Ch 11: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

Qi Shen’s situation was too rare. If he hadn’t encountered Lu Yao, he would have quickly blended in here, like everyone else, relying on illusions to pass the time. When he got too bored, he could always visit the amusement park or the cinema.

Lu Yao’s presence made his sense of death much less intense, and his thoughts and actions still resembled those from when he was alive.

Lu Yao spent the entire day wondering whether or not to ask him if he remembered his killer, but she found the question too difficult to bring up.

Qi Shen, after waiting for a response for a long time, finally looked up. “What’s with that expression?”

Lu Yao blinked, acting innocent. “Huh?”

“What do you want to say?”

“Hmm?”

Qi Shen ran a hand through his hair, habitually reaching for his glasses, only to remember they were gone when his fingers touched his brow. “What do you want to know?”

Lu Yao swallowed, frowned for a few seconds, and, facing Qi Shen’s overly calm gaze, suddenly felt her own hesitation was unnecessary. She didn’t like feeling indecisive, so she directly asked, “Do you remember anything from just before you died?”

Qi Shen’s expression didn’t change, and he even thought back for a moment. “I remember getting on a bus. The next thing I knew, I woke up here.”

He didn’t remember the moment of his death and couldn’t tell her who his killer was.

Lu Yao frowned. Why was that particular memory missing?

However, Qi Shen seemed to have opened up. “I used to be terrified, dreading the day this would happen. If I had known death would be like this, I would’ve lived differently, enjoying life more rather than working myself to exhaustion, living worse than a dog.”

Lu Yao: “…”

That’s because you’re missing a crucial memory.

Qi Shen sighed but noticed Lu Yao wasn’t too interested, so he didn’t delve deeper. Instead, he asked, “Are you really not going to take my money?”

Lu Yao: “…I’d like to, but I can’t.”

Qi Shen stared at her with a look that said, I expected better from you. “I feel like having coffee again.”

Lu Yao: “…”

A grown man who changes his tune with the wind!

Xiao Qie finished cleaning the table and overheard Qi Shen’s comment. Curious, he came over, “Coffee? Boss, are we adding coffee to the menu?”

Even Xingzi perked up, her eyes full of nostalgia. “It’s been so long since I had coffee. I want some too!”

Both Xiao Qie and Xingzi looked at Lu Yao expectantly, while Qi Shen glanced over with a smug expression.

Lu Yao: “…”

She grabbed her phone, left the shop, and went to a nearby mall to buy coffee. She also spotted some Mont Blanc cakes, thinking they’d pair nicely with the coffee, and couldn’t resist buying a few.

When she returned, the four employees were still there, sitting by the window, chatting as they waited for the boss to return and feed them.

Qi Shen held something in his hand, looking a bit impatient, while Xiao Qie and Xingzi pointed at him, seemingly teaching him something.

“What are you all doing?” Lu Yao asked as she entered.

Xiao Qie immediately jumped up and ran over. “Boss! We’re teaching Qi how to use illusions.”

The boy’s eyes were glued to the bags in Lu Yao’s hands, and his sharp teeth had slipped out again.

Lu Yao handed the bags to Xiao Qie, who carefully took them to the table.

Xingzi’s eyes lit up when she saw the pastry boxes. “I love you the most, Boss!”

Lu Yao took out the coffee and Mont Blanc cakes, giving one to each of them, then grabbed a chair and squeezed in to sit with them.

Qi Shen glanced at the pastry box, his brow furrowing slightly. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it, ultimately staying silent.

The Mont Blanc cakes were small, and clearly not enough for Bai Ming and the others. The three of them took tiny spoonfuls, eating with great care to savor each bite.

Lu Yao sipped her coffee, grimacing at the bitter, cold taste, and quickly shifted the topic, “What were you teaching Qi Shen earlier?”

Xingzi replied, “The most basic illusion technique.”

Bai Ming added, “He’s really slow.”

Xiao Qie laughed, “Yeah, Qi is a bit slow. He couldn’t even shape a little steamed bun properly.”

