Chapter 9
At four o'clock in the afternoon, Yun Chuman led Yun Juan and Yun Shu and appeared at the city's largest amusement park.
It was a weekday, so there weren't many tourists, but it was still very lively. Screams and laughter were deafening. Even the most composed person would unconsciously become excited and thrilled.
It was the first time for both of them and they looked like country bumpkins visiting a grand garden, standing there dumbfounded for almost five minutes at the entrance.
The dazzling array of rides dazzled Yun Chuman. She wanted to try them all!
Yun Juan and Yun Shu felt the same way. Their mommy hadn't lied to them—this place truly was a place to have fun!
Yun Chuman looked longingly at the most eye-catching drop tower in the park, her heart pounding with anticipation. She'd wanted to try such thrilling rides in her past life, and now that she was healthy, why not ride it a hundred times over?
However, just as she lifted her foot, she caught sight of the two children beside her and abruptly turned around and said, "Little Juan, little Shu, let's go ride the carousel!"
The pink and delicate ride, coupled with the fairytale-like music, immediately captured the two children's attention.
Yun Shu nodded vigorously. Even without seeing her face, one could imagine how bright her eyes were.
Yun Juan awkwardly fidgeted with his fingers: "I don't like riding these, but I can go with you."
Though he said that, his eyes were fixed on the carousel. His face clearly said: He wanted to ride.
Yun Chuman suppressed a laugh, not calling it out: "Yes, yes, our little Juan is a real man, he can bend and stretch."
If Yun Juan had read more books, he would have realized there was a hint of teasing in her words. Unfortunately, he didn't even have a kindergarten diploma. Upon hearing this, he even proudly put his hands on his hips and puffed out his little belly.
Yun Shu couldn't wait any longer and pulled Mommy and Elder Brother forward.
Yun Chuman reluctantly took one last look at the roller coaster before following.
The accompanying "Every Family Has Its Own Affairs" cameraman deliberately gave a close-up of her expression, causing the live stream chat to erupt in laughter.
—Hahaha, it's like seeing myself taking my little niece to the amusement park before the New Year.
—Yun Chuman is now utterly despondent, hahaha.
The viewers all thought Yun Chuman was destined to have a bad time, but they soon realized they were completely wrong.
Yun Chuman initially thought the carousel was boring because of its slow pace, but after just one minute, she was hooked! It couldn’t be any more dreamier!
So, tirelessly, she dragged Yun Juan and Yun Shu to ride it again and again.
The two children were very excited the first time, a little calmer the second time, and started to get bored the third time, the fourth, the fifth... until Yun Chuman was about to drag them on for the sixth time, Yun Juan and Yun Shu simultaneously gagged.
Yun Chuman: ...
She reluctantly waved goodbye to the carousel and led the two children straight to the next attraction—a roller coaster for children under five, much lower than the adult version, and the ramps weren't as steep.
Yun Juan and Yun Shu's nerves were stimulated again. When the roller coaster plunged from about two meters, they couldn't help but scream.
Yun Chuman was also incredibly excited. With her long legs curled up in the small seat and hands raised, she laughed and yelled.
At the end of the ride, both the adult and the two children were still eager for more.
"Little Juan, little Shu, let's ride it again!" Yun Chuman excitedly suggested.
Yun Juan and Yun Shu exchanged a glance before hesitantly nodding.
For some reason, they had a bad feeling.
And indeed, they were right. Like riding the carousel, Yun Chuman dragged them on the children's roller coaster eight times. From the third ride onwards, the two kids became used to it, even expressionless, while only Yun Chuman enjoyed the small thrill.
The live stream chat was stunned, but quickly filled with laughter. The viewership continued to rise.
—Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter! I didn't expect Yun Chuman to be the one having the most fun!
—The contrast between the two kids' expressions and Yun Chuman's is hilarious!
—Rushing over from next door, I finally know how to deal with my nephew who ruined my date!
It was almost six o'clock when Yun Chuman finally remembered she came with a mission.
"Little Juan, little Shu, let's play that next!”
