Hah’Er was a gourmand and an expert chef. Cheeky was a master of vocal mimicry with unparalleled musical talent. Egg’s dancing was captivating, and it was also a master treasure hunter. As for Shi Gaofei, that guy’s endurance and one-on-one fighting ability were ridiculously impressive. ’So, after eating that pill, what special ability will this panda hamster have?’ Shen Yibin stroked his chin, lost in thought. ’I’m actually really looking forward to finding out.’
After standing there blankly for a moment without coming to any conclusions, Shen Yibin went back into the kitchen to start making breakfast. The panda hamster was happily munching away on sunflower seeds, but Shen Yibin, Hah’Er, and the girls still hadn’t had their breakfast.
He cooked a pot of bamboo shoot congee and prepared a few refreshing side dishes, then called Li Shiqing and the others to help bring everything to the table. Just then, Gao Shu finished altering Hah’Er’s outfit. A large pocket had been added to the stomach area. Shen Yibin reached in to test it; it seemed to be the perfect depth and size for the panda hamster to stand in with its head poking out. There were also two smaller pockets next to the large one. ’What are these for?’
"Oh, those two pockets are for holding peanuts, sunflower seeds, and what-not. It can grab a snack whenever it’s bored." Gao Shu had really been thoughtful; he’d even prepared a place for food.
"I’ll go get Hah’Er changed." Greatly impressed, Shen Yibin quickly took the outfit to the bedroom to put on Hah’Er. A moment later, Hah’Er emerged wearing its newly altered clothes. The panda hamster had comfortably burrowed into the pocket on its belly, and the two smaller pockets were filled with sunflower seeds and peanuts. Every so often, the little critter would pull one out and nibble on it with a CRUNCH, CRUNCH, looking utterly content.
After a leisurely breakfast, Shen Yibin prepared for his workout as usual. Even though Shi Gaofei was gone, the twice-daily exercise routine had become a habit. Besides, the workout was genuinely beneficial; Shen Yibin felt he was in much better shape now than he had been in college or during his office-job days.
Hah’Er picked up its skateboard as well. With Shi Gaofei gone, the task of pulling the skateboard would likely fall to Shen Yibin. ’That’s fine,’ he thought. ’It’ll add a little extra weight. The workout will probably be even more effective, right?’
Once they arrived at the park, the panda hamster curiously climbed out of the pocket, scurried up Hah’Er’s arm, and settled on top of its head. It surveyed the surrounding scenery and took a deep breath, appearing to thoroughly enjoy the park’s fresh air.
"Hah’Er, keep an eye on your godson. I’m going to start running," Shen Yibin announced. He tied one end of a leash to a metal ring on the front of the skateboard and wrapped the other end around his waist twice. He’d put on a waist support brace before heading out, so he wasn’t worried about the rope digging into him.
"Mmm!" Hah’Er grunted, reaching up a paw to try and pull the little critter off its head and back into the pocket. But the little guy was having none of it. It gripped the fur on Hah’Er’s head tightly with its front paws, refusing to move. After a brief standoff, Hah’Er gave up and let it be, carefully climbing onto the skateboard and getting its balance.
Seeing this, Shen Yibin didn’t dare go full speed at first. He started jogging slowly, glancing back every so often at the panda hamster, afraid it would fall off Hah’Er’s head.
However, the panda hamster showed no fear at all. It seemed to love the feeling of the breeze on its face, squeaking excitedly as if to urge Shen Yibin to go faster.
’Heh, it’s standing pretty steady.’ A mischievous impulse struck Shen Yibin, and he started to speed up. ’Let’s see how long you can last.’ But no matter how fast he ran, the little creature remained perfectly steady on Hah’Er’s head. Of course, the two tufts of fur on Hah’Er’s head weren’t so lucky, as the panda hamster was gripping them for dear life. He wondered if they’d get pulled out.
’Pfft, it’d be hilarious if they got pulled out. If I come here to exercise twice a day, and you pull out two tufts of fur each time... at that rate, it wouldn’t take long for Hah’Er to get a bald spot, would it? The thought alone is hilarious. Oh man, what would a bald panda look like? I’m actually a little curious to see it, you know?’
The thought made Shen Yibin laugh so hard he ran out of breath. He no longer had the strength to keep pulling the two of them and collapsed onto the lawn, rolling around in hysterics. Every time he tried to stop, he would instinctively glance at Hah’Er’s head, imagine a big bald patch there, and immediately start pounding the ground and howling with laughter all over again.
This left Hah’Er utterly baffled. It scratched its head in confusion and shuffled closer, trying to see what on earth was wrong with Shen Yibin. Seeing this, Shen Yibin quickly grabbed Hah’Er’s paw. ’Hah’Er, the fur on your head is already in grave danger! You can’t put any more stress on it!’
It took a good ten minutes of laughing before Shen Yibin finally composed himself. But now there was no way he could continue his morning workout. ’Ah well,’ he thought, ’for the sake of Hah’Er’s hair, I guess we’ll call it a day.’
Ambling back to the store, he left the little critter in Hah’Er’s care. Shen Yibin then went up to the second-floor balcony, sat down comfortably at the edge, and watched the two of them play and frolic in the bamboo grove. The little guy seemed to love this indoor jungle. One moment it was running around the big trees, the next it was catching a bug to nibble on, and then it was hopping back into Hah’Er’s pocket to rest. It was clearly having the time of its life.
’As long as it likes it here, that’s all that matters. I was just afraid it would hate this place and run off,’ Shen Yibin thought, finally feeling at ease as he watched them. He crossed his legs and started to wonder, ’What should I get this little guy when I go grocery shopping? Besides the grains and cereals I was thinking of earlier, should I go to the flower and bird market to buy some mealworms for protein? Hamsters love that stuff.’
The girls in the shop were also growing fond of the adorably cute little creature. They all dug out their own snacks to feed the panda hamster, wanting to see which kind it liked best.
Perhaps due to the pill’s effects, the little guy didn’t just eat whatever it was given. It happily devoured nut-based snacks like salt-and-pepper pecans and five-spice sunflower seeds, but showed little interest in things like cake and bread. This put Shen Yibin’s mind at ease. ’Looks like I don’t have to worry about it getting an upset stomach.’
Seeing this, Shen Yibin now had a better idea of what to buy for the little guy. ’I’ll leave it here to play with Hah’Er while I go out and get groceries for lunch,’ he decided. With that, he grabbed his car keys and headed downstairs to leave.
However, just as he reached the doorway, he heard Xia Shixuan let out a sharp scream. He turned around just in time to see the panda hamster scurrying past her, clutching something in its little paws.
’Huh? Did it just snatch something from Xia Shixuan?’