Chapter 65: What are you doing?
The parrot house looked large, but it was actually the smallest area under the giant dome.
After leaving it, they arrived at a pond divided into two sides by a wooden bridge stretching across the water.
Normally, this place would be filled with countless water birds.
But to match today’s romantic theme, the zoo had clearly reduced some of the other bird species.
Wild geese and swans, birds famous for staying with one partner for life, made up most of what people saw.
Legend said that geese and swans, once they chose a partner, would stay together forever.
There were many men and women around them, but how many couples could really be like those birds?
Just thinking about it made people sigh with emotion.
Maybe it was because human emotions were too rich and complicated that people always wanted something even greater.
Following Zhou Lin’s example, Zheng Qi opened the food package and poured some feed into her palm.
Several birds that had come onto land immediately ran toward her.
Large and small ones alike came over, not just geese.
And although white swans looked graceful and beautiful in the water, once they walked on land they looked almost exactly like Donald Duck.
Gathering her courage, Zheng Qi let the birds peck food from her hand.
It did not hurt at all.
Instead, it only felt ticklish.
By the time they finished walking through the bird area, which covered nearly one-third of the zoo, it was already close to noon.
When people were having fun, it was hard to stop.
After quickly buying some fast food to fill their stomachs, they immediately rushed toward the tiger and lion area.
The sightseeing vehicle was surrounded by wire fences, and the open view everywhere made the experience thrilling enough to make their hearts race.
The people inside found the animals fascinating, but the animals themselves had already seen humans too many times and did not care at all.
They lazily wandered beside the vehicle until the workers threw out huge chunks of meat.
After seeing the exciting predators and then the gentle herbivores, only Monkey Mountain and Wolf Mountain remained.
Monkey Mountain was packed so tightly with visitors that almost nobody could move.
So Zhou Lin instead focused on the wolves that few people paid attention to.
Perhaps because of their bad reputation, wolves had never been very liked.
But once people truly understood these animals, which actually shared close blood ties with household dogs, many began viewing them with admiration.
“In a wolf pack, the leaders are usually an alpha male and female,” Zhou Lin explained.
“When hunting or fighting enemies, they never abandon each other. Only after one dies will the other find a new partner. You could say they represent mammals pretty well.”
“When searching for food, the alpha wolf assigns tasks and directs the pack, while the other wolves handle their own jobs. They completely trust each other. You almost never hear about a wolf running away alone during a hunt and abandoning the team.”
As he spoke, Zhou Lin turned slightly and looked meaningfully at Zheng Qi.
“We’re both outsiders trying to survive in Yunzhou. It’s not much different from wolves risking danger to hunt for survival.”
“Humans may have evolved more completely than wolves, but spiritually speaking, wolves have no morals. They’re fierce, cunning, and bloodthirsty.”
“But even they still stick to certain bottom lines.”
“Just from that alone, some people walking on two legs aren’t even as good as these so-called beasts.”
When resting, the wolves hid their sharp fangs away. Some lay on the ground, some leaned against each other, and some played around.
From a distance, they looked no different from ordinary pets seen in city streets.
As if sensing something, the wolf king standing at the top of the hill suddenly looked directly toward Zheng Qi while she stared at it.
“So...”
“So don’t torture yourself because of someone worse than an animal,” Zhou Lin said firmly. “The mistakes he made should not become the source of your pain.”
Zheng Qi did not answer.
Her expression remained calm as ever.
Leaning against the railing with one hand supporting her chin, she kept staring at the wolf king without looking away.
Suddenly, the wolf king stood up and let out a rare howl toward the sky.
Zheng Qi lowered the arm that had almost gone numb and turned to look at Zhou Lin, the man trying to comfort her.
She stared at him expressionlessly. And for the first time, Zhou Lin actually felt nervous.
He worried he had said too much and gone too far. After all, that man had once been the closest person in Zheng Qi’s life.
If she suddenly slapped him and told him to mind his own business, he would truly feel ashamed beyond words.
“I...”
“The crowd at Monkey Mountain seems smaller now. Want to go there?” Zheng Qi interrupted before he could continue, glancing toward the nearby monkey area.
Zhou Lin immediately felt relieved. At least she had not gotten angry.
Whether his words reached her heart or not, he could only hope for the best.
There was only so much he could do for her.
Modern zoos usually included amusement park attractions as well. Compared to water parks, these rides felt newer and even more exciting.
One of them was bungee jumping, the natural enemy of people afraid of heights.
Lunch earlier had only barely filled their empty stomachs. After running around for most of the day, their stomachs were already growling loudly. When people felt happy, their appetite naturally became bigger too.
As they stuffed snacks into their mouths, screams from the amusement rides rose and fell continuously around them.
The tall steel platform made Zheng Qi eager to try it.
Even Zhou Lin, who was not afraid of heights, could not help swallowing nervously just by watching and listening.
Then Zheng Qi smiled at him once, and Zhou Lin’s legs immediately started shaking.
Step by step, they climbed the stairs and slowly entered the clouds.
