Out of all the possible date destinations, Ning Zhiyuan chose an amusement park.
The reason was simple.
Shen Li had never really had a childhood.
Growing up in the Shen family, he had been subjected to the strict upbringing and elite education reserved for an heir.
His parents loved him, but they could never go against Old Master Shen.
While Ning Zhiyuan had been spoiled by her father and allowed to do whatever she pleased, Shen Li had been taught restraint. Every moment of his time was devoted to endless lessons, business management, social etiquette, and leadership training.
Most of their conversations over the years consisted of Shen Li quietly listening while she talked about whatever fun thing she had done recently.
She especially remembered telling him about amusement parks, roller coasters, and pirate ships.
For perhaps the first time, curiosity had appeared in the eyes of the teenage boy.
“Are those rides really that fun?”
Amusement parks were considered frivolous in the Shen household.
Thrill rides were viewed as safety hazards and strictly forbidden.
Ning Zhiyuan could hardly imagine it. They had both grown up together, yet Shen Li’s life had been the complete opposite of hers, dull and rigid.
The fact that he hadn’t developed a twisted personality after years in such a stifling environment was practically a miracle.
Since it was the weekend, Ning Zhiyuan wanted him to experience the atmosphere for himself.
She didn’t book out the entire park. Instead, she coordinated with management beforehand to limit attendance and carefully screen visitors.
That way, they wouldn’t have to worry about being recognized.
As they walked through the park, they passed countless families with children and young couples enjoying their day together.
This was the first time they had gone out alone since getting engaged.
Walking side by side felt oddly lacking.
Ning Zhiyuan watched a young couple ahead of them holding hands.
An idea immediately popped into her head.
She switched her handbag to her other hand and glanced expectantly at the tall, handsome man beside her.
Shen Li noticed her gaze.
His dark eyes flickered slightly.
Zhiyuan didn’t like being seen with him in public.
Understanding what he thought she wanted, he consciously slowed his pace and retreated three steps behind her.
The moment Ning Zhiyuan noticed, she switched her handbag back, clenched her fist, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.
Then she stormed forward in irritation.
Instead of looking like they were on a date, they looked like complete strangers who had happened to cross paths.
The awkwardness even led to a misunderstanding while they were lining up for a ride.
“Sorry, sir. This ride is full. You’ll have to wait for the next round.”
The staff member stopped Shen Li.
He looked toward Ning Zhiyuan, who had already passed through the entrance gate.
His brows knitted together.
Then he glanced at the aging ride equipment, and his expression darkened even further.
Without him there, would Zhiyuan be safe?
But if he stopped her, would he ruin her fun?
Seeing that he had absolutely no intention of calling her back, Ning Zhiyuan finally gave up.
She walked back, hooked her arm around his, and said,
“Let’s go ride something else.”
Shen Li’s entire body stiffened.
“Zhiyuan,” he reminded her softly, “people might see us.”
If others saw them acting intimately, she would be unhappy.
Ning Zhiyuan deliberately twisted his meaning.
“Are you still trying to maintain your single-guy image, my fiancé?”
“No.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
That shut him up.
Arm in arm, they finally looked somewhat like a real couple.
After trying several rides, Ning Zhiyuan led him toward the one attraction she had always wanted to experience but never had the chance to.
The Ferris wheel.
In her previous life, she had gone on amusement park dates with Pei Jin.
She had heard a rumor that couples who rode a Ferris wheel together would stay together forever.
Back then, she had begged Pei Jin to go with her.
He had looked completely annoyed.
“That’s just nonsense made up for children. Only idiots would believe it.”
Naturally, they never rode the Ferris wheel.
Later, he even told Bai Xiaoxiao about it as a joke, mocking her for wanting to go.
The truth was, Ning Zhiyuan hadn’t really believed the legend either.
But she had never felt secure in that relationship.
Pei Jin always kept his distance from her.
She had wanted to use that little romantic superstition to reassure herself.
Now, she pulled Shen Li into one of the Ferris wheel cabins.
The enclosed compartment slowly rose higher and higher, carrying them farther from the ground.
Sitting across from him, Ning Zhiyuan stood up to admire the view outside.
“Look over there. Isn’t that the new Shen Group building?”
“Mm.”
Shen Li’s response was vague.
