Chapter 367

As Emily stepped inside, it was like walking into a fairy tale.

A fairy tale world filled with sycamore trees.

Emily always had a soft spot for sycamore trees, so finding herself in such a place was beyond belief.

James chimed in, "This island was my first big project, my design. What do you think?"

Emily was taken aback, "You designed all this?"

"I pitched some ideas, got John to find a designer, and never thought it would turn out this way."

Excited, Emily hopped out of the car.

The place was lit up beautifully.

Emily's eyes darted around, eager to take in everything.

She eventually paused under a sycamore tree.

It was a wishing sycamore tree.

Numerous glass bottles in the shape of stars dangled from its branches.

Each bottle held fairy lights and a colorful card.

Curious, Emily asked, "What's this all about?"

James strolled over to explain, "It's a wishing tree. After the grand opening, VIP guests can write a wish on a card, place it in a bottle, and hang it on this tree."

James grabbed a star-shaped bottle.

"Let's kick off the wishes with yours."

He pulled out a pen from his pocket, ready.

Emily grinned and took the pen from him.

She retrieved a colorful card from the star-shaped bottle.

Turning away, Emily jotted down a few words swiftly before slipping it back in.

The star-shaped bottle found its place again.

James was curious, "What did you wish for? Can I see?"

Emily tilted her head, "Nope, can't show you. You said it's for wishes, and peeking might jinx it."

James shrugged it off.

He proceeded to give Emily a tour of the enchanting place.

They eventually arrived at their sycamore park.

It was a quaint amusement park for kids.

The attractions inside were all fruit-themed.

There was a cucumber-shaped roller coaster, a pumpkin carriage carousel, and a nut-shaped bumper car.

Seated by a pumpkin carriage, Emily asked, "You came up with this too?"

James boasted, "I dabbled in architectural design in college, just some fun ideas."

Seeing his proud expression, Emily treated him like a kid seeking approval.

She playfully patted James's cheek, "You're something else."

James beamed, "Hop on, let's take a spin."

They both boarded the pumpkin carriage on the carousel.

James made a call to start the ride.

The carriage began to move swiftly.

Unlike typical carousels.

The carriage swirled around unpredictably.

Speeding up and slowing down, at times it seemed like they'd crash into the eggplant carriage, while other times chili cups surrounded them.

The fast spinning made it feel like they might be thrown out, despite wearing their seatbelts.

Instinctively, Emily clung to James's waist.

She found the thrill exhilarating. Each near-miss made her heart race.

But after dodging the obstacles, she felt a rush of relief.

Emily couldn't contain her laughter.

She held onto James tightly, at times burying her face in his chest, at others laughing freely.

As the ride came to a halt, Emily's ponytail had come undone.

She chuckled, "I thought it was just a carousel, not a nail-biter."

James chuckled, "Let's call it a nail-biter then."

Emily exclaimed, "That was a blast! I'm up for the roller coaster next."

After trying out every attraction, Emily discovered that each seemingly innocent fairy tale ride was quite thrilling.

Emerging from a minecart tunnel, Emily collapsed on the floor, trying to catch her breath.

Lying down beside her, James asked, "Did you have fun?"

"Loads of fun, James. You're a genius. I bet no kid would leave here without a scare," Emily replied between gasps.

James chuckled, "Facing fears makes us braver. And when kids experience these scares, at least their parents are there with them."

As Emily gazed at James, she noticed a hint of emptiness in his eyes.

Suddenly, it dawned on her.

Perhaps this amusement park was James's true childhood.

In a world of fairy tales, danger and fear always loomed.

While to others it was just a thrilling game, for James, it mirrored his entire upbringing.

His past was shadowed by darkness, persecution, and constant fear, leaving a profound impact on him.

Yet today, James was willing to cloak it all in a whimsical fairy tale.

Crafting a place that was both unique and enigmatic.

Moved by this realization, Emily leaned over, propping herself up on her arm above James.

"This island with its sycamores, merging with your past, feels like our souls entwined, James. I adore this place," she expressed.

James was taken aback.

His design concept precisely aimed for that.

But he hadn't anticipated Emily seeing through it so quickly.

James aimed to create a space that encapsulated their shared history.

Imperfect, marked by fear and anxiety, yet in a fairy tale realm, brimming with bravery and resilience.

This was their intertwined past, something he couldn't fully engage in but always felt connected to.

Lost in his thoughts, James was surprised by Emily's tender kiss on his cheek, a moment of intimate connection between them.

Meanwhile, not far off, John observed this scene from a balcony of a small house, where the general manager called out to him.

Since their arrival on the island, John had been silently observing James and Emily from the shadows.

He had secretly read the note Emily had placed in a bottle, which read, "Emily and James together forever."

At that moment, John recalled a memory from their elementary school days.

There was a bully in their class who always targeted the small and skinny John.

One day, the bully stole the meat from John's tray, and Emily intervened by pushing the bully to the ground and fiercely defending John.

They ended up in a physical altercation; both were left with bruises on their faces.

Seeing the bump on Emily's forehead, John asked uneasily, "Emily, why did you stand up for me?"

"Because Emily and John are the best friends in the world, John. I'll always have your back," she replied.

John often reminisced about their childhood moments, when they vowed to stick together forever.

But now, he found it ironic.

Even more so, the bully turned out to be Ella, the same person who had previously tormented him.

The day Emily and Ella crossed paths through that fight, they eventually formed a strong friendship.

John felt a deep sense of discomfort, realizing that despite being Emily's closest childhood friend for twenty years, they had become strangers in familiarity.

Every day, John reminded himself.

He should wish for Emily's happiness, he should learn to let go.

Yet, his love for Emily lingered, making it hard to release her. He thought, 'Emily, can I have you back again?'