Chapter 35: Your Exclusive SSR (Part 1)

Early in the morning of their date, Bai Jingchuan entered the training arena—climbing the tower. Continuous physical training allowed him to regain control over his body’s functions. After recovering from chickenpox, he had reacquired the ability to manipulate air and apply precise force. Especially after leveling up to Lv 50 through gacha pulls, the feeling of regaining half his strength was nothing short of liberation. Happily emerging from the training grounds, he prepared to take a bath but discovered there was no water coming from the tap. Without hesitation, he used an item to set up a bathtub in the living room, luxuriating in the hot bath despite only having a shower stall in his loft apartment. Even the dice joined in the indulgence: “The feeling of overflowing item boxes is great. But Bai Jingchuan, why did you choose only the amusement park for the date?”

“I have no desires or demands for her. More than that, I want her to feel genuine happiness once.”

「Mission 2-9: During the amusement park visit, increase Jiang Huan’s favorability by +2000 and fulfill her wish; ensure all rides are operational as much as possible.」

Her wish? So there were unfulfilled wishes in the amusement park?

Ensure the rides run smoothly?

It seemed this wouldn’t be a day entirely devoted to accompanying Jiang Huan. Fine. He had bigger ambitions in the real world anyway. Multitasking? An Executor could handle it.

Jiang Huan hadn’t felt particularly excited about the date, but she woke up suddenly in the middle of the night. She dreamed again of the strange map on Dan Dimon’s computer, getting lost inside it. Then she saw Bai Jingchuan standing atop a skyscraper in Mowu City, impeccably dressed in a suit, firing at a gray shadow. The shadow fell down the building, and she woke up with a jolt, as if experiencing free fall herself.

Though the dream gradually faded, Jiang Huan could still sense that Bai Jingchuan was perched precariously at the top. Dreaming about this before their date cast a shadow over her mood for the entire day.

Before leaving home, she turned on the faucet—no water. She was shocked. There had never been such an issue since moving in. Why was there a water outage? Checking her property management app, Jiang Huan’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Water outage due to line repairs.

There were only two bottles of water left at home. With the date looming, she carefully weighed her options and decided—to wash her face and get ready. Feeling unbearably thirsty before heading out, she grabbed a bottle of Korean soju. It didn’t taste too strong, and desperate with thirst, she drank more than half the bottle.

Afterward, her head spun, and she felt like she controlled the entire world. Normally clad in jeans and sneakers, Jiang Huan rummaged through her wardrobe and found a mermaid-colored chiffon mini-skirt she’d bought five years ago but never worn. She’d purchased it on impulse because it was pretty, but this skirt, born of girlish whimsy, had no place in her busy, warrior-like lifestyle—it wasn’t easy to live like a princess. Carefully ironing it and pairing it with matching earrings, she stood swaying slightly, wondering if wearing this would draw too much attention.

Overthinking it. In the amusement park, many were dressed in elaborate costumes—some even wore wigs and animatronic tails. Approaching the pink-walled, dreamlike castle, she regretted not buying a petticoat to make the skirt flutter more dramatically. Passing queues without noticing, a fox mascot in a pink costume walked by, eliciting squeals from a group of girls.

No wonder this was called “Ignite the Dream Within.”

Bai Jingchuan, dressed neatly in tailored trousers, a shirt, and leather shoes, exuded an immaculate aura. His demeanor wasn’t entirely different from his commanding presence in the office—it was identical. He seemed naturally disconnected from the joy around him, more focused on helping others realize their happiness than partaking in it himself.

They didn’t look like a couple at all. Realizing this, Jiang Huan ran over and impulsively threw herself into his arms. Bai Jingchuan froze for a second, reflexively catching her and holding her close, his hands instinctively covering her skirt to shield her modesty: “So you’re this excited about the amusement park, huh?”

Realizing how suggestive his gesture looked, Jiang Huan remembered she was wearing a short skirt: “Put me down!”

