They are still close to me today despite their negative feelings

"I'm a little scared, but also very curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat, what were you thinking!"

Undeterred, I cast another expectant glance at the back of the line, but the handsome young man ultimately did not arrive as I had hoped.

To be honest, I have a feeling that during today's amusement park trip, some wicked person was using their unseen hand to dig one pit after another for me.

The guy who knows me so well and calculates so accurately only comes to mind.

"Wasn't it Chen Di who told you to choose this route?"

"........."

Qiu Luxi looked away.

Damn it!! What is that guy doing?!

Feeling utterly defeated, I looked at Qiu Luxi, who was lost in thought, and my mind was filled with confusion.

"Excuse me, Chen Di was the one who asked you to choose this route, but he didn't come himself—aren't you unhappy? At least show some anger, right? Did you think our agreement was just empty talk?"

Qiu Luxi blinked, then immediately frowned and puffed out her cheeks.

"Actually, I'm very angry."

...The entertainment industry in this world is beyond saving. Her acting is even worse than An Yu's attempt to deny eating two set meals at lunch.

“However, Ning Ruoyu, it seems like there’s always a little girl crying behind you.”

Qiu Luxi said this.

The eerie winds of the "horrifying and bizarre" path blew in at just the right moment.

I looked at Qiu Luxi, who had a serious and solemn expression, and turned my head to look back with some difficulty.

[Next chapter preview: Now is not the time to explain this kind of thing, is it?]

Well, as expected, it's this kind of cliché development.

Even though I didn't use any of the facilities or attractions in this area, I have to say, the experience was truly "terrifying and bizarre."

I looked at Qiu Luxi's somewhat hazy eyes reflected in the window and sighed softly.

Chapter 64: When Thrillers and Bizarre Tales Aren't Just for Amusement Parks

Good news, it was a false alarm. There was only a little girl crying alone behind me.

Although she was wearing a red dress, she had hands, feet, and a shadow, and didn't look like some kind of mysterious force at all.

Tourists passing by occasionally noticed the little girl, but most just watched from a distance, seemingly without any intention of going up and causing trouble.

I think so too.

After all, this route is full of howls and wailing, and a little girl in a red dress is crying. Given the immersive concept of this park, it's hard to say that this isn't some kind of part of the park's design.

Furthermore, if it really was an accident, amusement parks usually have quite comprehensive measures in place to deal with similar situations. If a passerby walks by without permission, they are easily seen as having ulterior motives... Holy crap, when did Qiu Luxi go there?!

"?"

The girl slightly bent her knees and half-squatted, keeping eye level with the little girl, and tilted her head.

"what happened to you?"

The little girl, who was suddenly spoken to, was clearly startled. Although she stopped crying, panic and fear were gradually brewing in her eyes.

I quickly followed.

Although she struck up a conversation, Qiu Luxi seemed to have no idea how to deal with the child. After thinking for a long time, she took out the mints she had just finished eating at the themed restaurant from her pocket.

"Want to eat?"

...Not everyone is An Yu.

"........."

Sure enough, the little girl shook her head, and tears began to well up in her eyes again.

"biu~"

I crouched down, snapped my fingers, and suddenly a butterfly hair clip appeared in my hand.

"!"

Qiu Luxi and the little girl both showed expressions of surprise.

"How did you do that?" Qiu Luxi asked me.

Using your index and ring fingers to form an orchid shape and then flipping it over to hide it from view... But now is not the time to explain this kind of thing, is it?

I ignored Qiu Luxi, who was curiously observing me, and smiled kindly at the little girl.

"Whose hair clip is this?"

The little girl seemed to recognize the hair clip, slightly opened her mouth, and touched her hair.

"It's me."

She said somewhat shyly.

"You're so clever! Here, take it back." I smiled and handed it to her, then reached out and made a fleeting touch near her ear.

"This chocolate is also a reward for the child who answered correctly."

The little girl's attention was diverted, and she temporarily forgot her situation, shyly accepting the candy I offered.

"Thank you, brother~"

"So sweet!" I smiled and patted her head. "What's your name? Why were you crying here just now? Is there anything we can help you with?"

"Uh-huh!"

Qiu Luxi squatted down beside me and nodded vigorously.

The little girl's expression turned sad again when this was mentioned.

"My name is Su Qiqi. I... I can't find my mother..."

Well, as expected, it's this kind of cliché development.

Although I maintained a smile on my face, I was still somewhat bored inside.

Well, if that's all there is to it, it might be better to help her find a staff member.

