Take My Breath Away

Erica chuckled and said, "No, I don't. I promise you that I won't take photos every day. Just occasionally, okay? But don't deprive me of my hobby, please?"

She pouted, putting her hands together as she begged him.

Seeing the pitiful look on her face, Matthew knew he would feel guilty if he denied her request. "Okay, but on one condition. I'll check your clients out and pick them for you from now on."

Clients like that effeminate young star from earlier, for example, weren't an option. Erica wouldn't benefit from getting in touch with people like him.

"What? But you are so busy..." She didn't want to bother him. "Besides, when I complained to Chantel, she told me that she didn't mean to pick out that man. It was her agent who arranged it. Next time someone wants to be photographed, she will personally check them out before sending them to me."

Although Matthew didn't seem to like the idea very much, he didn't say anything either.

At that moment, Erica knew that she had succeeded in persuading him. She then asked, "How did you know I was there?"

Rolling his eyes at her, he thought to himself, 'She has the nerve to ask?' "You were not in the mall." He had put his work aside to go to the Shining International Plaza and look for her. But the moment he got there, he realized she had fooled him.

"Ha-ha, you are so smart, honey. Oh, don't be angry! If you had allowed me to work, I wouldn't have lied to you. So, it's your..."

"It's my fault?" Matthew blurted out what she wanted to say.

'Well...' Despite her beliefs, she didn't dare to blame him out loud. "No, no, no. It's my fault. From now on, I'll tell you in advance where I'm going as long as you don't mind my bothering you!"

Matthew touched her chin, raising it slightly so he could look her in the eye. "Do tell me in advance!" How could he mind it? She was Erica, his beloved wife!

"Okay, okay!" she agreed. Since Erica had vowed to love and cherish Matthew, she would listen to him.

Then Erica sat back and closed her eyes, failing to notice when the car headed to the suburb. About ten minutes later, she looked out of the window and didn't recognize the scenery. She asked curiously, "Where are we going?"

"The zoo!" His words were short and precise.

"What?" Erica was confused. "Why do you suddenly want to go to the zoo?" Besides, shouldn't they bring their four children along for a visit to the zoo? Why were the two of them going alone then?

"You'll know when we get there."

"Where are the kids?"

"In the kindergarten."

Erica was even more puzzled. "Are you sure we should go to the zoo just the two of us?"

Matthew glanced at her and asked coldly, "You don't want to?"

How could she not? She immediately put on a smile. "Yes, of course I do!" She was happy to spend some time with him as if they were two lovers out in the world on their own.

As Erica daydreamed, a few minutes passed until Matthew elaborated a bit more, "I'll take you to see a few pets." Then he added, "I've raised them."

"What? You've kept a few pets in the zoo? How is that possible?" Erica looked at him in astonishment before she began to guess, "What kind of animal are we talking about? A little Leo? A big ti-ker? Or a big leon-bard?"

The man frowned and asked, "Is there any problem with your tongue?"

"Oh. I mean, is it a little lion, a big tiger, or a big leopard?" She had taught her sons to identify some animals in the past, but the children would frequently slip on their pronunciation, and she would unconsciously imitate them every so often.

"So what's that little Leo... Or whatever you've just mentioned?"

Embarrassed, instead of telling him the truth, Erica cleared her throat and began to talk nonsense.

"Well... the little Leo is me! Don't you remember I was born in August and I'm a Leo? I suppose I'm also a little pet you keep then!"

Matthew rolled his eyes at her. "Oh, really? You are my little pet? Then I think I should put you on a leash. Otherwise, my little pet might run away again."

Erica scratched her head and chuckled foolishly.

Finally, the car drove into the zoo. After a few minutes' ride, the vehicle stopped in front of the Panda House's gate.

Once the driver got out of the car, he opened the door for Erica while Matthew helped himself out.

Before she could decide whether she should take the camera with her or not, Matthew held her hand and said, "Let's go!"

A few staff members were already waiting for Matthew and Erica at the door. When they saw the couple coming, they greeted them warmly, "Mr. Huo, Mrs. Huo, Welcome!"

Matthew gave them a single nod as Erica replied politely, "Hello!"

Next, the staffers led the couple inside the Panda House.

Seeing many pictures and panda elements around her, Erica finally came to her senses. She then asked the man beside her, "You have kept pandas?" 'Oh, my God! This is too expensive! Pandas are a national treasure!'

"Yes, I've adopted three pandas." In fact, Matthew earned the right to adopt the pandas. He would regularly transfer money to the zoo, and the zoo would spend this money on the three pandas he chose to care for. Therefore, Matthew was the honorary owner of the three pandas.

"Oh my God, you are too extravagant!" Erica exclaimed. Matthew really stood out from everyone else. Regular people may raise a guinea pig, a boa, or even an alpaca. But Matthew chose to raise pandas. They were a national treasure, for god's sake! Rich people were indeed willful.

Matthew held her hand tightly but didn't say anything.

Afterward, the staffers took the two of them to go through a standard disinfection procedure. It was necessary to put on a one-time isolation suit, a mask, and gloves before entering the living area of the pandas.

Erica was nervous and full of expectations during the whole process. Compared to her, Matthew was very calm. With his face blank, he kept listening to Erica showering the staffers with questions such as whether she could hold a panda or not while she was inside.

Before getting into the living area of the pandas, Erica first noticed a square stone board fixed outside, with the words: Mr. Matthew Huo has adopted and raised the three pandas called Lili, Riri and Kaka since they were born.

The date of the adoption was written just below.

Staring at the three names given to the pandas, Erica felt a little strange. However, her brain didn't register the meaning behind them at that moment. She asked Matthew casually, "Did you name them? Why Lili and Riri? These names are so strange."

'Kaka is fine. But don't Lili and Riri sound almost the same?' she thought.

Matthew looked at her but didn't answer her question. Instead, he pointed at one direction and suggested, "You go and ask them yourself if they like their names."

"What?" Erica shifted her gaze to where he was pointing and said, "Wow! It's a panda! A big panda! Matthew, look, they are coming!"

Although that wasn't the first time Erica saw a panda, she never thought she would get so close to one before.

She couldn't help shaking Matthew's arm, excited to see the panda in front of her.

One of the staff members ran over to the nearest panda and picked it up. With his cheeks flushed from the effort he made to carry the animal, he waved at Erica. "Mrs. Huo... Don't you want to hug it?" In his mind, he was afraid that Erica wouldn't be strong enough to hold the panda.

"Yes, yes!" Erica immediately let go of Matthew's arm and hurried to them. "Little cutie, I'm here!"

Meanwhile, another panda noticed them coming and slid down from the tall tree. Then, it slowly crawled its way to the humans' side, circling around them.