Reborn as the Heartless Alpha - Chapter 53.2

Zhou Zhou nodded vigorously. “Yes!”

She seemed truly excited. Song Yi smiled and lowered her eyes slightly.

 

The two walked into the shop. Across a glass counter, the proprietress explained the rules to them.

 

“Do you two see the balloons on the wall? If you hit enough balloons, you can win a prize.” The lady pointed to various dolls—large, medium, and small hanging above their heads.

 

Zhou Zhou listened intently. The lady told them that 25 yuan bought 30 bullets. Hitting 20 balloons won a small doll, 25 won a medium doll, and hitting them all won a large doll.

 

After listening, Zhou Zhou looked up but didn’t see any dolls she particularly liked. However, she didn’t have the confidence to hit that many anyway; she just wanted to experience the process.

 

“Oh, I almost forgot to mention—we have two types of guns. One has an infrared sight, and the other doesn’t. The one with the sight is twice as expensive, but the hit rate is higher,” the lady added.

 

Song Yi said, “Give me one without the infrared sight.”

 

She then looked at Zhou Zhou and asked, “Which one do you want?”

 

After a moment’s hesitation, Zhou Zhou said, “The one with the sight.”

 

Soon, the lady brought them the guns. They couldn’t compare to the guns Song Yi had used before, but the quality seemed decent. They were long and felt substantial in her hands, looking quite the part.

 

The proprietress held the cotton candy for them for the time being.

 

Song Yi opened a pack of bullets, intending to load them for Zhou Zhou and let her go first.

 

Zhou Zhou started to feel nervous the moment she touched the gun. Although she knew it was fake and wasn’t afraid of the gun itself, she was afraid of looking too incompetent in front of Miss Song.

 

After setting up the gun, she closed her left eye and used only her right eye to aim. She shifted her position until the red dot from the gun landed on a pink balloon in the center.

 

Pulling the trigger, Zhou Zhou fired the first shot.

Song Yi placed her gun on the glass counter, her hands already poised to applaud, but the balloon did not burst.

“I was sure I aimed correctly,” Zhou Zhou muttered under her breath, looking a bit discouraged.

 

“It is alright, try again,” Song Yi encouraged her. “I did not hit anything the first time I played, either.”

 

Zhou Zhou fired a few more shots but only managed to hit one. By observing her, Song Yi discovered the root of the problem: Zhou Zhou was not holding the gun steadily. When she pulled the trigger, it caused the trajectory and force of the bullet to deviate.

 

Zhou Zhou grew even more dejected, feeling as though she simply was not cut out for this.

 

Just as she was about to lower her hands, a pair of hands reached out from behind her to help prop up the gun. Song Yi enfolded Zhou Zhou from behind, their bodies nearly pressed together. However, Song Yi’s focus remained entirely on the gun in Zhou Zhou’s hands and the balloons on the wall.

 

“Try one more time.”

 

They were so close that Song Yi’s breath brushed against the back of Zhou Zhou’s neck and ears as she spoke. Zhou Zhou’s neck instinctively tightened in sensitivity. Afraid that Miss Song would notice her reaction, she forced herself to channel all her concentration into the shot.

 

Bang!

 

The bullet flew true to its intended path, and the targeted balloon popped instantly.

 

Zhou Zhou turned her head excitedly. “Thank you, Miss Song!”

 

Song Yi’s lips curved into a smile. “Keep going. Try the next few on your own; you will find the rhythm once you fire a few more.” She let go of Zhou Zhou’s hands and stepped back to her right side.

 

“Yes,” Zhou Zhou responded with a smile and continued trying. Her performance was much better than before.

 

Several times, the proprietress wanted to remind the two beauties that such assistance was against the rules, but she swallowed her words. Thinking that the girl had missed so many times already and likely would not qualify for a prize anyway, she let it slide.

 

“A total of 16 balloons broken; this is below the threshold for a gift. Next lady, please prepare.”

 

Once the bullets were spent, Zhou Zhou put the gun down to inspect her results. She opened her phone’s camera to take a photo, but the proprietress was already standing in the middle of the wall, beginning to clear and replace the balloons Zhou Zhou had broken.

 

She had no choice but to put her phone away.

 

“Wait,” Song Yi called out to the lady. “Please step aside for a moment.”

