Ch 149: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

Lu Yao stood by the roadside as Bai Jing approached with a tall, gaunt man who looked weary and defeated. She smiled faintly. “You’re here already?”

Bai Jing had only mentioned it last night, and she’d thought he would wait until after the Mid-Autumn Festival to bring the patient over.

Bai Jing paused briefly. “Does the boss have other plans today?”

Lu Yao knew that Dr. Bai was highly attuned to subtle emotional cues. She glanced at the man beside him, then waved her hand and turned. “I have a dinner to attend tonight. It’s still early; come inside and relax for a bit.”

Bai Jing had used all his persuasive skills to get Fu Chi to agree to come, so he quickly pulled him along. “This is my patient, Fu Chi.”

Fu Chi’s gaze lingered briefly on Lu Yao’s back before shifting away, remaining silent.

Lu Yao didn’t mind. She tossed him a temporary badge. “Put this on to go inside.”

Bai Jing reminded her, “The confidentiality agreement.”

Already entering the Little Pet Cafe, Lu Yao didn’t look back. “Mr. Fu can sign it if he decides he’ll be visiting regularly.”

Bai Jing said nothing further and followed her in, with Fu Chi trailing behind. On the way there, Bai Jing had acted like a worried parent, subtly hinting at what to expect and helping Fu Chi mentally prepare, all while monitoring his expression.

Fu Chi’s eyelids trembled slightly, his pupils narrowing. He noticed Bai Jing’s watchful gaze but didn’t react.

“It’s a holiday, so we closed early. There aren’t many people here, so feel free to explore.” Lu Yao headed straight for the stairs, planning to go to the fishing room. “Everyone’s upstairs. You can come up once you’ve had a look around.”

Her demeanor was entirely casual, as if saying, “Just treat it like home; I’m not treating you like guests.”

The holiday atmosphere was already well-established, and Luo Huan and Jing Yuxi, who had planned to visit, had stayed home with family. The Little Pet Cafe’s employees were also waiting for her in the fishing room upstairs.

Bai Jing found the timing perfect, as Fu Chi’s current mood was well-suited to a quiet stroll.

The two of them wandered from the Jellyfish Room to the Sea Urchin Room, then walked down the long tunnel to the Whale Room.

Above them, a whale circled gracefully, emitting occasional, haunting calls. After watching for a while, Fu Chi turned around to leave.

Bai Jing quickly followed.

They had barely exchanged words along the way, and he still couldn’t gauge what was on Fu Chi’s mind.

Back in the small dining area by the entrance, they noticed two other zones nearby, but Fu Chi didn’t seem interested and headed up the stairs.

The fishing room above the sea had only recently been expanded, and Bai Jing hadn’t been up there yet.

Not long ago, Luo Huan had mentioned in their group chat how impressive the new area was.

Step by step, they ascended from the depths of the ocean, with the colors of the water shifting as the damp sea breeze swept across their skin. They emerged onto the surface.

At the end of a pier by the window stood a few figures, including a group of fuzzy mascots they hadn’t seen in the underwater rooms.

A tall, lean figure was walking toward them from the end of the pier. Bai Jing and Fu Chi squinted, their expressions changing almost simultaneously as the figure’s face came into focus.

Ji Zhixin had come to the reception room to fetch a water cup. He spotted the two standing by the window from afar and approached with a slightly subdued smile. “Dr. Bai.”

Bai Jing couldn’t help but let his gaze drift downward. His legs looked normal. “You’ve recovered.”

About four years ago, Bai Jing had accompanied an elder to Tianji City to treat Ji Zhixin’s leg. At that time, Ji Zhixin was in a similar state to Fu Chi—reluctant to leave home, with a harsh temperament.

The Ji family had offered substantial support, and with Ji Feiming’s involvement, the Bai family had even deployed a dedicated medical team to Tianji City. Unfortunately, the outcome hadn’t been ideal.

Ji Zhixin shook his head slightly without explaining, then glanced at Fu Chi. “Are you here to see the boss?”

Fu Chi seemed even more shaken than Bai Jing. “What are you doing here?”

Bai Jing was taken aback. “You two know each other?”

Fu Chi nodded faintly.

Before his injury, Ji Zhixin often attended high-society events with his family elders. He had met Fu Chi at one such gathering, and they had once been on good terms.

After Ji Zhixin’s injury, they gradually lost contact.

Back then, Fu Chi only knew that Ji Zhixin’s leg was beyond recovery, and he had been all but abandoned by the Ji family.

Who would have thought that, years later, their circumstances would mirror each other, leading to this unexpected reunion?

Ji Zhixin entered the room, took a sip from his water cup, his expression now neutral. “Let’s go. The boss is over there.”

Bai Jing finally processed it. “You work here?”

Ji Zhixin nodded. “The shop was hiring, Uncle Ming mentioned it to the family, so I came.”

Bai Jing: “So, the boss healed your leg?”

