Future Pet Shop

Chapter 88: But I Don’t Have Enough Money

"Mr. Shen, you mean...?" Sun Qian was getting excited. She had seen some of the audition shows before, so she knew how sought-after Cheeky was. She never expected such a wonderful opportunity to fall into her lap.

"Oh, I’ve been looking for a suitable owner for Cheeky for so long with no luck, but it seems you two really hit it off, so I had to ask. If you really like him, you could just buy him and take him home." ’Please, you have to say yes,’ Shen Yibin thought desperately. ’Whether or not I end up in prison picking up the soap is all up to you.’

After searching for so long, even causing such a stir with the audition show, wasn’t it all to find an owner for Cheeky? Now, with less than a month left, Shen Yibin had no confidence he could find another person who met the requirements in such a short time. Sun Qian had become his last hope.

"Are you really selling him?" Sun Qian still couldn’t quite believe it.

"I’m really selling him." Shen Yibin glanced over. Cheeky was completely ignoring him now, its gaze fixed entirely on Sun Qian. ’Sigh,’ he thought. ’I thought he was bringing a beauty home for me, but who knew he was planning to elope with her instead.’

"So, can I ask... h-how much is he?" Sun Qian bit her lip. She seemed to have finally made up her mind, but... ’This parrot must be expensive, right? Can I really afford him?’ She had now forgotten that she had once discussed Cheeky’s value with Qianqian.

"A total of thirty-eight thousand, three hundred eighty-four yuan and thirty-eight cents. The price is non-negotiable. Just hand over that small sum, and Cheeky is all yours." ’Sigh, to be honest, I’m a little sad to see him go,’ Shen Yibin thought. ’Even though the little rascal is sharp-tongued, loves to roast me, and forces me to do those embarrassing exercises... the store is so much livelier with him around. If he just left like this, Hah’Er and I would both be heartbroken.’

"Ah!" Sun Qian was shocked that such a clever and intelligent parrot was selling for so little. But even at just under forty thousand, she couldn’t afford it. Blushing, Sun Qian lowered her head slightly and mumbled, "But... I don’t have that much money."

"You don’t even have thirty-thousand?" Shen Yibin seemed to forget that he had bought Hah’Er on his credit card. Back then, he couldn’t even scrape together twenty thousand, so who was he to judge? ’Hey, that’s right! She can use a card!’ He quickly added, "You could pay by card! Use a credit card and pay in installments. It won’t be that much each month."

"Um, I don’t have a credit card." After graduating, Sun Qian had moved back to her small hometown, and she’d never had a need for a credit card there. Now, she was filled with regret. ’If only I’d applied for one, I could be taking Cheeky home right now, couldn’t I?’

"Why don’t you ask your family or friends to borrow some money?" ’Tsk, I’m just trying to sell a bird,’ he thought. ’How did I end up sounding like I’m running a pyramid scheme?’

Sun Qian’s head drooped like a poor child being hounded by a loan shark. Her parents had been worried sick ever since she left home. If she asked them for money now, she couldn’t imagine how much more they would worry. Sun Qian couldn’t bear to do that to them. As for asking her friends, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. It might be different if it was for something else, but borrowing money to buy a pet? That just didn’t seem right.

At that moment, it hadn’t occurred to Sun Qian that she could make money with Cheeky. Or perhaps, even if it had, she wouldn’t have been willing to make Cheeky work so hard. Maybe that was the real reason her affinity rating was high enough to meet the requirement.

"How about this? It looks like you have to be somewhere, so you should get going. Here’s my business card with the pet store’s address. When you have time tomorrow, you can come by, and we can discuss the details." It didn’t feel right to press the issue any further, so Shen Yibin decided to back off a little. "Oh, right, could I get your phone number or WeChat?"

He was afraid Sun Qian would disappear for good. The money issue could be solved, but he only had this one suitable customer. If she vanished, he’d be screwed.

"Okay, I’ll come find you tomorrow during the day. Mr. Shen, Mr. Cheeky, and Mr. Panda, I’ll see you all tomorrow." After she spoke, Sun Qian gave Cheeky a reluctant wave goodbye.

Shen Yibin watched until her figure disappeared through the restaurant entrance before looking away. "Sigh, we should head back too. The guys at home must be getting hungry."

When he saw the bill, Shen Yibin felt another pang of distress. Thankfully, after requesting a photo with them, the manager generously comped their meal, which lifted Shen Yibin’s spirits considerably.

"By the way, is that lady who plays the piano one of your employees?" Shen Yibin seized the opportunity to learn a little more about Sun Qian, just in case.

"Not really, no. A friend recommended her, and she just started playing piano here part-time." But the manager didn’t know the specifics of her situation. "And she won’t be coming in tomorrow."

"Why? She plays so well, doesn’t she?" This made Shen Yibin even more worried. If she didn’t show up at the store tomorrow and he couldn’t reach her by phone, he would have no way of finding her.

"Sigh, running a business isn’t easy. She’s been playing the piano here for a month, and the regulars were getting a little tired of it, so we’re bringing in a violinist to change things up," the manager explained with a helpless shrug.

"So, are you close with the friend who recommended her?" Shen Yibin chatted a little longer, but unfortunately, he didn’t make much headway. He only managed to get the phone number of Sun Qian’s friend.

’Please, let this girl show up at the store tomorrow as promised. Otherwise, I’m in for a world of trouble.’ As he got into the car, Shen Yibin pressed his palms together, praying to all the gods in heaven.

Back at the store, he tidied up, fed the pets, and let them out for a bit before it was finally time to rest.

He had been working especially hard these past few days and would usually fall asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. But tonight, he tossed and turned, unable to rest, terrified that some accident would prevent Sun Qian from coming to the store the next day.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Sun Qian, who was renting a room in an old house by herself, was also finding it as hard to sleep as Shen Yibin. ’I really love the way Cheeky discusses music with me so seriously,’ she thought. ’You can tell he’s a parrot with a deep passion for music and extremely refined taste. If he were by my side, my journey in music wouldn’t be so lonely anymore, would it?’

But she simply couldn’t come up with thirty-eight thousand, three hundred eighty-four yuan and thirty-eight cents. After her performance ended for the night, she had counted her savings over and over, but it was nowhere near enough. ’To lose such a clever and intelligent parrot just because of money... it would be an absolute shame.’

And so, because of Cheeky, both Shen Yibin and Sun Qian spent a sleepless night.