The Devil's Contract Lover - Chapter 15

“Cool, acting cool and that ‘something’ is genuinely cool!”

Yao Yuan smugly strolled down the street, swinging her small bag and taking confident, swaggering steps, like a happy little duckling.

Xingkong (Starry Sky) took a few steps ahead and held her hand: “Let’s go to the amusement park.”

“Whatever~ Wait, the amusement park?” Yao Yuan was startled: “You almost tricked me; I still need to find a job.”

“Have you received any interview notices?”

“No…”

The school wants everyone to find a job to boost the employment rate, but where are there that many good jobs?

Yao Yuan sighed: “The criteria are getting stricter. If I don’t find a job right after graduation, it will get harder and harder.” Hiring recent graduates at least doesn’t require work experience. If she waits another year or half a year, she’ll fall into the vicious cycle of: [Job requires X years of work experience] but no work experience means no way to get a job.

“Mhm, good luck.”

Hearing this lukewarm encouragement, Yao Yuan’s eyes widened suddenly as she looked at him: “You… aren’t going to pull strings anymore? Or give me advice?”

“Yes, you are right.” Xingkong’s eyes were full of sincerity: “I was trampling on your self-respect before.”

“It wasn’t that bad…” She nervously looked away, scratching her cheek. Has Xingkong matured? Or has he changed his strategy?

“So, I will respect your choices.” The Devil held her hand: “Until you ask me to, I will no longer interfere with your job search.”

“Th-thank you.” Yao Yuan used her other hand to scratch her cheek, trying to hide a slight blush.

“Here, a balloon.”

“Okay~ Huh?!” She stared blankly at the rabbit balloon Xingkong handed her: “Where did you get a balloon, and when did we get to the amusement park?!”

“Our time together is precious; I didn’t want to waste it on transportation.”

Looking up, the merry-go-round was spinning up and down with the music, and laughing children were playing nearby. Various mechanical rides lined both sides of the colorful paved area, and a fountain display shot straight up into the sky further away.

“That’s not the point. I’m too old for the amusement park!” Yao Yuan immediately handed the balloon to a passing child and turned to leave.

As soon as she closed her eyes, the past would forcefully rush over… the girl who sat alone on the lawn, tearing open a snack bag.

[“I’m not going, it’ll be too dangerous for me, really dangerous!”]

[“So dramatic, you coward.”]

[“Exactly, crybaby~ Hahahaha.”]

…

[“Wait for me, wait for me!”]

[“Why go to the restroom right before the bus leaves? Serves you right!”]

“Pop!”

“Wah—” The burst of the balloon and the sound of a child crying violently pulled Yao Yuan back to reality. Turning her head, it was indeed the child from a moment ago. The rabbit balloon, which had been a gift, was now a piece of shredded debris, and even the string was gone with the wind.

“Xingkong, what the—” Anger instantly flared. What kind of person picks on a little kid?

“Are you back?”

“…”

She was met with the Devil, whose emotions were unreadable.

“Are you back? Xiaoyuan (Little Yuan),” Xingkong gently called out, his eyes fully reflecting her image.

Yao Yuan opened her mouth: Was he messing with her, or was he playing on her loneliness and timidity by deliberately using a more aggressive method to get closer?

Xingkong didn’t mind her silence, slowly leaning down until his lips were next to her ear: “Will you learn to respect me too, okay?”

His tone was so gentle, almost tentative.

She’s putting on an act.

So what?

Yao Yuan actively squeezed Xingkong’s palm: “I’m back. Let’s go play together. I was just too tired earlier.”

Yao Yuan really wanted to kill her 15-minutes-ago self: “You… you’re not right!”

“What’s wrong?” Xingkong buckled his seatbelt in a good mood: “Don’t worry, even if we fall, I’m here.”

“Saying that makes me not worry? I’m going to dieee—” Before Yao Yuan could mentally prepare, the car slowly accelerated.

“We are still climbing now. It will get more interesting on the way down.”

“Don’t remind me…” Yao Yuan desperately clutched the restraint bar that caged her upper body: “Ahhhhhh—” Her mouth was full of wind; the roller coaster had taken flight!

The narrow track twisted into a figure-eight. The car rose sharply to the highest point and then plunged violently!

The genuine feeling of falling clutched her heart, followed by her body tilting with the banking of the car, eliciting a wave of screams.

The roller coaster shot through the rest of the track and slowly stopped. The sensation of weightlessness suddenly ended. “Ha, ha… ha…” Yao Yuan walked off the ride, staggering. After taking a few steps forward, she turned back sharply: Where was the roller coaster?!

The spot she had just walked through had turned into a flat lawn, scattered with a couple of hideous-yet-cute iron dinosaur frames, miles away from being realistic.

She looked down at her fair, delicate hands and the sunflower-print dress she was wearing, as if momentarily transported back to an afternoon ten years ago: “Xingkong, Xingkong!?”

“Do you like this sense of familiarity?” A hand gently caught hold of her pigtail. The Devil, who had also transformed into a child of about ten, flicked the tight elastic band on her hair.

