Chapter Sixteen: The Amusement Park

Chapter Sixteen: The Amusement Park

Birthdays, a day that holds a peculiar blend of familiarity and novelty for many Chinese.

Growing up, Bai Sha’s birthdays were never marked with grand celebrations.

Instead, they began simply: a morning bowl of noodles accompanied by poached eggs, a modest feast symbolizing wishes for health, longevity, and familial unity.

It wasn’t until she became a professional player that her club began arranging annual birthday festivities.

Cakes, gifts, and video shoots became routine, feeling much like pre-packaged meals – they might fill you up, but offered little genuine nourishment.

As a star athlete, her birthdays often felt less like personal milestones and more like marketing stunts, elaborate performances crafted for her devoted fanbase.

Now, however, everything had changed.

Bai Sha had retired; without the scrutinizing cameras or the expectant gaze of fans, she no longer needed to force a smile.

She was free to simply be herself.

“Mommy!!”

To Bai Sha’s astonishment, the little one had risen even earlier than she had.

Clambering onto Bai Sha, she playfully kneaded her mother’s face, a mischievous act of ‘Dao Fan Tian Gang’ (TL Note: A playful Chinese idiom, literally ‘reversing the Big Dipper,’ used to describe a child’s playful and often slightly unruly ‘assault’ on an adult, reversing the natural order).

“Mommy! Wake up! Happy birthday!!”

Bai Sha’s eyes fluttered open.

With a swift movement, she pulled the little one beneath her, playfully ‘torturing’ those chubby cheeks.

“Thank you, baby,” she murmured.

Zhou Haochen had taken the day off.

The little one had expressed a desire to visit an amusement park, and he had readily agreed to accompany them.

“A family should be together.”

The mention of an amusement park brought a pang of nostalgia.

Bai Sha’s last visit had been during her youth training days, a rare outing with a few teammates.

Once she became a starter, the relentless, high-intensity training left her with virtually no time for such diversions.

“Are you happy because it’s Mommy’s birthday? Or happy to go to the amusement park?!”

Bai Sha was carefully styling the little one’s hair, remembering how lovely the bun had looked when they’d returned from Zhou Haochen’s parents’ house.

“Because it’s Mommy’s birthday, baby is happy to go anywhere, but going to the amusement park is extra happy!”

Bai Sha let out a soft chuckle, playfully tapping the little one’s forehead.

“You clever little imp.

Who taught you to say such things?”

The little one crossed her arms over her chest, grinning mischievously.

“No one needs to teach me! Baby is a genius!!”

“Look, Mommy, this is the little genius’s little genius phone watch!” The child extended her arm, proudly displaying the watch to her mother.

“Fine, fine, you’re the little genius, alright!” Bai Sha gently held the child’s head still.

“Don’t wiggle so much; I’m almost done.”

Gazing at the adorable little girl reflected in the mirror, Bai Sha found herself filled with a profound sense of wonder.

Her own skill at styling hair had undeniably flourished since the child had entered her life.

After sending the little one off to change, Bai Sha settled before the mirror.

After a moment’s thought, she pulled her hair into a high ponytail and, uncharacteristically, applied a touch of lipstick.

Then, she opened a makeup tutorial video she had watched countless times on her phone, meticulously applying a light, natural look.

Reflected in the glass was a girl with delicate, willow-like eyes and slender brows, exuding an air of pure charm.

Her lips, adorned with a hint of rose-tinted gloss, lent her the grace of a truly virtuous beauty.

‘That scoundrel is getting off too easy…’ she thought.

With the recent rise in temperature, Bai Sha donned a light brown overcoat and white sneakers.

She stood at the door with the little one, awaiting Zhou Haochen’s arrival.

The moment Zhou Haochen appeared, he bypassed the excitedly pouncing little one and went straight to take Bai Sha’s hand.

“You look beautiful today,” he said.

Bai Sha raised an eyebrow: “Does that mean I wasn’t pretty before?”

Zhou Haochen clasped both her hands in his.

“It simply means you are even more radiant today.”

Bai Sha’s lips curved into a smile, yet she playfully yanked her hand free, then took the hand of the momentarily forgotten little one.

“You’re so cheesy, get away from me,” she teased.

Zhou Haochen shook his head with a helpless smile, reaching for the little one’s other hand, only to have it, too, swiftly pulled away.

“Daddy didn’t pay attention to baby just now, baby is angry!”

As it turned out, the little one possessed a temper of her own; if you offered her a ‘hot face to a cold backside’ (TL Note: A Chinese idiom, ‘rè liǎn tiē dào lěng pì gu,’ meaning to offer enthusiastic attention or affection only to be met with a cold, indifferent, or unappreciative response), she would return the same frosty treatment.

Yet, a child’s temper is fleeting, and by the time they reached the amusement park, the little one was happily trotting along behind her father once more.

After they purchased their tickets, Bai Sha felt a prickle of fear.

The sight of the Giant Pendulum, the towering roller coaster, and the dizzying drop tower sent a shiver down her spine.

She had only ever ridden the carousel before.

“Mommy isn’t scared, is she?”

‘Are you kidding me?!’ Bai Sha retorted, feigning confidence.

‘Your mom used to be the team’s core, a big-hearted player! What kind of challenge haven’t I faced?’

