Pfft! Shen Yibin almost burst out laughing. By a stroke of sheer coincidence, Shi Gaofei’s claw had snagged the most prominent part of Hong Mian’s rear. Luckily, she dodged in time to avoid getting scratched, but Shi Gaofei had torn a huge gash in her pants. Shen Yibin secretly gave it a thumbs-up. ’I knew you liked to go for the family jewels, but I never realized you were such a little pervert.’
At that, Shi Gaofei also ceased its attack. Hong Mian’s face was flushed, whether from the intense exertion or from embarrassment, it was hard to say. She clapped a hand over her backside and came to a halt.
"Chief, are you hurt?" Bai Yanni hurried over, taking off her own jacket as she ran and wrapping it around Hong Mian’s waist to give her some cover.
"I’m fine." Hong Mian’s tone was calm, but inwardly, she was shocked. ’To think my pants could be ripped by Shi Gaofei, even with my level of skill. If the fight had continued, I might have actually gotten injured.’ That was something she hadn’t anticipated. This only strengthened her resolve to take Shi Gaofei. ’Only a creature like this is worthy of me.’
"Bin, what are you still sitting there for?" Hearing that her superior wasn’t hurt, Bai Yanni breathed a sigh of relief and turned to shout, "Hurry up and come back with us! Find one of the girls at your store and borrow a pair of pants for the Chief to wear for now."
’Are you serious? You show up to harass me, and now I have to find a pair of pants for you? Is there no justice in this world?’ Shen Yibin wailed internally. But he couldn’t refuse. He pushed himself up slowly, using a large tree for support, and started walking back, carrying the protective gear and skateboard himself while Hah’Er carried Shi Gaofei.
The combination of the long run and the sparring match had been quite a workout, and Shi Gaofei was too tired to walk. It let Hah’Er carry it, swaying gently in the panda’s arms all the way back to the pet store.
Once inside, he scanned the shop and realized that Xia Shixuan’s build was similar to Hong Mian’s. He found her and asked, "Shi Xuan, can I borrow a pair of your pants?" ’Wait, why does that sound so weird?’
"Oh? Boss, what do you need my pants for?" Xia Shixuan replied in a syrupy, flirtatious voice. She placed one hand on her waistband while her other reached for Shen Yibin’s arm. "How about we go upstairs to the bedroom, and I can take them off for you there?"
’I’m going to kill you, you little vixen!’ Bai Yanni was instantly furious. Shen Yibin quickly dodged away. "It’s not for me! This... this customer was roughhousing with Shi Gaofei just now, and it accidentally tore her pants. We just need to borrow a pair of yours for her to wear."
"Oh, you should have said so sooner! You got my hopes up for nothing." Xia Shixuan ignored Bai Yanni’s murderous glare and gave Shen Yibin a light slap. "I have extra pants upstairs. Ma’am, why don’t you come upstairs with me?"
They all had to wear uniforms at work, but Xia Shixuan often stayed overnight at the shop, taking turns having sleepovers with Gao Shu, Li Shiqing, and Xie Nannan. Because of this, she kept plenty of spare clothes there.
"Thank you. I’ll have them sent to you tomorrow," Hong Mian said softly, following Xia Shixuan up to the women’s dormitory on the second floor. This left Bai Yanni downstairs, staring daggers at Shen Yibin.
’She’s coming back tomorrow?’ Shen Yibin, however, paid no mind to Bai Yanni’s mood. His mind was completely occupied by a single word: "tomorrow." ’Does that mean Hong Mian is coming back to put me through this all over again? I don’t think I can take it!’
Before long, Hong Mian came downstairs in Xia Shixuan’s pants. The sight made Shen Yibin nearly spit out his drink. She was still wearing her plain military uniform top, but now paired with tight leather pants. The combination looked awkward from every angle. Even Bai Yanni couldn’t help but cover her mouth to stifle a laugh.
"Uh, well, there wasn’t much choice. The other three girls’ pants didn’t fit, and my personal style is a bit... unconventional. These were the most conservative pair I had," Xia Shixuan said with an awkward laugh. It was true. Her usual fashion choices were outrageous; these tight leather pants were genuinely the most low-key item in her wardrobe.
"It’s fine. It’s just a short drive," Hong Mian said. In truth, she was already regretting her choice. She’d have been better off just wearing Bai Yanni’s jacket around her waist. But Xia Shixuan had been so insistent, and so enthusiastic about helping her pick something out, that Hong Mian hadn’t been able to refuse.
"Thank you, Miss Xia. I’ll have them washed and returned to you first thing tomorrow morning." Right now, Hong Mian was in no mood to continue bonding with Shi Gaofei. The shop wasn’t going anywhere, after all. All she wanted was to get back to the military guest house and change. With a final wave to Shi Gaofei, she strode out of the pet store. Moments later, the sound of an engine starting echoed from the street.
Shi Gaofei scurried to the doorway and watched with wide eyes until Hong Mian’s car vanished around the corner. Only then did it trudge back inside, its head hanging low. It looked as if the little critter had been thoroughly conquered.
"Who was that, Boss? Your new girlfriend? You’ve got great taste! She has a killer body!" As soon as Hong Mian was gone, Xia Shixuan sidled up to ask. The other three girls perked up their ears, eager for the latest gossip.
’I just met her for the first time, how is she already my girlfriend? And my *new* girlfriend, no less? In that case, could you please tell me who my *old* girlfriend was? Was it this one?’ Shen Yibin couldn’t help but clench his left hand.
"Just a customer interested in buying Shi Gaofei. Honestly, what goes on in that head of yours all day?" Shen Yibin couldn’t be bothered to waste his breath on her. He went straight upstairs to make dinner. He’d burned a lot of calories today and needed to refuel.
During dinner, Shi Gaofei was listless. It barely touched the honey-glazed char siu that Shen Yibin had painstakingly prepared for it. It just kept staring out the glass window toward the door, occasionally hopping onto the railing to gaze into the distance, as if hoping Hong Mian would suddenly reappear.
Shen Yibin found the scene hard to watch. ’Shi Gaofei has finally found a suitable owner. Am I really going to force it to accept someone else?’ Besides, Hong Mian’s performance in the park that day had left him deeply impressed. Her incredible stamina and masterfully honed combat skills had earned his sincere admiration.
Most importantly, there was the relentless, never-give-up attitude Hong Mian had displayed—it was a mirror image of Shi Gaofei’s own personality. In a way, the two of them were a perfect match. ’Am I really about to break up such a well-suited pair?’
’Why do I feel like I’m turning into Nanny Rong from those TV dramas? Can’t I stand to see others happy? Do I have to break up a perfectly matched couple just to be satisfied? This feels... kind of cruel, doesn’t it?’