 

Confused, the proprietress moved. Song Yi said to Zhou Zhou, “Go ahead and take the picture.”

 

Zhou Zhou froze for a second, then happily raised her phone and snapped a photo. Once finished, she said, “I am done. Thank you, Miss Song.”

 

The proprietress watched blankly. Only after confirming Zhou Zhou was truly finished did she go back to replenishing the empty spots on the wall.

 

Song Yi picked up her gun, the one without the infrared sight, and turned to ask Zhou Zhou, “Which doll do you want up there?”

 

Zhou Zhou shook her head immediately. Firstly, she did not see one she particularly wanted, and secondly, Miss Song was using a gun without a sight. Hitting 20 shots was simply too difficult.

 

Song Yi caught the worry in Zhou Zhou’s eyes and let out a small, confident smile.

 

“All set.” The proprietress finished filling the wall with balloons and stepped aside, picking up the cotton candy that had been temporarily tucked into a jar of gravel.

 

Because of the heat, the cotton candy had begun to melt and was shrinking in size. The lady intended to hand it back to Zhou Zhou, but Zhou Zhou was staring at Song Yi, who had begun adjusting her aim, without blinking, let alone noticing the lady beside her.

 

The proprietress silently withdrew her hand. Clearly, she was the third wheel here.

 

Without a red dot as a reference, Song Yi aimed with the naked eye. Once she found her rhythm, she fired shot after shot in a fluid, seamless motion.

 

Zhou Zhou’s eyes shone with surprise. Miss Song was fast and accurate, systematically clearing the balloons in a Z-pattern. It was like watching a perfect shooting performance.

 

The proprietress, who had not been worried at all, now stood with her jaw dropped. How could such a master exist in the wild?

 

She quickly looked up at the dolls. One of them was the most expensive prize, worth far more than the shooting fee they had paid. She had only hung it there to attract customers; now, realizing she had encountered a marksman, her heart ached at the thought of the financial loss her wallet was about to endure.

 

But business required integrity.

 

With the final shot, a bang echoed as she hit a balloon in the corner that was fluttering in the breeze. It was a perfect finish.

 

Zhou Zhou’s heart skipped a beat. That shot had landed right in her heart. Miss Song is so, so amazing!

 

Song Yi put the gun down and instinctively looked at Zhou Zhou. Finding Zhou Zhou looking back at her, a proud smile bloomed on her lips.

 

The proprietress thought to herself that this look between them was sweet enough to pull sugar threads. Fine, she was the extra one again.

 

After a moment, Song Yi noticed the significantly shrunken cotton candy in the lady’s hand and reached out to take it back.

 

The lady said with a pained expression, “Your marksmanship is incredible, Miss. It was a perfect score. Please choose any doll you like from above.”

 

Song Yi looked at Zhou Zhou, gesturing for her to choose.

 

Zhou Zhou took the task seriously. Among the twenty or so dolls of various sizes, she picked the most expensive one, feeling that only it was worthy of Miss Song’s superb skills. It was a large, purple, fluffy bear that looked very warm and perfect for hugging while sleeping.

 

“That one,” Song Yi said, pointing to the one Zhou Zhou wanted. The lady picked up a pole to take it down.

 

“Wait,” Song Yi suddenly called a halt.

 

“Do you two want to change it?” the lady asked hopefully.

 

Song Yi glanced at her watch. It was not even 9:00 PM yet, so there was no rush to go home. She had not taken Zhou Zhou on the Ferris wheel yet.

 

“Can we store it here temporarily? We will come back to get it when we leave. We can pay a storage fee,” Song Yi suggested.

 

“That is fine, no need for a fee,” the lady said generously. “I will leave it hanging here until you come back.”

 

After settling things with the lady, Song Yi led Zhou Zhou away. Zhou Zhou did not know where they were going next; she only knew she just had to follow Miss Song. Song Yi saw the Ferris wheel spinning in the distance and, worried about a line, decided to head there directly.

 

On the way, Song Yi asked, “Zhou Zhou, are you still eating this cotton candy?”

 

Only then did Zhou Zhou remember the long-forgotten treat. She quickly took it back. Although she was a bit tired of it, she did not want to waste it. It had melted so much that she could no longer tell where she had bitten it before.

 

Seeing Zhou Zhou’s slight frown, Song Yi decided to help her finish a bit more. She reached out with her hand, tore off a piece, and put it in her mouth.