“Wait, maybe it’s not.”
She sat back down, intending to tease him for not recognizing his own company’s building.
Then she noticed something strange.
Shen Li’s back was pressed tightly against the cabin wall.
His hands gripped the seat.
His eyes were shut as he fought against the sensation of floating high above the ground.
She immediately moved to sit beside him.
“You’re afraid of heights?”
It felt like she had discovered an entirely new world.
Shen Li opened his eyes.
His face was pale and tense.
“No. I’m just not used to it.”
As he spoke, the Ferris wheel slowly approached its highest point.
“Don’t worry about me. As long as you enjoy it, that’s enough.”
He forced himself to look out the window.
The densely packed scenery below made his scalp tingle.
“It’s beautiful.”
At that moment, Ning Zhiyuan suddenly wished the Ferris wheel legend were true.
“Shen Li.”
“Mm?”
The instant he turned his head, she leaned forward and kissed him.
Shen Li tightened his grip on the seat.
The fear, combined with the frantic pounding of his heart, overwhelmed his senses.
His mind went completely blank.
He didn’t even know how he should react.
Rather than a kiss, it was more like Ning Zhiyuan was tasting him.
She sampled his lips with the same curiosity she might show toward a favorite dish.
Unlike sweet-and-sour pork, there was no crispy texture or sweet flavor.
Instead, a strange numbness spread through her chest, accompanied by an electric thrill unlike anything she had ever felt before.
When the kiss ended, she didn’t forget to bite his lower lip lightly.
A mark of ownership.
Shen Li’s ears, neck, and even the tips of his cheeks had turned bright red.
His lowered lashes made him look unusually vulnerable.
So vulnerable that it almost felt as if anyone could bully him.
Keeping a perfectly straight face, Ning Zhiyuan shamelessly lied,
“You looked scared, so I was helping you.”
Shen Li pressed his lips together and remained silent.
Whether he believed her or not was anyone’s guess.
After taking full advantage of him, she finally remembered something important.
In her previous life, around this time, Shen Li’s mother had celebrated her birthday.
After Ning Zhiyuan and Shen Li broke off their engagement, the birthday banquet had been canceled altogether.
This time, however, the engagement remained intact.
The celebration would proceed as planned.
If she remembered correctly, the banquet was tomorrow.
Part of the reason Shen Li had agreed to come to the amusement park today was because he wanted to invite her.
“I’ll attend Auntie’s birthday banquet tomorrow.”
Shen Li’s eyes instantly brightened.
They spent the entire day at the park.
Later, Ning Zhiyuan sat on a bench waiting while Shen Li stood in line to buy ice cream.
Her phone suddenly rang.
It was the family butler.
“Miss, the master has been hospitalized.”
Some time ago, Ning’s father had secretly taken those people back into the house.
Ning Zhiyuan had been too occupied to pay much attention.
Earlier today, Bai Xiaoxiao and her mother suddenly disappeared without a word.
Ning’s father hadn’t cared much at first.
Not until he discovered that the diamond brooch he and Ning’s mother had exchanged as a token of love was missing.
The shock and anger had sent his blood pressure soaring, landing him in the hospital.
Fortunately, he wasn’t in serious danger.
Ning Zhiyuan forced herself to calm down.
If Bai Xiaoxiao and her mother had stolen the brooch, they definitely had a purpose.
She checked her phone.
Sure enough, there was an unread message from an unfamiliar number that had arrived several hours earlier.
Zhiyuan, I’ll give you two months.
Break up with Shen Li and come back to me.
Otherwise, I’ll destroy your mother’s keepsake.
Pei Jin.
She had been too careless.
Too comfortable.
She had assumed they were no longer capable of causing trouble.
In her previous life, they had driven her to her death.
Now they were threatening her again and dragging her family into it.
She could no longer sit back and wait.
Simply taking their lives would no longer satisfy her.
She wanted to destroy them from the inside out.
She wanted them to suffer a hundred times more than she had suffered.
Only after that would they deserve to die.
The immediate priority was recovering the brooch.
Ning Zhiyuan dialed a number she had called that morning.
The moment the call connected, an anxious voice came through.
“Miss! We couldn’t find Cheng Ye. He went to an underground gambling ring and signed a life-or-death contract as a fighter. The match started half an hour ago…”