Future Pet Shop

"Hah’Er, come here! Let me use your jacket for a second!" Fortunately, it wasn’t long before Hah’Er caught up. Shen Yibin took off its jacket, balled it up, and gently tucked it under Sun Qian’s head, finally solving the problem.

The few little guys went back to their exercises, leaving Shen Yibin to watch over Sun Qian. After a while, he grew bored and took out his phone to browse for novels. He searched for a long time but couldn’t find any good web fiction, so he ended up pulling up Master Jin’s *The Return of the Condor Heroes*.

After about an hour, Sun Qian finally stirred. She hugged the jacket wrapped around her and blinked her eyes open to see Shen Yibin. "How did I fall asleep? Thanks for your jacket."

"You’ve probably been exhausted lately, huh?" Shen Yibin feigned composure in the cold wind, but inwardly he was grumbling, ’Come on, since you’re awake, hurry up and give me back the jacket, will you?’

But Sun Qian clutched the jacket, unwilling to let go just yet. She was a little captivated by the warmth. "Yeah, I’ve been running all over the place for performances, dealing with jet lag almost every day. If you didn’t bring me Monkey Wine so often, I really wouldn’t be able to sleep."

Sun Qian sat up and noticed the jacket she had been using as a pillow. "Huh? This looks like it’s Hah’Er’s, doesn’t it? Where did he run off to?" ’Why is it Hah’Er’s jacket? When I first woke up, I thought it was...’

"Oh, he went over there to play with Cheeky and the others. They should be back soon." Shen Yibin grumbled internally again, ’Just give me the jacket already! I think I’m about to catch a cold.’

"Oh, I got so caught up in talking! Look at you, your face is a little pale. Hurry up and put this on." Sun Qian finally snapped out of it and reluctantly handed the jacket back to Shen Yibin.

The jacket, still carrying Sun Qian’s body heat, was draped over Shen Yibin’s shoulders, and he instantly felt much warmer. He could vaguely smell a faint, pleasant scent, which sent a ripple through his heart. He quickly stood up. "Looks like they’re back. We should get up and head back, too! Director Kong and the others are probably awake by now!"

A moment later, Hah’Er appeared before Shen Yibin, who quickly helped him put his jacket back on. The group set off on the path home, with only Cheeky lagging behind, muttering something under its breath that no one could make out.

"Bin, you’ve really picked an amazing spot!" Director Kong exclaimed, his face beaming, as soon as they returned. "I just lay down on the bed, listened to the sound of the river, and was out like a light. I woke up feeling completely refreshed. I can’t wait to move into my room right now!"

"No rush. My place will be ready soon, and you can be the first to move in. I’ll save a room with a view of the Yunshui River for you," Shen Yibin replied with a smile. He was incredibly pleased with the estate’s location, the surrounding scenery, and the garden design. ’Wen Yuan really is a master of his craft.’

"Great, it’s a deal!" Of course, he could also stay at Wen Yuan’s, but he wasn’t nearly as close to Wen Yuan as he was to Shen Yibin. A day or two would be fine, but any longer would feel a bit awkward. Staying at Shen Yibin’s was a much better fit. "Let’s go, continue the tour for us. I don’t think we saw that area over there yesterday, did we?"

And so, Shen Yibin led the large group of people—oh, and the pets—downstream along the bank of the Yunshui River, acting as a guide. "Not many people usually come this way. The path is pretty smooth, the air is fresh, and it’s perfect for a morning workout. A good run here and you’ll feel energized for the whole day..."

They continued the tour until four in the afternoon, at which point everyone reluctantly packed their things, got into their cars, and returned to Shen Yibin’s pet store to once again enjoy his exquisite cooking.

The very next day, Director Kong and his crew moved their luggage out of the Yunzhong Grand Hotel and had it sent directly to Wen Yuan’s villa, which was far more comfortable. For the next several days, they fell into a routine: waking up early to exercise with Shen Yibin along the Yunshui River, then returning to the bank to feast on fresh river-caught delicacies he cooked for them. In the evenings, they would drink by the river, enjoying the breeze. Their days were utterly blissful and carefree.

Soon, the new-paint smell in Shen Yibin’s villa had dissipated, the furniture was all in place, and the auspicious day for moving in had arrived. Shen Yibin gave everyone at the shop the day off so they could all come to the villa for a housewarming party.

Xu Ye crawled out of bed early, muttered a few words to dismiss the girl beside him, then washed up and got into his car with a carefully chosen gift. He went to pick up Mo Xiaomo and Qiao Wenqi, who also had their gifts ready. They drove towards the Yunshui River; today was Shen Yibin’s big housewarming, and he wasn’t going to miss it. As they neared the estate, they happened to pull up alongside Bai Yanni’s car, and the two vehicles entered the grounds together.

From a distance, they could hear cheerful singing drifting from the main villa. As they listened more closely, they realized it sounded like Cheeky’s distinctive voice. For once, the little rascal wasn’t out causing trouble.

As they reached the villa’s entrance, they saw Hah’Er standing guard, dressed in a festive, bright red outfit. The moment he saw them, he raised his paws and gave Xu Ye, Qiao Wenqi, and the others a traditional fist-and-palm salute. They could faintly hear Director Kong’s booming laughter from inside. Peeking through the garden fence, they saw Shen Yibin chatting happily with Director Kong, Wen Yuan, and a few others. It seemed they’d taken advantage of their proximity to arrive early and become the first official guests.

"Whoa, Bin’s got Hah’Er working as the official greeter!" Xu Ye exclaimed. He was momentarily speechless. ’Making a national treasure act as a doorman... the kid’s got guts.’

"Hah’Er, congratulations! You’re about to move into your new home!" Bai Yanni and Qiao Wenqi mimicked Hah’Er’s posture, offering him a fist-and-palm salute of their own.

"Mm!" Hah’Er nodded and gestured with his right paw, ushering them inside the villa.

Xu Ye was about to step inside when he felt a tug on his clothes. He turned back to see Hah’Er holding on, a puzzled expression on his face. ’What’s this about? You’re not going to let me in?’

"Mm!" Hah’Er pointed to the gift box Xu Ye was holding, as if to say, ’Leave that here before you go in!’

"You’re a regular Piyao, aren’t you!" Xu Ye didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He shoved the gift into Hah’Er’s arms. Seeing this, Bai Yanni and Qiao Wenqi quickly followed suit and handed over their gifts as well.

"Mm! Mm!" With his collection complete, Hah’Er simply turned his back on them, hugged the gifts tightly, and trotted inside, presumably to present his haul to Shen Yibin and claim his reward.

He left Xu Ye, Bai Yanni, and the others standing at the door, staring at each other in disbelief. ’What in the world kind of pet is Bin raising?’