Ch 113: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

Yaoguang City has entered the height of summer, and the weather is perfect early in the morning.

The sky is clear and cloudless, with the sun hanging high.

The cats love warm spots, so four cats are sprawled out on the ground in front of the cozy little shop, sunbathing.

Among them, Erxin is the sturdiest, resembling a solid “cat pancake” as her body sprawls out comfortably on the ground.

Likely famished from being outside, she immediately perks up when she sees Lu Yao, rubbing affectionately against her pant leg with a soft “meow~.”

Among the guard cats is a black one, with round eyes, looking lean and fierce. It starts hissing as Lu Yao approaches.

This cat has a handsome face and a spirited appearance, with a unique look: its entire body is sleek black, but its front paws are “wearing” white socks, like little no-show socks.

Such an attitude.

Lu Yao was charmed at first sight and mentally named it “White Socks.”

Beside the black cat lies a pretty little one, with soft gray-black markings on its back, a white chest, slender cheeks, and large, broad ears.

This young cat is gentle and not fierce. Upon seeing Lu Yao, it rolls over, extending a paw toward her playfully, with a meow even softer than Erxin’s.

What an adorable little thing. “Let’s call you Chacha.”

The third cat has black ears, a white face from the lower cheeks to the nose, black spots on its back, a white belly, and a long, fluffy black tail.

Its green eyes gleam with energy.

This is a long-haired tuxedo cat with a strikingly regal appearance.

However, its fur is matted all over, and its originally white patches have yellowed, giving it a scruffy look.

Lu Yao fetched canned food, bowls, and water from the nail salon. White Socks and Chacha quickly gave in to the allure of the food, munching away like little piglets.

Only the long-haired tuxedo cat grumbled while eating, fierce and chatty, but didn’t leave a single bite.

After some thought, Lu Yao decided to name it “Boxers.”

She had observed the stray cats nearby for a while, and these three weren’t overly aggressive. They still retained a bit of cat-like grace and dignity.

But these little furballs had no loyalty. Once fed, they’d run off again.

The canned food she gave had water mixed in. She scooped a big portion into a cat bowl, placed it in a carrier, and managed to catch White Socks, followed by Boxers.

As for Chacha, it climbed into the carrier even before she tried to catch it.

In the morning, Ji Feiming finished a delivery, then took the three guard cats to the pet hospital for a full check-up.

While waiting for the results, Ji Feiming couldn’t stand how dirty the cats were and sent them for a bath and grooming.

The check-ups showed they were healthy, so they also got their “bells” removed, received deworming treatment, and stayed at the pet hospital for observation for two days.

Three days later, the three guard cats returned to the cozy little shop, looking brand new.

At the door, Lu Yao attached tags to the kittens, her eyes squinting with joy. “White Socks is so well-behaved. After a bath, it’s like a whole new cat.”

Ji Feiming held White Socks with a complex look: “Wait until you see Boxers; now that’s a real transformation.”

After adding their tags and a sunflower-themed Elizabethan collar, the kittens were ready to “work” in the shop.

White Socks and Chacha obediently entered the Little Pet Cafe, timidly yet curiously looking around.

Ji Feiming took Boxers out of the carrier. Oh boy, the scruffy middle-aged tomcat had transformed into an idol-level beauty.

Its coat was now snowy white and fluffy, soft to the touch with a gentle fragrance, paired with Boxers’ perpetually grumpy expression, triggering intense (and borderline obsessive) human affection.

Lu Yao put the tag and Elizabethan collar on Boxers and took it into her arms. Seeing a few red scratches on the back of Ji Feiming’s hand, she exclaimed, “How’d you get scratched?”

Ji Feiming forced a bitter smile, tapping Boxers’ nose, “This little troublemaker is responsible. They seem to remember I was the one who took them to the hospital and removed their ‘bells,’ so they hold a grudge against me now. This one, especially, has quite the temper.”

Lu Yao replied, “… Go get a vaccine, and the shop will cover the cost.”

Ji Feiming responded, “… Already done.”

When he got scratched, he went to the hospital for a rabies vaccine first before returning to pick up the cats from the pet hospital.

Lu Yao said, “Thanks for the hard work.”

