Chapter 131

Monkey Manman scratched its head; it wasn't a clueless little monkey. Knowing this was an oceanarium, it rubbed its fingers together—Dolphin Smile must be—its companion?

Monkey Manman shared what it knew, and Dolphin Smile widened its eyes in surprise. In its eighteen years at the zoo, it had never seen anything so strange.

Its gaze swept past Monkey Manman, seeing many animals. Having spent years in the aquarium, it only knew a few; the rest, it didn't even know their names.

Fortunately, Monkey Manman was enthusiastic and volunteered to introduce them; it can be said that in its eighteen years, Dolphin Smile had never known this much.

"You're amazing!" it exclaimed without hesitation, its tail wagging excitedly.

Monkey Manman blushed, covering its face, its big eyes sparkling: "I—I just have seen a lot. If you were like me, you'd surely know more animals!"

Dolphin Smile stared: "But I live in the sea; I can't live on land."

After saying that, it and Manman stared at each other; Manman worriedly covered its mouth, about to say something, when light footsteps sounded—it was Ling Yue, she had arrived!

The animals' gazes involuntarily fell on Ling Yue; the moment they saw her, they all relaxed.

Beside the swimming pool stood a high platform where the Bird Chorus perched, lively and pretty little creatures that chirped now and then; without doing anything yet, some animals were already half-lying on the carpeted floor.

The goat yawned, bent its knees and lay on the ground: "I feel a bit sleepy."

The deeper the cute aura's influence, the lighter the psychological shadow, the more easily the small animals fall asleep.

After the goat finished speaking, it closed its eyes.

So when Monkey Manman turned around, it found its good friend had actually fallen asleep—even though Ling Yue hadn't said a thing, it covered its face; though it hadn't learned what embarrassment was, this probably counted as close enough, right?

Ling Yue pressed her lips tight to keep from laughing, a hint of smile flickering in her black-and-white eyes as she waved at the animals gathered nearby.

Lioness Queen Lily, always the boldest, eyed the small birds preening their feathers on the high platform and asked: "What are these little birds for? Why are they here?"

It looked energetic, with no trace of drowsiness.

Ling Yue gave a light cough, then solemnly introduced the Bird Chorus; hearing that they had already recorded albums and released songs online, the animals gaped in astonishment.

"Wow, so amazing!" Dolphin Smile exclaimed, gazing at the little creatures.

Ling Yue calmly answered Lioness Lily's next question: "They're the band I invited; today's rest is changed to listening to music."

She looked around; not only were there psychologically traumatized animals, but also some whose stress was too great.

For example, that male tiger Zhuangzhuang, the zoo's star stay-at-home dad, but lately his tiger cubs have grown bigger, raising them leaving him increasingly exhausted, his forehead fur falling out too fast, so much that his mate noticed—though winter hasn't arrived, he's already almost bald!

The male tiger doubted the Bird Chorus's ability, yawned lazily, and asked: "What songs will these little creatures sing? Can we request songs?"

"I've been teaching my little cub self-defense, and it's made me so angry I can't eat! Could you sing something light?"

Saying this, it glanced at the Bird Chorus beside it; its bell‑sized tiger eyes were about the same size as a pearl‑spotted bird's body.

The birds of the chorus chirped in discussion: "It looks so scary!"

"Just now when it opened its mouth, I doubted it could swallow us all at once! It's huge—like the blood‑filled basin I heard about from the crows."

"Wow, you're impressive—you actually know human idioms!"

"Hehehe, I just overheard a bit."

Seeing the discussion grow more and more, Qingling couldn't help but speak up: "Why are you afraid?"

"It looks so fierce, with such a huge mouth!"

"Will it eat us?"

The boldest goldfinch puffed out its chest proudly: "I know this—tigers eat meat, but they eat chicken, mutton, pork, and beef; we're too tiny to even fill a gap between their teeth."

Qingling the goldfinch flicked its wings: "That's settled then—it won't eat us; seeing a slightly scary animal just freaks you out like this."

Qingling's bright eyes rolled, and she spoke haughtily: "Don't you forget, we're destined to become the world's most famous bird chorus—now…"

It shook its head: "Can't we overcome this little difficulty?"

