Future Pet Shop-Chapter 36: Cheeky, Sing a Little Tune for Your Master

Given this Blue-crowned Amazon Parrot’s talkativeness, only Deadpool from Marvel Comics could possibly compare. The others, like Spider-Man, Star-Lord, and Ant-Man, were all a step below. On top of that, Shen Yibin really couldn’t remember its ridiculously long name, so he decided to just call him Cheeky.

"Let me say this again! My noble name is Pablo-Diego-José-Santiago-Francisco-de-Paula-Juan-Nepomuceno-Crispiniano-de-los-Remedios-Cipriano-de-la-Santísima-Trinidad-María-Patricio-Clito-Ruiz-Blasco-Ryan-Reynolds!" Cheeky’s feathers immediately bristled. He had just spent all that time making fun of Hah’Er’s name; how could he allow himself to be given such a silly one?

"Yeah! Yeah!" Hah’Er, who was standing to the side, understood completely. He clapped his paws to show his support for Shen Yibin. ’Haha, you made fun of me earlier, and now you’re getting what you deserve, right? The name Cheeky sounds way worse than Hah’Er!’

"Two to one! Hah’Er and I both agree, so your objection is overruled. And so, it’s been cheerfully decided—from now on, you’re Cheeky!" Shen Yibin and Hah’Er high-fived to celebrate. After being roasted by this guy for so long, they’d finally gotten their chance for revenge.

"If you don’t agree, you can sort out your own meals from now on. I was originally planning to go out and buy you some Brazilian figs, but I guess I’ll forget about it now. Might as well save the money and buy more bamboo shoots for Hah’Er." Seeing that Cheeky was about to say more, Shen Yibin immediately capped the peanut jar and gave it a shake.

"Ugh, fine. It seems your pitiful intelligence makes it difficult to remember this parrot’s noble name, so we’ll do as you say." In the face of food, Cheeky lowered his proud head. "So, can I have the peanuts now? Also, when are you going to buy the figs?"

"Hah’Er, I’m leaving this with you. If Cheeky behaves, feed him. If he doesn’t, just ignore him. I’m heading out to do some shopping. You watch the shop." Shen Yibin tossed the peanut jar to Hah’Er, then pulled up the rolling shutter and left. Anyway, with Bai Yanni and the others keeping an eye on the place from across the street, he wasn’t worried about anything happening at the shop. ’Man, it feels great having the police act as security guards.’

While in the taxi, he searched online for a Blue-crowned Amazon Parrot’s diet. Once he got to the supermarket, he bought a bunch of figs, as well as other berries and dried fruits from the South American Amazon jungle. He also bought some lamb for Hah’Er, planning to make Sichuan-style braised lamb for dinner. Shen Yibin’s wallet was a bit emptier now.

"Hah’Er, Cheeky, I’m back!" Shen Yibin shouted as he pulled up the rolling shutter.

"Mmm!" Hearing his voice, Hah’Er immediately came to greet him, still hugging the peanut jar. He took the lamb and other things from Shen Yibin’s hands and, waddling on his short legs, started to head upstairs to put them in the fridge.

"Figs! And they’re freshly picked, not even a week off the branch!" With a flutter of his wings, Cheeky flew over and dove into the plastic bag, chattering away. "They taste amazing! Just let that silly panda keep hugging his peanuts; this is all I need! Oh, my god, are these Brazilian Raspberries? My second favorite food! I take back what I said before—you’re a pretty decent guy," Cheeky said earnestly, poking his head out of the plastic bag at the end.

’It’s good that he has something he likes,’ Shen Yibin mused. ’This means Cheeky can be controlled.’ Hah’Er loved Sichuan food, while this new guy loved Brazilian fruit. ’Are all the pets from the Future Pet Shop just a bunch of foodies?’ 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Shen Yibin picked out a few figs and Brazilian Raspberries and placed them on the coffee table. "I’ll put the rest in the fridge for now. When you finish these, ask Hah’Er for more." The figs and raspberries weren’t cheap; that small plastic bag had cost Shen Yibin several hundred yuan. Fortunately, there was no way a parrot could eat that much. Otherwise, Shen Yibin would have been in tears.

"I’m taking back what I just said." Cheeky, who was on the coffee table frantically hoarding the figs and raspberries, instantly drooped upon hearing he’d have to ask Hah’Er for more. ’This means I can’t bully Hah’Er from now on, doesn’t it? Life has lost another one of its joys.’

"Hah’Er, you try one too. See if you like them. If you do, I’ll buy more next time." But what made Cheeky even more depressed was yet to come. Seeing Hah’Er come downstairs after putting the things away, Shen Yibin snatched a fig and a raspberry directly from Cheeky’s hoard and handed them to Hah’Er.

"That’s mine! Mine, mine, all mine! Go eat your bamboo! Don’t take my food!" Cheeky immediately flew over, pretending to be fierce, and tried to snatch his beloved food back from Hah’Er.

"Hmm~" Fortunately, however, Hah’Er didn’t seem to have any interest in the fruits. He lowered his head, sniffed them a couple of times, and then gave them back to Cheeky. And just like that, the crisis was averted.

Shen Yibin went to the storage room and dug out a basket, lining it with some cotton fabric to make a nest for Cheeky. ’This guy doesn’t look like the type to stay quietly in a cage, so this can be his bed.’ He also found two cups for him to drink from. ’As for a toilet, he can just use the nearby flowerpot. Perfect, free fertilizer for my plants.’

"Uh, thanks. I’m very satisfied." Seeing how thoughtful Shen Yibin was, Cheeky offered a rare "thank you." By now, he had eaten and drunk his fill. With a flutter of his wings, he flew to the back of the sofa and announced, "To show my gratitude, I have decided to present you with a piece of beautiful music for your listening pleasure."

After speaking, Cheeky coughed twice and did a few vocal exercises. Then, chest puffed out like a megastar, he began his performance. "You are my little, oh, little apple, like the prettiest cloud in the sky. Spring is here again, the hills are covered in blossoms, plant a seed of hope and you will reap a harvest..."

PFFT! The moment Cheeky started singing, Shen Yibin and Hah’Er both burst out laughing and rolled on the floor. ’Of all the songs you could sing, why did you have to pick *this* viral hit?’

But as he listened, Shen Yibin gradually stopped laughing. ’Huh, you know, Cheeky’s actually not bad. He sounds exactly like the original recording! And he’s even performing both parts, perfectly capturing the different vocal tones of the two singers. If I hadn’t seen him open his beak with my own two eyes, I’d have sworn someone was just playing the original song.’

"Bravo, bravo!" When the song ended, Shen Yibin and Hah’Er both applauded enthusiastically. ’You can’t *not* applaud for that. That level of skill is just too damn amazing.’

"Here, have some water to soothe your throat. Are you hungry? Want me to get you another fig?" Shen Yibin fawned over him.

After waiting on him, he asked with a sycophantic smile, "Cheeky, what other songs do you have in your repertoire?"

’Come on, Cheeky, sing another little number for your master.’