"Are you sure it's okay to feed it this?" Bai Yanni was conflicted. 'If the panda has a bad reaction later, should I arrest Shen Yibin? And what would the charge even be? I can't seem to find any relevant law for this, can I?'
"Mhm!" Hah'Er took the ice cream but didn't start eating right away. Instead, it stood on its tiptoes, held the treat up with its furry paws, and tried to bring it to Shen Yibin's mouth. The sight made Bai Yanni and Dragon Willow Birch so envious they were ready to drop to their knees. 'Mommy, I want a well-behaved panda just like that, too!'
"Mm, that's so sweet. You can eat it now, Hah'Er." A warm feeling spread through Shen Yibin's chest. He took a small bite and handed it back to Hah'Er. Bai Yanni, who had ignored countless public displays of affection in front of her, couldn't take it this time. 'I really want to string Bin up on a lamppost and burn him to death.'
"Mhm!" But Hah'Er still refused to eat. It turned its large head and offered the ice cream to Bai Yanni. It remembered this lady who had visited the shop the day before.
"Ah!" Bai Yanni hadn't even been this excited when she received her first love letter in junior high. 'The Panda is treating me to ice cream!' She was so thrilled she felt like she could fly. Forgetting all about Shen Yibin's teeth marks on the ice cream, she quickly bent over, held back tears, and took a gentle bite. "Thank you, Hah'Er. I've had my fill. Now it's your turn to have a taste."
CLICK. Shen Yibin captured the moment Hah'Er offered the ice cream to Bai Yanni on his digital camera. Standing to the side, Dragon Willow Birch was incredibly jealous. 'Waaah, I want a turn too...'
"Bin, let me see." Bai Yanni showed no signs of being upset about the candid photo. She snatched the camera and began studying the picture. Shen Yibin's timing had been perfect; he had captured the exact moment Hah'Er held the ice cream to her lips. She quickly pulled out her phone. "Bin, what's your WeChat? Send me a copy of the photo later."
"Me too, can you send me one? Can I get it developed and put it up at the entrance as an advertisement? Just a photo of the panda holding the ice cream would be great. Ah... Officer, I'm not..." Dragon Willow Birch started to stammer.
"It's fine. Since I'm in uniform, you can't use it for an ad anyway. Just have Bin take a new one for you," Bai Yanni said, helping her out.
"Thank you, miss. Bin?" Dragon Willow Birch looked over, her eyes glistening with hope. 'Even if I can't use it for an ad, that's fine. I'd be perfectly happy just to have a copy I can look at every day whenever I want.'
"That depends on whether Hah'Er likes your ice cream. If it does, then it should be no problem." Shen Yibin recited his WeChat ID, secretly overjoyed. 'In just this short amount of time, Hah'Er has already helped me get contact info from two beauties. If this keeps up, my days of being single are numbered!'
"So its name is Hah'Er?" Dragon Willow Birch had also run out of the shop by now. She crouched in front of Hah'Er and asked, "Hah'Er, is the ice cream I made delicious?"
"Hmm~" Hah'Er licked the ice cream from the corner of its mouth, tilted its head, and seemed to ponder for a long moment. Then, it pulled on Shen Yibin's hand, shuffled over to the advertising sign, and began to gesture at it.
"Bin, what is Hah'Er trying to say?" Dragon Willow Birch and Bai Yanni were both baffled by the scene.
Shen Yibin, however, understood. The sign showed ingredients like matcha powder, egg yolks, and cream. Hah'Er's gestures were saying that the ice cream was decent, but the amount of matcha was a bit too strong, while there wasn't quite enough cream. After spending so many days together, he could easily interpret Hah'Er's intentions, and he explained it all to them.
"Is this panda turning into a gourmet spirit or something?" Bai Yanni and Dragon Willow Birch were practically speechless. 'It's one thing for you to eat ice cream instead of bamboo, but to be so picky about the flavor, too?'
Seeing Hah'Er finish the ice cream, Dragon Willow Birch hurried to make a new one according to the feedback it had just given. This time, Hah'Er ate even faster, its large head nodding nonstop, apparently quite satisfied with the improved flavor. This prompted Dragon Willow Birch to make a couple more for herself. After savoring them, she had to admit they tasted much better than her previous attempts. So, when Shen Yibin prepared to pay, she firmly refused. "There's no need. I'm already very grateful that Hah'Er helped me improve the recipe. Next time I'm testing a new creation, I'll just ask Hah'Er to come and taste it for me."
'Are you really planning to use a panda as a food tester? What if it gets an upset stomach?' Bai Yanni's severe gaze immediately shot over. However, since Shen Yibin didn't object, she felt it wasn't her place to say anything.
Shen Yibin, on the other hand, was completely unconcerned. He trusted Hah'Er's senses of smell and taste; if there were anything wrong with the ice cream she made, Hah'Er would definitely refuse to eat it. "Alright then. Next time you have a new creation, just come find me at the shop. I'm going to take Hah'Er for a walk now. See you in a bit."
"Mhm!" Hah'Er waved its furry paw as well, then took hold of Shen Yibin's right hand. They slowly ambled around the street corner and into the park.
There weren't many people in the park at this hour; just a few retirees getting some exercise and some mothers strolling with their children. This put Bai Yanni a little more at ease.
"Mommy! A Black and White Bun!" Before she could fully relax, she heard a little girl's delighted shriek from behind. She turned to see a girl of about four or five, dressed in a princess gown, her eyes sparkling. The girl let go of her mother's hand and ran straight toward Hah'Er.
'Panda, Black and White Bun... just how many nicknames do you have?' Shen Yibin thought with a wry smile. 'I knew this walk wasn't going to be relaxing. I just can't believe we made it through the main streets without incident, only to get spotted the moment we entered the park.'
The little girl ran up to Hah'Er and stopped. Tilting her head, she sized up the panda, which was just a little shorter than her, then whispered, "Tuanzi, did you sneak out of the zoo? Don't worry, I promise I won't tell the policemen."
Pfft. 'Oh, honey, are you for real?' Shen Yibin almost burst out laughing. Bai Yanni didn't know whether to laugh or cry. 'I'm standing right here in my police uniform! Can you not see me?'
"Hah'Er, say hello to the little girl." 'Sigh, this guy is a total lady-killer. From a cool, older woman like Bai Yanni to a young maiden like Dragon Willow Birch, and now to this little girl right here... he attracts girls wherever he goes. It's really... really making me jealous!'
"Mhm!" Hah'Er magnanimously extended its paw.
"Your name is Hah'Er? Hello, my name is Nuomituan. We're both little buns," the little girl said earnestly. After speaking, she mimicked an adult by extending her right hand and shaking Hah'Er's paw.
"Nuomituan!" The little girl's mother caught up just then. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her daughter was unharmed, but then she got a clear look at Hah'Er and froze. "A panda!"