Chapter Thirteen: The Amusement Park

“There are so many people!” Le Xiaoyou exclaimed in awe at the sea of visitors in the amusement park. Xingyu and I both nodded in agreement. To be honest, this was my first time in such a place.

When I was young, amusement parks didn’t even exist; later, I simply lost interest in visiting them. And apart from school, this was my first time being among so many humans, which made me feel a bit out of place.

Le Xiaoyou’s astonishment drew quite a few looks, and the three of us together attracted even more attention—my peculiar attire and Ang’s vigilant protection probably played a significant role.

“Let’s move quickly,” Xingyu whispered. It seemed I wasn’t the only one unsettled by all those watching eyes. Le Xiaoyou, on the other hand, paid no mind, her excitement undimmed as she gazed around eagerly.

“How about we try the roller coaster?” Le Xiaoyou’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the looping ride nearby, her anticipation unmistakable. At her suggestion, Xingyu’s expression changed at once.

“I’ll pass. As I am now, I probably can’t ride a roller coaster,” I said with a smile, declining, then turned to Xingyu, curious to see what she would choose.

“Do you really want to go that much, Xiaoyou?” Xingyu asked in a pleading tone, making one last effort.

“Of course! How could you say you’ve visited an amusement park without riding the roller coaster?” Le Xiaoyou replied, oblivious to Xingyu’s desperation.

“All right, let’s go, then.” Unable to bear disappointing Le Xiaoyou, Xingyu followed her to the ticket booth, resigned as if heading to her doom.

I couldn’t help but laugh as I watched them queue for tickets. Just then, I felt a sharp gaze fixed on me. I looked around, alert, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

“Ang!” My voice was tinged with coldness.

“Miss, someone is watching us, but I sense no malice. I can’t yet discern their intent,” Ang replied gravely.

“Damn it, the sunlight dulls my senses too much,” I muttered in frustration. If it were night, I would never be so powerless.

“Please don’t worry, Miss. I will not allow anyone to harm you,” Ang vowed.

“I trust you.”

Soon, Xingyu and Le Xiaoyou returned from the roller coaster, but Xingyu was pale as a ghost, leaning heavily on Le Xiaoyou for support.

“Are you all right, Xingyu?” I asked, startled by her condition.

“I’m… fine,” she replied weakly.

“I had no idea Xingyu would be so scared of roller coasters. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have insisted,” Le Xiaoyou said, guilt written all over her face.

“I… really… am fine,” Xingyu insisted, still forcing herself.

“All right, I know you’re okay. But let’s rest for a bit,” I said, helpless in the face of her stubbornness.

It took a full hour before Xingyu’s color began to return.

“So, where shall we go next?” she asked, the moment she’d recovered a little.

“Shouldn’t you rest a bit more?” I asked with concern.

“No need, I’m fine now. Besides, so much time has passed already. Sorry for making you wait,” Xingyu apologized to us both.

“It’s really not a problem. If anything, I’m the one at fault for dragging you onto the ride,” Le Xiaoyou said, still remorseful.

“Enough, you two—at this rate, you’ll turn this into a self-criticism session. Weren’t we supposed to have fun? If you keep this up, even I’ll get downhearted,” I said, exasperated.

“You’re right—we need to perk up! There are so many places waiting for us to explore, we can’t give up here,” Le Xiaoyou declared, her spirits revived in an instant. Just a moment ago she looked so guilty it was heartbreaking, and now she was brimming with energy again.

“Yes, today is for Lilith. We can’t let ourselves get down. We have to make sure Lilith has a good time,” Xingyu also rallied.

“What should we do next? If it’s outdoors, Nana won’t be able to join us, and I don’t want it to be just Xingyu and me,” Le Xiaoyou said with a frown.

“Right. Is there anything Lilith can join in as well?” Xingyu mused.

“How about the haunted house?” To my surprise, Ang—who was always so reticent—offered a suggestion.

“The haunted house?” Le Xiaoyou’s eyes lit up, while Xingyu’s face fell.

“I wouldn’t mind the haunted house, but Xingyu…” I said, worried as I looked at her. The haunted house, with its gloomy interior, would be free from sunlight—a perfect refuge for me, granting relief from the burning pain. Clearly, Ang was still concerned for my wellbeing.

“It’s fine. I can handle it,” Xingyu said, pumping her fists in encouragement.

