People in this country love a spectacle.
Even a couple of people bickering on the street can draw a crowd, to say nothing of a national treasure—a giant panda—who had just started dancing.
"Encore!"
a tourist shouted from outside the enclosure.
Shen Xin stepped back, then forward again.
Meng Lan retreated too quickly, leaned back, and plopped right on his bottom.
He didn't seem to mind at all. He just rolled backward with the momentum, chuckling to himself and hopping excitedly in place.
In the crowd, Ma Tao and the others broke out in a cold sweat, their hearts still pounding with fear.
They weren't afraid Meng Lan would hurt himself from the fall; they were afraid that in his excitement, he might take an overzealous swipe at Shen Xin.
Besides, the situation felt like it was spiraling out of control.
The tourists were all shoving their way over, and a commotion was already breaking out.
