Chapter 7: Fiery Passion

The zoo had quite a few animals, though the large carnivores were few, and even herbivores like giraffes weren’t in abundance—having two or three of each species was already considered good. However, birds like swans and flamingos were more numerous, and peacocks, especially the males, were abundant. After all, visitors had to see peacocks spread their tail feathers.

There aren’t any spirits or magical creatures in the zoo. They don’t like staying in zoos where people can watch them. The main reason is that zoos don’t necessarily offer them a lot of food, and even if they did, it’s all so monotonous—how boring!

It would be more profitable to run a circus instead.

When Meng Yuqi entered the zoo, he immediately disliked the smell, and there were plenty of mosquitoes.

Since the zoo was near the mountains, some of the smaller animals were on the hillside, where there were even more mosquitoes.

But since his beloved hadn’t complained, how could he say anything bad?

Giraffe: “Here they are again, watching me eat leaves.”

Hippo: “The water’s a little low today.”

Leopard: “Look at me, how graceful I am.”

…

Tong Yue had been to the zoo before, but after becoming a god, it felt different.

The animals were quite amusing, finding joy in their restricted lives.

Trapped in a small space with no way to escape, they had simply adapted.

“This leopard is pretty good,” Tong Yue commented, watching the leopard walk back and forth across a wooden bridge through the glass, as if it was strutting down a runway, making it easy to photograph. “It’s got muscles.”

“Maybe it’s fat,” Meng Yuqi replied. “It doesn’t run, just walks around or lies down. It’s hard to build muscle that way.”

Meng Yuqi watched the leopard pacing, as if it was showing off.

The leopard was quite close to the protective glass, just a few centimeters away. A lot of people stood on the other side, separated only by the glass. The leopard didn’t roar or scratch at the glass—it simply walked back and forth in a relaxed manner.

The leopard was not a spirit, so it didn’t know what Meng Yuqi was saying. If it did, it might’ve growled.

“Maybe it’s just skinny,” Tong Yue thought for a moment. Animals in zoos weren’t exactly overfed. If they were allowed to eat as much as they wanted, the zoo would go bankrupt.

This zoo was actually run by spirits or magical beings, and some of the staff were magical creatures themselves.

The Monster Management Bureau considered zoos a good employment option for magical beings, along with farms and animal husbandry.

Of course, if a magical being had the skills, they could attend human schools, earn diplomas, and do more. The bureau encouraged magical creatures to start their own businesses. If they didn’t want to work, they could live in the mountains and fend for themselves, as long as they didn’t cause trouble in the cities.

The bureau didn’t forbid magical beings from becoming pets for humans, as long as they followed the rules.

After becoming a god, Tong Yue had inherited some ancient memories. However, she didn’t know much about the Monster Management Bureau  and didn’t involve herself with it.

She wasn’t a magical creature, but she could sense their presence in the zoo. Without asking, she simply passed by the staff members, knowing some of them were magical beings.

“Did the mosquitoes bite you?” Tong Yue asked. She had protected herself since mountain mosquitoes were vicious—the bites itched for days and wouldn’t go away.

If mosquitoes bite her legs during filming, especially close-ups, it would be a problem. While urban drama shoots were mostly indoors and mosquito-free, period dramas often had outdoor scenes, where long dresses could cover any mosquito bites.

Right now, Tong Yue thought: This time, the mosquitoes must have bitten him more.

She recalled a previous outing with Meng Yuqi, where the mosquitoes had bitten her instead of him. She had far more red welts than he did.

It made Tong Yue want to bite Meng Yuqi herself—why couldn’t the mosquitoes spread their attention evenly?

“They bit me,” Meng Yuqi said, surprised that Tong Yue remembered how mosquitoes liked to bite her. Was she hoping to see him get bitten more? Is that why she suggested the zoo?

How cute, Meng Yuqi thought, holding back a smile. He extended his arm, “They bit my hand, see? It’s red.”

“Just spray some insect repellent,” Tong Yue said, pulling out a small bottle from her bag. Hah, she thought. Repellent doesn’t really work that well—it’ll still itch.

Meng Yuqi, imagining Tong Yue smirking secretly, was in a good mood but curious. “Didn’t the mosquitoes bite you?”

“The mosquitoes finally wised up,” Tong Yue said seriously. “You’re the one they really love.”

“So they should bite me a few more times, huh?” Meng Yuqi wasn’t too bothered by the itching on his hand—his heart itched more.

He reached out and ruffled Tong Yue’s hair, feeling how soft it was. His beloved even had a faint fragrance.

“It’s nice being taller than me. You can ruffle my hair whenever you want,” Tong Yue muttered. “If anyone sees, they’ll think we’re siblings.”

“No,” Meng Yuqi protested. “At your age, only romance rumors will stick. Friendships are out of the question, and family ties are even harder to sell.”

In the entertainment world, paparazzi were quick to assume that any young man and woman seen together were a couple, not siblings. Even if they were siblings, they’d publish vague photos, suggesting they were lovers just to get more clicks.

Soon after, pictures of Meng Yuqi and Tong Yue strolling through the zoo made it to the trending searches. Even though the zoo wasn’t crowded, they were still caught on camera.

