Forced to Act out a Strange Script with a Rival - Chapter 99

Just as the two were feeling awkward over the blunt “share a kiss” task and the atmosphere had stagnated into a subtle tension, the staff member—who had been observing their expressions—seemed to receive some sort of instruction via their earpiece. A flash of realization and slight regret crossed their face, but they quickly stepped forward with a diligent smile to break the tension: “Oh my! If you two find this task a bit difficult, there’s definitely room for flexibility! We can change the task!”

They’re actually that easy to talk to?

Though Li Ting was suspicious, she was currently desperate to escape the heart-racing “kiss” curse. She immediately pressed for details, not even stopping to wonder why the other party was yielding so easily: “What exactly is the alternative task?”

The staff member’s eyes darted around, and a warm, slightly mysterious smile returned to their face as they offered an option that seemed simple yet carried deep meaning: “Heart-to-Heart.”

The night was as dark as ink, yet it was painted into a warm palette by the thousands of lights in the amusement park.

The massive Ferris wheel stood quietly under the starry sky like a slowly rotating halo studded with diamonds. Each cabin was like a small, independent world, carrying countless secrets and expectations.

Si Xiaoxiao pulled Li Ting by the hand, her steps light as they headed toward the entrance. Her heart fluttered in her chest like a restless little bird.

Although it’s a tiny pity I didn’t get to kiss Sister, this ‘Heart-to-Heart’ task seems… not bad! Hmph, anyway, as long as I’m with Sister, anything is fine!

The rules of the so-called “Heart-to-Heart” game were exactly as the name suggested: the two had to exchange a secret from the bottom of their hearts at the highest point of the Ferris wheel.

The staff swore up and down that there were no cameras in the cabin and that they wouldn’t verify the secrets; they would simply trust that the two had exchanged them in good faith. They hoped the pair would take this chance to speak from the soul—a form of “heart-to-heart” protection.

As the two nodded in agreement, the staff member opened the cabin door with a strange, knowing grin.

Fearing nothing and focused on taking care of Li Ting, Si Xiaoxiao hopped in first. She turned around and reached out her hand, her eyes sparkling: “Sister, come in quickly!”

Under the warm yellow glow of the cabin lights, her eyes were startlingly bright, as if she had gathered all the stars from outside and tucked them into her gaze, shimmering with pure and fervent light.

It was a sincerity that was impossible to resist.

Li Ting’s gaze fell upon that slender, warm, open palm, then slowly shifted to those clear eyes that reflected her own silhouette. She placed her hand into that warmth, allowing that strength to lead her into this secluded, private, and safe space.

With a soft click, the cabin door closed behind them like a gentle barrier, completely shutting out the noise and distractions of the outside world. The world suddenly grew quiet, leaving only the low, hypnotic hum of the machinery and the undeniable, intertwined sound of their shallow breaths.

A Private Sanctuary

The space was narrower than expected.

They sat opposite each other, their knees nearly touching, sharing the air and temperature of this tiny square of space.

Unlike Li Ting, who struggled to maintain a calm facade despite the hard-to-catch traces of discomfort beneath, Si Xiaoxiao’s excitement was obvious—yet it was mixed with a hidden tension regarding the upcoming “judgment.”

Like a young cub exploring the world for the first time, she leaned curiously against the cool glass window, watching the familiar castles and streets shrink below, turning into glowing miniature models. she couldn’t help but let out low, wonder-filled gasps: “Sister, look! The houses look like little boxes! And those lights… don’t they look like crushed diamonds scattered by a fairy?”

She really is just a child after all.

Li Ting followed her gaze. The kaleidoscope of lights from the park was fully visible, like an overturned jewelry box, dazzling and brilliant. In the distance, the city’s glow painted a hazy golden rim along the horizon.

The night view was beautiful, but Li Ting’s eyes lingered more on Si Xiaoxiao’s profile, carved by light and shadow. The warm yellow light bathed her softly, highlighting her radiance and making her look as if she were glowing from within.

Time inside the cabin felt stretched, every second soaked in a delicate silence.

“What is Sister thinking about?” Si Xiaoxiao suddenly asked, her voice carrying a hint of unnoticeable playfulness and insight.

She wasn’t entirely immersed in the scenery; most of her attention had long since settled on the person beside her—the person who looked cold but was clearly heavy with thought.

Li Ting froze slightly, feeling a tiny pang of embarrassment at being “caught.”

She had thought Si Xiaoxiao was looking at the view while she was looking at the person, never expecting that the person looking at the view was actually looking at her.

Li Ting quickly gathered her thoughts, hiding the momentary distraction and complex emotions in her eyes. She tried to keep her tone flat, yet it still betrayed a hint of indescribable heaviness: “I was thinking… that you are perhaps a bit too happy.”

This pure, unadulterated happiness acted like a mirror, reflecting the accumulated gloom in her own heart.

The vanished system, Si Xiaoxiao’s still-incomplete memories, and the phone calls to A-Lin that remained unanswered… piece by piece, they were like heavy shackles. It was hard for her to be like the girl before her, immersing herself in the joy of the moment without any burden.

