"That's right, you're not seeing things," Yang Qi replied, suppressing a laugh.
"Oh... my... god..."
Ye Haibing looked like all the strength had been drained from his body. His jaw hung open as he slowly slid off the sofa, landing on the floor with a thud. His eyes glazed over as he mumbled.
"It's become a spirit!"
Watching Xiaojiu's string of eerily human-like reactions, Gao Zhenyue exclaimed, "It's a spirit! This cat is definitely a spirit!"
"Don't be ridiculous. Animals aren't allowed to become spirits after the founding of the nation."
Qian Yu laughed as she retorted, "That just proves Xiaojiu is exceptionally smart, just like how there are geniuses and idiots among people."
"Yes, yes! Xiaojiu is a feline genius!"
Song Wan quickly chimed in, extending her hands again to beckon Xiaojiu over.
But Xiaojiu just turned its head away, leaped onto the back of the sofa, and presented her with its rear, the tip of its tail swaying elegantly.
An idea flashed in Song Wan's eyes. She suddenly cupped her hands in a traditional fist-and-palm salute, just like in a historical drama, and bowed respectfully in Xiaojiu's direction, her tone earnest.
"Lord Xiaojiu, I was wrong just now. I shouldn't have spoken so carelessly. Your Excellency is magnanimous, so could you please forgive me this one time?"
After speaking, she even pressed her palms together in a pleading gesture.
Only then did Xiaojiu slowly turn around. It tilted its head, studying her for a few seconds as if to gauge her sincerity, before "reluctantly" padding over and leaping back into her lap, where it settled into a comfortable position.
The entire interaction between human and cat left Gao Zhenyue, Ye Haibing, and Qian Yu marveling, exclaiming repeatedly that the cat was simply incredible.
Qian Yu couldn't resist scooting over, squeezing in next to Song Wan to play with Xiaojiu.
...
A little after eleven, the takeout Yang Qi had ordered was delivered.
Gao Zhenyue and Ye Haibing volunteered to run to the main gate to pick up the food.
When they returned, they were carrying several large, full bags. Seeing the rich, hearty dishes inside, Gao Zhenyue was taken aback.
"Brother Qi, you're too generous! This must have cost a fortune."
"The most important thing is that everyone has a good time eating and drinking. It's my pleasure," Yang Qi said with a smile as he set out the bowls and chopsticks. "Next time, it'll be your and Old Ye's turn to treat."
"No problem!"
The two of them promised, patting their chests.
Laughing and joking, the group of five enjoyed a lively lunch in the dining room of Yang Qi's new home.
After a short rest, Yang Qi acted as their guide, leading Gao Zhenyue and the other three on a tour of the Zoo.
The first stop was the wolf enclosure.
Upon their arrival, Happy recognized Yang Qi at a glance and immediately rushed over. It pawed at the enclosure, its tail wagging like a pinwheel, letting out excited "AWOO" "AWOO" sounds, its eyes filled with anticipation.
[Go out]
[Eat tasty food]
Yang Qi held back a laugh and deliberately ignored the wolf's expectant gaze. He glanced at it a few times like an ordinary visitor, then pretended to leave.
Seeing this, Happy instantly deflated as if all its energy had been drained away. Its ears and tail drooped simultaneously, and it let out a deeply pathetic whimper before flopping listlessly back onto the ground, burying its head in its paws.
The stark contrast in its behavior made Gao Zhenyue and the other three roar with laughter.
"I'm sure of it now. This wolf is definitely a reincarnated husky!" Gao Zhenyue declared.
"Or maybe," Ye Haibing said with a straight face, "it just *is* a husky!"
"Oh, please," Qian Yu said disdainfully.
"How is that nonsense?"
Ye Haibing retorted, "What if—just what if—the Zoo staff really mistook a husky for a Gray Wolf?"
"..."
Still joking around, they left the wolf enclosure and went to the Red Fox exhibit.
Tongtong was sunbathing on the rockery. When it saw Yang Qi, it voluntarily stood up, walked over, nodded at him, and gave a soft whimper by way of greeting.
