"Ugh, can’t you let me sleep a little longer?" Yesterday was so draining, so Shen Yibin wanted to sleep in, but Shi Gaofei wasn’t about to give him that chance. It had climbed onto Shen Yibin’s bed early in the morning and started bothering him.
"HRRMPH! HRRMPH!" Of course, Shi Gaofei wasn’t taking no for an answer. It kept tugging at his blanket, looking like it wouldn’t stop until Shen Yibin got up. In the past, it just wanted Shen Yibin and Hah’Er to go running with it. ’But today... it probably wants to see Hong Mian again, doesn’t it?’
"Alright, stop! I’m getting up." After a brief standoff, Shen Yibin threw his hands up in surrender. He knew that in a battle of wills with Pingtou, he would never be the winner. Grumpily, he got out of bed, dressed, washed up, and went to the kitchen to cook some congee and make a few side dishes, getting ready for breakfast.
The girls from the neighboring dorm heard the commotion in the kitchen and started getting up one by one. Some began to help him set the table, while others went downstairs to clean and feed the pets with Hah’Er. Everything was just like usual. ’But why the heck did Xia Shixuan just come out of Li Shiqing’s room? Did those two get up to something secretive yesterday?’
RATTLE. With a clatter, Xia Shixuan opened the shop’s door, only to be startled by the sight outside. Hong Mian was standing ramrod straight at the entrance, seemingly waiting for them to open. From the looks of it, she had been waiting for a long time.
"Oh, I’m here to return these pants," Hong Mian said, a little surprised to see Xia Shixuan. She hadn’t expected to run into her right as the door opened. ’But wait, does this mean I’ve lost my excuse to go inside?’
"There’s no rush! Have you had breakfast yet? If not, come on in and eat with us!" Seeing Hong Mian, Xia Shixuan’s eyes immediately started to sparkle. Without taking no for an answer, she linked her arm with Hong Mian’s and started leading her toward the second-floor terrace.
The physical contact made Hong Mian feel a bit awkward, but the thought of Shi Gaofei being inside the shop made her suppress her discomfort. She followed Xia Shixuan upstairs. Seeing a somewhat dazed Shen Yibin, she pointed at the pants in Xia Shixuan’s hand and said, "I’m just here to return something!"
’Did she really have to come this early just to return some pants? She probably found out that Shi Gaofei likes to train around this time and came here on purpose to get close to him, right? She’s definitely the one Shi Gaofei picked. That stubborn, never-give-up attitude is exactly the same as his.’ Shen Yibin could only sigh at the thought.
"Well, since you’re here, why don’t you sit down and have some breakfast with us?" What else could Shen Yibin say? Now that she was here, he couldn’t just kick her out, could he? He had no choice but to welcome her to the table. Over on the side, Xia Shixuan had already set out a bowl and chopsticks for Hong Mian and filled her bowl with congee.
"Thank you!" Hong Mian didn’t stand on ceremony. She began to drink her congee while sizing up Shi Gaofei. That little rascal actually slipped away from Shen Yibin’s side and trotted over to Hong Mian, much to the surprise of the girls. Since when was Shi Gaofei so friendly with anyone? ’This woman is something else!’
Usually, people who ate at Shen Yibin’s place would be full of praise for his cooking. This time, however, Hong Mian’s expression didn’t change at all. Her gaze was fixed on Shi Gaofei for most of the meal. The way the two of them were acting, like a pair of secret lovers, left a sour taste in Shen Yibin’s mouth.
After breakfast, Shi Gaofei actually brought its leash right to Hong Mian’s hand, completely ignoring Shen Yibin’s presence. ’Sigh, it looks like this little guy has really made up its mind to leave with Hong Mian. Since they’re both so willing, is it right for me to keep standing in their way?’ Shen Yibin’s resolve began to waver.
But then he thought about the potential risks Shi Gaofei might face after leaving with her, and his determination hardened once more. ’No way. I’m doing this for your own good. There are some things I just have to stand firm on!’
’So, I still have to tag along for this morning’s training.’ Shen Yibin glanced at the girls and ultimately chose Xia Shixuan. She went to the gym often, so she looked like she had some strength. "Shi Xuan, want to go to the park with me?"
’If I collapse from exhaustion later, I’ll be counting on her to carry me back!’ With that thought, Shen Yibin led Shi Gaofei, Hah’Er, and Xia Shixuan out of the pet store and headed for the park. Hong Mian, as expected, followed close behind.
Along the way, Shi Gaofei seemed exceptionally happy, constantly running back and forth around Hong Mian. Once they reached the park, it shot off like a rocket, not even paying attention to Hah’Er anymore. Shen Yibin and Hong Mian hurried to keep up. This time, however, Shi Gaofei was much faster than before. Shen Yibin couldn’t keep pace for long and soon fell behind, forced to watch the two of them run side-by-side.
After two laps, seeing no hope of catching up, Shen Yibin gave up in frustration. He turned back and started jogging slowly with Hah’Er. ’Sigh, Hah’Er... they don’t want us anymore. From now on, it’s just you and me against the world.’
The two of them ran a full six laps, double Shen Yibin’s usual workout, yet even so, neither Hong Mian nor Shi Gaofei showed much sign of fatigue.
’If that were me, I probably would’ve collapsed ages ago, right? Those two are... really a perfect match.’ Even Shen Yibin had to admit that Hong Mian was indeed a suitable owner for Shi Gaofei. The sparring practice that followed only proved this point further. The speed and skill of those two were far beyond anything Shen Yibin could compare to.
Half an hour later, the two of them finally stopped their training. Hong Mian sat down on the lawn, and Shi Gaofei flopped down right beside her. Xia Shixuan quickly brought them sports drinks and honey water.
On the way back, Shen Yibin didn’t say a word. He watched Shi Gaofei return to the shop. Hong Mian didn’t come in; instead, she got in her car and drove away. ’She probably has her own business to attend to,’ he guessed.
But when it was time for the afternoon training session, she appeared again. Shi Gaofei, who had been lying listlessly by the bamboo grove, immediately perked up. It shot over to the entrance in a flash, nuzzling its head against Hong Mian’s calf. It had completely lost its usual majestic and domineering Pingtou aura, looking more like a clingy little puppy.
And so, the morning’s scene repeated itself. Shi Gaofei and Hong Mian went to the park and began their happy workout. Shen Yibin looked at Hah’Er, took its leash and tied it around his own waist, and started jogging slowly around the lake, pulling Hah’Er along. ’You’re still the best. Let them have their fun; we’ll have ours.’
For three days straight, every morning and afternoon, just as Shi Gaofei’s daily training was about to begin, Hong Mian would appear at the pet store’s entrance. And every time, Shi Gaofei would rush out to greet her joyfully. There was nothing Shen Yibin could do about it.
After the training session on the third day ended, Hong Mian patted Shi Gaofei’s head as usual and was about to get in her car to leave. This time, however, Shen Yibin couldn’t hold back any longer. He hesitated for a moment before calling out to her, "Um, hey... why don’t you come in for a cup of tea?"