"Excuse me, miss, any idea when your boss will be back? Did he take the beavers out and isn’t planning on returning today?" Wen Yuan was getting a little antsy. Just waiting around wasn’t a solution, and it was almost time for lunch.
"The boss didn’t say he was taking them out to play. He should be back by now," Xia Shixuan said, also a bit puzzled. Usually, Shen Yibin would already be in the kitchen starting on lunch at this time.
"Could you maybe give him a call and ask?" Wen Yuan couldn’t wait any longer. The night before, while organizing his photos, he had been struck by a surge of inspiration. He was eager to continue his studies today, but after waiting for so long, there was still no sign of Bald Qiang and his partner. ’This is even more agonizing than watching a download get stuck at 99.99%!’
"Just wait a little longer. I’m sure he’ll be back soon!" Xia Shixuan wasn’t in a hurry. She offered Wen Yuan a few words of comfort before going back to tend to the other customers, leaving him alone by the pool.
Fortunately, it wasn’t long before Shen Yibin finally returned with Bald Qiang and Gao Lujie. "You guys go on and play. Hah’Er, come upstairs with me and let’s get lunch ready!" Leaving them downstairs, Shen Yibin took Hah’Er to the second floor. Maphario climbed out of Hah’Er’s pocket and went back to watering and fertilizing the orchard, with Xiaoliu lending a hand. The saplings had grown quite tall now; without Xiaoliu’s help, Maphario might not have been able to manage on his own.
From the moment Bald Qiang and Gao Lujie entered, Wen Yuan watched them without so much as a blink. The pair didn’t disappoint, immediately swimming over to the pool to continue working on their aquatic villa. Wen Yuan quickly pulled out his camera and began snapping away—CLICK, CLICK, CLICK—muttering to himself, "So that’s why the structure looked illogical! There was this extra step. Why didn’t I think of that before?"
Wen Yuan felt as if a new door was opening before him. The last time he’d felt this way was when he first started university, poring over the works of master architects like Wright, I.M. Pei, and Kisho Kurokawa in the library. That experience had made him truly fall in love with his profession, drawing him into the wonderful world of design. This time, he had a premonition that he, too, might one day have the chance to stand alongside those masters and become a true master himself.
"What’s that guy’s deal? Why has he been staring at Bald Qiang and his partner since yesterday?" Shen Yibin asked, his curiosity piqued. He had just finished cooking and came out to see Wen Yuan still squatting there, completely absorbed in his observation.
"No idea. He’s been waiting in the store since this morning and asked me several times when Bald Qiang and his partner would be back. I was too busy with customers to talk to him much. Should I go down and ask him now?" Xia Shixuan said with a shrug.
"Hmm, well, it’s time for lunch anyway. Let’s just invite him to eat with us, and I’ll ask him myself during the meal." Shen Yibin figured it was better to ask directly. So, Xia Shixuan went downstairs and called Xiaoliu, Maphario, Bald Qiang, and the others up. It was only when Wen Yuan saw Bald Qiang walk away that he finally snapped out of his trance.
"Are you hungry? Why don’t you join us for lunch? The two of them will rest for a bit after they eat before they start working again," Xia Shixuan said to Wen Yuan, silently guessing his identity. ’A reporter? Or an animal researcher?’
"Oh, I couldn’t possibly impose," Wen Yuan replied hesitantly. Having been so engrossed in design, he was slightly awkward when it came to social interactions. But then he had another thought. ’If I’m going to be observing here long-term, I’ll definitely need to interact with the owner.’ The refusal on the tip of his tongue was swallowed back down. "Alright, then. Thank you for your trouble."
"It’s no trouble. Our boss is very hospitable, and he cooked a lot for lunch. We probably can’t finish it all ourselves." Xia Shixuan led Wen Yuan to the dining table and showed him to a seat. "This is our boss, Shen Yibin. I’m Xia Shixuan, and these are Gao Shu, Li Shiqing, and Xie Nannan, all employees here. And you are, sir?"
"Oh, my name is Wen Yuan. I’m a landscape architect," Wen Yuan quickly introduced himself, extending a hand to shake Shen Yibin’s. "I saw photos of the beavers’ lodge online and became extremely interested, so I came over. I’m so sorry for all the trouble."
"Oh? Is there something that special about a beaver lodge?" His words piqued everyone’s curiosity, and Shen Yibin asked the question on their minds.
"Of course! The beavers’ perfect integration with the natural environment during the lodge’s construction, the ingenious structural design, the construction process itself, the selection of materials..." The moment his profession was mentioned, Wen Yuan’s earlier hesitation vanished. He launched into a torrent of technical terms and then concluded, "It’s a rare and marvelous spectacle of nature, and it offers a huge opportunity for growth in my profession."
"Oh, no wonder you were so captivated." Now Shen Yibin understood. He thought for a moment, then pulled out his phone. "I took some other photos and videos that I haven’t uploaded yet. If they’d be useful, I can send them to you!"
"Useful? Of course they’re useful! I was just worrying that I was missing some details!" Wen Yuan quickly exchanged WeChat contacts with Shen Yibin and began receiving the photos and videos. He then became completely engrossed in them, even while eating. It was a rare occurrence at Shen Yibin’s table: a guest who didn’t praise his cooking.
It wasn’t that Shen Yibin’s food wasn’t to Wen Yuan’s liking; rather, his attention was so completely focused on the videos and pictures that he didn’t have a moment to spare to savor the delicious meal.
Shen Yibin, Xia Shixuan, and the others lowered their voices, afraid of disturbing Wen Yuan. It wasn’t until the meal was over, Xia Shixuan and the others had started clearing the table, and Hah’Er, Xiaoliu, Bald Qiang, and the rest were heading back downstairs that Wen Yuan finally looked up from his phone.
"They’ll rest for a little while before getting back to work. Let’s have some tea first!" Shen Yibin led Wen Yuan to the tea table. As they sat and drank, he curiously asked for Wen Yuan’s assessment of the materials.
Wen Yuan was, of course, full of praise, spouting a long string of professional jargon that made Shen Yibin’s head spin. He couldn’t make heads or tails of what the man was saying.
After talking for a while, Wen Yuan suddenly remembered he was in a pet store, not his design studio, and finally stopped his long-winded speech. But then, a new idea popped into his head. "Mr. Shen, are these two beavers for sale?"
"Uh, let me see." Shen Yibin took out his phone, opened the Affinity Test app, and began looking up Wen Yuan’s information. After a long moment, he finally looked up and asked, "Do you know how to play table tennis?"