With the addition of three new “working” male cats, White Socks, Chacha, and Boxers, the cat shop’s attractiveness skyrocketed. The grown cats quickly won over the hearts of customers. Still, they were adjusting, and hearing they’d just had surgery, the customers held back a bit.

Finally, during her lunch break, Erxin could sneak into the kitchen for a bit of rest without being pulled out by the shop owner to “work.”

…

A Porsche stopped beside a Cadillac, and Bai Jing removed her sunglasses, preparing to get out.

Jing Yuxi, sitting in the car, gazed at the barren surroundings, struggling to keep her expression in check. “Don’t tell me this is the place you’re paying a million a month for?”

Bai Jing had told her she booked a relaxing wellness retreat, with confidentiality agreements required at the door and a single visit costing 50,000.

She assumed it would be a luxury resort but ended up here in the middle of nowhere, with no scenery, no facilities, and hardly a person in sight.

How could she relax in a place like this?

Bai Jing had already stepped out and was leaning into the window, urging, “Come; you’ll see once you’re inside.”

Since it was Bai Jing’s kind intention, Jing Yuxi reconsidered; at least she’d get to meet the legendary shop owner.

A bit curious about Lu Yao, she decided to introduce herself. She grabbed her bag and stepped out.

Only then did she realize it was an abandoned shopping street—though a few storefronts looked newly renovated and seemed to be in business. She wasn’t sure which shop Bai Jing was leading her to.

First, she ruled out the snack shop and nail salon. Surely, the snacks here wouldn’t suit Bai Jing’s tastes, and Bai Jing would never accompany her for a manicure.

But then, Bai Jing walked directly to the nail salon and knocked on the door.

Jing Yuxi thought, “… You can’t be serious, here to get a manicure?”

Would this place even do nice nails?

Even if he was willing to accompany her, she didn’t want to do her nails in some unfamiliar shop.

Besides, what kind of manicure costs 50,000?

This was just ridiculous.

Bai Jing looked back and gestured to her, “Come on, don’t just stand there in the sun.”

As Jing Yuxi approached the nail salon, the door opened from the inside. Lu Yao stood at the entrance, glancing at the two of them with a soft and casual voice, “Come in.”

During lunch, only a few scattered customers were getting their nails done in the shop.

Lu Yao mentioned she was expecting two special guests, so the twins, Ambrose, and Edward stayed in the lounge.

Eugenia and Clarissa attended to the manicure clients, while Mumu transformed into human form and served tea to Bai Jing and Jing Yuxi.

Since Bai Jing had been to the nail salon before and signed the confidentiality agreement, she seemed calm.

Jing Yuxi, however, was visibly struggling to contain her reactions since stepping into the store.

The customers inside had unusual attire, looks, and languages, as if from a fantasy cartoon she’d watched as a kid.

And the young boy serving tea—could he be the owner’s son?

They looked so similar, yet why did he have blue hair and blue eyes?

What’s more, the shop owner looked much younger than she’d expected, far too young to have a son that age. Could they be siblings?

Lu Yao pretended not to notice Jing Yuxi’s expression, pulling out two brown paper envelopes. She said to Bai Jing, “This time, there’s an added supplemental agreement; Dr. Bai, you’ll need to sign it again. And this one is Miss Jing’s confidentiality agreement.”

Bai Jing raised an eyebrow, “What’s this supplementary agreement?”

Lu Yao replied, “There’s no need to worry; even Xiao Ji had to sign one. If you’re unsure, you can read the agreement first.”

Bai Jing smiled wryly; when dealing with the shop owner, neither he nor Ji Feiming had any control.

He glanced briefly at the document and signed his name.

This supplementary clause was, in fact, a memory-erasure agreement.

After much consideration, Lu Yao decided to add this agreement. Its contents were simple: she set several criteria such that if anyone who signed the confidentiality agreement violated any of the standards or attempted to disclose secrets about the shopping street without the shop owner’s permission, all related memories of the shopping street and the owner would be erased from their mind.

Any connection between the customer and the shopping street would disappear.

This was an advanced contract that required meeting several strict conditions, using the contract owner’s life force as a medium.

Since Lu Yao set the terms, she was the contract owner.