After finishing the third bumper car ride, she pointed to the Ferris wheel track in the distance.
Yun Juan and Yun Shu looked in that direction and their mouths formed an "o" shape.
Yun Juan's long eyelashes trembled. He was clearly a little scared. He grabbed Yun Shu's hand and said with a tense little face, “Little Shu, don't be afraid, I'll protect you.”
Yun Shu turned her head. Her hair, damp with sweat and sticking to her face, actually gave her a sense of security.
She smiled innocently, “I'm not afraid! It looks like so much fun!”
Yun Juan's eyes widened in disbelief.
Yun Chuman smiled, "Little Shu is so brave."
Then she deliberately added, "Are you scared, little Juan?"
Yun Juan's expression stiffened. He guiltily turned her head away, stammering, "I...I'm a man, I'm not afraid!"
Yun Chuman suppressed a laugh. Her hands held one of their hands and declared, "Don't worry, Mommy will be with you. Don't be afraid."
Yun Shu nodded vigorously, even rubbing her cheek against her mommy's hand.
Yun Juan secretly glanced at her. His small body gradually relaxed and a smile appeared on his face.
The Ferris wheel had a limited capacity. The large group of production crew couldn't all go on.
Yun Chuman wanted a camera to film herself, but the production crew disagreed.
"Can't the cameraman come along? If you film yourself, you might not find the right angle."
The accompanying director said tactfully, but actually meant that Yun Chuman's technique was poor, wasting the beauty, and the photos would be ugly.
Yun Chuman thought for a moment, "Okay, then I'll trouble you, cameraman."
The cameraman immediately smiled and waved.
So the family of three, along with the cameraman, boarded the Ferris wheel around 6:20.
The enormous machine slowly started moving.
Sitting nervously in their chairs, Yun Juan and Yun Shu tightly held each other's hands and didn’t dare to move.
Yun Chuman was much more relaxed. She rested her forehead against the window, watching the scenery below shrink smaller and smaller, and excitedly exclaimed, "Little Juan, little Shu, look! The carousel has turned into little ants!"
The two children finally couldn't resist the temptation, slowly knelt down in their chairs, and tentatively looked down from the window. The dizzying height made them turn pale.
Yun Chuman then sat down between them and smiled, "Did you see that?"
Yun Juan and Yun Shu looked at her hand on their shoulder and suddenly felt a sense of security. Their hearts, which had been pounding, calmed down, and they were filled with courage.
Both of them hummed in agreement, carefully observing the scene below.
Yun Juan exclaimed, "So this is what an amusement park looks like!"
Yun Shu poked at the window with her chubby little hand: "Mommy, are those the bumper cars we just rode?"
"Yes."
Yun Chuman quickly glanced at the sky outside the window, casually wiped Yun Shu's sweat, and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Look how hot you are! You're sweating more than elder brother. Let me tie your hair up, okay?"
She then took out a strawberry-shaped hair tie she had prepared beforehand and waved it in front of Yun Shu's eyes.
The enclosed space of the Ferris wheel instantly fell silent.
Yun Juan turned her head sharply, staring at Yun Chuman in surprise.
Once again, Yun Shu lowered her head with ill ease. Her little hands unconsciously clenched at the windowpane.
She didn't want to show her face, but her mommy's fingertips felt so warm. She couldn't bear to let her mommy leave…
She hesitated for a long time before finally slowly nodding.
Yun Chuman breathed a huge sigh of relief. The first step was a success!
She skillfully styled the little girl's hair into a bun, revealing her chubby cheeks, full forehead, and the red mark on her cheek.
Yun Shu glanced at the camera opposite her out of the corner of her eye and slowly turned her body towards the corner, leaving only her round back visible.
The cameraman hesitated, somewhat embarrassed. He had been instructed by the director not to deliberately film Yun Shu's face, but his years of professional experience told him that there would definitely be a good shot later.
He hesitated for two seconds, then gritted his teeth and decided to take a gamble, not moving the camera away from Yun Shu.
Yun Juan frowned at this.
The two children, one "faced the wall in repentance," the other stared intently at his younger sister.
