The small ripple caused by the lecture quickly subsided, and before long, the weekend arrived.
“Chaoxi! Let’s go to Happy Valley tomorrow!”
After class on Friday, Lu Yao excitedly planned their weekend outing. “The weather is perfect—neither too hot nor too cold—and I heard they’ve opened several thrilling new rides!” She raised her phone to show the promotional page.
Happy Valley?
Ruan Chaoxi looked at the brightly colored amusement rides on the screen, feeling a stir in her heart.
Before she was born, her father had built a top-tier private amusement park modeled after Disneyland in the river valley estate in the Golden Triangle.
But the “visitors” there had always been just her, at most joined by her brother and Miya, while the staff remained as quiet and refined as decorations.
Then there were Universal Studios Singapore and Resorts World Sentosa… Each time, the entire park was cleared in advance, with the vast grounds open only to her and a handful of family and friends. There were no bustling queues, no excited screams—completely devoid of that raw, vibrant liveliness.
“Okay!” Ruan Chaoxi agreed almost without hesitation.
At nine in the evening, the video call connected on time.
“Any plans for the weekend?” Samia’s gaze rested gently on her face.
“Lu Yao invited me to Happy Valley, said it’s one of the most famous theme parks in Beijing.” Ruan Chaoxi’s tone was full of anticipation. “I’ve never been to a public amusement park like this before! I hear the lines are long, but it should be a lot of fun!”
Samia fell silent for a moment on the other end of the screen.
A public amusement park, on a weekend, with massive crowds, a complex environment, and too many uncontrollable factors…
Each word challenged his sense of security, and he could almost immediately picture various potential risk scenarios in his mind. But seeing the longing for ordinary fun in her eyes, a pang of bitterness welled up in his heart.
In Southeast Asia, the Mo Family and he had always tried to give her the best and safest of everything, yet they had inadvertently deprived her of the chance to experience the most ordinary kind of excitement.
“…If you want to go, then go.” In the end, he only spoke in a low, serious tone, his compromise tinged with helplessness. “Be careful, stay close to your friend, avoid remote corners, protect your belongings in crowded areas, and don’t push yourself too hard on the intense rides.”
“I know!” Ruan Chaoxi nodded emphatically, her face openly cheerful. “Miya, you don’t need to worry. I’ll take good care of myself!”
“Mm, have fun. You can call me anytime.”
…
The weekend brought crisp autumn weather, perfect for an outing. Happy Valley was packed with people.
Ruan Chaoxi, dressed in a comfortable hoodie and jeans with her hair tied in a high ponytail, blended seamlessly into the excited crowd of visitors.
The long waits in line, screaming alongside strangers on the roller coaster, taking silly photos on the carousel… all of it felt fresh and joyful to her.
After trying a few rides, they passed by a shooting game booth. The grand prize was an almost life-sized plush toy, exquisitely crafted and adorable. To win it, one had to hit the bullseye with all ten shots.
“Wow! I really want that! But it looks so difficult…” Lu Yao looked at the row of air rifles on the booth and the small moving targets in the distance, feeling a bit discouraged.Ruan Chaoxi’s gaze swept over the row of guns and the distance to the targets. These game guns usually had slightly misaligned sights, and their trajectories were noticeably affected by air pressure and angles… But for her, it was ridiculously simple!
At her brother Miya’s military training ground, he had taught her using real military sniper rifles, aiming at moving targets hundreds of meters away, requiring absolute precision in all kinds of complex environments.
“Want to give it a try?” she asked Lu Yao.
“Of course! But…” Lu Yao glanced at the not-so-cheap price of the game tokens, then at the slim odds of winning, and hesitated.
Ruan Chaoxi had already walked up to the stall, paid, and picked up an air rifle. She checked it with practiced ease, lightly pressed the trigger with her fingertip to test the feel, raised the gun, adjusted her stance and shoulder angle, and calmly looked toward the distant target.
Then, she pulled the trigger.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Ten crisp gunshots, almost without pause.
The electronic scorekeeper beeped, and the screen clearly displayed: ten shots, all bullseyes!
“Congratulations, miss!” Even the stall staff were surprised, quickly taking down the huge plush toy.
“Chaoxi, what kind of goddess are you?! Top grades, amazing at fighting, and even such a sharpshooter! Have you been secretly practicing?” Lu Yao took the plush toy that almost buried her whole body, her face flushed with excitement.
“I played something similar before… in Thailand,” Ruan Chaoxi said lightly, placing the toy gun back in its spot.
Lu Yao hugged the plush toy, excitedly pulling her for a photo. Many surrounding tourists also raised their phones to capture this “beautiful sharpshooter” moment. Ruan Chaoxi frowned slightly but didn’t stop them, just turned her face a little to the side.
This small episode was soon overshadowed by the excitement of more amusement park attractions. But that evening, a short video titled “Sharpshooter Beauty Spotted at Happy Valley” began circulating again in small circles.
Beijing, a luxury villa.
Jiang Yaoci leaned back on the sofa, irritably scrolling through his phone.
Ever since Ruan Chaoxi rejected him with “a more important date” on Thursday night, that sense of frustration and jealousy had lingered.
When had Young Master Jiang ever suffered such a setback with a woman?
Suddenly, that Happy Valley video caught his eye.
The girl in the frame had delicate features in profile, her shooting posture crisp and professional, creating an oddly charming contrast with the huge plush toy she’d won.
Jiang Yaoci’s heart skipped a heavy beat!
His resentment and interest were reignited, and an idea popped into his head—
Since she didn’t seem unfamiliar with shooting, and might even have a talent for it…
He closed the video and dialed a number, his tone returning to its usual lazy confidence: “Hey, Young Master Wang, reserve the best range and coach at that members-only live-fire shooting club of yours for next weekend. Yes, I’m inviting a friend to have some fun.”
He put down his phone, looking at the frozen image of Ruan Chaoxi’s profile on the screen, a confident smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
What were amusement park tricks?
If they were going to play, it had to be something truly thrilling, something that showcased status and power!