However, given the child’s presence, Bai Sha decided to postpone the more thrilling rides.

“I see a children’s area on the map,” she announced, “let’s go explore that first.”

Upon reaching the children’s zone, the trio’s first adventure was the Kangaroo Spin.

Kangaroo-shaped seats carried the three of them, spinning rapidly while simultaneously rocking up and down.

Bai Sha and the little one shrieked with joyful abandon, “Ahhh! W(ﾟДﾟ)w!” Meanwhile, Zhou Haochen sat with his eyes tightly shut, not uttering a single sound.

As they disembarked, Bai Sha playfully poked his shoulder.

“It’s stopped.

Why aren’t you getting off?”

Zhou Haochen slowly opened his eyes, descending with an air of composure that might have been convincing, had his legs not been visibly trembling.

Bai Sha covered her mouth, stifling a laugh.

“No way! Zhou Haochen, you weren’t actually scared by that, were you? Hahahahaha ヾﾉ≧∀≦)o”

Zhou Haochen’s face was noticeably pale.

He gazed upwards at a 45-degree angle.

‘Never mind,’ he thought, ‘as long as she’s happy.’

“Daddy, drink water.”

Truly, his ‘little padded jacket’ (TL Note: A Chinese term of endearment, ‘xiǎo mián’ǎo,’ referring to a thoughtful and caring daughter who brings warmth and comfort to her parents) was the most considerate.

“Daddy, I still want to play that one.”

The little one tugged on Zhou Haochen’s hand, pointing to a two-seater mini roller coaster.

‘Jiu Min ah (TL Note: A playful internet slang term, ‘jiǔ mǐn a,’ a homophone for ‘Help me!’ or ‘Oh my god!’),’ he thought.

‘This black-hearted cotton is leaking air (TL Note: A humorous Chinese idiom, ‘hēixīnmíán lòufēng,’ literally ‘black-hearted cotton leaking air,’ used to describe someone, often a child, who ‘betrays’ or ‘sells out’ a parent for their own benefit, like a poorly made padded jacket that fails to provide warmth)!’

Watching Zhou Haochen settle into the seat with a look of resigned martyrdom, Bai Sha, phone in hand to record, laughed so hard she could barely stand upright.

‘Is this what fatherly love looks like?’ she wondered, ‘Truly as majestic as a mountain… Hahahahaha ꉂꉂ(ᵔᗜᵔ*) Hahahaha!’

“Ah ah ah!” the little one shouted excitedly.

Zhou Haochen, however, remained ashen-faced, clutching the safety bar with a death grip, his mouth clamped shut.

Even in its miniature form, the ride delivered a considerable thrill.

When the father and daughter finally disembarked, the little one was still bouncing with energy, while Zhou Haochen now required Bai Sha’s assistance to stand.

Noticing Zhou Haochen’s genuine discomfort, Bai Sha suggested, “Why don’t you sit down and rest for a bit? I’ll go play with Zhou Yuying.”

Zhou Haochen nodded, the man once as majestic as a lion, now brought low by a mere parent-child ride.

And so, Bai Sha accompanied the little one through all the remaining, slightly more exhilarating rides, with both mother and daughter bubbling with happiness and excitement.

Their small faces flushed crimson, the two sat beside Zhou Haochen, sipping water.

“Daddy,” the little one chirped, “let’s go play bumper cars! Those aren’t scary!”

At this suggestion, Zhou Haochen instantly perked up.

“Excellent! Mommy and you will be a team, and Daddy will dominate the arena!”

On the bumper car track.

“Mommy, run! Daddy’s coming!”

“It’s okay! Watch Mommy crash into him!”

“Ah ah ah w(ﾟДﾟ)w!”

“Zhou Haochen, don’t you dare run! Watch me hit you until you’re ‘dead’!” she playfully yelled.

“Oh, my! Such an arrogant tone, is it? Do you even know what it means to be the ‘God of Mount Akina’ (TL Note: ‘Qiū míng shān chē shén,’ a reference to the legendary street racer from the manga/anime ‘Initial D,’ used to boast about one’s driving skills)?”

[Fist pump sound] Bai Sha versus Zhou Haochen, do you know?

Ultimately, Zhou Haochen sent the mother and daughter spinning so wildly that they were left disoriented, begging for mercy and surrendering.

“Want to try the haunted house?” Bai Sha asked, her voice brimming with excitement.

She often scrolled through videos online of others exploring such attractions.

“Are you sure? Aren’t you scared?”

Bai Sha, who had just “swept through” the children’s area with newfound confidence, waved a dismissive hand.

“How could I possibly be scared!”

“Ah! Ghost!”

“Ah ah ah O(≧口≦)O, Zhou Haochen! This hand moves!!”

“Ah ah ah! Zombie! Zombie! There’s a row of zombies there!”

Her earlier boasts outside the haunted house (TL Note: ‘Chuī niú shísān,’ a playful internet slang term for ‘to boast or brag’) were now replaced by a chorus of screams from within.

At the exit, the mother clung to one of Zhou Haochen’s arms, while the daughter was simply scooped up and held securely in his embrace.

“Zhou Haochen, you’re really not scared? How is that possible!?”

“This is entirely different from what we played before, alright?!”