"Egg, Hah’Er, time to get up!" Shen Yibin called out with his eyes still closed. He then continued to laze in bed, only slowly getting up to dress when he heard the sounds of someone washing up in the bathroom.

’Huh? Why hasn’t Sakai Kaori gotten up to make breakfast for Egg today? Is it because she went to bed too late last night? Well, this is nice too. I got an extra half an hour of sleep.’

"Hah’Er, Egg, what do you want for breakfast today? How about I make you guys some pancakes?" He was in a good mood after a great night’s sleep, so Shen Yibin felt like making a more complex breakfast. Making pancakes took much more effort than just making congee.

"Hah’Er, cook with me. Egg, you go downstairs and give the other pets their breakfast." Time seemed to rewind a few days. Shen Yibin hummed a little tune while preparing breakfast under Hah’Er’s guidance. Egg went downstairs to distribute pet food to the huskies, Siamese Cat, and the like. Sounds of them washing up came from Sylvie and Sun Qian’s room. It was all so peaceful.

"Ah, I’m so sorry! I woke up late today." However, the peace was soon shattered by the sound of hurried footsteps as Sakai Kaori rushed into the kitchen.

"It’s fine. There’s still plenty of time before we have to open. The others usually get up around this time anyway." ’Hmph. It’s not like you make breakfast for the rest of us. You only feed Egg, so what’s the point of you getting up early anyway?’

"How can I, an employee, wake up later than the owner? Hmm? Where did Lord Raccoon Cat go?" Seeing no trace of Egg in the kitchen, Sakai Kaori grew anxious.

"Oh, he went downstairs to feed the pets. Go wash your hands and set the table. Breakfast is almost ready." Shen Yibin tossed the pan, and the finished pancake flew out, landing perfectly on a plate. Breakfast was just about ready.

"Ah, I should be doing those things! How can we make Lord Raccoon Cat do them?" However, Sakai Kaori didn’t seem to have heard the second half of his sentence. The moment she heard Egg was downstairs working, she immediately clattered down the stairs, leaving Shen Yibin and Hah’Er staring at each other, speechless.

Fortunately, Sylvie and Sun Qian were also ready by then. They came out and helped Shen Yibin set the table, then brought the finished pancakes, side dishes, and soup to the dining room.

"She’s off to take care of Egg again? Boss, she’s our employee, not Egg’s personal maid," Sylvie said bluntly. While Sakai Kaori’s takedown of the thug was admirable, her performance yesterday was lackluster. She focused almost all her energy on Egg, hardly learning anything or getting any work done.

"She’s just met Egg, so it’s understandable she’s a little excited. She’ll probably calm down in a couple of days," Sun Qian offered, trying to smooth things over.

"Sigh... I don’t think Egg likes being cared for so attentively. Didn’t you guys notice he seemed less happy than usual yesterday?" ’Yeah, after breakfast and our workout at the park, I definitely need to have a talk with Sakai Kaori. Otherwise, her affinity with Egg is going to drop again.’

"Cheeky, go call them up for breakfast." By this time, breakfast was ready. Sakai Kaori had helped Egg wash his paws and was seating him at the table, looking like she was about to feed him again.

"Miss Sakai, maybe you should... eh, never mind." ’I wanted to tell her to let Egg eat on his own, like Hah’Er does, but then I looked at their paws. It seemed a bit unrealistic to expect them to roll the side dishes into the pancakes by themselves. I’d better just drop it. Sigh, why on earth did I decide to make pancakes today? I’ll bring this up at lunchtime.’

"Gah?" Seeing Shen Yibin finish rolling a pancake and hand it to Hah’Er, Egg ignored the rolled pancake in Sakai Kaori’s hand and stretched his head over, as if to snatch it for himself. Of course, Hah’Er wasn’t about to let that happen, and the two of them started squabbling again.

"Alright, alright, stop fighting. I’ll roll one for you too." ’Hey! The rest of us need to eat too! Can you two just stop it?’ Shen Yibin quickly rolled another pancake and handed it to Egg, which finally put an end to the squabble.

’Mmm, these pancakes turned out great. They smell delicious. I should hurry and make one for myself.’ However, just as Shen Yibin finished rolling one, both Hah’Er and Egg reached out with their paws. They had already devoured their first helpings.

"Lord Raccoon Cat, please eat this one." Sakai Kaori, who had been holding out her hand for ages, quickly seized the opportunity to offer hers. But alas, Egg seemed to have grown cold toward her. He didn’t even look at the pancake she had already rolled, instead keeping his paw outstretched, waiting for Shen Yibin.

Poor Shen Yibin had no choice but to keep rolling pancakes for the two of them until they were all gone, and he hadn’t gotten a single bite. Seeing Hah’Er and Egg patting their stomachs with satisfied expressions, Shen Yibin felt utterly miserable. ’Damn it! I worked my ass off to make this food, and I didn’t even get a single bite!’

Sakai Kaori was just as unhappy as he was. Whether she offered him a rolled pancake or a bowl of soup, Egg completely ignored her. He would rather fight Hah’Er for a bite than taste the food she gave him.

’Did I do something wrong? Have I made Lord Raccoon Cat angry?’ Sakai Kaori lost her appetite for breakfast as well. She could only stare pitifully at Egg, hoping to understand why.

’Sigh, I was planning to talk to her after the workout, but it looks like I’d better do it now.’ Shen Yibin glanced at the others. "Sylvie, you and Qian take Hah’Er and Egg downstairs and get started on the cleaning. Miss Sakai and I will tidy up in here."

After they had gone, Shen Yibin looked at Sakai Kaori and said, "Miss Sakai, you’ll never win Egg over acting like this."

"Eh? What exactly did I do wrong? Please, Owner, enlighten me! Was my service not considerate enough, or...?" Sakai Kaori asked urgently. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Quite the opposite," Shen Yibin replied, shaking his head. "You’re *too* attentive in your service. That’s why Egg seems so uncomfortable." ’Egg has such a mischievous personality, yet you’re putting him on a pedestal and worshiping him like a god. These invisible shackles must be making him miserable.’

"But... but isn’t this how it’s supposed to be? The Sakai family has always served Lord Raccoon Cat this way." Sakai Kaori couldn’t quite wrap her head around it. She asked humbly, "Owner, then what should I do to gain Lord Raccoon Cat’s approval?"

"Uh, well... I think... you could maybe be a little rougher with Egg." ’Sigh, Egg really is a piece of work. He’s unhappy when you treat him well. Does he need to be like Hah’Er and get smacked around a few times before he’s happy?’