Chapter 19: Your Heart is Really Quite Dirty

The next morning, when Shang Que arrived at Huanhai Amusement Park, she could already see a group of tall young men gathered at the entrance from a distance.

Aside from Feng Ye, the other members of ST were also present. They were chatting and laughing together, while Ji Jingchuan stood alone on the other side, looking irritated with his back turned toward them.

The first to notice her was Bian Du. He paused his conversation, turned his head, and reminded the others, “Shang Que is here.”

Then, he flashed a perfect idol smile and extended his hand in greeting. “Hello, I’m Bian Du, the leader of ST.”

Shang Que shook his hand briefly and responded politely, “Nice to meet you all. I’m Shang Que.”

“You don’t need to introduce yourself, goddess. We all know who you are,” said a buzz-cut guy with a playful smirk.

Shang Que feigned seriousness and asked, “Is it because I became famous in your group for arguing with Ji Jingchuan?”

“Not entirely,” Feng Ye explained. “Remember when I mentioned on a variety show that someone asked me to get your autograph? That was Xian-ge. He’s been watching your drama lately and keeps promoting it to us, saying his goddess has phenomenal acting skills.”

Bian Du chimed in, “That’s right. This morning, when Xiao Chuan heard you were coming, he couldn’t stop smiling from the moment we left the house.”

This formed a stark contrast with Ji Jingchuan, who had been scowling the entire time.

“Nonsense,” the buzz-cut guy said, his face suddenly showing a rare hint of shyness. He introduced himself, “I’m Qin Xian—Qin as in Qin Dynasty, Xian as in—”

“As in ‘you’ve already made yourself obvious,’” Ji Jingchuan suddenly interjected, approaching with an annoyed expression. “Have you all finished chatting? Are we going in or not?”

“Almost done. We’re just getting to know each other before we go in,” Bian Du replied, unfazed by his attitude. He then quickly summarized, “Feng Ye and Xiao Chuan don’t need introductions. That guy over there is Qi Nuoya.”

The baby-faced youth smiled, revealing two dimples. “You can also call me Nokia.”

Shang Que actually knew a little about their group.

As the oldest member, Bian Du had a gentle and accommodating personality, often acting as the mediator when conflicts arose among the members.

Qin Xian, the main rapper, was an outgoing and straightforward guy with a bit of a temper. On their group’s variety show, he frequently got into small arguments with Ji Jingchuan, but they never held grudges—they would argue one moment and be fine the next. When rumors circulated that Ji Jingchuan was bullying other members of the group, Qin Xian was the first to speak out against the false accusations.

Feng Ye had a role similar to Ji Jingchuan’s, but in terms of both talent and looks, he wasn’t quite on the same level as the group’s main vocalist and visual. However, his emotional intelligence was far superior, making him quite popular as well.

Qi Nuoya, who had a cute and youthful image, had a baby face that attracted many “mom fans.” Even when he threw tantrums, people would excuse him as being too young to understand things properly—so much so that they often overlooked the fact that the youngest member of the group was actually Ji Jingchuan.

Once everyone was introduced and Ji Jingchuan’s patience was clearly wearing thin, Bian Du quickly got to the point. Taking out his phone, he asked, “By the way, we’re going live in a bit. Shang Que, are you okay with appearing on camera?”

“Of course,” Shang Que nodded. Ji Jingchuan had already mentioned yesterday that this was a company-arranged task.

The live stream was hosted on ST’s official daily vlog account. Bian Du secured the phone onto a handheld selfie stick, adjusting the angle so everyone could be seen in the frame.

“Hello, everyone! Welcome to ST’s Amusement Park Day. Our special guest today is Shang Que!”

[Comments Section Explodes]

• “AHHHHHH! They just went live without warning! Best surprise of the day!”
• “I was lying in bed, and the second I got the notification, I clicked in immediately!”
• “Oh my god, Que Que is here too?! My two faves in one stream—dream collab!”
• “Didn’t someone say they wanted Shang Que to join ST’s variety show? Well, wish granted!”
• “LOL, but why does Ji Jingchuan still look so annoyed?”
• “At least he didn’t walk away this time. Today, we witness whether Shang Que can tame him!”

Since it was still early, the amusement park wasn’t too crowded yet. After entering, they each received a park guide. Feng Ye unfolded the map and asked, “The nearest ride is the carousel. Should we head there first?”

