Future Pet Shop

"Hey! These are all minor issues. I’ll contact the airline." It seemed the Kaori Family’s status in Japan was truly extraordinary; in Sakai Kaori’s words, this was a trivial matter, hardly worth mentioning.

"Sorry to trouble you. I’ll head to Japan as soon as Hah’Er’s permit comes through." With the main problem solved, Shen Yibin relaxed. "Oh, right, I’m also bringing some small gifts for you and Egg this time. I hope you’ll like them."

"Mr. Bin, please don’t say that. You took care of me and Lord Egg for so long, so it’s only right that I do these small things for you." Sakai Kaori was wonderful in every way, except she could be a bit too formal at times, which often made Shen Yibin feel pressured when talking to her. After a bit more small talk, he quickly hung up.

"Xiaoliu, do you have any of your wine left? Bring it all out. I’m taking you on a trip." With the seating issue handled, it was time to prepare the gifts. Shen Yibin looked at Xiaoliu and asked, certain the little guy still had some Monkey Wine stashed away. Sure enough, at Shen Yibin’s urging, Xiaoliu retrieved his private collection from a very well-hidden tree hollow. Shen Yibin went back to grab some flasks and filled three of them to the brim with Monkey Wine. That, along with the Winter Bamboo Shoots still buried in the ground, would be enough for gifts.

He stored the Monkey Wine in the basement wine cellar first. There was no rush for the Winter Bamboo Shoots; it would be best to dig them up right before leaving. If he dug them up now, they would lose some of their flavor after a day or two.

After finishing all that, he went back to pack his and Hah’Er’s clothes. On second thought, Shen Yibin gave Xia Shixuan a call, asking her to get a few handicrafts from Li tomorrow. That would also make an excellent gift. Since Hah’Er and Xiaoliu were getting things, he couldn’t show favoritism and leave Egg out. He’d show Scarf a photo of Egg and let it help pick something out!

Perhaps thanks to his previous experience, everything went incredibly smoothly this time. The very next morning, Shen Yibin received the permit to take Hah’Er to Japan. He immediately got busy. First, he called Wang Jing and booked a noon flight to Shanghai. Then, shovel in hand, he took Hah’Er and Maphario to the bamboo forest for a busy spell of digging, unearthing a full basket of Winter Bamboo Shoots. After carefully packing them, he drove with Sun Qian to the shop to pick up the pendants for Egg and Sakai Kaori. He then had Xia Shixuan drive them to the airport, notifying Sakai Kaori of the news on the way.

When the plane landed in Shanghai, a representative from Japan Airlines immediately found Shen Yibin’s group. Sakai Kaori had already handled everything. Without much delay, they were seated in first class on a flight to Tokyo. What slightly surprised Shen Yibin was that besides them, there were no other passengers in first class. He wondered if Sakai Kaori had arranged this deliberately.

’If that’s the case, the Kaori Family’s power is not to be underestimated. She only started making arrangements this morning. Someone must have already bought these first-class tickets. To make them refund their tickets or change flights just to free up space and make my group more comfortable... that’s not something an ordinary person could pull off!’

Throughout the flight, the flight attendants were exceptionally attentive, making sure Hah’Er and Xiaoliu were comfortable. After a few hours, the plane landed smoothly at Haneda International Airport. Shen Yibin, along with Sun Qian, Hah’Er, and the others, was the first to descend the stairs and walk through the passenger tunnel to the exit.

"Mr. Bin! Over here, over here!" Before he had even exited, he heard Sakai Kaori’s familiar voice. Looking in the direction of the sound, he saw a pure, adorable, and energetic young woman sprinting toward them. Trailing behind her were Mr. Liu Sheng and his men, their faces etched with embarrassment. ’Young Miss, that’s not very ladylike of you!’

"Oh, my. You went to the trouble of picking me up from the airport. Thank you so much!" Shen Yibin said, a bit embarrassed. She had arranged the flight and now came all the way to pick them up. Sakai Kaori didn’t even live in Tokyo; this must have been an exhausting trip for her.

"Honestly, Mr. Bin, saying such things makes it feel like we’re strangers." Sakai Kaori crouched down. "I’m so happy to see that Mr. Hah’er is as healthy as ever. Lord Egg came to the airport too..."

"GAK!" Before she could finish her sentence, Egg’s cry was heard. A chubby figure flashed past them and pounced on Hah’Er. The two long-lost cousins started roughhousing right there in the airport. Mr. Liu Sheng and his men were instantly mortified. The great Raccoon Cat deity they revered was being pinned down and thoroughly thrashed. ’Should we go help or not?’

"Sakai, long time no see!" Sun Qian caught up, pulling her suitcase. Seeing the two rascals fighting again, Cheeky immediately flew over to fan the flames and cheer them on.

"Oh? Sun, you came too this time?" An unreadable flicker passed through Sakai Kaori’s eyes, but it was instantly replaced with delight as she threw herself into Sun Qian’s arms.

After the commotion died down, everyone boarded the Kaori Family’s car. It was a stretch limousine, and even with so many people inside, it still felt incredibly spacious. "Our family has a small estate in Hakone with a hot spring bath. Let’s go there to rest today!"

’Hakone, huh? I think I’ve seen that name in a Haruki Murakami novel. It’s supposed to be a very popular resort area near Tokyo. To own an estate here... the Kaori Family must be seriously rich.’

Upon arriving at the estate, Shen Yibin realized he had still underestimated the Kaori Family’s wealth. This estate was much larger than his own. The architecture was classic yet modern. After soaking in the hot spring to wash away their fatigue, the group returned to the main hall for dinner. Of course, the meal wouldn’t be complete without Monkey Wine and Winter Bamboo Shoots.

"My, oh my, the flavor of these Winter Bamboo Shoots is so much better than Japan’s!" Mr. Liu Sheng said, happily munching away, his praise unending.

"And this was just prepared by our family’s chef. If Mr. Bin had cooked it, it would have been even more delicious," Sakai Kaori said earnestly.

"No wonder you gained a full five jin after your first trip back from China. So this was the reason!" After a few glasses of wine, Mr. Liu Sheng started teasing Sakai Kaori.

"No, I haven’t! I’ve been keeping my weight perfectly under control!" Sakai Kaori blushed instantly.

"These Winter Bamboo Shoots will still be good tomorrow morning. In that case, I’ll be in charge of breakfast," Shen Yibin said with a smile.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the group went to the garden to relax. Mr. Liu Sheng’s hands were itching for a fight again. He formally issued a challenge to Shen Yibin, "I have been training diligently since our last encounter. Mr. Shen, you must give me some pointers on my Swordsmanship!"

"Uh, how about you spar with Xiaoliu instead?" Shen Yibin said, scratching his head.