Ch 226: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

Xiao A never appeared without reason; his visits usually had some connection to a task.

But this time, his identity seemed to prevent him from casually sharing information, and the system was of no help either.

Lu Yao pretended to reach into her bag, actually retrieving a few adorable mochi snacks from her personal storage. Turning to Zheng Siyao in the seat behind her, she smiled warmly, with a hint of delight. “I didn’t expect to meet you again. Would you like some snacks?”

Zheng Siyao, who was quite curious about Lu Yao, found it strange that she couldn’t hear this girl’s heartbeat, and Professor An’s heart rate seemed slightly erratic.

“Thank you.” Zheng Siyao accepted a piece, then noticed the packaging and smiled. “Is this the ‘Good Mood Glutinous Rice Cake’ that’s trending online?”

Lu Yao nodded. “Yes, it really does lift your mood after eating.”

The Childhood Tutoring Center’s bubble solution and Good Mood Glutinous Rice Cake had become quite popular online. Zheng Siyao had seen many reviews while browsing, but she assumed these products were just hype with no real effects.

As she unwrapped the mochi, recognizing it as the famous ‘Good Mood Glutinous Rice Cake,’ she felt compelled to try it under Lu Yao’s eager gaze.

Noticing that the passenger beside Zheng Siyao was watching, Lu Yao extended her hand. “Would you like one?”

The young man in a white hoodie and black-rimmed glasses held a phone on a stand. Startled by the unexpected offer, he quickly looked away and shook his head. “No, thanks.”

His voice was hoarse, and on his phone screen, a rapid scroll of comments streamed by.

“Good Mood Glutinous Rice Cake from the Childhood Tutoring Center—I’ve tried it, it really lifts your mood!”

“Are you sure? When out, better not accept food and drinks from strangers. What if something happens?”

“Something happens? Isn’t Hu Jiao always tempting fate anyway?”

…

Zheng Siyao took a bite of the mochi, surprised. “This rice cake… how is it like this? Is it made with superpowers? I’ve never seen anything like it. Is it a rare type? Amazing!”

As she chewed, images that lifted her spirits appeared before her, and she unconsciously felt her mood lighten.

Sometimes, it pays to trust online reviews, she thought. She nearly missed out on such an impressive sample due to her skepticism.

The creator must be a highly skilled superhuman. She recalled that the shop was in Sanhua City; she would look up the exact address and visit sometime.

Lu Yao handed her two more Good Mood Glutinous Rice Cakes.

The boy named “Hu Jiao” glanced over. With his slightly long hair and glasses covering his face, his eyes were shadowed with a sense of gloom, bloodshot beneath the lenses.

Sensitive to others’ gazes, Lu Yao looked up, meeting his eyes. Like a startled hamster, he quickly lowered his head to avoid eye contact.

Leaning on her knees, Lu Yao approached him, peeking over at the phone stand. “Are you livestreaming?”

Hu Jiao instinctively leaned back, lowering his phone stand as he rasped, “I’m not filming anyone. I’m just watching them chat.”

The messages on his screen rapidly increased, likely due to some minor mishap in the stream.

“She’s talking to Hu Jiao, and he’s nervous.”

“Don’t be scared, Hu Jiao! Go for it!”

“Two girls, judging by the voices? Maybe Hu Jiao should chat with them?”

“Yes, yes, let’s see them talk!”

“The Good Mood Glutinous Rice Cake is delicious, but that shop’s too far from campus. I’ve gone a few times and couldn’t buy any. Plus, it’s a bit pricey for students. This girl is generous.”

Lu Yao looked at him intently, frowning slightly. She then pulled a business card from her bag. “If you ever need help, you can call this number or come directly to the store.”

Hu Jiao found her gesture odd. He quickly glanced at her, then down at the card she handed him.

The camera lens caught the card as she held it out from the back of her seat, and the livestream viewers saw it too—a pale, slender hand holding a striking blue-and-orange card, with “Lu Yao’s Childhood Tutoring Center” printed in bold letters. Below were two lines of text showing the store’s address and contact number.

