Love Me in Another Universe

Chapter 80. An Unsent Love Letter

August 17, 1999, Tuesday.

Gao Xinglang and Guan Xuchen were sitting on a bus heading to Panyu District of Guangzhou.

Guan Xuchen said excitedly, "Lang, Xiangjiang Wildlife Park has been open for over a year. I've wanted to go there for ages, but Mom always says the 60-yuan ticket is too expensive. I never thought we'd actually make it this time. Thank you!"

"No problem. These tickets were a gift from Dad's friend anyway." Gao Xinglang grinned, "I remember you mentioned wanting to visit this zoo when we volunteered at the kindergarten last year. Since I have the tickets, of course I want to go there with you."

"Thank you for remembering that..." Guan Xuchen said, touched, then added with a faint grumble, "But this zoo is so far from downtown. The bus ride alone takes over an hour..."

"That's true." Gao Xinglang shrugged, then said optimistically, "Maybe one day there'll be a metro line to Panyu. Then it'll be much easier for us to go there again."

Around ten in the morning, they finally reached the entrance of Xiangjiang Wildlife Park. After having their tickets checked, they went in.

Once inside, Guan Xuchen spotted the tree-lined grounds, trotted happily for a short distance, then returned to Gao Xinglang's side, exclaiming, "Lang, this place is way bigger than the zoo downtown!"

Gao Xinglang watched Guan Xuchen's eager antics, thinking the latter looked like a curious little kitten. He smiled and said, "You're already this excited and you haven't even seen the animals yet. When you do, you might just jump for joy."

Guan Xuchen smiled sheepishly, then walked further into the park with Gao.

They wandered for a while, checking out flamingos and other birds, before noticing a long queue. They went over to ask and found out it was for a free mini-train ride, which would take them closer to tigers, lions, and other wild animals.

"Lang, Lang, let's line up for the mini-train ride!" Guan Xuchen said, clearly excited.

"But we'll probably have to wait at least half an hour..." Gao Xinglang glanced at the long line, looking hesitant, but finally smiled and said, "But since we're here, let's wait in line."

They chatted and joked while waiting, and time seemed to fly by. After about half an hour, they finally boarded the mini train. An orange-red locomotive pulled several carriages of the same color, trundling slowly into the safari area. Sitting on the train, Guan Xuchen glanced at Gao Xinglang beside him and felt as if he were in a fairy tale.

The mini train passed through scenic areas such as "Australian Forest," "American Jungle," "West Asian Desert," "South Asian Rainforest," "South African Plateau," and "East African Grassland." On the artificial grasslands and in the manmade rainforests, kangaroos bounded freely, ostriches strolled casually, antelopes glanced around, and elephants played merrily... All the animals lived without a care. Guan Xuchen and Gao Xinglang, like the other visitors, couldn't help but gasp in amazement.

But what stuck with them most was the "Wild Zone." In the nearby rainforests and thickets, lions, tigers, jackals, leopards, and other fierce predators stared intently at every passing mini train. Of course, a wide moat separated visitors from the beasts, keeping everyone safe while still letting them get a good look. Even though Guan Xuchen knew the lions and tigers couldn't reach the train, their sharp stares still made him a little jittery. But when he saw Gao Xinglang beside him, snapping photos of the beasts with his point-and-shoot and laughing loudly, he felt much calmer.

The 45-minute train ride ended in a flash. Guan Xuchen got off reluctantly, turning to Gao Xinglang and said emotionally, "Lang, wouldn't it be amazing if we could visit a real savanna someday?"