"I see you! Turn around!" After stepping out of his shop, Shen Yibin immediately spotted Qiao Wenqi and Mo Xiaomo. They were standing arm-in-arm in front of a fast-food restaurant, looking around. Hearing his shout, they instantly turned and waved.
Crossing the street with a cheerful gait, Mo Xiaomo reached the entrance of Shen Yibin's pet shop and exclaimed in mock surprise, "Whoa, Bin, this place isn't small at all! The location's great, too. You must have invested a ton, huh? I can't believe it's been less than two years since graduation, and you're already a big boss!"
"Big boss, my foot. It really wasn't that much," Shen Yibin replied. He knew she was just teasing him, but it was still nice to hear. 'Then again,' he thought, 'with the help of the Future Pet Shop, becoming a big boss might not just be a dream.' "Don't just stand outside. Come on in and have a seat. If you see anything you like, I'll give you a discount."
"Bin, congratulations on your grand opening. Wishing you great fortune," said Qiao Wenqi, who had been quiet until now. She cupped her fists in a congratulatory gesture, then pulled a red envelope from her bag and handed it to Shen Yibin.
"No, no, you really don't have to. I'm just happy you could come to show your support. Accepting this would make things too formal, wouldn't it?" Shen Yibin quickly tried to refuse. But before he could hand it back, Mo Xiaomo produced a red envelope of her own.
"Just take it. Enough with the formalities," Mo Xiaomo, ever the straightforward one, said impatiently. "If you feel that bad about it, you can just return the favor with a bigger envelope when I get married."
Since she'd put it like that, Shen Yibin had no choice but to accept the envelopes. 'I'll just give them a steep discount if they find something they like,' he decided. The mention of marriage sparked a thought. "By the way, how come you two didn't bring your boyfriends?" he asked, his heart suddenly pounding.
"I've been too busy with work. Haven't had time to find one," came the heavenly reply from Qiao Wenqi, making Shen Yibin's heart soar.
"Hey, that reminds me!" Mo Xiaomo, who had just wandered off, scurried back over. Her eyes, sparkling with the fire of gossip, were fixed on Shen Yibin. "Spill it! Who were those kids' clothes you bought yesterday for? Don't tell me you already have a kid! Getting married and having a baby without even telling us? That's just low! Were you worried we couldn't afford to give you a gift or something?"
The barrage of questions made Shen Yibin's head spin. After a moment, he finally processed what Mo Xiaomo meant. "Kids' clothes? You don't mean yesterday at the shopping plaza, do you?"
"Yup, that's the one! We were just about to call out to you when you jumped in a taxi and took off. Do you have wedding photos? Let's see them! Is the baby a boy or a girl? How many months old? Hey, how about you let the kid have me as a godmother?" Mo Xiaomo was like a rapid-fire machine gun, unstoppable.
"Of course not! I bought those for a pet! I'm single, where would I even get a kid?" Shen Yibin hurriedly explained. 'It would be a disaster if Qiao Wenqi got the wrong idea.'
That seemed to settle the matter, but Mo Xiaomo hadn't forgotten about the panda picture. Before she could ask, however, Shen Yibin's supplier, Bao, arrived at the shop. He brought two large floral baskets, and the moment he was out of his vehicle, he pulled Shen Yibin over to the cages and began to boast about his animals. "Look at this coat! Look at that spirited energy! I'm not just bragging, Bin, but you could search all over Yunzhong City and you wouldn't find another place with stock this good..."
Well, that finally shut Mo Xiaomo up. She pulled Qiao Wenqi aside, and they crouched in front of a cage to play with the two Siamese Cats.
Before long, the shop started to fill up with people. However, few were actual customers. Most were Shen Yibin's classmates, former colleagues, and partners there to show their support. Shen Yibin had to pour tea and prepare snacks, and was soon completely swamped.
"Well, if it isn't Qiao Wenqi! I haven't seen you in over a year, and you've gotten even more beautiful!" As expected, a pretty girl was the center of attention no matter where she went. Shen Yibin's college roommate, Xu Ye, had barely said hello to him before sidling right over to Qiao Wenqi. Even a few of Shen Yibin's old colleagues were subtly urging him to make an introduction.
'Fat chance. Why would I do you guys a favor like that?' Shen Yibin pretended to be too busy to notice, throwing up his hands and continuing to describe a pet to a customer. "Chihuahuas don't need a lot of exercise, so you won't have to spend much time taking them out. They're perfect for office workers. It'll just stay home obediently while you're at work. You basically don't have to worry about a thing..."
The customer showed some interest, but since she had more shopping to do, she didn't commit to a purchase. Shen Yibin wasn't discouraged. He politely walked her to the door. "Take care. Feel free to drop by anytime."
Just as the customer left and Shen Yibin was about to head back inside, he heard the ear-piercing screech of brakes. He looked toward the sound and saw a brand-new BMW parked at his storefront. A car door opened, and an irritating face leaned out. "Bin, this place is a little out of the way, huh? Took me forever to find it. Business must be tough, opening a shop in a location like this."
'If you don't have anything nice to say, then just shut up. Besides, I didn't invite you, so what the hell are you doing here?!' That's what he was thinking, but since the guy had shown up, it would be rude to start a fight. Shen Yibin suppressed his annoyance and forced a greeting. "Ma Sicong. Haven't seen you since graduation. Unexpected seeing you today. Come on in. Xu Ye, Mo Xiaomo, and Qiao Wenqi are here too."
"Oh, Qiao Wenqi is here too? Well, I definitely have to say hi then." Ma Sicong put on the fakest expression of surprise imaginable, completely ignoring the other names Shen Yibin had mentioned. He straightened his Versace blazer and strode inside.
'Damn it. I knew you weren't here to celebrate my grand opening. If Qiao Wenqi hadn't mentioned she was coming in the group chat yesterday, you probably wouldn't have even shown your face, would you?' Shen Yibin rolled his eyes and followed him back into the store.
The scene that followed cheered Shen Yibin up considerably. Ma Sicong hovered around Qiao Wenqi, relentlessly trying to get her attention, but she had no intention of humoring him. While offering vague, noncommittal replies, she subtly shifted her position until Xu Ye and Mo Xiaomo were standing between her and Ma Sicong, effectively boxing him out of their circle.
Having been politely rebuffed, Ma Sicong looked slightly dejected. Since he couldn't very well keep forcing the issue, he came over to inspect the pets in the shop. "Let's see what kinds of breeds you've got here."
After a quick scan, Ma Sicong's usual condescending smirk returned. "Siamese Cats, Golden Retrievers, Chihuahuas... Tsk, tsk. Bin, I was thinking it's too boring living in my villa all by myself, so I was planning on getting a pet to liven things up. But the breeds you have here are a bit... low-end, don't you think? Afraid I won't be able to give you my business after all."