Yun Chuman looked at them with heartache and said softly, "Little Juan, little Shu, the Ferris wheel is at its highest point. Don't you want to look out the window?"
Yun Juan and Yun Shu hesitated for a moment, but ultimately couldn't resist their curiosity.
The two children leaned toward the window and their eyes widened instantly.
The sun was hidden behind the clouds, its rays painted the sky and clouds red, and in between were streaks of gold and pink.
Yun Juan and Yun Shu were seeing the sunset so closely for the first time and couldn't help but exclaim, "So pretty!"
Yun Chuman smiled. In her past life, she often gazed at the sky in a daze, and over time she discovered that when the daytime air was heavy with moisture and as long as the weather was clear before sunset, there was a high probability of a beautiful sunset.
That was why she checked the weather forecast when she saw heavy fog in the morning, wanting to determine the sunset time and the weather before and after.
As for the location, she had originally chosen the senior citizens' park, because the clarity of the sunset was also related to the thickness of the clouds. Medium-height clouds were perfect and she could use a map to find the most suitable viewing spot. However, to appease Yun Juan, they temporarily changed the venue to a slightly less impressive amusement park, and fortunately, the final result was quite good.
"Is it very pretty?"
Yun Chuman asked with a smile.
Yun Juan and Yun Shu's gazes never left the window, and they nodded vigorously upon hearing this.
"Then why doesn't our little Shu like to show her face?" Yun Chuman asked softly, lifting the little girl onto her lap.
Yun Shu was slightly taken aback, not expecting the topic to change so quickly. She stiffened and after a long while, stammered, "Because...because...it's ugly."
She touched the red mark on her nose.
"The person who said it is ugly has already been beaten up by me," Yun Juan said angrily, crossing his short arms over his chest.
Seeing his pouty face, Yun Chuman couldn't help but pinch his cheek. "Little Juan is a good elder brother who protects younger sister, but hitting is the worst way to resolve things, especially hitting someone with some defect."
Yun Juan was taken aback and then opened his mouth to argue, "But Da Pang is very healthy! He can eat three bowls of rice in one meal!"
Yun Chuman almost laughed at his serious expression. She coughed lightly and explained, "I didn't mean he has a physical defect, but rather a defect in his aesthetic sense."
Both children tilted their heads in confusion.
Yun Chuman didn't explain further, but instead asked, "Little Shu, do you know why you have little red marks on your face?"
Yun Shu covered her cheeks tightly with her two chubby hands and slowly shook her head.
"Then, little Shu, do you know why the clouds outside have turned red?"
Yun Shu glanced at her furtively and shook her head again.
Yun Chuman turned to Yun Juan: "Little Juan, do you know?"
The little boy pursed his lips, thought for a moment, and replied, "No."
Yun Chuman smiled: "Because Grandpa Sun likes them."
"Not all clouds can be tinged with red sunlight. Only those particularly cute clouds that Grandpa Sun likes have the chance to turn red."
Yun Juan and Yun Shu looked out the window in surprise. The clouds outside did indeed seem cuter than usual.
“And our little Shu, in her past life, was the sun's favorite little cloud.”
Yun Chuman hugged Yun Shu and shook. “The little red mark is the mark Grandpa Sun left when you came to be mommy’s little child due to reluctance to part— he felt the most beautiful mark it could find is a little red cloud.”
She gently removed Yun Shu's hand and traced the shape of the red mark on her face with her fingertips. “This isn't just proof that Grandpa Sun loves you, but also proof that you're cute and beautiful.”
Yun Shu's eyes flickered, sparkling as she looked at her incredulously: “I'm the sun's favorite little cloud?”
“Of course!” Yun Chuman smiled. “The most favorite little cloud.”
Though Yun Shu giggled, her nose stung. She felt like crying.
She didn't understand why she felt this way. She just suddenly felt light and airy, so relaxed and comfortable.
"Does little Shu still think the little red mark on your face is ugly?"
Yun Chuman was nervous, but she tried to appear calm. "If little Shu thinks it's ugly, I can ask Grandpa Sun to help you erase it, but I don't know if it will be sad then."