Standing up there, the view around them felt wider than ever before.
But the height...
Zhou Lin watched another person screaming while jumping from dozens of meters above the ground, and his heartbeat clearly sped up.
“You really won’t do it together with me later?”
Zhou Lin gave an awkward smile and politely refused.
“I... better not. I just ate so much. I’m afraid I’ll get dizzy from all the swinging and end up throwing up. That would be too embarrassing.”
“It’s actually not that intense.”
“Uh...”
When someone invited him warmly, especially a beautiful woman, Zhou Lin truly was the kind of overly nice person Cheng Fei often described.
He did not know how to refuse people. He was afraid rejecting others would damage his image in their eyes.
But at the same time, he really did not want to play such a dangerous activity.
“Number 39, get ready.”
Just as he was struggling internally, the staff member called their number.
The jumping platform looked like a broken bridge hanging in the air. Honestly, it looked terrifying.
Zheng Qi had never tried extreme sports before. Earlier, she only climbed up because of excitement and curiosity.
But now, after glancing down at the thick green forest and the artificial lake far below the steel structure, even she became scared.
At that moment, the staff member had already attached the ropes and was about to let her jump.
Suddenly, Zheng Qi grabbed the worker’s collar.
Nearby, a sharp pair of eyes immediately locked onto her hand.
“Wait a second.”
The male staff member lowered his head, subconsciously glanced to the side, then looked at Zheng Qi in confusion.
“Miss, what’s wrong?”
Zheng Qi smiled awkwardly.
“I... I’m a little afraid of heights.”
“If you don’t want to play anymore, you can stop now. But the ticket has already been bought, so there’s no refund.”
“Uh... I’m not asking for a refund. I just want someone to jump together with me. I’ve seen on TV that staff members sometimes go together with guests. Do you offer that service?”
Everything would have been fine if she asked for anything else. But she just had to ask for that.
The worker swallowed hard and secretly glanced at the young woman beside him again.
Then he turned back and laughed awkwardly.
“We do offer it normally. But today... our boss is inspecting the place, so sorry!”
“Haha... i-it’s okay.”
Seeing how frightened she really looked, the staff member noticed Zhou Lin beside her.
“How about this handsome guy joining you?”
Zhou Lin instantly felt as if electricity ran through his whole body.
“I...”
“This beautiful lady is scared, but she really wants to try it. As her boyfriend, you should help share the fear a little, right? Besides, it’d be such a waste not to use the tickets!”
Before Zhou Lin could even finish speaking, the staff member dragged him directly into the preparation area.
Zheng Qi was also pulled back over, and the worker changed their equipment into a double-person harness.
Zheng Qi looked at Zhou Lin.
Her reserved smile looked completely different from usual. The corners of her lips lifted beautifully upward.
Seeing Zhou Lin tied together with her seemed to be exactly the scene she wanted most.
“If... if something goes wrong, don’t blame me...”
“I won’t.”
They stepped once again onto the cliff-like platform. Zhou Lin did not even dare look down anymore. Just feeling the wind blow past made his liver tremble.
“Get ready. It’s best if you two hold each other.”
Not long ago, the two had been complete strangers.
They first met because of Cheng Fei, then became more familiar after the subway incident.
They were not even truly friends yet. At most, just somewhat familiar with each other.
And now they had to use such an intimate position...
Zheng Qi often worked closely with men during photo shoots, so she was already used to this kind of thing.
But Zhou Lin, with his conservative personality, found it hard to accept.
“Hey, hurry up already!”
“If you’re not jumping, then come back!”
“Yeah, stop wasting everyone’s time!”
They had been hesitating for so long that even the people waiting behind them became impatient.
Knowing Zhou Lin was too scared to move, Zheng Qi stepped forward herself and wrapped her arms around him.
“Hurry, or people are going to yell at us!”
Having a beautiful woman in his arms, feeling her soft warmth, Zhou Lin had experienced such things before.
But it was impossible to compare with someone breathtaking like Zheng Qi.
Some people let the beast of desire inside their hearts roam freely outside. Others locked it inside a cage.
No matter whether a man was conservative or not, his basic nature was still the same.
Zhou Lin’s throat moved up and down nervously.
Gathering all his courage, he finally wrapped his arm around Zheng Qi’s slim waist.
The staff member gave them a push.
It felt as though their souls remained behind on the platform while only their bodies entered freefall.
The screams of men and women echoed endlessly through the green mountains and clear waters.
The violent swinging gradually slowed.
Soon, the two of them hung upside down facing the lake below.
For first-timers trying such an intense activity, the nervousness was obvious.
Both of them breathed heavily, their warm breaths hitting each other’s faces.
As their souls finally seemed to return to their bodies, they cautiously opened their eyes little by little.
Maybe it was because the angle was different from normal.
Or maybe hanging upside down forced blood into their brains and created an illusion.
While they swayed left and right, one heart pounded wildly, causing the other to beat in the exact same rhythm.
“Brother…”