Elena looked taken aback when she heard the words that left Yuchen's lips. Luckily, by this time, she had put her sunglasses back on, so Yuchen couldn't see her widened eyes.
Amusement park? Did she hear it correctly?
Actually, it had been a long time since Elena had last gone to an amusement park. She couldn't even remember the last time she had been to one, but it was probably when she was a teenager or maybe even younger.
After finishing college, she became busy with work and building her career. Even when she dated her previous partners, they only went on conventional dates like eating together, going to the movies, or watching films at home.
"If I'm not mistaken, there's an amusement park close by," muttered Yuchen, who immediately took out his cell phone to find out the exact location of the amusement park he vaguely remembered.
"Ah! Here it is! It's pretty close! Do you mind if we walk there?" Yuchen asked, looking at Elena with excitement.
In contrast to Yuchen, Elena looked unsure about going to the amusement park. However, in the end she nodded her head.
She was already with Yuchen today, and she didn't have any pressing tasks at the moment. Spending a few hours at the amusement park wouldn't hurt, and it would certainly attract some attention from the public.
Along the way, the two of them chatted about various trivial things. Yuchen reminisced about the buildings they passed, occasionally expressing surprise at the ones that were still standing. He shared bits of his memories with Elena.
Meanwhile, Elena observed Yuchen, who appeared excited and nostalgic. She recalled her secretary's report that Yuchen had been sent to London after graduating from high school and had never returned before.
After a while, they finally arrived at one of the big and famous amusement parks in China. Yuchen's face was beaming with excitement, while Elena's expression remained a little awkward.
"Come on!" Yuchen called out when Elena hesitated to follow.
Elena let out a sigh and finally stepped forward to buy the entrance tickets.
"For two people," Yuchen said to the ticket counter and then proceeded to take out his cell phone to pay.
"What are you doing?" asked Elena, surprised to see Yuchen attempting to pay for her again.
Yuchen simply ignored her and quickly scanned the QR code to complete the payment.
When he was waiting for Elena at the cafe earlier, he did transfer the money in the money application.
When Yuchen had been waiting for Elena at the cafe earlier, he had already transferred the money through the payment app. After all, he was the one who asked Elena out on this 'date,' and despite the pretense of getting attention from the public, Yuchen felt he should be the one paying for it.
He didn't quite understand why he felt this way, but perhaps it was because he wanted to make a good impression, especially after the bad impression he had made on Elena by selling his body for a sponsor.. He wanted to rectify that bad impression, even if it was in a small way.
As they entered the amusement park after buying the entrance tickets, Elena seemed visibly uncomfortable with Yuchen paying for everything.
"Let me transfer the money to you," Elena insisted, taking out her cell phone to complete the transaction.
She really wasn't used to someone paying for her like that.
Yuchen was taken aback by Elena's insistence on paying him back. He was genuinely confused by her attitude. Did she think he couldn't afford it or something?
"It's okay," Yuchen said quickly, reaching out to touch Elena's hand that was holding the phone.
Elena immediately raised her head and shot a fierce glare at Yuchen. Though her sunglasses obscured her eyes, her expression was clear enough.
However, Yuchen wasn't intimidated by that at all.
"Okay, how about this? What if we take turns paying for the rides? We each choose the rides we want to go on and pay for both of us," Yuchen suggested, trying to find a compromise.
Yuchen never thought that Elena would act like this. Shouldn't he be the one paying for it? After all, this was their 'date'.
What's wrong if as a man, he did this? Moreover, he was the one who suggested for them to go to the amusement park.
"Alright," Elena finally agreed with a sigh, tucking her cell phone back into her bag.
The truth was, Elena had always been independent and self-reliant, which made her feel a bit awkward when someone paid for her.
Yuchen smiled, relieved that Elena had relented. It seemed she wasn't as stubborn as he initially thought.
The two continued their stroll through the amusement park. Yuchen was busy examining which rides they should go on, while Elena appeared more focused on maintaining the appearance that they were on a date.
Suddenly, Yuchen came to a stop, his attention caught by something nearby. "How about we buy that too?" he asked, gesturing towards a couple not far away.
Elena followed Yuchen's gaze and immediately furrowed her brow.
"You don't mean to buy those headbands, right?" she asked incredulously, noticing what the lovers were wearing.
"Yes, that's exactly what I mean. Come on, it looks like they're sold over there!" Yuchen said enthusiastically, already heading towards a shop selling cute headbands.
Elena was left speechless, her mouth still slightly agape in shock. Headbands? She never imagined that Yuchen would suggest buying something like that, let alone want to wear them.
This is really embarrassing!
"Is it because he is younger? This is why I never dated a younger man," Elena thought with a sigh. For her, younger men always seemed to remind her of her little brother, and she couldn't help but perceive them as somewhat childish.
Nevertheless, Elena knew she had to keep up appearances, so she took a step to catch up with Yuchen, who had walked ahead. She had no other choice but to play along.
Meanwhile, Yuchen, who had been walking ahead, secretly glanced at Elena to see how she was reacting. His lips curved into a smile when he saw Elena reluctantly coming closer.
"I think this will work," Yuchen thought to himself as he observed Elena's attitude.
Actually, Yuchen had been keeping a close eye on Elena who was walking with him since earlier. The woman showed absolutely no fear of him, so Yuchen was certain that Elena didn't know of his other identity.
At first, Yuchen had planned to ask Elena on a date because of that reason, but suddenly a thought crossed his mind.
Since he would be pretending to be her husband for two years, he realized that there was a small chance Elena might discover his identity.
In that case, what if he deliberately cultivated an image that would make it impossible for her to believe any information about him being a mafia member?
Yuchen believed that by being a husband who was genuinely loving and adorable at the same time, he could create a facade that would make Elena doubt any claims about his involvement with the mafia. If he could make her see him as nothing more than a caring and affectionate partner, the idea of him being a dangerous mobster would seem far-fetched.
Determined to implement this plan, Yuchen decided to put extra effort into creating a favorable impression in front of Elena. Today, in the amusement park, he will show her his charming yet adorable side.