“Then let’s go to the haunted house!” Le Xiaoyou cheered, utterly unrepentant. I watched her, full of anticipation, while Xingyu trailed behind, trying to psych herself up, and couldn’t help but think: was this actually a mistake?

“Aaahhh!” The haunted house echoed with their screams. I watched the two of them helplessly; from the moment we entered, my poor eardrums had been under constant assault.

Le Xiaoyou, who had looked so excited before entering, now screamed even louder than Xingyu. Clinging to Xingyu’s sleeve and hiding behind her, while Xingyu—shaking but determined—led the way. I couldn’t help but wonder if coming here had indeed been a bad idea.

As boredom crept in, a shadow suddenly lunged at us from a corner. Ang immediately stepped in front of me. That aura—just as the figure attacked, I recognized it: a vampire. I hadn’t expected to find one lurking here, but it was a perfect hiding place, free from sunlight and prying eyes. Even if discovered, people would just assume it was a staff member in costume.

“Ang!” I stepped protectively in front of Xingyu and Le Xiaoyou as I gave the order. Ang instantly understood, snorted coldly, and struck the vampire with a punch that sent it flying through a wall and out of sight. Ang’s figure blurred as he raced after it.

“What happened? What’s going on?” Xingyu and Le Xiaoyou, startled by the crash, snapped out of their terror, confused.

“Nothing—Ang just broke one of the haunted house props and went to talk with the staff,” I explained.

“Oh!” Le Xiaoyou believed me at once, exclaiming, “Ang is amazing! He actually broke the machine. He must be unbelievably strong!” Xingyu nodded in awe beside her.

“Ha, Ang’s strength can be troublesome if he loses control,” I said with a wry smile.

As we joked, Ang returned, composed as ever, nodded to me, and resumed his post at my back.

“It’s settled. Let’s go,” I smiled, addressing Xingyu and Le Xiaoyou.

After this incident, both of them still screamed their way through the haunted house, but they weren’t nearly as tense as before.

At last, we made it out unscathed, and I breathed a sigh of relief. To meet vampires twice in this city—what a rare occurrence.

I opened my umbrella and pulled the brim of my sunhat low, trying to shield myself from the harsh midday sun. My body burned again; the hat and gloves were almost useless now, and sunlight seared my skin through my clothes.

“Let’s go have lunch,” Xingyu suggested, eyeing the climbing sun.

“All right,” I smiled through the pain.

“Great, I’m starving!” Le Xiaoyou cheered.

“I’ve prepared lunch for us,” Xingyu said happily, producing the meal she’d made in advance.

I ate with them, then continued wandering the park. To accommodate me, Xingyu and Le Xiaoyou didn’t go on any more rides, instead keeping me company as we sampled snacks throughout the park. Every step I took was agony under the relentless sun, and several times I nearly cried out from the pain. But I didn’t want to ruin this rare experience, so I clenched my fists and forced myself to smile. Ang, seeing my state, wanted to persuade me to stop, but couldn’t bring himself to interrupt my happiness.

Finally, sunset arrived, and I was freed from the endless torment.

“Let’s ride the Ferris wheel. The night view from up there must be beautiful,” Le Xiaoyou suggested, gazing at the Ferris wheel with anticipation.

“Yes, let’s go together,” Xingyu said with a smile.

By the time the three of us boarded, the sun had set completely and the amusement park’s lights glittered everywhere. Xingyu gazed out at the shifting, colorful lights in a trance. “It’s beautiful. If we could watch the sunrise here, it would be even more breathtaking.”

I watched his blissful face, imprinting the scene deep in my heart. Time seemed to stand still.

“What a wonderful day. Even with all the mishaps,” Le Xiaoyou said with a sigh as we headed home.

“Yes, it was,” Xingyu agreed, her mood buoyant since leaving the Ferris wheel.

“Let’s do this again sometime,” I said to them.

“There will be another chance, for sure,” Xingyu replied.

“Today was truly wonderful.” After seeing them home, I turned to Ang.

“Yes, Miss. But please take better care of yourself from now on. Don’t do this again,” Ang said.

“I understand. I’ll be careful. This was the only time,” I said sadly. Yes, the only time. My body grows weaker and can no longer endure such burning pain. “Don’t worry, Ang. I’ll rest well tomorrow. You needn’t worry.”

As Ang and I spoke, our car drew up to the manor on the outskirts.

“Lilith, it’s been a while,” a melodious voice called out as Ang and I got out and headed for the house.