Ch 168: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

Xie Xu and his friends sat in the lounge area, trying to maintain calm expressions despite the shock they felt from all the ads and trailers they’d just seen.

Chen Yuning remarked, “If we hadn’t seen how that popcorn monster was made outside, it would’ve really been intimidating.”

Xie Xu nodded, “Yesterday at Four Joy Inn, that woman mentioned clarifying the monster’s origins—seems like this was her way of doing it.”

The Prince Jin frowned slightly, his tone dismissive. “Tricks meant to fool the common folk, nothing more.”

Suddenly, Chen Yuning’s eyes widened as he stared past the Prince Jin.

The Prince, confused, turned his head slightly.

A large, grayish claw, flecked with white, was slowly extending toward him. Startled, he leaped several meters back, knocking over two chairs in the process.

Chen Yuning, who had a clear view of what was behind them, felt his legs go weak, frozen as he watched the claw reach for Xie Xu.

Xie Xu, still unaware of what was happening, felt a firm tap on his shoulder. Irritated, he turned, ready to confront the person. “Who’s there?”

A giant monster face was only inches from him, every detail vivid—the texture of its skin, the color of its eyes, even the faint sound of its breathing.

Xie Xu’s heart nearly stopped. He didn’t dare speak, carefully inching backward until his back hit the glass table behind him, leaving him with nowhere to go. But then he paused, a frown forming.

This creature looked oddly familiar.

Yes… wasn’t this the popcorn monster from the screen just moments ago?

As Xie Xu processed this realization, the monster retracted its claw and fumbled at its side, eventually pulling out a small item, holding it delicately between thumb and forefinger, and offering it to him.

Xie Xu blinked, taking it. “This is…?”

He recognized it as a photograph.

The monster’s mouth opened and closed. “Didn’t I say yesterday that I’d give you one?”

It could speak! What on earth was happening?

Chen Yuning frantically blinked, signaling to Xie Xu, who was too absorbed to notice.

Meanwhile, the Prince Jin, having leapt aside, remained frozen, his expression equally puzzled.

Then, a familiar, gentle voice came from inside the costume. Xie Xu immediately recognized it.

“It’s you!”

“Took you long enough. You’re a bit slow, aren’t you?” The monster lifted its claws and removed the costume’s headpiece, shaking loose hair free as a familiar face appeared, eyes gleaming with playful mockery. It was unmistakably Lu Yao.

Yesterday, Lu Yao had collaborated with staff from the snack shop and park NPCs to use illusion magic to create a smaller version of the monster, shot a few behind-the-scenes clips, and put together the Birth of a Monster short.

Since it wasn’t convincing enough by itself, she brought the costume along to make a stronger impression.

She’d just uploaded the footage to the cinema system, but with time to spare before the staff arrived, she decided to test the suit’s impact herself.

Wearing the costume actually felt pretty comfortable, more flexible than a typical mascot suit, and the visibility was quite clear.

Lu Yao paced around, enjoying the feel of it, when she suddenly noticed some visitors had arrived.

A closer look revealed they were the same people she’d “baited” yesterday… ahem, attracted with her phone. She had intended to take off the costume head and greet them, but hearing one of the young men mutter, “Just a trick to fool the common folk,” she lowered her hand and approached them directly.

Xie Xu stared at Lu Yao, half of her body in the bulky monster costume with only her small head sticking out on top—a somewhat ridiculous sight. Yet, recalling their reactions earlier, he thought they might’ve looked even more foolish and found himself at a loss for words.

Chen Yuning let out a deep breath, finally sitting upright and patting his chest. “That scared me to death.”

Prince Jin, who had bolted the fastest, returned with a stiff expression, silently seething. Known for his temper throughout the capital, his subdued anger made Chen Yuning and Xie Xu hesitant to engage. Only Lu Yao noticed the deep flush of red spreading behind the Prince’s ears.

Prince Jin: Mortifying. Absolutely mortifying. I wish I could dig a hole and hide…

“We designed the costume to be lifelike, so it’s understandable to be startled the first time you see it,” Lu Yao said, setting the costume head aside. She then tried to reach the counter for some water, but finding herself too bulky to fit through, she removed the mascot suit entirely and poured some water for herself. “You’re here early; we’re not quite open yet. Here, have some water.”

Xie Xu inspected the glass of warm water she handed over. “Why isn’t it black?”

“Oh, you mean cola? It’s not great to drink soda first thing in the morning,” Lu Yao replied.

Xie Xu wanted cola, but as he wasn’t yet sure how to handle Lu Yao, he held his peace. The others seemed to feel the same way.

