Ch 227: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

Alfred flew out from the backpack, noticing Xu Xiaoxiao’s low spirits. His short, stubby claws curled and uncurled as he asked softly, “What’s wrong?”

On their first visit to Xu Xiaoxiao’s childhood, they’d only seen young Xu Xiaoxiao escort Zhen Xinxin home, with Zhen Xinxin’s mother warmly inviting her inside.

With so much time having passed, and Xu Xiaoxiao being so young at the time, many of the details had become hazy.

During her first formal tutoring session, Xu Xiaoxiao, seeking to avoid the pain of the memory, had ignored Zhen Xinxin. But this time, she chose to handle it exactly as she had in her childhood, reliving the experience firsthand.

Now, carrying her adult awareness, Xu Xiaoxiao must have sensed something was amiss. She shook her head lightly. “It’s nothing; let’s go home.”

As they returned to her apartment complex, the smell of food wafted through the door, accompanied by the sizzle of cooking. The warm aroma of dinner filled the air, bringing a sense of home.

Xu Xiaoxiao froze, her gaze distant, her pace slowing as she approached her front door.

Once out of the elevator, she stood at the door but didn’t knock.

Alfred flew out of the backpack again and hovered in front of her, saying firmly, “Xiaoxiao, be sure to tell your parents exactly what happened today.”

A slight mist clouded her eyes, and a sting of sadness crept up her nose. Alfred’s words jolted her out of her trance.

She wiped at her eyes, confused. “Why am I crying?”

With the shop owner’s added background details—sounds, scents, colors, lighting—reality blended with memories, touching a part of Xu Xiaoxiao’s deeply buried childhood memories. This memory was connected to her family, her home, and her childhood.

After this day, warmth and laughter had begun to slip away from her life.

Alfred stretched his wings, pulling closer to her. “Xiaoxiao, don’t be afraid. I’m your tutor, and I’m here to help. Just tell your parents, okay?”

Xu Xiaoxiao nodded, wiped her eyes again, and knocked on the door. “Mom, I’m home.”

Ms. Chen opened the door with a spatula in hand, and as soon as the door cracked open, the rich, familiar aroma of sweet-and-sour meatballs filled the air.

Xu Xiaoxiao inhaled deeply, and the tears she’d tried to hold back began to roll down her cheeks.

Ms. Chen, startled, hesitated with the spatula, then quickly squatted down and pulled her closer. “What’s wrong? Did something happen at school? Tell Mom.”

Influenced by her adult consciousness, young Xu Xiaoxiao felt a heavy sense of worry. But Ms. Chen’s gentle questioning broke down her defenses, releasing her pent-up grief in an unstoppable flood of tears.

Ms. Chen scooped her up, shutting the door with her foot, turned off the stove, and carried Xu Xiaoxiao to the living room.

Xu Xiaoxiao cried in her mother’s arms for a long time, then, between hiccups, slowly recounted what had happened that afternoon. “Mom, the lady said not to tell anyone, or Zhen Xinxin might die. Then it’d be all my fault.”

Just then, the front door opened, and Mr. Xu walked in.

Holding Xu Xiaoxiao, Ms. Chen’s expression darkened. “Don’t bother changing shoes. We’re going to the security bureau.”

Mr. Xu, seeing his wife’s grim face and his daughter’s tear-streaked cheeks, was confused but didn’t argue. Halfway through taking off his shoes, he slipped them back on and followed them out, asking, “What happened? Did someone hurt Xiaoxiao?”

Ms. Chen quickly filled him in as they headed to the security bureau, and Mr. Xu’s expression also turned stern.

By now, night had fallen, and only the front desk and two trainee security officers remained on duty at the bureau.

The two young men, fresh out of training and lacking any formidable combat abilities, were usually assigned menial tasks at the bureau. During their occasional night shifts, they had never encountered a serious case.

When the Xu family arrived, the two were sitting at a computer, passing the time by playing solitaire.

Mr. Xu approached the inquiry window, his face stern. “Hello, we’d like to file a report.”

The two officers noticed the serious expressions on the faces of the two adults and the child, whose eyes and nose were red from crying. The woman holding the girl also looked grim, and they initially assumed it was another family dispute.

Five minutes later, Mr. Xu and Ms. Chen briefly recounted the incident.

The officers grew serious as they listened, and one of them turned to Xu Xiaoxiao, asking, “Did you get a look at his face?”

Xu Xiaoxiao nodded.

The officer took out a pen and paper. “Can you describe what he looked like for me?”

Calm again after being comforted by her parents, Xu Xiaoxiao carefully recalled the afternoon’s events and described the suspect’s build and facial features clearly.

The other officer, observing over his colleague’s shoulder, commented, “You’re really good at drawing.”

“Just a hobby—I’ve studied it a bit. My ability also focuses on analysis, so drawing isn’t too hard for me,” the officer explained as he worked on the sketch. Then he nudged his colleague, who was idly standing by. “Quit slacking and get ready to head to the scene.”

Though it was already past eight in the evening, the officers and Xu Xiaoxiao’s parents decided to visit the school, while another team would go to Zhen Xinxin’s house to gather information from her family.

The second officer, who couldn’t draw, had a highly sensitive sense of smell and could detect scents most people couldn’t pick up. So he joined Mr. Xu and Xu Xiaoxiao to inspect the school and search for clues, while the drawing officer accompanied Ms. Chen to Zhen Xinxin’s home.

The school gate was locked, but Xu Xiaoxiao, small and thin, managed to squeeze through the gap in the iron bars, while Mr. Xu and the officer climbed over.

