Ch 147: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

Luo Huan hadn’t visited in about a month, and as soon as he stepped into the shop, he noticed it was different from before.

Bai Jing had mentioned several times in the group chat that the Little Pet Cafe had “new upgrades,” but he couldn’t explain specifically what was new.

Only by coming in person did Luo Huan realize just how extensive the changes were. Without waiting for Lu Yao to guide him, he eagerly began exploring.

Zhou Su, however, lingered at the back, rubbing her eyes furiously, only to realize it didn’t help. Hastily, she stepped back outside.

The blazing sun, the deafening sound of cicadas, and the hot wind brushing against her skin made her feel increasingly uneasy.

Zhou Su thought she must be experiencing severe heatstroke.

Lu Yao noticed her absence, found her outside, and saw that she didn’t look well. “It’s too hot out here. Come back inside, sit down, and have a drink to cool off.”

Zhou Su grabbed Lu Yao’s hand, feeling weak. “I think I might be hallucinating. Inside the shop just now, it felt like I was underwater, with fish swimming around, but there were also cats, lots of people, and even seals sliding down slides…”

It was all too chaotic.

Lu Yao nodded. “Don’t worry; it might not be a hallucination. Why don’t you come back inside and take another look?”

Zhou Su: “???”

Lu Yao pulled her gently back into the shop. “We really are underwater. We’ve got some recreational facilities, some chubby animals, and we even offer simple food and drinks for guests.”

Zhou Su’s mind went blank, her thoughts grinding to a halt as she let Lu Yao lead her, feeling like a puppet.

Though she enjoyed fantasy novels and shows with big, reality-defying plots, Zhou Su had always thought herself mature enough to tell fantasy from reality.

Yet, right now, she was no longer so sure.

This shop was too strange, and the owner was even stranger.

Why could she speak so casually about things that made absolutely no sense?

Zhou Su didn’t want to hear any more or even confirm what was happening—she just felt afraid.

At that moment, Jiu Hua came out of the kitchen, flour covering her hands and face, looking a mess. She spotted Lu Yao and immediately pleaded pitifully, “Boss, save me! I just can’t manage this mooncake!”

Harold had been borrowed from the nail salon, and Ji Feiming actually belonged to the blind box shop. As for their cooking skills, both were at kindergarten level, and Jiu Hua hadn’t expected any help from them.

The newly hired receptionist looked competent but turned out to be just as useless in the kitchen.

Jiu Hua had done plenty of research and had a solid theoretical understanding, but she just couldn’t make the mooncakes she envisioned.

Lu Yao nudged the dazed Zhou Su forward. “This is Zhou Su, today’s candidate for the pastry chef position. The date rolls you love so much are made by her. Maybe you could ask her for some advice?”

At the mention of her favorite pastry, Jiu Hua immediately grabbed Zhou Su’s hand. “You’re a lifesaver! Come, come, our shop’s mooncakes need your magic!”

Since Zhou Su was going to be the Little Pet Cafe’s pastry chef, Jiu Hua had no reservations in asking for her help.

It wasn’t until she was pulled into the kitchen that Zhou Su snapped back to reality. The enclosed, familiar environment and the kitchen utensils helped calm her nerves. “Where… is this?”

Jiuhua blinked. “I’m Jiu Hua, an employee of the Little Pet Cafe. There’s no time to explain. Can you look at these mooncakes for me?”

Talking about food brought Zhou Su back to her comfort zone, and she also wanted to shake off the strange, panicked feeling she had, so she went to the workstation. “What kind of mooncake are you trying to make?”

Jiu Hua took out a notebook, showing her illustrations and text.

Zhou Su could understand Jiu Hua’s language, but the writing was unfamiliar, and that strange feeling crept up on her again.

Noticing her culinary expert’s desire to escape, Jiu Hua quickly grabbed her wrist. “Here’s the thing. The boss wants to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival with a mooncake gift box from all four shops…”

…

Lu Yao stood at the door for a moment. The socially fearless Jiu Hua was practically unstoppable in Eden Sea.