The keeper, Xu Ping, saw this and said to Yang Qi with envy, "Brother Yang, you've really got the magic touch. Tongtong is usually so aloof. I've been feeding it for ages, and it's never greeted me so proactively."
"Brother Qi, you're amazing!"
Gao Zhenyue gave him a thumbs-up.
"I'm starting to believe Brother Qi is a Druid," Ye Haibing added, nodding.
Song Wan and Qian Yu nodded in agreement.
Yang Qi's way with animals had completely blown their minds.
...
After seeing Tongtong, the group followed the visitor path and toured a few other animal exhibits.
As they approached Monkey Mountain, Yang Qi's phone buzzed. He pulled it out and saw a message from Cheng Yao.
"Yang Qi, are you at the Zoo? The red panda, Tutu, isn't doing well. It suddenly lost its appetite today. Could you come and take a look?"
Yang Qi immediately replied, "I'm here. Be right there."
He then turned to Gao Zhenyue and the others to explain. "There's an issue with the red panda, so I need to go check on it. Do you want to come along, or would you rather keep exploring on your own?"
"A red panda?"
Hearing this, Ye Haibing's curiosity was piqued. "Is that the small, reddish-brown animal that looks like a raccoon?"
"That's the one," Yang Qi confirmed with a nod.
Upon hearing this, Gao Zhenyue waved his hands excitedly. "Let's go, let's go! We can all go see. This is the perfect chance to witness our very own Yang Druid in action!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
Song Wan chimed in happily.
And so, the five of them found an empty tour cart by the side of the road. With Yang Qi at the wheel, they hurried toward the red panda exhibit.
When they arrived at the exhibit, Yang Qi had just parked the cart when Cheng Yao, who was already waiting at the entrance, waved them over frantically.
She was dressed in stylish casual wear today, looking youthful and vibrant.
Gao Zhenyue's and Ye Haibing's eyes immediately lit up. They sidled up to Yang Qi and asked in a hushed tone.
"Brother Qi, not bad. Who's the beautiful lady?"
Qian Yu and Song Wan also subconsciously perked up their ears.
Yang Qi shot them a weary look. "She's a colleague from the marketing department. She runs the Zoo's official social media accounts and films short videos of the animals. Could you guys stop being so nosy?"
With that, he strode forward and asked, "Cheng Yao, what's going on?"
The zookeeper beside her, Xiaowang, chimed in with a worried expression. "We're not sure of the specifics yet. Tutu was perfectly fine yesterday, eating heartily. But for some reason today, it won't touch anything—bamboo leaves, apples, the special nutrient pellets. It just lies there, completely listless."
Cheng Yao added, "It doesn't seem to have any obvious physical problems. It's a complete change from when I was filming it a couple of days ago. I started to suspect it might be a psychological issue, which is why I wanted you to take a look."
Yang Qi nodded, his gaze shifting to the small, reddish-brown creature slumped on a perch inside the enclosure, its signature bushy tail hanging limply. He turned to Xiaowang and said, "Alright, open the door. I'll go in and have a chat with Tutu."
"Huh?"
Xiaowang was taken aback. "Is... is that alright?" he asked, stunned. "Red pandas aren't very aggressive, but just walking right in..."
"We'll only know if it's alright after we talk," Yang Qi said. His tone was calm, but it held a convincing certainty.
Cheng Yao chimed in to support him. "Let Yang Qi try. He's very capable. You saw how well Tongtong and Happy listen to him, right?"
"Well... alright, then."
Dubiously, Xiaowang took out his keys and unlocked the door to the inner enclosure.
Yang Qi centered himself and slowly stepped inside the enclosure.
As he approached the red panda named Tutu, when he was still about two or three meters away—
[Task Triggered: A 'Hidden Mountain Beast' with a heavy heart has been discovered. The Host is requested to resolve the issue as soon as possible and help the beast overcome its sorrow.]
'A heavy heart again?'