Park Fun

Their group reached a small playground, and to their surprise, they spotted Furuya and Catherine in the distance. Furuya was pushing Catherine on the swings, their laughter carried on the breeze. Douhui was nearby, absorbed in his food, paying them no mind.

Xinyi's face fell as she observed the scene. She sighed deeply, finishing her drink and tossing the empty cup into a nearby trash can. "Kids and couples go there. I can't go there," she said, her voice laced with a hint of sadness.

Jingliu's gaze flitted between Xinyi, Yasushi, and the playground. She noticed that some of the equipment there could accommodate more than just a pair. "How about all three of us go? Yinhaie and Yunxue can pair up," she suggested, her eyes settling on Xinyi.

Xinyi tapped her cheek thoughtfully and said, "Well, technically, Yasushi is still my boyfriend for the day, right~?"

Jingliu shot her a warning look. "Don't push your luck." Xinyi chuckled, her laughter ringing out as she offered a quick apology.

Jingliu then turned her attention to her two maids and asked, "Is this okay with you two?" Both of them nodded in agreement, signaling their willingness. With their approval secured, the group pressed forward, their anticipation growing as they approached the playground.

Yasushi, who had not been explicitly consulted, had already silently agreed to the plan. Having consented to spend the day with Xinyi, he intended to comply with her wishes. He had his limits, of course, but he found no issue with this particular arrangement.

They reached an unusual contraption, while Yunxue and Yinhaie headed toward a different machine meant for two people. The one they were at required the participation of three or four individuals, making their group size ideal for this attraction.

Yasushi positioned himself on one end of the contraption, while the other two took their places on the remaining sections. They began to push their platforms back and forth, setting the machine into a slow, steady rotation. As their efforts increased, so did the speed of the device.

Xinyi's voice trembled as she spoke up, "Let's… not make this go too fast, or I might actually throw up." Her discomfort was evident as she struggled to keep up with the escalating speed.

However, the contraption continued to speed up relentlessly, despite all three trying to slow it down. They pushed and pulled with all their might, but it only seemed to gain speed. Eventually, they stopped moving their legs, and gradually, the machine began to slow down until it finally came to a complete stop.

As they got off, Jingliu and Yasushi both clutched their heads, visibly distressed by the aftereffects of the ride. Xinyi, however, was in worse shape; she stumbled around before collapsing to her knees and pressing her hands to her stomach.

"I'm going to be sick!" she cried out, scrambling toward the nearest bathroom. She burst through the door, slamming it behind her with a force that echoed in the small space. Moments later, the sounds of her retching filled the air from within.

"Are you two okay?" Yunxue asked, her voice tinged with concern as she glanced at Jingliu and Yasushi.

Yinhaie approached the bathroom door and stood outside, waiting patiently. After a few moments, the door swung open, and Yinhaie extended a small packet of pills and a bottle of water toward Xinyi. She gratefully accepted both, taking the pills with a shaky hand and sipping from the water bottle to soothe her upset stomach.

Yasushi, Jingliu, and Yunxue walked over to where Xinyi and Yinhaie were. Yasushi, his brow furrowed with concern, asked, "Are you okay? I didn't realize that thing would spin so fast."

Xinyi managed a weak smile, glancing over at the park and noticing Furuya on the ground, laughing uproariously at the spectacle. "Ugh…I'll survive, but…" She fixed her gaze on Furuya, plotting a bit of payback. "Someone clearly finds this whole thing hilarious," she muttered, narrowing her eyes at him.

Yasushi shook his head and said, "Let it go. He'll probably get you back, and it'll just turn into an endless cycle of pranks. Anyway, we should take a break and rest before we continue. How about grabbing something to eat?"

"Food…" Xinyi hesitated, her face showing both discomfort and thoughtfulness. "It's the last thing I want right now, but I suppose it might help. Yinhaie, do you have any more of those pills?" She turned her gaze to the maid, hopeful.

"I do," Yinhaie responded, handing her another pill. "However, I can't give you another one for a few hours, so this will be your last for now." Xinyi grumbled at the restriction but accepted the pill with a resigned sigh.

Yasushi, accompanied by Yunxue, left the scene where Yinhaie and Jingliu were busy comforting Xinyi. They made their way back to the smoothie stand to find the elderly vendor who had served them earlier. Yasushi approached the counter, handing over the appropriate amount of money. "I'd like to get her favorite smoothie, please," he requested, then added, "Also, do you happen to know what Xinyi likes to eat while she's here?"

As the woman began preparing the smoothie, she paused for a moment in thought before replying, "I believe she enjoys Tanghulu and Jiaozi. You can find them just over there," she said, pointing towards a nearby stall. "They're quite affordable. Here's the smoothie for her. Please convey my best wishes to her."

Yasushi accepted the smoothie with a grateful nod, thanking the vendor before he and Yunxue made their way towards the stall she had indicated. Fortunately, the lines were not very long, and they were able to make quick progress.

Yunxue stopped by the stall and said, "I'll wait here. You should take the drink to her before it gets lukewarm."

"Are you sure?" Yasushi asked, his eyes searching Yunxue's face for any sign of doubt.

Yunxue nodded firmly, confirming her choice. Yasushi then took the smoothie and headed back towards Xinyi, intent on delivering the refreshing drink before its temperature dropped.

Yasushi hurried back to where Xinyi was, hoping to find her in better spirits. He reached her side and noticed she seemed slightly improved, though she still looked far from well. With a gentle hand, he handed the smoothie to her and said, "We're arranging some food for you. It should be here shortly, so just stay here, and we'll return soon. If we end up taking longer than expected, we'll make sure to bring you another smoothie."