The magical creatures working at the zoo sold the photos and info for a little extra cash.

Tong Yue and Meng Yuqi’s marriage was public, though they hadn’t had a wedding yet, just registered their marriage.

Many people doubted their relationship, thinking that Meng Yuqi, a powerful tycoon, was mismatched with Tong Yue, a mere actress. Even though the Tong family had a business, it couldn’t compare to the Meng family.

Online, marketing accounts were always speculating about their supposed divorce. For example, if Tong Yue didn’t post a birthday greeting for Meng Yuqi at exactly midnight, they’d say there was trouble. Or if Tong Yue’s response to Meng Yuqi’s Weibo post was shorter than usual, that would be a sign of problems.

Even if nothing was wrong, they’d claim there was, just to gain views and attention.

After returning home, Meng Yuqi changed into a short-sleeved shirt and sat directly in front of Tong Yue. “Now you can spray more repellent.”

“Spray it,” Tong Yue rolled her eyes.

“If they bite your neck, then you’re in trouble,” Meng Yuqi teased, pausing for dramatic effect. “They’ll say you’re preparing for the next generation of the Meng family.”

Tong Yue was holding the repellent, ready to spray, but when she heard that, her lips twitched.

Tong Yue: Damn it, he’s teasing me again!

“You could consider it. If you give birth to the Meng family’s heir, you’ll never have to worry about resources again,” Meng Yuqi added. “Raise him well for a few years, and he’ll worship and respect you.”

“Mr. Meng, test tube babies can’t be made alone,” Tong Yue replied seriously.

“That’s what alcohol is for,” Meng Yuqi suggested playfully.

Tong Yue nearly sprayed the repellent in his eyes, thinking: Is this man crazy? Is he suggesting I seduce him?

Then she wondered: Is he testing my professionalism? I’m not seducing anyone!

Meng Yuqi thought: If she doesn’t make a move, maybe I can… Would that make me a scumbag, though? Taking advantage of her like that?

If I got drunk and she made the move… nah, that’s something out of a dream. It’s broad daylight right now.

Meng Yuqi and Tong Yue still stayed at the old Meng family residence, living with the family. They shared a bed at night, not separate rooms.

In the middle of the night, Tong Yue, sleeping soundly, suddenly opened her eyes.

Tong Yue: Damn it, someone’s trespassing on my mountain again!

Tong Yue hadn’t outright forbidden people from entering the mountain since it had always been accessible to hikers and adventurers. Setting up barriers would raise suspicions, so it was better to leave it open.

But she didn’t expect people to be so eager to throw themselves into danger again. Couldn’t they just leave her mountain alone?

Did they want to turn her mountain into a death trap?

Tong Yue was not happy. If she didn’t teach them a lesson, they’d never realize there was a god watching over that mountain.

Hearing the noise, Meng Yuqi woke up.

As Tong Yue opened the balcony door, he got up too. Then, he saw her take a few steps back—wait, was she about to jump off the balcony?

“Yueyue!” Meng Yuqi rushed over and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

Tong Yue turned her head in surprise. She hadn’t expected Meng Yuqi to wake up. She had just wanted to enjoy some fresh air and send a cool breeze to the person who had fallen into a ravine, leading rescuers to them.

“Is this a drama scene?” Tong Yue teased. “Why are you hugging me? Taking advantage of me?”

Meng Yuqi snapped out of his thoughts and loosened his grip slightly, but he still kept one hand around Tong Yue’s waist. “Were you really about to jump?”

“No!” Tong Yue thought to herself, If you hadn’t shown up, maybe I would have.

The moment Meng Yuqi realized what she was thinking, he was alarmed. What was going on with her? Why would she even consider jumping off the balcony?

“Yueyue,” Meng Yuqi took a deep breath. “Are you working on a new film soon?”

“I’m preparing to film a costume drama,” Tong Yue replied. “Costume beauties are timeless, they easily become classics.”

Though she had some movie projects lined up, Tong Yue felt that taking on a TV drama might be a good move for now. She thought back to her past work, how some of her roles had become iconic. When she hadn’t found a solid movie script recently, staying visible through television might be a good strategy. After all, if she wasn’t selective enough, she risked being labeled as the “queen of bad movies.”

“Alright,” Meng Yuqi nodded. “The company will invest—big investment!”

He wanted to ensure that his beloved would be the lead, comfortable and well-supported. That way, maybe she’d stop thinking about jumping off balconies.

Meng Yuqi couldn’t stop thinking about the recent incident with a lesser-known actress who had been causing trouble for Tong Yue. “Our company isn’t investing in Moonlight anymore.”

“Don’t invest in that,” Tong Yue patted the hand resting on her waist. “At best, the movie will break even—no loss, but no profit either.”

Tong Yue thought: In the novels, it’s always the award-winning films that have mediocre box office numbers—too niche.

Meng Yuqi didn’t care about any novel logic. He was absolutely not going to invest in that movie. Otherwise, people might start saying his relationship with Tong Yue was on the rocks, and he definitely didn’t want anyone speculating about them breaking up.

But he couldn’t shake the thought of her standing on that balcony. She must have felt that he wasn’t showing her enough love. He vowed to make her feel adored—his love burning with passion.