Ch 47: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

Last time, Mumu had “split” himself in front of Lu Yao, which seemed to scare her a bit, and he had sulked quietly for a long time. This time, he didn’t take off his clothes but instead wore a little suit, even splitting the clothes into two identical pieces.

Before Lu Yao could react, one of the two Mumus turned to grab a rag and began cleaning the shop, while the other climbed onto the workbench, gazing eagerly at Lu Yao.

Lu Yao was puzzled for a moment before an idea popped into her head: “Are you trying to tell me that you can split and be both a shop assistant and a manicurist-in-training?”

Mumu: “Ji!”

So that’s really what it was. What kind of amazing slime was this?

Lu Yao unilaterally declared that slimes were the cutest creatures in this other world!

“Alright, Mumu, you can be an apprentice too. You’ll learn alongside Eugenia and Tina,” Lu Yao said.

Harold and Si Jin, watching from the side, rolled their eyes—this little slime really knew how to act all cute and charming!

After a few minutes of excitement, Lu Yao headed over to the workbench. Since there were no customers in the morning, she decided to give a basic lesson to her three manicurist apprentices—Mumu included. The lesson covered tool names and usage, different types of nail polish, small decorative items, various glues, and more. The classifications were numerous, and explaining them in detail was a massive undertaking.

For people from another world, learning all of this was a bit harder than it would be for apprentices from the modern world, as they lacked the relevant concepts.

Lu Yao taught at a slower pace, demonstrating with nail tips and nail forms.

She also handed out practice toolkits to each of the apprentices. The kits were simple starter sets that Lu Yao had put together using old tools and materials from her self-study days, and there were enough for all three of them to use.

As they listened to the explanation, they practiced hands-on to better grasp the concepts.

Tina learned quickly. With her excellent memory, she could fully grasp the use of all tools, nail polishes, decorations, brushes, and glues after hearing Lu Yao’s instructions just once.

Eugenia, though a bit nervous, was also doing well. Her strength lay in her dexterity, quickly mastering the skill of using the brushes. When practicing on nail tips, she handled the thickness and consistency perfectly.

Lu Yao couldn’t help but praise her: “You’re doing great.”

Eugenia stifled her excitement and shyly smiled.

Mumu exceeded Lu Yao’s expectations. Despite his small size, his little paws were incredibly nimble.

After observing them all, Lu Yao noted that Mumu not only had Tina’s sharp memory but also Eugenia’s dexterity with his hands.

She patted Mumu’s slippery head and complimented him: “Mumu, you’re amazing!”

Mumu’s round eyes shone brightly, “Ji!”

Halfway through the lesson, the customers who had booked magical manicures arrived—little gold dragon Gagaga and his mother, Elga.

Elga had come to make the appointment the previous afternoon, even earlier than Freud and Sasa.

In her human form, Elga had gorgeous golden curls and striking, refined features, with a gentle demeanor.

She held Gagaga’s hand as they entered the shop, looking a bit helpless. “Shop owner, could you do his nails too? He found out I was coming here and insisted on tagging along.”

Gagaga’s face still had traces of tears, clearly from a crying fit.

This little gold dragon was quite spoiled, and Lu Yao remembered him well.

She explained that if they didn’t change the design and simply transformed the original nails into magical nails, they could start right away. However, if they wanted a completely new design, they would have to make a new appointment, and the next available slot was the day after tomorrow.

Gagaga insisted on just modifying the original nails—he couldn’t wait to have magical nails.

Lu Yao left the front of the shop to Mumu and the two new apprentices, while she led Elga and Gagaga into the research room.

Since Gagaga’s nails were quicker to complete, Lu Yao started with him. It took about two hours to finish.

Gagaga, proudly showing off his new magical nails, ran off to talk to Tina, surprised to learn that she was now an apprentice at the nail salon.

Back in the research room, Lu Yao began working on Elga’s nails.

Elga had a particular fondness for aurora crystals and had brought a large box of them, along with some pure and translucent amethysts. She and Lu Yao had already discussed the design the day before.

The design was more intricate, and it took nearly four hours to complete.

When Freud arrived with his wife, Cecil, Lu Yao was still in the research room.

They waited for about half an hour before Elga’s session was finished.

Cecil had never been to the nail salon before, but after seeing Sasa’s nails, she became quite interested in getting her own done. As she passed Elga while entering the research room, she immediately noticed Elga’s sparkling nails and asked in surprise, “Did you just get those done?”

