Chapter 64 – Make A Wish
Bai Jinyan didn’t use much force. He released Qiao Huaiyao’s wrist, couldn’t help but curl his hand, propping his chin with one hand, and pinched Qiao Huaiyao’s cheek with a smile. “Is it that you’re not allowed to bite or not allowed to growl?”
Qiao Huaiyao whispered, “Neither.”
Bai Jinyan asked again, “Neither what?”
“…!”
Qiao Huaiyao ignored him, reaching out directly to pull the edge of the quilt, trying to hide inside.
Bai Jinyan silently relaxed his arm and even helped pull the quilt up for Qiao Huaiyao.
After Qiao Huaiyao curled up under the quilt, Bai Jinyan followed him in, pulling him into a face-to-face embrace. He buried his head in Qiao Huaiyao’s neck, nuzzling, and couldn’t help but test with a light kiss on his lips.
The light under the quilt was dim, but faintly, there was a soft glow filtering through.
Qiao Huaiyao blinked lightly, his lips curving into a slight smile. He could feel Bai Jinyan’s cautious touch, not daring to use any force, yet unable to resist wanting to kiss.
Bai Jinyan lowered his gaze, his eyes full of Qiao Huaiyao’s reflection.
Qiao Huaiyao raised his hand to encircle Bai Jinyan’s neck, smiling as he kissed him.
…
In the theme hotel within the park, breakfast was delivered punctually every morning.
Although most guests staying at the theme hotel were planning to wake up early the next day to continue exploring the remaining attractions, there were a few exceptions.
So, there was a small insulated box with a password lock specifically installed at the door.
Once breakfast was placed in the insulated box, a corresponding light would turn on inside the hotel room. Awake guests would naturally notice it, avoiding disturbances like knocking or doorbells that could wake those still resting.
The light at the door remained on until noon before turning off.
Qiao Huaiyao sat at the dining table, looking drowsy, sipping his milk absentmindedly.
The breakfast delivered by the hotel was still warm.
Since many items on the original menu didn’t appeal to Qiao Huaiyao, Bai Jinyan had modified it when they checked in.
After the modification, there were only three pieces of strawberry tart left among the desserts.
Having stayed up too late the previous night, Qiao Huaiyao had no appetite upon waking. He ate half a strawberry tart before stopping.
Seeing this, Bai Jinyan took the remaining tarts away and replaced them with a small plate of fresh strawberries.
With his gaze subtly downcast, Bai Jinyan casually asked in a low voice, “Do your legs still hurt?”
“Ah!” Qiao Huaiyao was instantly choked and his face turned red. He pursed his lips and shook his head.
Not pressing further, Bai Jinyan only noted the redness. He had applied some anti-inflammatory ointment before sleep last night, but seeing Qiao Huaiyao’s blush, he decided not to mention it again.
Bai Jinyan peeled a small bowl of shrimp for Qiao Huaiyao. Glancing at the strawberries, he thought for a moment, then removed the stems before putting them back.
The shrimp was steamed, cleaned thoroughly.
They were large and tender.
While eating the shrimp, Qiao Huaiyao asked, “Shall we go to the Time Travel ride first?”
‘Time Travel’ was one of the park’s famous attractions, with no real danger. It involved sitting in a roller coaster-like car and wearing VR glasses.
The scenes of traveling through time viewed through the glasses, combined with the rapid speed of the ride, reduced the fear of roller coasters.
It offered an immersive movie-watching experience.
Moreover, ‘Time Travel’ was indoors, and the roller coaster’s movements weren’t very intense.
Compared to a traditional roller coaster, this was clearly more popular.
“Sure, it’s up to you,” Bai Jinyan said, focused on feeding Qiao Huaiyao. If he ate something he didn’t like, Bai Jinyan would take it away and replace it with something else.
Seeing this, Qiao Huaiyao said, “Brother, I’m full.”
“How come you ate so little? It’s not enough,” Bai Jinyan frowned, noticing that apart from drinking most of his milk, Qiao Huaiyao hadn’t eaten much.
Qiao Huaiyao sipped the remaining milk, “It’s enough. I ate all the strawberries.”
Bai Jinyan, exasperated, picked up a small piece of torn bread and placed two pieces of shrimp on it. “Eat this.”
Qiao Huaiyao pursed his lips and reluctantly took the simple sandwich, eating it slowly.
They combined breakfast and lunch into one meal.
With a slight delay, by the time they left the hotel, it was about the same time they had entered the park yesterday.
Today was a bit cloudy, and all the outdoor attractions had long queues. On the other hand, the indoor attractions were somewhat deserted.
Perhaps everyone feared it might rain, causing outdoor attractions to close, while indoor ones would remain open. So, people were prioritizing outdoor activities first.
Even if it rained later, they could still enjoy the indoor attractions.
At the VIP entrance, a plush mascot enthusiastically waved at them, greeting, “Welcome to ‘Time Travel.’ Please follow me; an attendant inside will guide you.”
With that, the mascot opened the door. “Please come in!”
The lighting inside the ‘Time Travel’ attraction was dim, likely to enhance the immersive effect, with only a strip of lights along the floor.
The previous group of players had just disembarked from the ride.
Wearing VR glasses, seating was flexible; they could sit wherever they liked.
They chose seats nearby and, after sitting down, the attendant handed them VR glasses.
Bai Jinyan took two pairs, setting one aside before turning to help Qiao Huaiyao put his on. “Is this too tight?”
Qiao Huaiyao instinctively shook his head, then realized the VR glasses weren’t properly on yet, so he remained still and said, “No.”
“Okay.” Bai Jinyan adjusted the slightly askew VR glasses. “All set.”
