The central district wasn’t too far from An Ling’s house.
The two of them walked for a while to reach the bus stop.
Once they boarded the bus, the ride would only take about ten minutes.
There weren’t many passengers on the bus. They found seats in the back row.
An Ling sat by the window, and Li Yang sat beside her.
The bus windows were open, letting the wind blow in with the city’s distinctive scent.
An Ling’s ears twitched from the breeze.
She subconsciously raised a hand to press them down, then lowered it again.
“Do you still get motion sickness now?” Li Yang asked.
“It’s much better than before,” An Ling said.
“You used to get carsick so badly. Getting on a bus was like you’d eaten something awful.”
“You talk like you handle rides so well. Who was it that ate too much, got on the bus while still snacking, and ended up throwing up a whole plastic bag from motion sickness?”
“Man, you forget everything else but remember all my embarrassing stories, huh?”
“You brought it up first.”
Li Yang glanced at her but said nothing more, turning to look out the window.
An Ling turned to look outside as well.
The bus traveled through familiar streets and unfamiliar neighborhoods.
The scenery outside kept changing—old residential buildings, newly built high-rise complexes, roadside shops, and hurried pedestrians…
As she watched, An Ling’s mind drifted. She couldn’t even remember what she had been thinking about afterward.
“We’re here,” Li Yang said suddenly.
An Ling snapped back to reality.
The bus had already stopped at the platform. The two stood up and got off.
***
The central district was even more bustling than An Ling had imagined.
Skyscrapers stood everywhere, shops were packed tightly together, and crowds flowed constantly.
Advertising boards and neon signs were everywhere.
Even though the neon lights weren’t on during the day, huge electronic screens played the latest movie trailers.
Quite a few beastkin walked along the streets, their ears and tails swaying through the crowd.
There were cat beastkin, dog beastkin, rabbit beastkin, and even one with deer antlers on its head.
Li Yang opened the navigation app on his phone.
He had been here once before, but that time he had just wandered over while playing around and hadn’t memorized the route.
“Let’s go. It’s not far.”
An Ling followed behind him, weaving through several intersections.
“It’s right up ahead,” Li Yang pointed at a large building not too far away.
“That new arcade center is called ‘Happy World.’ I heard it’s pretty big.”
An Ling followed his finger. It was a four-story building with a flashy neon-lit exterior.
A massive electronic screen stood at the entrance, playing promotional videos of various games. People streamed in and out, and the place looked lively.
The two walked over, pushed open the glass doors, and a blast of cool air hit them.
The first floor sold digital products, but from here they could see the upper levels.
The second floor was for food, the third floor was the actual arcade area—with many sections blocked off—and half of the fourth floor was also screened off, though movie posters suggested it was a cinema area.
An Ling paused for a moment.
Inside, the place was even bigger than it looked from outside.
They took the escalator up to the third floor.
The entire level was packed with every kind of game machine: dance machines, racing simulators, shooting games, claw machines, and more. Lights flashed everywhere, music blended together, and the area was full of people—young couples, groups of friends, and even parents with children.
“Pretty big, right?”
Li Yang leaned in and spoke loudly beside her.
An Ling nodded and subconsciously took a small step back.
“Wait here for a sec. I’ll go exchange some game coins.”
Li Yang pulled the coupon from his pocket and waved it. “Seventy percent off—it’ll save us a lot.”
The arcade was bigger and noisier than An Ling had imagined. She didn’t really like such chaotic environments, but since they were already here, she would just have to adapt as best she could.
Her gaze swept across the game machines and finally stopped at the claw machine area.
Dozens of claw machines were lined up there, filled with all kinds of plush toys, cartoon characters, anime merchandise, and some weird random items.
A few girls were clustered around one machine, screaming excitedly.
An Ling’s tail swished unconsciously.
Li Yang returned quickly, carrying a small basket of game coins.
“I exchanged thirty-five yuan for a hundred coins. Let’s play for a bit first—we’ll grab lunch later.” Li Yang handed her the basket.
“You hold this. What do you want to play first?”
An Ling took the basket, looked at the coins inside, then at Li Yang.
“You can hold it,” Li Yang waved his hand. “I’ll take some when I play.”
“Oh.” An Ling replied and hugged the basket to her chest.
“Want to start with racing?” Li Yang pointed at the racing simulators not far away. “Those are pretty fun. We can play together.”
An Ling nodded and followed him over.
Two seats were free at the racing machines. Li Yang sat down, and An Ling sat beside him. He inserted four coins.
The screens lit up, and they began selecting cars and tracks.
“Do you know how to play?” Li Yang asked.
“Not really,” An Ling answered honestly. “I haven’t played much.”
“It’s fine, I’ll teach you,” Li Yang said. “It’s super simple—just the gas, brake, and steering wheel. Just follow the on-screen prompts.”
An Ling nodded and gripped the steering wheel.
The game started.
At first An Ling was clumsy. Her car swerved all over the place and crashed into walls several times.
But after a few rounds she gradually got the hang of it. She still wasn’t as good as Li Yang, but at least she could drive properly now.
After two rounds, An Ling lost badly.
“Want another round?” Li Yang asked.
An Ling shook her head. “I’m done. You play. I’ll watch how you do it.”
“Alright.” Li Yang inserted more coins and played a solo round.
An Ling sat beside him, watching the cars race across the screen.
The roar of engines and game sound effects filled her ears. Her gaze kept drifting to Li Yang as he stared intently at the screen.
This guy actually looks pretty serious when he’s gaming.
An Ling thought, her tail swishing unconsciously.
The two wandered around the arcade, playing shooting games, basketball machines, drumming games, and even a surfing simulator.
Li Yang was good at everything. An Ling mostly just watched and played along, though she managed to win a round or two here and there. Whenever she did, she felt genuinely happy.
The coins in the basket ran out quickly—two coins per round added up fast.
“Hungry yet?” Li Yang asked. “Want to head to the second floor and find something to eat first?”
An Ling nodded. “A little.”
“What do you feel like?” Li Yang asked.
“Yeah, what should we eat?” An Ling echoed.
“Since we came all the way out to play, we should eat something good!” Li Yang said.
“Then let’s see if there’s an all-you-can-eat place.”
“Sounds good!”
They took the escalator back down to the second floor and walked around until they found an all-you-can-eat restaurant.
“One hundred and eighteen yuan per person for the group deal—pretty reasonable,” Li Yang nodded. The location and price were both decent.
They walked inside.
Li Yang paid for the group deal, but after An Ling insisted strongly, they ended up splitting the bill.