"We can overcome it!" the tiger‑patterned parrot couple spoke up first: "These animals won't harm us; we just need to sing well."

Banban and Xiaoxiao saw it most clearly, even perching on the male tiger's head; Zhuangzhuang was stunned—what bold birds!

Its fuzzy big head shook, but that didn't diminish them; no matter how it tossed, they stayed on its head, steady as a rock.

Xiaoxiao even hummed a lullaby; over the past days, Zhuangzhuang, bothered by its tiger cubs, lay down, its eyes beginning to droop, and it said innocently: "What… what song is this? It's so nice to listen to."

After hearing their song, the other animals also spontaneously began to anticipate.

In a nearby corner, the newcomer Xiaoma held up her DSLR, her heart pounding; as the manager of the zoo's social media account, she was responsible for daily operations and maintenance.

One could say the Capital Zoo's rapid follower growth owes much to Xiaoma; with a high salary of fifteen thousand a month, she hasn't wasted a single penny.

But she found she seemed to lack new inspiration; her videos—"Panda Duo Martial Arts Livestream" and "Tiger Stay‑at‑Home Dad's Cub‑Raising Diary"—each time they were posted, the official account's fans went wild with adoration.

But her pressure was also growing.

Until today, when her gaze landed on the zoo director Ling Yue, a new idea suddenly sprouted, and a new series was born—

It's called "My Daily Life with the Animals"!

Moreover, as she knew, the director is a mega‑streamer with over a hundred million fans; what, this is clout‑chasing—clearly just promoting her own zoo.

Xiaoma set up her DSLR, her sparkling eyes fixed on Ling Yue; in the frame, first appeared the cute, round Dolphin Smile.

It lay cautiously at the pool's edge, seeming perfectly calm, but its trembling tail betrayed its nerves; as if sensing someone peeking, it twisted its body, and the camera cut to a close‑up—

The chubby dolphin was adorably cute, its big eyes watery, and it broke into a happy smile.

Xiaoma clutched her rapidly beating heart—a high‑moe critical hit!

At that moment, the Bird Chorus had begun its performance; this is their specialty, singing the most basic lullaby, a piece they know best.

"Pū léng léng—"

The beasts lay on the ground, a single cute bird perched on a beast's head like a tiny elf; the funniest sight was the male tiger Zhuangzhuang, already asleep, whose fluffy head the tiger‑patterned parrot pair used as a nest, singing while snuggling.

Just looking at the birds huddled together, the scene is warm and tender; but looking at the beasts' heads beneath them, it's hard not to chuckle, especially this big tiger, which even shows signs of premature baldness.

During filming, Xiaoma couldn't help but yawn; though she had been energetic before, as she kept shooting she felt her eyelids grow heavy.

This won't do—at least… let's finish this segment first, qwq

The result was that after the lullaby finished, all the animals fell asleep, including Dolphin Smile in the pool, lying on its side and occasionally twitching its tail.

One eye open, one eye closed—it looked like it was pretending to sleep, but in fact it was already asleep, and soundly so.

This is because dolphins, as mammals, actually have their bodies controlled by the left and right brain; the left brain sleeps while the right brain stays awake, allowing them to avoid drowning while sleeping.

Scientific research shows that mammals also dream.

Xiao Ma watched the dolphin suddenly start swimming, yet it kept circling, and couldn't help recalling the saying: "……"

The most relaxed should be Ling Yue, surrounded by animals; beside her, a monkey lies sprawled out in a four-limbed sleeping pose, its long arms wrapped around its goat friend.

Ling Yue curled the corner of her mouth.

Suddenly, her phone in her pocket vibrated once—not a call, but a WeChat from Cen Ming: 【Miss Ling, the Orca Live Streaming Platform's fifth anniversary will be held on November 3rd, next Friday, at Hengxin Building; you are specially invited to attend. The invitation is already on its way.】

Ling Yue thought for a moment, then retrieved it from memory—indeed, such a thing existed—and replied to the message: 【Good.】

On the other side, seeing the reply, Cen Ming breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled and told his subordinate: "Alright, continue preparing."

