Can't Shake Off My Arch-rival After Falling in Love Online - Chapter 10

Shu Xing promised Pei Chun that he would start working at the pet hospital as soon as the break began. Pei Chun was quite a nice person; he said he would calculate Shu Xing’s pay at a full-time rate for the two months of summer, though it meant fewer rest days with only four days off per month.

Whether or not he received a full-time salary was not actually that important to Shu Xing. With the occasional transfers from Yu Hui to support him, Shu Xing was not really short on money. However, he loved saving money in Yue’bao; seeing the daily interest of a dozen or so yuan gave him a great sense of happiness.

Work was quite slow today. The receptionist was away on leave, and since Shu Xing had nothing urgent to do, Pei Chun asked him to help out at the front desk.

Reception work was much easier than being a veterinary assistant. Not only could he pet the cats and dogs that came in for treatment without any risk, but he could also occasionally slack off and have sweet chats with Yu Hui. This pet hospital usually attracted many customers who saw their promotions online. They would always call ahead to ask if there was an opening for checkups or vaccinations. Throughout the morning, Shu Xing received quite a few calls for reservations.

Shu Xing was not alone at the front desk. There was also a summer worker whom Pei Chun had recently hired named Xing Ni. Because she was new, the girl was unfamiliar with many of the hospital’s services. Whenever she encountered a difficult question on the phone, she would always cast a pleading gaze toward Shu Xing for help. Just like now, Xing Ni was stuttering, not knowing how to answer a customer’s question. She tugged at Shu Xing’s sleeve, winking and grimacing to seek assistance.

Understanding the situation, Shu Xing smoothly took over the call. The person on the other end was asking about the cost of various checkup items. Likely due to the ineffective communication just moments ago, the person’s tone was not very pleasant. Pei Chun had reminded Shu Xing that he must have a good attitude and a soft tone when answering the phone. Shu Xing had no choice but to lower his voice and gently soothe the person’s emotions, patiently listing the hospital’s price rates.

After hanging up, Shu Xing looked at the new girl with a hint of helplessness and thought of a solution. “How about this? You handle the registrations today, and I will be responsible for answering the phones. Is that okay?”

“Is that all right?” Xing Ni glanced upstairs with some hesitation, likely worried that if Pei Chun found out, he would think her work ability was lacking.

Shu Xing followed her gaze upward and comforted her. “Do not worry. I will not tell Brother Pei. Just make sure to familiarize yourself with the price list over the next couple of days!”

Xing Ni nodded gratefully. “Okay, I will do as you say, Shu Shu.”

“…” Shu Xing always felt that nickname was a bit strange. He frowned for a moment before saying, “Why do you not just call me Brother Xing? I should be older than you.”

Xing Ni nodded like a little bird. “Sure, Brother Xing!”

Perhaps the mobile system had captured Xi Yang’s needs when he searched for pet hospitals in the city earlier. While bored and scrolling through videos, an advertisement for a nearby pet hospital suddenly popped up. Xi Yang stared at the advertisement for a while and eventually could not help but click on it.

During their voice calls over the past couple of days, his online partner had emphasized that if they were to meet, he hoped it would be in a formal setting. He did not want Xi Yang to suddenly show up at the apartment, as that would ruin the feeling of their first real-life encounter. Xi Yang felt those words were quite right, but he could not restrain his desire to see his online partner. The pet hospital advertisement appearing felt like a catalyst, guiding him to meet the other person.

However, he was not sure which pet hospital they worked at. Furthermore, he did not know his online partner’s actual name; during their relationship, they always addressed each other as “Babe” or used their game IDs. Xi Yang had always felt it was rude to ask for someone’s name during an online relationship. He respected his partner’s privacy and hoped to learn more about them and enter their real life after they met in person.

While lost in thought, Xi Yang accidentally touched the contact number for the pet hospital on the advertisement. Before he could react, the call connected.

“Hello, hi.”

A very gentle voice came through the receiver, sounding remarkably like his online partner. To be precise, it did not just sound like them; it had to be them! Xi Yang stared at the call interface in astonishment, the joy in his eyes impossible to hide. Yet, he did not dare ask if the person’s game ID was Xing Shu. That would be no different from exposing himself and would only make his partner feel like he was spying on their life. Such a move would be forward and impolite.

Seeing no reaction from the other end, the voice on the phone said “hello” a few more times. After the person asked, “Can you hear me?” in confusion, Xi Yang finally snapped out of it and replied.

“I can hear you. Hello.”

“Hello, sir. This is Anxin Pet Hospital. Is there anything we can help you with?”

