Future Pet Shop

Shen Yibin was oblivious to all this. He was happily inviting Director Kong and the others into his vehicle. Director Kong and Sun Qian got into Shen Yibin's car, while Fang Yuanshan and Murong Li went with Xia Shixuan. The moment they were inside, Cheeky immediately started teasing Hah'Er again. "Chubby, you must've been so lonely lately without me around to talk to, huh?"

"Hmph!" Hah'Er glared and let out a muffled grunt, as if to protest how content he'd been. But in his paw, he held out a jabuticaba for Cheeky. After being apart for so long, he really had missed the noisy little guy.

Cheeky froze for a second before flying onto Hah'Er's shoulder to take the jabuticaba. He didn't forget to mutter a few words, looking with great disdain at the two bamboo shoots on Hah'Er's collar. Hah'Er didn't get angry, just chuckled foolishly. After they horsed around for a bit, Cheeky finished nibbling the jabuticaba clean and turned to Sun Qian. "Qianqian, didn't you bring a gift for Hah'Er? Give it to him now, why don't you? Ahem, Qianqian bought this. It has nothing to do with me at all."

'Ha, talk about protesting too much. If he hadn't said that, I would've actually thought Sun Qian bought it. But now that he has...' Shen Yibin couldn't help but shake his head. 'It's obvious you were the one thinking about Hah'Er and picked out a gift for him, but you just have to be stubborn. Is this that legendary "the mouth says no, but the body is honest" thing?'

"Director Kong, should we head to the hotel for you to rest first? Or go straight to my shop? Or we could go to the outskirts to see the manor? The interior renovations will be finished in a few more days," Shen Yibin asked, holding back his laughter.

"Let's go to your shop first! You still have Monkey Wine, right?" To Director Kong, nothing was more important than Monkey Wine. "I've been run ragged lately. I plan to take a good, long rest in Yunzhong City this time. There will be plenty of time to go see the manor later. Today, I need to satisfy this craving first."

"You've really had a tough time lately." The number of events Shen Yibin and Hah'Er had attended was probably less than a fifth of Director Kong's. Even so, they were already wiped out. Director Kong, on the other hand, had been taking the main cast and crew all over the world without a break, attending all sorts of promotional events, variety shows, and special interviews... Shen Yibin could clearly see that the director was much thinner than when they had first met. "In that case, stay in Yunzhong City for a few more days. I'll figure out some nutritious meals to cook for you and help you put that weight back on," Shen Yibin said with a smile.

"Alright, it's a deal then. We'll go to your shop today to drink and chat, and check out the manor tomorrow. By the way, is that Mr. Wen around? I brought a gift for him." Director Kong was extremely satisfied with Wen Yuan's design. As for Shen Yibin, such things weren't necessary. Their relationship was well beyond the point of caring about gifts.

In Xia Shixuan's car, the conversation was on a completely different topic. Murong Li sat in the passenger seat, her eyes repeatedly drifting over Xia Shixuan. "Xia, how do you choose your clothes? Your outfits are put together so well, even better than what the designers do for me on the red carpet. Can we go shopping together tomorrow? I'd love to learn a few things from you!" For an actress like her, fashion sense was an incredibly important skill, so Murong Li couldn't help herself the moment she saw Xia Shixuan's ensemble. If she could learn a few styling tricks, she could arrange for a partner media outlet to release some "candid" street photos and win over a new wave of fans.

"Oh, this is hardly my own doing!" Xia Shixuan sighed. 'I wish I really had this kind of skill.' "But I can introduce you to the master stylist. As for whether *it* is willing to help, that I can't say." Things had been fine a few days ago, but over the last couple of days, Xia Shixuan had a nagging feeling that her relationship with Scarf was changing again.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Xia," Murong Li said, pressing her palms together in a gesture of thanks. "Oh, right, Chanel sent me a few invitations for Paris Spring Fashion Week. Why don't you come to Paris with me for a few days, Xia?" Murong Li certainly understood the principle of quid pro quo and immediately made a sincere offer.

"A lot of people must want an invitation like that, right? Would it be inappropriate for me to go?" If it had been an ordinary gift, Xia Shixuan wouldn't have thought much of it. After all, given her wealth, what luxury brand hadn't she seen? But this invitation wasn't something your average rich person could obtain. She could probably find a way to get one, but her seats definitely wouldn't be as good as the ones Murong Li was offering.

"No problem at all! I haven't told anyone else yet. How many tickets do you need, Xia?" Murong Li said without a moment's hesitation. This wasn't just about getting Xia Shixuan to introduce her to that master stylist. The sequel to *Panda Hero* was still up in the air, and Shen Yibin held a crucial vote on the matter. Since Murong Li's more... direct advances on him had failed, her only option was to take a roundabout approach and win over the people in his circle first. As long as she could get a part in the *Panda Hero* sequel, what did a few invitations matter?

'She has more than one? In that case, who else can I bring? Scarf would definitely love it. Shi Qing would probably want to go, too. Gao Shu and Nannan likely wouldn't want to travel that far... oh, and Tiantian wants to study fashion design. Should I bring her along? But would that be too many people? Will she have enough invitations?' Xia Shixuan started running through a mental list of people.

'Ah, whatever. I'll just go back and ask everyone first. If there aren't enough invitations, worst-case scenario, I can just ask Sylvie for help. She's a princess and a celebrity in the Western fashion world. For her, getting a few more invitations would be as simple as asking.'

"Let me go back and think it over. I'll let you know once I've figured it out," Xia Shixuan replied with a nod.

"Great! I'll be waiting for your good news, Xia!" Murong Li shot a glance at Fang Yuanshan, a triumphant smile on her face.

"Well now, Sixth Master, you're looking as hale and hearty as ever!" Back at the shop, the first being Director Kong sought out was Xiaoliu. His access to Monkey Wine depended entirely on the little guy. The moment he caught the familiar scent of Monkey Wine, even the way he addressed the monkey changed.

"This is Mr. Wen. Mr. Wen, this is Director Kong, and these two are Fang Yuanshan and Murong Li..." Shen Yibin made the introductions. "Okay, why don't you all have some tea and chat for a while? I'm going to go start making dinner."

"Who needs tea? Let's get straight to the drinks!" Director Kong sniffed the air, followed the aroma, and fished a bottle out from under the coffee table, immediately taking a drink.

Meanwhile, Xia Shixuan led Murong Li over to a glass-front cooler. She tapped on the door, waking Scarf from its sleep. Stroking its smooth fur, she said, "This is the one who picks out all my clothes."