Chapter 11: “Your Highness, may I have my hand back?”

…He said she was pretty.

That soft spark of joy washed away the earlier nervousness that had come from who-knows-where. Xia Zhi Cha’s eyelashes fluttered, her heart feeling like it had been tickled by a feather—light and itchy.

Her fair fingertips involuntarily curled in slightly.

“I told you, didn’t I? Our Zhizhi looks like this—who wouldn’t fall for her?” Jiang Lili beamed, still hugging her around the shoulder. “Come on, let’s go have fun—”

—

The theme park had only been open for just over a week, and now was the peak visitor time. Especially with it being the last day of the holiday, many families were out with their kids.

Even though they had special VIP access through Fu Chiyu’s connections, the more popular attractions still required some wait.

Jiang Lili’s first pick was the roller coaster—the park’s flagship ride, and also the one with the longest wait time.

Gao Yuyang had a serious fear of heights and refused no matter how much Jiang Lili tried to coax him. He stayed behind to hold their bags.

Fu Chiyu leisurely followed behind Xia Zhi Cha and Jiang Lili.

Ahead of them were two young guys, engrossed in a game conversation. They were so into it they didn’t even notice the line moving forward.

Jiang Lili cleared her throat loudly to nudge them back to reality. They turned, glanced behind, then froze—one of them let out a “Holy sh*t.”

After that, their chatting turned much quieter, and they kept sneaking glances backward with the corners of their eyes.

Jiang Lili elbowed Xia Zhi Cha playfully. “Bet they’re talking about you, huh?”

“Don’t say that,” Xia Zhi Cha shook her head.

“Wait and see,” Jiang Lili said confidently, “I bet they’re gonna ask for your contact info any minute now.”

Xia Zhi Cha just took it as a joke and smiled without replying.

But sure enough, one of the guys suddenly turned around a moment later, looked at her with a slightly shy smile and asked, “Miss, can we get to know each other?”

“……”

To be honest, this was the first time Xia Zhi Cha had ever been approached like this. She was flustered and waved her hands quickly. “Sorry.”

The guy looked a bit disappointed and turned back around without pushing further.

Since the moment he’d spoken up, Jiang Lili had been giving Xia Zhi Cha smug looks, and as soon as he turned back, she leaned in, face practically glowing with “Told you so.”

“See? I knew it! I told you—just this face of yours, with a little effort, and the suitors would be lined up for miles—”

Xia Zhi Cha smiled helplessly, glancing unintentionally toward Fu Chiyu, who stood behind them. She caught him looking at her too, arms folded lazily, an amused expression in his eyes.

Like he was enjoying the show.

She quickly turned her gaze back ahead.

Luckily, the VIP queue didn’t take long. Before long, staff guided them to the boarding platform.

The roller coaster seats three per row, which fit them perfectly.

Xia Zhi Cha sat in the middle. Jiang Lili teased as she nudged the hem of her dress: “Today, you’re our little princess in need of protection.”

The nickname made Xia Zhi Cha squirm a little. She looked away and mumbled, “Don’t call me that…”

But her voice was soft, almost sticky-sweet, lacking any real bite. It actually sounded like she was acting cute—making people want to tease her even more.

Jiang Lili lit up. “You ARE a little princess! So adorable! Princess~ Your humble servant is here to protect you~!”

Xia Zhi Cha buried her head lower, subconsciously turning toward Fu Chiyu’s side—her gaze carrying a hint of silent plea.

She thought surely someone like Fu Chiyu wouldn’t join in on such childish nonsense.

But to her surprise, the moment she blinked, she caught him grinning, peach-blossom eyes full of mischief. His lips moved soundlessly in a silent mouthing of—

“Princess.”

“……”

A staff member came over to check their seat restraints and noticed Xia Zhi Cha with her head down.

“If you’re feeling unwell,” he asked kindly, “you can let us know now and we’ll escort you off.”

“…No, I’m fine.”

Her hand lay limp at her side—and then she suddenly squeezed Jiang Lili’s wrist in protest.

Jiang Lili was still grinning cheekily, but she patted her arm in apology and tried to comfort her.

The ride started to move slowly.

Xia Zhi Cha hadn’t been on a roller coaster in ages. The last time was probably back in elementary school, at a small amusement park in her hometown. Back then, the rides looked big but were mostly tame for safety.

She had thought this one would be similar.

She was wrong.

When the roller coaster reached the highest point and then dropped, she felt like her organs were flying out of her body. Her blood rushed to her head, and the sudden weightlessness nearly made her dizzy.

Everything spun—the wind roared in her ears, Jiang Lili was screaming beside her, and her own throat felt like it was locked. She couldn’t make a sound.

She gripped the safety bar with all her strength, eyes tightly shut.

The whole ride didn’t even last a minute, but it felt like a lifetime. When it finally came to a slow stop, she was still dazed, heart pounding in her chest.

It took her a while before she could open her eyes.

Jiang Lili had the exact opposite reaction—completely unfazed, she stretched with enjoyment the moment the car stopped. “That was fun! We have to do it again before we leave—”

…Yeah, no thanks.

Xia Zhi Cha silently thought. Then she suddenly felt someone staring at her.

Her mind still hazy, she turned her head—and locked eyes with Fu Chiyu.

He was looking at her with a lazy smile, entirely relaxed.

She blinked, still not fully grounded, and asked, “What is it?”

As soon as she said it, she snapped back to reality—

Her hand.

The warmth under her palm suddenly became very obvious.

She looked down slowly.

Her hand was tightly clutching the back of Fu Chiyu’s hand—which was still holding the safety bar.

She had been gripping him the whole time.

Because she’d held on so tightly, his pale skin had faint red marks.

Her brain buzzed. For the second time, her mind went completely blank. She couldn’t move at all.

What the heck had she done?!

Seeing the girl about to turn into a tomato again, Fu Chiyu suddenly had the urge to tease her. A bit of mischief rose in his heart.

He let out a soft sigh—gentle, indulgent, and somehow wicked at its core.

He leaned closer to her ear, voice low and laced with laughter—

“Your Highness, may I have my hand back now?”