“What’s this?” Hu Jiao asked, confused.

Zheng Siyao, equally curious, leaned in and took the card from Lu Yao’s hand. “This shop… wait, are you the owner?”

Lu Yao didn’t hide it, nodding openly. “Yes, it’s my shop. We usually sell small toys and snacks, but our main service is helping people revisit their childhoods.”

The comments in Hu Jiao’s livestream chat started flooding in:

“Revisit childhood? What does that even mean?”
“Sounds like a new scam to me.”
“Is it therapy?”
“I heard it’s for people with incomplete childhoods, there’s a flyer at the shop explaining it.”
“A flyer too? This has ‘scam’ written all over it! Run, Hu Jiao!”

After reading the comments, Hu Jiao said directly to Lu Yao, “Sorry, I don’t need anything like that.”

Lu Yao nodded in understanding.

Meanwhile, Zheng Siyao gave Lu Yao a once-over, amazed. “May I ask, what’s your superpower?”

Worried that the shop owner might continue pressing, Hu Jiao leaned against the window, pretending to sleep while holding his phone steady. His camera was still pointed away from everyone.

Hearing Zheng Siyao’s question, he shifted slightly, intrigued.

Lu Yao chuckled. “Trade secret.”

Then she turned to An Yan and held out the Good Mood Glutinous Rice Cake. “Want one?”

Zheng Siyao, curious about the shop owner and eager to get to know her better, quickly tried to intervene. An Yan was not one for team spirit and rarely considered others’ feelings.

Despite his reclusive nature, his understanding of superpowers was far beyond that of even senior professors at the Institute. Zheng Siyao had witnessed An Yan assess a test subject’s power level before. Even without using his own abilities, he could easily subdue powerful nature-type superhumans.

Many people in this era had become dependent on their powers, but for An Yan, superpowers were merely an accessory, like a cufflink on his sleeve—nice to have but hardly essential.

Many colleagues at the Institute, men and women alike, had tried to get close to him, but Professor An never paid anyone much attention.

She could already picture the awkward scene that would unfold when this random traveler offered him food. She wanted to learn more about the shop owner, so she didn’t want things to get too tense.

Before she could intervene, though, An Yan reached out and took a piece of rice cake from Lu Yao’s hand.

Zheng Siyao blinked.

Unbelievable.

Lu Yao watched as he elegantly unwrapped the Good Mood Glutinous Rice Cake and took a bite, his manner surprisingly graceful. Sensing he might actually enjoy it, she pulled out a handful more from her bag.

“Would you like more?” she asked.

An Yan extended his open hand.

Lu Yao placed the entire handful onto his palm. “They’re all yours.”

The corners of An Yan’s mouth lifted slightly. “Thank you.”

His heartbeat quickened again, as lively as a fawn in the wild.

Zheng Siyao frowned. “…?”

Could it be that An Yan actually liked…

But they’d only met twice.

Baffled, Zheng Siyao grew even more curious about the shop owner and suggested they exchange social media handles.

Lu Yao thought it was a good idea and quickly added Zheng Siyao as a friend.

The card that Hu Jiao had rejected also ended up in Zheng Siyao’s pocket.

Once the train began moving, Lu Yao turned around and, seeing An Yan beside her, asked if he wanted to exchange contact information.

An Yan silently took out his phone and scanned Lu Yao’s contact code.

Her profile picture was an adorable, plump seal lying on its back, pure white with thick, fluffy fur and round, wet eyes that made it look soft and innocent.

An Yan’s profile picture, however, was starkly different: a black background with a large, round sun at its center. Lu Yao examined it closely, confirming it was indeed the sun, not the moon or any other celestial body.

The image’s lighting and composition were striking—the sun was large and round, with a faint golden edge, set precisely in the center of the dark background. Something about it felt strange and mesmerizing, stirring an inexplicable feeling within her.

Just then, a message from Zheng Siyao interrupted her thoughts, and Lu Yao focused on chatting with her.