Hoping to see what all the fuss about the cinema was about, they’d arrived excitedly, only to find themselves spooked. With about half an hour left before the first film, Chen Yuning called a servant outside to fetch some breakfast for them.

As Xie Xu looked down at the photo Lu Yao had given him, Prince Jin leaned in curiously. The lifelike detail of the photo stunned them; no court painter could capture such realism.

When Chen Yuning returned, he joined in, staring at the photo. “How on earth did they make this?”

Xie Xu shook his head, glancing at the screen ahead. “I don’t know, but it seems there’s far more to this cinema than meets the eye.”

Chen Yuning and Prince Jin silently agreed. Initially, they’d come along to humor Xie Xu, newly returned to Liangjing, but now they realized there was indeed something extraordinary about the place.

Just as their breakfast arrived, the popcorn machine and soda dispenser whirred to life, soon filling the air with the sweet aroma of fresh popcorn.

A quarter of an hour later, Gouzi, Zhu Zhu, and Wen Jian arrived, slightly embarrassed to find Lu Yao had already finished the opening preparations.

Lu Yao didn’t mind and simply told them to have breakfast in the break room.

When Fu Chi arrived, he found a line of customers waiting to buy tickets, with Xie Xu’s group firmly at the front. Turning to spot Fu Chi, they gasped quietly at his unusual attire.

He was neither dressed as a Wu citizen nor a foreigner; his hair was remarkably short, and his look was simply… strange, though they couldn’t quite articulate why. Yet his calm, composed expression made their reactions feel exaggerated.

Perhaps it was his confidence that deterred most people from commenting, as they merely observed him in silence.

Finally, the ticket seller took their position, and ticket sales began.

The behind-the-scenes video had worked wonders. Passersby, watching how the “monster” was made and learning there was a person inside, felt reassured. Any lingering fear from the rumors was dispelled, especially with the actual costume on display at the entrance. With its head removed, the costume revealed the “monster” actor’s friendly face, drawing in curious children.

By mid-morning, the crowd had returned to normal levels. Meanwhile, Xie Xu’s group, unable to decide, simply bought tickets for all three shows.

Following the ticket seller’s advice, they started with The World’s Greatest, then watched the first and second parts of Little Chef in sequence.

After noon, the three exited the theater and stood at the entrance, visibly tired but with a glimmer of excitement in their eyes.

They had absorbed so much newness in one day. Still recovering from the intensity of The World’s Greatest, they were immediately immersed in the culinary world of Little Chef. Dazzled and overwhelmed, it took them a moment to process it all.

After a while, Chen Yuning sighed, “The other day, the owner of Seven Star House recommended their new bar snack, something called Liangjing Roast Duck. I thought, what on earth are they up to now? I’ve always hated that gamey taste of duck, so I never touch it. Turns out they stole the idea from that Chef Yu.”

Prince Jin still wore a stoic expression but, after a pause, muttered, “Maybe we should try it later?”

After watching three movies in a row, snacking only on popcorn and drinking cola, they had been so focused on the screen that they hadn’t noticed the hunger and exhaustion. But now, it hit them all at once.

Xie Xu, snapping out of his daze, threw an arm around Prince Jin with a mischievous grin. “Yesterday, Her Highness hinted there was someone in the theater who resembled Prince Jin himself. I thought she was kidding, but it turns out she wasn’t.”

Chen Yuning couldn’t hold back a smirk either. “Jing Hao is just like the Prince when he was fourteen or fifteen. The Prince himself has grown much steadier now.”

Xie Xu added, “Jing Hao meets the chef at seventeen, doesn’t he? And I vaguely recall the Prince is also seventeen this year?”

Prince Jin: “…”

A true son of an aristocratic family would never cross paths with a commoner girl like the movie’s Jing Hao.

Lu Yao had clearly put a lot of thought into selecting the film. The lead roles were perfectly crafted, and the actors fit their characters so well they were instantly likable. The historical setting maintained just the right balance, with a fresh, captivating allure. It pushed boundaries without crossing any true lines of impropriety.

Even now, Xie Xu and Chen Yuning dared to jest with Prince Jin, knowing he wouldn’t take it seriously.

After their fill of teasing, their carriage arrived, and they took their seats, ready to visit Seven Star House. Just then, the screen that had shown the morning’s clarification video suddenly changed to a new scene, complete with different music and voices.

Xie Xu signaled the carriage to stop and leaned out to watch. Chen Yuning and Prince Jin lifted the curtain, frowning in curiosity.

Another trailer, yet for a wholly different story.

After watching the preview, they had only one thought: When does it premiere? I have to see it!

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