After that day's psychological soothing ended, Xiao Ma, fighting off drowsiness, began editing; after uploading it all at once, she fell into a deep sleep.

She opened Weibo feeling refreshed, but the comments were so few she almost popped her eyes out—only a handful of die‑hard fans cheered.

Then she saw the staggering view and share counts; Xiao Ma took a deep breath as the relentlessly climbing view count almost made her scream.

What on earth is going on?

She didn't even know whether this was a success or a failure; the videos she posted on other platforms were the same situation, and she scratched her tangled hair, truly bewildered.

Only after half a day did a fan send a comment.

【Looks great, so cute, makes me want to sleep!】

【Ahhhhh, I came because Big Dark‑Eye Circles recommended it—it's really hypnotic, oh wait, I mean it's great!】

【My goodness, does this video have magic? I planned to get hyped before bed, but after playing it I fell asleep right away!】

【A blessing for insomniacs! Brothers and sisters who can't sleep, come check it out!】 This is from a netizen inviting friends.

Only a few remarks mentioned Ling Yue. Xiao Ma furrowed her brow while browsing the comments; if healing could be loosely connected, what about hypnosis? Is her edited video hypnotic?

Xiao Ma, unconvinced, opened it again to look; twenty minutes later she was slumped at her workstation, fast asleep.

At the same time, the internet was already in an uproar—how could watching a video make you fall asleep?!

This must be another attention‑grab; aside from a few who scoffed, most were curious, even sparking an online battle—some firmly disbelieving, others who had tried it themselves and strongly recommended it.

Most who actually clicked in and watched found the effect excellent; those who didn't reply had already drifted into dreamland.

Thus, beneath the Capital Zoo's official microblog appeared this scene: a shouting match piled high like a skyscraper, the two sides fighting to the death; suddenly one side vanished, and the other, no matter how angrily they shouted, was like punching cotton—everything felt stifled.

One streamer boldly seized the opportunity, challenged the hypnosis video, and ended up doing a live‑stream sleep; viewers watched wide‑eyed as he had just been on air saying, "Hypnosis? Hypnotize what? I feel wide awake now—I could play ten more rounds of King of Glory!"

The next second, with a "Bang!"

He collapsed straight onto the screen; the viewers jumped, about to call the police, when they heard his thunder‑like snores—good grief, he'd actually fallen asleep!

Poor Xiao Ma's specially edited wonderful video can't be watched in one go by anyone; most have to view it twice, three times, even four times.

Only later did someone analyze and discover that it was the background music—the birds' gentle song—that unconsciously lulls people into deep sleep; just turn the sound off and it's fine.

Ling Yue had no idea about this; after all, she had just finished recording the raw footage of the bird choir and hadn't yet done any online promotion.

At that moment, netizens realized the video was quite fun.

A big friend (Ling Yue) leading a group of little friends (the animals) in a game; the fierce beasts lay obediently beside her, like docile little lambs, and the little bird perched on her head was the finishing touch.

On the stout head of the male tiger, a pair of tiger‑skin parrots interacted affectionately; this scene also earned the Capital Zoo the reputation of being the most warm‑hearted zoo.

Some paid more attention to the dolphin's smile—a childhood dream for countless Jing Shi children—who were urging below, hoping the oceanarium would open soon.

Many discussed the marine shows they had once seen and also urged them.

After Ling Yue saw it, she immediately pinned a notice, in which she detailed the harm animal performances cause to animals; as for the dolphin's smile, it is here for recuperation.

At that point, the online netizens finally realized that the marine shows they liked were a painful torment for the dolphin's smile and many other animals.

Finally, she declared solemnly below: The Capital Zoo will never hold animal performances.

Most understood, while a small minority scoffed or even mocked.

Ling Yue frowned tightly; beside her, the smiling dolphin gliding through the water had enjoyed the most comfortable sleep of its dolphin life, now nudging a colorful ball as it frolicked about.

Suddenly, a splash of color flew into Ling Yue's embrace; she lifted her eyelashes, and in the churning pool water, the round, cute beluga dolphin let out a joyful high note: "Ball~ give me give me~"

As it spoke, its fins slapped its round belly, making a "pat‑pat‑pat" sound.