Qin Xian, however, had his own agenda. “Where’s the roller coaster?”

“Are you sure you want to start with something that intense?” Feng Ye reminded him. “We just had breakfast less than half an hour ago.”

“Yeah, don’t end up throwing up all over Shang Que,” Ji Jingchuan added sarcastically.

Hearing that made Shang Que feel a little nauseated. She frowned and kicked the back of his foot. “If you have nothing useful to say, just stay quiet.”

“I’m not Nokia. A roller coaster won’t make me puke.”

Qi Nuoya made a big X with his arms in front of him. “Stop with the personal attacks!”

[Live Chat Comments Explode Again]

• “HAHAHAHA, this reminds me of that time on their variety show! Qi Nuoya rode the roller coaster and realized he had a fear of heights. He nearly died on it, and Qin Xian and Bian Du had to carry him off!”
• “If I were Qin Xian, I would’ve just left him there for another round.”
• “Nokia: You’re committing a personal attack! 🤣”
• “I’ve seen a lot of saints, but this is my first time seeing a living demon.”

Bian Du made the decision. “Let’s go to the carousel first, and then we’ll follow the route to the roller coaster later.”

Everyone agreed, and they all headed to the carousel line. Soon, it was their turn.

As soon as Ji Jingchuan got inside, he sat down on a family-style bench seat. He originally wanted to call Shang Que over, but she had already chosen a horse to ride.

Ji Jingchuan pursed his lips. Just as he turned his head, he suddenly locked eyes with Qin Xian.

Grinning, Qin Xian teased, “So you like sitting on benches when riding a carousel? How safe.”

Ji Jingchuan’s expression immediately darkened as he looked away impatiently.

He had been annoyed before, but now he was downright irritated.

As the cheerful music started playing, the carousel began to spin, gradually picking up speed. Laughter filled the air, but Ji Jingchuan remained expressionless. The moment the ride stopped, he quickly unlatched the seatbelt and stepped off, unwilling to stay a second longer.

The others, however, were all smiling as they exited. Qi Nuoya excitedly asked, “What’s next?”

“Let me check,” Feng Ye flipped open the map. “Wow, it’s the roller coaster!”

[Live Chat Explodes Yet Again]

• “HAHAHA, Nokia just got betrayed by the itinerary.”
• “That smile disappeared real quick.”
• “His smile didn’t disappear. It just transferred to my face.”

Qin Xian coaxed, “You never know, maybe you won’t be afraid of heights this time. How can you be sure without trying?”

Qi Nuoya firmly shook his head. “No way. You guys go ahead. I’ll wait for you down here.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” he nodded seriously. “I’m afraid of heights. I really can’t do it.”

“Alright,” Bian Du glanced at the others. “Then—”

“I’m afraid of heights too,” Ji Jingchuan suddenly said. “I’m not going either.”

Qin Xian looked at him suspiciously. “Since when were you afraid of heights?”

“Afraid of heights since birth, so what?” Ji Jingchuan continued, “Shang Que is also afraid of heights. She won’t go either.”

Shang Que frowned. “Who told you I’m afraid of heights?”

“Otherwise, would you dare to jump out of a plane?”

【???】
【What a niche way to determine that.】
【This isn’t about being afraid of heights, this is about not wanting to die.】

Before Shang Que could say anything, Ji Jingchuan made the decision. “Since no one has any objections, it’s settled then. You guys go on the roller coaster, and we’ll play something else first. We’ll meet up later.”

There were quite a few high-altitude rides in the amusement park, and judging by Qin Xian’s expression, he was definitely planning to go on them. Seeing this, Bian Du had no choice but to agree to the plan.

Splitting into two groups, once the others left, Qi Nuoya started a separate live stream on his phone. He turned his head and asked, “What should we play now?”

Ji Jingchuan: “The haunted house.”

Huanhai Amusement Park had several haunted houses, and the closest one had an ancient Chinese underworld theme. After buying their tickets, the three of them stood at the entrance, where a chilling wind blew out from inside.

Qi Nuoya shivered. “I—”

“I’m scared,” Ji Jingchuan interrupted him, beating him to it. “Qi Nuoya, you go first.”

“Ah? Ah?” Qi Nuoya pointed at himself. “Me? Me?”