“You jumped into my arms—I shouldn’t hold you tight?”

Bai Jingchuan loosened his grip slightly, and Jiang Huan, unprepared, nearly slipped. He smirked knowingly: “See? You clearly had no intention of letting go—did you drink alcohol?”

“The water was out when I left home, and I was so thirsty.” Jiang Huan frowned. “You live next door—you didn’t know about the water outage?”

The dice laughed cheerfully: “Jiang Huan, you really can’t compare to him. He pulled thousands of gacha cards, earning overflowing item boxes. This morning, he set up a bathtub at home and meticulously cleaned himself.”

Thinking of the blissful expression on the card art, Bai Jingchuan knew it wasn’t the moment to wear the bunny hairband. A dignified Executor with a pink bunny ear headband? Preposterous! He firmly refused: “No way.”

“Why not? Aren’t you on a date with me?”

“What man wears something like that?”

Before he finished speaking, Jiang Huan pointed around them—almost every man nearby was wearing a headband. Bai Jingchuan vaguely understood that wearing anything inconsistent with the gacha card art might trigger absurd missions. He wanted to ensure Jiang Huan enjoyed the date. Reluctantly, he paid for the pink bunny ear headband, watching her pout as she walked out of the gift shop. Sighing, he said: “I’ll grant you one unreasonable request.”

Jiang Huan wasn’t forgiving him anytime soon. Ignoring him, she walked ahead, swaying in her mermaid skirt. Bai Jingchuan followed behind, suppressing laughter as he watched her indignant figure: “Is this what falling in love feels like?”

________________________________________

Bai Jingchuan trailed behind Jiang Huan as they waited in line. He wasn’t particularly curious about the rides, but he didn’t expect her to start with something so thrilling. As they boarded the Hug Dragon ride, Bai Jingchuan kept talking until it started: “These amusement park rides were invented to challenge people’s nerves, triggering adrenaline rushes that make them feel exhilarated. Similarly, humans experience excitement in other ways—bungee jumping, rock climbing, surfing, or… falling in love.”

Jiang Huan remained calm: “Mhm, you’re right. Let’s enjoy the weightlessness now, Teacher Bai.”

She deliberately kept her hands far from Bai Jingchuan—she had dreamed of him standing atop a building; she didn’t want to grab his hand during free fall. As the ride ascended backward and then plunged downward, her heart nearly stopped: “Ah, I can’t do this anymore! Why is it so high? Teacher Bai! Help!”

Cowering, covering her ears, and burying herself in his arms, Jiang Huan completely forgot her dignity or any chance to see Bai Jingchuan embarrassed. Clutching her head, she thought of only one thing—get this over with. She wanted to return to solid ground. Weightlessness felt awful, even in Bai Jingchuan’s arms!

With shaky legs, she stepped off the ride, her hair disheveled. Bai Jingchuan stood calmly with his arms crossed, watching her with interest. Jiang Huan asked in surprise: “Aren’t you afraid?”

“Not particularly. If you opened your eyes, you’d see the entire park’s beautiful scenery. And being true to your reactions is fine—it’s adorable. Why hide it?”

Jiang Huan squeezed her eyes shut: “No, you’ve mistaken me!”

After getting off the Hug Dragon , Jiang Huan’s legs trembled uncontrollably. Bai Jingchuan tried to steady her gently, but she resisted, stumbling forward awkwardly until she almost fell. Bai Jingchuan caught up, wrapping his arms around her as they walked together, synchronizing their steps. Though embarrassed, Jiang Huan felt an unprecedented sense of happiness. Spotting oversized cotton candy and chocolate at a stall, she turned back to ask Bai Jingchuan: “Want some?”

“Sure.”

“I just want to take pictures, though. It’d be wasteful if we don’t finish it.”

“No problem.”

