Parsed with an automated reader. The content accuracy is not guranteed.\n
First thing on Saturday morning, Wang Guangning was dragged out of his nest by Zhang Lingyi. Zhang Lingyiâs overflowing enthusiasm felt vaguely familiar to Wang Guangning â it was as though they were returning to the days of their agreement to be gay.\n
After breakfast, Zhang Lingyi drove Wang Guangning to the city zoo.\n
G Cityâs zoo had a pretty good reputation. When Wang Guangning was little, his school had come here once for a springtime excursion. Afterwards, he didnât visit it again, including when he was at F Uni â heâd felt that he was long past the age of wanting to visit the zoo, and hadnât taken a single step there.\n
But now he was actually here for a date. As Wang Guangning observed the colourful, unfamiliar birds in their cages, he suddenly felt that he and Zhang Lingyi were really ridiculous.\n
Just as Wang Guangning was letting his mind wander, there was a burst of rowdiness from behind.\n
Wang Guangning and Zhang Lingyi turned around, and saw a group of what looked like university students walking over.\n
A girl clad in T-shirt and jeans was leading them and said loudly, âEveryone, this is the first of our Youth League [i.e. Chinese Communist Partyâs youth movement] activities today â free time. You can wander around. Weâll gather an hour later at the empty area next to the lake at the centre of the zoo, for the second activity â games. OK, off you go.â\n
At the leaderâs command, that group of students stampeded away.\n
Wang Guangning and Zhang Lingyi were speechless as they watched the horde of students rush past them. Why on earth had university students come to the zoo for their Youth League activities?\n
Wang Guangning rifled through his university memories of Youth League activities day, but it seemed as though they were all about environmental protection and things like that â in fact, it was just picking up rubbish at Moon Lake, or visiting lonely and poor old folks, and so on â meaningful activities.\n
Seeing those students in groups of threes and fours, chattering away â actually, these people were just making use of Youth League activities day to come out and play, werenât they!\n
Wang Guangning felt a headache coming on.\n
Zhang Lingyi was also unhappy. So many people â interfering so much with his romance!\n
Whatâs more, there were quite a few young girls staring fixedly at him and Wang Guangning â forget about it if they were just staring at him, since handsome guys attract attention wherever they go, but how could they stare at his Shoushou, huh! They oughta know itâs extremely rude to stare at someone elseâs wife!\n
As Zhang Lingyi came up with all sorts of reasons for their staring, he took Wang Guangning by the hand and said, âShoushou, letâs go see something else!â\n
The noise had induced a headache in Wang Guangning, so he had no objection.\n
Truth be told, going to the zoo was nothing much.\n
Thanks to technological advancements, you could see any animal you wanted on TV or the Internet. There was nothing novel about it for the people of today.\n
It was all right for a family with children, but for a pair of lovers, it was not an ideal choice.\n
Added to that was how there was unavoidably a weird smell in the air during summertime at the zoo, and all kinds of mean kids would mysteriously appear here and there â all this wrecked the romantic atmosphere even more.\n
Zhang Lingyi was a little annoyed. If heâd known earlier, he wouldâve suggested going to the park or an orchard â that wouldâve been better than coming to zoo.\n
Still, Wang Guangning was observing everything with great interest, and would frequently give the descriptions hanging on the railings a close read.\n
Zhang Lingyi didnât understand why at first, but afterwards he rationalized that it wasnât so strange for a person who likes SpongeBob SquarePants to have an interest in animals.\n
All right then. At the very least, Shoushou likes this place, so this shouldnât be considered too much of a failure.\n
Though it wouldâve been even better if the air wasnât carrying that weird smell.\n
Zhang Lingyi couldnât help frowning again.\n
âWah, Zhang Lingyi, I see your brother, yeah!â Wang Guangning suddenly exclaimed.\n
The distracted Zhang Lingyi turned at the sound, then went =ćŁ= at once.\n
What was before them was obviously a herd of alpacas âŠâŠ\n
Whatâs more, it was a herd of long-unwashed alpacas â alpacas whose wool had yellowed.\n
All right then. As long as Shoushou is happy, thatâs fine.\n
And so, Zhang Lingyi raised his hands and rushed toward that herd of alpacas, waving: âHi, brothers, long time no seeeeee. Have you been well lately?â\n
This time, it was Wang Guangningâs turn to go =ćŁ=.\n
Thatâs enough, Zhang Lingyi; please hurry and pull up your bottom line!\n
While Wang Guangning was being rendered speechless, a boyâs excited voice rang out from the side: âDad, Dad, look! Itâs motherfckr [a pun that plays on the literal naming of grass, mud, horses â the kidâs name for those dirty alpacas]!â\n
Wang Guangning, Zhang Lingyi: ââŠâŠâ\n
The young dad who was holding onto his kidâs hand blushed. He turned to the little boy right away and asked unhappily: âWhat did you say?â\n
That child immediately put on a cute expression and cupped his face in his hands, ramping up the adorableness: âItâs alpaca âŠâŠâ\n
Wang Guangning, Zhang Lingyi: ââŠâŠâ\n
