Chapter 210: Chapter 210: Bidding Farewell
With help from Sylvie and Professor Wu Gui, Hah’Er’s application to leave the country was finally approved. Now, Shen Yibin wouldn’t have to send Hah’Er to the Giant Panda Base after all. Over the next few days, Shen Yibin went around buying all sorts of seasonings for Chinese cooking. He figured it wouldn’t be easy for Hah’Er to find food to its liking in Africa. Cookware and ingredients were one thing, but he’d probably have to prepare the seasonings himself.
Additionally, Sun Qian’s performance and Mrs. Wang’s group’s square dancing competition were both huge successes. The day Sun Qian finished her performance, someone uploaded a video of it online, sparking quite a stir. The organizers of the Strawberry Music Festival seized the opportunity to put out an advertisement, announcing that Sun Qian would perform at the Sichuan stop, which also attracted many people to buy tickets.
After Mrs. Wang and her group won the championship without a doubt, the crowd of excited aunties tossed Egg high into the air.
Unfortunately, the post-production for Director Kong’s promotional video wasn’t finished yet, or Sun Qian’s fame would have risen even higher. But this wasn’t too big of a problem. Some small music companies had already started contacting Sun Qian. Furthermore, her name had appeared on the performance roster for the next few stops of the Strawberry Music Festival, and the arrangements for her performances were even better than the first one. She was now on the path to stardom; as long as her performances were successful, she would reap even greater rewards.
With things as they were, Sun Qian definitely couldn’t stay at the shop anymore. She and Cheeky formally submitted her resignation to Shen Yibin. "Bin, I’m heading to Sichuan in a couple of days." There was a hint of sadness in her voice, and Cheeky, usually so sharp-tongued, seemed to be silent for once. It stood on Hah’Er’s shoulder, whispering endlessly into its ear.
"Uh, I’m leaving in a few days too. I’m afraid I won’t be able to be there to cheer you on," Shen Yibin replied dryly. "So, let me be the first to wish you a successful performance."
"Thanks. From now on, I’ll mail you and Hah’Er tickets for every show. If you have time, you guys should come." Sun Qian’s mouth opened, as if she wanted to say something more, but when the words finally came, they were just as reserved.
"Okay, if I have time, I’ll definitely bring Hah’Er. You should stop by the shop if you’re free, too. The place will be completely different by the time you come back next," Shen Yibin said, pointing at the construction workers busy at the entrance.
"Mm," Sun Qian responded softly, and the two of them fell into an awkward silence. Nearby, Hah’Er was also looking at Cheeky with teary eyes. Although the two of them usually did nothing but bicker and squabble when they were together, their relationship was actually very good. Now that they were about to be separated, it was natural to feel reluctant to part.
"Oh, right, I think I still owe you 2,500 yuan." Sun Qian seemed to have remembered something. Back when she bought Cheeky, she didn’t have enough money, so Shen Yibin had lent her over 10,000 yuan, and they agreed she would pay it back in monthly installments. In reality, with her salary and commission, she could have paid back the ten thousand-plus yuan long ago. But for some unknown reason, she kept putting off the final payment, and Shen Yibin hadn’t thought much of it.
"Haha, it’s not that much money. Just forget about it. Think of it as a bonus for all your hard work during this time," Shen Yibin said, scratching his head.
"Those are two different things. I’ll definitely pay you back." Sun Qian suddenly broke into a smile. "But I’m about to leave, so I need to keep some money on me for the road. Besides, raising Cheeky isn’t easy. So... I’ll just pay you back the next time I come back." ’Doesn’t that give me one more reason to return?’
And so, the matter was settled. Just as Sun Qian turned to leave, Sakai Kaori walked over. She bowed solemnly to Shen Yibin and said, "Sir, I’ve been such a bother to you during this time. I’ve booked a flight for tomorrow and will be returning to Japan with Lord Egg. I came to say my goodbyes today."
’One just left, and now another one is leaving?’ Shen Yibin silently stroked Egg. "Then I’ll be counting on you to take care of Egg from now on. You have to raise him to be healthy and strong. When I have time, I’ll bring Hah’Er to the Shrine to visit you both."
They had already said their sad goodbyes last time, so today, he and Sakai Kaori deliberately avoided the topic. Sakai Kaori kept showing Shen Yibin various photos of the area around the Shrine, describing the wonderful life Egg would have, which eased his worries and lifted his spirits a little.
That evening, Shen Yibin pulled out all the stops and cooked a huge feast to see off Sun Qian, Sakai Kaori, Egg, and Cheeky. This time, no one held back on the drinking. Almost everyone got roaring drunk, and not even Egg’s earth-shattering snores could disturb them.
The next morning, Shen Yibin drove Sylvie, Sun Qian, Hah’Er, and Cheeky to the airport as they all took Sakai Kaori there. They watched until she and Egg disappeared through the security checkpoint.
No sooner had they seen off Sakai Kaori than it was Sun Qian and Cheeky’s turn. Once again, Shen Yibin, Sylvie, and Hah’Er stood at the entrance to the security checkpoint, waving goodbye to the departing Sun Qian and Cheeky.
The airport announcements kept urging passengers to proceed through security, but Sun Qian was still holding Sylvie’s hand, talking nonstop. Cheeky was also perched on Hah’Er’s shoulder, gently rubbing its beak against Hah’Er’s cheek. "Fatty, I’m leaving. You have to take good care of yourself. If anyone bullies you, have Bin call Qianqian, and I’ll come back and curse them to death for you."
"Mmm!" Hah’Er wiped its tears with one paw while gently stroking Cheeky’s feathers with the other. It nodded its big head emphatically, as if promising Cheeky in return, ’If anyone bullies you, you have Qianqian call Bin, and I’ll go over there and sit on them until they’re squashed.’
"Alright, it’s time. You should hurry and go through security. If you don’t go now, you’ll miss your flight," Sylvie said, gently nudging Sun Qian forward.
Sun Qian gently wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, then stared intently at Shen Yibin. And then... she suddenly strode forward and hugged Shen Yibin tightly. "Bin, I’ll definitely be back to see you in a while." This time, however, she forgot to mention Hah’Er.
Before Shen Yibin could even react, she released her arms and left with Cheeky. It wasn’t until the two of them had vanished into the security channel that Shen Yibin remembered to wave.
"Sun’s perfume must be really nice, huh? I think you’re a little dazed." Seeing his stupefied expression, Sylvie couldn’t help but lean in and tease him in a low voice.
"Let’s go. We should head back and get ready so we can get to the Congo sooner." Shen Yibin laughed awkwardly and quickly changed the subject. ’That’s right. Now that they’re all gone, it’s time to go to Africa and bring back the fourth pet.’
