Ch 216: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

Xiao Ze allowed himself to be led into the Childhood Tutoring Center, initially struggling on the steps but quickly resigning himself. He figured that once the girl realized she couldn’t convince him, she’d let him leave on his own—after all, they were just under the pedestrian bridge.

Lu Yao released him, picked a bubble gun from the shelf, and turned to step out but paused to call to Erxin, who was hiding behind the shelf. “Erxin, honey, come keep this gentleman company. I’ll be right back.”

The tri-colored, plump cat blinked, padded over with a casual saunter, and then ran up to rub against the visitor’s leg. “Meow~”

When Lu Yao called the cat “honey,” Xiao Ze felt his heart skip, momentarily suspecting he’d walked into some strange establishment.

Looking down, he realized it was just a cat.

A massive, chubby cat waddled up, attempting to brush against his leg. Instinctively, Xiao Ze stepped back.

The round, tri-colored cat looked up, seemingly hurt, and let out a soft “meow.”

Xiao Ze’s heart softened, and he crouched down, hesitantly reaching out his hand.

Erxin leaned in to nuzzle him, her face large, round, and with wide, innocent eyes.

Xiao Ze was surprised; this cat was plump and friendly, with a sleek coat, and he found it unexpectedly enjoyable to pet her.

A few minutes later, Lu Yao returned, carrying the bubble gun.

As evening approached, a few stray cats gathered outside, pawing at the glass as if reluctant to leave.

Lu Yao had given them some food earlier, and on a whim, used her telepathic ability to read their thoughts, receiving some odd information.

Apparently, at the intersection of 66 Sanhua Road, people often fell from high places. The strays, passing by, usually avoided this spot, though Erxin was such a draw that they’d been lured over by her presence—and were pleasantly surprised to find some tasty food.

When she saw Xiao Ze heading up to the bridge earlier, looking hollow and detached, Lu Yao had a sudden realization that gave her a chill.

Without other safety options on hand, and with night falling, she used a special bubble gun. Some of these customized toys could be combined with magic, so she had quickly set up a magic bubble net above the tutoring center— invisible unless something hit it.

“This is Erxin,” Lu Yao said, setting the bubble gun back on the shelf. “Come on in and have a seat. I’ll make some tea.”

Xiao Ze, holding Erxin, got to his feet and followed her. “What were you doing just now?”

Lu Yao led Xiao Ze into a glass-walled tea room, made tea, and returned with a nine-section tray filled with assorted candies before sitting across from him. “I just wanted to set up a little safeguard in case anyone accidentally fell from the bridge at night.”

Xiao Ze looked down. “…Unnecessary.”

Lu Yao pushed a cup of tea toward him. “This is this year’s new tea—it has a lovely fragrance. By the way, we met earlier this morning. I’m Lu Yao.”

Xiao Ze lifted the cup and sniffed, a little surprised.

The tea had a refreshing and subtly sweet aroma, unlike anything he’d ever bought from the supermarket.

He took a sip, the warm tea with its gentle sweetness and hint of bitterness flowing down his throat, settling in his stomach and easing his spirits. “Xiao Ze. I was just on my way to work and took the flyer without really looking.”

Erxin leapt down from his lap and curled up by Lu Yao’s feet, flicking her tail occasionally.

Lu Yao reached under the table, pulled out a chicken strip for her, and nudged the snack tray closer to Xiao Ze. “These are some of the shop’s candies. Have a taste, Mr. Xiao.”

The tray, made of fine redwood, contained a variety of treats: long, sugar-dusted soft candies, fruit-flavored gummies, White Rabbit milk candies, sour plum sweets, bear-shaped lollipops, cookies, mixed jellies, and two traditional pastries—pea flour cakes and osmanthus cakes.

Xiao Ze didn’t feel like eating, but these candies were adorably crafted: the gummy was rainbow-colored, the QQ candy shaped like mini fruits, and the White Rabbit milk candy wrapped in its signature white paper with blue patterns. The faintly sweet and sour scent mixed with the fresh aroma of tea made them strangely tempting.

