"Hah'Er, stop it. Let me sleep a little longer." Still groggy with sleep, Shen Yibin felt a furry paw patting his face. He didn't even need to open his eyes to know Hah'Er was awake. He'd been working so hard these past few days to sort out Hah'Er's legal status that he was completely exhausted. Now that he finally had some downtime, he planned to sleep in.
When Hah'Er saw he wasn't responding, he stopped bothering him. A moment later, Shen Yibin faintly heard him get off the bed, go to the bathroom to wash up, and then leave the room.
'Anyway, the shop's doors and windows are all closed, so I don't have to worry about Hah'Er getting outside.' With that thought, Shen Yibin simply pulled the blanket over his head and went back to sleep.
He lazed in bed for a while longer. It wasn't until his stomach started to growl that Shen Yibin finally dragged himself out of bed. He got dressed, washed up, and then went to look for Hah'Er.
'Huh? Not in the bedroom, not in the kitchen... Where could that little guy have gone?' Still half-asleep, he came down from the second floor, only to see Hah'Er dragging a basket and feeding the Chihuahuas, Golden Retrievers, and Siamese Cats one by one.
Shen Yibin flushed with embarrassment. 'What kind of life do other Pandas have at the conservation centers? They don't even get up when heads of state visit, yet here at my place, he has to start working first thing in the morning?' He hurried downstairs, grabbed some cleaning supplies from the storage room, and started sweeping and mopping. "Hah'Er, I'll make you breakfast as soon as I'm done cleaning. After we eat, I'll take you out for a stroll."
'He's been here for several days now, cooped up inside the whole time without getting any fresh air. Since you're being so diligent, I'll take you out for a walk!'
"Mhm! Mhm!" Hearing he'd get such a treat, Hah'Er grew even more excited. Even his movements as he dished out the food became much quicker. The sight made Shen Yibin's heart ache. 'This poor kid must be going stir-crazy in here.'
Once the cleaning was done, he quickly cooked a pot of congee. After he and Hah'Er finished eating, Shen Yibin peeked out the door and saw the police car still parked outside. With that, his last shred of worry vanished.
He dug a pair of panda-shaped cotton booties out of the shoe cabinet, brought them over to the sofa, and started putting them on Hah'Er's feet. 'It's fine to walk around barefoot inside, but not outside. He'd be in tears if he stepped on a piece of broken glass or a rusty nail.' "Hah'Er, be a good boy and put these on. We can go out as soon as you're ready."
"Hmm..." Hah'Er's little eyes blinked as he stared at the pandas on the booties, as if trying to decide who was more handsome—them or him. Once they were on, he took Shen Yibin's right hand and took a couple of test steps around the room. He got used to the shoes very quickly.
"Let's go, time to head out!" Phone, wallet, camera—after a quick check to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, Shen Yibin raised the rolling metal door and led Hah'Er out onto the street.
"Ooh..." Emerging from the shop, Hah'Er tilted his big head and curiously sized up the city. Luckily, Yunzhong City was a tourist destination that placed a special emphasis on environmental protection, so the air quality was decent. The smog index wasn't high, so Hah'Er was largely unaffected.
Shen Yibin had just closed the door when he heard the sound of hurried footsteps behind him. He was instantly reminded of yesterday's experience of being handcuffed by Shen Dalong's team. He spun around quickly. Looking up, he saw two police officers yet again. Thankfully, he recognized them both; it was Bai Yanni and Li, who had come to the shop the day before. That would save him the trouble of an explanation.
"Bin, you... what do you think you're doing?" The two officers rushed over, quickly using their bodies to shield Hah'Er from view, terrified someone might see him.
"Taking my pet for a walk. We just finished breakfast, and a little exercise is good for your health," Shen Yibin said calmly. "Why are you two so worked up?"
'Taking a pet for a walk? The excuse was so normal it left them speechless. But you had to consider what kind of "pet" it was! Since when could a panda just be taken for a walk on the street?'
"Can't you just let him stay quietly at home?" 'Isn't it nice to be a quiet, handsome boy? Why did he have to come out and wander around? A pet this flashy is like a firefly in the dead of night—so bright, so outstanding. He'll draw a crowd in no time!'
"My place is only so big. Hah'Er's been stuck inside for days. If I don't take him out for a walk soon, I'm afraid he'll get depressed, and I can't be responsible for that," Shen Yibin said with an innocent shrug. "I specifically waited until working hours, since the streets are less crowded then. We're not going anywhere crowded, just for a little stroll in the nearby park."
"Ooh! Ooh!" A sign with a panda on it in front of an ice cream shop ahead seemed to catch Hah'Er's attention. He started waddling toward it on his short little legs.
"Alright, then I'll accompany you two." Bai Yanni found his reasoning hard to argue with. After a moment's thought, she came up with a plan to use her official duties for a little personal fun.
"Sure thing. Thanks for the help." 'Having a cop around could save me a lot of trouble. Besides,' Shen Yibin thought, 'Bai Yanni is a total knockout. I'm certainly not going to complain about having a beautiful woman for company.'
There really weren't many people on the street, so they made it all the way to the ice cream shop without causing a commotion. When the shop owner, Dragon Willow Birch, saw Shen Yibin approaching, she poked her head out to greet him. "Morning, Bin! Out for a stroll? What flavor can I get for you? Today you brought... CLATTER!"
Before she could finish her sentence, Dragon Willow Birch's foot slipped and she tumbled to the ground. It took her a moment to scramble back up, her eyes wide as she stared at Hah'Er. "Bin! Where did you kidnap that panda from?!"
"Oh, he's my pet. All his paperwork is legal, so don't worry." He glanced down and saw Hah'Er drooling, staring longingly at the picture of the matcha-flavored ice cream on the menu. Shen Yibin pointed to it and said, "I'll have one of those."
The poor girl had seen people buy ice cream for their pets before, but this was a first. She'd never had a customer buy one for a panda. "Okay, coming right up..." she replied automatically. 'Huh? Wait a minute. Don't pandas eat bamboo? Can they even eat ice cream?' She didn't think twice about people feeding ice cream to cats or dogs, but a panda was a different story. 'If he gets a stomachache, will I get arrested and thrown in jail?'
'This guy doesn't even eat bamboo. A panda that can eat twice-cooked pork and mapo tofu can definitely eat ice cream, right?' Shen Yibin urged, "Could you hurry up? Look at him, he's drooling everywhere. Do you have the heart to deny him?"
"I don't have the heart!" Dragon Willow Birch shook her head reflexively. A Panda this adorable was simply impossible to refuse. A moment later, a matcha-flavored ice cream cone was in Shen Yibin's hands.
"Here you go, Hah'Er. Have a taste and see if you like it." As Dragon Willow Birch and Bai Yanni watched intently, Shen Yibin handed the ice cream to Hah'Er.