Inside the VR glasses, safety instructions were rolling.
When the ride started, scenes matching the vehicle’s movements would appear.
After putting on the equipment and fastening their seat belts, they soon heard the ride’s start signal.
Bai Jinyan held Qiao Huaiyao’s hand on his lap, gently rubbing his fingertips absentmindedly. “It’s starting.”
Qiao Huaiyao responded softly, “Mm.”
Then, the ‘Time Travel’ ride began, and new scenes appeared in the VR glasses.
The setting seemed to be inside a spaceship, looking out at the starry sky.
Compared to a roller coaster, the most thrilling part of this ride was probably the moments in the VR glasses when it seemed like they would crash into a planet before making a sharp turn.
Since the outside was not visible, the height was hard to gauge.
Qiao Huaiyao preferred the starry sky Bai Jinyan had shown him before, so this starry sky didn’t captivate him much.
Lost in thought, he felt Bai Jinyan’s fingertips lightly tap his palm twice.
Qiao Huaiyao suspiciously turned his head but couldn’t see Bai Jinyan’s face. Confused, he asked, “Brother?”
“Here,” Bai Jinyan released his hand. “In a moment, a meteor will appear at the top right. When it does, grab it, and it will grant you a wish.”
“Hmm?” Qiao Huaiyao asked in surprise, “Can you catch a virtual meteor?”
At this part of the ‘Time Travel’ ride, it felt like they were drifting through the galaxy, so the speed was very slow.
Bai Jinyan’s voice was clear in Qiao Huaiyao’s ears. “Raise your hand to the right height, and the staff will place the meteor there.”
Qiao Huaiyao nodded, thinking this might be a hidden feature of the ride. “I didn’t see this in the guides.”
Bai Jinyan paused briefly, then said lightly, “Maybe not everyone knows about it, or even if they do, they might not be able to catch it, so it wasn’t mentioned.”
Qiao Huaiyao thought that made sense. As they spoke, the meteor gradually came into view.
As the scene zoomed in, it seemed as if the meteor was rapidly falling towards him.
It seemed difficult to catch, but it was about participation, so Qiao Huaiyao didn’t take it too seriously. He just reached out and casually tried to catch it.
At that spot, at that height, the meteor quickly streaked past and disappeared, but it felt as if Qiao Huaiyao had caught the fleeting meteor.
But… he did catch something.
Holding Bai Jinyan’s hand, Qiao Huaiyao realized there was no meteor prepared by the staff. It was just Bai Jinyan’s hand raised beforehand.
Qiao Huaiyao laughed helplessly, “Brother! You’re teasing me again…”
If anyone else had said that earlier, Qiao Huaiyao wouldn’t have believed it and wouldn’t have actually reached out to catch a meteor.
He would have rationally analyzed the possibility of such a thing and considered how the staff could prepare a meteor during the ride without attaching it before they boarded.
But since it was Bai Jinyan who said it, Qiao Huaiyao never doubted his brother’s words.
Bai Jinyan chuckled softly, “I wasn’t teasing you.”
“But you did catch it,” Bai Jinyan said, gently shaking his hand. “So, what’s your wish?”
Qiao Huaiyao was momentarily stunned, then he smiled playfully and said, “Meteors can’t talk.”
So Bai Jinyan really didn’t speak.
He held Qiao Huaiyao’s hand, smoothing out his fingers, and lightly traced something on his palm with his fingertips.
That subtle, barely-there touch made Qiao Huaiyao instinctively curl his fingers slightly, but being held by Bai Jinyan, he could only move his fingertips.
As for what was written on his palm, Qiao Huaiyao missed the first two characters entirely.
He could only guess.
‘What’s your wish?’ or ‘Your wish?’
After Bai Jinyan finished writing, Qiao Huaiyao turned the tables and wrote a question on his palm, stroke by stroke: “Is it ‘What’s your wish?'”
Bai Jinyan seemed to pause, and Qiao Huaiyao thought he had guessed wrong. Just as he was about to write another guess, he heard a soft laugh by his ear.
With a hint of resigned amusement, Bai Jinyan said, “You’re not a meteor, you can talk.”
Qiao Huaiyao: “!!!”
He had forgotten.
Seeing Bai Jinyan write like that, he had instinctively done the same when he wanted to respond.
Qiao Huaiyao coughed lightly, trying to pull his hand back, but it was held tightly.
Bai Jinyan softly said, “Be good.”
At Bai Jinyan’s words, Qiao Huaiyao stopped moving. Just as he was about to say something, the ride came to a stop.
Towards the end, the ride had slowed down considerably, and if it weren’t for the noticeable forward lurch when it finally stopped, they might not have realized it.
“Dear visitors, the ‘Time Travel’ ride has successfully reached its destination. Please disembark in an orderly manner and hand your VR glasses to the attendant. Do not take them with you.”
“If you wish to ride again, please inform the staff, who will arrange it for you.”
After the automated announcement, a message in a foreign language followed.
Qiao Huaiyao handed his VR glasses to the staff, his hair not too messed up from the ride.
Walking down the VIP path, Bai Jinyan held his hand. “Still haven’t decided on your wish?”
Qiao Huaiyao chuckled, “My wish…”
He didn’t even know what his wish was now.
At different ages, people might have wishes appropriate for that age.
Thinking carefully, Qiao Huaiyao realized he never really had a set wish from the start.
Later, his one and only wish had already come true.
Qiao Huaiyao glanced up at Bai Jinyan, and seeing the puzzled look in his eyes, he smiled and said, “I’ll tell you next time.”
Keeping a little mystery.
Bai Jinyan noticed the smile in Qiao Huaiyao’s eyes, ruffled his hair gently, and said warmly, “Okay.”