Qi Shen protested, “I’m just not used to it yet.”

Lu Yao recalled the section on illusions in the Living Guide. She mentally visualized a little steamed bun and casually made a grabbing motion in the air, cupping her hands as if molding something.

Qi Shen scoffed when he saw her movement. “You think you can just create something like that?”

Bai Ming, Xingzi, and Xiao Qie were too engrossed in their new afternoon tea to notice her actions.

Lu Yao’s fingers twitched, and her expression subtly changed.

Qi Shen sensed something was off, “What happened?”

Lu Yao opened her palm to reveal three tiny steamed buns, each no bigger than a thumb. “Look.”

Qi Shen: !

Bai Ming, Xingzi, and Xiao Qie: !!!!!!!!!!

The four employees stared at the little buns, then back at Lu Yao, their expressions turning grim.

Bai Ming quickly grabbed Lu Yao’s hand, held it for a moment, and then released it, exchanging a glance with Xingzi before subtly shaking his head.

Xingzi pretended to reach for a steamed bun, her fingers lightly brushing against Lu Yao’s palm. Xiao Qie followed suit, taking one as well. Only after feeling the warmth of her hand did they all relax.

They were terrified, thinking for a moment that their boss might’ve died and turned into one of them.

Lu Yao noticed the strange atmosphere. “What’s wrong? Did I make them incorrectly?”

Bai Ming forced a smile. “…No, they’re perfect! You’re way better than most newbies!”

Xingzi chimed in, “The boss is amazing as always!”

Xiao Qie added, “Boss, please teach Qi Shen how to do it. He just can’t get it.”

Qi Shen: …

Why can she do it and I can’t?

Lu Yao shrugged. “Well, I am a master illusionist. Making a little steamed bun is no big deal.”

She then casually shaped a Mont Blanc cake in front of them. Although the color wasn’t as vibrant as the real thing, the size and appearance were nearly identical.

The four employees were left speechless, with Qi Shen the most unwilling to accept the truth.

Lu Yao sighed. “I liked playing with clay as a kid. Maybe I maxed out my talent for this.”

Bai Ming, Xingzi, Xiao Qie, and Qi Shen: …

…

Qi Shen’s illusion training wasn’t going well, leaving him in a bad mood. Over the past few days, after the shop closed for lunch, Xingzi, Bai Ming, and Xiao Qie took turns teaching him.

Meanwhile, Lu Yao was out buying afternoon tea again, with three consecutive days of coffee and desserts straining her already thin wallet.

Lu Yao suggested to Qi Shen that they buy coffee beans and make hand-brewed coffee in the shop.

She went to the market and picked up some cheap equipment—a pour-over kettle, a moka pot, a milk frother, a dripper, and filters. At the supermarket next door, she bought the coffee beans Qi Shen had requested, along with cream, cocoa powder, matcha powder, and caramel sauce.

Later, Qi Shen confided in her that the coffee shop pastries weren’t very good and recommended a specialty dessert shop instead.

When Lu Yao saw the prices, she was shocked—the pastries were more than twice as expensive as the ones at the coffee shop.

She hesitated but couldn’t shake the image of her employees’ eager faces when she left the shop. Gritting her teeth, she bought five servings.

The dessert shop was quite busy, with three or four people ahead of her in line. Lu Yao patiently waited for her order to be packed, unaware that someone upstairs was watching her.

Three days had passed since Qi Shen’s murder case had been solved. The culprit turned out to be his university classmate and a high-ranking executive at his company. According to the news report, long-term disagreements at work had led to a build-up of tension, and in a moment of rage, the suspect killed Qi Shen.

The crime had been gruesome, but the police had kept the details under wraps, offering only a brief public statement.

Zhuang Liang, sitting upstairs drinking tea and handling some business, had zoned out for a moment and happened to notice Lu Yao downstairs. He watched her for a long time, only looking away when she collected her things and left.

Even after finishing his meeting and getting into his car, Zhuang Liang couldn’t stop thinking about the girl who had just bought the same type of coffee beans and pastries he was familiar with.