“…”

“Scared?” Xingkong lowered his hand: “This is your—” “So cute!!!” Yao Yuan let out a little cry and hugged Xingkong’s neck, then switched to his waist, actually trying to lift him. Unfortunately, the shrunken Devil was still half a head taller than her, and with her effort, she nearly tumbled onto the concrete ground.

“Instead of acting clingy, focus on remembering now.” Xingkong held off the enthusiastically lunging Yao Yuan with one hand: “I understand that humans like young creatures, but calm down.”

Remembering? She had long forgotten what they played on the field trips ten years ago. All she remembered was…

“Hey!” The very tall girl in her memory, along with her two followers, walked over. In the real scene, she realized the girl was also just a small child.

As the small child walked up to her, a sudden wave of sadness and grievance washed over her. The memory wasn’t that miserable; it was even a little funny.

“Aren’t you going to queue up?” The girl put her hands on her hips: “We’ve all been on the Spin-Spin a few times, and you’re still just eating.”

Her “Spin-Spin” was probably the simple mini-track ride. There weren’t many thrilling rides at the amusement park back then.

Yao Yuan shook her head: “I don’t want to go.”

“Don’t want to?”

She grabbed Xingkong’s hand and suddenly ran the other way: “Don’t want to means I don’t want to!”

The universe served up a delayed dose of humble pie. Yao Yuan stared blankly at the spinning teacups in front of her: This was the best ride she could find after circling back through her past memory.

Several teacup-shaped seats were placed on a turntable, spinning slowly with the music.

Before she could decide to leave, Xingkong placed her inside one of the spinning teacups.

The music started right on cue. The teacup began to spin, and the Devil’s smile was intoxicating.

She suddenly closed her eyes, her lips curving into an arc similar to Xingkong’s.

“Xingkong, take me out of here.” It was enough.

“Alright.”

When she opened her eyes again, they would surely be in a real spinning teacup. She wondered if the little brats around her would laugh at her.

A sudden rush of wind hit her temples. Yao Yuan snapped her eyes open: The roller coaster was still violently twisting through the spiral figure-eight!

“Ahhhhhhh— Xingkong, you bastard—” By the time the car slowly stopped, her eyes were practically lifeless.

“Xiaoyuan seemed to like it, so want to ride it again?”

“Absolutely not!” As if resurrected by some zombie spell, Yao Yuan sat up straight at a right angle, bounding out stiffly like a zombie.

Drenched in dried cold sweat, her goosebumps finally subsided.

Yao Yuan patted her chest: “I finally understand how people who ride a VR roller coaster feel when their friend pushes them… I thought I was going to die.”

“Are you happy?”

“Do you misunderstand the word ‘happy’?” She wanted to wring Xingkong’s neck.

The Devil bent down and reached out to cover Yao Yuan’s forehead.

“What are you doing? I don’t have a fever.”

Xingkong continued: “Good, you’re much more energetic now.” Xingkong scooped her up in a hug: “Let’s hurry up and continue with the next activity.”

“If you dare take me on a roller coaster again, I’ll bite your head off!”

Two hours later, Yao Yuan sat distractedly on a bench, watching the students come and go.

“Here, a sausage.” Xingkong emerged from the end of a queue.

“Thanks~” She took the hot dog sausage from Xingkong and nibbled on it. It was a bit hot and had ketchup, but the meat was firm, and the crisp skin burst between her lips with a bite.

“Hahahaha.” Yao Yuan shook her head and sighed: “Looking back, I was quite silly when I was a kid, so insistent on needing others to understand me.”

“How do you feel now?”

“Much better~” Her smile suddenly froze midway. Some golden specks of light were clinging to the nearby grass, suddenly flying backward.

Yao Yuan jumped to her feet. She remembered now; she hadn’t been delayed by going to the restroom back then, but because she saw these strange specks of light.

“Xingkong, did you see what I just saw?”

“What thing?”

“Nothing.” Her heart skipped a beat, and she swallowed the words she was about to say.

Even the Devil can’t see those, or is he pretending?

Xingkong didn’t press the matter: “Look at this.”

Yao Yuan turned her face, and a promotional poster was handed to her.

[Haunted House Special Event – Ghost Hunt]

Time: April 14 – April 24 Location: Carnival Valley Land of the Dead Are you tired of the same old haunted house adventures? A shocking performance is coming! A 10-day carnival party will be held starting April 14! Professional actors playing the spirits and demon hunters will participate on time, and your participation is also welcome.

Seeing this, Yao Yuan looked away: “Do you like haunted houses that much?”

“I look forward to seeing you smile.” Xingkong’s finger traced the words “Carnival Party”: “Shall we go play then?”

She didn’t have time for games. She still hadn’t found a job. It wasn’t that she couldn’t spare the evening hours, but she wanted to live a little longer.

Yao Yuan swallowed the last bite of sausage, about to flatly refuse, when her pupils suddenly dilated: A gondola on the distant Ferris wheel was swaying precariously!

She wasn’t the only one who noticed the abnormal shaking; others nearby also started exclaiming.

“Xingkong, can you—” Although she couldn’t see inside, a sudden image of a blood-red human figure standing in the gondola flashed in her mind.

Crack! The gondola’s cable connection snapped.

“Don’t worry, no one is inside.” The Devil narrowed his eyes.