Chapter 17: Don't You Think They Make a Perfect Pair?

A sign next to the ring toss stall read: “Two rings for five yuan, five rings for ten yuan with one extra free.”

Having learned multiplication and division, Wei Lai quickly calculated that each ring cost around two yuan.

In other words, he needed to at least win items worth two yuan per attempt just to break even.

However, winning only two-yuan items wouldn’t be enough to beat Qing Ting.

On the other hand, objects priced above five yuan were placed far away, significantly reducing his chances of success.

This was a classic adult ploy, enticing players to take on low-probability challenges by offering prizes valued higher than their stakes.

Fortunately, Wei Lai didn’t have three attempts but six.

Before he could choose his target, Qing Ting leaned close to his ear and gently blew.

“What are you doing?” Wei Lai flinched, stepping half a step back.

“Shall I go first?” Qing Ting smiled, waving her ring toss circles.

Right, if she goes first, I just need to aim for something better than what she gets.

Wei Lai’s eyes brightened, taking another small step backward.

“Sure, you can start first.”

Qing Ting positioned herself to toss, then unexpectedly turned, gazing intently at Wei Lai.

“Just now, I mentioned that whatever I win, I’ll give it to you.”

Bystanders were still watching nearby, their gazes fixed on Wei Lai; it made him feel quite embarrassed. As a boy, accepting gifts from a girl seemed rather humiliating.

“That’s what we agreed initially, but if I lose, then you can have my prize instead.”

“Sure, go ahead and pick something. If you win, it’s yours anyway.” 

Qing Ting gently pulled Wei Lai closer, pointing at the items on the stall.

How cunning! This gives her an excuse even if she loses, but will she actually aim for the item I choose? Is this another prank?

The middle-aged vendor grew impatient. “Please hurry up; considering you’re kids, I’ll let one of the first-row items be free as a gesture.” 

Although he found them adorable, any disruptions affecting his business were unwelcome.

Feeling more awkward under the vendor’s urging, Wei Lai thought:

She won’t choose what I select anyway, so I might as well point randomly.

He scanned the items briefly, pointed to a pendant on the second row, and stepped aside.

“This one is fine.”

“Alright, perfect.”

Without hesitation, Qing Ting tossed the hoop towards the chosen pendant.

As the vendor handed the pendant to Wei Lai, disbelief filled his eyes; Qing Ting had actually followed through with what he suggested.

“What’s wrong? Do you not like it? Would you like to choose another?”

“No, no need for that. You can pick something else.”

Qing Ting blinked, looking at him puzzled. Wei Lai hastily waved his hand, feeling an indescribable emotion as he gazed at the pendant in his hand.

Could she genuinely just want to give me something?

Following Wei Lai’s words, Qing Ting set her sights on the life-sized Pikachu plushie farthest away. Holding two hoops, she took a deep breath and forcefully tossed them simultaneously.

Wei Lai’s attention was solely on Qing Ting. She threw with such vigor that she nearly lost balance, one foot lifting behind her, briefly revealed beneath her light blue skirt as her body swayed precariously, teetering on the verge of falling.

Suddenly, gasps from the crowd behind them alerted him to something amiss. He quickly turned to look in the direction where Qing Ting had thrown the hoops.

One hoop struck the plushie, causing it to sway slightly, while the second hoop neatly looped around its ear.

The vendor’s expression instantly changed, and he hurriedly reached into his bag for a new plushie prize.

Wei Lai’s expression also shifted; stiffly, he turned to look at Qing Ting, who had regained her footing.

“Have you played this game often before?”

“No, it’s my first time. Since I already won one plushie, I just tossed the remaining rings randomly.” 

Qing Ting lowered her head to adjust her blouse. Then, upon raising it again, surprise flickered in her eyes as she glanced at the captured toy.

“Alright.”

Feeling somewhat dejected, Wei Lai wondered why he couldn’t use his ability to glimpse Qing Ting’s future earlier. If he had known, he would have let her waste another ring.