 

It was even sweeter than before; it seemed the sugar had not just melted, but concentrated.

 

Zhou Zhou’s eyes widened when she saw Miss Song eat the cotton candy again. She might have just touched a spot Zhou Zhou had bitten! It was only a possibility, so she did not say anything, but her breathing grew ragged as she silently grappled with the thought.

 

By the time the two of them finished the cotton candy, they were both tired of the sweetness. They came across a cold drink shop, and Song Yi ordered two cups of lemon water to cut the sugar. She gave the first cup to Zhou Zhou. The cup was covered in condensation from the heat.

 

The first sip was cold and sour. Zhou Zhou furrowed her brows, her small face puckering up.

 

“Is it too sour?” Song Yi asked, biting her straw. She found it acceptable, but it seemed different for Zhou Zhou.

 

Zhou Zhou took a few more sips, and it felt much better. It was just that the contrast with the cotton candy was so strong that the lemon water felt extra sharp.

 

They reached the Ferris wheel and bought tickets. Since it was a weekday, there was not much of a line. They only had to wait for the people currently on it to get off.

 

Zhou Zhou was incredibly excited. Since the haunted house, everything Miss Song had taken her to do was something she truly enjoyed. After two minutes, the Ferris wheel stopped, one group got off, and the waiting group boarded.

 

Song Yi suddenly realized that everyone else waiting with them were couples holding hands. It seemed the Ferris wheel was indeed the most popular couple attraction in the amusement park.

 

Song Yi and Zhou Zhou entered a yellow cabin together. They sat down in the small, enclosed space, initially separated by the distance of one person. As the wheel began to turn and their perspective rose, Zhou Zhou moved closer to her.

 

Song Yi suddenly remembered that Zhou Zhou was somewhat afraid of heights, so she also moved toward her.

 

“If you are scared, you can hold onto me.”

 

As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a pair of warm, small hands grab her arm. It felt a bit ticklish, but she said and did nothing, allowing Zhou Zhou to hold on.

 

The ascent was not fast, but Zhou Zhou was still terrified. So, when Miss Song said she could hold her, she grabbed her arm without hesitation; it was a purely instinctive reaction.

 

She did not dare look down, so she looked up. By chance, she saw a cabin diagonally above them that had already passed the highest point and was descending. Inside, two girls were kissing.

 

The rumor was that if couples ride the Ferris wheel together, they often break up, but if they kiss at the highest point, they can stay together forever. This sentence popped into Zhou Zhou’s mind; she remembered hearing it from a classmate back in high school.

 

She thought sadly that Miss Song probably brought her here to test the Ferris wheel so she could be more composed when she brings the person she likes next time.

 

Unlike Zhou Zhou, Song Yi had been looking down. However, she was not actually interested in the night view; she was just trying to ignore Zhou Zhou. But Zhou Zhou’s presence was far too strong, especially now that Zhou Zhou was clutching her arm with both hands and turning her whole body toward her.

 

She could feel her elbow brushing against somewhere soft. Zhou Zhou herself did not seem to notice because of her fear, leaving Song Yi in a state of inner conflict. She did not know what she should do. Telling Zhou Zhou directly or pulling her arm away would only cause embarrassment or a misunderstanding.

 

Contrary to Song Yi, Zhou Zhou’s heart slowly began to calm. Gradually, the height did not seem so terrifying. With Miss Song by her side, she felt at peace and very secure.

 

Though it would not be long before the girl Miss Song liked might be standing there instead of her, she was content to be by Miss Song’s side in this quiet, secret way for now. When the girl Miss Song truly liked finally appeared, she would give them her blessing. Someone as good as Miss Song deserved to be happy.

 

The Ferris wheel continued to turn. When their cabin reached the very top, it suddenly stopped.

 

Song Yi thought pausing at the highest point was normal and did not give it much thought. But in the next second, the cabin shook violently.

 

Song Yi was thrown toward Zhou Zhou, pinning her into the corner. One of her hands pressed onto Zhou Zhou’s shoulder, making it look as though she had tackled her.

 

Both of their eyes widened in shock. To make matters even more intense, their lips met.

 

She was pressing down on Zhou Zhou, as if she were forcing a kiss on her.

 

An enormous wave surged through Song Yi’s heart.

 

She had actually kissed Zhou Zhou!