"After I leave, you guys need to take good care of Xiaoliu and Maphario. Call me anytime if anything comes up." This trip would take a whole month, and Shen Yibin really couldn’t help but worry about them. He wondered if he could use a break in filming to come back for a visit, but that would be very tiring for Hah’Er, which left him in a bit of a dilemma.
"Don’t worry, Boss. Take care of yourself in Shanghai." Xia Shixuan gave him a suggestive smile, seemingly hinting at something. Seeing her smile, Shen Yibin was instantly reminded of the night people kept knocking on his door. He couldn’t help but shiver. ’When I get to Shanghai, I have to tell Director Kong about this,’ he thought. ’Something like that can never happen again.’
"If you want any fruit, just ask them, and they’ll take you to buy some! And you too, Maphario. While Hah’Er is away, go to them if you need anything." Shen Yibin bent down to pat Xiaoliu’s head, then reached out a finger to scratch Maphario’s belly. He made up his mind. ’After this movie is done, I should probably take fewer jobs like this. There are more and more pets in the store now, and it’s getting to be a bit too much to handle.’
"We’ll take good care of them! And we’ll send you the wine as soon as it’s ready!" Li Shiqing chimed in. Shen Yibin would be gone for a month, and a new batch of Monkey Wine would definitely be finished brewing in that time.
"Mm, you’re the thoughtful one." ’Such a good kid,’ he thought, ’unlike a certain someone who only knows how to tease me.’ "When the time comes, courier a share to Sun Qian and the others, too. The addresses are saved on the computer." With everything arranged, Shen Yibin got into the car with Hah’Er. Today, Sakai Kaori would be traveling with him to Shanghai, and from there she would return to Japan.
Xia Shixuan drove them to the airport. In the back seat, Shen Yibin warned Egg, "Once we get to the airport, you can’t be roughhousing with Hah’Er, okay? Otherwise, they won’t let you on the plane." The two of them hadn’t seen each other in a long time, and they had been raising a ruckus in the store every day for the past two days, which had Shen Yibin on edge.
"Gah?" Egg tilted its head and looked at Shen Yibin, pretending not to understand. Hah’Er wore an innocent smile, but his paw was already reaching for Egg’s tail. It was clear neither of them had taken Shen Yibin’s words to heart.
"If you two keep this up, there’ll be no more wine for either of you!" Left with no other choice, Shen Yibin had to play his trump card. As soon as they heard this, the two troublemakers finally dropped the act, quickly retracting and sitting properly in their seats. This sent Sakai Kaori and Xia Shixuan into a fit of laughter.
"Mr. Shen, I’ve truly troubled you this time. If you have the time, please be sure to visit Japan. I will be a proper host," Sakai Kaori said again with great sincerity. She had troubled Shen Yibin yet again on this visit, and she felt quite embarrassed.
"Ah, when we’re done filming the movie, I’ll be going to Japan for promotions. I can impose on you then." Director Kong was extremely influential throughout Asia, so a promotional tour in Japan was a certainty. This was something he had already discussed with Shen Yibin, so he could use the opportunity to visit Egg.
Perhaps Shen Yibin’s earlier threat had worked. Hah’Er and Egg were on their best behavior all the way from entering the airport to boarding the plane. They arrived smoothly at the Shanghai airport, where the two of them parted ways. Sakai Kaori took Egg to catch their connecting flight to Japan, while Shen Yibin prepared to leave and resume filming.
Even though the two of them had fought nonstop back at the store, when it was actually time to part, they couldn’t bear it. The two fluffy, chubby creatures clung to each other, whimpering endlessly. It was a heart-wrenching sight to see and hear. Anyone who didn’t know better would have thought they were being cruelly abused.
They didn’t reluctantly separate until it was time for Sakai Kaori to board. Hah’Er climbed onto Shen Yibin’s shoulder to watch Egg walk down the jet bridge and disappear around a corner. Only then did he reluctantly climb down and follow Shen Yibin out of the airport. Director Kong was already waiting for them at the exit.
"Bin, did you bring the wine this time?" This was Director Kong’s first question. Only after that did he show concern for Hah’Er. "Oh my, Hah’Er looks a little down. Was the flight too tiring?"
"No, he just said goodbye to a good friend and is a little sad, that’s all," Shen Yibin explained. He got into the car with Director Kong and they headed for the hotel. On the way, Shen Yibin handed two bottles of wine to the director. "One is for you, and the other is for Mr. Cha. If you have time, could you please pass it on for me?"
"No problem. Next time I’m back in Xiangjiang, I’ll have Chef Ah Qing cook up a feast and invite Mr. Cha over to sample it." ’Yes,’ he thought, ’that way I can snag a few more glasses for myself.’
After arriving at the hotel, Director Kong gave Shen Yibin the script for the next day’s shoot. Shen Yibin spent a long time going over the scenes with Hah’Er before finally going to bed. Fortunately, there were no midnight knocks on the door tonight, allowing Shen Yibin to get a good night’s sleep.
Early the next morning, they took a private car to the designated filming location. Director Kong was very attentive to Hah’Er’s needs, having specially assigned a luxury RV for Shen Yibin and Hah’Er’s use. It was fully equipped with all sorts of amenities, even a kitchen for cooking. This meant Shen Yibin could prepare Hah’Er’s favorite meals at any time, ensuring the panda could remain in peak condition.
To accommodate the film crew, the Shanghai police had specially cordoned off a street for the shoot. This was an extremely rare privilege. Even with Director Kong’s reputation and the influence of the partner company, they had only secured a two-hour window, so the shooting schedule was very tight.
Although it had been a while since he last acted, Hah’Er got into character in no time. He quickly readjusted to the atmosphere on set, and his brilliant performance earned endless praise from the crew. The shoot proceeded very smoothly.
However, when they got to the third-to-last shot, a problem occurred. The man who had been Fang Yuanshan’s martial arts double previously hadn’t recovered from his injury yet, and the newcomer seemed to be having trouble adjusting to the filming, making several mistakes in a row.
Seeing that they were running out of time and her own final scene hadn’t even started, Murong Li couldn’t help but step forward and speak up. "Director, why not let Bin do it? Bin’s kung fu is so good, I’m sure he’ll have no problem."
"That’s right! Bin is the best at kung fu here. He’ll definitely satisfy you," Fang Yun chimed in to support her. But for some reason, Shen Yibin found her words incredibly awkward.
"Right, Director, Mr. Shen’s..." Fang Yuanshan also tried to speak, but halfway through his sentence, he felt a murderous aura wash over him. He turned his head and saw Shen Yibin staring coldly at him. ’It’s one thing for those two girls to say it,’ Shen Yibin thought, ’but if you dare say it, I’ll beat you to death.’