Thus, Yuan Jing and Lu Zheng parted ways. Yuan Jing escorted the two scholars to Yizhou Prefecture, while Lu Zheng returned alone to Tonglin County.
“By the way,” Lu Zheng couldn’t resist asking the tall scholar before leaving, “what’s your true form?”
“You won’t turn me into a scarf or boots, will you?” the tall scholar asked nervously.
“No, no, don’t worry,” Lu Zheng said with a kind smile, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
The tall scholar cautiously replied, “I’m a roe deer.”
Lu Zheng nodded in realisation.
With a travel talisman, he took the official road.
Lu Zheng returned home to Tonglin County without incident.
In the afternoon, he visited the Liu family to report his safety and discussed medicine with Liu Qingyan. In the evening, he went to Peach Blossom Ridge and talked about flower arrangement with Shen Ying.
Then, the weekend arrived.
“You’ve been quite free lately!” Lu Zheng said, surprised. “When have you ever had two days off in a row?”
“What, am I disturbing you?” Lin Wan asked with a grin, linking arms with Lu Zheng.
Lu Zheng replied earnestly, “Joking! What could be more important than you?”
“Such a smooth talker!” Lin Wan pouted, a faint smile on her lips, then frowned ahead. “So many people!”
They were in the massive queue at the entrance to Disneyland.
Though spring was still chilly, Lin Wan wore a beige trench coat, her long hair loose, topped with a stylish soft-brimmed hat. Her tight jeans and high-top boots accentuated her long, shapely legs.
Thinking the cold weather would mean fewer visitors, they booked tickets for a weekend visit.
But many had the same idea, and the line was still long.
“It’s much better than peak season. When we came in summer, the queues were insane. You could only do three attractions in a day,” said a middle-aged couple with a lively primary school-aged boy in front of them.
Lu Zheng, scrolling through the park’s digital map on his phone, was shocked. “Only three?”
“Three’s plenty. If they’re not top-tier attractions, you might not even get to a second one after the first,” the husband grumbled. “We always get just two or three, so we have to keep coming back.”
The wife added, “Plan early. Head straight to your top pick, or you’ll mess up your whole day.”
Lu Zheng nodded, turning to Lin Wan. “Have you been here before?”
Lin Wan shook her head. “Nope!”
Lu Zheng handed her the phone. “Pick what you want to do, quick!”
Lin Wan frowned. “I don’t know. I didn’t do any research.”
She looked at Lu Zheng. “You didn’t either?”
Lu Zheng: ꒰꒪꒫꒪⌯꒱
Lin Wan burst out laughing at his stunned expression.
“I know, I know! Tron Lightcycle is the best, and Soaring Over the Horizon too,” the boy piped up eagerly.
The couple nodded. “If you’re okay with roller coasters, Tron Lightcycle is great. The Jet Packs are good for couples too.”
The wife added, “The theatre shows are also worth seeing, not just the rides.”
Lu Zheng nodded, thanking them with Lin Wan.
“Beep!”
The park gates opened, and the queue inched forward. After over half an hour, they finally got through, thanks to their relatively forward position.
“Why did I come here? Isn’t Happy Valley just as good?” Lin Wan grumbled.
Lu Zheng shrugged. “Never been, so let’s see what it’s like. If you’re not into the Disney vibe, we can hit Happy Valley next time.”
Lin Wan nodded. They skipped the commercial area at the entrance and followed the crowd to the attractions.
The first ride, Tron Lightcycle, had a short queue. It was well-designed, with a top-notch sci-fi setup, making it feel like a journey through time and space, true to its IP.
But…
Lu Zheng sighed. “Reality never matches imagination. Time travel? I do that several times a day, and it’s not this fancy. Just a whoosh, and you’re through.”
Unfazed inside but enthusiastic outside, he asked Lin Wan, “Fun?”
Lin Wan nodded, impressed. “Pretty thrilling. Feels real. No wonder Disneyland gets endless visitors despite all the bad press.”
Lu Zheng nodded, sighing. “Nobody’s dumb. If the quality’s the same, people support local, but if you’re scamming with a patriotic label, don’t be surprised when people complain.”
