Returning to Parents' Seventeen
Chapter 63: Shen Sinian Wants to Give You a Cat

Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Shen Sinian Wants to Give You a Cat

Although Xu Chuning thought it was unlikely, Shen Sinian wanted to buy a gift for Shen Yubai. Playing the role of his future mother, she pondered it and felt that she couldn’t refuse the child’s rare gesture of filial piety.

Therefore, Xu Chuning asked, "What should we buy for him?"

Shen Sinian: "Shall we go look around later?"

Xu Chuning had no objections.

After breakfast, the two went out to shop nearby.

Xu Chuning hadn’t been out shopping in a long time. Her material needs were few; on one hand, she had no money, and on the other, she spent her days at school and the shop. She wore uniforms at school, and she had clothes to wear over the weekends, so there was no need to buy new ones.

Of course, You Shuzhen would buy her new clothes each year for her birthday, New Year’s, or whenever there was a sale at the store.

Year after year, Xu Chuning had accumulated quite a collection of clothes to wear.

The two walked to a nearby pedestrian street and Xu Chuning noticed that Shen Sinian was more familiar with the streets and shops than she was.

After wandering around, they still hadn’t thought of what to buy for Shen Yubai.

In the end, Shen Sinian stared at a street vendor selling puppies, "How about we give him a dog?"

Xu Chuning: "..."

She lowered her gaze to the puppies in the cage, and after a three-second silence, she asked, "Do you like them?"

Shen Sinian instinctively replied, "I like them."

Xu Chuning: "Puppies seem to need daily walks. Don’t you have the time?"

Shen Sinian thought for a moment, then turned his head to look at the kittens next door, "Kittens could work too."

"..."

"Is Shen Yubai allergic to cat fur?" Xu Chuning asked after a moment of silence.

Shen Sinian: "...I don’t know."

They looked at each other, and Xu Chuning sighed softly, "You ask him."

If Shen Yubai is not allergic to cat fur, then Xu Chuning can buy a cat for Shen Sinian.

Shen Sinian was about to pull out his phone when something crossed his mind, "Ningning."

Xu Chuning: "Hmm?"

Shen Sinian rubbed his nose, looking at her with a pitiful gaze, "Maybe you can ask?"

Xu Chuning saw his demeanor and felt somewhat helpless, "Afraid he’ll reject you?"

Shen Sinian nodded.

"Then he could reject me too," if Shen Yubai is allergic to cat fur.

Hearing this, Shen Sinian murmured softly, "Not necessarily."

An onlooker often sees more of the game.

Although Shen Yubai and Xu Chuning didn’t interact closely, every time the two stood together and talked, Shen Sinian felt like a third wheel. Moreover, Shen Yubai might not even realize that whenever Shen Sinian discussed something with him and mentioned Xu Chuning’s agreement, Shen Yubai would unconditionally approve Shen Sinian’s ideas.

It was the same when he talked about joining the entertainment company as a star last time, and the same when he talked about school matters the time before last.

Not hearing clearly what Shen Sinian was mumbling, Xu Chuning took out her cell phone, logged into QQ, and opened the chat box with Shen Yubai.

After a few seconds of thought, Xu Chuning asked straightforwardly: [Are you allergic to cat fur?]

Shen Yubai must have been in front of the computer, as he promptly replied with a question mark.

Xu Chuning: [Shen Sinian is thinking of getting you a cat.]

Shen Yubai: [?]

Xu Chuning: [If you’re not allergic, I’ll buy it.]

Shen Yubai: [Are you sure it’s meant for me?]

Xu Chuning, of course, knew that Shen Sinian himself wanted to keep it but didn’t have much time and energy. Plus, nobody knew when he would return, so if a cat was bought, the burden of taking care of it would surely fall on Shen Yubai’s shoulders.

Therefore, saying it was a gift for him made total sense.

With these thoughts, Xu Chuning replied: [Yes, do you want it?]

Shen Yubai: [...Is it expensive?]

Xu Chuning: [Haven’t had the chance to ask the price yet.]

Shen Yubai: [You ask first.]

Xu Chuning: [So, you’re not allergic?]