Lu Yao returned to the shop and tossed the materials she had bought directly to Qi Shen before casually starting a livestream.

Perhaps out of boredom, the residents of Dreamland were fond of watching food preparation processes, and lately, the number of viewers in her livestream had stabilized at around 5,000.

Once the livestream started, Lu Yao greeted the audience briefly before directing the flying livestream devices around Qi Shen, introducing, “Welcome to Lu Yao Snack Shop’s afternoon tea channel. Today, Teacher Qi is making hand-brewed coffee for the staff.”

“Will the coffee be added to the menu?”

“We need it added, it’s been so long since I had some!!!”

“Owner, add it to the menu right now, or I’ll beg you on my knees!”

[Received one red spider lily from “Sasa”!]

[Received ninety-nine red spider lilies from “Mia loves fish”!]

[Received one black-gold skull necklace from “Holy Knight”!]

…

[Received gifts, +20 popularity points]

[Received gifts, +100 popularity points]

…

The livestream chat was lively, but only Lu Yao could see the messages on the translucent screen in front of her. She occasionally interacted with the audience and directed the flying butterflies to film Qi Shen.

Qi Shen removed his suit jacket, carefully rolled up his shirt sleeves, and tied on a dark brown checkered apron as he approached the bar to begin preparing.

“Is this employee new?”

“Definitely a rookie!”

“Hahaha, a few hundred years ago, someone like him would have been beaten to tears~”

Lu Yao saw a lot of teasing messages scrolling by and couldn’t help but ask, “How can you tell he’s new?”

“The owner replied to me!!!”

“Ahhhhh, I want to get close to the beautiful owner~”

It took a while before someone seriously answered, “Only rookies put on such airs.”

Lu Yao laughed, “Pfft.”

Qi Shen, unaware of what Lu Yao was laughing about or that the audience was mocking him, opened the coffee bean package and poured the beans into the grinder. Even the buzzing sound of the beans being ground seemed to fill the air with a sense of happiness.

The beans she had bought were already roasted, so once ground, they could be brewed.

Bai Ming, Xingzi, and Xiao Qie leaned against the bar, watching Qi Shen’s every move with curiosity.

While the beans were grinding, Qi Shen boiled water and prepared the cream. His movements were skilled and orderly—it was clear he enjoyed doing these things.

“I originally planned to hand over the amusement park to a friend once it was stable and then open a coffee shop somewhere. I’d make coffee, read books, chat with customers—a slow but never boring life. But unfortunately…” Qi Shen trailed off.

Lu Yao rested her chin on her hand and responded absentmindedly, “Amusement Park No. 1 stabilizes, then there’s No. 2, and after that, No. 3. The ideal life is always far away. But I think finishing a day’s work, drinking a cup of coffee made by a friend, and taking a short break is pretty nice too.”

The coffee beans finished grinding, and when Qi Shen opened the lid, a rich aroma filled the air—slightly bitter, but smooth and satisfying.

Qi Shen took five elegant glass cups from the cabinet, brewed the coffee grounds with hot water, and then topped each with a thick layer of fresh cream. He drizzled caramel sauce on top and sprinkled a bit of cocoa powder.

Lu Yao pulled out a box of original Oreos, opened it, and pressed two cookies onto the cream.

Bai Ming, Xingzi, and Xiao Qie followed suit, sticking two cookies into the cream just like Lu Yao, while Qi Shen found it childish.

The five of them sat by the window, with five beautiful desserts arranged on the table.

The livestream chat was filled with people drooling over the sight.

“You’re eating all these amazing things without us?”

“I can’t even laugh anymore, LOL. My favorite snow-topped coffee and strawberry mousse!!!”

“Don’t tell me you guys secretly eat like this every day after closing? No way, right?”

As the viewers’ “resentment” grew, so did the number of people tuning in. It went from a stable 5,000 to 7,000, 8,000, and then suddenly jumped to 10,000.

[You have reached 10,000 viewers in a single livestream. Popularity points +1000. You can unlock three new regions to extend your livestream coverage. Please select!]

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