Finished speaking, she sighed to feign difficulty.
Upon hearing this, Yun Shu immediately covered her nose and cheeks, shaking her head frantically like a little rattle-drum: "No, no, no, I like the little red mark!"
Yun Juan, who had been listening intently, suddenly realized why Mommy had said that Da Pang had a flawed aesthetic sense. Little Shu's red mark was clearly beautiful, yet he thought it was ugly!
Yun Chuman breathed a huge sigh of relief. She had succeeded!
Actually, children were easily influenced. To change Yun Shu's view of the red mark, all she needed was an opportunity to encourage her and help her develop a positive perception. However, this was only the beginning. She would need to gradually build her confidence.
Yun Chuman hugged the little girl and smiled, "Little Shu, you can't hide the little red mark anymore. Grandpa Sun needs to know you like the little red mark too, then it will be happy."
"En~"
Yun Shu nodded vigorously. She pulled Yun Juan's hand and asked anxiously, "Mommy, Mommy, then...where's elder brother’s?"
Yun Juan looked up expectantly and nervously, his brows furrowing unconsciously.
Yun Chuman rubbed his furrowed brow with her fingers: "Little Juan...of course, you're the little cloud that Elder Sister Wind likes."
The two children asked simultaneously, puzzled: "Why?"
Yun Chuman looked out the window, pointed to a cloud wrinkled by the wind, and asked with a smile: "Don't believe me? Look, isn't that cloud exactly like Little Juan?"
Yun Shu compared them carefully and suddenly said: "It really is! Elder Brother's brows and the corners of his mouth are always furrowed together!"
Yun Juan pouted awkwardly: "I'm not."
After saying that, he secretly touched his brow, annoyed to find that it was true, but also secretly happy, because he was the little cloud that Elder Sister Wind liked.
Yun Chuman patted their heads, one in each hand: "But you are both children that Mommy likes!"
Yun Juan and Yun Shu looked up at her, paused for a second, and then hugged her together.
Yun Shu wrapped her arms around her neck, rubbing her cheek against hers like a kitten. Yun Juan wrapped his arms around her waist, his little head pressed against it, motionless.
Mommy said she liked them!"
This was even happier than Grandpa Sun and Elder Sister Wind liking them!
Yun Chuman happily enjoyed the two little bundles of joy, only letting go when the Ferris wheel returned to the ground.
The two children clearly hadn't had enough of the affection, and each took one of her hands as they walked out.
The production crew, waiting below and unaware of what had happened, were surprised to find that both children had changed significantly.
Yun Juan was happier than ever before. His eyes crinkled with mirth and his chubby cheeks puffed out even more.
Yun Shu, with her hair in a bun, didn't seem to care about the red marks on her face. Although she still subconsciously avoided others' gazes, she was already trying to walk with her head held high.
The production crew curiously looked at the only person who knew, the cameraman, and were startled—the 1.8-meter-tall, burly man's eyes were as red as a rabbit's! Now they were even more eager to know what had happened, itching to go back and watch the replay!
The viewers in the live stream were quite understanding of the cameraman, and many were even moved.
—Yun Chuman's explanation is great! Love it!
—Looking at it this way, little Shu's birthmark is indeed shaped like hearts! It can be seen as a cloud, or as two hearts!
—The red cloud mark is so cool!
—As a child with a birthmark on my face, if my family hadn't always said I was ugly, but instead told me, like Yun Chuman, that it was proof of the sun's love for me, I might not have been so insecure growing up. I envy Yun Shu. At least she doesn't hate her birthmark anymore…
—Hugs to the sister upstairs! It's not too late to know now. You are also a child loved by the sun!
Author's Note:
【Cub's Diary】
Yun Juan: Mommy likes me, Mommy likes me, Mommy likes me… But next time we go to the amusement park, I still hope Mommy won't let us play the same ride twice.
Yun Shu: Turns out my little red mark isn't ugly at all! The sun likes me, Mommy likes me, and Elder Brother definitely likes me too! I'm so happy! I'm the happiest child in the world!
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