treasure, Xie Yin was curious.

“Ahem, maybe it’s just… love at first sight.” Ji Yunfei pursed her lips. She found it strange herself; the moment she saw those masks, she couldn’t look away.

Just like when I saw Xie Yin…

“Anyway, let’s not talk about that. Today, I’m going to play as much as I want!” Ji Yunfei’s eyes crinkled. She took the tickets from her pocket and pulled Xie Yin toward the gate. Seeing her excitement, Xie Yin’s lips curved slightly; she said nothing.

She liked this version of A-Fei, so full of vitality.

“Aaaaah—!” The roar of the roller coaster rushing by mixed with the screams of the crowd, hitting Ji Yunfei’s heart like a massive stone.

She glanced at Xie Yin, whose eyes were practically glowing as she watched the ride. Ji Yunfei said tremulously, “Wait, wait… are you sure you want to do this?”

“Is A-Fei scared? If you’re scared, we won’t go… though I do quite like these thrill rides…” Xie Yin lowered her eyes, sounding a bit regretful. “But if you don’t like it, we’ll skip it…”

“…” Ji Yunfei looked at the person who was clearly trying to hide her disappointment, then at the coaster flying across the tracks and the screaming crowd. She gritted her teeth. “It’s fine. I’m not scared.”

She paused, then took Xie Yin’s hand. “Come on, let’s go face this ‘Sky Rocket’…”

How confident Ji Yunfei sounded before boarding was exactly how terrified she felt now, sitting in the car waiting for it to start.

Is it too late to back out?

Beep— Beep— Beep.

“Aaaaaah—!” Apparently, the roller coaster didn’t want to give her that chance. After the final beep, the coaster shot out like an arrow from a bow, leaving only Ji Yunfei’s terrified screams echoing behind.

The resistance of the wind forced Ji Yunfei to stiffen her neck. She squeezed her eyes shut, her facial expressions becoming quite a spectacle.

Suddenly, a touch of warmth covered the back of her hand, and then her entire hand was squeezed tightly. Forcing herself through the fear, she opened her eyes just a crack.

It was Xie Yin, of course…

Even at a time like this, she’s thinking about my feelings. It’s really hard not to love her…

Ji Yunfei forgot to be afraid. She shook her head inwardly, thinking that she was probably stuck with Xie Yin for life—no one else could ever compare…

“Ugh—” Soon, the coaster completed its circuit. Ji Yunfei didn’t remember how she got off the ride or how she ended up on a roadside bench. A wave of dizziness washed over her; she was feeling quite unwell.

“Are you okay? I shouldn’t have made you go with me…” Xie Yin sat beside her, gently pulling her into her embrace and massaging her head to soothe the discomfort.

“I’m okay, I just need a moment… as long as you had fun.” Ji Yunfei forced a small smile through her nausea. “What’s next?”

Seeing her forcing herself to endure, Xie Yin felt even more heartache. She shook her head. “Rest up first. We’ll play whatever you want to play.”

Hearing this, Ji Yunfei blinked and looked around.

Roller coaster, pendulum, spinning swings… they’d done them all…

All that was left nearby was… the haunted house named “Twilight Manor.”

“Let’s go to that one.” She pointed toward the eerie, castle-like building.

“Are you really okay?” Seeing Ji Yunfei head for the haunted house—even if it was what Xie Yin had hoped for—Xie Yin was still more concerned about her physical state.

Ji Yunfei didn’t answer. She simply stood up and reached out her hand to Xie Yin. Seeing Xie Yin look up at her, she arched an eyebrow and waved her hand in the air.

Seeing this, Xie Yin knew she couldn’t win the argument. With a silent sigh, she took the hand. One after the other, they walked toward the castle where horror sound effects played on a loop.

Legend has it that the owner of Twilight Manor was a famous wealthy man, but one day he was found dead at home. The cause of death remains a mystery. According to reliable reports, there were two terrifying blood-red holes in his neck…

Since then, people have often heard sobbing and screaming from within the castle. Some even claim to have seen the wealthy man’s ghost…

There are many rumors regarding his death. Some say it was a rival’s revenge disguised as the supernatural. But most believe the tales of serpent demons or the arrival of vampires.

Adventurer, please enter Twilight Manor and search for the truth…

The story background looped at the entrance. The terrifying sound effects combined with the deep, somber voice of the narrator gave Ji Yunfei goosebumps before they even stepped inside.

But simultaneously, she felt a spark of curiosity to find the truth behind the story.

Serpent demons? Vampires? Interesting.

“A-Fei.”

“Ah? What?” Her nerves were so frayed that the sudden call made her jump.

“It’s our turn. Don’t just stand there.” Xie Yin pointed forward. Ji Yunfei realized the line ahead of them was gone. Before her was a deep black curtain. From behind it, screams drifted out every so often…

She swallowed hard, adjusted her breathing, and held firmly onto Xie Yin behind her.

“Welcome, Adventurer, to Twilight Manor. Please maintain your resolve amidst the interference of ghosts and find the truth…”

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