Ji Zhixin shook his head. “It seems healed, but it’s not completely. I can walk normally now thanks to the Deep Sea Goddess’s magic.”

Bai Jing: “…Oh…oh.”

Is this a joke? How am I supposed to respond to that?

Fu Chi: “What’s a Deep Sea Goddess?”

Bai Jing thought, You’re actually joining in on this? So this is your kind of topic?

Ji Zhixin pointed to the end of the pier. “The Deep Sea Goddess is over there.”

Fu Chi furrowed his brow, looking at him as if he were a lunatic. “Last I checked, you graduated from elementary school nearly twenty years ago.”

A grown man pretending to be young? It’s just gross.

Ji Zhixin shrugged. “Nonsense. I just graduated six years ago.”

Cinderella is forever eighteen.

…

Lu Yao, Jiu Hua, and Zhou Su had kicked off their shoes, sitting at the edge of the pier, swinging their legs as they snacked and watched the sunset.

Zhou Su leaned over to take a mooncake from the compass gift box, taking a small bite. Her eyes lit up. “Sweet but not cloying, delicate but flavorful—this is so delicious!”

Beside them sat a golden, birdcage-shaped dessert stand holding four different mooncake gift boxes: a soft pink shell adorned with pearls, the jade-green compass with gold detailing, an ornate treasure chest, and a low-key, elegant black lacquered box with intricate cut-outs.

Scattered around the gift boxes were tiny gems and pearls, and vibrant flowers were draped over the birdcage’s openwork frame—an elegant and charming design with a fresh touch.

This was Lu Yao’s original Mid-Autumn mooncake gift box.

After distributing the festival gifts, a few boxes remained.

Zhou Su and Jiu Hua, who received their own boxes, had both said they were too beautiful to eat.

With some time on their hands, she brought one out so they could share.

The birdcage gift box was made from an extremely hard mineral from the Alexander Continent, with bottom gems sourced from the wealthy dragon tribe.

Upon hearing that Lu Yao wanted gems to decorate the box, the three little dragons at home had each emptied boxes of gem scraps from their nests.

Harold even tried to set her up with rare, magically powerful gems, but Lu Yao had declined.

For simple decoration, ordinary gems were already luxurious enough; those with magical properties were unnecessary.

If she didn’t have dragons at home, this level of extravagance would be out of reach.

The pearls used were also real, donated by the seal mascots after hearing Lu Yao needed decorative materials. They sent her a few sacks of regular pearls—not to be confused with the Tears of the Goddess.

Still, when the festival gifts were handed out in the afternoon, the human staff from the snack shop, blind box shop, and Little Pet Cafe were stunned, while only the non-human nail salon staff deemed the “cheap gems” unworthy. They even pulled out their rare gem collections to DIY their own upgrades to the gift boxes on the spot.

The vibrant flowers decorating the birdcage gift box were sourced from the Impermanence World. Upon hearing that Lu Yao wanted floral decor, Lilly and Xue Ge used the unique powers of mutated plants to cultivate a batch of beautiful, unique blooms native to Impermanence world.

These flowers were cut at full bloom and soaked in the pure liquid of crystal cores, making them extraordinarily long-lasting. It’s said they could stay vibrant for years.

Jiu Hua reached into the treasure chest box and picked out a mermaid mooncake, giving it a gentle shake, her eyes sparkling. “This mooncake looks just like the mermaid version of Goddess Emerald Star! It’s fruity, soft, and springy. Su, try it! It’s a new flavor!”

Previously, while creating the mooncake gift boxes, the staff were brimming with competitiveness, each secretly vying for the best.

But when it came to tasting, they forgot their earlier rivalry; each mooncake from the other shops was surprising and delicious in its own way.

Bai Jing walked over, his gaze fixed on the birdcage gift box, unable to look away. “What’s this treasure? I haven’t seen it before.”

“Well, it’s Mid-Autumn Festival,” Lu Yao leaned on the wooden railing casually. “The shop’s festival gift, and we ended up with a few extra boxes.”

Bai Jing was taken aback. “… Festival gift… this birdcage box decked out in gems and pearls, and everyone gets one?”

Each of those little boxes filled with mooncakes?

The Bai family held some status in Yaoguang City, and Bai Jing had grown up around wealth, yet he couldn’t help showing a bit of awe.

Before Lu Yao could respond, Zhou Su turned to him, “Impressive, right? The gems and pearls in the birdcage are real. The gems on the treasure chest and the pearls on the shell are real, too. I wouldn’t be surprised if the gold trim on the compass box is actual gold.”

Bai Jing picked up a mooncake from a smaller box, realizing it was indeed filled with mooncakes. “Are they good?”

The luxurious packaging almost made the mooncakes look a bit childlike.

Jiu Hua nodded enthusiastically, “They’re amazing! Each flavor is unique but equally delicious.”

