Chapter 18
The next day, as the first light of dawn broke, Zhou Chao was awakened by an urgent knocking on the door. “Brother, wake up! Hurry up!”
Zhou Chao checked the time. It was 6:50 in the morning. “My little ancestor, why are you waking me up so early?” he groaned, opening the door with sleepy eyes.
“Brother, you promised to take me to Disneyland today before you went to sleep. You wouldn’t go back on your word, would you?”
“Did I say that yesterday? I don’t remember.”
“You did! You definitely said it yesterday.” Guo Yan pouted with her hands on her hips, a touch of grievance in her tone.
“Alright, alright. Brother will take you. Let me freshen up and change clothes first. Go ahead with your entertainment. I’ll be ready soon,” he said, turning and entering his bedroom.
Zhou Chao glanced at the still-hidden sun outside the window, shaking his head, and headed into the bathroom. Half an hour later, Zhou Chao emerged from the room, dressed and ready. He opened the door to find Guo Yan barely awake, almost dozing off on the sofa. Startled, she sprang to her feet. “Brother, let’s go! Go, go, go!”
“Let me make a phone call first,” Zhou Chao said, pulling out his phone and dialing a number. After a few rings, the call connected.
“Sorry to disturb you so early, Miss Yang. I just wanted to ask if the property here has a channel to purchase Disneyland tickets.”
“Yes, Mr. Zhou, we do. How many tickets do you need? I’ll arrange for them to be delivered to you right away.”
“Two.”
“Alright, please wait a moment. I will arrange for someone to deliver the tickets to you.”
About ten minutes later, the doorbell rang, and Zhou Chao got up to open the door. “Hello, Mr. Zhou. These are your Disney VIP cards. Please keep them safe.” Zhou Chao accepted the two VIP cards and promptly transferred the payment with his phone.
Holding the two VIP cards, Zhou Chao shook them and said, “Let’s go. Disneyland awaits.”
“Yeah!” Guo Yan cheered, taking off from where she stood.
From Lujiazui to Disneyland, it was about 28 kilometers. Despite driving his Ferrari F12TDF, it still took Zhou Chao about 40 minutes due to the heavy traffic.
Finally, at 8:20, they arrived at Disneyland, drawing the attention of numerous onlookers as they entered Disneyland.
“Wow, such a beautiful car! I wish I could ride in it,” a starstruck tourist said, gazing at the departing Ferrari, lost in her daydream.
Zhou Chao checked the time and realized it was still early. After parking the car, he found a restaurant with a crowd and had a quick breakfast with Guo Yan.
After finishing breakfast, it was already 9:15. Zhou Chao took Guo Yan by the hand, holding the VIP cards, and they entered the express lane directly. Guo Yan was brimming with excitement and anticipation—Disney had a special charm for girls.
Inside Disneyland, there were dedicated tour guides. Zhou Chao and Guo Yan boarded a sightseeing car, heading towards the amusement areas.
“Welcome to Disneyland, everyone. The park has seven major themed lands: Mickey Avenue, Gardens of Imagination, Fantasyland, Adventure Isle, Treasure Cove, Tomorrowland, and Toy Story Land.”
“Next, we will go to the first themed land, Mickey Avenue. Please keep your personal belongings secure, and I hope you all have a great time.”
Upon reaching Mickey Avenue, Zhou Chao and Guo Yan disembarked from the car and began their journey through Disneyland.
There were so many themed areas in Disneyland, with various rides, entertainment performances, merchandise shops, and interactive experiences. It would be impossible to experience everything in a single day. Therefore, Zhou Chao selected a few interesting themes for them to enjoy.
Their first stop was the Swing Dance and Parade on Mickey Avenue.
“Brother, look! The Swing Dance is starting. Hurry, or we won’t find a spot,” Guo Yan exclaimed, pulling Zhou Chao towards the performance area.
“Hi, friends! How’s everyone doing?” Mickey, the first cartoon character to appear, instantly captivated Guo Yan’s attention.
Then, Donald Duck walked up from the side, greeting everyone, “Hi, everyone!”
“Hey, Mickey, where are the others?” Mickey asked.
“Well, you see, they’re coming,” replied Donald Duck. Minnie, Daisy, and Goofy appeared from behind the scenes. “Brother, look! Mickey and Donald are paired up, and Goofy is the only single dog, just like you!” Guo Yan teased, giggling.
Hearing Guo Yan’s words, Zhou Chao felt a sense of embarrassment. The show wasn’t as enjoyable anymore. It seemed like they were mocking my single status.
The Swing Dance lasted only a few minutes, and soon it was over. Guo Yan continued to stare at the fading figures of Mickey and his friends until they disappeared from view.
“Xiao Yan, let’s move on. We’ll go watch the Parade.”
“Brother, the Parade doesn’t start until noon. It’s still early. Let’s go play other attractions.”
Zhou Chao took Guo Yan to experience rides such as Tron Lightcycle Power Run, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Frozen Ever After, Alice’s Curious Labyrinth, and many more. They also watched the Parade in between and waited until nighttime to witness the grand finale—the fireworks show, which dazzled the audience for over twenty minutes.
Although Guo Yan still seemed eager for more, Zhou Chao was already exhausted, slumping onto a chair. Going out with a girl is so tiring. “Let’s go back. We’ll come again another time if we get the chance.”
“Okay, let’s go back.”
Upon returning home, Guo Yan lay on the sofa, scrolling through her phone to look at the photos they took that day. Before long, her phone started chiming with notifications. It was probably her sharing the photos on social media.
Zhou Chao glanced at Guo Yan and said, “Aren’t you tired after today? We’ve been out all day, and even I’m feeling exhausted.”
“I’m not tired at all. I feel like I could keep playing,” she replied.
Zhou Chao sighed at her response and went to take a shower.
Just as Zhou Chao emerged from the bathroom, his phone rang. It was a call from his Third Aunt.
“Hello, Third Aunt. Aren’t you supposed to be resting?”
“Just about to go to bed when I saw the photos Xiao Yan posted on social media. Be more frugal with your spending, young man. Save some money for yourself.”
“Don’t worry, Third Aunt. Xiao Yan is very happy today,” Zhou Chao said, holding his phone in his left hand while drying his hair with a towel in his right.
“Alright, get some rest. You’ve had a tiring day. If you run short of money, call me.”
“I will, Third Aunt. You and Uncle also get some rest.” Sitting on the edge of the bed, he looked out the window. Maybe someday he could bring his Third Aunt and Uncle to Shanghai. After all, they were his closest relatives.