Ling Yue tossed it back, watching the dolphin keep pushing the ball and rolling nonstop; though the game was monotonous, the different partner suddenly made it engrossing.

Ling Yue beamed with a bright smile; they played until late, their clothes soaked through and speckled with water.

"Good night."

The dolphin's smile in the pool rested its mouth on the rolling colorful ball, half‑raised its body with a smile, and let out a bright high note: "Yue‑yue good night~"

Ling Yue occasionally paid attention to her own ventures—like the winery and pet food—both doing well; the fruit wine was in short supply, the pet food was in its final stage, and the factory had sent over a batch of finished products.

Ling Yue suddenly recalled Ye Xulan, whom she had bumped into a few days earlier; her heart felt no ripple, but Ye Yilin—she wondered how their family's dog Dan was doing now.

Then she received a call from Ye Yilin; the girl's words were all hints, coquettish and cute. Ling Yue leaned against the headboard, gazing at the set of seven little cat felt ornaments on it, narrowed her eyes, and said, "Afternoon tea tomorrow? No problem."

Meanwhile, Ye Yilin, sprawled on the sofa, hung up, shouting excitedly and gesturing wildly: "Ahhhh, Sister Yue‑yue agreed to me!!"

"Cough cough." The old master leaned on his cane, coughed twice: "Yilin, be careful."

Ye Yilin: "Grandfather?!"

Immediately, her gaze swept past Old Grandfather Ye, she shrank her neck timidly, and fell upon the dignified, elegant man behind Old Master Ye, timidly saying: "Brother."

Ye Xulan looked at her: "What's got you so worked up?"

The more aloof he was, the more Ye Yilin felt frightened and wanted to shrink; after a while she stammered: "It's Sister Yue‑yue—she promised me she'd come to my house tomorrow for afternoon tea."

Upon hearing this, Old Master Ye laughed: "Then I'll have Aunt Wang make a few more snacks, and some cake too."

Ye Yilin broke into laughter, but the moment she saw her brother, her smile vanished like a tide receding.

She fidgeted with her fingertips, uneasy: "Brother."

A dark flicker passed through Ye Xulan's eyes; he rubbed his sore brow and asked, "Tomorrow?"

He suddenly turned to his sister: "Anything?"

Ye Yilin regretted it to death, why did she just speak out of turn; she hurriedly shook her head: "No no no, nothing!"

Friday morning, the pet consultation shop.

As the door opened, the wind chime in front gave out a clear ding-dong sound.

A female customer holding a little white cat appeared; upon seeing Ling Yue, she instantly blurted: "Hello, streamer, I'm Xu Ling."

Ling Yue: "Please sit, are you here to consult about your cat?"

Xu Ling nodded: "I suppose… I guess so?"

Ling Yue's brow twitched as she listened, she stared at her face, a faint red line between her brows and eyes; she smiled slightly: "If I'm not mistaken, besides the cat, there's also yourself?"

The girl looked at her in surprise; before, she had always been guarding the livestream room, watching the livestream, but only after truly facing Ling Yue did she realize, it was nothing alike.

The streamer was even more beautiful and awe-inspiring, bearing an indescribable ethereal aura; just a glance from her eyes made her feel as if she were being seen through.

She timidly touched her heart, nodded and said: "Yes, besides my Milk Candy, there's also myself."

She lowered her eyelids, corners of her mouth pulled, speaking sorrowfully: "I know I shouldn't doubt, but I can't help it; my heart feels especially especially torn."

Ling Yue looked at her silently; for some reason, Xu Ling realized she wasn't so nervous either, and continued: "Milk Candy is a stray cat I picked up on the road; I really like cats, but because work was busy before, I couldn't keep one; now I've successfully changed jobs, work isn't busy and the pay is decent, so when I saw Milk Candy I just scooped it up and ran."

At that moment, the cute little cat in her arms meowed loudly: "Not picked up, it's kidnapping, meow~ Meow likes rainbow-colored little bags, stinky owner doesn't have any! Humph!"

Saying that, it turned its head away haughtily; Ling Yue struggled to hold back laughter, yet still had to keep listening to it.

