Chapter 41 Rebellion

Chapter 41: The Rebellion

The streets were lively, and even the usually quiet boardwalk by the sea was full of parked cars and tourists pouring in for New Year's Eve.

After watching the hotel's annual special performance, the group hopped in the car and headed to the harbor.

The car drove under the streetlights, the light inside kept flickering on and off with the streetlights, kind of blinding.

The driver was still driving when Zhao Bing couldn't wait to twist around from the passenger seat and climb into the back.

Li Wangyue, seeing him almost kick the steering wheel, quickly steadied him. "Careful, careful."

Zhao Bing grabbed his arm, stubbornly shoved his way into the second row, and sat happily between him and Ji Zhijia.

"Here, here, grab the tickets." Zhao Bing pulled crumpled Ferris wheel tickets from his pocket. "Think about what you want to wish for. I've already talked to the staff—they'll set it up so our car stops at the very top right at midnight."

"Does this thing actually work?" Ji Zhijia asked skeptically, turning the ticket over in his hands.

"Really," Zhao Bing said, dead serious. "I heard all the couples who came here to pray for forever ended up getting married."

"Who even needs to make a wish?" a low voice came from the back row. "Like anyone here hasn't been married before."

Ji Zhijia turned around. "Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or what?"

Shang Wendu leaned back in his seat, glancing at him. "What's your problem? I wasn't talking about you."

Seeing them about to start fighting again, Li Wangyue reached over and patted Ji Zhijia's shoulder, pulling him back around. "You can also wish for career stuff. That works too."

Ji Zhijia's career had been rough this year, tons of pressure and nonstop overtime. Li Wangyue figured a little mental boost couldn't hurt, maybe cheer him up.

Even though Li Wangyue never believed in gods or Buddhas.

He'd bowed, he'd prayed, but it never did any good.

When he was nine, he lay next to his dad's body, stuck in a room with the pesticide-soaked corpse for three days straight, there was a Buddhist shrine at home. He knelt in front of it and kowtowed, but nobody answered.

Maybe the gods were just too busy, with so many other people suffering, too caught up to care about his pain.

Li Wangyue smoothed out the ticket. It had a picture of the seaside Ferris wheel, with "Wish Ferris Wheel: All Wishes Come True" printed next to it.

He'd heard of this Ferris wheel before. He'd even ridden it years ago, but back then, the big draw was how old it was. Supposedly, the city's first amusement park was built by the sea, and this Ferris wheel was still around, with its original core machinery.

At some point, people started coming to the Ferris wheel to make wishes, then to come back and thank it, and over time, it turned into a whole new thing.

They got to the harbor at eleven, with an hour to go until the new year.

The line went from the floating bridge all the way onto land, stretching out of sight.

Everyone was all smiles, rubbing their hands together and chatting nonstop with their friends about the fireworks, the party, and the countdown.

Li Wangyue got caught up in the vibe and couldn't help wondering what he'd wish for.

First, wish for his mom and professor to be healthy. Then, wish for his own career to go well. Then...

Out of the corner of his eye, the man's silhouette was impossible to ignore.

Ting Zhenxi stood next to Zhao Bing, head down, listening to him talk about using the fast pass. Maybe it was too noisy, his brow furrowed a little as he leaned in to catch what Zhao Bing was saying.

Li Wangyue's heart skipped.

Ting Zhenxi suddenly looked up, staring right at him.

Li Wangyue thought about the salt shaker he'd knocked over. He felt like that salt shaker now, wobbling, hearing the crashing waves, and wanting to tip over.

He silently sketched out his last wish in his head.

Please, don't let it be him.

The person who came into his room, left the watch, and messed with his phone—don't let it be Ting Zhenxi.

Even if it's a ghost, or if he's losing his mind, don't let it be Ting Zhenxi.

Please, no.

Time passed, and as midnight got closer, Zhao Bing got more and more excited. He even whipped out a camera. "When our car gets to the top, it'll stop for two or three minutes. We'll take a group picture."

Ji Zhijia was hopping around because he was cold. "Zhao Bing, are you serious? You really want to take a picture of us?"

From the start, Ji Zhijia thought today's plan was absurd. How could Zhao Bing think to invite him and Shang Wendu, along with Li Wangyue and Ting Zhenxi?

And then take a picture.

A divorced ex-couple and a pair of stepbrothers who couldn't stand each other—taking a picture that could never be undone.

What kind of brain tumor could come up with such an idea?

Zhao Bing pulled Li Wangyue and squeezed him between the two. "You sit between them, so it won't be awkward."

Li Wangyue had actually been hoping to sit next to Ting Zhenxi. This might be one of his few chances to have a private picture with him.

But Ji Zhijia and Shang Wendu's relationship was too special, and Zhao Bing desperately wanted a perfect New Year's memento, so he couldn't let those two tense people ruin the picture.

"Okay." Li Wangyue nodded with a smile.

"It's settled. I'll set the camera up like this. I'll stand on the left, where the light is best, so I'll look stunning. Then Tingting stands to my right, then you, you, you—got it?" Zhao Bing pointed around as he arranged.

