Ch 144: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

The midsummer sun in Yaoguang City beat down directly, making the ground hot enough to fry an egg.

In the open-air parking lot, as soon as the car door opened, the hot air rushed in eagerly.

Ji Zhixin sat in the back seat and immediately felt his skin wrapped in heat, making him uncomfortable. He had been troubled over how to tell Lu Yao about his limited mobility, but suddenly he had a flash of inspiration: “It’s so hot; I’ll just stay in the car.”

Ji Feiming slowly turned his head to look at him, his expression deep.

Lu Yao, standing by the car door, glanced at him oddly. “It’s so stuffy in the car; are you sure you want to stay in here? The mall has air conditioning; it won’t be hot inside. It’s your first time here, wouldn’t it be nice to walk around?”

Ji Zhixin was embarrassed. “I…”

Ji Feiming was already at the back, pulling out the wheelchair and preparing to help him out of the car.

Ji Zhixin looked at Lu Yao, who showed no reaction and even looked ready to lend a hand.

“You…” Ji Zhixin’s expression shifted slightly. “You already knew?”

Impatient with his dawdling, Ji Feiming simply picked him up and settled him in the wheelchair.

Ji Zhixin: “…”

Lu Yao, unable to help, stepped aside, pulled out her phone, and checked her notes on dessert shops. “Right by the entrance is ‘Xinyuan Delights.’ Upstairs are ‘Bamboo Garden’ and ‘Star Dew,’ while ‘Heavenly Sweets’ is on another street, and there’s an old-style tea house in a residential area.”

She had a clear plan: first, order the monthly specials and the mooncakes on promotion, take plenty of photos, and, before leaving, pack four varieties of desserts with unique flavors or appearances.

With queuing, photographing, and tasting, each shop took about half an hour.

After finishing at the mall’s three dessert shops, Lu Yao checked the map and set off to find “Heavenly Sweets.”

Ji Feiming pushed the wheelchair with one hand, holding a tall stack of dessert boxes in the other, while Ji Zhixin held two more stacks in his lap.

“Uncle Ming, why are we buying so much?” Ji Zhixin had been restraining himself the whole time but finally couldn’t help asking.

He could understand enjoying shopping, but this was excessive.

It wasn’t enough to eat in the store; they bought four of each type of dessert. In this weather, even the refrigerator would be full.

Though it was Ji Feiming’s first time accompanying Lu Yao, he remained much calmer than Ji Zhixin: “Maybe because there are four stores.”

Ji Zhixin was puzzled. “Four stores?”

Ji Feiming replied, “You’ll understand when we get back.”

“We’re almost there; ‘Heavenly Sweets’ is just ahead.” Lu Yao called from the front.

Ji Zhixin: “…”

After leaving Heavenly Sweets, all three looked a bit worse for wear.

They had eaten too many desserts and were sick of it.

Lu Yao weighed the gift bags in her hand, rubbing her temples. “This is too much stuff. Let’s head back to the car first.”

Ji Feiming asked, “Aren’t we buying the old-style tea desserts?”

Lu Yao replied, “Since we’re already out, I still want to buy some. But that shop is hard to find. Why don’t you both head back first?”

Ji Feiming didn’t agree, thinking they wouldn’t know how to handle Ji Zhixin if Lu Yao wasn’t around.

In the end, all three got back in the car and drove down the road, looking for the tea shop.

The shop was tucked away in a neighborhood in the city center, and unfamiliar with the area, Ji Feiming took half an hour to find the approximate location.

Lu Yao told them to wait in the car as she got out with her phone to navigate.

This was a complex area near a school district. Following the map, Lu Yao finally found the shop.

Unfortunately, she was too late, and the popular signature desserts and newly launched mooncakes she wanted were sold out.

She hesitated for a moment and, in the end, bought nothing.

Upon leaving the store, Lu Yao encountered elementary school kids heading home. The street was filled with children, backpacks bouncing as they sprinted by. Suddenly, two boys dashed out from behind her, holding up money and shouting, “Susu-jie, I want to buy a date cake!”