Truly, she is Si Xiaoxiao, Li Ting sighed silently in her heart with a touch of helpless indulgence. Before the memory loss and after—she is fundamentally the same… carefree, yet so dazzling you can’t look away.

“As long as I’m with Sister, I’m happy,” Si Xiaoxiao turned back, her tone matter-of-fact, as if this were the most eternal truth in the world.

The night acted as the perfect soft-focus lens, hazily enveloping her.

Her smooth, full forehead, the delicate bridge of her nose, and the corners of her lips that tilted upward as if born with a hint of a smile… she sat there quietly, seemingly enveloped in a soft halo of her own. She was a beam of warm light capable of dispersing any gloom—far more dazzling to Li Ting than the entire brilliant galaxy of city lights outside. Li Ting felt a dizzying sense of enchantment; her heartstrings were plucked by invisible fingers, sending a faint, lingering vibration through her soul.

“You wouldn’t have said that before,” Li Ting managed to say dryly, reminding Si Xiaoxiao as much as she was reminding herself.

There is still a segment of memory that hasn’t been recovered.

However, Si Xiaoxiao was never one for avoidance.

She narrowed her beautiful cat-like eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them. No longer content to simply show her soft, obedient side, she instantly revealed the sharp edge of her inherent dominance and pride. She cut straight to the chase: “Then do you like her more, or do you like me more?”

The “her,” of course, referred to the “past” Si Xiaoxiao—the one who possessed her full memory and had stood in constant opposition to Li Ting.

“I…” This blunt, almost cunning question caught Li Ting completely off guard. Her throat felt blocked, leaving her speechless for a moment. Finally, the tension could only melt into a bitter curve at the corner of her lips.

“Sister,” Si Xiaoxiao called out. Her voice carried a trace of unnoticeable raspiness due to nerves, but it remained exceptionally clear. Every word struck the silent air like a hammer: “When we reach the highest point, can you exchange this secret with me?”

Looking at her “refuse to give up until an answer is given” expression, the tight string in Li Ting’s heart suddenly and strangely loosened. She laughed—a smile that was gentle and free. “This isn’t a secret to me, because you are both the same.”

Si Xiaoxiao was not satisfied with this answer. She laughed out of sheer frustration and turned her gaze back to the night view outside, complaining: “I ask you ‘one’ or ‘two,’ and you answer with ‘three.’ What is that even supposed to mean?”

Li Ting also turned to look at the night scene and stopped responding.

The cabin ascended steadily through the silence. As they drew closer to the highest point, the air seemed to solidify, thick with a peculiar sensation.

Finally, the moment arrived.

“Sister, we’re almost at the top. Do you want to hear my secret?”

Si Xiaoxiao took a deep breath as if gathering enough courage. She finally turned around, no longer lingering on the scenery outside. She sat up straight, her hands resting somewhat restlessly on her joined knees, her fingertips subconsciously twisting the soft fabric of her skirt.

She looked up, her gaze meeting Li Ting’s deep eyes with a sense of desperate, all-or-nothing sincerity.

Li Ting felt her heart skip a beat, followed by a frantic, uncontrollable drumming rhythm. Clearly, her brain was telling her to laugh it off or gloss it over, but her body could not lie.

She gave a slight nod, her long eyelashes trembling like butterfly wings to show she was listening. She stared at Si Xiaoxiao, as if she could peer through that facade of feigned composure to see the heart beating violently within the girl’s chest.

How hateful… I’m actually looking forward to it.

Si Xiaoxiao took another deep, lung-filling breath, gathering strength for the words to follow.

A rich, vivid flush crept onto her cheeks, like a sky stained by sunset. Her eyes, however, were burning bright with an undeniable resolve. She opened her mouth, and the words she had been brewing for so long—words so hot they felt like they were melting on the tip of her tongue—finally broke through their last shackles:

“Sister, my secret is—I love—”

The Great Interruption

Just as those two crucial words were about to take flight like birds escaping a cage—

“BANG—!!! BOOM—!!!”

Outside the window, without any warning, a massive cluster of fireworks—large enough to shroud half the sky—erupted with thunderous force right in the center of the ink-black heavens.

Golden light poured down like a molten waterfall from the gods, instantly devouring all shadows and illuminating the cabin as if it were broad daylight. That brilliant, violent interplay of light and shadow ruthlessly and completely drowned out Si Xiaoxiao’s unfinished, heartfelt confession.

Then came the second bloom, the third… the grand fireworks display had officially begun. Ear-shattering roars exploded one after another as multicolored beams of light danced wildly across the night sky, sketching a grand, ever-changing portrait as if Fate itself were wielding the brush. The massive wall of sound was like a physical tsunami, arrogantly sweeping over everything and completely swallowing every tiny, sincere sound within the Ferris wheel cabin.

The last two words Si Xiaoxiao failed to utter were buried entirely in this sudden, magnificent, and cruel cacophony.

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