Zhou Su, already bewildered, was now deep in thought with Jiuhua, brainstorming ideas for the mooncakes.

The traditional pastries and mini mooncakes Lu Yao had ordered were split, with half going to the snack shop and the rest added to tLittle Pet Cafe’s limited-time menu.

Guests who happened to try them found the flavors refreshing and spread the word, so people occasionally came in asking about them.

Lu Yao called the seal guardians to work, and the chubby seals headed into the kitchen to fetch pastries, startling Zhou Su.

Experience and memories are accumulated over time, and Zhou Su no longer felt as shocked as when she first entered.

Trained border collies can fetch items for their owners and even distinguish between objects.

Thinking along those lines, a magical shop located deep underwater, with chubby little seals as staff, seemed somewhat logical.

Zhou Su was doing her best to convince herself.

…

Lu Yao made her rounds, checking that all areas were running smoothly. With no need for her help in the kitchen, she went upstairs to check on the surface area.

All reservation slots were full, and the tickets had already been distributed.

Ji Zhixin was strolling on the wooden bridge outside the reception room, holding up his phone and taking photos constantly.

Lu Yao arrived just in time to see this scene and walked over leisurely. “What are you photographing?”

Startled, Ji Zhixin almost dropped his phone into the water. He managed to catch it just in time and turned back, embarrassed. “The sunset.”

The clouds and sea in this world had an indescribable beauty; the water and time seemed to flow slowly and softly, as if frozen together.

Every time he paused to look, Ji Zhixin couldn’t help but take out his phone and capture a few photos as souvenirs.

Within the shop’s range, his phone couldn’t get a signal, but the camera function still worked.

Unfortunately, the photos couldn’t be shared, and he had to delete them before leaving the shop.

If he didn’t delete the images, his phone would explode upon exiting the Little Pet Cafe.

After replacing two phones in with few days, Ji Zhixin still couldn’t resist taking photos of such views, even if he had to delete them later.

Lu Yao formed a frame with her index fingers and thumbs, aligning it with the distant view. The sunset, glowing like a salted egg yolk, was framed by thin clouds above the sea.

“It really is beautiful.”

She took out her phone, snapped a few photos, and recorded a short video of the sunset sinking beneath the horizon.

Standing, Ji Zhixin, much taller than Lu Yao, caught a glimpse of her phone’s lock screen, which showed a sleeping seal. He hesitated. “So, can the boss keep videos and photos?”

Lu Yao nodded.

Ji Zhixin looked envious. “So, my phone keeps exploding because of the confidentiality agreement?”

Initially puzzled, Lu Yao thought it over, then shook her head. “Probably not. Due to certain unknown rules, our world can’t directly observe these other worlds—they only exist behind the doors of each shop on the street.”

Photos and videos couldn’t be posted online for the same reason there was no Stargate in this world and why items from other worlds couldn’t be brought into this one.

Unknown rules?

Other worlds that were ordinarily unobservable, yet the shop owner could enter freely, unrestricted.

Ji Zhixin’s eyes sparkled—of course, the boss held the key.

…

As night fell, visitors to Eden Sea gradually left, and the Little Pet Cafe became quiet.

Lu Yao and Ji Zhixin slid down from the Fishing Room’s slide, finding Jing Yuxi and Luo Huan chatting at a low table by the window.

The piggy cats, having developed a routine for clocking out on time, were sprawled out on the floor, claiming the small dining area as their own.

Lu Yao picked up the fat, sea cucumber-like Erxin, and approached Jing Yuxi’s table. “When did you get here?”

Jing Yuxi, who had recently done well in an international piano competition, looked relaxed and cheerful. She smiled when she saw Lu Yao. “Half the day. Where did you slide down from?”

They had already explored all the underwater sections and petted every fuzzy creature, but they hadn’t noticed a slide connected to the dining area.

Lu Yao replied, “From the surface. We expanded the Fishing Room up there. It’s too late today, but you can check it out tomorrow.”

Jing Yuxi and Luo Huan lit up with excitement, only to feel disappointed a moment later.

