Old Li had manned the telephone booth for over twenty years, yet never had he witnessed a sight as bizarre as this—Along the cobbled path of the amusement park, a naked foreigner crept forward with a tree branch barely concealing his modesty...A chill night breeze swept through, and the man let out an involuntary sneeze, revealing far more than intended. Amid roars of laughter, he fled in embarrassment.
"Good heavens! And he's a foreigner?"Catching sight of the man's hairy chest, Old Li felt an unexpected chill prickle his spine.The world had truly gone mad—had tonight's carnival added a nude beach to its attractions?
"What are you staring at?!"The foreigner, bursting into the booth, caught Old Li's bewildered gaze. Enraged yet defiant, he thrust out his chest."You Chinese always talk about honesty. Well, I'm adapting to local customs! Never seen a real man make a call before?"
"Never," Old Li admitted with a good-natured smile and a shake of his head.Before the man could explode in fury, the old attendant added dryly, "I'm just curious—where exactly are you keeping your coins?"
"Uh…"The man, just lifting the receiver, froze.He looked himself over seriously—even the branch—before finally conceding to a grim truth:Unless he resorted to street performance, he had no way to pay the phone fee.
"Go ahead, call first,"Waving magnanimously, Old Li turned back to his TV.Moved nearly to tears, the foreigner vowed silently: even if the world went up in flames tonight, he'd make sure Old Li survived.
Quickly, he dialed. But before he could speak, a voice crackled through:"Ryan, I assume you've succeeded?"
"Um… I might need a few more hours,"Not even his naked dash through the park had burned his face so hot, but he forced the words out."Boss, there's been… a minor complication. Can you send someone with my tools? And maybe… clothes. A full set, ideally."
"Tools? Clothes?"In his hotel suite, Thomas paused mid-sip of wine. His first thought was that their scatterbrained bomb specialist had fallen into a pond.
"I didn't fall into a pond. Not even a ditch,"Ryan groaned, his face hot enough to boil eggs."I was… I was mugged. Twice."
A thunderous crash answered him—likely Thomas falling off the couch.Several long, stunned seconds passed before the voice returned:"Are you serious? You, a carefully cultivated mutant, a $20 million experiment, got mugged—by civilians? Twice?!"
"Sorry, boss! I didn't want this either! But the people who mugged me… they weren't ordinary—"Ryan caught himself. He couldn't exactly say he'd been mugged by Bronze Age artifacts and porcelain figurines. That'd only hasten Thomas crawling through the phone line to strangle him.
"Boss, just give me one more chance,"Taking a deep breath, he adopted a solemn tone."Send the tools again. I swear, within three hours, I'll show you the result you want."
Perhaps moved by desperation—or resigned to reality—Thomas finally agreed and hung up.Ryan exhaled with relief, turned to the crowd gathered outside the booth, and slammed his fist against the glass."Damn it! You all just wait—I'll burn you to ash—uh!"
He had forgotten the branch.As it shifted, the crowd shrieked and scattered in horror.
Behind him, Old Li blinked and shivered.Dear God, he thought, is this man so desperate he's interested in me too?
Then, Ryan turned with a wicked grin."Sir, would you mind removing your coat—wait, I didn't finish! Don't run! I just need your jacket!"
"Run or be chopped to pieces!"Elsewhere in the park, Chen Mo gasped, carrying Xun'er through the crowded fairground.
Behind them, the toy stall owner stood petrified.He got a prize with every throw! Just because I teased him?! This is too cruel…
"This is for the trouble."With a mechanical voice, a blank-eyed woman handed the owner a banknote before drifting off.
Chen Mo glanced back and sighed with relief. Then, noticing Xun'er nearly buried under stuffed animals, he felt oddly accomplished.If only he weren't cursed with bad luck, he thought, he could live off these games.
"What are you thinking?"Mu Yun approached, her white dress glowing in the night, lending her an uncharacteristic gentleness.
Before Chen Mo could answer, Xun'er tugged at both their hands, giggling:"Daddy! Mommy! Let's see the circus! The tigers there wear clothes!"
"What's so special about tigers in clothes? The ones without—uh, never mind."Chen Mo caught himself just in time.
Seeing Mu Yun's blank expression, he hastily changed the subject:"Didn't expect you to pay that stall owner. Maybe… you do have feelings."
"Do I?"Unfazed, Mu Yun replied calmly."I gave him money because Guan San took two opera dolls from his stall."
"Unbelievable…"Chen Mo was speechless."Wait—those opera dolls weren't Liu Bei and Zhang Fei, were they…? Thought so."
Meanwhile, Xun'er was at the goldfish booth, ice cream in hand, as if preparing to share it with the fish.
Chen Mo sighed and turned to Mu Yun:"So, where to next? Any place you'd like to go?"
"Nowhere in particular."Her serenity contrasted sharply with the cheerful chaos around them.But after a moment's thought, she tilted her head."I heard there's a haunted house. Do you think anything inside could scare me?"
"I think they'd be scared," Chen Mo said honestly, deciding honesty was underrated.
"I think so too," she nodded.Then added, "How about bungee jumping? Maybe I'll try it with just one strap?"
"You could try no straps at all," Chen Mo muttered, watching Xun'er scoop fish.
"Mu Yun… have you ever considered that Xun'er might really be your daughter?"
She paused mid-step and stared straight ahead."If she is… and if she's also yours… what would you do?"
"Uh…"Chen Mo was dumbstruck. If that's true, Sister Rong's fury would shatter the heavens…Maybe he should set aside part of the house fund and quietly arrange a DNA test—for both Mu Yun and Xun'er.
"I refuse."Mu Yun's cold rejection took him off guard.
"Why? Don't you want to know the truth?"
"No reason. Refusal is refusal."She walked on, impassive as ever.
But a few paces ahead, she suddenly turned back."If it's all true… then I'll marry you."
Pfft!Chen Mo spat out his water like a human fountain.
Surrounded by nosy onlookers now ablaze with gossip, he hissed:"Don't joke! Do you even understand what marriage means? Why should I marry you?"
"Why won't you?"Mu Yun blinked in genuine confusion, as though auditioning for a romance drama on the spot."I can cook, clean, do laundry, care for Xun'er… I don't think I'm ugly. My salary's enough to support us both."
Though he knew she had no emotions, Chen Mo was unexpectedly moved.And he wasn't alone—the crowd's eyes shimmered with tears.Some even looked ready to rush up and force him to accept.
Right then, little Xun'er appeared, clinging to his leg with a trembling voice:"Daddy, don't you want Mommy and me anymore?"
Damn it.Chen Mo stared skyward in despair.Why was he always trapped in these melodramas?
Hundreds of eyes locked on him.In their accusing gaze, the image of an ungrateful, wife-abandoning scoundrel was born.
And just to finish him off, Mu Yun added:"Also, about that adult film you showed me… whatever those people did—I can do that with you too."