Ch 129: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

One of the chubby starfish’s arms bore a fresh, red cross-shaped wound.

Lu Yao hadn’t noticed where Jiu Hua’s wound had been last time, but after running the shop for a while, she knew it wasn’t unusual to encounter the same type of introverted fish.

This person, like Jiu Hua, had transformed into a chocolate starfish after becoming withdrawn.

She’d never seen anyone return to the garbage sea after leaving.

After her initial surprise, Lu Yao assumed it was a new guest and walked over to open the door.

The chubby starfish wriggled its soft, fleshy arms, climbing down from the roof and into the Whale Room, where it transformed into a girl dressed in silvery-gray loungewear.

Lu Yao was stunned, only managing to speak after a while. “…It’s you!”

Jiu Hua stood up, dusted off imaginary sand from her clothes, and happily hugged Lu Yao. “Ah, finally! I get to see you again.”

The joy in her tone felt genuine, leaving Lu Yao with no choice but to gently return the hug. “How did you come back?”

Jiu Hua took a step back, sizing her up. “You seem really surprised? Didn’t I say ‘see you next time’? I always keep my word.”

Her eyes were bright and pure, looking straight at Lu Yao as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Lu Yao suddenly felt slightly embarrassed; that frank gaze gave her an inexplicable sense of guilt. She explained, “…No guest has ever returned after leaving; you’re the first.”

Jiu Hua’s dark pupils brightened slightly. “I see. Last time, I didn’t get to explore enough. I don’t know how long I can stay this time, so let’s go see the chicks first!”

Hand in hand, Jiu Hua pulled Lu Yao along at a brisk pace, and Lu Yao couldn’t help but wonder again: Is she really introverted?

As the shopkeeper often dived in the sea, her stamina had unknowingly improved, so the running didn’t bother her at all.

However, Jiu Hua was gasping for breath before they’d even run two hundred meters and had to stop, clutching Lu Yao.

“I can’t… I’m exhausted.”

Lu Yao teased her, “Your stamina isn’t great; just a few steps, and you’re already out of breath.”

Jiu Hua looked pale, “I’m getting old…”

Lu Yao chuckled, “Not quite old, just out of shape. I’m curious, though—how did you end up back here?”

Jiu Hua, hands on her hips, replied proudly, “Probably because I have a gift.”

Lu Yao: “Oh, a talent for introversion?”

Jiu Hua lifted her chin slightly, “What are you talking about? I have no idea what you mean.”

Lu Yao sighed, “It seems you don’t know why you came here.”

“What reason?” Jiu Hua asked, intrigued.

Lu Yao briefly explained the situation with the garbage sea as they reached the Jellyfish Room.

Jiu Hua pulled her along, quickening her pace as they approached, “I haven’t seen Little Fat Chirp for a few days, and it looks like it’s gained weight again—so cute!”

Lu Yao: “…”

She hadn’t absorbed a word.

The round, lively chick was a favorite among guests.

Under the bird swing, guests lay in a row, each gently cradling a Little Fat Chirp in their arms.

Only one little tiger parrot remained perched stubbornly on the swing, ignoring all attempts to coax it down.

Jiu Hua crouched by the swing and whistled at the tiger parrot, “Little Fat Chirp, come here!”

A guest nearby commented, “It’s useless; this tiger parrot is the most stubborn. It ignores everyone.”

Lu Yao squeezed in beside Jiu Hua. “It’s a bit obstinate and likes standing up high. I tried training it, but it didn’t make much difference, so I let it be. Actually, there’s also a cat here. If you walk along the tunnel, there are several other relaxing spots where you can enjoy seafood too.”

This little tiger parrot was different from the other birds; at first, it didn’t seem that way. After a day or two, Lu Yao noticed it—it was the only lazy bird in the Bird Room.

Lu Yao had taken the opportunity to listen to its inner thoughts.

At first, the little parrot had been pretending—acting sociable and affectionate. Once it got caught slacking off, it stopped pretending entirely and lazed around openly every day.

Despite its unassuming stance on the swing, the little parrot’s mind was always full of thoughts.

After listening to its thoughts a few times, Lu Yao decided not to suppress its nature; it simply wasn’t affectionate, but it was still cute.

The stubborn little bird had become quite popular among the guests, with everyone wanting to see if they could charm it.

Jiu Hua stood there, unwilling to leave. “I think it’s adorable. You go on with your tasks; don’t mind me. I’ll play with it a bit longer before checking out other areas.”

Lu Yao indeed had other things to attend to, so she turned and left.

She had requested that the researcher from the blind box shop develop a potent crystal core solution to purify water. Made primarily from crystal cores of mutated plants, it was naturally safe.

Lu Yao planned to try purifying the polluted currents surrounding the garbage heap, so she donned her diving suit, slung the spray bottle with the crystal solution over her shoulder, and swam toward the garbage sea.

As she passed by the Jellyfish Room, she heard a coordinated round of applause from the second floor and instinctively swam over to check.

The space under the bird swing was filled with guests, and all the Little Fat Chirps had returned to the swing, gripping the perch with their claws and spinning around skillfully.

Even the most stubborn tiger parrot was spinning with enthusiasm.

What was going on?

At that moment, Lu Yao noticed a chubby chocolate-colored starfish clinging to the jellyfish’s umbrella outside the transparent wall.

