Chapter 648: Suspended Animation

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Zhang Zian registered Ting Ting and Zhuang’s information, and after they finished their photoshoot with the puppy, he escorted them out. Today was their first day volunteering at the snack bar.

After they left, he followed Famous’ eyes to the shop’s sign, and asked, “What’s wrong with the sign? You can’t change it just by staring at it.”

Famous shook its head. “Nothing, it’s a good name.”

Zhang Zian replied, “Don’t tell me you just found out it says Amazing Fate Pet Shop.”

“No.” Famous didn’t explain any further, just went back into the shop.

Zhang Zian shrugged and took another look at the sign, still not finding anything special. Famous seemed a bit weird today.

It was cold outside, but there were still quite a few people trying to catch animals. As he was about to go inside, he heard a child. “Store Manager, good morning!”

Only one person addressed him by that name, so he turned around and responded, “Good morning, Little Celery. Why are you up so early? There’s no school.”

Little Celery was wearing a red winter coat, a knitted hat, and her school bag on her back. The two fuzzy balls on her hat bounced as she ran.

Her voice was slightly muffled under the mask she was wearing.

“Little Celery, don’t run with a mask on. Can you even breathe properly?” Zhang Zian asked.

She took off the mask and panted rapidly. “I don’t like wearing masks, but my mom insisted. She said that the flu is very bad this year. I rarely catch a cold!”

Zhang Zian corrected her, “I know you’re healthy, but the flu isn’t a common cold. Your mom is right, just put it on. A lot of people are getting sick, wearing a mask will help.”

“Okay, since you said so.” Little Celery put the mask back on reluctantly.

“Don’t run with your mask. Walk slowly, or you’ll be out of breath.” He reminded her.

Little Celery nodded, then asked, “Store Manager, do hamsters catch the flu as well?”

“Why do you ask?” Zhang Zian asked before he answered. “Hamsters may get sick, but if they do, it’s not like how the flu affects humans. They can’t catch human diseases.”

“Oh.” The worry was visible in her eyes. “Store Manager…”

“What’s the matter?” Zhang Zian sensed that she had something to say. “Little Celery, just tell me what’s going on. I can help.”

She lowered her head, twisted her fingers, and spoke in a low voice, “Store Manager, the hamsters you gave us, they had a cold. Then…today…they…died. I’m sorry.”

Her voice grew weaker as she spoke, then she started sobbing uncontrollably, and wiped her eyes with her mittens.

“They died?” Zhang Zian frowned subconsciously.

Little Celery’s class was using winter break to experiment on raising hamsters, and they needed to turn in a report before school started up again. If the school approved it, the program would be promoted to the entire school. Zhang Zian provided them with a few hamsters for their experiment, free of charge. It didn’t cost much anyway.

A few days ago, he saw Little Celery running to school in a hurry. He thought that they encountered some problems with the hamsters, but in order to educate them by letting them solve problems on their own, he didn’t stop her to ask what was going on. Now, it seemed that he might’ve overestimated their abilities, they were young, after all.

“Little Celery, don’t cry. It’s so cold. You’ll get a frostbite if you cry.” He bent down to comfort her and take her hands. The skin around her eyes were already red from the rubbing.

“But…you gave us the hamsters, and we didn’t…take good care of them,” Little Celery sobbed, tears running down her cheeks like streams.

Like her classmates, she had devoted a huge amount of time and effort to the hamsters, hoping to hand in a beautiful report. Now that they were all dead, not only was all their hard work flushed down the drain, she had also broke Zhang Zian’s trust.

Little Celery was always smiling and energetic, it was hard for Zhang Zian to see her like this. However, he was an adult, so he had to act like an adult and find a solution.

“Little Celery, listen to me. Stop crying, crying may ease your pain and win you some sympathy, but it can’t solve your problems,” he said in a firm tone.

“But…” Little Celery choked.

“Little Celery, when did the hamsters die?” He asked, interrupting her.

Maybe his tone had successfully calmed her. “This morning. Yaning texted me.”

“The biology class representative?” he inquired.

She nodded. “It was Yaning’s turn to take care of them today. I wasn’t supposed to be at school.”

Wang Yaning was Little Celery’s classmate in addition to biology class representative. She always acted mature for her age, as if she were an adult.

“So, you didn’t see the hamsters die? She told you?”

Little Celery nodded again. “I got up this morning, and just started to do my homework when she texted me. She said the hamsters were dead. I want to go to school and see them.”

“Did all the hamsters die today?” Zhang Zian thought something was off.

Hamsters died, but it was abnormal for all of them to die at the same time. Unless, they were poisoned.

“Yes.” Her head bowed even lower. “I’m sorry. They’d been less active for a few days now, and today, they died”

She was about to burst into tears again. Zhang Zian felt his heart warm. He rubbed her tiny head, and spoke with a smile, “Little Celery, don’t panic and don’t be sad. They may not be dead just yet.”

“What?” Little Celery shook her head. “It can’t be. Yaning isn’t a liar, and she wouldn’t joke around like this.”

Zhang Zian explained, “No, I don’t think she was joking. She believes that the hamsters are dead, but she’s mistaken. The hamsters might just be stunned, so they look dead, but are actually alive.”