Shen Yubai: [Don’t know.]

He hadn’t done any allergy tests.

Xu Chuning: [Alright, I’ll ask the price first.]

Shen Yubai: [Mm.]

Putting away the phone, Xu Chuning and Shen Sinian approached a street vendor to inquire about the prices. The kittens varied in breed and appearance, so the prices differed as well, ranging from a few tens to over a hundred yuan.

After asking around, Xu Chuning turned to Shen Sinian, "Which one do you like the most?"

Shen Sinian pointed at a pure white, very beautiful kitten and said, "This one."

The vendor’s eyes lit up and he declared confidently, "Young man, you have great taste. This kitten is of a very pure breed, looks lively, and is smart too. You won’t regret buying it."

Listening to this, Xu Chuning asked, "How much is it?"

"This kitten is one hundred and eighty yuan," the vendor said.

Xu Chuning: "..."

Shen Sinian frowned. "That expensive?"

If it had been the Shen Sinian from before, he wouldn’t have thought one hundred and eighty yuan was expensive. But the current him understood how hard it was to earn money.

What was more important, he knew that Xu Chuning might not even spend one hundred and eighty yuan in a month.

Thinking it over, Shen Sinian said plainly, "Let’s forget about buying a cat then."

Xu Chuning paused, "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Shen Sinian mused. "Let’s just buy a decoration for him, he doesn’t deserve such an expensive kitten."

Hearing that, Xu Chuning couldn’t help but laugh and tease him, "Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell Shen Yubai what you said?"

Shen Sinian arched his eyebrows, confidently stating, "You won’t."

Between him and Shen Yubai, Xu Chuning would certainly stand by his side. Of this, Shen Sinian was confident.

Xu Chuning: "..."

In the end, the two didn’t buy a cat.

Xu Chuning didn’t carry much money on her, and couldn’t afford that cat for the time being. Shen Sinian had brought some money, but not a lot either.

In short, the combined funds of mother and son were not enough to buy a single kitten.

After strolling for half the day, the pair returned to their small eatery.

The business was not bad at noon, and Shen Sinian stayed to help in the restaurant.

After they were busy and had eaten, Shen Sinian took the lunch he had packed for Shen Yubai from the restaurant and went back.

Upon returning to the neighborhood, Shen Yubai opened the door for him. Glancing at the bag in his hand, Shen Yubai glanced up and asked, "How come you didn’t buy a cat?"

Shen Sinian: "...didn’t find any I particularly liked."

Shen Yubai gave him a look and turned to walk to the dining room, "Xu Chuning took you out, what did she ask you?"

Shen Sinian was momentarily stunned, then looked up at him, "You guessed what she wanted to ask me?"

Shen Yubai: "You made it too obvious."

Shen Sinian muttered a low "oh."

Shen Yubai: "So what did you say?"

Sitting opposite to him, Shen Sinian spoke softly, "She asked about her plans to open a restaurant in the future, and... about Aunt You."

Shen Yubai’s hands paused while opening the bag, "You... what did you say?"

Lowering his lashes, Shen Sinian said, "I lied to Ningning."

"Aunt You..." Shen Yubai seemed to realize something and asked him, "Did you see her when you were born?"

Shen Sinian shook his head.

Shen Yubai understood, furrowed his brows, and looked up at him, "Have we ever mentioned when she wasn’t around?"

Shen Sinian nodded lightly, "We did, but not in detail. I only know Grandma passed away because of illness."

"Illness?" Shen Yubai frowned, "What illness?"

Shen Sinian was not sure.

The atmosphere in the dining room turned a bit stagnant.

After a while, Shen Yubai whispered, "Since we’ve kept it from her, keep it that way."

He reminded Shen Sinian, "Don’t let her trick you into revealing anything."

Shen Sinian nodded gloomily, "I know."

He was quiet for a while but couldn’t resist asking Shen Yubai, "Knowing about the future, aren’t we going to do anything now?"

"We should, but we can’t be too obvious about it."

"How do we act without being obvious?" Shen Sinian asked eagerly.

Shen Yubai glanced at him and quietly said, "I will make the arrangements."