"These guys have been cooped up in their carriers all day. Let’s get them out for some fresh air!" Shen Yibin said after locking the shop door. Usually, Hah’Er would be the one leading the charge, but today his attention was completely fixed on the panda hamster. It looked like they couldn’t count on him.
Fortunately, after so much time getting used to the routine, the girls had no problem handling such a small task. Although it was much noisier than before, the pets were kept effectively under control. They weren’t running wild, but were obediently strolling around the middle of the main hall. Since the store’s expansion, the hall was much more spacious, so it didn’t feel crowded at all with all the pets playing together.
Meanwhile, Hah’Er had finally set the cage down. He lay on the floor, carefully pulled open the latch, opened the cage door, and reached his paw inside, attempting to pull out the panda hamster.
But the panda hamster didn’t just sit there and let itself be caught. Instead, it gave a sudden hop onto Hah’Er’s paw, scurried up his arm—WHOOSH—and onto his shoulder, before finally taking a great leap and landing on the floor.
’Haha, this little guy is pretty bold, isn’t he? Not at all like a typical hamster that needs a good while to adjust to a new environment.’ Shen Yibin and the four girls burst out laughing at the sight of Hah’Er sitting on the floor, looking completely baffled.
"Well, I never realized Hah’Er’s ’son’ was such a rebellious teenager," Li Shiqing commented breezily. "Hah’Er has his work cut out for him now." With Xia Shixuan around, the other girls had all picked up some of her talent for teasing.
"Is our dear Shi Qing eager to experience motherhood herself? Why don’t you come to a bar with me later? I’ll help you pick up some handsome guys." However, Xia Shixuan quickly showed her what it meant to teach a fish how to swim. A single, casual sentence sent Li Shiqing blushing and hiding behind the others.
’This little guy is pretty clever,’ Shen Yibin thought, about to offer some praise. But then, he suddenly realized something was wrong. ’Holy crap! Of all the places to run, you had to go and offer yourself up to the cat!’
After jumping off Hah’Er, the panda hamster began darting all over the main hall. In a moment of inattention, it ran right up to the Scottish Fold that had just been let out of its carrier. The cat had been transported from out of town to Yunzhong City, then from Bao’s place to Shen Yibin’s shop—a full day of being jostled on the road. It hadn’t eaten properly all day and hadn’t had much of an appetite for the cat food offered earlier. It was so hungry its eyes were practically glowing green. The moment it saw the panda hamster scurry before it, the cat instinctively licked its lips, arched its back, and prepared to pounce. ’It might be a small morsel, but it’s better than an empty stomach, right?’
"Look out!" Shen Yibin almost cried out. ’I went through so much trouble to get you, and not even half an hour later, you’re about to become cat food?’
However, he was standing in a corner of the hall, too far from the hamster to react in time. Li Shiqing and Xia Shixuan were also too far away; it was obvious none of them could intervene. Shen Yibin couldn’t help but squeeze his eyes shut, unable to bear watching the tragic scene unfold.
Suddenly, he heard a pitiful MEOW. Shen Yibin’s eyes flew open. ’What happened? Did the genetically mutated panda hamster taste so bad it poisoned the Scottish Fold?’
He focused his eyes and saw that Hah’Er had somehow appeared in front of the hamster, shielding it protectively with his paws. He was glaring at the Scottish Fold, letting out furious roars. The cat had already scrambled to one side, whimpering incessantly. It looked like it had taken a serious blow.
’Damn, what just happened?’ Seeing that the panda hamster was now safe under Hah’Er’s protection, Shen Yibin finally relaxed. Curious, he walked over to the front desk, pulled up the security footage, and found the scene he had just missed.
The footage showed that just as the Scottish Fold leaped into mid-air, its shadow falling over the trembling panda hamster, Hah’Er had charged out from the side with astonishing speed. He’d slammed headfirst into the cat’s midsection, rescuing his godson from its claws.
’Looks like all that training with Shi Gaofei paid off,’ Shen Yibin thought, pleasantly surprised. ’If not for that, I doubt Hah’Er could have reacted so quickly.’ He couldn’t help but feel a wave of relief. Thankfully, Hah’Er had been close to the panda hamster. Otherwise, he would have been in deep trouble this time.
"Okay, okay, it’s alright now. Just keep a closer eye on him next time," Shen Yibin said, stepping forward to pat Hah’Er’s head reassuringly. Once both Hah’Er and the panda hamster had calmed down, Shen Yibin called out to Xie Nannan. "Nannan, could you go upstairs to the fridge, grab the small fried fish from this morning, and feed it to the cats?"
’Sigh, it’s just the Scottish Fold’s natural instinct. I can’t really blame it; in fact, it’s the one that needs comforting. If there’s anyone to blame, it’s me for not being cautious enough. I completely forgot we had cats in the shop and didn’t keep a close enough watch on the panda hamster.’
Tempted by the fragrant, fried little fish, the cats forgot their fear and huddled together, scrambling for the treats. Hah’Er, seemingly realizing he might have been a bit too forceful earlier, returned the panda hamster to its cage and then spent some time playing with the cats. It had to be said, Hah’Er’s charm was invincible. In just a few moments, the cats were already snuggling up to him again.
’I’ll have to be more careful when letting the pets out from now on,’ Shen Yibin mused. ’This little guy can’t fly like Cheeky, nor does he have Egg’s self-defense skills. And as for Shi Gaofei... it’s a good day if he *isn’t* bullying the other pets. Why would I ever worry about *his* safety?’
’Hmm, maybe I should sew a pocket onto Hah’Er’s vest? That way, he could carry his godson around like a kangaroo. That should prevent any more problems, right?’ Shen Yibin wondered, stroking his chin.
After getting some fresh air, the pets’ spirits were restored. One by one, they returned to their carriers to rest. Li Shiqing and the others finished cleaning the main hall and went to their rooms to sleep. Shen Yibin, however, took Hah’Er and the panda hamster up to the rooftop terrace to puzzle over the next problem.
He took the pill delivered by the Future Pet Shop out of his pocket. The pill hadn’t seemed very large when he’d given one to Shi Gaofei, but compared to the panda hamster, it wasn’t much smaller than the little creature’s head. It seemed impossible to just mix it in with its food. So, how on earth was he going to get the hamster to swallow it?
Shen Yibin pondered for a moment before his gaze landed on Hah’Er. ’Their bond seems pretty strong,’ he thought. ’Maybe I can get Hah’Er to feed it to him?’
So, Shen Yibin placed the pill in Hah’Er’s paw and pointed at the panda hamster. "Here, Hah’Er. How about you give this to him?"
Hah’Er took the pill, held it under his nose to sniff it, then opened his own mouth wide, about to swallow it himself.