519. Bungee Jumping
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Bungee jumping was something Lin Nan had never even considered before.
Occasionally, she’d see some bungee videos on the internet, which looked thrilling and exciting, but she had never thought about trying it herself.
The moment she stepped onto the bungee tower, her legs felt a bit wobbly.
With the help of a coach, she slipped into bungee equipment that resembled a giant diaper, instantly tightening around her, making it hard to adjust.
Then, the group had to undergo some basic training, and even during the training, her face was turning a shade paler.
“When you jump, grab this rope and sit up. Don’t hang upside down the whole time.”
“After that, we’ll lower you down; a boat will catch you below.”
“Add us on WeChat! We’ll send you photos taken by our staff afterward.”
No phones allowed for filming, so all the photography was in the hands of the staff.
Lin Nan nodded blankly, uncertain if any of it was sinking in.
Chen Yao stood beside her, worried as he noticed her anxious expression. He wondered how his usually timid and acrophobic girlfriend suddenly had such boldness today.
He glanced at Lin Nan’s legs; even though she hadn’t jumped yet, her calves were already quivering.
“Are you okay?” he asked, concern spilling out.
“I’m fine. I’ve already paid,” Lin Nan repeated, as if that would magically make her feel better.
After all, she had shelled out over a hundred bucks, and she also had to unlock magic…
She kept telling herself that it was just about jumping down with her eyes closed; it wouldn’t k*ll her, it wouldn’t k*ll her.
Just then, Lin Kexin bounced over, all smiles and excitement: “Nan Nan, I’m going first!”
“Hmm.” Lin Nan was so tense that her facial muscles appeared stuck; she couldn’t muster any expression.
This was just the simplest wind attribute magic…
Once back, she should find Li Na to teach her a self-defense spell step-by-step; if she tried to unlock it on her own, she’d probably struggle.
The basic training wrapped up.
The group was ushered to the preparation area, which was at a height of sixty meters, behind the bungee jump platform.
With glass all around, they could see the nearby mountains and lakes clearly. Since arriving here, Lin Nan had leaned half her body against Chen Yao, feeling weak, panicky, and short of breath from a surge of acrophobia.
Lin Kexin was the first to go. Just when she appeared excited, her smile started fading as she stepped onto the jump platform that jutted out.
She grasped the handrails on either side, wobbling slightly as she made her way to the edge, then paused. Her face had a rather unsightly color.
“Just a little further out.”
“But there’s no rail there…” Her voice quivered. After a little coaxing, she shuffled a bit further out, leaning back and gripping the rails tightly.
Seeing this, Lin Nan felt her heart race. Gritting her teeth, she suddenly began to regret signing up for this.
“Shall we just go down?” Lin Nan looked up, seriously at Chen Yao’s face. “Let’s forget the money.”
Chen Yao chuckled, “Why wait until now to have second thoughts?”
“It’s too high…”
Sixty meters; if a single floor is three or four meters, that’s about twenty floors up!
This was the first time she was looking down from such a height. The courage she had built up before had vanished without a trace.
“Five, four, three…”
On the jump platform, the two coaches began to countdown, and Lin Kexin let go of her tight grip on the handrails, spreading her arms wide.
When the countdown ended, she leaped forward, accompanied by a bl**d-curdling scream that echoed into the heavens.
So terrifying…
“Next! Come prepare!”
Lin Nan and Chen Yao were up next.
But Lin Nan felt like her legs had stopped working. She slowly inched her way to the coach.
The coach carefully checked their gear, and once everything was confirmed, he peered at Lin Kexin, who was now dangling in mid-air.
By that point, Lin Kexin had been gently lowered onto a small boat in the center of the lake. She shouted cheers towards Lin Nan and Chen Yao, but the distance muffled her words, and they couldn’t quite catch what she said.
“Bungee jumping and showing off your love? Why not jump separately? Stop feeding us dog food!” Big Dog grumbled from the side.
Lin Nan didn’t have the energy to care about his comments; she was too busy gasping for breath, her heart pounding like a drum.
Eventually, they were strapped in, and like Lin Kexin, they were nudged towards the edge by the coaches.
Lin Nan led the way, her steps moving as slowly as a snail, holding tightly to the handrails just like Lin Kexin did before.
She was filled with regret, mumbling to herself with a nasally whine.
“Should we just call it off? Can we?”
“I don’t want to jump anymore…”
The hardest part was stepping onto the platform; the gusting wind slapped at her face, making it feel like she could be blown away any second.
The further she went, the weaker her legs became; she was crawling forward at a whopping five meters an hour.
Chen Yao suddenly noticed that Lin Nan was shrinking as she moved; before long, she had crouched down completely.
He couldn’t help but laugh as he reached under her arms, trying to lift her up.
But Lin Nan wouldn’t budge, her nasally voice transformed into a whimper: “I don’t want to jump!”
Chen Yao turned to the coaches on either side.
The coaches gently pushed his shoulders, urging the duo towards the edge: “You’re here now; just close your eyes and jump!”
“Stand up! You seemed so confident just a moment ago.” Chen Yao had to lean down again, but he caught a glimpse of the lake below, causing his legs to tremble a little in fear.
Even those without acrophobia would feel nervous standing on this platform.
Lin Nan shimmied her way forward, finally snapping out of it. She grabbed onto Chen Yao, trying to stand, and then she wrapped her arms around him, burying her head in his chest, eyes shut, still whining: “Can we jump like this?”
Her adrenaline was skyrocketing, making her brain a blur, and she gripped Chen Yao’s arms tightly.
But she didn’t have much strength; Chen Yao was only half-suffocated by her embrace.
“Sure.” The coach didn’t oppose.
With her head tucked into Chen Yao’s chest, she cautiously inched her feet forward, and soon the coach started the countdown.
“Five, four, three…”
As the countdown rang in her ears, her heart raced. It felt like she could hear the rapid thumps of her heart. Her legs were growing softer, but suddenly, she felt Chen Yao wrap his arms around her as well.
“One.”
In that moment, her heart hit the peak, and her brain went blank.
Before she knew what was happening, she fell backward, her body going into free fall.
The rush of wind made her eyes squeeze shut, her cheeks stinging; the feeling of weightlessness lasted only a second. When she regained her senses, she found herself hanging upside down.
She opened her eyes, only seeing Chen Yao’s dark shirt; looking down, she saw the aquamarine lake reflecting the sunlight, which stung her eyes.
Suddenly, she felt maybe it wasn’t so scary after all.
Chen Yao grinned, “You can cling to me, but do you have to pinch my flesh?”