Its three arms were stuck firmly to the wall, while two others flipped, allowing it to roll with a familiar ease, which led to the parrots inside rolling in sync with its movements.

As the chubby starfish lifted an arm, Lu Yao clearly saw the bright red cross-shaped scar on one of them.

It was Jiu Hua.

Lu Yao: “…”

The system couldn’t help but chime in: [Occasionally, humans can be… unusual.]

Lu Yao: “What’s so unusual? She’s adorable.”

System: [No need to be so formal.]

Lu Yao: “No need to jump to conclusions either. Didn’t you see how happy she is?”

System: [Forgive me, but no one who comes here could truly be that happy.]

Lu Yao fell silent. Jiu Hua’s demeanor was indeed a bit unusual, but her happiness didn’t seem feigned.

And she was the only one who’d ever managed to leave and return.

Just as the system’s words trailed off, the chubby starfish rolling happily outside was caught in a bubble, slowly rising and floating out of the garbage sea.

Lu Yao: “She looked pretty happy rolling around.”

System: [ … ]

Lu Yao turned and swam toward the garbage heap.

Jiu Hua was gone again; she wondered if she’d return.

…

Lu Yao spent two hours at the garbage heap, spraying all of the concentrated crystal core solution. The effects weren’t immediately noticeable.

She suspected the quantity was insufficient and that the purification process would take time, so she planned to return in the afternoon to check on it.

As she neared the pet shop, she noticed many fish circling and swimming outside, performing all sorts of spins and tricks.

There were especially many fish outside the Jellyfish Room, all sporting cross-shaped wounds on their bodies—they were all introverted fish.

Lu Yao even spotted Qingmei, who had transformed into a manta ray, spinning and rolling energetically in the water.

“…What’s going on here?”

The dragon valley was on break, so the little black dragon, Harold, had arrived early that morning.

He’d come a bit later, just missing Lu Yao as she dove into the sea. Once he arrived, Qingmei quickly roped him into helping with the guests due to the staff shortage.

Seeing Lu Yao return, he went to meet her, looking as baffled as she was. “I heard a starfish was rolling around outside in a bubble earlier, and now some guests have started copying it.”

Lu Yao: “…Pfft.”

For the first time since opening the shop, she saw introverted fish guests this lively.

After a while, none of them managed to leave, and the guests gradually stopped their random imitations.

Back in the Little Pet Cafe, the guests transformed back into human form, exchanging glances and recalling their antics in the sea. Their cheeks flushed, and they shuffled their feet, an awkward atmosphere settling over them.

By the end of the day, various cat climbing towers in each cat room had been damaged to different extents, with remnants bearing claw marks resembling those left by humans.

In the afternoon, Lu Yao checked the cat climbing towers and couldn’t help but laugh. “Without cat towers, the floors are going to suffer.”

The system chimed in gleefully, “You’ll end up with a fancy, detached villa district.”

Harold shook his head. “Humans’ minds are too fragile.”

Lu Yao replied, “It’s not fragility—just too many concerns. The pressures of life leave marks on the human psyche that aren’t easy to erase. Here, the more complicated one’s thoughts, the more likely they are to be bound, making it harder to leave. This afternoon, apart from Jiu Hua, not a single guest left.”

Why do people end up in this sea?

Why do they transform into marine creatures?

Lu Yao had pondered this for a long time. Only after encountering Jiu Hua again did she fully understand.

People here are weighed down by life, returning to the primal state of existence, back to the sea—a place as safe and warm as a mother’s womb—to pause, let go of burdens, and regress into marine creatures, driven by a singular, simple goal.

For marine life, that goal is survival.

For the humans adrift in this sea, by some twist of fate, the Little Pet Cafe has replaced their original purpose, becoming an Eden.

But can people who have already been born truly return to their primal state?

Almost impossible.

Those who arrive here are still bound by life, clinging to the knowledge they gained in the human world, desperately seeking shortcuts.

Like butterflies caught in a spider’s web, the more they struggle, the more entangled they become until they’re completely stuck.

…

The next day, Lu Yao returned from the blind box shop, opened the Little Pet Cafe’s door, and immediately noticed a chubby chocolate starfish lounging on the wall outside, rolling around in boredom.

“You’re here again?”

The plump starfish squeezed through the door crack, transforming back into the girl in her cozy loungewear.

Standing up, she dusted off the white sand from her knees. “Good morning! I’m here for breakfast.”

Lu Yao: “…”

In the pet carrier, the little kittens were impatient, meowing to be let out.

Lu Yao bent down and released them.

Jiu Hua’s eyes sparkled, looking completely smitten. “Oh, I’m done for! This place is heaven!”

“Raw food isn’t great for breakfast. How about a bowl of noodles?” Lu Yao was curious about how Jiu Hua could come and go freely from this sea. Since she always left so quickly, Lu Yao planned to chat with her over breakfast this time.

Jiu Hua struggled to lift Erxin, drumming her fingers on his chubby belly like a pipa. “Yes, please! I haven’t had noodles in ages.”

Lu Yao turned to the kitchen and soon returned with two bowls of seafood noodles.

Jiu Hua had dozed off, using Erxin as a pillow. Lu Yao hesitated about whether to wake her, only to see her limbs begin to transform back, slowly returning to her chocolate starfish form before floating away in a bubble.

“…” Lu Yao felt a mix of emotions.

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