Chapter 48 Crisis
He wanted to say something—he wanted to say, "Sister, you're so beautiful," he wanted to say, "It's so nice being with you," and most of all, he wanted to say the words he'd rehearsed countless times in his heart: "I like you."
But the words he was about to say were swallowed back down.
He was afraid
I'm afraid that if I say it, I'll be rejected.
He was afraid that Su Jiaojiao would think he was too young, too immature, and that his affection wasn't mature enough or substantial enough.
What I fear even more is that once I say it...
Even the chance to be by her side like this now will be lost.
Lin Xingche's fingers secretly clenched the hem of his clothes, his knuckles turning slightly white, and the light in his eyes dimmed a little.
He stole a glance at Su Jiaojiao, and seeing that she was focused on the scenery outside the window and hadn't noticed his strange behavior, he breathed a sigh of relief, but couldn't help feeling a faint sense of disappointment.
It doesn't matter
Lin Xingche thought silently to himself
It's good as it is now.
At least, he can still be by her side, hold her hand, watch her smile, and stand up to protect her the moment she needs him.
He's still young, he has plenty of time.
He can wait patiently.
When I grow up a little more, mature a little more, and become a little more capable, capable enough to shelter her from the wind and rain, to provide her with a safe haven, so that she will never have to suffer any more grievances.
Then, he will stand before her again and earnestly tell her that he loves her, that he has loved her for a very, very long time.
The gondola slowly rose to its highest point, offering a panoramic view of the entire amusement park. The distant, rolling mountains resembled a breathtaking painting.
Su Jiaojiao turned her head and met Lin Xingche's gaze.
The boy's eyes held too many emotions she couldn't understand—joy, trepidation, and a hint of disappointment, like a pitiful yet adorable little animal abandoned by its owner.
"Xingche, what's wrong?"
Su Jiaojiao couldn't help but ask.
Lin Xingche was startled by her sudden voice, like a child caught doing something wrong. He hurriedly turned his head to look out the window, his eyes darting around.
"N-nothing! I just think...the scenery is beautiful!"
His voice was a little weak, and his ears turned even redder.
Su Jiaojiao couldn't help but laugh at his attempt to cover up his misunderstanding.
"Yes, it looks quite nice."
She didn't expose him, she just turned her head away.
Continue looking at the scenery outside the window.
The sun is shining brightly, the breeze is gentle, and I have someone I love by my side.
These are wonderful times.
Lin Xingche secretly glanced at Su Jiaojiao. Seeing that she didn't ask any further questions, he breathed a sigh of relief, but couldn't help feeling a little regretful.
Unfortunately, I didn't have the courage to say "I like you" out loud.
It's okay.
He has a lifetime to tell his story.
The elevator car slowly descended, getting closer and closer to the ground.
…
The Ferris wheel slowly descended to the ground. Lin Xingche stepped out of the cabin first, then turned around and carefully helped Su Jiaojiao down, his movements gentle and considerate.
Just stepped off the Ferris wheel platform
A little boy holding a balloon accidentally bumped into Su Jiaojiao's leg.
The balloon in the little boy's hand flew away with a "whoosh".
He froze for a moment, then burst into tears.
The little boy's mother immediately ran over, her face full of apology:
"I'm so sorry! My child is so naughty! Did he bump into you? Are you alright?"
Su Jiaojiao quickly shook her head and said with a smile:
"It's okay, I'm fine."
She knelt down, looked at the little boy who was crying so hard he could barely breathe, and gently comforted him:
"Don't cry, little one. It's okay that the balloon flew away. How about I buy you another one?"
The little boy sobbed as he raised his head and looked at Su Jiaojiao's gentle smile.
He nodded
Lin Xingche stood aside, watching Su Jiaojiao patiently comfort the little boy.
The smile in his eyes grew deeper and deeper
His sister is just so gentle and kind.
How could anyone not like it?
But the next second, he saw the little boy reach out, trying to tug at Su Jiaojiao's clothes, and Lin Xingche's face instantly darkened again.
…
...
That afternoon, Lin Xingche took Su Jiaojiao straight to the water park.
His face was beaming with joy:
"Sister! I found out, the water park opened a new rainbow slide today, it's super exciting! I'll take you there!"
Looking into his bright eyes, Su Jiaojiao couldn't bear to refuse and nodded.
"OK"
The two changed into more comfortable clothes. Lin Xingche specially chose a light pink sun-protective swimsuit for Su Jiaojiao, while he himself wore simple black swim trunks. His tall and slender figure was on full display, attracting frequent glances from the girls around them.
Lin Xingche, however, was completely oblivious, his mind and eyes filled with Su Jiaojiao. Holding two swimming rings, he carefully led her by the hand toward the entrance of the rainbow slide.
As soon as I reached the entrance, I overheard several staff members whispering, "Wasn't this slide supposed to be under maintenance? Why is it open again today?"
"Who knows? It was a sudden notice from above."
They said the maintenance was postponed, and we should continue operating as usual.
"But yesterday I noticed that the joints of the slide were a bit loose. With so many people playing on it, won't something happen?"
Lin Xingche paused, his brows furrowing.
He had excellent hearing; every single word of the discussion reached his ears.
Is the slide rail loose?
He instinctively tightened his grip on Su Jiaojiao's hand, glancing warily at the winding rainbow slide, a cold glint in his eyes.
It's true that the amusement park is a business owned by the Lin family, but the specific operation and management are handled by professional managers. He came today only to spend time with Su Jiaojiao and didn't pay attention to these details at all.
Who is pulling these dirty tricks behind the scenes?
The first thing that came to Lin Xingche's mind was
It was Lu Jinyuan's aloof and noble face.
Besides that man
Who would still be so persistent in opposing him?
Su Jiaojiao noticed that something was wrong with him and asked softly:
"What's wrong?"
Lin Xingche immediately suppressed the hostility in his eyes, shook his head, and smiled innocently.
"It's okay, sister! Let's go play! I'll protect you!"
He already had a plan in mind: when they went to the water slide later, he would definitely ride on the same raft as Su Jiaojiao and protect her every step of the way.
There were quite a few people in line, and Lin Xingche remained tense the entire time, his eyes scanning his surroundings warily, like a little wolf cub ready for battle at any moment.
Finally, it was their turn, and the staff handed them a two-person inflatable raft.
Lin Xingche first helped Su Jiaojiao sit down, then he himself sat down, making sure Su Jiaojiao was protected in his arms, his arms tightly wrapped around her waist:
"Sister, hold on tight to the handrail, don't be afraid!"
Held in her arms, Su Jiaojiao smelled the faint scent of soap emanating from the young man, and her heart inexplicably quickened. She nodded.
"Um"
With a gentle push from the staff, the raft slid down the slide!
The wind whistled past her ears, the colorful slide spun continuously, and a feeling of weightlessness washed over her. Su Jiaojiao couldn't help but gasp in surprise.
Lin Xingche held her tightly and whispered in her ear:
"Sister! Don't be afraid! I'm here!"
Just as the raft reached the steepest bend...
An accident occurred
With a soft "crack," the connection of the slide came loose, and the raft suddenly lurched forward, causing Su Jiaojiao's body to tilt uncontrollably!
"Sister!" Lin Xingche's pupils constricted.
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