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After the fireworks show ended, an announcement was made that the park would close at 9:30 p.m., causing a wave of quiet excitement from the guests. This meant that the park had earned an extra hour of ticket revenue, as tickets priced at five hundred each now brought in even more profit. The area around the attractions was empty, and the guests in the outer area, who hadn’t yet had the chance to enjoy the attractions, were now running toward the ones they hadn’t been able to access earlier.
Jin Shiya, having spent the whole day at the park, was no longer interested in playing but just wanted to take a walk. Luckily, Noland didn’t have any interest in playing either and said nothing, instead walking alongside her.
When they passed the merry-go-round, which had a long line of people, Noland suddenly pulled her into the VIP entrance.
"I don't want to play this! I’m too old for it!" Jin Shiya protested, but Noland, nine years her senior, was adamant: "I want to play, and you’re coming with me."
Unable to refuse, Jin Shiya was dragged into the VIP access to the merry-go-round. At the end of the passage, they encountered two unexpected figures.
The young couple waiting for the next round was none other than Bai Yongyan and Jiang Shiyu.
No matter what their relationship was behind the scenes, the only people in the group who actually knew each other were Jin Shiya and Bai Yongyan. At that moment, Jin Shiya felt a wave of awkwardness, while Bai Yongyan appeared intrigued.
"Is this your boyfriend?" Bai Yongyan asked casually.
"No, this is my... business partner," Jin Shiya started to say, but Noland cut her off: "I’m her boyfriend."
Before Bai Yongyan could say anything, Jin Shiya suddenly turned her head to look at Noland, but he remained calm, his expression unchanged.
Jin Shiya clearly remembered what Noland had said before, how he’d mocked her, saying she didn’t meet his standards and made that ridiculous comment. Yet now, Noland was actually claiming to be her boyfriend in front of Bai Yongyan.
Noland had spoken in English, his words tinged with a strong British accent. For someone like Bai Yongyan, who was fluent in English, it was no trouble to understand, but Jiang Shiyu beside him seemed confused. While English was now widely taught, many still struggled to understand accents.
After Noland spoke, Bai Yongyan immediately turned to him and spoke in English, "Hello, I’m a friend of Jin Shiya’s. My name is Bai Yongyan."
He extended his hand for a handshake, but Noland made no move to reciprocate. He and Jin Shiya stood opposite the couple, with a noticeable gap between them. Noland simply stared at Bai Yongyan’s outstretched hand.
The atmosphere grew tense and awkward. Jin Shiya, feeling uncomfortable, gently poked Noland. Seeing Bai Yongyan’s outstretched hand remain unacknowledged made her feel sorry for him, and she briefly forgot her fear of Noland.
Noland, finally snapping out of his momentary distraction, sneered and said, "You don’t have the right to stand equal to me, so does your father."
His words were quick and thick with his accent. It took a moment for Jin Shiya to process what he had said, but Bai Yongyan, who was more proficient, understood immediately, and his face darkened with anger.
Jin Shiya opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but before she could, Noland had already pulled her away.
"I don’t want to play anymore, let’s go back," he said, walking briskly ahead. Jin Shiya struggled to keep up, her pace stumbling behind his quick steps.
