My Landlord is an Idol Singer - Chapter 146

“Your headbands and phones, your clearance time was 29 minutes!”

At the exit, the staff warmly returned the items that the guy at the entrance had held for them. It was only then that Gu Zhinan realized Xia An’ge was still holding his hand. Before he could say anything, Xia An’ge let go to retrieve her phone and quickly walked away.

The staff at the exit thought this couple must’ve had some kind of fight in the haunted house. They had been fine just moments ago, why did the girl suddenly run off?

Gu Zhinan, unaware that her whole face was blushing like a cherry, simply smiled politely at the staff, picked up his own phone and headband, and followed her out.

He glanced back at the towering haunted house behind them, thinking that the landlord would probably never want to set foot in such a place again in this lifetime, let alone try the alternate ghost mode.

When Gu Zhinan once again placed the bunny headband onto Xia An’ge’s fisherman hat, she turned around and immediately swung her fist at him!

“Hey! Hit right here! This is all your snot!” Gu Zhinan didn’t dodge. He pointed to the messy marks on his chest, a chaotic mess of stains on his pure cotton T-shirt, already dried.

“It’s not snot!”

“Then what is it?”

Xia An’ge puffed up her cheeks under her mask, her peach blossom eyes glaring at Gu Zhinan fiercely, but the tips of her ears were burning hot.

“None of your business!”

With that huffy line, she turned to leave, but Gu Zhinan grabbed her arm and gently pulled her to a stop. Wearing Gu Zhinan’s jacket, Xia An’ge looked especially cute right now, and Gu Zhinan seemed to have forgotten the aloof and distant landlord from before.

“Hey, don’t wander off. We can still make it if we hurry.”

Gu Zhinan sighed helplessly.

Xia An’ge turned her head. Weren’t they going to watch the fireworks? Why weren’t they heading to the lakeside? The castle was right in the center of the lake!

But Gu Zhinan pointed toward the large glowing structure built by the lake as well, the Ferris wheel.

“We’ll watch from there. It’s already eleven. If we go up now, we’ll reach the top around eleven-thirty, and we’ll have the perfect view from up high.” Gu Zhinan explained with a smile. He had even asked the haunted house staff earlier to confirm how long each Ferris wheel rotation took.

Hearing this, Xia An’ge’s eyes lit up. She eagerly grabbed his arm and rushed toward the Ferris wheel, practically skipping in her little steps. She was walking so fast she almost seemed to be running, forcing Gu Zhinan to quicken his pace to keep up with her.

The Ferris wheel tickets could be exchanged using their park passes. After a few minutes in line, they secured a spot.

As soon as the door opened, they stepped inside. Xia An’ge leaned close to the glass, watching as the Ferris wheel slowly rose into the air. The buildings below gradually came into view, her face glowing with excitement.

Gu Zhinan watched the landlord, unable to figure her out, was she the cold and distant woman outside the park, the one trembling in fear inside the haunted house, or the bright-eyed, curious girl before him now?

Aunt Xia never lied to me.

Gu Zhinan thought to himself as he watched her pressed against the glass, gazing at the sky. He gently removed the fisherman hat from her head, revealing her smooth, dark hair cascading over her shoulders and the soft bangs clinging to her forehead.

Xia An’ge was already used to Gu Zhinan’s antics; this time she didn’t even turn her head, only her ears turned bright red.

“Take off the mask. No one’s around here.” Gu Zhinan said softly. After wearing a mask and hat the whole evening, they didn’t need them anymore up here.

Xia An’ge looked at him, then gave a small nod and took off the mask, revealing a flawless, delicate face with a faint blush on her nose tip.

The Ferris wheel’s lights cast a gentle glow on her features, making her look utterly enchanting.

Gu Zhinan stretched lazily on the bench opposite her, leaning back against the glass. “So tired. Does this mean I’ve fulfilled the mission?”

Xia An’ge bit her lip, then nodded seriously. “Thank you for coming to the amusement park with me.”

She even gave him a sweet smile, as refreshing as a spring breeze. For a moment, Gu Zhinan suddenly thought of the tale of the Foolish King and the beacon fires. His stretch froze midway as he stared in disbelief at the landlord.

Xia An’ge, unaware of why this brute was suddenly staring at her so intently, turned back toward the window, watching as the Ferris wheel gradually rose level with the castle.

People were already setting things up atop the castle. The gate had been opened, and there were jetpack performers preparing on the lake. Xia An’ge quickly checked the time. It was already 11:25.

“Brute, brute! It’s starting!” Xia An’ge called out excitedly like a little girl, unable to hide the joy on her face. The nickname slipped from her lips without thinking. Gu Zhinan held his forehead, realizing he’d probably never shake off this ‘Brute’ nickname in her heart.

He stood up to stand beside her. Together, they could see the performers finishing the fireworks setup atop the castle and the jetpack flyers holding sparklers over the lake. Soon, a broadcast announcement echoed throughout the park, signaling that the day’s festivities were coming to an end.

Fountains by the lake began shifting into new shapes, spraying higher with dazzling lights. Crowds gathered densely around the lake’s edge, surrounding the castle in the center. Characters from the fairy tale parade emerged from the castle, each holding sparklers already softly burning.

Then the jetpack performers shot into the air, their sparklers bursting into a rainbow of sparks. The lake shimmered with reflections, and the castle’s searchlights fanned out like rainbows piercing the clouds.

In the next instant, fireworks exploded from all four corners of the castle, lighting up the sky in a brilliant array of colors. At that exact moment, Gu Zhinan clearly saw the landlord’s lovely face illuminated by the dazzling lights, an unforgettable expression.

Breathtakingly beautiful.

It was a pure, unguarded smile. She waved her hands and hopped excitedly, her peach blossom eyes reflecting the endless fireworks as they lit up her face again and again. Gu Zhinan stared in a daze. For the first time, he truly understood King You of Zhou.

The Ferris wheel hovered high above, letting Xia An’ge enjoy the closest possible view of the castle and the lake’s radiant spectacle.

Fairy tale characters stood on the castle balconies, waving goodbye as the fireworks continued.

A giant burst of fireworks suddenly lit up the entire sky over the amusement park. Colors poured across the heavens as if the whole castle were embraced by a world of fireworks. Gu Zhinan saw crystal-clear tears fall from the landlord’s peach blossom eyes, landing softly on the floor of the Ferris wheel cabin.

Gu Zhinan immediately panicked. How did watching fireworks end in tears? He realized that the whole time, he had been watching her, not the fireworks.

She was far more beautiful. Much more.

Xia An’ge turned to him, her eyes misty, sniffling softly, unable to put her feelings into words. She looked fragile and lonely. This was the first time in her twenty-something years that she had seen something so breathtaking, so dreamlike and unforgettable.

Gu Zhinan gave her a gentle smile. He suddenly understood her mood perfectly. Seeing the brute smile like that made Xia An’ge’s heart skip wildly. She threw herself into his arms, burying her face in his chest, sniffling softly.

“Thank you for coming to the amusement park with me.” She repeated those words again in a whisper. Today was the happiest day of her life. Xia An’ge spoke in a small voice, clutching Gu Zhinan’s shirt tightly, her face still hidden as she wiped away her tears.

Gu Zhinan let out a soft laugh, not knowing whether the landlord was hiding her emotions or just using his clothes as tissues. He raised his hand to gently pat her back as the fireworks gradually faded and the Ferris wheel moved to the other side of the sky.

All the excitement would soon fade into quiet.

“You’re welcome. But I think this shirt’s done for.” Gu Zhinan glanced at the darkening lake lights outside. 

Tonight, he was happy too.