The two hours passed quickly, and by the time they arrived, Zheng Siyao felt there was so much more she wanted to discuss.

The four of them got off the train in Sanhua City and went their separate ways.

Lu Yao returned to the tutoring center.

Ji Feiming greeted her at the door, visibly relieved. “You’re finally back.”

“Did something happen?” Lu Yao asked casually, kneeling by the door to pet the fluffy head of Erxin.

Ji Feiming’s expression grew serious as he nodded firmly. “I was planning to contact you if you didn’t come back soon. It’s good you returned early.”

Lu Yao pulled out a packet of cat treats she’d bought in Taimu City, tore it open, and offered it to Erxin. “What’s going on?”

Ji Feiming looked out the door, tilting his head slightly upward. “This morning, when I opened the shop, there was a crowd gathered outside. It turns out three adults were mysteriously floating midair. Later, we learned they had fallen from the top of the pedestrian bridge but were stopped by an unknown energy layer just before hitting the ground.”

Ji Feiming hadn’t realized how ominous this location was. He’d overheard from bystanders that this intersection was infamous as a “death zone” and had been stunned for a moment.

Unable to leave the shop himself, he could only watch as the police and medical personnel arrived to retrieve the three people.

The rescued individuals were visibly shaken, and one of them even broke free from the crowd, attempting to run back to the pedestrian bridge before being restrained and taken away.

As he processed the events, Ji Feiming finally understood. The mysterious energy layer hadn’t appeared by chance; the shop owner must have anticipated the need for such protection.

Lu Yao’s expression turned solemn. She pulled out a special bubble gun from behind the counter and reinforced the protective field. “It should be safe for now. You can head back. I can manage the shop.”

As it was nearing midnight, Ji Feiming couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t you going to rest?”

Lu Yao shook her head. “I have a tutoring session scheduled for tomorrow. I need to prepare in advance.”

Her visit to Cat Paw Pad Town No. 4 had yielded a wealth of useful information, revealing a perspective beyond young Xu Xiaoxiao’s memories. Lu Yao integrated the relevant data into Xu Xiaoxiao’s heart key, enhancing the background for the next session.

The next day, Xu Xiaoxiao arrived promptly at the tutoring center.

The moment she saw Lu Yao, she eagerly said, “I’ve been looking forward to this all week. Let’s get started!”

After a few days, Xu Xiaoxiao seemed like a different person.

She was always lively and outgoing, but now she carried a renewed sense of resilience, lacking the subtle hints of self-defeating despondency she’d had before—like a sturdy, sun-seeking sunflower.

Xu Xiaoxiao didn’t know that the shop owner had visited the town where she’d grown up. Holding the key, she said confidently, “I’ve thought this through, and this time I’m determined to resolve everything perfectly.”

Her situation was different from Xiao Ze’s; the incident in fourth grade had directly altered the course of her life. Her main goal in tutoring was to overcome this particular challenge.

So, for her second session, Xu Xiaoxiao and Alfred returned to that fateful day.

With Alfred hidden in her backpack, Xu Xiaoxiao returned to school to retrieve her pencil case. At the stairway corner, she once again heard the crying and made the same choice as in her childhood, chasing away the bad guy and escorting the girl from Class Three, Zhen Xinxin, home.

Zhen Xinxin was in terrible shape.

As they walked, Xu Xiaoxiao tried to communicate with her, but Zhen Xinxin, clearly traumatized, could only open her mouth without making a sound, remaining in a dazed, vacant state.

Though Xu Xiaoxiao’s memories were once again sealed, her adult subconscious was guiding her younger self.

When the doorbell rang, Zhen Xinxin’s mother answered, initially surprised. After hearing the story, she brought her frightened daughter inside and warmly invited Xu Xiaoxiao to stay for a snack.

Xu Xiaoxiao politely declined, saying she needed to go home. But Zhen Xinxin’s mother was insistent, pulling her inside and offering juice and snacks.

It was half an hour later when Xu Xiaoxiao finally left, gripping her backpack straps tightly as she walked home in silence.

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