Chapter 71 - Hairsbreadth Away

"Oh," Qing Chen sounded impressed when he was lead to the ring toss. "This is a hard one."

Feng Xuan grinned at him. "It's pretty easy if you know how to do it."

"I know how to do it alright?" he chuckled and handed money to the facilitator. He gave Feng Xuan a set of rings. "Let's toss together?"

Feng Xuan's first ring skidded all the way to the other side of the table whereas Qing Chen's stopped midway on top of the mouths of the bottles. "Warming up," she said.

Qing Chen suppressed a laugh. "Whatever you say." Qing Chen's wrist straightened on his third try and the ring fell to the neck of the bottle. He crossed his arms over his puffed chest. "How about that?"

Feng Xuan gave him a glare after her fourth failed try. She blew on her last ring and Qing Chen smirked at that. But when she threw it, by luck or some magic, it spun over the mouth of the bottle before it settled on the neck.

"I bet you got nervous on that one," Qing Chen said, taking the two soda bottles they have won.

Feng Xuan shoved him with a smile as they started to walk. "I did not know you have an arrogant side in you."

Qing Chen shrugged. "It comes from time to time."

Feng Xuan pointed on a stall. "What about Knock Down?"

"You know Knock Down is not real. The cans are glued together and some even put wood on the back for support."

Thinking about it, Feng Xuan did not know anyone who succeeded in that.

"What about that one? It is rather safe to say that it is not as rigged as the cans." Qing Chen lead her to a dart game.

"Pop all three, you get a stuffed toy. Pop two, you get a cotton candy," said the facilitator.

Qing Chen placed the bottles on the side. "I'm going to get you a cotton candy," he said c.o.c.kily. That was probably the second easiest game for Qing Chen—what with his training and aim—it was an easy win. It was handed to him immediately after the second dart and he missed the last one purposefully.

"You got lucky," Feng Xuan remarked. "I never quite get this game though," she said.

Qing Chen watched her, her form and the way her wrists would flick the dart to the balloons. There was no indication that she really knew how to play the game or even how to puncture a target from a distance. Feng Xuan's pins kept falling to the floor until the last one struck the wall but it missed the target.

"You royally lost at that," Qing Chen grinned and pinched some cotton candy.

She flicked her hair to the side. "Not my game."

"You have to put your weight in it," he said like he was letting her in on a secret. "The darts are rigged, they are less pointy and they are lighter than the normal ones. So you have to put your weight in it so it goes straight where you need it to be."

Feng Xuan clutched on Qing Chen's arm. "Should we have a do-over?"

Qing Chen laughed. "You still have a chance on winning the next game. What would it be?"

"We can't really leave here without playing the shooting game," Feng Xuan said. "Come on."

It took them some time to find the stall with the game which was on the other side and by the time they got there, they had to wait for their turn.

"How about we use the same gun this time?" she asked as she watched how the other people do the game. "That way no one's getting the upper hand."

Qing Chen grinned at this over the huge pink cotton candy. "Competitive, I like it."

A brush of something ticklish spread over her skin. But she refused to let it take her off her game. This was probably her favourite among all the games she encountered in the carnival. She remembered the last time she was in one. When she was younger and she could barely hold the gun and see the targets. She spent all her money on it until she finally got the biggest toy by knowing all the possible tricks in it.

Qing Chen offered to go first, to do a little demonstration for Feng Xuan but then she got in his way and held the gun first, pressing the hilt against her shoulder and lining it with her face.

"Are you scared, Qing Chen?" she asked, looking at her targets.

"Not in the slightest bit," he answered, popping another bunch of cotton candy in his mouth.

"Well, you should be."

The facilitator said that if you manage to hit the small bell dangling from the second shelf, you will automatically get the biggest price. But the bell looked like it was less than an inch tall and wide. Even for Qing Chen, it would raise quite a challenge. He even considered just flipping four of the targets with his five bullets.

But Feng Xuan seemed to have other plans in her mind. Her shots missed and bounced against the wood—not even close to the duck-shaped targets. She wanted to make the bell ring.

"You're doing great," Qing Chen teased amusingly on her side. He might get that kiss after all.

"Huh," Feng Xuan scoffed. "I was just teasing you earlier."

Qing Chen saw how Feng Xuan's tongue hungrily licked her lips before she squeezed on the trigger. Then there it was… the chime of the bell as soft as the angel's singing. Qing Chen swallowed sugar and felt it lodged in his throat. He took a sip of the soda as Feng Xuan happily bounded to him with a huge penguin in her arms.

"We're 2-2 now." Her smile took over half her face.

"Hold my cola," he said and cracked his fingers. He got into position but immediately felt that there was something off. He knew the gun was rigged. They used softer BB balls or the air pressure would not be enough.

But it was possible to hit that bell. He looked through the scope and shot. Missed. The next one also missed. He wanted to curse in his head that he now missed the chance to get the biggest toy. He retreated and shot the ducks instead, to which he won a small stuffed elephant.

