Future Pet Shop

Chapter 87: The One Amidst the Fading Lights

In the center of the Sun Garden Room, nestled among flowers, a young woman in a white dress was absorbed in playing a black piano. Cheeky stood on a branch beside the piano, its head cocked, listening with rapt attention, its wings occasionally beating time with the music’s rhythm.

The sun had already set, and the Sun Garden Room was now lit by brilliant lamps. The light washed over the girl at the piano, making her look exceptionally beautiful. For a moment, Shen Yibin was captivated.

CLAP CLAP CLAP! As the final notes of Joe Hisaishi’s "Summer" faded, Shen Yibin couldn’t help but applaud. He had been unwittingly drawn into the music, infected by its message of positivity and optimism in the face of adversity.

Sun Qian turned her head and gave Shen Yibin a slight nod of thanks. Her gaze then shifted to Cheeky, who had been standing there for quite some time. She, of course, recognized the famous parrot.

’I wonder what it will think of my music? It gave some very insightful suggestions on that show before. If it could give me a few pointers, I might just have a breakthrough. But would it be too presumptuous to just ask?’

"Ahem, you made three mistakes just now. For example, the third note of the second measure, the fourth note of the seventh measure, and also..." Unexpectedly, before Sun Qian could work up the nerve to ask, Cheeky spoke first.

"Ah, you’re right." Sun Qian flushed with embarrassment. It had been a while since she’d practiced the piece, but making such basic errors was truly inexcusable. "My sincerest apologies."

"But you do play very well. I have heard countless performances where every single note was correct, yet the music was no good at all," Cheeky said earnestly. "However, you are the first performer I’ve ever met whose technique, while still nascent, is able to so perfectly merge with Yue Qu De’s emotions and express them."

’What’s going on here? Cheeky appreciates her playing this much?’ A flash of inspiration struck Shen Yibin. He quickly took out his phone, opened the Affinity Test app, and began to test the affinity between Sun Qian and Cheeky.

"This customer has a gentle and loving nature, with a particularly pure passion for music, making her an excellent match for a pet. This category is worth 20 points. Customer score: 20." The first item was a perfect score.

"Searches show that this customer has a professional musical education and views music as a lifelong career pursuit. She practices for long hours every day, which will keep a pet in a cheerful mood. This category is worth 20 points. Customer score: 20." The second one, too! Shen Yibin thought he saw a glimmer of hope.

"Although this customer has never raised a pet before, she is thoughtful and a quick learner. We believe she will soon master all the skills required to care for a pet. This category is worth 20 points. Customer score: 13." Shen Yibin grew slightly nervous. The three items added up to 53 points. As long as the remaining two categories totaled 27 points, Hah’Er could be sold.

"This customer is in good health and maintains a habit of regular exercise. She has ample energy to raise a pet. This category is worth 20 points. Customer score: 16." That brought the total to 69. Only eleven more points to go!

"This customer’s current financial situation is not ideal, and meeting a pet’s daily needs will be somewhat difficult, though not insurmountable. This category is worth 20 points. Customer score: 12." The final score was in.

plus 12 equals 81! Just over the passing mark! There was finally hope. Shen Yibin almost wept with joy. He had been running around for days without finding a suitable candidate, yet an unexpected reward had come from bringing Hah’Er and Cheeky out for a Western-style dinner on a whim.

’Uh, wait a minute, there seems to be one more problem. How am I supposed to sell Cheeky to her? Do I just go up and give her a sales pitch? That seems a bit forward, doesn’t it? What if she says no? Wouldn’t all this be for nothing?’

While Shen Yibin hesitated, Cheeky and Sun Qian were already hitting it off. "Anyone can practice technique, but pouring your emotions into a performance is not something everyone can do."

"Thank you for your guidance. It’s been incredibly enlightening for me." Sun Qian nodded in thanks, wanting to do something to repay Cheeky’s kindness but not knowing what.

"I’m getting a little hungry. I was eating in that private room over there. Why don’t you come over and we can continue our chat while we eat?" Cheeky said, rubbing its stomach. The moment the music started, it had forgotten all about food and flown over to listen to Sun Qian play. Now that the performance was over, its stomach started to rumble.

"Okay, I’ll just go tell my manager." How could Sun Qian pass up such an opportunity for more guidance? She agreed at once.

When Cheeky led Sun Qian back to the private room, Shen Yibin was floored. ’Bro, you’re incredible. You wander off for a bit and come back with a girl this beautiful? You should definitely do this more often.’

"Hello, Mr. Shen. I’m Sun Qian. I hope I’m not intruding." Sun Qian, of course, recognized Shen Yibin as well and greeted him politely.

"Huh, your name sounds a bit familiar. I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere." Shen Yibin was slightly puzzled. He was sure he’d never met this young woman before, so why did her name give him a strange sense of familiarity? After the pleasantries, Shen Yibin invited Sun Qian to sit opposite him, and Cheeky hopped onto the table beside her.

"What would you like to drink?" After ordering a lemonade for Sun Qian, Shen Yibin started racking his brain. ’How should I pitch Cheeky to her?’

He never got the chance. Cheeky launched into a spirited discussion about music with Sun Qian, at one point even forgetting to eat its fruit salad. Sun Qian would sometimes frown in concentration, then her brow would smooth in a moment of epiphany, or she would excitedly ask a follow-up question. She was completely immersed in her conversation with Cheeky, not only forgetting Shen Yibin but also failing to notice the universally adored Hah’Er.

’Those two really seem like a perfect match,’ Shen Yibin thought, propping his chin on his hand. He and Hah’Er exchanged blank looks, then both shook their heads and went back to tackling the food on the table. It looked like the other two would be talking for a long, long time.

"Oh my, I’m so sorry, I have something to do tonight. I’m afraid I have to go," Sun Qian said, suddenly snapping out of the conversation. She checked the time on her phone and got up to leave. "Um, Mr. Shen, could you please give me the address of your store? Would it be alright for me to visit Mr. Cheeky to discuss music again in the future?"

"Why go through all that trouble? Since you two get along so well, you should just buy Cheeky," Shen Yibin said, finally seeing his opening.