“System!”
Lan Yucheng once again attempted to contact the System.
This time, the System responded normally.
Time around them abruptly halted.
The Little Sprite, representing the System, did a playful somersault before appearing directly in front of Lan Yucheng.
[What do you want, Xiao Chengzhi?]
Lan Yucheng, too preoccupied to care about the informal address or the System’s previous unresponsiveness, immediately pressed her question.
“What do you mean by making me ‘race cars’? I can’t even ride a bicycle!”
[Oh, is that all?]
The Little Sprite spoke dismissively, its wings flashing once.
A white-glowing pill materialized before Lan Yucheng.
[Eat this, and today, you’ll be the best female racer on Earth!]
“Are there any side effects?”
Lan Yucheng hesitated for a moment before swallowing it whole.
She immediately felt her body being thoroughly unblocked.
She stretched her limbs, feeling a surge of exhilaration she hadn’t experienced before!
[For a girl, it’s not really a side effect.]
“What do you mean, ‘for a girl’?”
Lan Yucheng gripped the handlebars, her expression turning wary.
[It means! From now on! You’ll never have to meet your brothers again!]
The Little Sprite exclaimed excitedly.
Lan Yucheng didn’t react immediately, but then the realization dawned on her.
‘Good heavens, so this is what you were waiting for?’
“Alright, you can scram now.”
Lan Yucheng remained surprisingly calm, after all, it merely meant she had fully become a girl.
It was far better than dying.
Seeing Lan Yucheng’s subdued reaction, the Little Sprite felt a pang of dissatisfaction.
This wasn’t the expression it had hoped for; its grudge from the last time still hadn’t been settled!
****
As the Little Sprite vanished, time resumed its normal flow.
Qing Xinxue gave a mighty leap, finally settling onto the motorcycle’s back seat.
“Sister Cheng, can I hold onto your waist?”
“Nonsense, if you don’t hold my waist, what else do you plan to hold?”
Lan Yucheng had spoken these words without a second thought, her entire focus now on the motorcycle, leaving no time for deeper contemplation.
As for Qing Xinxue, she glanced at Lan Yucheng’s figure, then looked down at her own.
Her pretty face flushed crimson as she murmured to herself, “Actually… I really did want to hold something else.”
“Are you holding on tight? I’m starting the car!”
Without waiting for Qing Xinxue’s reply, Lan Yucheng twisted the throttle.
With a thunderous roar, the motorcycle shot forward like an arrow released from its bowstring.
The immense G-force made Qing Xinxue gasp, her hands instinctively wrapping tightly around Lan Yucheng’s slender waist, pressing her entire body against her.
A powerful gust of wind assaulted their faces, stinging their cheeks.
The surrounding scenery distorted and blurred at the extreme speed, transforming into a kaleidoscope of light streaks flying backward.
Lan Yucheng’s eyes, however, gleamed with an unprecedented excitement.
‘This feeling! It’s incredible!’
Her body seemed to merge with the steel beast beneath her, every maneuver as precise and natural as breathing.
Ahead, a sharp turn suddenly appeared.
Instead of slowing down, she leaned the bike sharply into the curve the moment she entered it.
“Ah—!”
Qing Xinxue’s scream was torn apart by the furious wind.
The tires shrieked against the asphalt, the motorcycle tilting at an astonishing angle, almost scraping the ground as it carved a perfect arc.
Lan Yucheng’s knee was mere millimeters from the road, and she could even feel the rising heat from the asphalt.
Under the pull of centrifugal force, Qing Xinxue felt herself about to be flung off.
She clung desperately to the person in front of her, her knuckles white from the strain.
The instant they cleared the turn, Lan Yucheng twisted her wrist, precisely applying more throttle.
The motorcycle straightened like a spring, unleashing another burst of wild acceleration, leaving the bend far behind.
“Phew… that was truly exhilarating!”
After an indeterminate amount of time, Lan Yucheng finally came to a stop.
She glanced backward to see Qing Xinxue still clinging tightly to her, eyes squeezed shut, her body trembling uncontrollably.
“Alright, you can get off now.”
Lan Yucheng was in high spirits, her voice softening considerably.
She reached out and gently pushed Qing Xinxue.
Qing Xinxue first opened her eyes, and after confirming Lan Yucheng’s words were true, she released her grip, slowly exhaling a breath.
Afterward, she looked at Lan Yucheng with a hint of complaint.
“Sister Cheng! Why did you drive so fast?!”
“Wasn’t it you who wanted to race?”
Lan Yucheng smiled, gently stroking Qing Xinxue’s head.
Seeing Lan Yucheng so happy, Qing Xinxue whispered in a voice only she could hear, “If Sister Cheng is this happy… does that mean she’s forgiven me?”
“What are you thinking about?”
Lan Yucheng saw Qing Xinxue lost in thought, withdrew her hand, and lightly flicked Qing Xinxue’s forehead.
“Ugh! Sister Cheng is bullying me!”
Qing Xinxue covered the spot Lan Yucheng had flicked with both hands.
Her mouth pouted, and she looked at Lan Yucheng with great resentment.
“Sister Cheng only bullies you.”
Lan Yucheng pulled Qing Xinxue closer, moved her hands away, and blew gently on the spot she had flicked.
Qing Xinxue merely stared blankly at Lan Yucheng, seemingly completely surprised by her action.
“Looking at me like that, are you waiting for me to say ‘pain, pain, go away’?”
Lan Yucheng chuckled, meeting her gaze.
“I’m not a child anymore!”
Qing Xinxue’s face flushed as she quickly retorted.
“Yes, yes, our little Xinxue isn’t a child.”
Lan Yucheng took a step forward, saying cheerfully, “Today, we’ll play to our heart’s content right here!”
Only then did Qing Xinxue look ahead.
A massive amusement park lay before them, and a distinct sparkle flashed in Qing Xinxue’s eyes.
Lan Yucheng, who had been observing her, curled her lips into a slight smile.
‘It seems that in situations that aren’t too urgent, my gaming experience still proves useful.’
Ever since the motorcycle ride, she had been pondering what Qing Xinxue truly liked.
This racing was likely a tool to please her.
It was clearly meant to make her forgive Qing Xinxue, though she wasn’t sure what the transgression was.
‘So, what would someone like Qing Xinxue enjoy?’
Lan Yucheng felt uncertain; she was practically navigating this blind.
A single mistake would consume one of her precious life-saving opportunities.
But now, she had confirmed it.
Qing Xinxue truly loved this!
She gazed at the amusement park gates, murmuring to herself, “What you love is simply being somewhere with me.”
If that was the case, then anywhere would do.
But why did it have to be here?
She slowly looked at Qing Xinxue.
“This place is where I can ride rollercoasters and Ferris wheels with Sister Cheng… I have so many opportunities!”
Qing Xinxue grabbed Lan Yucheng’s hand and ran towards the main entrance.
“It’s also a good chance for me to see what your past holds.”
She tucked away her smile, enjoying everything.
She had a premonition, a certainty, that many things would be resolved tonight.
Navigating this blind, without any room for error, was simply too difficult.
The System, the only source of information, was utterly unreliable.
Ultimately, everything depended on her.
“Sister Cheng! Let’s ride that one! It looks like so much fun!”
She looked up, following Qing Xinxue’s指引.
It was a drop tower with its height prominently displayed at the top.
“141 meters!?”