Bai Jing noticed a black lacquered box at the bottom of the birdcage that hadn’t been opened. “Is that one also filled with mooncakes?”

Lu Yao pulled out the snack shop’s mooncake gift box, lifting the lid slowly. “Just got around to it—this one’s really something.”

Fu Chi wasn’t interested in the mooncakes, yet his gaze still followed Lu Yao’s every movement.

The black lacquered box’s lid featured intricate wood-carved patterns, and as she lifted it, a gentle fragrance mixed with the sea breeze and drifted toward everyone.

Zhou Su wrinkled her nose, leaning closer. “What’s that scent? It smells so nice!”

Jiu Hua chimed in at the same time, “It’s beautiful!”

Fu Chi’s gaze remained fixed on the box.

Inside, twelve round, white-skinned mooncakes lay neatly in the black wooden box. Each mooncake was adorned with a delicate, well-preserved dried flower, and the faint fragrance mingled with the air, lingering lightly and drawing people to breathe it in.

Fu Chi slowly stepped closer, crouching down to pick up a mooncake decorated with a cluster of blue and purple flowers. He inhaled its scent before taking a bite, “This flavor feels like a summer evening, right after a sudden shower. It reminds me of hydrangeas in the corner of a courtyard, freshly washed by the rain and swaying gently in the breeze. The subtle aroma seems to spread like water droplets off the leaves, bringing a refreshing scent of summer rain.”

Bai Jing couldn’t help but let out a small scoff, “You’re over-romanticizing it.”

He reached for a rose-flavored mooncake, meticulously decorated with dried rose petals shaped into a rose and dry leaves crafted into the stem and leaves, exquisitely detailed.

Taking a bite, Bai Jing chewed carefully, then suddenly leaned forward, pounding the ground. “Damn!”

After a moment, he looked up at Lu Yao. “This mooncake’s taste… it’s hard to describe. It’s like chewing on a memory.”

While eating the rose mooncake, he was transported to a distant town where a boy and girl met, loved passionately, and parted sorrowfully.

Even after finishing the mooncake, a faint emptiness lingered within him, as if the flavor had touched a distant memory, stirring emotions as well.

Jiu Hua, Zhou Su, and Ji Zhixin thought these two were being overly dramatic and joined in, each picking a mooncake from the wooden box and taking a cautious bite.

A few moments later, each of them had their own small “moonlit musings.”

As Bai Jing had said, biting into each mooncake was like savoring a memory.

The most intriguing part was that even for the same flavor, different people experienced different memories.

The aftereffects of the memory-infused mooncakes from the snack shop were intense. The first time Lu Yao tasted one, it left her a bit dazed, her recollections of the experience blurry.

When she tried one again the next morning, flashes of the previous night’s laughter and tears came back to her.

The staff at the snack shop explained that Dreamland had only endless time and death, with even the ingredients needing to be sourced from other worlds. They wanted to infuse something uniquely Dreamland into the mooncakes, so they added a bit of “yearning” to each one, laced with either joy or regret, using the fragrance of flowers as a medium.

The beauty of the flowers and landscapes, the bittersweetness of life’s memories—all of it was something only the living could fully experience.

So, never give up too easily.

As the last bites of the mooncake were enjoyed and the sun set, Bai Jing and Fu Chi took their leave without lingering.

Before leaving, Fu Chi signed the confidentiality contract.

Meanwhile, the staff at the Little Pet Cafe were stuffed from the mooncakes and had no room left for the planned dinner, sparing Lu Yao from another feast.

Zhou Su looked enviously at Jiu Hua, who left Eden Sea carrying her three-tiered birdcage gift box. Zhou Su’s own gift box, however, couldn’t be taken home.

When distributing the festival gifts, the boss explained that the items from the Dreamland area, like the mooncake boxes, couldn’t be taken beyond the shop borders but could be converted into a cash equivalent if they wished.

Ji Feiming and Ji Zhixin didn’t need the money, and Zhou Su opted to keep hers at the shop. Just seeing it daily and touching it was enough to bring her joy.

…

As she left the Little Pet Cafe, Lu Yao took a box of festival mooncakes from her personal storage and entrusted it to Lei Lei, asking him to deliver it to the Sea Goddess’s palace in the ocean trench.

In addition to the Sea Goddess, gifts were also sent to the Demon God, Head Guard, Qing, the elder dragons, the teachers at Dragon Valley, and the Balance Compass.

…

Late at night, Lu Yao left the snack shop and leisurely strolled, hands behind her back, toward the Little Pet Cafe… and the bare new storefront next to it.

System: “The five storefronts have been successfully combined. Has the boss decided on the type of business?”

Lu Yao looked up at the storefront for a moment before slowly nodding. “Yes.”

System: “Please confirm the type of business.”

Lu Yao murmured softly, “To look far, to know anew… How far is far enough? I want to open a cinema.”

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Thingyan: EXTREMELY JEALOUS OF THE STAFF 🥵