What was up with kids today?\n\n\n\n\nThe two had a good look around as they were strolling, and before they knew it, theyâd arrived beside the lake at the centre of the zoo. The lake had a few resident swans, which were gliding elegantly across the waters. The lakeâs surface rippled with green hues, and looked beautiful and tranquil.\n
That is, it would have if that horde of university students hadnât appeared once more.\n
Wang Guangningâs classmates had got along with one another pretty well, and would often organize group outings. Basically, anywhere they gathered turned into a real-life example of noise pollution.\n
As was the case with that horde of university students.\n
Wang Guangning saw that the horde had gathered together, occasionally exploding with laughter. He reflected about how, whenever he and his classmates organized parties, there must definitely have been many neighbours who cursed them out!\n
Zhang Lingyi was very obvious about not wanting to remain in the middle of this racket. Seeing that it was about time, he said, âShoushou, why donât we go back then?â\n
Wang Guangning nodded and was about to get up and leave when he heard another burst of loud laughter from that horde of students. Right then, a blushing girl dressed in a flowery skirt stood up. She hesitated for quite a while, before slowly making her way to Wang Guangning while her schoolmates continued to make a racket: âGo on, go on!â\n
âMister, I âŠâŠ may I have request that âŠâŠ you give me a hug!â the girl couldnât get her words out smoothly, and had already turned red from her face to her ears.\n
So they were playing a game of dare!\n
Wang Guangning remembered how, whenever his class held activities, they loved playing truth or dare the most. He would always be asked which girl he liked, or told to get the phone number of a girl he didnât know, and stuff like that. But based on the fact of his incomparable good looks, heâd never been rejected by a girl.\n
Seeing that this girl was blushing so hard, he guessed that she was probably an introverted, shy type. Wang Guangning thought he would lend her a hand by just giving a quick hug, but Zhang Lingyi forestalled him by stepping out and saying: âThis wonât do!â\n
That girl probably hadnât expected to be rejected outright, so she blushed even harder, not knowing how to make her retreat. Zhang Lingyi then said: âIf you need to complete the task, then Iâll give you a hug!â\n
Hearing this, Wang Guangning got angry. On what basis is it that I canât hug but you can hug? He immediately pulled back Zhang Lingyi: âShe didnât say she wanted to hug you.â As he spoke, he gave the girl a smile: âJust ignore him â Iâll hug you.â He generously opened his arms wide and lightly pulled her into his arms.\n
The horde of students, who had been silent spectators up to this point, broke out in a riot of whoops and cheers, and there was even shrill whistling.\n
The girl blushed harder still. She braced herself and finally raised her head to say: âThat, I âŠâŠ could I have your number, please?â\n
Originally, she wouldnât have dared to ask this question. But Wang Guangning pulling back Zhang Lingyi to insist on giving a hug himself had inevitably made her misunderstand a little bit. A man as outstanding as Wang Guangning was rare â even a restrained person like herself would want to make an attempt.\n
Zhang Lingyi had already turned gloomy when he saw Wang Guangning hug her. Now that she actually dared to overreach and ask for a phone number, he turned even gloomier â but he didnât dare to act rashly and say something to stop this. He deeply feared another counterattack by Wang Guangning.\n
Fortunately, this time round, Wang Guangning didnât go along with that girl and politely stepped back. He smiled: âIâm sorry, but I just returned from Taiwan, so I donât have a local number yet.â\n
This was obviously an excuse, but it gave that girl a way out. Since that girl wasnât very brave anyway, and had already expended most of her courage in asking for his number, she didnât dare to ask for anything more now. Saying her thanks while blushing, she scurried back.\n
âLetâs go!â Wang Guangning said to Zhang Lingyi.\n
âShoushou, Iâm jealous!â Zhang Lingyi had his sourpuss face on. âHow could you hug someone else!â\n
Wang Guangning rolled his eyes: âAnd itâs OK if youâre the one doing the hugging?â\n
Thatâs because I know that with your damned good manners, you definitely wouldnât let that girl be embarrassed!\n
Zhang Lingyi sighed helplessly, and suppressed his overflowing jealousy: âLetâs go!â\n
Wang Guangning saw how disheartened Zhang Lingyi looked, and felt a little tickled. He silently gazed up at the sky, then gave Zhang Lingyi a pat on his shoulder: âDo you feel that the zoo has a weird smell?â\n
Well, of course itâs strange! Animal sweat and stools under the hot sun would give off a smell. Even a mild whiff would make you uncomfortable!\n
But why did he mention this now after walking about for so long?\n
Zhang Lingyi didnât understand, but nodded anyway.\n
Wang Guangning said, âThen, let me give you some fresh air!â As he said that, he went up and gave Zhang Lingyi a light kiss.\n
Zhang Lingyi went still for a moment. Then, his eyes sparkled with uncontainable glee. His hands wrapped around Wang Guangningâs waist, and he deepened the kiss.\n
At a distance, those university students burst out yet again with cries of alarm; this time round, there was a tone of them understanding something rather more profound.\n
âShoushou, you like me too, donât you!â Zhang Lingyi wasnât enquiring this time, but affirming.\n
Wang Guangning shrugged his shoulders and ignored him. He walked off on his own toward the zooâs exit.