Future Pet Shop

“Wow, Bin, your new home is incredible!” Once inside the manor, Sylvie became fascinated by the garden architecture, which blended Eastern and modern elements. She was no longer in a hurry to eat, instead grabbing Shen Yibin’s arm and insisting he give her a tour.

‘Hey, this place is a far cry from your Royal Palace, isn’t it?’ Shen Yibin hadn’t considered that the Royal Palace of Sokovia was built entirely according to Western classical aesthetics. His own manor, on the other hand, was a brand-new design by Wen Yuan, fusing ancient Chinese garden design with modern technology. Sylvie would never see architecture like this in the West, so it was only natural she’d be curious.

“Looks like these two are having a pretty good life here!” They hadn’t gone far before running into the Bald Qiang couple. These days, the two of them usually just relaxed in their private waterfront villa, only showing up on their own accord when it was time to eat. Since they were now meeting a guest from their homeland, Sylvie was delighted to see her country’s national treasures looking so healthy.

“Sigh. It’s a shame my estates are all protected historical landmarks, so I can’t just renovate them as I please. Otherwise, I’d love to build a manor just like this in Sokovia!” Sylvie lamented after the tour, sipping tea back in the living room.

“You could always find a scenic spot and build a new one. The designer lives in the villa right next door. If you’re interested, you can go discuss it with him when he gets back after the Spring Festival,” Shen Yibin suggested. He, too, liked the idea of Eastern-style architecture taking root on Western soil. In a way, it was a form of cultural exchange.

“That could work… but I’m hungry now, so let’s try your cooking first!” Sylvie rubbed her stomach and gave Shen Yibin a pitiful look, completely devoid of any princely reserve. But who could blame her? Shen Yibin’s food was just that good.

“No problem. I’ll make you some Northeastern Chinese cuisine today.” Shen Yibin left Hah’Er and Maphario to keep Sylvie company while he got busy in the kitchen. A little over an hour later, a sumptuous feast was ready.

The two of them and the pack of pets enjoyed a wonderful meal. Exhausted from her travels, Sylvie retired early to the guest room Shen Yibin had prepared for her. Shen Yibin browsed Weibo for a while, then sent Lv Tiantian a message on WeChat, making plans to go shopping with her and Scarf the next day before finally drifting off to sleep.

Early the next morning, Shen Yibin drove with Sylvie and Hah’Er to pick up Lv Tiantian. Sylvie was amazed by Carmen’s performance along the way, but grew dejected when she learned the car had already been claimed by someone else. “Oh, Bin, you have to consider me next time you get such a magical pet!”

“We’ll see!” Shen Yibin couldn’t help but break out in a sweat. ‘If she’s already like this over Carmen, how is she going to react to Scarf, who’s even more irresistible to girls?’

“This is Lv Tiantian, and this is her pet, Scarf. This is Sylvie, one of the shop’s old hands.” Sure enough, the moment she saw the beautiful Scarf, Sylvie couldn’t tear her eyes away. She managed to maintain her composure while Lv Tiantian was around, but the moment she left to buy drinks, Sylvie couldn’t help but complain again. “Bin, why do you never think of me when you get these pets?” ‘It’s so frustrating. Don’t you even consider me a friend?’

“Sigh, it’s a matter of fate!” Shen Yibin broke out in another nervous sweat. ‘It’s not like I get to decide who the pets go to, so what am I supposed to do? Hmm, how about this? Next time there’s a new pet, I’ll test your affinity level with it first. If you meet the requirements, I’ll let you know right away.’

When they got to the department store and started shopping, Sylvie grew even more envious. The outfits Scarf picked out for her looked even better on her than the ensembles chosen by the Royal Palace’s image consultants. And these were people who had to be renowned European fashion gurus just to qualify for the position.

“So, Tiantian, you’re planning to study fashion design? How about this: after you get into college, I can set you up with an exchange program in Europe! I’ll recommend you to the top schools in Paris and Milan!” Since Scarf was already taken, Sylvie couldn’t very well fight for him. So, she came up with a new plan: lure Lv Tiantian and Scarf over to Europe as a package deal. Then she could hang out with them and go shopping together in fashion hubs like the Champs-Élysées, Savile Street, and Monte Napoleon Street in Milan.

Lv Tiantian hesitated. As an aspiring fashion designer, she naturally dreamed of fashion capitals like Paris and Milan. However, going would mean being away from home for a long time, and she didn’t feel right about leaving her grandmother alone in Yunzhong City.

“If you want to go, you should go. An exchange program is only for a semester or two. From what I’ve seen, your grandmother is in good health, and we’ll be here to help look after her. It won’t be a problem,” Shen Yibin coaxed. “An opportunity like this is rare. It would be a real shame to miss it.” Shen Yibin could almost see a future top-tier fashion designer on the rise.

“There’s no need to decide right away. Whenever you make up your mind, just let Bin know, and I’ll arrange everything for you.” Sylvie didn’t press the issue, instead leading Scarf toward the next store. That was all for the future; right now, she had to seize the moment and get her shopping fix.

Unfortunately, with the Spring Festival just around the corner, the shops had already cleared out most of their inventory, so Sylvie couldn’t shop to her heart’s content. Despite this, the clothes she bought still managed to nearly fill Shen Yibin’s trunk.

‘Women are terrifying creatures! If Scarf went with her to the Champs-Élysées and Monte Napoleon Street, she’d probably need a truck the size of Optimus Prime to hold all the clothes she’d buy, right?’

Once they finished shopping and returned to the manor, Sylvie holed up in her bedroom, constantly trying on her new clothes. She would pop out from time to time to ask for Shen Yibin’s opinion, dazzling him with the sheer variety.

The next day was for putting up Spring Festival couplets and hanging red lanterns. Dressed in her new clothes, Sylvie curiously followed Shen Yibin as he bustled about. When she saw a New Year’s print of Hah’Er holding a gold ingot, she couldn’t resist snapping a bunch of pictures and sharing them on her social media, teaching many foreigners about the Chinese custom of putting up these prints for the holiday.

“Alright, the New Year’s prints are up. Let’s move on to the couplets!” Shen Yibin walked to the villa’s main entrance, holding a set of Spring Festival couplets. He had commissioned these specially from a master calligrapher.

“Let me see what they say.” Sylvie took the couplets from Shen Yibin, unrolled them, and slowly read the lines aloud. “Soulful eyes are framed in rings of black; a pristine belly fed on bamboo shoots… Huh? This seems to be about Hah’Er, isn’t it?”