Future Pet Shop

Hah’Er was lying comfortably on a stone slope, grinning in his sleep over some unknown dream, drool pooling on the ground beside him. But sweet dreams are often accompanied by nightmares. The plot of his dream took a sudden turn, and Hah’Er couldn’t help but convulse with a shiver. That shiver was all it took to send him sliding down the stone slope. With a PLOP, he fell into the Yunshui River, startling Shen Yibin, Xiaoliu, and Bald Qiang awake.

"Hah’Er!" The sight that greeted Shen Yibin the moment he opened his eyes gave him a terrible fright. He shot up, ready to jump into the Yunshui River and pull Hah’Er out, but Bald Qiang was faster. Bald Qiang moved past Shen Yibin and took a mighty leap, diving into the river. With a couple of flicks of his tail, he was at Hah’Er’s side. He dove under Hah’Er and pushed him above the water’s surface.

"Mmph!" As soon as his head broke the surface, Hah’Er snapped out of his panic. He actually knew how to swim; he had just been so startled that he’d swallowed a couple mouthfuls of water. The moment he could breathe again, he was back to normal. Paddling with all four limbs, he quickly swam to the bank.

"Here, lie down, spit all the water out." Shen Yibin quickly helped him lie down. After Hah’Er coughed up a few mouthfuls of water, Shen Yibin took off his own shirt to dry Hah’Er’s fur. He had wanted to take off Hah’Er’s clothes as well. The top wasn’t a problem, but when he tried to pull off the large shorts, the fella absolutely refused.

"Hey, you’ll catch a cold wearing wet clothes! It’s winter!" Shen Yibin said helplessly, tugging at the waistband of Hah’Er’s shorts. ’There’s no one else here, what the hell are you so shy for? Look at Xiaoliu, Bald Qiang, and Maphario—which one of them isn’t running around bare-naked? Why are you being so damn particular?’

"Hmph!" However, his persuasion was utterly useless. Hah’Er gripped the waistband tightly with both paws, refusing to let Shen Yibin pull the shorts off, acting for all the world like a young maiden fending off a hooligan.

"Sigh. Here, wrap my shirt around your waist. It’ll have to do for now. I’ll drive you back to change right away." Shen Yibin was out of options. He took off his dress shirt and gave it to Hah’Er to wrap around his waist. His jacket was already too wet to wear after being used to dry Hah’Er, and now he’d sacrificed his shirt as well. Only then did Hah’Er reluctantly agree. But this left Shen Yibin’s upper body completely bare. Although winters in Yunzhong City weren’t as cold as in the north, this was still hard to bear. Before long, he was covered in goosebumps, shivering uncontrollably. He quickly herded his pets into the car and blasted the heat, only then starting to feel better.

He started the car and sped toward Xu Ye’s villa. It wasn’t just that he himself couldn’t stand the cold; Hah’Er had just been soaked in icy water and needed a hot bath right away. If he caught a cold, Shen Yibin would be worried to death.

The moment the car stopped, Shen Yibin rushed out carrying Hah’Er. He brought him to his own bedroom, turned on the shower to let him wash up, and then filled the bathtub with hot water so he could soak for a while afterward. Only after taking care of all this did Shen Yibin finally emerge from the room. The flurry of activity had left him covered in sweat, and he’d completely forgotten to put on a shirt.

"Well, well, Boss. I never realized you had such a great body. A six-pack and V-lines, too?" The moment he stepped through the door, he saw Xia Shixuan, her eyes gleaming as they scanned his bare torso. She even licked her lips provocatively.

"You didn’t go to work today?" Shen Yibin was stunned. ’It’s supposed to be working hours,’ he thought. ’What the hell is she doing here? Dammit, she saw me completely shirtless!’

"I’m on leave today!" Xia Shixuan said with an innocent shrug. Far from being embarrassed at seeing his bare chest, she took two steps forward, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Don’t worry. I won’t look for free. I’ll take responsibility for you. Or... how about I let you have a look in return?"

’Take responsibility my ass!’ Shen Yibin thought. ’I’m not some chaste maiden from the old days! And look in return? What the hell... Her body is... ahem. Well, Xia Shixuan’s figure was actually quite impressive. The offer was... For a moment, Shen Yibin was genuinely tempted.’

"Come on, why don’t we go to my room so you can get a good look?" Xia Shixuan was a seasoned pro; how could she miss the flicker of change in his expression? Suppressing a laugh, she moved forward to take his arm.

"Hah’Er just fell in the water! I need to go make him some soup to warm him up." Shen Yibin quickly found an excuse and bolted for the kitchen. ’If I stay here any longer, this vixen is going to eat me alive!’ he thought. ’I can’t provoke her, but I can certainly run away! Better keep my distance!’

"Oh dear, I offered you a look and you wouldn’t even take it. Are you saying my body isn’t good enough? I’m so hurt!" Xia Shixuan didn’t give chase. She just stood there and called out in a mock-plaintive voice, which only made Shen Yibin run even faster.

’Crap, I was so focused on escaping I forgot to go back and get a shirt.’ When he reached the kitchen, Shen Yibin realized that cooking stir-fry bare-chested would be awkward. Besides, splattering hot oil on his skin would be painful. There was an apron in the kitchen, but wearing an apron with nothing underneath felt even weirder. ’What do I do now?’

"Maphario, could you go see if Shi Xuan has left? If she has, come back and tell me," Shen Yibin pleaded, turning to his last hope. The little creature had followed him all the way from the bedroom to the kitchen.

"SQUEAK SQUEAK!" Maphario understood Shen Yibin’s request. He scrambled down from his shoulder, scurried out of the kitchen, and headed for Shen Yibin’s bedroom.

But before Maphario could return, Xia Shixuan appeared. Leaning against the doorframe, she dangled a shirt from her hand. "Found this in your room. Need help putting it on?"

"I’ll do it myself!" ’Dammit,’ he fumed internally, ’I can’t live like this! It’s always the boss who flirts with the employee. How come in my case, I’m the one getting flirted with?’

"You’re breaking my heart. You won’t give a girl a chance," Xia Shixuan grumbled with a pout. She swayed gracefully over to Shen Yibin and pushed the shirt into his arms. With her fingers held in a delicate pose, her ring and pinky fingers "accidentally-on-purpose" grazed his chest. The touch felt like an electric jolt, making Shen Yibin shiver involuntarily.

’Dammit, she totally took advantage of me!’ A torrent of curses flooded Shen Yibin’s mind. ’What has the world come to?’

"Alright, you can put your shirt on now." Xia Shixuan went back to the doorframe, leaning against it with her arms crossed. She stared at Shen Yibin without blinking, her gaze still roaming over his upper body.

’Hey! How am I supposed to change with you watching?’ he thought. ’This is incredibly awkward, okay?’ Shen Yibin clutched the shirt, completely at a loss for what to do. ’What terrible luck to have an employee like her!’