C10 Playland

"Haha... You two are certainly something..."

Bai Ling was about to add more, but a severe glance from Bai Ya scared her into silence. Although Bai Ya was usually accommodating, when angered, she transformed into a formidable tyrant.

Bai Ling playfully stuck out her tongue, choosing not to continue. Zhang Yang, feeling extremely awkward, stood by. Bai Ya, with her icy CEO demeanor, was definitely not his type.

Bai Ya was accustomed to dealing with business partners, so being labeled as part of a couple was a novel experience, especially since the instigator was her sister, Bai Ling.

"Bai Ling, let's discuss this at home."

The tension was palpable. Bai Ya forced composure, eager to leave. Regrettably, her tight skirt betrayed her; stationary it was fine, but in motion, it fluttered with each step.

Zhang Yang gaped in astonishment. Bai Ya's skirt flapped like a door, swinging open and shut, revealing glimpses of white with each movement.

"What are you staring at? Get moving, and don't forget to come to work tomorrow."

Bai Ya had barely walked away when she felt Zhang Yang's stare and remembered her skirt, his expression only intensifying her disdain for him.

"Hmph, you think I want your attention? If Bai Ling hadn't called me 'brother,' I wouldn't give you the time of day. Goodbye."

Zhang Yang dashed off, though inwardly he found her quite attractive, rare, and so very fair...

Initially, the moment was too awkward for admiration, then Lin Yuan appeared, and that final fleeting glimpse surpassed any thigh he'd seen in his twenty-plus years.

Back in the dorm that night, Zhang Yang's mind was still on those thighs. His three roommates watched him grin foolishly, clueless about what had transpired.

"Mr. Yang, what's gotten into you? You went from a creep last night to a complete dolt today. What's the big deal?"

Sunn Pang looked on with concern, wondering if the shock had been too much, fearing Zhang Yang had lost his wits.

"Ah? So white..." Zhang Yang caught himself just as the words were about to slip out and quickly swallowed them back down.

"Mr. Yang, what's so white?" Sunn Pang didn't quite grasp what Zhang Yang meant by "so white."

Zhang Yang couldn't be bothered to explain. He simply climbed into bed and promptly fell asleep, leaving Sunn Pang to mutter to himself for quite a while, "What's so white, anyway?"

Pulling out his phone, Zhang Yang opened an app, curious to find out how he had activated the self-defense mode without any achievement points.

"Warning, the host has incurred a debt. Please earn 100 achievement points promptly to repay the system. In three days, compound interest will begin, and if the host is unable to repay, they will be working for the system indefinitely."

Damn, Zhang Yang nearly shed tears upon realizing the truth. That was a hundred thousand RMB! Had he known the cost of that fight, he would have held back. After all, that was no small sum!

"It was you who wanted to break up, so let's break up..."

Zhang Yang's pleasant dream was shattered by the sound of his ringing phone. Groggily, he answered the call—it was Bai Ling.

"Mr. Zhang Yang, please come quickly. My sister Bai Ya has been grounded. Come and keep me company."

Hearing Bai Ling's pleading voice, Zhang Yang remembered his childhood wish for a sister and thought of Bai Ling's unfortunate circumstances. He couldn't find it in his heart to say no.

"Just a moment, I'll get ready and be right there. Do you need me to bring anything?"

"No need for anything. Mr. Zhang Yang, just come quickly."

With a sigh, Zhang Yang got out of bed and freshened up. He grabbed his phone, scanned a shared bike, and pedaled his way to the Bai family's villa in Clear Water Bay. Checking the app, he realized he had only earned one more achievement point. At this rate, how would he ever clear his debt?

"Zhang Yang, finally! I've been waiting for ages. You're so slow."

Upon his arrival, Bai Ling immediately latched onto Zhang Yang's arm and ushered him inside.

"Ling Ling, mind your manners. Being so affectionate with an outsider isn't proper. What would people think?"

Bai Ya descended the stairs just in time to witness the scene, addressing Bai Ling with a stern tone.

"Hmph, always busy with something, aren't you? Get to work already. Once I have someone to keep me company, you can just work every day. La la la..."

Bai Ling pulled a face, leaving Bai Ya feeling helpless. The girl usually cared so much about her appearance; why didn't she consider Zhang Yang an outsider? Bai Ya's irritation grew as she recalled Zhang Yang's dismissive words from the day before. What did he mean by not caring?

"Zhang Yang, I'm off to work. You stay here and keep Bai Ling company. And I'm warning you, don't you dare take her to any of those sketchy places again, or you'll have me to answer to."

Bai Ya descended the remainder of the stairs, fixing Zhang Yang with a direct gaze. This was her typical approach with subordinates – a straight, unwavering stare that usually made them avert their eyes or bow their heads in discomfort.

To Zhang Yang, Bai Ya's demeanor was nothing but an attempt to intimidate. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't dare meet her gaze, but he didn't see himself as her employee and had no interest in pursuing her. With no desires, he stood his ground, unafraid to meet her challenge.

"What's the point of glaring at me? I'm only here for Ling's sake. Why should I do as you say?"

Their eyes locked in a battle of wills for a full five seconds.

"Wow, sister, Mr. Zhang Yang, you're really sparking up a storm in front of me. Could you be mindful of the influence? I'm still a minor, you know!" Bai Ling exclaimed dramatically, covering her eyes but sneakily peeking through her fingers.