Curious, Lu Yao glanced over to see the two boys stopping at a roadside cart.

Next to the cart stood a tall, slender girl surrounded by a crowd of elementary school kids, each holding one- or two-yuan bills and excitedly calling out the treats they wanted.

Zhou Su’s main customers were these young students. Noticing Lu Yao watching, she greeted her enthusiastically, “Old-fashioned cakes! Delicious and affordable! Would you like to try some, Miss?”

Lu Yao stepped closer. “Did you make these yourself?”

Zhou Su nodded. “Experimented at home—each flavor turned out pretty good.”

From a young age, she had one passion: food. Not just eating it, but understanding it. Eventually, finding food outside too expensive, she taught herself to cook, refining her skills over years until she felt confident.

She specialized in traditional cakes. Lu Yao glanced at the prices, which were much cheaper than the tea shop’s, and the cakes were delicately crafted. She wondered how they tasted.

Having missed out on the treats at the tea shop, she was now tempted. The prices were low, so she picked out a few to try.

Zhou Su packed four bags of treats, then handed Lu Yao two mini mooncake samples and a pink flyer from a corner of her cart. “These mooncake samples have a flavor better suited for adults.”

Lu Yao blinked. “Not so sweet?”

Zhou Su nodded with a smile. “If you like them, you can add me to preorder.”

“Thank you.” Lu Yao tucked the flyer and samples into her bag.

…

Shopping Street.

Ji Feiming’s car was parked in the middle of the street as Lu Yao prepared to deliver her desserts to four stores.

These were samples for the shop employees to reference, each with unique appearances, flavors, and techniques, hoping to inspire them.

After visiting the snack shop, nail salon, and blind box store, Lu Yao called out to Ji Feiming and Ji Zhixin, holding the last batch of desserts. “Let’s go, to the Little Pet Cafe.”

Ji Feiming stopped her. “Zhixin hasn’t signed a confidentiality contract yet.”

Lu Yao waved her hand dismissively. “That’s fine. Let him take a look first.”

Ji Feiming paused, surprised they could just “look” first.

Lu Yao added, “The contract’s very formal. If he’s not joining or a customer, no need to sign it. I recently created a new memory spell, so after he leaves, he won’t remember any of this.”

Ji Feiming: “…”

There was no such option when he first started here.

Ji Zhixin: “…”

A spell? What kind of fantasy talk was this?

And Uncle Ming wasn’t even denying it—what was going on?

And this shopping street… He’d wanted to comment on it earlier.

Why would anyone open businesses in such a desolate, out-of-the-way place? And there were four shops, with owners stubbornly persisting here.

Does anyone even shop here?

Lu Yao tossed a temp badge over, which Ji Feiming handed to Ji Zhixin. “Wear it; you can’t enter without it.”

Ji Zhixin’s expression shifted as his slow senses finally detected something strange.

Lu Yao pushed open the door of the Little Pet Cafe and walked in first, calling out, “Jiu Hua, Harold, we’re back!”

Ji Zhixin, being pushed inside by Ji Feiming, felt his expression harden.

Harold came out of the kitchen, still holding a knife, and habitually complained, “We’re swamped here.”

Two seal-like creatures, propped up by their tails, shuffled out from the kitchen carrying sashimi on their short, chubby fins. Spotting Lu Yao, their black eyes sparkled as they chirped happily.

With not enough human staff, the seals had to fill in.

Lu Yao held up her dessert box. “I brought some treats; let’s eat together later.”

Nearby customers overheard and looked over eagerly. “We’d love to try some too!”

Lu Yao nodded generously. “I bought plenty, so it’s enough to share.”

Just then, two more customers walked in, an octopus and a moon jellyfish, transforming into a man and a woman as they passed through the transparent curtain.

Ji Zhixin, who had just managed to keep his expression neutral, lost control once again.

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