Chapter 7 – Ring toss
The barrage is booming, but unfortunately, neither Qiao Huaiyao nor Bai Jinyan is watching the live stream on their phones, so they have no idea what the live broadcast room is talking about.
Qiao Huaiyao snorted lightly and reached out to pull his (Bai Jinyan’s) tail.
It swung left and right.
Seeing Bai Jinyan’s lack of response, he looked at the balloons in his hand and suddenly had an idea. He took one of the balloons he had just untied and used the thin string tied to it to fasten it to Bai Jinyan’s wolf tail.
However, due to the obstructed line of sight, Qiao Huaiyao had to press his face against the edge of the plush doll’s mouth and lower his head to see the thin string.
However…
The doll’s head was too big, and when he lowered his head, it directly pressed against Bai Jinyan’s back.
The doll’s head was made of a framework and cotton, so Qiao Huaiyao couldn’t feel anything. He thought it was just because he lowered his head that the weight of the frame became heavier.
With the added difficulty of wearing gloves, it was challenging to control the thin string.
Qiao Huaiyao was very serious as he carefully tied the balloon.
After successfully finishing the task, Qiao Huaiyao’s face hidden within the doll was filled with a smile.
The balloon was filled with helium gas, and when Qiao Huaiyao let go, the balloon floated up on its own, the thin string stretched, and it wrapped around the wolf tail.
It looked quite nice.
Qiao Huaiyao admired his own work, raising his head with joy. But before the excitement could subside, he met Bai Jinyan’s gaze.
“!!!”
Bai Jinyan didn’t know when he had taken off the doll’s head and was now looking at him.
Qiao Huaiyao blinked and instinctively let go of the wolf tail, causing the tail to sag, shaking the balloon a couple of times.
The atmosphere froze for an instant.
The viewers who had been watching the entire live broadcast sent barrage messages:
[“Hahaha, I’m laughing so hard.”]
[“Brother Bai, you took it too seriously. At the point when Qiao Qiao couldn’t find the end of the string, you seemed like you really wanted to help him.”]
[“Oh my God! So childish and cute, it makes my heart melt. I want to pinch his cheeks.”]
[“Someone please take off Qiao Qiao’s doll head. I really want to see his expression now.”]
[“I have a friend in critical condition, and their dying wish is to see Qiao Qiao’s face without the doll head. Please!”]
Bai Jinyan followed the thin string and took the balloon down, rubbing the doll’s cheek. “How old are you?”
So fond of playing like a child.
Qiao Huaiyao felt a bit overwhelmed, even while inside the doll. Some people didn’t need to speak; their eyes could do the talking.
“I…” Qiao Huaiyao coughed lightly, stood up, and said, “I’ll go get some more balloons.”
Bai Jinyan raised his hand to pat him on the back, then led him away from the cart full of balloons. “Don’t run off, be careful not to get hit by the doll head.”
“It’s fine.” Qiao Huaiyao waved his hand and stabilized himself, then held the doll’s head with both hands and walked forward.
Before they could leave the enclosure, Bai Jinyan grabbed his tail.
“Hmm?!”
The tail was stitched on, and the doll’s clothes were filled with fluffy cotton and covered with fur on the outside. Qiao Huaiyao wasn’t sure how tightly the tail was stitched, but if it was pulled off, the cotton would fly everywhere.
Qiao Huaiyao didn’t dare to force it. He took a few steps back and asked, “Is there something you need?”
“No.” Bai Jinyan put the doll’s head aside, untied another balloon, and tied it to the cat’s tail.
Barrage: [“Wow! Bai Jinyan, you’re also so childish!”]
[“Wow, I can’t take it! He’s seriously accompanying you in being childish. Are you two five years old together?”]
[“Brother Bai, ah!!! This doesn’t fit your usual image at all. Let me do it; I’ve been childish since I was little, and I’m more than happy to play with balloons.”]
[“So sweet! I don’t believe you two are just brothers dog head emoji.”]
…
It was almost 6 o’clock when more people started to gather in the lobby.
There were quite a few kids outside the enclosure reaching out for balloons, and Qiao Huaiyao handed them out quickly.
The staff was probably used to arranging the number of balloons, knowing the flow of people at different times each day.
After handing out the balloons to everyone in the lobby, there were still three left.
Outside, it was starting to get dark, and it was close to closing time for the children’s area. They wouldn’t accept any more visitors.
They returned the remaining balloons, and Qiao Huaiyao took off the doll’s head, letting out a sigh of relief.
Wearing the head for too long, he had become accustomed to the difficulty in breathing. Taking big breaths of fresh air outside and feeling the air conditioning inside the doll gradually dissipated the stuffiness.
Even though he still wore the doll’s clothes, he felt much better.
“Water.” Bai Jinyan opened a bottle of mineral water and handed it to him, advising, “Drink slowly.”
Qiao Huaiyao leaned against the table, drinking water while taking out the money, “Today’s wages.”
