"Boss, thank you for the grooming!" Su Xiaoxiao gratefully started, then took out a beautiful gift box from her bag, "This is a small gift A Yue and I prepared for you, please accept!"

It was a pretty little cake and it looked very delicious.

"Having your pet beasts in our shop is what I should do." Xu Ran smiled, carefully receiving the small cake, "I love the gift, but you don't need to spend next time."

He placed the small cake on the desk where Ziyun usually lied down.

Maybe Ziyun would like to eat it when he woke up.

Having expressed their gratitude, Su Xiaoxiao and Lin Yue did not stay long and soon said goodbye.

However, before leaving, Su Xiaoxiao reluctantly asked under the expressive eyes of the Flame Fox, "Boss, can't Little Flame be groomed today?"

"Unless there are special circumstances, it is recommended that the grooming interval should not be less than a month." Xu Ran looked at the Flame Fox whose washing and protection requirement was still zero, and refused without hesitation.

"Alright." Su Xiaoxiao rubbed the Flame Fox's drooping head for comfort, then asked again, "Boss, does your foster shop only offer grooming services?"

The grooming service is already so excellent. If this shop has other services, they must be much better than other shops, right?

"Now, there is only grooming." Xu Ran paused, glanced at Novice Task 2, which was seven plucking fur away from completion, and added, "New services may be introduced later."

The system skill[Drug Application]rewarded by Novice Task 2 doesn't sound like a grooming skill. If it corresponds to other services, perhaps the system might have new changes.

"If there are new services, I will definitely come to try!" Su Xiaoxiao's eyes lit up, and she took the initiative to speak.

"And me!" Lin Yue also expressed her opinion from the side.

Having tasted the sweetness of grooming, the two were quite looking forward to the new services of Starfire Foster Care Shop.

"We'll see." Xu Ran laughed.

The new service is only his speculation after all. If there isn't one, it would be awkward.

"Then we're leaving now, goodbye boss!"

The two girls did not stay, left the shop, and quickly disappeared in the street opposite the shop.

Shortly after, a slender and tall figure wearing a duckbill cap, sunglasses, and a mask slowly emerged from an inconspicuous corner of the street, looking towards the Starfire Foster Care Shop.

"This is the place..."

After murmuring quietly, she took off her sunglasses and mask revealing her beautiful face and took off the duckbill cap holding her bundled hair.

A high ponytail cascaded down, and sunlight fell on her face, unrestrained and flamboyant.

"Humph, I've finally found you!"

Duan Anxun glanced in the direction where Su Xiaoxiao and Lin Yue had left and headed toward the Starfire Foster Care Shop.

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"Meow~"

A sound came faintly from upstairs. Xu Ran, who had just sat down at the front desk, turned his head to look in the direction of the stairs.

Soon, a purple figure quickly shot down from the stairs, agilely leaping into Xu Ran's arms.

"How are you awake already?" Xu Ran rubbed its head, helplessly, "You should rest more after training."

Ziyun rubbed Xu Ran's palm with his head but did not answer.

It quickly noticed the change in the surroundings after Xu Ran put it on the bed. It woke up quickly from its deep sleep and rushed to Xu Ran's side as soon as it could.

It doesn't feel secure sleeping without Xu Ran around.

"Alright, there happens to be a small cake here. Try and see if you like it." Xu Ran casually picked up the small cake that Su Xiaoxiao had just brought, opened the box and put it in front of Ziyun, "This was given by the Beast Master of the Flame Fox yesterday."

The Beast Master of the Flame Fox has been here?

Ziyun's movement paused slightly, and a touch of regret appeared in his eyes.

It's a pity that it was asleep just now. Otherwise, it, with its increased strength, would definitely actively challenge that Flame Fox!

Well, we'll see when we meet next time.

Ziyun sniffed the cake, curiously grabbed a hunk of cake with its paw. The white cream soon covered its purple paw.

Ziyun brought her paw up to her face and began to meticulously clean it with her tongue. Pretty soon, she appeared quite pleased.

She liked the sweet taste!

(Note: Normal cats are not sensitive to sweet flavors but are very sensitive to bitterness.)

Watching Ziyun savor her cleaning, Xu Ran chuckled lightly. Sensing movement, he raised his head.

A tall young girl, seemingly about the same age as Su Xiaoxiao and her friend, then walked into the shop, gazing around curiously.

"Welcome! Our shop currently only provides washing and protection services."

"Washing and protection?" The moment Duan Anxun heard Xu Ran say this, she noticed the price menu on the wall and widened her eyes in shock, "How expensive?!"

"Although it's expensive, I assure you it's worth every penny," Xu Ran calmly replied.

"I wanted to ask...those two girls who just left. Did they have a grooming service from your shop yesterday?" Duan Anxun bit her lip and suddenly asked.

"Yes, they did." Xu Ran glanced curiously at Duan Anxun.

Does she know Su Xiaoxiao and Lin Yue?

Receiving a positive response, Duan Anxun hesitated briefly before gritting her teeth, "Okay, groom my pet beast too."

As she finished speaking, a Hexagram Star Array appeared behind her. Amidst gusts of wind, a parrot, its feathers as stunningly vibrant as a rainbow and a crest adorning its head, flapped its wings and flew out from the void.

[Race name: Colorful Cloud Parrot

Attribute: Light Attribute

Growth Stage: Transcendent Stage

Size: Small

Grooming Requirement: ☆☆☆☆☆

Review: The pet beast was just groomed elsewhere. Although it was not groomed by the host, it shouldn't be groomed frequently.]

It had just been groomed somewhere else?

This was the first time Xu Ran had encountered such a situation.

After giving it some thought, he looked at the girl in front of him, "Sorry, I can't groom your pet beast. It was just groomed not long ago. Frequent grooming is not good for it."

"There's such a rule?" Duan Anxun was taken aback.

Previous grooming staff had always used various excuses to convince her to bring her pet beast in regularly, seemingly hoping she'd bring it in at the slightest sign of dirt.

She didn't expect the shopkeeper in front of her to be so unconventional.

Thinking of Su Xiaoxiao and Lin Yue, who had already used this shop's services, Duan Anxun gritted her teeth, "Can I pay more to get it done?"

"Sorry, that is not about the money," Xu Ran furrowed his brow, "Frequent grooming is not good for your pet beast."

Again, he laid careful emphasis on the last few words: "not good for your pet beast".

"I…" Duan Anxun looked conflicted, and after a moment of silence, begrudgingly nodded, "Okay, I'll come next time."

Finished with her statement, she turned around and walked out of the shop.

Xu Ran looked at her retreating figure in silence.

He felt that this customer did not have her pet beast's best interests in mind when it came to grooming.

"Meow~" (Do you want it?)

Ziyun's call snapped Xu Ran out of his thoughts.

Glancing at the half a piece of cake that Ziyun had saved for him, he quickly shelved the little interlude out of his mind.

"Yes!"

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