Future Pet Shop

"I just got back after a full day of flying, and you're already rushing me. Aren't you a bit too eager? Let's talk after I go home and get some rest," Shen Yibin said, trying to stall. Although he had more or less decided to sell Scarf to Xia Shixuan, he was still conflicted. 'Sigh... Lv Tiantian is so clearly the better fit!'

"The flight from Sichuan to Yunzhong City is only two hours, you know? A full day? You make it sound like you just flew back from Paris," Xia Shixuan grumbled. She didn't press the issue, afraid that annoying Shen Yibin would backfire. Instead, she started the car and headed for the pet store.

"Boss, you're back! Hah'Er, your babies are so cute! How come you didn't bring one back?" Li Shiqing took the backpack from Shen Yibin and leaned into the car, peering around. She was quite disappointed not to see the panda cub she was expecting; she'd seen the fluffy little babies on Shen Yibin's social media feed and thought they were absolutely adorable.

"They're still too young; they can't leave the care of the base staff just yet. They'll be fine once they're a bit older. I've already spoken with Professor Wu Gui. When the little ones are old enough to leave the base, he'll send two over to the Yunzhong City Zoo. You'll all be able to see Hah'Er's baby right here in Yunzhong City then!" Shen Yibin patiently explained. This was the second major accomplishment of his trip to the Sichuan Giant Panda Base. Not only was he bringing back a team of researchers, but also a pair of panda cubs. One would be Hah'Er's own offspring, and the other was to be a future mate for him.

"Really! When are they coming? Boss, can I request a day off in advance? You have to let me go see them when they arrive!" Li Shiqing exclaimed, excitedly grabbing Shen Yibin's arm.

"Alright, alright. I'll close the shop for the day, and we'll all go together!" When Hah'Er's cub arrived, Shen Yibin would naturally have to bring Hah'Er along, so he figured they might as well all go. It would be a good way to show support for Dong and make the event more lively. 'Then again,' he thought, 'I probably don't need to worry about it not being lively enough. Every child in Yunzhong City will probably flock there. I just wonder if this pair of panda cubs will become good friends with the little black bear family.'

According to Dong's plan, the new panda enclosure was going to be built right next to Xiong Mountain. That meant these two little ones would be neighbors with the family of three black bears. The thought of the three little creatures tumbling around together filled Shen Yibin with a warm, fuzzy feeling.

"Hey, fatso, your kids aren't as ugly as you, are they?" Cheeky's remarks were as irritating as ever. Hah'Er heard it and snorted, looking rather angry. 'He can say whatever he wants about me, but how dare he insult my children?'

"Cheeky, apologize to Hah'Er right now!" Sun Qian's voice drifted down from the second floor. Shen Yibin looked up and saw her practicing a ukulele on the terrace. Director Kong and Fang Yuanshan were sitting at the coffee table, chatting over tea. Murong Li, however, was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, you guys didn't hang out at the manor today? What brings you all to the shop?" Shen Yibin chuckled and went up to the second floor, sitting down to chat with them. To his left, Scarf was sleeping comfortably inside a refrigerated display case.

"The manor is fun, but meals just don't taste the same without you around," Director Kong said, rubbing his stomach. "So as soon as we heard you were back, we came here to wait. Our hopes for a good dinner tonight rest entirely on you!"

"Sure thing. I just need to drop something off at the zoo, and I'll start cooking as soon as I get back." 'So, they've been craving my cooking,' Shen Yibin thought with a smile and a shake of his head. After a few more minutes of small talk, he took Hah'Er and Xiaoliu to the zoo.

After arriving at the zoo, he dropped the two animals off at Xiong Mountain and Hou Mountain. Shen Yibin then found Dong and gave him a detailed account of the accomplishments from his Sichuan trip. "...So that's the situation. They have already officially resigned and can come over after the New Year to begin preliminary preparations. You'll need to figure out arrangements for their dorms and a cafeteria."

"We've already started preparing for all that," Dong said. He had clearly made considerable progress on his end as well. "Mr. Wen and I have even selected two design firms. We were just waiting for you to get back and give the final approval. As soon as you confirm, we can start the design process immediately!"

"As long as you two are sure, it's fine with me." Shen Yibin knew nothing about architectural design; if the firms had Wen Yuan's approval, then they were surely fine. After chatting a bit longer, Shen Yibin declined Dong's invitation to stay and left the zoo with a reluctant Hah'Er and Xiaoliu. Hah'Er was taking it well enough, but Xiaoliu was miserable. It had just been making a little progress and was dragged away by Shen Yibin before anything substantial could happen. It was so furious that it chittered nonstop, only quieting down when Shen Yibin promised to bring it back again the next day.

Back at the shop, Shen Yibin took a short rest before starting on dinner. Considering Director Kong's background, he decided to prepare a few of the Cantonese dishes he had learned from Chef Ah Qing.

By the time the dishes began to arrive at the table, Lv Tiantian was back from school. As soon as she dropped her bag, she started helping Shen Yibin set the table and carry out the plates; she was incredibly diligent and considerate.

During dinner, Shen Yibin paid close attention to Scarf and Lv Tiantian. Even though he'd only been gone a week, the two seemed to have grown even more in sync. Scarf only had to lift its head slightly, and Lv Tiantian would know exactly what it wanted, placing the food in its bowl. Xia Shixuan, in contrast, still had to ask several questions to get it right.

Shen Yibin pulled out his phone to check their latest affinity scores with Scarf. Xia Shixuan's score remained unchanged at eighty-two, but Lv Tiantian's had risen again, now exceeding ninety. The only issue was the financial side of things.

'Sigh, if only Lv Tiantian's financial situation were a little better,' Shen Yibin thought. 'She wouldn't need to be as wealthy as Xia Shixuan's family—just meeting Li Shiqing's standard would be enough. If that were the case, I would sell Scarf to her in a heartbeat, without any hesitation.' But as things stood, Shen Yibin found it very difficult to even bring up the topic.

With Shen Yibin's help, Li's business had picked up; she was now earning several hundred yuan a day. But that money had to support both her and her granddaughter, and they also needed to save for Lv Tiantian's future college tuition and living expenses. Furthermore, Li was getting on in years, so they had to keep some money saved for emergencies. Trying to sell her a pet under these circumstances felt incredibly unscrupulous.

'But should I just give up on them? Should I ignore the bond between Lv Tiantian and Scarf and just sell it to Xia Shixuan?' Although that path wouldn't hurt his own bottom line, it wouldn't sit right with his conscience. 'Wouldn't that be a bit too cruel?' Shen Yibin was completely torn.