The staff smiled sweetly. “Alright, please wait here to board.”
Li Zhi wanted to take another look at the photo wall by the passage, but the gates on both sides of the entrance and exit were closed. Clearly, the players only had one chance earlier to inspect for clues.
Chi Yi noticed that the pink carriage for the players wasn’t fixed; it would randomly appear at the most suitable spot. By the time they walked over, it was already perfectly positioned on the ground.
The two of them climbed into the carriage again.
Outside, the staff’s sweet smile took on a strange, eerie twist. She quickly closed the door behind them.
Just as the door shut, Li Zhi and Chi Yi both heard two loud clicks from the massive central axle, as if some giant mechanism was starting up.
The next moment, the once-steady carriage gave a violent lurch. Chi Yi, caught off guard, was thrown aside. Li Zhi reacted swiftly, grabbing her, and the two tumbled into each other. The rapid spinning caused them to roll and twist together in the confined space, making it impossible to stabilize themselves.
Chi Yi screamed, “It’s spinning so fast! It’s like a fan!”
The carriage was suspended in the air, and once the central axis began rotating rapidly, these carriages hanging from the edges started swaying wildly like leaves blown about in a storm. They rocked violently up and down, left and right.
Both of them were slammed into the door, only to stagger and fall to the other side a moment later. The inside of the carriage was completely smooth, with nothing to hold onto except for two long benches embedded into the walls.
The Ferris wheel was spinning too fast this time, leaving them no time to react as they quickly reached the highest point. But this time, no one knocked on the door. The moment they reached the top, the carriage abruptly stopped, and the door swung open.
Cold wind rushed in. The male ghost from earlier, the one who had taken their photo, stood outside holding his camera. The smile on his face faded when he saw the two of them, disheveled and not posing with heart shapes like before.
He glared at them darkly, not saying a word. A second later, the door slammed shut with a bang.
Li Zhi could clearly feel the rotation speed picking up.
The two of them were like leaves caught in a raging storm. If they hadn’t been shielding their heads, they’d probably already be bleeding from smashing into the walls.
At that moment, both of them realized they had to strike the correct pose for the next photo at the top. Otherwise, the Ferris wheel’s speed would only keep increasing. Each turn would be faster than the last, making it nearly impossible to take the photo later. Once it reached its maximum speed, the small carriage might get flung right off.
At that speed, they wouldn’t even land in the lake; they’d crash straight into the concrete, shattered into pieces.
“Zhi Zhi!!”
Chi Yi cried out in panic. Li Zhi let her go and quickly scanned their surroundings, estimating the size of the carriage.
As they were flung against the door once more, there was a brief pause. Li Zhi seized the moment, planting one foot firmly against the left wall of the carriage. Using that leverage, she quickly raised the other foot, pressing it against the opposite wall. In a split-leg position, she stabilized herself in mid-air.
Her legs were long and powerful, the muscles under her loose pants taut and firm. No matter how much the carriage swayed, Li Zhi’s feet seemed glued to the walls, holding her steady.
Chi Yi, still being tossed around, slid right beneath Li Zhi’s legs with a desperate lunge.
Chi Yi: “…”
Audience: “…”
The chat was silent for a moment:
[Those legs! Hiss—those legs!]
[Her legs aren’t just legs! They’re like the spring waters by the Seine! Kick me with those legs! I’m ready to be kicked into blissful unconsciousness!]
[If your arms aren’t long enough to reach the walls, spread those legs wide enough! Classic Li Zhi.]
[Such stamina! Can she really hold on with just her leg strength amidst all that shaking?]
[Li Zhi could literally kick someone to death, no joke!]
[These pants are such an eyesore!! They’re blocking my view of her leg muscles! They must be so firm and nice to touch!]
[Li Zhi is just—she’s really!! I’m done talking, just let me lick! She’s so amazing, I love her!]
[Wait, Li Zhi, have you trained in martial arts or something?]
[In the last round of ‘Perfect Couple,’ Du Jia had long legs too, but even then, it took two people to hold on. This time, Li Zhi is holding on all by herself. No wonder she’s ranked in the top 50 of the popularity charts!]
[Chi Yi is really hugging the big leg now!]
[With legs this awesome, you better show her some love! Come on, friends, let’s go! Li Zhi deserves it! She’s the best!]
…
Inside the carriage, Chi Yi had already grabbed hold of the leg stretched across her head and used it to pull herself up.
She couldn’t resist giving Li Zhi’s thigh a few pats.
Heh, just as expected, it felt amazing.
Leaning back into Li Zhi’s embrace with her arms wrapped around her shoulders, Chi Yi had never felt such a strong sense of security in her life. While basking in the feeling, she couldn’t help but ask, “Zhi Zhi, are you still okay?”
Li Zhi flexed her muscles effortlessly. “No problem.” She glanced outside at the view. “We’re almost at the top. Get ready for the photo.”
Chi Yi shifted herself slightly, making room for both of them to strike a heart pose in front of the camera.
The Ferris wheel was spinning too fast, and only a few seconds passed before their pink carriage reached the highest point again. The sudden stop after the rapid spinning was enough to throw anyone off balance. Even Chi Yi, who was clinging to Li Zhi’s leg, stumbled a bit.
Thankfully, those legs were solid and steady, providing an undeniable sense of safety.
