Ch 15: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

In her small apartment, Lu Yao gently held Shen Sisi’s hand, using a soft brush to meticulously paint designs on her nails, layer by layer.

Shen Sisi had mentioned that her date tonight was very important, and she wanted something cute yet unique.

Understanding her preferences, Lu Yao immediately designed an original pattern—a delicate, pink peach blossom stretching from the base of the nail, with a chubby calico cat crouching below the branch, its tail curled up as it reached for the flower with its paw.

Shen Sisi loved the idea as soon as she heard it and asked Lu Yao to start right away.

Lu Yao’s hands were steady, and her designs were full of detail. She used a fine needle to delicately dot the stamens of the tiny peach blossoms on the nails, while the little cat was just a round, plump back with a thick, fluffy tail and chubby paws, looking adorably clumsy.

Her sense of color was also impeccable, with a perfect blend of shades, natural transitions, and no harsh contrasts.

When Lu Yao finished, Shen Sisi bent her fingers and admired them for a long time, nodding in satisfaction. “Your skills are still top-notch. I absolutely love this.”

As Lu Yao packed up her tools, she commented, “You have beautiful hands, long and fair.”

She was also pleased with today’s design. As she worked, she had been inspired by the blooming pink buds on the roadside peach trees by the river, just outside the snack shop window.

Shen Sisi couldn’t stop admiring her nails, taking several photos with her phone before finally setting it down. “What have you been busy with lately? Are you going to start taking more appointments again?”

This question hit right on Lu Yao’s thoughts. Afraid of sounding too eager, she controlled herself and nodded. “Yeah, ever since I got back from the trip, I’ve been busy with work. Things have just settled down, so I can take more appointments.”

Shen Sisi sat down beside Lu Yao and raised her phone. “Let’s take a picture together. I’ll post it on my Moments, and once my girlfriends know you’re back, they’ll all want to come see you.”

Shen Sisi’s circle was full of well-off ladies, many of whom had been referred to Lu Yao by Shen Sisi in the past.

But after Lu Yao disappeared for so long after her graduation trip, she had almost forgotten about her side business.

After posting on Moments, Shen Sisi transferred the payment to Lu Yao, grabbed her bag, and stood up. “Just in time, I’ve got a date to catch! Yaoyao, I’m off!”

Lu Yao glanced at her phone and saw the 1,500 yuan deposit, feeling a small rush of excitement.

After spending so much money to keep the snack shop running, she had nearly forgotten the simple joy of earning money through hard work.

Shen Sisi’s post worked like a charm. Within half an hour, two more ladies had contacted Lu Yao for appointments—one was an old client, and the other a new one.

Since Lu Yao had to go to the shop in the morning, she scheduled the new client for 4 p.m. and the other for 7 p.m.

Feeling quite pleased with the return of her side income, and with some time to spare, Lu Yao decided to make another trip to the shop.

Carrying two peeled pineapples, Lu Yao slowly strolled through the main road into the commercial street and pushed open the shop door. There were no customers inside, and the others weren’t around. Only Qi Chen was napping by the window.

She placed the pineapples in the fridge, poured herself a glass of water, and sat across from Qi Chen.

After waiting for a while with no sign of him waking up, Lu Yao couldn’t resist gently pushing his arm.

The people here didn’t have body heat. They were always cold, like snow.

Qi Chen opened his eyes, still filled with lingering fear. Seeing it was Lu Yao, his stiff shoulders relaxed. “You’re back.”

Lu Yao asked, “Bad dream?”

Qi Chen sat up, rubbing his brow. “I was trying to see if I could send my parents a dream and ask them to help fund you a bit.”

Send a dream…

Lu Yao was stunned. “You can do that?”

Qi Chen looked pained. “I ended up trapped in a nightmare instead.”

“…”

“Good thing you woke me up. I was scared to death.”

Lu Yao resisted the urge to say, “You’re already dead,” and turned her head away. “Where are the others? Why are you the only one here?”

Qi Chen figured his nightmare had been caused by the fact that the others said they were going to the Park.

Their expressions were downright wicked when they left, reminding him of all the times NPCs had tormented him in the park. In his nightmare, it was a never-ending loop of those memories—utterly terrifying.

After taking a moment to calm down, he finally answered, “They left right after their shift.”

Lu Yao nodded. “I need to start preparing ingredients for tomorrow. Come help me.”

In the past, Bai Ming and Xingzi used to help with these tasks. They were very capable and always finished quickly.

Qi Chen stared at Lu Yao for a moment before sluggishly getting up to help.

Once the tasks were done, Lu Yao told Qi Chen to leave first. She stayed behind to check the store thoroughly inside and out, ensuring everything was in order before locking up and heading home.

…

At 3:30 a.m., a mysterious gaming forum lit up with a new post: “Holy crap! I think I just got robbed by an NPC!!!”

The poster sounded extremely agitated: *“After pulling some strings, I finally got into the game with an illusion ring, and it was my first time in the park. I was so nervous. I meant to bring a small prop, but I accidentally packed a stack of money instead. As soon as I entered the game and opened my item bag, I saw the stack of red bills and I felt hopeless.

A veteran had told me this particular game was really hard, and it wouldn’t end unless everyone died. Sure enough, within a short time, almost everyone who came in with me was dead. In less than half an hour, it was just me and this girl left. The girl seemed to have some kind of charm in her item bag, because when the NPC touched her, it immediately let go.

Then I thought I was done for. The next second, the NPC was coming for me. It was this black, murky thing, like a mass of moving sludge. It looked slow, but in no time, it was right in front of me, baring two rows of sharp, tiny teeth.

I was so scared my legs went limp, and I collapsed on the ground, unable to move. This long, thin hand reached out from the sludge, grabbed my ankle, and hoisted me into the air.

Its hand was as cold as frozen iron, and every hair on my body stood up. Goosebumps cascaded down my skin. Then it shook me a couple of times, and the money from my item bag fell out.

The NPC paused, picked up the money, and stared at it for a long time. I had no idea what it was thinking.

In the end, it let me go, took the money, and left. But before it did, it killed the girl with the charm…

Is it possible that NPCs like money?”*

Immediately, replies flooded in below.

“I first heard this joke when I was in grade school, now I’ve got two kids.”

“No way an NPC would like money. They’re mindless monsters, only driven by instinct to kill and eat people.”

“Spreading false rumors like this—either you’re dumb or malicious!”

The original poster, excited to share his first game experience and successful escape, had expected congratulations or admiration but was instead met with mockery and accusations of lying.

He couldn’t accept this and spent a long time explaining, but no one believed him.

By the early morning, with fewer active users on the forum, the post soon sank into oblivion.

At around 5 a.m., someone else replied: “OP, you’re basically my doppelganger! It was my first time in the game too, and I also stuffed money into my item bag. But I was chased by a giant eggplant—like, a bright purple eggplant with four chopsticks stuck into it, running fast as a horse, with a mouth. It caught up to me, bit me, shook out my money, and ran off with it. I suspect the park’s rules have changed.”

…

The next morning, Lu Yao arrived at the shop half an hour earlier than the others, as usual.

As she opened the door, she was surprised to see Bai Ming, Xingzi, and Xiao Qie standing outside with their hands behind their backs.

Surprised, Lu Yao asked, “Why are you all here so early today? And so neatly lined up?”

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