Elga’s nails featured gemstone flowers, with golden aurora crystals delicately layered to form the flower’s core, surrounded by pure amethysts shaped like petals. Two or three of these small flowers came together to form a tiny branch on each nail.

Each nail had a unique flower branch design—some were still in bud, while others were in full bloom, incredibly beautiful. The combination of purple and gold created an elegant and restrained aesthetic that matched Elga perfectly.

Elga wiggled her fingertips, clearly in a great mood, and whispered to Cecil, “The shop owner’s skills and aesthetic really suit dragon preferences, so feel free to ask for what you want.”

Cecil’s fiery red eyes sparkled as if flames were dancing within them. She had originally planned to keep things simple for her first experience, nothing too extravagant. But now, her competitive streak had been ignited—she wanted something just as bold and glamorous as Elga’s.

Looking through the style options, Cecil asked Lu Yao if she had any special ideas.

Lu Yao glanced at the fire dragon couple, both with matching red hair and eyes, and spontaneously suggested, “How about matching couple’s nails?”

Couple’s nails? The fire dragon couple were intrigued.

That day, Lu Yao stayed in the research room until nightfall, working on the fire dragon couple’s “couple” nail designs.

Freud and Cecil left the shop, proudly showing off their sparkling nails, fully satisfied.

Lu Yao stretched and stood up, unable to help but marvel at the dragons’ genetic gifts—both men and women were stunningly beautiful, and even couple’s nails looked completely harmonious on them.

She patted her stomach, pulling herself out of work mode, suddenly feeling ravenous.

As Lu Yao stepped out of the research room, she saw that Tina and Eugenia were still at the workbench practicing, while Mumu stood attentively by the sofa.

On the sofa sat a silver-haired young man in a robe. Lu Yao paused mid-step, “And this is…?”

Mumu came over and explained the situation.

During the day, many students from the Magic Academy had come by wanting to get their nails done, but since Lu Yao had been busy, they all scheduled appointments. The silver-haired man had insisted on waiting for the shop owner, and Mumu hadn’t been able to persuade him to leave, so he had stayed to keep an eye on things.

The young man sat upright on the sofa, his features handsome and striking. Even with his eyes closed, his presence was still overwhelmingly commanding.

Lu Yao sat down on the single sofa nearby. “Are you here for a manicure?”

Carlos nodded. “Yes.”

His voice was soft and gentle, yet there was an inexplicable coldness to his tone.

Lu Yao nodded in return and said directly, “It’s already closing time, so I won’t be able to accommodate you today. Would you like to schedule an appointment for another time?”

Having done four magical manicures back-to-back, she was utterly exhausted.

Carlos thought for a few seconds and then replied calmly, “That’s fine. When are you available?”

Lu Yao glanced at Mumu, who handed over the appointment book.

Wow, it was fully booked for the next three days.

Lu Yao had two more magical manicures scheduled for tomorrow and could only squeeze in some time after that. After considering it, she counted the time slots in the book and finally said, “Tomorrow evening, after 6:30.”

She was so busy that she’d have to work late to fit it in.

Carlos nodded again. “Alright. I like black and lotus flowers.”

Lotus flowers?

Lu Yao thought something about that sounded odd but couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She was too hungry to dwell on it.

After Carlos finished speaking, he stood up. His guards, who had been waiting outside the nail salon, escorted him as they left Emeraldstone Town.

After sending off the last customer, Lu Yao picked up some snacks from the table and began to eat. Mumu thoughtfully brought over a cup of warm water.

With a bit of food in her stomach, the weakness in her limbs started to ease.

Lu Yao turned to Tina and Eugenia. “We’re closed for the day. You two can head home now. Mumu, could you go to the lounge and call Harold and Si Jin? I’m so tired, I just want to rest.”

After sending off the staff, Lu Yao, exhausted, locked the shop door.

On her way home, she received a call from Zhuang Liang.

Zhuang Liang politely asked her to check the forum, as someone was interested in buying a ring.

Lu Yao casually bought some takeout fried noodles from a street stall and, once home, ate while logging into the Park Forum. Her private message box was filled with requests to buy a black ring.

She replied to each message, and three people responded immediately, while one remained silent.

Among the three replies, two people tried to haggle, saying the previous ring had sold for one million, and that two million was too expensive.

Lu Yao eliminated these two buyers and replied to the first person who had messaged her, asking where the exchange would take place.