Jiang Huan took selfies with her phone. Nearby, a passing couple whispered: “Wow, look at her hair—it’s so yellow and uneven. Doesn’t match the dress at all. Ariel would cry if she saw her…”

Though spoken softly, Bai Jingchuan heard every word. He snapped a photo of Jiang Huan: “Isn’t this the true color of a mermaid? Who cares about red-haired mermaid princesses? Be a unique mermaid princess.”

The couple, embarrassed, walked away. Jiang Huan nibbled on the chocolate: “Earlier, you said you’d grant me an unreasonable wish. Could you… help me eat this?”

To her astonishment, Bai Jingchuan devoured the massive chocolate bar with delight. What good were gacha card predictions anyway? Love had to be experienced firsthand.

Three minutes later, Jiang Huan turned around to find Bai Jingchuan tossing a clean popsicle stick into the trash. Shocked, she exclaimed: “That huge thing—and you finished it?”

“Yes.”

Jiang Huan’s pupils dilated. After a long pause, she said: “Bai Jingchuan, you’re really not normal.”

Avoiding peak crowds, Jiang Huan dragged Bai Jingchuan to the Ancient Ruins Adventure. Equipped with safety harnesses, they chose routes involving zip lines, rope bridges, and suspended planks. Jiang Huan didn’t know why she insisted on turning a magical journey into a military-style obstacle course, but Bai Jingchuan seemed to enjoy it too, not minding that his white shirt got dirty. When she chose the most challenging route at the first fork, he followed closely, extending a hand whenever she tensed.

“No, I can do it.”

Bai Jingchuan could only trail behind her, walking steadily as if on flat ground. Despite being secured by ropes, Jiang Huan trembled with fear, struggling to balance on narrow ropes. Her bravery in games was nowhere to be seen—thinking of Bai Jingchuan behind her, she refused to admit defeat. Finally stepping onto solid ground, she immediately zipped to an even harder route: “Come on, let’s keep going.”

Bai Jingchuan reluctantly followed her to a nearly unchallenged, difficult path. Beside them, a couple stumbled awkwardly, blocking Jiang Huan’s way. Meanwhile, Bai Jingchuan moved across a wooden bridge as if walking on flat ground, displaying extraordinary skill. The girl in the couple exclaimed: “Look at him!”

“He’s probably a stunt actor—look at his physique and face. Is he even human?”

The girlfriend glanced at Bai Jingchuan: “He’s… so handsome.”

Distracted, Jiang Huan missed a step, dangling from the zip line and startling everyone around. Rescued by staff and crawling back to solid ground, she was scooped up by Bai Jingchuan and led to the safest area, forbidding her from taking further risks. Jiang Huan, a little jealous, stayed silent. Bai Jingchuan sighed faintly, shaking his head with a smile: “I know you’re strong and excellent. There’s no need to compete here. Enjoy the fairy tale while you’re in this magical place. I’m willing to lose to you temporarily.”

“Letting me win on purpose?”

“No need. You’ve already made me willingly concede in so many ways. Here, I hope you only choose joyful activities. Leave the rest to me.”

“That’s not acceptable.”

“Is it so hard to rely on me?” As they queued for the Hyper Light Rail, Bai Jingchuan grew slightly melancholic: “Around Dan Dimon, you always seem relaxed. I want to see you enjoying every moment with me, too. If I make you this tense, I’ll feel like… I’m just your boss, not someone you can safely lean on.”

Jiang Huan was flustered by his words. Indeed, she habitually sought victory, striving to excel in everything. Here, she could have relaxed, yet she still chose challenging activities despite wearing a delicate chiffon skirt.

Shrinking her neck, she asked: “Did I… …expose myself just now?”

“Not at all.” Bai Jingchuan chuckled helplessly. “The boys around us were all mesmerized. Where else would you find such a beautiful girl, wearing a skirt and moving so agilely? Every line of your muscles is stunning.”