The door opened, and the middle-aged male ghost saw the two of them inside, now perfectly posing with heart shapes. His paper-white face finally showed a satisfied smile, and he drawled, “Time to get ready for your picture. Ready? Three, two, one—”
Click! The camera slowly spat out a photo. The middle-aged ghost looked at it, nodding in approval. “Wishing you eternal happiness,” he said again.
Chi Yi flashed him a toothy grin. “Thanks! We’ll be!”
The door gently closed, and the Ferris wheel no longer continued its fast spinning, returning to its normal speed. Li Zhi finally relaxed her legs and hopped down. After holding that position for so long, her muscles were starting to feel sore. She let out a soft hiss, and Chi Yi immediately ran over eagerly.
“Zhi Zhi, let me massage them for you!”
Li Zhi chuckled. “Sure.”
The audience watching from their screens collectively swooned, with the Li-Zhi-and-Chi-Yi ship crowding the chat with heart-eyed emojis.
Li Jianxi! What are you even doing right now? Have you followed her all the way here, still diligently pretending to be a ghost? Get your priorities straight!
Accusatory finger-pointing emoji .jpg
Before long, the carriage rotated back down to the ground, and the door opened. The two of them jumped out. The staff standing nearby smiled even sweeter than before. “Congratulations on completing the second round of the Happiness Ferris Wheel challenge. Here’s your reward.”
She genuinely seemed to be wishing them well.
Li Zhi said, “Alright, that’s enough for us. Let Xiao Meng and Xiao Qi take over.”
When the staff heard they weren’t going to continue the third round of the challenge, her smile faded, and her gaze turned dark and gloomy as she glanced sideways at them while opening the gate to the passage.
The two walked out, where the other three were waiting. The moment Owen Dong saw them, he asked, “So what’s going on inside? Did you guys make it to the top or not?”
Chi Yi replied, “Yeah, we rode it twice. The second time, the Ferris wheel spun so fast! Didn’t you see it?”
The three others shook their heads in unison. “No, from our angle, it just looked like the Ferris wheel was spinning normally the whole time.”
It seemed that players who didn’t participate in the challenge couldn’t witness the true nature of the rides in action, likely a safeguard to prevent the death rules from being revealed.
Li Zhi opened the pink box they obtained from the second round. Inside was another card with an image on it.
The picture was of a blood-smeared mess.
Chi Yi looked at it with a grimace. “What is that?”
Qi Yongyi took the card and held it up to the light. “It’s just a pool of blood. It looks like…” He turned to Li Zhi and asked, “What was the first clue?”
Li Zhi answered, “Scissors.”
Qi Yongyi mused, “Then I think it’s related to childbirth.”
Li Zhi nodded in agreement. “Scissors and a pool of blood… There are blood clots and what looks like an umbilical cord in this. It’s likely connected to childbirth, maybe a mother in labor.”
You Jingmeng suddenly remembered something. “Oh! When I went inside to vote last round, I saw a ghost of a woman who died in childbirth! Could it be her?”
Chi Yi chimed in, “But I also saw something called the ‘Blood Sludge Ghost.’ The description said it appears when women die during childbirth, holding a blood-red bag filled with bloody messes. That fits both of these clues, right?”
Li Zhi glanced at You Jingmeng and Qi Yongyi. “We still need to get the third clue to be sure. You two should go next.”
She then carefully explained the Ferris wheel’s two rounds of rules to them. Owen Dong, listening from the side, was filled with regret. “The rules were that simple? Just take a picture? If I had known, I would’ve gone for it!”
The audience watching his expressions outside the screen couldn’t help but laugh at his misery.
Li Zhi continued, “The second round is a bit harder, but with Xiao Qi’s stamina, holding onto the walls should be manageable. If you get a different clue in the first round, you won’t need to face the second.”
You Jingmeng nodded, and the two of them prepared themselves.
Li Zhi stood outside, watching them enter after scanning their tickets. Now that they knew the death rules, there wasn’t much to worry about. She turned her gaze away, leaning against the railing, lazily tapping the tip of her shoe against the ground.
Owen Dong sighed anxiously beside her. “But what if they get the same clues both rounds?”
Chi Yi glared at him. “Don’t jinx it! Pfft, pfft, pfft!”
Owen Dong quickly tapped his own mouth in apology.
The three waited outside. Chi Yi silently counted the time. After one full rotation of the Ferris wheel, she stood on her tiptoes to peer inside. Seeing that You Jingmeng and Qi Yongyi hadn’t come out yet, her face fell. “Oh no, looks like they got the same clue in the first round.”
Under the night sky, the brightly colored Ferris wheel continued its steady rotation.
After another round, as planned, You Jingmeng and Qi Yongyi emerged from the ride.
The moment the three saw their faces, they knew something was wrong.
Sure enough, You Jingmeng looked utterly defeated. “Both clues were the same—scissors and a pool of blood.”
Chi Yi immediately turned and glared at Owen Dong. “You jinxed it!”
Owen Dong chuckled sheepishly and turned to Li Zhi. “Any guesses about the death rules for the third round?”
Li Zhi straightened up with a quick push of her heel. “I’ve got a bit of an idea.” She called over to Chi Yi, “Let’s go, time to check it out.”
Though she said she only had a rough idea, the calm look on her face told the group that she had likely figured everything out already.
As they watched the two head off with their usual composure, Owen Dong couldn’t help but show a look of envy. “Man, the minds of pros are just on another level.”