Xu Ling: "Then I discovered I was especially unlucky, starting to have bad luck, but I get along very well with my Milk Candy."

As soon as she finished speaking, the little cat flicked its tail: "What else can Meow do, encountering such a dimwit owner; can only pamper her!"

Seeing this, Xu Ling took out a cat treat; its fragrant smell made the little cat gobble it up with gurgling sounds; after enjoying the poop-scooper's thoughtful service, it realized and looked at Ling Yue: "What are you looking at me for? Do you also want to eat Meow's food?"

It slapped the table with its paw: "No thinking about it!"

"'Meow is sharing the owner's worries, oh dear, there's still a cabinet of snacks at home; if Meow can't finish them, it'll definitely be wasted!'"

Ling Yue touched the tip of her nose: "……"

She didn't dare to retort it; she's a human, doesn't eat cat treats, because this cat looks small but has quite a temper.

Xu Ling looked worriedly at Ling Yue: "I want to ask the streamer to help me ask, how does Milk Candy think I'm taking care of it; it probably isn't because I picked up the cat that the problem appeared, right?"

After picking up the kitten she started having bad luck, making her unable not to think too much; but Xu Ling thought, even if there's a connection, what does it matter?

She stroked the cat's back; the fluffy little white cat made a coquettish sound, cute and lovable, her heart betrayed her and began to race.

Suddenly she understood: any doubt is an insult to Milk Candy!

Ling Yue glanced at the little cat; just moments ago it had been arrogant and overbearing, now it shyly hid in its owner's embrace; but after hearing Xu Ling's bad luck, its ears twitched, it quickly turned around, presenting its rear to Ling Yue.

Ling Yue looked at Xu Ling and said firmly: "It should feel you're taking good care of it; as for your earlier question——"

Xu Ling: "Forget it, it definitely has nothing to do with our Milk Candy."

She shouldn't doubt Milk Candy.

Ling Yue: "There is a connection."

Xu Ling, about to leave: "???"

Ling Yue didn't know what she had thought of, suddenly clenched her fist, and said firmly: "Even so, I won't give it up." Bad luck be damned.

Ling Yue puffed out a laugh, her gaze sweeping over the increasingly faint red line between Xu Ling's brows and eyes: "May I ask, where did your thoughts go? As for bad luck, it's not really a big problem; even if you didn't come today, in about ten days or half a month it should get better on its own, but since you're here, I'll tell you the solution."

"'Take a one-yuan coin and throw it under the bridge where you picked up Milk Candy.'"

As soon as she said that, Xu Ling's gaze toward her changed instantly; she hadn't said she picked up Milk Candy under the bridge, yet Ling Yue precisely said it.

And a one-yuan coin—she couldn't help but ask: "Why throw a coin?"

Ling Yue: "You kidnapped someone's child without a word, didn't even pay the bridal gift; if you're not unlucky, who is?"

Xu Ling stared, her brain still a bit unable to turn the corner.

Ling Yue explained: "In ancient times there was a cat betrothal gift; you were to send salt, little fish dried, or sugar and such to the owner's family, to show you were betrothing the cat; after passing the proper route, you did nothing, and they got angry."

"'Huh?' Xu Ling looked bewildered."

The onlookers beside her were just the same, raising a question: "But I see others who picked up cats didn't give a betrothal gift, and they didn't have any trouble either."

Ling Yue: "The situation is not the same."

She asked Xu Ling: "You picked up the cat under a bridge; at the time there was a litter of kittens, but you didn't see the mother cat, right?"

Xu Ling nodded; hearing Ling Yue continue: "Have you ever wondered why, in the depths of winter, little Milk Candy is so clean and healthy?"

It hadn't been many days since the incident; Xu Ling clearly remembered that after she took it away she directly sent it to the pet hospital for a checkup; the cat was unexpectedly clean, not a single flea, its body also especially healthy, she exclaimed in surprise.

She immediately nodded in reply: "Exactly, exactly, exactly, that's how it is."

Ling Yue: "That's because it has a Bridge Mother; that bridge is protecting the little cat, and you, without a word, took someone's child……"

Ling Yue didn't finish speaking; the lingering blank was already enough for her to imagine.