Bai Jinyan said, “You keep it.”
At that moment, a voice came from the entrance to the lobby, “Is anyone here? Do you have any balloons left? I want one.”
A little boy walked in, and when he saw Qiao Huaiyao not far away, his eyes lit up.
He ran over, waving his hands, and shouted loudly, “Big kitty, you’re so cute! Can I touch your tail?”
Qiao Huaiyao had just opened the zipper of the doll’s clothes and hadn’t turned around yet when Bai Jinyan, standing beside him, said without hesitation, “No, you can’t.”
With that, Bai Jinyan gave the last balloon to the little boy.
Then, he took Qiao Huaiyao’s hand and walked into the area.
Barrage: [“???”]
[“Hahahaha, Brother Bai, stay away from my cat’s tail.”]
[“No problem, I hereby announce that Bai Jinyan is jealous. There’s no official announcement or live broadcast verification, but I have a mouth, and I say it is.”]
[“Really, sir, you eat children’s vinegar too?”]
[“So cute! You guys look like more than just brothers dog head emoji.”]
When they left the children’s area, it was still early outside.
In the summer, it gets dark late, and sometimes it’s not completely dark until nearly 8 o’clock.
This time was the rush hour, and apart from the subway, everywhere else was probably congested.
There should be no shortage of people on the subway.
Qiao Huaiyao thought for a moment and said, “Let’s wander around the park.”
The children’s area closes early, and some of the larger rides can’t be played on, but there are still some small stalls.
Even if they didn’t play those small games, walking around and enjoying the scenery was better than going back and getting stuck in traffic or squeezed on the subway.
Bai Jinyan naturally wouldn’t refuse Qiao Huaiyao’s proposal.
Outside, it was much busier than the children’s area.
There were stalls for ring toss, fishing, and balloon popping, and there were still many people around.
From the cheerful music played in the amusement park, Qiao Huaiyao even heard geese honking.
Qiao Huaiyao raised half of his eyebrow slightly, and not far away, there was an enclosure surrounded by iron railings, crowded with geese.
The stall owner had a bunch of hoops on his arm and used a hook to pick up the hoops that customers failed to catch and tossed them again. He shouted loudly, “Anyone else wants to catch a goose? Fifty yuan for ten hoops. If you catch one, you can take it home. It’s a sure win.”
The tourist retorted, “What do you mean no loss? I already spent three hundred yuan on this. Buying one is enough for me.”
The stall owner spread his hands, “I can’t do anything about it. If you can’t catch one, just throw the hoop casually like this—”
The hoop in the stall owner’s hand flew out with a resounding sound and landed perfectly around the neck of a large goose.
“You see, it’s so easy.”
Qiao Huaiyao watched and felt as if the goose voluntarily didn’t run away and actively accepted being caught. It seemed like the stall owner had trained them. The geese were tightly packed in the enclosure, and it looked like there was nowhere for them to escape, giving people the illusion that it was easy to catch them.
In reality, those geese were quite clever.
Usually, they would buy a few hoops to play with when they encountered such stalls, but now, Qiao Huaiyao was just watching from the side. After all, they didn’t have much money to spare.
Qiao Huaiyao checked the time and noticed that it was still early. He said, “Let’s go to the back…”
Bai Jinyan interrupted, “Give me a fifty-yuan hoop.”
“Huh?” Qiao Huaiyao was taken aback and couldn’t respond in time.
The stall owner was quick to react, happily shouting, “Sure!”
Bai Jinyan could see that Qiao Huaiyao was interested in playing with the hoops but was also concerned about the cost. However, after a day’s work, he thought they deserved a treat.
Bai Jinyan handed Qiao Huaiyao a hoop while keeping nine for himself. “Try catching one. If you can, we’ll have it for dinner tonight.”
Since the hoops were all bought, Qiao Huaiyao could only take out fifty yuan, saying helplessly, “What if I can’t catch one?”
Bai Jinyan thought for a moment and said seriously, “Then we’ll have instant noodles for dinner.”
Bai Jinyan’s serious expression amused Qiao Huaiyao.
Holding the bamboo hoop, Qiao Huaiyao didn’t rush to throw it. Instead, he tried to probe left and right. He pretended to throw the hoop towards the geese, and they all moved to the left in unison.
With that in mind…
Qiao Huaiyao immediately swung his hand towards the group of geese, causing them to flap their wings and run in a hurry.
Before he could even throw the hoop, seeing the geese’s reaction, he threw it to the right.
Although the geese didn’t react in time, the hoop coincidentally hit one goose’s head but missed.
The stall owner stared at the hoop, and when he saw that it missed, he let out a sigh of relief, “What a pity, just a little…—”
Before he could finish his sentence, the panicked goose flapped its wings haphazardly, and the hoop was lifted up by the wings and landed securely on the head of another nearby goose.
Barrage: [“Amazing!!!”]