With a huff, Jing Yuxi ordered, “Lu Yao, I want seafood—a large sashimi platter, sea urchin bowl with extra sea urchin, and a fruit platter. Oh, and I see you have traditional pastries now—add an order of those too.”

Luo Huan ordered tea, pastries, and a sashimi platter, murmuring, “Dr. Bai hasn’t come yet; maybe he got held up?”

Ji Zhixin went to the kitchen to add to the order, and Lu Yao sat down. “Did Bai Jing say he was coming?”

Jing Yuxi shook her head. “I’m not sure.”

Luo Huan added, “He said he had the afternoon off and wanted to have dinner with us here.”

Lu Yao replied, “He might’ve had an emergency patient.”

Even as night fell and the Little Pet Cafe closed, Bai Jing never showed up.

After eating and drinking their fill, Jing Yuxi and Luo Huan reluctantly said their goodbyes to Lu Yao and left.

Since Luo Huan was still underage and didn’t have a driver’s license, he came by bike, not wanting to call a family driver.

Jing Yuxi offered to give him a ride and suggested leaving his bike at the back.

Watching them leave, Lu Yao then headed to the Blind Box Shop.

It was still daytime in the World of Impermanence, with only two employees outside tending to the guests.

Lu Yao greeted them and entered the lab.

Inside were Zhong Ruying, Luo Hui’an, Xue Ge, Lilly, and Tiger Cub.

“How’s the mooncake coming along?” Lu Yao asked, pushing open the door.

Lilly immediately clung to her, proudly announcing, “It’s ready.”

Luo Hui’an nodded. “Just finished.”

Raising her brows in curiosity, Lu Yao said, “Let me take a look.”

Everyone stepped aside to reveal a box on the table shaped like a compass.

The lid resembled a star chart, split into black and white—clearly a design inspired by the Balance Compass.

“What made you think of using this design?” Lu Yao gently ran her hand over the box. The texture of the lines was raised, making it resemble both a Balance Compass and a map.

Lilly explained, “The compass in your room is so unique; I can never look away when I see it. I found out later that everyone felt the same way. Once, even Old Jiang mentioned that the lines on it resembled a world map from twenty years ago. So, when we were discussing mooncakes and gift boxes, we decided to use a compass mold.”

The wooden box had sharp, clear engravings, dark lacquer, and a gold outline painted with crystal core liquid, giving it an elegant and refined look.

Lifting the lid, Lu Yao paused in surprise. “What’s this?”

Inside were nine perfectly square white mooncakes that, when placed together, formed another Balance Compass. The patterns on the mooncakes, however, differed from the box lid.

Instead of mountains, lakes, and rivers, there were barren forests and ruins, with symbols representing human settlements, mutated plants, and mutated animal clans, and in the center, the Blind Box Shop.

Luo Hui’an explained, “The world from twenty years ago has crumbled through countless cycles of impermanence. This is the new world map.”

At the heart of the new world stood a Blind Box Shop.

The mooncake skins were neatly arranged, white and slightly translucent, with colors of the filling showing through.

Lu Yao picked up a piece, took a small bite, savored it carefully, and then sipped some tea. “Delicious!”

The soft crust and fragrant, rich filling weren’t immediately striking but became more flavorful with each bite.

Each mooncake’s filling color matched a different part of the Balance Compass’s map—green for lush forests, gray-black for barren lands, silver-white for snowy peaks, a golden-green lily of the valley totem for mutated creatures, and a cat paw for the beast territories…

Lu Yao tried three pieces in a row, each with a different filling, flavor, and texture: green tea jasmine, pork lard black sesame, white bean lotus, and salted egg yolk with ham.

“The effort put into these mooncakes really shows in the taste. I love them! But producing these in large quantities must be difficult—this box alone is a lot of work,” Lu Yao commented, her fingers tracing the intricate patterns on the box.

Lilly replied, “I made this box. It’s tricky at first, but once we have the mold, it’ll be much easier.”

Zhong Ruying said, “We’ve also completed the mooncake molds, and the filling-to-crust ratio has been optimized. Production will be quick with assigned tasks, and if we’re overwhelmed, we can even ask the nearby elders for help.”