“Hello, I wanted to ask,” Xi Yang had never raised a small animal; he did not know what kind of topic to bring up at that moment. He quickly scanned the villa’s living room, finally landing his gaze on the aquarium wall at the entrance. His Adam’s apple moved nervously as he asked very rigorously and carefully, “Excuse me, if a goldfish is swimming with its belly up, what kind of problem is that?”

Shu Xing hung up the phone with a blank expression and cursed under his breath, “Insane.”

Beside him, Xing Ni, who had just returned after registering pet information, heard Shu Xing suddenly swear. She leaned over in surprise. “What happened, Brother Xing?”

Shu Xing rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling that the phone call had exhausted all of his good temper. “Someone on the phone asked me,” Shu Xing recalled the person’s question, the speechlessness plain on his face, “He asked me why his goldfish was swimming with its belly up.”

“Pffft,” Xing Ni could not help but burst into laughter. “So how did you reply?”

“Huh? How did I reply?” Shu Xing pursed his lips and said, “Of course, I told him with an excellent attitude, ‘Sir, your goldfish is likely dead.'” Shu Xing glanced at her again. “What else could I say? Tell him to bring it in and register for a checkup?”

Shu Xing could not understand why such an idiotic call would come through. He even suspected it might be a prank. Fortunately, after a few days, the receptionist returned from her leave. Shu Xing finally did not have to strain his voice to answer bizarre phone calls anymore. Unfortunately, Xing Ni still could not handle the pressure of having to remember too many things; she submitted her resignation to Pei Chun on the day the receptionist returned.

On this day, Shu Xing had just finished changing the IV drips for the cats and dogs in the inpatient room. As soon as he stepped out of the workspace, he saw a flashy red sports car parked in the spot by the door. The license plate looked a bit familiar. Shu Xing thought about it carefully; it seemed to be the car Xi Yang had driven to school before. The driver’s seat was empty. Shu Xing looked around and, sure enough, saw Xi Yang smoking at a nearby designated smoking area.

Why did this pretentious guy suddenly come here?

The pet hospital was located on a commercial street. Many nearby streets were lined with popular internet-famous shops, making it a great place for girls to hang out and for couples to go on dates. However, parking spots nearby were hard to find. Shu Xing could roughly understand that Xi Yang might have just seen an open spot here and parked. But it was too coincidental. To park right in front of the shop where he worked, what kind of rotten luck was that?

Shu Xing looked at the vibrant color of the sports car. This time, Xi Yang was driving a limited edition of yet another brand. The bright red reflecting in his eyes felt a bit like the flames of envy and jealousy. If he kept looking, Shu Xing felt he might develop a case of red-eye syndrome. Just then, a customer walked in leading their pet dog for a vaccination, which drew Shu Xing’s attention away.

The dog getting the vaccine was very small and adorable. It was well-behaved and did not bark. During the vaccination, it even knew to lay its paws on the table to cooperate with Shu Xing’s needle. Shu Xing already liked small animals, and he was especially fond of ones as sweet and well-behaved as this one. After the vaccination, he could not help but pet the dog’s head several times before carrying it out of the workspace.

The owner of the puppy was a very easygoing girl. Seeing how much Shu Xing liked her dog, she generously indicated that Shu Xing could hold it for a while longer. The tiny puppy was held in Shu Xing’s arms, its two front paws resting on his shoulders. Without paying attention, the puppy’s nose brushed against Shu Xing’s cheek, and its soft tongue gave his face a few flattering licks.

Shu Xing felt a bit itchy from the licks and tilted his head to avoid the next round. When he narrowed his eyes, his slightly long eyelashes trembled. When he opened them again, his bright tea-colored eyes sparkled with light. The dimples on both sides of his cheeks dipped slightly, and his clear laughter echoed throughout the lobby.

At that same moment, Xi Yang pushed open the glass doors of the pet hospital. The instant he heard the laughter, his gaze was captured by the beautiful boy in the corner of the lobby.

“Okay, okay. Stop licking me!”

It was not until Shu Xing spoke that Xi Yang snapped out of his daze. He had always known Shu Xing was working part-time and had overheard him telling Cheng Xinyu that he would still be working over the summer. However, Xi Yang had not expected that Shu Xing would also be working at a pet hospital. And it was the very pet hospital where his online partner worked!

The puppy in Shu Xing’s arms gave a sweet “Woof.” Shu Xing returned the dog to its owner. His gaze passed over the girl who took the dog, and he quickly noticed the tall figure standing by the glass doors.

“Xi Yang?!” Shu Xing blinked, asking in surprise, “What are you doing here?”

Seeing that the other did not speak, Shu Xing thought of something. He raised his chin slightly, arched an eyebrow, and laughed with a tone of sudden realization, “Are you here for a checkup?”

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