Chapter 635: Let Me Carry Him

“I’ve been playing herbalist all morning, and I’m absolutely exhausted. I definitely need to eat a lot for lunch.” After finishing his chores, Shen Yibin returned to the villa and started preparing food. He’d made a lot more of the medicinal porridge than yesterday, planning to eat extra to restore his energy and recover from his earlier efforts.

He downed three large bowls of porridge, a comfortable warmth spreading through his body. His earlier fatigue vanished in an instant. Shen Yibin mused, ‘With skills like these, Turtle Immortal could easily become the head nutritionist for any sports team in the world. A million-dollar salary would be a piece of cake.’

‘If the Chinese Football Association made me head coach of the National Team, I’d bring Turtle Immortal and Shi Gaofei along for the job. I’d have Turtle Immortal design their nutritional plans and Shi Gaofei oversee their training. Breaking out of Asia and making it to the world stage, qualifying for the World Cup finals again… it’d be a sure thing!’ Shen Yibin fantasized as he lounged in his chair.

‘Oh, right! I could also get Cheeky to sing the team anthem, have Egg be the head cheerleader and dance for them, make Hah’Er the team mascot, and appoint Xiaoliu as the assistant coach—anyone who slacks off gets a whack with a stick… Pfft, better forget it. As if the National Team is important enough to be served by Hah’Er and Turtle Immortal.’

After eating his fill, resting for a bit, and letting his imagination run wild, Shen Yibin wondered if he should go check on the shop. He hadn’t been there in several days; the girls were probably getting annoyed.

‘Maybe I should just have them come to the manor for dinner. I can invite Bai Yanni, Xu Ye, and Qiao Wenqi, too. Oh, right, tomorrow’s the weekend, so Lv Tiantian should be off from school, right? After dinner, I can teach them the Turtle Breathing Technique that Turtle Immortal passed on. It’ll be good for their health.’

‘It’s a happy decision, then. I’ll head out to buy groceries, and while I’m at it, I’ll swing by the zoo to check on the construction progress of the research institute. Of course, the most important thing is giving Xiaoliu a chance to… attend to his harem. After munching on so much Maca and drinking so much Maca wine the last couple of days, he needs an outlet, right? It wouldn’t be good for him to get all pent-up.’

“Hah’Er! Xiaoliu! Let’s go, we’re off to the zoo!” Shen Yibin called out, and the little guys rushed out, howling with excitement. Hah’Er habitually went over to Turtle Immortal, intending to carry it to the car. But just as it bent down, Xiaoliu’s paws reached out first, as if to take the task from Hah’Er.

Xiaoliu wasn’t nearly as strong as Hah’Er, so carrying the turtle was a real struggle. But this time, Xiaoliu showed a rare persistence, managing to haul Turtle Immortal all the way into the car.

‘Well, this is interesting.’ Seeing this, Shen Yibin didn’t object. Instead, he chuckled encouragingly from the sidelines. He was quite supportive of this development.

He first stopped by the shop to give Xia Shixuan and the others a heads-up, telling them to close up early. After work, they were to bring Li and Lv Tiantian to the manor for dinner. “And there’s a surprise waiting for you after dinner, so don’t be late!”

“Boss? What’s the surprise? Did you find another special pet?” Xia Shixuan and the others asked curiously. “You have to give me a chance this time!”

‘There *is* a magical pet, but it’s not a new one, and it’s definitely not for you!’ Shen Yibin turned and saw Xia Shixuan squatting down, about to pet Turtle Immortal’s head. He rushed over and pulled her back. ‘Turtle Immortal’s head is not something you girls should be touching.’ “You’ll find out later. I’m off to buy groceries. Shi Xuan, just drive everyone over later. If you don’t have enough seats, I’ll have Xu Ye come help out.”

“Yeah, have him come over. My car only seats five, so it really won’t be enough,” Xia Shixuan said without hesitation.

After sorting things out at the shop, Shen Yibin bought some gifts for the family of three little black bears and for Xiaoliu’s harem at Hou Mountain, then headed straight for the zoo with his pets. Once there, he delivered the gifts, got Hah’Er and Xiaoliu settled, and then went to find Dong and the others.

Li Yan and Zhu Xiang were still busy with work, so Shen Yibin had to get the project’s latest update from Lv Qiu Jian. “We’ve finished testing the medicinal powder you sent over last time,” Lv Qiu Jian said. “We found some astonishing results, but unfortunately, the sample size was too small to conduct further analysis.”

“Er, that stuff is hard to come by,” Shen Yibin said, pleased to hear they’d made progress. “But I’ll do my best to get you some more. Maybe… maybe in about a month, I can send you another batch. It’ll probably be the same small amount as last time, though, so please use it sparingly.”

“Great! We’ll be better prepared this time. We’ll draw up a more comprehensive plan to ensure we reach more valuable conclusions,” Lv Qiu Jian promised excitedly.

“Mm, I have faith in you.” Shen Yibin clapped Lv Qiu Jian on the shoulder. “If you can completely crack the secrets of this medicine, you might just have a shot at a Nobel Prize! Keep up the great work, kid!”

He then went with Lv Qiu Jian to check on the construction site’s progress. There had been many changes since his last visit. Shen Yibin could even see crews busy with interior renovations and transplanting saplings. The move-in date was getting closer and closer.

“Alright, it’s getting late. I need to get back and start cooking. When you all officially move in, I’ll cook a celebratory meal for you myself.” After saying his goodbyes, Shen Yibin collected Xiaoliu and Hah’Er and headed back to the city. He raided several markets, buying up tons of fresh, high-quality ingredients until the trunk was stuffed to the brim.

Back at the manor, he carried the ingredients into the kitchen and carefully put them away. He checked the time; it was still a bit early to start cooking. Shen Yibin decided to get his evening workout done now. “Hah’Er, come on, let’s go for a run!”

“Mhm! Mhm!” Hah’Er nodded eagerly, then went to the back and dragged out its beloved skateboard. From the looks of it, it was planning to pull Turtle Immortal and Maphario along for the run again.

But unexpectedly, Xiaoliu stepped forward once again. It struggled to lift Turtle Immortal onto the skateboard, then tied the pull rope around its own waist.

‘Huh? Don’t you usually just swing around in the trees all day? Why the sudden interest in running on the ground with us? Honestly, there’s no way your running speed can keep up with Hah’Er’s, right?’

‘Oh, I get it.’ After a moment’s thought, Shen Yibin finally understood Xiaoliu’s motive. He stroked his chin, musing, ‘In that case, does this mean I should get Xiaoliu a new outfit with a harness, too?’