This buyer, surnamed Xiao, received the address from Lu Yao. She asked him to come to Yaoguang City and arranged to meet at a teahouse far from her home and the shopping district, agreeing to make the exchange three days later.

…

Morning.

Two girls in Magic Academy uniforms stood excitedly at the door of the nail salon. As soon as Lu Yao opened the shop, they rushed in—they were the two customers who had booked appointments for the morning.

The girl with long black hair looked at Lu Yao and asked, “Are you the shop owner?”

Lu Yao nodded and handed them a tablet. “Please pick a design. Once you’ve chosen, we can start.”

Three customers were booked for the morning: two Magic Academy students and Dominic. Lu Yao’s appointment with Dominic was at 10 a.m., so she needed to finish with these two quickly.

By the time Mumu, Tina, and Eugenia arrived at the shop, the first customer had already chosen her design and had her nails prepped. They were about to apply the first layer of protective polish.

Mumu split into two, with one part cleaning the shop while the other stood by Lu Yao to learn. Tina and Eugenia watched as well.

The girl with long black hair chose a blush pink design, which was adorable and perfect for the current weather.

Her companion opted for a misty blue and silver cat-eye design, asking for small white flowers to be painted as accents.

This design was slightly cool and elegant, but Lu Yao’s color work was so natural that it still suited the young woman perfectly.

Both customers were pleased with their nails, paid, and headed straight for the fountain plaza. Since their appointment had been early, they had stayed at a local inn in Emeraldstone Town the night before and were eager to return to school.

As soon as the customers left, the three apprentices immediately pulled out their tools and nail polishes, attempting to replicate the two designs that Lu Yao had just completed.

Starting with imitation was actually a good learning method.

Of course, once their basic skills were solid, manicurists would need to focus on developing their sense of aesthetics and design abilities.

After several attempts, the apprentices realized they couldn’t achieve the same natural effect as Lu Yao. Slowly, they began to understand that what seemed easy when watching the shop owner was incredibly difficult when doing it themselves.

At 10 a.m., Dominic arrived at the nail salon right on time. Lu Yao let the apprentices continue practicing on their own and led Dominic into the research room.

Dominic glanced at the shelves lined with magical materials before stepping into the adjacent transparent room.

He pulled a pile of gems from his pocket, his pale blue-green eyes gleaming. “Use all of these. I want the shiniest nails possible.”

The gems were in shades of blue and purple, and with some careful arrangement, Lu Yao could create a gradient effect, resembling the colors of hydrangeas.

Lu Yao glanced at Dominic’s rugged appearance and imagined him sporting hydrangea-themed nails. Even for a dragon, that seemed a bit much.

Forget it, she thought, shaking her head and changing her approach.

She sketched out a new design, and once Dominic approved it, she began mixing colors and weaving a magic formation.

As Lu Yao began to use two types of magic to weave the reinforcing spell for the nails, Dominic’s expression changed. His previously relaxed posture straightened, and his eyes locked onto the magic formation she was drawing.

“Did you construct this magic formation yourself?” Dominic asked, his tone probing.

Lu Yao nodded.

Dominic’s pale blue-green eyes widened slightly, a spark of excitement glowing within them. “For something as novel as this, using it merely to reinforce nails seems like a bit of a waste. Have you ever considered applying it to more practical designs?”

Lu Yao was surprised. She had initially thought this dragon was extremely aloof, as his appearance and the aura he emitted were particularly distant and cold.

Being alone with this dragon made her feel pressured, yet he suddenly broke that tension, engaging her in a conversation about the practicality of nail magic.

Unable to resist, Lu Yao asked, “What kind of practical designs are you thinking of?”

Dominic’s dragon eyes widened further, and he averted his gaze slightly. “Just a battle instinct, I suppose. I think your magic hasn’t been fully developed yet, but you seem content with where it’s at. If you’re interested in furthering your research, I could lend you this book.”

He pulled out a book with a simple, pale blue cover from his pocket, his gaze dropping awkwardly as he suddenly stuttered, “If… if you don’t want to read it, that’s fine too…”

Before he could finish, Lu Yao took the book. “Thank you, I’ll take a look. Who knows? It might inspire me. I’ll return it in a month, is that okay?”

The green dragon shook his head in mild frustration, his voice suddenly rising. “If I’m lending it to you, make sure you read it properly! How could you finish it in a month? At least take three months before returning it!”

Lu Yao: “…Oh, alright, thank you.”

