Future Pet Shop

’Next to Häagen-Dazs is a fashion boutique. It’s not edible, so why the hell are you dragging me in here?’ But Scarf was insistent, so Shen Yibin had no choice but to follow. Once inside the boutique, he caught his reflection in a full-length mirror and instantly understood. In the mirror, the newly-styled Shen Yibin looked bright and handsome, but his clothes clashed completely with his new vibe. Even he, a complete amateur when it came to fashion, could see it.

’Fine. Not only a new hairstyle, but now you want to buy me new clothes, too? Alright, I’ll listen to you. Whatever you say goes.’ Looking around, he saw that the price tags on the clothes were all four figures or more. In the past, Shen Yibin probably wouldn’t have dared to step inside. But now, it didn’t matter. His store’s daily income was more than that.

"Sir, I’m sorry, we don’t allow pets in the... Oh, it’s Mr. Bin! What can I help you find today?" The salesperson stopped mid-sentence. Completely ignoring the store’s rules, she eagerly came forward to greet him. High-end boutiques like this made a point of studying the city’s famous figures, and she had quickly recognized Shen Yibin. After all, Bin brought his pet to meetings with Mayor Wang. It was an honor to have him in her store, so why would she make a fuss over the rules? It had to be said, some people really did have special privileges. Besides, the foxes looked so cute that even other customers wouldn’t be put off by them.

"Oh, I’m just looking around. You don’t need to attend to me. Go on with your work; I’ll call you if I see something I like." Shen Yibin waved his hand and headed toward the men’s section with Scarf. The salesperson didn’t leave, however. She followed behind them at a leisurely pace, close enough to respond to Shen Yibin’s summons at a moment’s notice but far enough not to disturb their shopping. This wasn’t something an average salesperson could do; it required rigorous training to achieve such a level of service.

The salesperson followed Shen Yibin with a calm, professional smile. But when she saw what happened next, her smile froze. The flawless, snow-white fox leaped onto a clothing rack, grabbed a dark, striped shirt with its teeth, and started pulling at it. ’Oh no, it’s going to ruin that shirt!’

"Are you saying this one would look good on me?" Shen Yibin looked troubled. He usually dressed casually and always felt a bit constrained in more formal clothes like button-down shirts. Unless it was for a formal event, he would never even consider wearing shirts or suits.

Scarf nodded and continued to tug at the shirt’s collar, trying to pull it off the hanger. Shen Yibin quickly reached out to help. "Hey, let me get it. Next time, just point to the clothes you like. You don’t have to get them yourself." ’Great. Looks like I have to buy this shirt no matter what. If anyone else saw a fox had been biting it, they’d never even consider buying it.’ Shen Yibin draped the shirt over his arm and followed Scarf onward.

"Okay, these khaki slacks? Got it, I’ll grab them." As they went, the pile of clothes draped over Shen Yibin’s arm grew larger and larger, much to the excitement of the salesperson following behind. The total for all these clothes would be no small sum; she would probably blow past her sales quota for the month. ’Thank goodness I was quick enough to recognize Mr. Bin earlier. If I’d kept arguing about the pet rule and made him angry, this huge sale would have walked right out the door.’

After a full lap around the men’s section, Scarf finally stopped, sat down, and looked up at Shen Yibin expectantly. Shen Yibin thought for a moment, understood what it meant, and raised his hand to call the salesperson. "Excuse me, where are the dressing rooms?"

"Right this way, sir! I’ll take you there." The salesperson immediately hurried over, took the clothes from Shen Yibin, and held them with both hands. She escorted him to the dressing room door. Shen Yibin took the clothes, pushed the door open, and went inside. Scarf zipped in right after him. ’Hey, this isn’t Uniqlo. Why the hell are you following me into the dressing room?’

It didn’t take long for Shen Yibin to understand Scarf’s intentions. As he tried on the clothes, Scarf circled him, observing carefully. The moment Shen Yibin had the shirt on, it trotted over with a pair of slacks. He put them on and saw they were a perfect match. When he tried on a different pair of jeans, Scarf brought over a T-shirt to go with them.

What was even more incredible was that every piece of clothing Scarf had picked for Shen Yibin fit him to a T. They needed no alterations and could be worn straight off the rack. They looked as if they had been tailor-made for him. Even Shen Yibin, who didn’t usually care much about his appearance, didn’t want to take them off once he put them on.

In just a few minutes, he had tried everything on. Shen Yibin was extremely satisfied with every outfit. In the end, he just tossed his old clothes into a plastic bag and walked out wearing the jeans and T-shirt Scarf had picked for him. The salesperson waiting by the door saw him, and her eyes lit up. She couldn’t help but praise him. "Mr. Bin, those clothes are a perfect fit for you! You look even more handsome than our store’s models." As she spoke, her cheeks flushed slightly. Who knew what she was thinking?

"Bag all of these up for me. Oh, and this set I’m wearing—I’ll just wear it out." Shen Yibin handed the rest of the selected clothes to the salesperson.

The salesperson took the clothes with both hands. "Of course. I’ll cut the tags off the ones you’re wearing." After cutting off the tags, she led Shen Yibin to the register, neatly folded the clothes, and placed them in a shopping bag. Shen Yibin took out his credit card and paid. From the moment he entered the store to now, a mere ten minutes had passed, and Shen Yibin had already spent a five-figure sum on clothes.

She walked Shen Yibin to the door and watched him get into his car before turning to go back inside. She had worked at the store for a long time but had rarely seen a customer choose clothes so decisively. And for the clothes to be such a perfect fit for the owner’s style... that fox’s talent was truly astounding, she thought with admiration.

When he got back to the car, Shen Yibin noticed the Häagen-Dazs ice cream he had left on the dashboard hadn’t even melted yet, a testament to how fast Scarf was at picking out clothes.

’Hmm, I really do look pretty handsome,’ Shen Yibin thought, catching a glimpse of himself in the rearview mirror. He nodded in satisfaction, started the car, and began driving toward his store. When he arrived at the entrance, his heart suddenly sank. ’I’m screwed. The store’s not going to get any peace now!’

Just as he expected, the moment he opened the door and stepped inside, Xia Shixuan and the others rushed over. They surrounded Shen Yibin, looking him up and down for a long time and not missing a single detail. Finally, Xia Shixuan stood before him, her eyes wide and sparkling as she gazed at him. "Bin, you look absolutely amazing today!"