"Ha!" Feng Xuan boasted and pressed her huge penguin on Qing Chen's chest. "I wiiiiiiiinnn," she sang. "You looosst."

Qing Chen was not even mad about it. He laughed at her ridiculous singing. "Yeah, yeah," he said. "Something was off with that gun."

"It's only because you don't know the trick in that one," she said, taking a huge bite on the cotton candy. "The scope's lines were false. That was why I used the first shots to know where I was really hitting."

Qing Chen's eyebrow twitched. So she knew—somehow—how to use a gun without a scope. Interesting, he thought. "Right," he answered. "I haven't encountered a gun like that." He looked around and on the almost set sun. "We got some more time. What do you want to do?"

She pointed. "Oh look! There's no line. Let's go."

The small ferris wheel was just unloading its passengers and they immediately got in one car.

"It's dirty over there," Qing Chen said. "Come sit here."

Clearly, the seat was made to only occupy one person. But the other seat was rustic and looked wet and sticky with soda. She was just about to complain but the operator already closed the door and they moved a few feet up in the air.

She was squished beside Qing Chen, half of her bottom out of the seat.

"I'll go to the other side," Qing Chen said and started to move but she clutched on his arm.

"You'll ruin your clothes. It's fine. Stay here."

They hardly fit. Qing Chen put his arm around her and made space as he pressed himself on the wall of the enclosed car. Feng Xuan clutched on her penguin and nibbled lightly on what was left of the cotton candy.

"What is it you want to show me?" she asked, her voice quiet as she was pressed against Qing Chen.

"It's something you'll only see at night. At the house, at least." Qing Chen's attention was caught as they rose higher above ground. "Look."

Feng Xuan turned to the window and saw the slow descent of the sun over the horizon and the sky grew dark in shades of purple and blue, swallowing the lights of yellow.

Qing Chen had seen many sunsets and kept his eyes on Feng Xuan's face instead. He watched as the change of the sky's colors illuminated her face and it made him wonder if this was all just a dream.

"How's this for a first date?" Qing Chen's voice was low. In their suddenly changed environment—from somewhere with so many people and air to an enclosed space with just the two of them, and with zero distance.

Feng Xuan tried to keep her voice normal, ignoring that her heart leapt at her throat. She was growing more aware of Qing Chen's heat on the side of her body. She certainly felt his eyes on her earlier. Her body begged her to do something so she crumpled the paper cone in her hand. "It was great. I had fun."

Qing Chen reached and held on her chin, tilting her face. She almost gasped when she saw that his eyes were startlingly blue—electric blue, and they were filled with soft desire that she felt throughout her body. "Did you have fun?" The wind swept hair off his forehead and if Feng Xuan's hands were not preoccupied, she would have reached to pat them down and marvel at their softness.

"Y-yes," she squeaked.

His stare got deeper and he looked like he was about to say something else but his eyes darted away from hers. "You have sugar on you."

Feng Xuan sucked in a breath as his thumb glided on the corner of her lip. She felt the movement like it was his lips that brushed against hers. "Qing Chen," she whispered.

He closed the distance between them and Feng Xuan's eyes fluttered closed. She could feel his breath right in front of her and their noses touched as he softly cradled her face in his hand. They were a hairsbreadth away—

Then the car shuddered to a stop and they sprang apart from each other. Feng Xuan buried her face on the plush animal as she heard the facilitator told them that the ride was over. She was burning the whole way out.

Her legs turned jelly and her knees felt like they were going to give out with every step she took.

"Wait up!" he called as they neared the gate of the fair. Qing Chen was able to catch up to her when they were already beside the car. He stood in front of her when he tossed the stuffed toys on the seat. "I'm sorry. Were you surprised?"

Feng Xuan kept her head down. Her feet looked dusted and she suddenly felt itchy everywhere. "Were you sorry that you were going to kiss me?"

"No," his voice deep. "I am only sorry it took you by surprise. Are you okay?"

Feng Xuan nodded.

Qing Chen pulled her in a loose hug. Only when she felt his heart's steady beat that she realized hers was still not calm. She felt Qing Chen's mouth on top of her hair as he soothed her back. "I was going to do it. I was going to kiss you right then and there. But… it was a dirty place not worthy of your first kiss. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. We'll get more opportunities for that," she said, not sure if what she was saying was true. She pulled away from him. "Let's go back to the house. I'm excited to see what is this thing you wanted to show me."

Qing Chen eyed her for a short moment before opening her car door. Soon, they were on their way back.

She did not even know why she was in so much of a shock. That moment when Qing Chen's face got close to her, her mind went blank and there was this feeling inside of her that wanted to pull him towards her that moment. Thinking about it, she was not surprised; she was annoyed that it did not happen. She was embarrassed that she was left hanging!