Zoo

The next day, the sky was a clear, pristine blue.

Since it was the weekend, Bai Yuyou had woken up early and, aside from her usual piano and guitar practice, spent the rest of her time curled up with her tablet watching Animal Planet.

Ye Shuang had arranged for her to watch a lot of educational videos about daily life, but he also encouraged her to explore topics she found interesting. Lately, Bai Yuyou had developed a fascination with wildlife.

The city was bustling and vibrant, yet it often felt like a steel cage, cutting people off from nature. For many, their only exposure to animals came from the occasional stray cat or dog or what they saw online.

Tap tap tap… Meanwhile, Ye Shuang was busy working—writing his novel, to be precise. His recent earnings had been decent, and if a few kind readers left compliments in the comments section, he’d feel even more motivated to keep writing.

Ah, he could really use some praise.

Pausing to take a short break, he absentmindedly noticed the bracelet on his wrist, the little dolphin charm swaying gently.

Then his gaze drifted toward Bai Yuyou.

Maybe he should take her out today. Lately, she’d been spending most of her time with Keke, and the two of them hadn’t had a proper outing together since their last trip to the amusement park.

"Yuyou," he called out after a moment.

Bai Yuyou was engrossed in a video of animals riding other animals. Hearing Ye Shuang speak, she tilted her head curiously.

"Hm?"

"Want to go out today?" Ye Shuang smiled.

"Okay." She didn’t ask where—just nodded immediately.

Going anywhere with Ye Shuang was always fun. That was something she firmly believed.

Ye Shuang glanced at the screen of her tablet. "How about the zoo?"

"Zoo…?"

"Yeah, a place where you can see all kinds of animals. Kind of like the aquarium we visited last time." Seeing animals in person was a completely different experience from watching them on a screen.

Bai Yuyou tilted her head further. "Are there dolphins?"

"Uh… probably not. But there are monkeys." He thought about it—did zoos even have dolphins?

This girl really loved dolphins, huh?

But then Bai Yuyou asked, "Can we… invite Keke?"

"Sure, if you want." Ye Shuang chuckled. Bringing all three of them along wouldn’t be a problem—they had a new car now, so there was plenty of space.

But Bai Yuyou shook her head. "I want… just me and Ye Shuang."

"Is that okay?"

Ye Shuang blinked, then smiled. "Of course."

A white skirt, a red knit cardigan over a white collared shirt, and a little beret—this was the outfit Ye Shuang had picked out for her.

"Alright, spin to the left."

"Now the right."

Bai Yuyou spread her arms slightly and twirled in front of him like a cute little top.

"Perfect. Let’s go with this." Ye Shuang nodded in satisfaction. He’d realized he enjoyed dressing her up—she was like a life-sized doll, looking stunning in anything.

Guess clothes weren’t about the style, but the person wearing them.

"Ye Shuang…"

"Yeah?"

"Why do so many boys like… seeing girls in wedding dresses?" Bai Yuyou asked curiously.

"Wedding dresses?" Ye Shuang paused. "Who told you that?"

"The internet said so." She tilted her head. "Do you like wedding dresses too?"

"...Yeah, I guess." After a brief silence, he answered.

"Then I’ll wear one for you someday." Bai Yuyou tapped her chin thoughtfully.

Ye Shuang stared at her for a moment, momentarily lost in thought. Then he snapped out of it and smiled. "Yeah… sounds good."

...

Once they reached the garage, Ye Shuang and Bai Yuyou got into the car.

The weather was beautiful today. As they drove out of the garage, the sunlight streaming in instantly lifted their moods.

The zoo wasn’t too far—in fact, it was on the same small island as the amusement park they’d visited before, a popular tourist spot.

Come to think of it, Ye Shuang still had those boat tickets from last time. Maybe he could take Bai Yuyou to the farther islands someday—the sea there was a stunning shade of blue.

Beep— While waiting at a red light, Ye Shuang glanced over and saw Bai Yuyou fiddling with a small camera—the instant camera he’d promised her a while back. It had finally arrived yesterday.

Though the real expense wasn’t the camera itself, but the film. After a few uses, the cost of the photos would surpass the camera’s price.

Snap snap snap. Bai Yuyou took several pictures—all of her own thighs. Just as Ye Shuang assumed she was testing the camera, she handed the photos to him.

"What’s up?"

"Keke said… Ye Shuang would like these kinds of photos."

Ye Shuang stared at the thigh shots. "..."

"Really makes you wish Keke had come along, huh?" He grinned.

...

Meanwhile, in a certain room.

Hah-choo! Tang Keke, sprawled on her bed in nothing but her underwear, suddenly sneezed. She glanced around, scratched her butt, then rolled over and went back to reading her shoujo manga.

"Wonder who’s thinking about me."

Back at the zoo, Ye Shuang finally arrived—only to find the place packed. The parking lot outside was full, so after circling a few times, he gave up and headed for the underground garage.

"Twenty bucks an hour? Might as well rob me at gunpoint."

After grumbling about the parking fees, he and Bai Yuyou got out of the car.

"Yuyou, it’s fine to take pictures of the animals, but don’t randomly photograph people, okay?" Ye Shuang reminded her as she clutched the camera.

"Why?"

"It’s disrespectful. Though there are exceptions—like professional models who are there specifically for photos. Those are fair game."

"Okay." Bai Yuyou nodded in understanding.

Once they left the garage, Ye Shuang saw the long line of visitors waiting to buy tickets.

"Please purchase your tickets online and scan the QR code for entry. Thank you for your cooperation." A staff member nearby repeated the announcement through a megaphone.

"Online tickets…" Despite the announcement, the line remained stubbornly long.

"Ye Shuang, they’re all waiting in line."

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Some people just aren’t used to digital stuff—older folks, for example. So we still need to accommodate them." Ye Shuang explained. "Mobile payments are convenient, and digital currency is simple to use, but some still prefer cash."

"There are all kinds of reasons."

Including Bai Yuyou herself. If cash were ever phased out completely, she might starve to death in her own home without anyone noticing.

Using cash as an example, Bai Yuyou finally understood.