“Mr. Ren’s impressive,” Lin Wan agreed. “Enough griping. Next ride.”
The noise tripled as they exited. The park was packed. They hurried to Soaring Over the Horizon, only to find the queue snaking around several corners.
“Alright, queue it is!” Lu Zheng shrugged. “After this, we can grab lunch.”
Seeing a sign indicating a two-hour wait, Lu Zheng shook his head and said to Lin Wan, “Want to find somewhere to sit?”
Lin Wan shook her head. “No, let’s stay together.”
They chatted and scrolled on their phones as the line crept forward.
“This Outlaw Zhang San is terrifying. One look at him, and I feel like I’d end up in jail,” Lu Zheng said.
“Wow, your algorithm’s not pushing pretty girls for once?” Lin Wan teased, glancing at his phone.
Lu Zheng replied righteously, “With you around, why would I look at other girls? All filters and fakes. In person, a thousand of them couldn’t match you.”
A guy ahead, arm around his girlfriend, gave Lu Zheng a thumbs-up.
Lu Zheng glanced at the girlfriend and accepted the praise.
Then, a shout came from ahead. “Explain this clearly! What’s going on?”
A commotion followed, with a man’s excuses and a woman’s screams. A water bottle flew from the crowd, heading straight for Lin Wan.
Lu Zheng caught it with a swift “smack,” then stretched his neck to watch the drama, joined by the astonished crowd.
The onlookers went into full gossip mode, many discreetly filming.
Soon, the crowd pieced together the story from the argument between one man and two women.
A classic love triangle. The man was dating two women simultaneously, brought one to Disneyland, while the other, free that day, came with a friend.
By sheer coincidence, in the massive park, they met in the Soaring Over the Horizon queue.
A showdown ensued, and the crowd gorged on the drama.
It should’ve been a story of two women confronting a cheating man, but it took an unexpected turn.
“Me or her, choose!”
“Xuanxuan, don’t you love me anymore?”
Lu Zheng: (´°Δ°`)
Lin Wan: (⊙o⊙)
Crowd: ヽ(⁰▮⁰)ﾉ!!!
Lu Zheng noticed disbelief in many women’s eyes and envy in the men’s. Both women were above average in looks.
The women sniped at each other across the man, who struggled to calm things down, barely holding it together.
Lu Zheng rubbed his chin. “This guy’s got skills.”
Lin Wan nodded. “A pro.”
Finally, the trio, plus the second woman’s friend, decided to leave to sort things out privately, tired of being gawked at.
As they passed, the crowd parted, putting away their phones.
When the group walked by, Lin Wan looked at the man and frowned.
“Lin Jingnan!”
The man froze, glanced over, then quickly turned away, expressionless.
“Lin Jingnan, it is you!” Lin Wan’s eyes lit up, a grin spreading, almost… menacing?
The woman on the man’s left, seeing Lin Wan address him, snapped, “Who are you? My boyfriend’s name is Lin Xuan!”
Lin Wan, unfazed, smiled coldly. “Relax, I’m not one of the women you’ve scammed, nor their kin.”
The man’s eyes flickered.
Lin Wan grinned. “I’m a police officer.”
“Damn!”
The man cursed, broke free from the women, and bolted.
“Think you can escape?” Lin Wan shouted, chasing him down in two steps. “Stop!”
The man turned, swinging a punch at her face.
Lin Wan didn’t flinch. She grabbed his fist, twisted it, and stepped behind him. With a sidestep, a push, and a knee to his back, she slammed him to the ground, pinning his arm behind him with her knee, rendering him immobile.
His other hand flailed, but Lin Wan grabbed and twisted it.
Textbook takedown. Done. Perfect.
“Wow!” The crowd gasped.
The guy who’d given Lu Zheng a thumbs-up was stunned. “Mate, that’s epic!”
Lu Zheng beamed with pride. Compared to Lin Wan, Black Widow was too short, Scarlet Witch’s face too round, Wonder Woman’s figure lacking, and no other female hero could match her.
