Future Pet Shop

It was clear Scarf really liked the collar. The moment Lv Tiantian left, the little guy ran into Shen Yibin’s room, nimbly climbed onto the vanity, and stared at itself in the mirror. It kept adjusting the collar’s position, a look of pure satisfaction on its face, its foxy eyes crinkling into a smile.

This put even more pressure on Xia Shixuan. She immediately found Li Shiqing to rearrange their work schedules, insisting that she absolutely had to take Scarf shopping first thing in the morning. Shen Yibin saw all of this, but there wasn’t much he could do. It’s not like he could forbid Scarf from seeing one of them, right?

The next day, Director Kong and his group arrived early at Shen Yibin’s shop. After a wonderful breakfast and a short rest, Shen Yibin returned with all the necessary ingredients for the barbecue. Everyone then piled into Shen Yibin’s legendary van, ready to head for the estate on the Yunshui Riverfront. Xia Shixuan, meanwhile, had taken Murong Li and Scarf out shopping. "You guys go on ahead," she said. "I’ll bring Scarf over around lunchtime."

’Fine, it’s not like you’d be at ease if I told you not to go.’ Shen Yibin shrugged helplessly and started the car. After leaving the downtown area of Yunzhong City, he drove along the Yunshui River. On one side was the clear, winding river, and on the other, a lush forest. There were few cars on the road, and he couldn’t help but slow down to admire the beautiful scenery on both sides.

"Ah, you’d never find a place this nice in Xiangjiang. I’m going to have to spend some time in Yunzhong City every year from now on. I feel like writing a script here would bring a lot more inspiration." On his previous visits, Director Kong had always been bogged down by work with a packed schedule, so he never had a chance to truly appreciate the beauty of the Yunshui River. Looking at it now, he felt that buying an estate here was an absolute steal. "I sent photos of the villa to my contacts in Xiangjiang yesterday and asked them to find a few master craftsmen to build some custom furniture. Bin, would you like a set as well? Just consider it my housewarming gift to you."

"No, that’s okay. I’ve already picked out all my furniture, and it’ll be delivered soon." Shen Yibin’s standards for quality of life weren’t as exacting as Director Kong’s, who seemed to exclusively use pieces from master artisans. Still, Shen Yibin had also chosen items from well-known luxury brands, so by no means were they shabby.

"Oh, then you’ll probably be moving in before me," Director Kong said with a nod. "When is it scheduled for? If it’s soon, save a couple of rooms for me. I’d like to stay here a while longer." Having finally gotten some time off, he had no desire to return to Xiangjiang to deal with tedious business and the endless stream of media reporters.

"No problem. I just need to finish the final clean-up over the next couple of days, and I can move in next week. Mr. Wen and I plan to move in on the same day, so you can all come and stay then. There are plenty of rooms, anyway," Shen Yibin casually replied. He had considered the need to entertain guests during the villa’s construction. It had nearly ten bedrooms, two studies, a home theater, and a gym. Other facilities, like a swimming pool and a billiards room, were all included. Even if Director Kong and his entire entourage moved in, they wouldn’t be able to fill the place, and it would completely satisfy their daily and recreational needs.

"Oh? In that case, I’ll have to prepare a generous gift," Director Kong replied with a laugh. Fang Yuanshan also quickly made a mental note of this. This was an excellent opportunity to strengthen their relationship.

"There’s no need to be so formal. As long as everyone can get together and have a lively time, that’s all that matters." Shen Yibin had already made up his mind. He wouldn’t invite too many people—just Director Kong and his group, his classmates Qiao Wenqi, Mo Xiaomo, and Xu Ye, the employees from his shop, and old friends like Bai Yanni. Sakai Kaori and Sylvie lived too far away, so there was no need to trouble them. He could host them here whenever they had time to visit Yunzhong City.

"Okay, in that case, I’ll bring some truffles." Director Kong immediately understood Shen Yibin’s meaning and didn’t offer an overly extravagant gift. Truffles could be eaten right away, making them perfect for the occasion. Before, he might have offered a few bottles of fine red wine, but after having tasted Monkey Wine, bringing any other alcohol would just be pointless.

"In that case, I’d better study up on how to cook truffles." Chatting and laughing, they quickly arrived at the estate. The property management staff, who were already on duty, opened the main gate and welcomed them inside. They helped Shen Yibin unload the ingredients from the van and carry them down to the bank of the Yunshui River. The weather wasn’t too hot, so leaving the food out for a short while wouldn’t spoil it.

"Alright, who knows how to fish? I’ve got rods here. Whether or not we eat our fill today depends on you!" Shen Yibin announced, taking out the fishing gear he had prepared. Director Kong and Wen Yuan, who had come over upon hearing him, took the rods. Fang Yuanshan wasn’t very good at it, so he followed Shen Yibin downstream to turn over rocks and look for crabs.

Hah’Er and Xiaoliu, meanwhile, had each claimed a stretch of the riverbank. One raised its paws, while the other brandished a sharp stick, each using its preferred method to catch fish. Maphario waited on the bank, ready to pin down any fish Hah’Er swatted ashore, while the Bald Qiang couple dove into the water to herd fish toward them.

Cheeky, meanwhile, was putting on the airs of a king, perched comfortably on a branch and ordering Hah’Er around. One moment it was complaining that Hah’Er’s form was ugly, the next it was griping that the fish Hah’Er slapped ashore were too small, making Hah’Er fume with rage.

Sun Qian now had a perfect way to handle Cheeky. Seeing this, she didn’t bother scolding it. Instead, she took a small ukulele from her backpack, strummed the strings, and began to sing a song she had recently composed. Cheeky immediately quieted down, fluttered over to Sun Qian’s shoulder, and settled there with its eyes slightly closed, completely immersed in the beautiful music.

Freed from Cheeky’s incessant squawking and with the lovely music in the air, everyone’s mood became light and cheerful, and they continued to successfully catch fish and crabs.

Seeing that they had a decent haul, Shen Yibin climbed out of the river, brought out his gear, and started preparing the fish. He gutted and scaled them before marinating them in a prepared seasoning. He cut the beef and lamb into cubes and marinated them as well, then began skewering the vegetables directly onto wooden sticks.

As the sun climbed high into the sky, Shen Yibin lit the grill and began placing the prepared skewers over the fire. Seeing this, Hah’Er trotted over to his side, climbed onto a chair, took some skewers from him, and began helping him turn them. Soon, the riverbank was filled with a tantalizing mix of aromas.

"They’re ready! Who wants the first skewer?" Just as Shen Yibin held up the first skewer of grilled fish, he saw a Volkswagen Phaeton park nearby. Xia Shixuan stepped out of the car, carrying Scarf, with Murong Li following behind her.

’Wow, she really did buy Scarf a present!’ Shen Yibin stared at the silk scarf around Scarf’s neck, once again at a loss for words.