No, I can’t give up yet. Just need to catch two more similar plushies, Wei Lai thought determinedly.

Qing Ting subtly stepped closer to Wei Lai and pointed at three distant plush toys. “You still have three chances. You might even get all three! There’s hope, good luck!”

“I know, no need for your advice,” Wei Lai replied, focusing intently on the distant plushies as images flashed through his mind.

Three plushies, each targeted once – none hit.

How about concentrating on one first? As long as we hit that, there’s still a chance to catch up, Wei Lai strategized internally.

He continuously adjusted his position, selecting a rabbit plushie with upright ears as his target.

The first ring missed entirely, while the second flew past the rabbit’s ear.

Just as it seemed the last hoop would catch onto the rabbit’s ear, the ear drooped, causing the ring to slip off.

“How disappointing! It clearly hooked on,” Wei Lai lamented, grabbing his head in frustration after three consecutive failures.

“Maybe your luck was transferred to me,” Qing Ting apologized with a sheepish grin.

Those around them nodded, finding this explanation most plausible.

“Nonsense, you just got lucky yourself,” Wei Lai grumbled, turning away sullenly. He refused to make excuses for his failure.

Meanwhile, the stall owner breathed a sigh of relief; having already given away one half-human-sized plushie, giving out two more would have been heart-wrenchingly costly.

“All right, little girl, take your prize and go play somewhere else now.” The stall owner eagerly wanted Qing Ting to leave quickly.

Qing Ting glanced at the pendant still in Wei Lai’s hand, her eyes flickering. She rushed back to the stall owner.

“Uncle, I don’t want this plushie. Can we pick something else from your stall instead?”

“What do you want?”

“Give me that one instead,” Qing Ting pointed to another pendant next to the previous one.

“If you’re sure, there’s no issue giving it to you.” Hesitating briefly, the stall owner retrieved his hook and brought over the second pendant.

As he handed the pendant to Qing Ting, he also pulled out two discount coupons from his pocket.

“I can’t refund your money, but these two coupons will give you a ten yuan discount each at the goldfish scooping booth over there.”

“Great, thank you, Uncle.”

With the discount coupons and pendant in hand, Qing Ting excitedly returned to Wei Lai, took his hand, and headed towards the direction indicated by the stall owner.

“Don’t look so glum; negativity drives away luck.”

“I’m not that easily defeated.” Wei Lai lifted his head, gazing into Qing Ting’s sparkling eyes, and opened his palm revealing the pendant. “But since I lost, this pendant is yours too.”

“As I mentioned earlier, if I win, whatever I catch belongs to me.”

“But…”

“I already have what I wanted.” Qing Ting held up the pendant she obtained from the stall, letting it shine under the fading daylight. At the end of its chain hung a charming image of a little girl.

“Don’t you think these two pendants form a pair?” Qing Ting gently took Wei Lai’s hand with the pendant and placed it next to hers.

Under the moonlight, the figurines appeared as if holding hands, mirroring their own bond.

“Huh!”

“What do you mean ‘huh’? I said they’re like best friends.”

Seeing Wei Lai’s surprised expression, Qing Ting smiled slightly, suppressing a giggle.

“Come on, after catching goldfish, you still have your punishment.” Qing Ting held his hand and led him towards the goldfish scooping stall.

The gentle river breeze tousled the girl’s hair beside him, revealing her delicate ears intermittently amidst the strands. Wei Lai turned, letting his gaze linger momentarily on them before shifting to her profile.

“Do we need to compete at goldfish scooping? If I win…”

“No competition this time. We have just enough for one person with these two discount coupons; you play while I watch.” Qing Ting waved the coupons, her radiant smile outshining even the lights behind her.

Holding the pendant in his other hand, Wei Lai silently grumbled to himself:

(If winning means not playing, isn’t that cheating?)