However, Qiu Luxi listened very attentively to the little girl's words, and I also patiently listened to the little girl's somewhat incoherent explanation.

—It's likely that she got separated from her mother earlier, and then, afraid to go anywhere else, she could only cry as she searched for her mother along the road.

...a bit strange.

Qiu Luxi had an "I see" look on her face, while I continued to talk to the little girl.

Do you know your mom's or dad's phone number?

"Mom seems to have gotten a new phone yesterday, but Qiqi doesn't know."

The little girl shook her head.

"And my mom said that you can't use your phone at this amusement park, which made her quite happy."

Qiu Luxi, who was next to me, gave me a strange look.

"Is it only limited group tickets that restrict mobile phone use?"

"...I'll contact the staff. You stay here and don't move the child."

Although it was indeed a bit beyond my capabilities to let Qiu Luxi take care of the child alone, my bad feeling left me no time to hesitate.

"?"

If I'm not mistaken, that mother must have made a mistake—before coming to the amusement park, she mistakenly thought that cell phones and other electronic devices were not allowed in the entire park.

But as Qiu Luxi said, that's actually an activity exclusive to limited group tickets. Other tourists are not subject to this.

I had a strange feeling whenever I saw the little girl. It wasn't until she explained to me how she got separated from her mother that I realized what was going on.

The place where they got lost doesn't seem right. If it's a mother traveling alone with her child, even without choosing routes specifically designed for families, themed restaurants, gift shops, "romantic trips," or even "adventure trips" would be reasonable. Only "thriller and horror" seems too strange.

After ruling out the possibility that the little girl came from the direction of the themed restaurant based on her description, I felt a chill run down my spine.

Abandoned.

They changed their phone and chose an amusement park they thought wouldn't allow communication devices, only to realize their mistake after entering the park. They had deliberately taken their child to a chaotic place.

In the "horrifying and eerie" area filled with crying and screams, a crying little girl might normally only get noticed by staff.

Even though I didn't use any of the facilities or attractions in this area, I have to say, the experience was truly "terrifying and bizarre."

……

Just as I predicted, but worse.

The staff member who came with me checked the tickets in Su Qiqi's possession and gave a rather helpless answer.

The contact information provided when purchasing the ticket is no longer valid. As for identity information, police assistance is needed, but it's highly likely that the ticket was purchased through a scalper, making it difficult to obtain any useful information.

Further information will likely need to be narrowed down through Su Qiqi's memories. However, in any case, Su Qiqi is currently without a guardian.

"It's a holiday today. Although we've notified the welfare home, they might not be able to send anyone to pick up the child until this evening," the staff member explained to Qiu Luxi and me.

"Thanks to your assistance—as a token of our gratitude, we will refund all expenses incurred today."

"That's true—ah, then please be sure to transfer it to this account."

Although I didn't pay for the tickets, I had already started working and was able to earn such a substantial income, which immediately brought me to my senses.

"...Is Qiqi going to stay here forever?"

Qiu Luxi, who was next to me, asked the staff.

"Without a guardian, we can only temporarily take care of them."

In the temporary staff hut, Su Qiqi sat on a high chair, swinging her legs. She was unaware of her situation, didn't understand why the adults all looked so anxious, and didn't know that her mother might never come to pick her up again.

"I haven't had a chance to fully enjoy the amusement park yet."

Qiu Luxi said softly. Her words came out of nowhere, but her tone was so sad, as if she were talking about more than just the little girl's situation.

"..."

I looked at Qiu Luxi's somewhat hazy eyes reflected in the window and sighed softly.

"Excuse me, can we talk privately for a bit?"

That's what I said to the staff.

[Next chapter preview: "You believed it?" I blinked.]

Even in this world, tragedy is hidden everywhere.

Like a little zombie, appearing and disappearing unpredictably, Su Qiqi specially ran over and tugged at my arm.

"Heartbreaker Radish".

Under normal circumstances, people driving on the road probably don't intend to cause a collision, right?

Chapter 65: The Best Client in the World

"How did you do it?"

After leading Su Qiqi out of the temporary hut, Qiu Luxi looked at me with eyes full of admiration.

It's not the kind of adoration girls feel for their crushes; it's more like the incredulous and curious awe of an audience watching a circus performer manage to put their head inside a lion's mouth.

"Actually, I know them quite well! I met that uncle when I was making coffee at the cat cafe."

"Really?"

"You believed it?" I blinked.

"That's nonsense. It's actually because of you. Two ordinary high school students are naturally not very credible, but it's a different story if one of them is a big star."

I didn't intend to hide it.

"Oh."