"Quiet, no more nonsense."

"Quiet, no more nonsense."

Bai Ya was taken aback, her cheeks flushing with heat. Why did they sync up again? Anticipating more comments from Bai Ling, Bai Ya quickly interjected, "I need to leave for work. You two have fun at home. And remember, Zhang Yang, Ling is precious. Her safety is no joke."

With her instructions hastily delivered, Bai Ya beat a hasty retreat from the house. Why was it that every encounter with Zhang Yang never went smoothly?

"Zhang Yang, I want to go to the amusement park today. My sister has never taken me, and I really want to go."

As soon as her sister left, Bai Ling turned to Zhang Yang with a pleading look in her eyes.

"No, your safety comes first. We're better off staying home and playing."

Zhang Yang firmly refused. Despite his arguments with Bai Ya, he knew this was no laughing matter.

"Zhang Yang, you scaredy-cat. Are you afraid of my sister? You talk a big game, but deep down, you're all talk. You always end up doing what my sister says. If you ever get married, you'll be under the thumb of your wife, living forever under my sister's rule."

Bai Ling taunted Zhang Yang, her disdain apparent in every word.

"Fine, let's go then. Who's afraid of your sister!" Zhang Yang was so frustrated he felt dizzy. Bai Ya might be attractive, but her personality was far from appealing. How could he possibly like her?

"Deal. I'll go change, and then we can head out."

Soon, Bai Ling emerged in a cartoon-print dress, her hair up in a bun, the picture of youthful innocence at 15 or 16. She latched onto Zhang Yang's arm and chirped, "Uncle, shall we?"

Zhang Yang swallowed his pride. Barely into his twenties and already being called an uncle. But he decided to let it slide.

They drove Bai Ya's Beetle slowly into the city. Since Zhang Yang was a novice driver, they took their time, arriving at the amusement park after a full half-hour.

With Bai Ling's scornful eyes upon him, Zhang Yang parked the car, pulled out the last 100-yuan note from his pocket, bought two tickets, and they entered the park.

Bai Ling was like a country bumpkin seeing the big city for the first time, marveling at everything and eager to try it all.

"Zhang Yang, I want to go on that roller coaster."

"No."

"How about that swing ride?"

Zhang Yang glanced at it. That was no swing—it was a mechanical arm flipping around at high speed. How could that be called a swing?

"No."

"You say no to this, no to that. Zhang Yang, you're such a chicken!"

Bai Ling sulked, and Zhang Yang felt even more frustrated. She had stopped calling him brother and was now openly mocking him.

However, these rides were incredibly high, and just looking at them made Zhang Yang feel dizzy. There was no way he could go up and play.

"Little girl, your uncle here is a bit of a scaredy-cat. It's not that he doesn't want you to play, but he's just too chicken to go up himself. How about you ditch him, and big brother here will take you to play on each one?"

Bai Ling was fuming when a group of rowdy young men approached her. Bai Ling was cute and delicate, and they had been eyeing her for a while. Hearing her complaint, the leader with green hair thought he saw a golden opportunity.

"No way, I don't want to play with you. Just look at that green mop on your head; you're clearly no good. I want to play with Mr. Zhang Yang."

Though Bai Ling hardly ever left the house, she wasn't naive. She knew that sticking with Zhang Yang was the only safe option. These shady characters were definitely bad news.

"Little girl, you want to play with your Mr. Zhang Yang, but he doesn't have the courage to join you. Maybe you two should head over to the left side; the games there are much safer."

Green Hair gestured towards the bumper cars and trampolines meant for kids on the left. Bai Ling bristled at the suggestion; she loathed being treated like a child.

"Hmph, you can go play those kiddie games yourself! Mr. Zhang Yang isn't scared, he's just worried about me getting scared if I go up there. That's why he won't take me. I've made up my mind, Mr. Zhang Yang, you go on up and play. I'll watch from down here."

Bai Ling gazed up at Zhang Yang with eyes full of admiration. Despite her eagerness to agree, Zhang Yang looked up at the towering rides and felt his legs refuse to budge.

[Ding! New mission discovered: Theme Park Thriller. Complete all the rides and earn 100 Achievement Points.]

Zhang Yang, who was initially resigned to playing it safe with the bumper cars, saw the notification and realized this was his chance to clear his debts and start afresh. With a burst of resolve, he thought to himself, "To hell with it, let's do this."

"Just as Ling Ling said, would I, Mr. Zhang Yang, be afraid of these child's play? Come on, Ling Ling, watch how Mr. Zhang Yang takes to the skies. Let's not waste our time on these folks."

Having made up his mind, Zhang Yang was ready to start with something simple, taking Bai Ling along for the ride. It was just a bit of a thrill, after all, and he was confident his heart could handle it.

"Haha, guys, you think swinging your arms around is like flying? This amusement park has a roller coaster. What do you say, uncle? Let's hit the roller coaster and see who can keep quiet. Whoever screams loses, deal?"

The group of young guys clutched their bellies, howling with laughter. Zhang Yang could only think about the roller coaster, cursing under his breath. Why on earth did this rinky-dink amusement park have to have such a terrifying ride? It was enough to scare someone to death.