Chapter 139: Pearl Spring Park

"What should we do now?"

Zhang Mingyang looked at Bai Muqing, hesitated for a moment, and still decided to accompany her to buy her ticket before going in.

"How about..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Zhang Mingyang was dragged away by Xu Zihan. "Big sister, go in with Miss Bai after buying your tickets. I'm leaving with Zhang Mingyang first."

"Hey!"

Watching Zhang Mingyang being dragged away, Bai Muqing's expression changed instantly. "Oh, you, Zhang Mingyang! It turns out the two of you really are a pair!"

Zhang Mingyang was pulled all the way to the ticket checkpoint by Xu Zihan. Shaking off her grip, he demanded, "What are you doing? Bai Muqing is a stranger here; she doesn't know what it's like inside. It's too dangerous for a young woman alone."

"My sister is with her, what are you afraid of?" With that, she pulled Zhang Mingyang through the automatic ticket gate.

Watching her younger sister and Zhang Mingyang walk in, Xu Yuqing figured that whatever came next would just have to be handled by Bai Muqing herself.

She looked at Bai Muqing and said, "It's fine, Miss Bai. I'm a local too. After you buy your ticket, I'll take you in."

Watching the two of them disappear inside, Bai Muqing tossed her head in anger. She looked at the long queue ahead, wishing she could just cut in line right away.

"Cut in line! Right! How could I have forgotten that method?"

She turned back to Xu Yuqing and said, "Miss Xu, go wait for me at the checkpoint. I'll come find you in a moment."

With that, she stealthily sneaked forward.

"Hey!"

Seeing Bai Muqing trying to cut the line, Xu Yuqing initially wanted to stop her, but then thought better of it. *Since I've already decided to remain neutral, I won't meddle in this nonsense.*

She walked over to the checkpoint and waited for Bai Muqing.

Bai Muqing bypassed the lengthy queue and arrived at the ticket window. Scanning the crowd of people waiting in line to find a target, she finally spotted a young man looking around blankly.

Having found her target, she hurried over to his side.

"Hey? Why are you cutting in line?"

People further back in the queue noticed and immediately stopped her.

"I'm not cutting in line. This is my boyfriend; he's been holding my spot the whole time." With that, she locked her arm through the young man's in an intensely intimate display.

The young man was startled as well. He never expected an attractive woman to suddenly throw herself into his arms. He shouted back at the crowd behind him, "That's right! This is my girlfriend. She just stepped away to buy something."

"This is your girlfriend?"

The men further back looked at him standing next to Bai Muqing. No matter how they looked at it, they didn't look like a couple. How could such an ugly guy have such a gorgeous girlfriend? Male jealousy caused them to glance sideways at their own girlfriends. *Why is my girlfriend so ugly by comparison?*

The women's thoughts, however, were quite different. Looking at the two of them, they all assumed this woman must have found herself a wealthy second-generation heir—a little vixen! She was definitely after the man's money.

Suspicion remained suspicion, though. Since both individuals had already declared their relationship, the onlookers had nothing more to say.

Before long, Bai Muqing reached the ticket window, and the young man beside her hurriedly paid for two tickets.

Seeing this, Bai Muqing quickly stopped him. "No need! I can buy them myself." With that, she paid for the two tickets herself.

The young man thought to himself: *Could my luck be turning around today? Not only does a beauty throw herself into my arms, but she's also a little wealthy woman!*

After getting the tickets, Bai Muqing linked her arm through the young man's as they walked toward the ticket checkpoint. She kept glancing back at the crowd, and as soon as they were a safe distance away, she hurriedly let go of his arm.

"Thank you. I'll be going now."

Realizing Bai Muqing was about to leave, the young man quickly intercepted her. "Miss, can I get your number?"

Bai Muqing smiled at him. "Thanks for your help earlier. Consider the ticket my treat."

With that, she pushed past the young man and sprinted toward the ticket checkpoint.

The young man watched Bai Muqing's retreating figure, sniffed his own sleeve, and sighed to himself, "Turns out I was just a prop!"

At the checkpoint, Xu Yuqing looked at the arriving Bai Muqing in surprise. "You managed to buy tickets that fast?"

Bai Muqing nodded. "Let's go inside quickly."

Passing through the gate, the two women entered the park. Bai Muqing asked Xu Yuqing, "Miss Xu, where did Zhang Mingyang and the others go?"

Xu Yuqing looked at her and hesitated, wondering whether she should help her sister out. If she led Bai Muqing on a long detour, her sister would get to spend a little more time alone with Zhang Mingyang; but if she led her straight to them, her sister would definitely scold her later.

"Well..."

"Managed to buy tickets so fast?"

Before she could finish, Zhang Mingyang and Xu Zihan walked over. As it turned out, they hadn't gone far at all; Zhang Mingyang had been lingering near the checkpoint the whole time waiting for Bai Muqing.

Seeing Zhang Mingyang, Bai Muqing smiled and walked up to his side. "Yes, someone had bought tickets but decided not to go in, so I just bought his."

Seeing Bai Muqing actively cozying up to Zhang Mingyang, Xu Zihan's expression instantly darkened. *That's not right! Who buys tickets on the spot and then decides not to go in? She definitely cut in line! I was hoping to confess my feelings to Zhang Mingyang while she was stuck in line, but now it's ruined.*

Zhang Mingyang glanced at the two women beside him, then gave Xu Yuqing a subtle look, urging her to say something quickly.

"Since everyone's inside now, let's hurry over to Pearl Spring and take a look!"

"Right! Right! It's been so long since I've been here, I have to go check if the water level in Pearl Spring has risen."

With that, he led Xu Yuqing in the direction of Pearl Spring.

"I'm coming too!"

"Wait for me!"

The two women hurriedly followed behind.

Pearl Spring was one of Jiyang's three major scenic spots, formed by three streams of water and gushing year-round. The spring water welled up from underground limestone Karst caves, discharging 70,000 cubic meters of water daily through three outlets, with a maximum daily discharge volume of 162,000 cubic meters. The spring water remained at a constant temperature of around 18°C all year round, and many local residents living nearby would come here to draw spring water for drinking.

Passing through the Guanlan Pavilion, the four of them finally caught sight of Pearl Spring.

"Wow! It's this high?"

Zhang Mingyang looked at the water level reading of 31.5 meters. "Sister Xu, I haven't been here in a few years. Now the Pearl Spring has gushed all the way up to 31 meters!"

Xu Yuqing was equally astonished by the water level. She remembered that the highest she had ever seen it during her childhood was around 29.8 meters. "Look, the water is less than a meter away from the edge."

It was Bai Muqing's first time seeing Pearl Spring. She leaned close to Zhang Mingyang and asked him, "Mingyang, I've never been to Pearl Spring before. Can you tell me something about its history?"

"Sure!"

Zhang Mingyang introduced, "Records of Pearl Spring date back 3,543 years. It is the source of the ancient Luo River, historically referred to as 'Luo'."

"Beneath Pearl Spring lies limestone formed about 400 million years ago. According to research, Pearl Spring has been gushing for roughly 40,000 years. The spring water here stays at a constant 18°C throughout the seasons. In the dead of winter, a thin layer of mist hovers over the water's surface, which we Jiyang people call 'clouds steaming and mist moistening'."

"It's summer now, but the next time you come in the winter, you'll see a blanket of white mist right beneath our feet, just like stepping on clouds. It's breathtaking."