"Not at all." Ji Zhijia licked his ice cream nonchalantly.

Shang Wendu: "What's with the 'you, you, you'? Speak properly, don't stutter."

Zhao Bing was furious. "You, I..."

"You, you, you; I, I, I. I told you not to stutter." Ji Zhijia enjoyed the chaos.

Zhao Bing looked pitiful. "You guys weren't like this before."

Li Wangyue interrupted at the right moment. "It's almost our turn. Have you all prepared your wishes?"

"Ready." Ji Zhijia pulled out his phone's memo, smirking as he typed. "First wish... hope the boss stays sick a little longer, so I can get promoted. Done!"

Shang Wendu also graciously raised his phone, indicating his wish was written down.

Zhao Bing even pulled out a list longer than his life, with 351 wishes, wondering if he could even read them all in a few minutes.

"Mm." Ting Zhenxi nodded.

Li Wangyue was quite surprised and couldn't help asking, "You have a wish too?"

He had thought Ting Zhenxi would disdain such childish games.

"Why can't I have one?" Ting Zhenxi countered.

"...You can." Li Wangyue touched his earlobe. "That guy's waving us over. Let's go."

As they walked over, they happened to run into a shift change. The young man leaving work leaned in, slung an arm around Zhao Bing's neck, mumbled something in his ear, and chuckled softly.

Zhao Bing wasn't in the mood to flirt. He gave the guy a dismissive pat on the back, pushed him away, and added, "I'll find you later. We can hook up in my car..."

The young man blushed, pursed his lips, and walked off briskly.

"So clingy." Zhao Bing shook his head in disdain, quickly brushing it off. He said to the staff, "Our cabin is number 18."

The staff member, looking totally beat, didn't say a word. He pulled open the door and motioned for them to get in quick.

"You guys go ahead. I gotta set up the camera," Zhao Bing said.

Li Wangyue took the seat on the left. Ting Zhenxi followed and sat right next to him.

"Xiao Zhao said you're supposed to sit with him," Li Wangyue reminded. "I need to sit between Wen Du and the others."

"You gonna listen to him or me?" Ting Zhenxi asked.

"..."

Li Wangyue remembered what happened last time he crossed Ting Zhenxi.

Ji Zhijia and Shang Wendu sat down and immediately started giving each other dirty looks, with a gap big enough for ten more people.

Zhao Bing got the camera ready, picked up the tripod, and was about to step in when a security guard stopped him.

"Sorry, the Ferris wheel's old. We've been doing maintenance for safety, and each cabin can only hold four people max."

"Huh? One more's no big deal, right?"

"Nope, can't do that. It's for the visitors' safety," the staff member said, polite but firm.

Li Wangyue started to ask what was up.

Zhao Bing waved him off. "You guys go on. I'll catch the next one."

Li Wangyue looked at him. "But this is the last round."

Every cabin around them was packed. Once the door closed, the machine would start, making two full rotations. By the end of the first rotation, it would be around New Year's, and their cabin would be at the very top.

Zhao Bing stood in the cold wind, gripping his camera, stunned. Then he shrugged like it was no big deal. "Then go ahead. Don't miss the New Year's countdown."

The staff member reached out to close the door.

Li Wangyue stood up. "Sorry," he said to the staff, and stepped out. Then Ting Zhenxi also got up and walked out.

"What are you all doing? I want to make wishes!" Ji Zhijia stared in shock as people filed out one by one.

Shang Wendu was quick—grabbed him by the arm and yanked him out.

"What are you doing?" Zhao Bing shoved them back hard. "Get back in! We're out of time!"

Li Wangyue grabbed his wrist back. "It's fine."

The staff let the next four people in line take the empty spots and closed the door. The tourists behind them, lucky bastards, climbed in all smiles.

Zhao Bing watched the machine slowly start, pure despair on his face. "But... the wishes..."

"Xiao Zhao." Li Wangyue interrupted him. "That's just a machine."

"The wishes are very effective. Your wishes..." Zhao Bing slumped, completely deflated.

Li Wangyue frowned. "But it couldn't even grant such a simple wish as us being together right now. Why should I believe it can promise me a future where I get everything I love?"

Zhao Bing's lips trembled. "I just wanted you all to be happy. I know you've all had a rough year. Wen Du's family is putting a lot of pressure on him, Ji Zhijia hasn't been able to get promoted, and you, Wangyue... I don't know why, maybe it's your personality, but you always seem unhappy too. I thought if we could have a perfect ending, you'd be happy."

He glanced back at the Ferris wheel reluctantly. "Too bad it's ruined."

"I've had a great day today. We had a big meal, watched the annual show, traveled all the way from the distant mountains to see the sea, and soon there'll be fireworks." Li Wangyue's voice was gentle but had a way of making you listen. "Which of these did the Ferris wheel give us?"

Zhao Bing stared at him, dumbfounded.

"It's just a crappy Ferris wheel." Li Wangyue repeated, turning sideways, expressionless, and flipped off the massive, cold machine.