Xu Ling: "!!!"

She stared wide-eyed in shock, never expecting that metaphysics would actually be right beside her.

Ling Yue explained: "That bridge must be quite old, having formed a spirit; because you took its child, it's unhappy, but seeing how well you treat the little cat, it plans to just punish you a little and then let it go."

"'Now listen to me, hand over the betrothal gift, and you'll be fine right away.' Xu Ling nodded hurriedly, half-laughing, half-crying: 'I'll pay, I definitely will!'"

Afterward, she not only prepared the coin, but also salt and rock sugar, plus a packet of crispy little fish dried; sure enough, those previous minor unlucky things that were no big deal instantly disappeared.

She also specially looked up the history of the stone bridge; who would have thought, this so inconspicuous, dusty little stone bridge actually existed since the Ming dynasty.

Inside the pet consultation shop.

The onlookers clicked their tongues in amazement; everyone had watched Ling Yue's livestream, knew her abilities, and had no doubts.

Some people suddenly understood: "From now on I'll always carry a betrothal gift, just in case."

"'Or, why don't you first pick up a cat and then talk?'"

The speaker instantly became depressed.

For a moment, the shop was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Ling Yue gave a faint smile, waited a moment, then said: "Next."

She glanced at the list; this was also the last person for today.

"Hello, boss."

The one who came was a young man in casual clothes, in his twenties, holding a box in his hand; when he opened it, the onlookers were all startled.

It was actually a plump, golden-yellow creature resembling a little golden melon—a "big frog."

"What is this?"

"A, a frog? Or a toad? Why does it look so fat—did it overeat?"

To outsiders, the most common pets are cats and dogs, or mostly small rabbits and chicks; few people bring amphibians.

The youth's smile froze, just about to explain, when he heard Ling Yue say: "This is a horned frog, not a frog or a toad; our country does not allow keeping frogs, and in the trade it also has another name, the money frog."

Ling Yue looked at the horned frog and asked the young man: "What do you want to consult about?"

The youth had been clasping his hands shyly, but as soon as his pet was mentioned, he perked up: "It's my horned frog, its name is Pangpang, especially cute, usually lazy, likes to sit in meditation and contemplate, but lately I've noticed its condition is off."

He spoke, furrowing his brows: "I had been away for a few days, leaving my parents to feed it; when I returned, I found it had been frightened."

"Pangpang usually has a huge appetite, eating everything I give it; this time after coming back, it started refusing food, already for several days—look, its belly is flat, and—"

"Woof!"

"Woof woof!"

Suddenly a clear puppy bark rang out, startling the onlookers, who began to chatter: "What's going on? Why did dog barking suddenly start?"

"I don't know either; the sound seemed to come from inside, it scared me to death!"

Amid the discussion, the "woof woof" barking continued; Ling Yue lifted her eyes, meeting the young man's apologetic gaze: "Sorry, boss, it's my Pangpang calling; after a horned frog is frightened, it will make a sound like a puppy's bark."

"Can you help calm it down?"

He looked at Ling Yue nervously, having exhausted every method, and after waiting in line for several days, it was finally his turn.

Ling Yue lowered her gaze; the horned frog that had been barking "woof woof" curled up in the corner, continually shouting: "Ahhh, it's so scary!"

"I'm going to be scared to death."

"Don't look at me, I've withdrawn."

"Don't look at me, don't touch me! Don't touch me, ahhh!"

Ling Yue could tell the bad temper was genuine, and the fright was real. Horned frogs are usually quiet and easy to keep, but when severely frightened they can die from shock.

In Ling Yue's view, this one already showed signs.

She tried communicating with the horned frog Pangpang, and after meeting its demands, it actually went fairly smoothly.

Of course, the box had changed considerably.

It was completely wrapped in black cloth; the horned frog hid inside, cautiously revealing a pair of big round eyes, staring at the unfamiliar humans.

Ling Yue: "Your owner is very worried about you."

Unexpectedly, as soon as she finished speaking, the horned frog barked "woof woof woof": "Damn owner, big bad guy, the frog never wants to see him again!",,,.