After that brief exchange, Dominic fell silent, and Lu Yao focused on doing his nails.

The theme for Dominic’s manicure was the cosmos. The gems he brought, which were in blue and purple tones, allowed Lu Yao to create a gradient that resembled hydrangea colors.

Lu Yao designed his nails to resemble the backdrop of space, with the various gems arranged like planets orbiting a central point. She crafted a special magic formation so that each gem would shimmer in succession once placed on the nails.

Though Dominic wasn’t familiar with the concept of the cosmos, he loved the design. The rough yet intricate style, combined with the deep, rich colors, perfectly highlighted the beauty of the Almos gemstones. It hit right at the center of his aesthetic sensibilities!

Dominic’s usually cold demeanor completely crumbled. He held his hands up, eyes glued to his nails, constantly moving his fingers, unable to get enough of the design.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside. The black door to the research room burst open, and Mumu hurriedly shuffled in, panic-stricken, and for the first time, he spoke in a human voice, “Lu Yao, Lu Yao! There’s a scary human outside!”

Lu Yao stood up. “I’ll go take a look.”

About twenty knights had surrounded the nail salon, and inside stood a noblewoman with her hair in an elaborate updo, lazily fanning herself.

Eugenia was huddled in a corner, trembling, while Tina stood in a standoff with the noblewoman, a silver sword resting against her neck.

Tina could have handled the knights, but she was likely holding back to avoid damaging the shop.

Lu Yao stepped between Tina and the knight holding the sword, then turned her gaze to the noblewoman. “What’s going on?”

Helena gave Lu Yao a dismissive glance and spoke arrogantly, “And who are you?”

“I’m the shop owner, Lu Yao,” she replied calmly.

Only then did Helena look at Lu Yao properly, her tone still casual. “So, you’re the shop owner. I want to get my nails done—something luxurious and expensive.”

Lu Yao’s expression remained neutral. “Sorry, we’re fully booked for today. We’re not taking any more customers.”

Helena, carrying the prestigious “Kinklay” surname, had been spoiled and reckless since birth, never having to compromise with anyone. Her presence was more commanding than that of a princess, and she had never been so directly refused before.

Though she was boiling with anger inside, her face remained composed in a haughty, spoiled manner. “Who has an appointment? There’s no one in the shop, so since I’m here, you can serve me first!”

At that moment, Amos overheard her words. He pushed past the Royal Knights surrounding the nail salon’s entrance and walked inside. “Who dares to take my spot? Are you looking for death?”

Helena turned around, her face darkening. How had this man gotten in despite the twenty knights stationed outside?

Dominic finally heard the commotion and emerged from the research room, running into Amos.

Amos immediately noticed Dominic’s sparkling nails, then turned eagerly toward Lu Yao. “Shop owner.”

My turn, my turn!

Lu Yao shook her head and pointed at Helena. “Wait a moment.”

Amos raised his hand, summoning a purple lightning-infused whirlwind. Helena, along with her twenty knights, was swept up and flung into the sky, disappearing from sight. “Now it’s my turn.”

Lu Yao: “…Alright.”

Si Jin had taken leave for three days to explore a secret treasure in a hidden realm, leaving Harold in charge today.

Lu Yao guided Amos to sit and wait for a moment. She then headed to the lounge to find Harold, wondering what her supposedly reliable bodyguard was doing in such a critical moment.

The lounge was quiet, with the curtains drawn and the room dimly lit.

Comic books and snacks were scattered on the floor, and Harold lay on the sofa, eyes closed, his brow furrowed in deep concentration.

He was asleep.

It seemed like he was having a nightmare.

Lu Yao walked over and gave him a push. “Harold, Harold.”

Harold was trapped in his dream. He saw an enormous dragon skeleton.

The dragon’s skull suddenly lifted, its empty eye sockets staring directly at him. A heavy voice echoed, “Harold, Harold, you must…”

The next moment, Harold heard Lu Yao’s voice and jerked awake, his deep blue eyes full of confusion. “What’s going on?”

Lu Yao stood up and pulled open the curtains. “You ate too much and had a nightmare.”

Harold: “…”

Lu Yao added, “It’s fine. Go hang out with Mumu and the others for a bit. I have work to do.”

Harold shook his head, still looking confused.

He sat in a daze for a while before getting up and going outside, where Tina informed him that someone had caused trouble earlier and Amos had chased them away.

The young black dragon immediately felt a bit annoyed with himself.

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