【Nokia (Qi Nuoya): I’m scared too!】
【Why does it feel like Ji Jingchuan is up to something?】
【Little Nuoya is in danger.】

“Yes, you go first.” Ji Jingchuan explained seriously, “Most of the time, ghosts jump out from behind to scare people. If you’re at the front, you’re actually the safest.”

Qi Nuoya was half-convinced. “R-Really?”

“Of course. I can tell you don’t visit haunted houses much.” Ji Jingchuan furrowed his brows and sounded increasingly impatient. “Shang Que and I will be right behind you to protect you. What are you afraid of?”

Qi Nuoya didn’t have a strong stomach for horror and hadn’t been to many haunted houses before. Hearing Ji Jingchuan say this, he took a deep breath, lifted the curtain in front of him, and stepped inside.

After walking through a dark, narrow passageway, they officially entered the haunted house. It was themed around the eighteen levels of hell, with eerie red lights casting shadows on the walls. Torture instruments like iron tongs, karma mirrors, and boiling oil vats flickered in and out of sight. Occasionally, when he turned his head, he would catch glimpses of terrifying skulls. Qi Nuoya was so scared that he stopped in his tracks and shut his eyes tightly.

However, the howling wind sounded like ghostly wails, and the bone-chilling fear seeped into him from all directions.

He trembled. “Ji—Ji Jingchuan, are you still there?”

A hand landed on his shoulder. Qi Nuoya immediately let out a sigh of relief. “As long as you guys are still here, I—”

He opened his eyes and turned around—only to come face-to-face with a grotesque, menacing bull-headed demon.

Behind him, Ji Jingchuan and Shang Que were nowhere to be seen!

“AHHHHHH!!!” Qi Nuoya let out a sharp scream and bolted.

The haunted house suddenly erupted with the sound of intense, horrifying drumbeats. The lights flickered off, and then an eerie green glow illuminated the scene, revealing a horse-headed ghost standing just two steps ahead of him.

Qi Nuoya’s eyes widened. He glanced left—White Impermanence had a sinister grin on his face. He glanced right—Black Impermanence was slowly approaching, his long tongue dragging along the floor.

“The vengeful spirits have come to claim their souls… It’s time to go… Go… Go…”

The chilling echoes filled the space. Qi Nuoya shuddered violently and screamed in terror, “Ji Jingchuan, save me!!!”

His cries reverberated through the haunted house.

Standing at the entrance, Ji Jingchuan sighed in relief. “That was terrifying. Good thing I didn’t go in.”

Shang Que frowned slightly. “Are you sure this is okay?”

“What else could I do?” Ji Jingchuan said matter-of-factly. “It’s not like I didn’t go in. I walked a little bit, but it was too scary, so I turned back.”

“When you say ‘a little bit,’ do you mean you didn’t even make it inside the haunted house?” Shang Que listened to the screams coming from inside and asked worriedly, “Shouldn’t we go help him?”

“No.” Ji Jingchuan had finally managed to shake off these nuisances. There was no way he was letting Shang Que go back for them.

He clutched his chest dramatically. “I’m scared. I have a heart condition. If I go in, I might get scared to death.”

He pronounced the word “heart” in a peculiar tone, and Shang Que caught onto it. She nodded in agreement. “You really do have a dirty heart.”

Although Qi Nuoya was timid, he was physically healthy. The haunted house staff knew their limits and wouldn’t scare him too much. Soon, the screaming stopped.

“See? He’s fine now.” Ji Jingchuan sounded a little annoyed. “I don’t know why you’re so worried about him.”

Shang Que looked at him blocking the doorway and suddenly asked, “Where should we go next?”

Ji Jingchuan’s eyes lit up. “Do you want some ice cream?”

“Sure, go stand in line.”

After leaving the haunted house, Shang Que found a bench to sit on while Ji Jingchuan went to a nearby stand to buy ice cream.

Not long after, he returned with two cones and handed the pale pink one to Shang Que. “Peach flavor.”

The one in his own hand was a green matcha cone. Like Huanhai Amusement Park, this ice cream stand had been around for years. When they were kids, they used to get one cone each—Shang Que always chose the sweet and refreshing peach flavor, while Ji Jingchuan preferred the rich and slightly bitter matcha.

Shang Que took a bite and was a little surprised. “It tastes exactly the same.”

Ji Jingchuan’s movements paused. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. After a moment, a smile slowly spread across his sharp and handsome features.

“Yeah,” he said. “Exactly the same!”