Stepmom laughed and said, “I think it’s quite nice, and it’s comfortable to wear. I actually bought this swimsuit together with one of your aunts back then.”
Zhao Ran waved his hand dismissively, “But it’s too conservative. Everyone’s wearing bikinis these days. Oops, my mistake, my mistake—it looks great, really.”
Before Zhao Ran could finish, Stepmom pinched his ear and gave him a reproachful look. “Do you think I’m a young girl? A bikini? At my age, if I wore a bikini, people would definitely call me an old witch.”
“How could that be!” Zhao Ran rubbed his ear. “Alright, let’s not talk about it anymore. Let’s go play over there.”
The water park was crowded. Even the simplest slides had several people waiting in line, and the area in front of the wave machine was packed with people wearing life vests or floating on inflatable rings, all waiting for the artificial waves that came every ten minutes or so.
Zhao Ran and Stepmom rented a double inflatable ring—the kind where two rings are connected, one in front and one in the back—and joined the crowd near the wave machine.
“There are so many people here,” Stepmom said, glancing around. Her delicate hands gripped the handles on the sides of the inflatable ring, and her long legs swayed restlessly underwater. The glimpses of her fair skin were enough to stir wild and restless desires in anyone who saw.
Anyone who has experienced a wave machine knows that the waves aren’t too intense for those close to it. Instead, it’s those like Zhao Ran and Stepmom, who were farther away, that felt the stronger effects. Before long, as upbeat music played around the pool, fountains began spraying water, and the wave machine started up.
Wave after wave pushed through the cheerful crowd. Some people screamed with laughter, while others, like Stepmom, wore nervous expressions and clung tightly to the handles of their inflatable rings.
“Mom, relax a little. It’s really nothing, and the inflatable ring is safe,” Zhao Ran said with a laugh, taking hold of Stepmom’s hand where it rested on the handle. Just then, an artificial wave pushed them toward a father and son nearby.
“You young people are brave. Have some pity on us older folks,” Stepmom said with a self-deprecating smile. Another wave arrived, startling her into kicking her legs wildly underwater, occasionally brushing against Zhao Ran’s legs.
The cheerful crowd jostled against one another. Some even playfully used the waves to bump into others nearby—not with any malice, but just lighthearted fun.
“Ah!” A wave crashed against the edge of the pool, splashing water onto Stepmom’s face. Thankfully, she was wearing goggles, but she still ended up looking quite flustered.
Zhao Ran laughed and tugged at Stepmom’s hand, trying to get her to let go of the handle. Stepmom frantically kicked her legs, attempting to break free from his grasp. Just then, another wave surged toward them, lifting the entire inflatable ring almost vertically. Terrified, she quickly wrapped her legs around Zhao Ran’s foot.
“Stepmom, relax. Here, hold my hand,” Zhao Ran said with a smile after the wave had passed.
“No way! I still think holding onto here is safer!” Zhou Yun shook her head repeatedly, her hands refusing to let go of the handle. Her legs released Zhao Ran’s foot, bringing his brief moment of taking advantage to an end.
Then another wave hit. Zhou Yun’s shoulders tensed as a woman in a nearby inflatable ring bumped into them, jostling Zhou Yun’s hand off the handle. Panicked, she flailed her arms, desperately trying to regain her grip. But Zhao Ran was quicker—he seized her hand in his.