This type of contract was similar to the ones signed between demon god and players, only her price was a bit milder.

Once both confidentiality agreements were signed, Lu Yao handed Jing Yuxi a temporary employee badge. “Miss Jing, please wear this. We’re about to head into the shop.”

Jing Yuxi pursed her lips, glanced at the badge, and silently took it.

As soon as Bai Jing and Jing Yuxi stepped out, a spatial distortion flickered inside the nail salon, and Harold appeared, hovering momentarily before landing.

Lu Yao casually closed the door, glancing at him. “Why are you back now?”

He should typically be attending class in Dragon Valley at this time.

Harold scratched his head, a hint of frustration flickering in his deep blue eyes. “So you were here all along; I thought I’d finally found you.”

He had already pinpointed the space-time coordinates of the Impermanence Realm and could freely travel there. But since Lu Yao had been spending more time at the cozy shop, he’d been working to locate the Garbage Sea’s coordinates instead.

To date, Harold had visited numerous worlds.

He wanted to find Lu Yao’s world, but he couldn’t sense its coordinates, so he kept searching for other worlds where she might open a new shop.

Earlier, as soon as he sensed the aura of scales, he had rushed over, not realizing she was actually at the nail salon.

Lu Yao chuckled and patted his shoulder. “Well, you did find me.”

Harold stomped his foot in frustration, “But not the right place.”

Deliveryman Xiao Ji had mentioned that this world Lu Yao was working in was strange and even quite dangerous. Harold wanted to find her quickly.

Outside, Bai Jing’s voice called, “Shop owner?”

Lu Yao didn’t have time to say more. She patted the boy’s straightened back. “Return to Dragon Valley, read more books. Maybe you’ll find a way to locate me faster.”

…

Jing Yuxi stood outside the Little Pet Cafe, hearing Lu Yao remind her, “Make sure to wear your badge. There’s water by the entrance, so don’t worry. Just walk right in.”

It was just a pet shop, wasn’t it?

All this secrecy, and a tacky bracelet as a requirement to enter, with water by the door as well. Was this all for show, or just a gimmick?

Jing Yuxi felt her tightly-held patience reaching its limit; she could hardly stand it anymore.

Bai Jing stepped in first, turning to her, “If you’re scared, you can hold my hand.”

Looking at the hand extended before her, Jing Yuxi hesitated, then shook her head lightly. “No, it’s fine. I don’t need it.”

She sidestepped his hand and entered the Little Pet Cafe a step ahead, stepping into seawater, her brows furrowing in surprise as she realized there was indeed water. Just as she looked up, ready to protest, her face froze in shock.

Where… was this?

Lu Yao stood on the shore, calling to her, “Miss Jing, come on up.”

Bai Jing entered behind her, took Jing Yuxi’s stunned hand, and led her onto the white sandy beach, finally bringing her fully into the shop.

Jing Yuxi spun in place twice, her eyes widening in disbelief at the scene around her.

It was, in fact, a cat café, with customers petting cats and chatting. But beyond the transparent walls lay an entirely different world—swaying coral, vibrant colors, schools of fish drifting in a serene underwater setting, as if they had stepped into an underwater paradise.

She looked at Lu Yao. “Where are we?”

“The Little Pet Cafe under the sea,” Lu Yao explained calmly.

Jing Yuxi was speechless.

Qingmei saw Lu Yao had returned and immediately approached her. “Shop owner, a customer came by while you were out.”

The three new feline shop assistants were still the center of attention, with customers doing everything they could to engage and feed them, while Sugar and Tape had managed to hide under the cat tree in the corner, grooming themselves in peace.

Bai Jing leaned close to Jing Yuxi and whispered, “What happens in the shop stays here; you can only understand the magic by coming in person.”

Jing Yuxi was at a loss for words, still struggling to process everything.

It felt as though her worldview was being reshaped—why was there a pet shop at the bottom of the ocean? She couldn’t wrap her head around it.

Nearby, Lu Yao asked, “What customer? Did they need something from me?”

Qingmei replied softly, “I’m not sure; I couldn’t understand them. They wandered outside for a long time. Since you hadn’t returned, I went to the kitchen to prepare some food, but by the time I came back, they were gone.”

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