Is he… jealous too? Bai Jingchuan was also somewhat puzzled: “If you prefer romantic attractions, I’ll accompany you. Don’t push yourself into these intense activities just to prove a point.”

“Do I look like someone that fragile?”

“If it weren’t for this date with me, you probably wouldn’t have come here today, right? You usually dress so casually, but today you’re wearing a skirt—it’s different from your usual self.” Bai Jingchuan spoke earnestly: “You have a desire to experience romance, so go ahead and enjoy the lighter, more whimsical attractions. Even after leaving here, you can still be a princess. You can embody many roles—princess, mermaid, sword-wielding prince, or brave knight. In my eyes, you’ll always be the most special.”

“Teacher Bai, you’ve really said so many cheesy lines today. Even the characters in my stories aren’t as smooth-talking as you.”

“You think it’s cheesy? Isn’t this how I always speak?” Bai Jingchuan maintained a straight face. “I’m not a hypocrite—I say what I feel. With you, I don’t need games or pretense.”

Jiang Huan paused for a moment: “Alright, then for our final stop, let’s ride the carousel together. I’ll tell you a story while we’re on it.”

In this magical land, time seemed to slip away like an enchantment fading. Since meeting Bai Jingchuan, Jiang Huan had been floating within this spell, sometimes soaring and sometimes descending. Amidst the enchanting music, her heart swayed unpredictably, yet she was never alone in savoring these highs and lows—Bai Jingchuan always understood.

When the Hyper Light Rail started, Jiang Huan couldn’t help but get excited: “Just watch, I won’t be scared this time!”

…Stubborn as ever.

Jiang Huan braced herself for the weightlessness. She had once tried both a 4D roller coaster with rotating seats and a 150-meter-high free-fall tower at a dinosaur-themed park. Her conclusion? It felt like wanting to die. Such extreme zero-gravity experiences held no real meaning—they were just about enduring 100 seconds of being airborne. But as the Hyper Light Rail launched, Jiang Huan slowly opened her eyes. The sensation of traveling through a time tunnel was exhilarating, not as bad as she’d imagined. On the contrary, Bai Jingchuan buried his head, refusing to look. So, the Executor was afraid of this?

She even spotted the camera. Making a face toward Bai Jingchuan’s direction, she prepared to mock him mercilessly once the ride ended. Sure enough, in the footage, Bai Jingchuan looked like an ostrich hiding its face, while her own silly expression was perfect. This rare opportunity to tease him had to be printed out as evidence.

Just as she was about to print the photo of her ridiculous face, Jiang Huan turned her head and saw Bai Jingchuan’s dark, murderous expression. She had never seen such a sinister look on him before—his entire presence radiated killing intent. Reaching out, she touched his forehead: “Teacher Bai, your gaze is terrifying. It could kill someone.”

He hadn’t hidden it well. Bai Jingchuan quickly composed himself, smiling again: “Sorry for worrying you.”

By the afternoon, the sky became overcast, and darkness fell quickly. Fine rain misted the air, outlining their bodies with a translucent, fuzzy glow under the lights. Jiang Huan walked beside Bai Jingchuan, tentatively gripping one of his fingers: “Are you okay? You look pale…”

What lay ahead might be even more dangerous. Jiang Huan, still dressed in her skirt, shivered from the cold, feeling the joy of their date shrinking along with her earlier excitement—this dream she longed for but couldn’t fully realize. Bai Jingchuan draped his suit jacket over her shoulders: “I left something behind at the previous venue. Go ahead and play for a bit—I’ll catch up soon, alright?”

“Okay, I’ll wait for you.”

She didn’t manage to print that silly face photo within the time limit.

________________________________________

PS: This chapter was a bit long, so Xiao Zhang decided to split it into two parts. I’m curious—do you all prefer shorter, cheaper chapters posted more slowly, or longer chapters that complete the story arc? Feel free to add this story to your bookshelf and vote for recommendations! I’ll be waiting for everyone in the comments today to chat!