Lu Yao nodded. “Good, everything is well-organized.”

After storing a box of mooncakes in the warehouse as a sample, Lu Yao left the Blind Box Shop and headed to the nail salon.

On Alexander Continent, it was already late at night, but the nail salon was brightly lit, with the staff presumably working through the night to make mooncakes.

Lu Yao pushed open the door. “I’m back.”

In the lounge area, the staff sat in small groups on sofas, sipping tea and reading books, all looking calm and leisurely.

This scene was not quite what she expected, and among the familiar faces was an unfamiliar one—Dumanine, the mermaid diviner.

Lu Yao entered, greeted Dumanine, and turned to the staff. “Are the mooncakes ready?”

Mumu shuffled over to Lu Yao, grabbing her pant leg with tiny hands and chirping, “Chirp chirp!”

At the center of the table was a sparkling treasure chest, crafted from a material that resembled translucent jade, with gemstone fragments encrusted along the edges, gleaming brightly.

Lu Yao paused. “The mooncakes are in the treasure chest?”

The staff all wore expressions of mysterious pride, keeping silent.

It was a look they’d picked up from comics, and Lu Yao regretted giving them so much material for inspiration.

She leaned over and opened the treasure chest, blinking in surprise.

The box was grand, yet inside were adorable little mooncakes.

There were about a dozen in total, markedly different in style from the Blind Box Shop’s. The nail salon team had crafted 3D mooncakes, which explained the choice of a treasure chest.

Lu Yao nudged one with a small silver spoon. The base was soft, like a cake, with a filling in the middle, a hard sugar layer on top, and, standing atop this, miniature figures representing the ten major species of Alexander Continent—dragons, fairies, demons, elves, the necromancer, vampires, mermen, beastfolk, hybrids, and humans.

She poked one of the small figures with the spoon; they were soft and bouncy, like jelly, yet detailed and lifelike, revealing the creators’ personal touches.

The fairy mooncake featured adorable twins, while the dragon mooncake had three tiny dragons in gold, red, and black-silver jelly. To represent wealth, the base had miniature gold and silver jewels. The vampire mooncake showed a little bat holding a soft slime, while the beast mooncake featured a slime with a tiny bat headband, hugging a human-shaped doll that looked remarkably like Lu Yao…

As she suspected, none of the staff had compromised; they each made the mooncake they most wanted.

The level of detail was astonishing, and Lu Yao almost couldn’t bear to eat them.

Harold, annoyed by her hesitation, picked up the three-dragon mooncake. “Try this one. The black-silver dragon is the best.”

With so many dragon species, each of the three dragons insisted on modeling their mooncake figure after their own characteristics. After a heated argument, they ended up fighting.

Dragon fights were a particular nuisance, so they settled for this compromise upon Ambrose’s suggestion.

Ignoring Harold’s blatant favoritism, Si Jin’s face darkened. “The flavors are indeed different. After the boss tries them, please honestly choose the tastiest dragon.”

Tina’s gaze was also intense as she looked at Lu Yao.

Lu Yao: “…”

Mumu quickly shuffled over, placing the demon mooncake in front of Lu Yao, big, shiny eyes pleading at her. “Chirp!”

The twin fairies fluttered over too, offering their fairy mooncake. “Eat ours!”

Lu Yao: “…”

I really don’t want to eat the little ones…

Leaving the nail salon, Lu Yao felt a bit wobbly.

She couldn’t resist and took a bite of each mooncake.

Unexpectedly, Edward’s vampire mooncake had alcohol in the center, a thousand-year-old vintage wine he’d unearthed from his coffin during his last awakening, according to Ambrose.

At the time, Lu Yao: “…”

Standing at the snack shop’s entrance, Lu Yao took a deep breath and stepped inside.

At midnight, the snack shop’s late-night menu had just finished serving.

Hearing the sound at the entrance, Xiao Qie guessed it was Lu Yao and ran out to greet her, “Boss, our mooncakes are ready. You’ll be the first to taste them.”

Lu Yao: “…”

🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️

Thingyan: Next chapter is password locked. Pw is mooncake.