The shop owner’s gentle gaze seemed to encourage him to try one.

Xiao Ze reached for a crescent-shaped QQ candy, realizing up close that it was a little orange segment. It had a chewy, bouncy texture and tasted like orange.

He usually didn’t care for these “kid-friendly” treats but found himself picking up a grape gummy next.

Lu Yao noticed Xiao Ze seemed uninterested in talking, so she took a comic from the shelf and sat beside him, handing another chicken strip to Erxin.

The tri-colored, chubby cat eagerly pounced on the strip, clutching it tightly in her paws as she munched happily.

Xiao Ze glanced at Lu Yao while occasionally reaching for more candies from the tray.

The girl had fair skin, dark hair, and a delicate appearance. She wore a golden lotus-shaped earring on her left ear, exuding a calm and serene aura.

In his twenty-two years, Xiao Ze had never met anyone like her.

Or, to be exact, he had never met someone like this.

“You’re not from Sanhua City?” Xiao Ze blurted out the thought.

Lu Yao rested the comic on her lap and nodded. “Is it that obvious?”

Xiao Ze shook his head, then nodded. “Locals wouldn’t buy a shop here. This intersection claims lives almost every week.”

Lu Yao frowned. “Doesn’t anyone try to stop it?”

A faint, hollow smile tugged at Xiao Ze’s lips. “What would they stop? People protested at first, but it’s happened so often now, everyone’s numb.”

Xiao Ze leaned back in his chair, looking defeated. “You really shouldn’t have stopped me. It won’t work.”

Lu Yao set the comic on the table, stood up, and grabbed a bottle of bubble solution from the second shelf.

It was a cylindrical, green, transparent glass bottle with a small green dragon standing on top of the cap—an “exaggerated” design, to say the least.

Lu Yao handed the bubble bottle to Xiao Ze. “You’re the first customer of my shop, so here’s a bottle of bubble solution for you. When you go to bed tonight, blow a few bubbles, and I guarantee you’ll sleep well.”

Xiao Ze chuckled. “I’ve seen plenty of kind-hearted people, but none as insincere as you. What good is bubble solution? I’m not an elementary school kid.”

Lu Yao responded casually, “So, you really did play with bubble solution in elementary school.”

Drawing people out was second nature to her.

Xiao Ze’s state was poor, and any talk of cherishing life would likely fall on deaf ears.

But with a simple bottle of bubble solution, she managed to get him talking. Xiao Ze began sharing memories of playing with a bubble machine with his classmates in elementary school, speaking freely and without realizing it, saying much more than he’d intended.

From his words, Lu Yao pieced together some useful information.

In this world, the education system consisted of four years of elementary school, three years of middle school, and three years of university, totaling ten years.

Before the age of six, children were cared for by community caretakers, as most parents worked.

The standard graduation age from university was sixteen, and students typically entered the workforce right afterward.

Upon graduation, schools recommended jobs suited to each student’s skills and abilities.

However, some students lacked any particular strengths and were placed wherever there was a vacancy.

Xiao Ze was one of those placed individuals. After graduation, he became a real estate agent.

Despite working in the field for years, he’d never quite adapted to it, but he didn’t dare quit easily.

People without specific skills had slim chances of finding new jobs if they resigned.

This situation stemmed from an event around sixty years prior, when a trigger led the world into an era of rapid growth, advancing technology and the economy at an unprecedented rate.

As humanity’s death rate began to increase drastically, it was found that 70% of cases were not accidents but by choice.

Experts conducted extensive research but have yet to identify a clear cause.

Xiao Ze, lost in thought, suddenly realized he had been talking nonstop about his childhood to a stranger, his cheeks flushing red. He wasn’t usually the type to talk so much.

Lu Yao glanced at the time; it was indeed getting late.