Xinyi gave a nod of appreciation, clearly relieved by the gesture. Yasushi then turned and headed back to where Yunxue was waiting.

When Yasushi arrived near the stalls again, he saw Yunxue had moved closer to their destination. At the same time, he noticed a group of teenagers causing a bit of trouble near the stand. They weren't being aggressive, but they were clearly engaging in typical teenage antics — asking annoying questions and performing silly dances.

Yasushi let out a small snort of amusement before joining Yunxue in line. "I managed to get her the drink," he said, catching his breath. "But if we get back and she's finished it, I'll go and get another one for her."

"That's fine. Lady Xinyi is quite resilient, so this shouldn't be too much of a problem for her," Yunxue said as they advanced further in the line.

As Yasushi approached, the group of teenagers noticed him and shifted their focus. They converged on him with exaggerated hand gestures and began mimicking the moves of amateur rappers.

"Yo, yo, old dude, yo!" one of them exclaimed, his voice filled with exaggerated enthusiasm.

"I am the Pig Rap God," another declared with a deadpan expression, which sent his friends into fits of laughter.

The third teenager started breakdancing off to the side, his movements forcing other visitors to navigate around him. Some park-goers watched with a mixture of amusement and disbelief, while others shot them disapproving glares. Yasushi watched them, a thoughtful frown on his face. He found himself pondering whether he had ever been like these teenagers in his previous life before his reincarnation. It seemed unlikely, but he mused about his younger days, before things had taken a turn for the worse.

The teenagers then launched into a bizarre, improvised rap that Yasushi doubted had any real structure. Their spontaneous performance drew laughs from some of the onlookers, while others appeared visibly annoyed. Yasushi observed them silently, his expression unreadable, wondering whether they were genuinely enjoying themselves or merely putting on a show for attention.

Suddenly, the teenagers stopped their antics and fixed their gaze on Yasushi, clearly expecting him to join in. The change in focus was immediate; everyone around them turned their attention to him, and even Yunxue shot him a curious glance, eager to see what would unfold next.

Yasushi took a deep breath and, with a theatrical flourish, pretended to hold a microphone. He brought his imaginary microphone slowly to his lips and said in a flat, unaffected tone, "I am seventeen years old, not an old man…yo."

His deadpan delivery had an unexpected effect; the teenagers in front of him erupted into uncontrollable laughter, rolling around on the ground as if they had heard the funniest joke of their lives. Their reaction was so intense that it drew a ripple of amusement from the surrounding crowd.

Even those who had been irritated by the teenagers' antics couldn't help but crack a smile at Yasushi's understated response. Although Yasushi himself didn't find his comment particularly humorous and had no intention of making a joke, he was pleased to see that his comment had lightened the atmosphere. The tension that had been hanging over the park seemed to dissipate, replaced by an easygoing laughter that spread through the crowd.

The teenagers gave Yasushi enthusiastic high-fives before scampering off to another area to continue their playful antics. Yasushi watched them go, a bemused smile on his face, shaking his head at their boundless energy. After a short wait, it was finally their turn to get their food, and Yasushi quickly placed their order.

Before the woman behind the counter had finished preparing their food, Yasushi handed Yunxue some cash to cover the cost and headed back to the smoothie stand. The vendor greeted him with a raised eyebrow, "Ah, back again?" she asked as she began making another smoothie for Xinyi.

Yasushi nodded, "Just making sure she gets better," he explained, placing the same amount of money on the counter as before. The woman worked quickly, soon handing over the fresh smoothie. Yasushi thanked her and left the stall, the smoothie securely in hand.

On his way back, Yasushi met Yunxue, who was carrying the food. Together, they made their way to where Xinyi was waiting. As they approached, they noticed that Xinyi's condition had improved noticeably. She looked up with a relieved smile as she spotted the food. "Oh, food, finally! I was starting to get hungry!" she exclaimed, her spirits clearly lifted by the prospect of eating.

Yasushi and Yunxue settled onto the bench after handing over the food and drinks. Yasushi wrapped his arm around Jingliu, who nestled against him comfortably while gazing up at the sky. The horizon was painted with a warm, orange glow as the day slowly gave way to evening.

"Where to next?" Yasushi asked, his gaze drifting to Xinyi, who was enthusiastically enjoying her meal. "It doesn't look like we have much time left before heading home."

Xinyi, her mouth full, looked up briefly and replied, "We should catch up with Furuya, Catherine, and Douhui before heading to the farm." She took another bite before continuing, "It's a good day for it because the farm hosts nightly dances twice a week."

Yasushi, puzzled by the new information, asked, "What do you mean by nightly dances?"

Xinyi swallowed her bite and explained, "It's a tradition that isn't listed on the websites yet because it's relatively new, having started just six or seven years ago. Basically, people, mostly couples, gather and dance around the farm's fields to honor the love shared between the goddess and the emperor. I'm not sure why they decided on twice a week, though." She shrugged, taking another bite of her food as she finished her explanation.

Yasushi found himself intrigued by the idea but chose not to press further with questions. He glanced over at Jingliu, who was comfortably nestled against him, and saw that she seemed content with the plan. Yinhaie and Yunxue, sitting nearby, also appeared agreeable to the suggestion. "Sure, I think Furuya and Catherine will be fine with it too," Yasushi said, nodding in agreement.

With their final plans for the day settled, Yasushi felt a pang of regret that he wouldn't have more time to explore. The idea of revisiting the area in the future took shape in his mind. He considered returning after graduating from high school or even after finishing college. It was a place he wanted to return to, especially with Jingliu by his side.