Qiao Huaiyao didn’t expect to accidentally catch a goose like this. He tugged at Bai Jinyan’s sleeve with excitement, “I caught one!”
“Mm.”
Qiao Huaiyao’s eyes lit up, and Bai Jinyan looked at him and paused before praising, “Well done.”
The stall owner’s face lost its smile. He took the hoop from the neck of the goose and said, “Alright, you caught one once. If you catch three in a row, you can take one goose home.”
This statement poured cold water on Qiao Huaiyao’s excitement. He frowned, “Three times? Wasn’t that what you said just now?”
The stall owner replied irritably, “It’s always been three times. Do I have to explain it carefully every time for such a small matter? Don’t waste my time. Will you catch or not? If you don’t, leave the hoop there, and you won’t get a refund.”
“What? Are you playing tricks on us? Can’t handle this kind of game?”
Other tourists couldn’t bear watching it, “He doesn’t even have any integrity. Why is he still running a stall?”
Ignoring the complaints, the stall owner continued to chase after Qiao Huaiyao, “Are you still playing or not?”
“Play.” Since he had already bought the hoops, leaving them there would be a waste of money.
Qiao Huaiyao took another hoop, thinking that if he could catch one once, he should be able to succeed again by imitating the previous throw. But to his surprise, as soon as he took the hoop, the stall owner used a long hook to disrupt the geese.
Startled, the geese didn’t stay in their original positions, and the hoops were all over the place.
The live broadcast’s audience was fuming.
[“What kind of person is this?! He’s cheating!”]
[“I’m speechless. Where are the amusement park staff? Why haven’t they warned him?!”]
The stall owner didn’t think he did anything wrong and continued to mess with the geese while saying, “Hurry up, I’m off work soon. The hoop will be invalid if you take too long.”
Qiao Huaiyao’s grip on the bamboo hoop tightened.
Bai Jinyan stood behind him, reaching out to hold his hand from behind, “Which one do you want to catch?”
When Bai Jinyan got close, Qiao Huaiyao’s body stiffened. He was still annoyed a moment ago, but now that annoyance turned into a dazed expression.
Their backs were pressed together, their heartbeats intertwined, and the voice that reached his ears came with warm breath.
Qiao Huaiyao’s lips slightly pursed, his heart was in turmoil, and he randomly pointed to one goose.
Bai Jinyan held his hand and said, “I’ll release my grip when I count to three.”
“Okay.”
“One.”
“Two.”
“Three…”
The bamboo hoop flew out of both of their hands and perfectly caught one goose.
Bai Jinyan’s grip was firm, and the hoop stretched the neck of the goose backward slightly.
Qiao Huaiyao’s eyes widened suddenly. He caught it?!
Bai Jinyan handed Qiao Huaiyao another hoop and glanced at the stall owner, “That’s two.”
After a pause, he said coldly, “This is the third time.”
“Fourth time.”
“Fifth time.”
…
Barrage: [“I don’t know why, but watching this in front of the screen makes my breathing involuntarily lighten.”]
[“Even though it’s just a simple game of catching hoops, for some reason, my lips won’t stop curling up.”]
[“This stall owner is so infuriating! He deserves to be taught a lesson!”]
[“Bai Jinyan, let go of my wife! Stop using catching hoops as an excuse to hug my wife, despicable.”]
[“I feel like the whole live broadcast room is filled with pink bubbles (post-production effects, you know)”]
Each time the hoops flew out of Qiao Huaiyao and Bai Jinyan’s hands, it seemed like they were precisely targeting the geese. Every time, they accurately caught one.
The stall owner’s face turned green.
“You guys…” The stall owner gritted his teeth, “You’ve caught too many. It’s difficult for me to calculate.”
It seemed like he wanted to play tricks and was looking for an excuse.
Bai Jinyan said calmly, “There are surveillance cameras here. Either give us what’s promised or close your stall?”
The amusement park had strict management, and this stall owner had been trouble-free until now. It was likely that no one had ever caught the geese, or else he would have been reported and forced to close due to his dishonesty.
The stall owner opened his mouth but couldn’t speak when it came to closing the stall.
“Oh, look at what you’re saying. I’ll give it to you. There are so many geese; you won’t have anywhere to put them even if you take them home. It’s troublesome to slaughter and eat them. How about I refund you the fifty yuan and treat it as my treat for you to play? And as for the geese…”
Qiao Huaiyao interrupted him, “Then convert it to cash. You figure out how much you should give us. If there’s a problem, we’ll find the amusement park management and let the authorities handle it.”
At this point, the stall owner didn’t dare to argue anymore. He reluctantly smiled and said, “Why bother with so much trouble? Here, take it. It’s just money.”
Reluctantly, he took out money from his pocket and handed it over, “Here’s three hundred yuan. We’re even now.”
The money was handed to Bai Jinyan.
Bai Jinyan immediately gave the money to Qiao Huaiyao and said, “No need to eat instant noodles tonight.”