More than half of the candies in the snack tray were gone, so it seemed that these treats from the snack shop, the pet cafe, and Yuguizhai suited Xiao Ze’s taste, even if he claimed he wasn’t a kid anymore.

Lu Yao packed some candies into a box and handed it to the embarrassed Xiao Ze. “Mr. Xiao, a little sugar can help relieve fatigue. And tonight, before bed, remember to try the Little Green Dragon bubble solution. You’re always welcome to come by again.”

Xiao Ze hesitated, repeatedly asking about the cost, intending to pay for the treats and bubble solution, but Lu Yao wouldn’t let him.

In the end, he left with the candy box and bubble solution, glancing up at the sky as he stepped outside.

Lu Yao noticed the streetlights had all gone out, casting the entire area into darkness, with only the Childhood Tutoring Center’s sign glowing. She took a magical stone that functioned as a long-lasting lamp from her storage, intending to give it to Xiao Ze, but then noticed his fingertips glowing.

Lu Yao’s eyes widened. “Your hand…”

Xiao Ze casually waved his glowing fingers. “A pretty useless ability—barely enough to light my way. I’ll be going now.”

After taking a few steps, he turned back and headed toward his office—to retrieve his phone.

Lu Yao stood there in thought, the realization dawning on her. “Could it be…superpowers?”

System: “This guy’s power is hilarious! A little flashlight finger? How does anyone end up with such a useless superpower? Haha!”

Lu Yao fell silent, pondering. So, could the catalyst that had shaken the world sixty years ago have been the awakening of superpowers among humanity?

…

After retrieving his phone, Xiao Ze returned to his apartment late at night.

He showered and sat on his bed, idly fiddling with the little green dragon on the bubble solution bottle, reflecting on the strange events of the day, which felt almost unreal.

Suddenly, his doorbell rang. Xiao Ze got up and checked the monitor—it was Xu Xiaoxiao.

He didn’t open the door, simply asked, “What’s up?”

Outside, Xu Xiaoxiao leaned against the door in her nightgown. “Xiao Ze, I want to spend the night with you.”

Xiao Ze replied, “…I’m not in the mood tonight.”

Xu Xiaoxiao was taken aback. It was the first time Xiao Ze had turned her down. “Is something wrong? Open the door!”

Xiao Ze knew her well enough to realize that if he let her in, he wouldn’t get any sleep tonight.

But if he kept the door shut, she might just stand outside all night.

Xu Xiaoxiao was stubborn. He’d learned that on the very first night they met.

If things didn’t go her way, it usually turned into a scene.

Xiao Ze glanced back, noticing the half-open candy box, and had an idea. He picked it up, passing it through the crack in the door. “Here, take this. I’m really tired tonight.”

Xu Xiaoxiao held the door firmly, refusing to let it close. “You think you can brush me off with candy?”

In the end, Xiao Ze let Xu Xiaoxiao into the apartment.

She tore open the candy box and, after tasting one, couldn’t stop. “Where did you get this candy?”

Sitting on the bed and not feeling up for conversation, Xiao Ze picked up the bubble solution, remembering Lu Yao’s suggestion. He unscrewed the cap and blew a large stream of bubbles.

Lightly scented bubbles filled the room, and Xu Xiaoxiao, chewing on a candy, chuckled. “Did you go to elementary school today? How childish.”

The bubbles popped, releasing a calming mist throughout the room.

Xiao Ze suddenly felt his eyelids grow heavy. He laid back on the bed, wrapped himself in his blanket, and fell into a deep sleep.

Xu Xiaoxiao, still on the couch and halfway through the candy, leaned back against a pillow and drifted off.

That night, both Xiao Ze and Xu Xiaoxiao dreamed about their childhood, and when they awoke, they felt remarkably refreshed.

Xu Xiaoxiao rubbed her eyes, puzzled. “How did I fall asleep here?”

Xiao Ze picked up the bubble solution that had fallen to the floor, his expression serious. “Don’t go to work today. Let’s both go to the hospital for a full check-up.”

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