They were very small, about one-third the size of a palm, attached to keychains, and very convenient to carry.
Then she heard Chi Yao say: “This one.”
Lin Zhexia now had a special feeling about “rabbits.” She easily recalled the bedtime story from that night and Chi Yao’s habitual “coward” comment.
With a strange emotion, she deliberately tried to avoid this rabbit, asking: “Why? I think that little bear above also looks nice.”
“Because I’m paying.”
“…”
Alright.
Reason enough.
Lin Zhexia crouched down with the basket full of tokens: “Your money, your call.”
She took out two coins from the basket and inserted them, and after the machine lit up, she suddenly called out: “Chi Yao.”
Chi Yao also crouched down, but even crouching, he was still much taller than her.
Chi Yao: “?”
Lin Zhexia operated the joystick: “My claw machine talent can’t be hidden; let me show you what a real claw machine master looks like.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the claw grabbed at nothing.
Chi Yao praised her with a blank expression: “So this is your unhideable talent.”
Lin Zhexia: “I’m out of practice, my skills are rusty, the next one will definitely work, just watch carefully.”
After saying this, the claw in the cabinet closed under her operation, briefly contacted the rabbit keychain for a second, then missed again.
Chi Yao turned his head to look at her: “Impressive, this is the first time I’ve seen such an impressive claw machine master.”
Lin Zhexia felt a bit defeated: “…Don’t speak in that sarcastic tone.”
She tried many times.
Finally, there were only two lonely tokens left in the red basket.
This time, she hesitated: “What should I do? I feel like I probably won’t be able to get it.”
Lucky Claw Machine.
Not getting anything seemed to suggest that tomorrow would be very unlucky.
Just as she was hesitating, a hand reached out from the side, that hand put the two coins in, and the colorful light strip surrounding the machine immediately lit up, then that hand reached around from the side and gripped the joystick together with hers.
The space for gripping the joystick was limited.
So inevitably, parts of their hands touched.
“You’ll get it,” said the owner of the hand.
Lin Zhexia gave him a doubtful look: “There’s only one chance left. Where’s your confidence coming from?”
Chi Yao’s calm voice came from beside her ear: “Because I’m also a master.”
She was about to mock him when she glanced sideways, her peripheral vision falling on the faint silver light of the young man’s earring, and then she felt the joystick in her hand move.
The claw in the cabinet hung in mid-air, slowly moving toward the dispensing slot.
Chi Yao had chosen a rabbit stuck near the dispensing slot. There was another rabbit in front of it that was closer to the slot. If Lin Zhexia were to choose, she might have chosen the closer rabbit.
She was about to say “you won’t be able to get it this way” when in the next second, the claw dropped straight down.
That rabbit was briefly lifted for two seconds, and as it was being lifted, the rabbit closer to the dispensing slot was disturbed, its head pointing downward, and it tumbled toward the slot.
“Click.”
That rabbit rolled down through the dispensing slot.
Rolled to Chi Yao’s hand.
He released his grip, picked up the keychain with one finger, his knuckle slightly bent, and presented the captured rabbit to Lin Zhexia.
“I’m different from a certain master.”
He dangled the rabbit keychain and said, “Taking so long to catch such a simple rabbit.”
“Coward,” as Lin Zhexia dazedly accepted it, Chi Yao said one more thing before standing up, “you probably won’t be too unlucky tomorrow.”
The small plush rabbit lay quietly in her palm.
In this moment, she had completely forgotten the nervousness she felt half an hour ago lying in bed unable to sleep.
The next day.
The weather was good, the sun shining brightly.
Lin Zhexia ate a lot for breakfast, consuming whatever dishes Wei Ping placed in her bowl.
Wei Ping: “I guessed you didn’t eat enough yesterday, so I specially prepared several breakfast options for you this morning. Eating more is the right thing to do. You’re still growing, how can you not eat?”
Seeing that she was in good spirits, Lin He also relaxed: “Don’t be nervous this afternoon, just perform normally, we don’t necessarily need to win any place.”
Lin Zhexia nodded, put down her chopsticks and said “Mom, I’m going to find Chi Yao to go to school,” but before leaving, she suddenly seemed to remember something and returned to her room.