Future Pet Shop

"I knew it!" Sakai Kaori was speechless. "On the way back just now, I was wondering if this little guy would get stuck somewhere again. We haven't even gone inside yet, and we see this!"

"Sigh!" Shen Yibin let out a long sigh and looked sheepishly at Sakai Kaori. Yesterday, he'd had to saw through the fence at her villa. Was he going to have to tear down the wall today? 'Am I here on vacation or on a demolition crew?'

"It's no problem, Mr. Bin. This house needs to be renovated anyway, and I've never liked the style of this wall," Sakai Kaori quickly comforted him, perhaps sensing his embarrassment.

"Oh, it's not that bad! We just need to pry out one of the bricks next to it," Mr. Liu Sheng said with a laugh. The spot where the Shiba Inu was stuck was a decorative opening in the brickwork. Getting it out wouldn't be too much trouble; they just needed to remove a brick and then put it back in place.

"AWOO~" The Shiba Inu spotted Shen Yibin and the others. After being stuck for so long, it was finally being rescued. It started yapping excitedly, and the noise immediately alerted the servants in the villa. Someone came out right away and was just as surprised at the sight. "Huh? We saw it taking a walk in the yard earlier, but then it disappeared. We searched the yard for a long time and couldn't find it. How did it suddenly get stuck here?"

Shen Yibin went inside and saw a row of dense shrubs planted near the wall, which had completely hidden the Shiba Inu's back half. No wonder they hadn't been able to find it. Everyone gathered around the dog. They carefully removed the adjacent brick, and after a great deal of effort, they finally managed to free the poor thing.

"AWOO~ AWOO~" As soon as it was free, the Shiba Inu ran to Shen Yibin, wagging its tail, tilting its head back, and flashing a goofy grin that left Shen Yibin without the heart to scold it.

"Have you eaten yet? Here, I brought this for you. See if you like it." Shen Yibin shook his head, resigned. The dog's silly expression made it impossible to stay mad. 'You must have been stuck here for so long that you haven't even eaten yet, huh?'

Sure enough, as soon as it smelled the food, the Shiba Inu got excited and started wolfing it down from its bowl. Shen Yibin didn't dare to go far, afraid it would run off and get stuck somewhere again, so he and Sakai Kaori went to sit and rest in the garden pavilion.

"Mr. Bin, let me go make you all some tea!" Sakai Kaori took out her family's treasured tea leaves and began to demonstrate the tea ceremony for Shen Yibin, Sun Qian, and the others. Every graceful movement she made quickly made Shen Yibin forget his frustration with the Shiba Inu.

"Um, well, Miss Sakai, this Shiba Inu is pretty cute," Shen Yibin said, somewhat against his better judgment. 'Alright, when it's not getting stuck, it is actually kind of cute.' "So I'm thinking of taking it back with me. Do you know what kind of paperwork is needed to take a dog out of the country? Will it be a huge hassle?"

'Huh? Mr. Bin actually likes this kind of pet?' Sakai Kaori glanced at the Shiba Inu, then at Hah'Er and Xiaoliu. She couldn't for the life of her see what was so cute about it, especially when compared to Hah'Er and the others. But since Mr. Bin was the one asking, she had to make it happen, no matter how little she understood. So she quickly changed her tune. "I assume it's just some health and quarantine paperwork? I'll have someone take care of it right away. It should be sorted out very quickly!"

"Then I'll leave it to you, Miss Sakai. I'm so sorry to trouble you with this," Shen Yibin thanked her earnestly. 'If I had to run around doing this paperwork myself, it would definitely take a significant amount of time. By the time I get back, there won't be much time left to find it an owner. Ugh, then again, would anyone really want such a dumb Shiba Inu? In the past, people were clamoring for the pets, but very few had the required affinity level. This time, I'm afraid there won't even be many people who are interested!'

"Please don't say that, Mr. Bin. It's a simple thing, really. Besides, I troubled you and Sun for so long at the store back then. I'm very happy to be able to help you now." A faint sense of regret crept into Sakai Kaori's heart. 'Will Mr. Bin leave as soon as the paperwork is finished? I really don't want him to go.'

After exchanging pleasantries, Sakai Kaori called a servant to handle the matter. The Shiba Inu, its belly full, trotted over to Shen Yibin with a goofy grin, lay down at his feet, and closed its eyes contentedly. Hah'Er ambled over curiously and patted its head, seemingly pondering the very reason it got stuck so easily.

"AWOO~" The Shiba Inu closed its eyes in comfort. It took Hah'Er's pats for a massage, squirmed a bit, and nuzzled up against Hah'Er.

"There are some other beautiful spots nearby. Shall we go take a look today?" Sakai Kaori extended an invitation. "Oh, and let's bring this little guy along, too?"

"Sure, I'll get its collar and leash." 'Sun Qian had just found inspiration for a song, but she was still one short of her goal. Plus, now that they'd found the pet they were looking for, they could relax and have some fun for the next few days.'

So the whole group piled into the car and headed to the scenic spot Sakai Kaori had mentioned. When they arrived and got out, Shen Yibin kept a death grip on the leash, not daring to relax for a single second, terrified that the dog would somehow get itself stuck again.

They had a wonderful day out, enjoying the beautiful natural scenery and sampling the local delicacies. In the evening, they all returned to the villa. Thanks to Shen Yibin keeping a close watch on the dog and steering it away from any hazardous spots, they made it through the day without any getting-stuck incidents.

After dinner, everyone sat in the garden, sipping tea and enjoying the night view. The Shiba Inu was still lying at Shen Yibin's feet, looking exceptionally obedient. 'Hmm, the little guy is actually pretty normal when he's not getting stuck in things.'

"Mr. Bin, all the paperwork will be ready by the day after tomorrow," Sakai Kaori updated him on the latest progress.

"That's wonderful. Thank you, Miss Sakai!" 'Once the paperwork is done, we can head back. After all this time, there should be new Winter Bamboo Shoots sprouting, right?'

"Oh, right, Mr. Bin, have you thought of a name for him yet?" Sakai Kaori had originally wanted to ask if Shen Yibin would be leaving as soon as everything was handled, but the words changed as they left her lips.

"A name?" Shen Yibin scratched his head, thinking. 'What on earth should I call this little guy?' Remembering all the times the dog had gotten itself stuck, an idea suddenly struck him. "Hmm, I think I'll give him a Spanish name..."