"Wait!" Yuming, glancing at her smartwatch, turned to Meilin. "Why don't you just stand in line with us? You can walk away through the backdoor once we get there."

Meilin's face tightened, forcing a crooked grin. "Is this your way of tricking me into this ride?"

Yuming's eyes widened, her brows lifting in surprise. "No way! Trust me, I wouldn't do that."

"Okay, fine! But don't even think about convincing me to join the ride."

"Just come with us," Yuming pleaded, her eyes round like a puppy's. "Please..."

"Are you scared?" Hooman asked, his tone teasing.

Meilin crossed her arms tightly over her chest, her hands gripping her sleeves as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Her gaze darted to the haunted mansion before dropping to the ground. Her shoulders stiffened, and her brows gave the faintest tremble. "Sorry, guys," she forced nonchalance as her voice rose. "I'm not scared. I just don't think it looks fun."

"Hmph. You asked us to come to the park, and now you're backing out?" Ningshun stretched his arms. "You're afraid. Just admit it."

"Ningshun is done for," Hooman whispered to Han, who nodded in agreement. Yuming caught the comment and glanced at the rest of the team, who exchanged uneasy looks—except for Ningshun, who seemed at ease.

"Pfft," Meilin scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I've seen scarier things in the dorm gym."

Ningshun's eyebrows rose in amused surprise. He straightened, crossing his arms with a smirk as if satisfied with himself. "But you still came in." His tone was smooth like silk, daring her. "And enjoyed it."

Heat rushed to Meilin's cheeks, spreading to the tips of her ears. She averted her gaze, focusing on anything but him—the ground, her shoes, the distant rides. Yet, his words pressed down on her as she struggled to steady the sudden pounding of her heart.

Ningshun's smirk only deepened. It took everything in Meilin not to glance back at him, to pretend his words had not shaken her more than they should have.

Tilting his head, Ningshun let his gaze linger on Meilin's face, his eyes narrowing slightly. With a smirk, he leaned in just close enough that only she could hear, his breath like fiery velvet against her ear, murmuring, "You spying on me that day was scarier than any of the monsters in the haunted house." Straightening, he stretched, closing his eyes as if he were above it all.

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As Meilin regained her composure, she studied Ningshun's nonchalance and took a deliberate step closer, her shoes tapping loudly against the pavement to startle him—but he did not flinch. "Come again?"

When Ningshun opened his eyes, he saw her finger hovering near his face like a teacher reprimanding a student. Everything else blurred from view. His brows pulled together in a faint frown as his gaze moved from her burning eyes to her mischievous grin, then back to her intense stare. His jaw tightened, and he blinked as the rest of the team began to snicker. "You!"

Still grinning, Meilin leaned closer and whispered, "When I get you, you'll be screaming for help because of me, not the monsters."

Ningshun scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Maybe you should join the monsters then."

"Wow, aren't you feisty today?"

"Whatever," Ningshun muttered, scowling. "Let's just go."

Before Meilin could give him a piece of her mind, Yuming tapped her shoulder and whispered, "What happened between you two?"

"This friend of yours was sneaking around and spying on me," Ningshun accused.

"Spy?" Meilin snorted and crossed her arms. "I went there to bring you your underwear!" Her volume was louder than intended, capturing the attention not only of the rest of the group but also of a large crowd standing in line.

Ningshun slapped his forehead, exhaling sharply. He closed his eyes for a moment, as if it could shield him from the heat rising in his face, and muttered under his breath, "Great, now the whole world knows."

Yuming blinked, then burst into giggles. "Wait, what!?" She held a hand to her chest, her eyes wide. "That is... definitely not what I was expecting."

Kaili eyed Meilin, chuckling. "So, what else have you two been doing there?"

"NOTHING!" Ningshun and Meilin shouted in unison.

"Okay, okay! Sorry I asked," Kaili muttered, bringing his hand behind his head, backing off but grinning like he had a VIP seat in a theater.

Yuming faced Kaili. With a smirk, she whispered, "They one hundred percent did something."

"I..." Han stuttered, his gaze jumping between Ningshun and Meilin, at a loss for words. "Forget it."

Hooman cast Ningshun a knowing look, his smirk widening even more as if he had figured out the whole situation, his grin never fading. 'That's my bro.'

Ningshun cleared his throat and shooed Hooman with a wave, then glared at Meilin. 'That fool always causes me trouble with her mouth!'

Hooman turned his gaze toward the duo ahead, noting the awkward glances they gave the team before stepping into the ride. They had no doubt overheard them. He blinked as the saying 'time passes by slowly' sank in. "Hey, Han! It's our turn!"

There they were, standing at the end of the line.

"Let's go!" Yuming cheered.

"Yeah... sure," Kaili mumbled, his face turning pale as he wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.

Ningshun, still burning with anger from his earlier talk with Meilin, stood with his arms crossed and eyes narrowed. Meilin kept her eyes on the ride ahead—her lips pressing into a thin line as dread settled in her stomach.