The school was pitch black and empty at night, with not a soul in sight.

Concerned that Xu Xiaoxiao might be scared, Mr. Xu carried her up to the fourth-floor girls’ restroom in the school building.

Unfortunately, the restroom’s strong odor made it nearly impossible for the officer to detect other scents, disrupting his original plan.

Meanwhile, at Zhen Xinxin’s house, Ms. Chen and the officer arrived with the suspect’s sketch. Zhen Xinxin’s mother opened the door, her expression changing as she saw them.

She had explicitly warned that little girl and even used her ability to induce a mild hypnotic suggestion. How had the officers shown up anyway?

With her foot blocking the door, Zhen Xinxin’s mother spoke coldly, “It’s late. My husband isn’t home yet, and my daughter just went to sleep. It really isn’t convenient to let you in. If there’s anything you need, please come back tomorrow.”

Ms. Chen, having guessed the mother’s intentions from Xu Xiaoxiao’s account, felt an even stronger sense of unease when meeting her in person. Without hesitation, she forcefully pushed the door open. “Your daughter’s the victim, and as her mother, instead of seeking justice, you’re trying to hide the truth with a child as your shield? What kind of twisted thinking is that?”

Like Xu Xiaoxiao, Ms. Chen had super strength. Her irritation was palpable as she confronted Zhen Xinxin’s mother with a loud voice and forceful movements, even startling the officer beside her.

Zhen Xinxin’s mother, terrified not of Ms. Chen but of causing a scene and becoming the talk of the neighborhood, reluctantly stepped aside and let them in.

The commotion outside wasn’t small, and in the bedroom, Zhen Xinxin’s eyes shot open, tears streaming down her cheeks.

She could hear the argument outside, with her mother quarreling with someone, seemingly about her again.

In some families, overly controlling parents stifle their children, causing them to grow up timid and withdrawn.

Zhen Xinxin was one such child. She seemed dull and hesitant around her peers, rarely spoke in public, and found it difficult to make friends.

She almost always walked to and from school alone each day.

After school that afternoon, Zhen Xinxin suddenly had a stomachache. When she returned from the bathroom, the classroom was empty, and that’s when she encountered the man.

The short, stout man was rummaging through the students’ desks. When he saw her, his face lit up with an unsettling excitement.

Children are often sensitive to malice, and Zhen Xinxin immediately sensed the danger. She turned to run, but she couldn’t escape.

She was terrified to the core.

Desperation and helplessness crept over her like a rising tide, nearly suffocating her.

She thought the nightmare would never end, that no one would come to save her.

But in the next moment, Xu Xiaoxiao appeared at the door like a miracle.

Zhen Xinxin had never seen such a brave, fearless girl, who ripped through the darkness and pulled her out of the deepest pit.

On the way home, Zhen Xinxin wanted to say thank you.

But she was too traumatized; her body was stiff, and she couldn’t get a single word out.

By the time she finally calmed down, Xu Xiaoxiao had already left.

When she got home, her mother was furious and stormed into the room to slap her twice.

Zhen Xinxin’s eyes widened as she stared at her mother in horror, feeling a deep wound open in her chest, bleeding sticky, dark blood.

Outside, the argument grew louder. Zhen Xinxin grabbed a pillow to cover her ears, but every time she closed her eyes, she saw that man’s face.

Unable to bear it, she got out of bed and opened her bedroom door.

The room fell silent. Zhen Xinxin’s mother strode over with a deep frown, gritting her teeth. “Why are you out here? Go back to your room!”

She reached out to drag Zhen Xinxin back, but Zhen Xinxin took a step back and, with a loud voice, addressed the officers and Ms. Chen, “I know how to find him.”

Zhen Xinxin’s ability allowed her to mark objects, almost like how animals mark their territory.

Only she could detect these traces, and although her power wasn’t aggressive like Xu Xiaoxiao’s, it was useful in this situation.

With Zhen Xinxin’s help, the officers and Xu Xiaoxiao’s parents spent the night investigating.

By the next afternoon, they had identified the suspect, and the authorities apprehended him.

Due to the social impact and to protect the victim, the case was kept confidential.

However, the school’s security guard was fired, and the principal was reassigned.

The suspect had managed to enter the school because he was friends with the security guard, often meeting to play cards.

That guard was also a relative of the principal’s wife and had only been hired as a favor.

Later, Ms. Chen, Xu Xiaoxiao’s mother, secretly visited Zhen Xinxin’s family.

Soon after, rumors spread that Zhen Xinxin’s mother, Zhang Li, had angered someone she shouldn’t have. A woman came to their home and beat Zhang Li, who didn’t dare fight back.

There was even a photo of Zhang Li in the neighborhood’s group chat.

Not long after, Zhen Xinxin’s family moved away.

This time, Zhen Xinxin didn’t die.

Xu Xiaoxiao successfully graduated from elementary school and went on to the best middle school in town.

After the session, Xu Xiaoxiao’s eyes were red as she looked at Lu Yao, shaking her head. “That’s not how things really happened; there was never such a future. For one thing, my mom would never stand up for me like that and confront Zhang Li. They would just blame each other, push the responsibility away, then turn around and blame me for being difficult and clueless. There were no dedicated officers, and the school wouldn’t care about us. They would just say it was my fault.”

This time, the events were resolved too perfectly—a kind of ending that could never have existed in her own world, her own childhood.

Otherwise, how would she have become the person she is now?

Through tears, Xu Xiaoxiao said to Lu Yao, “Why do I feel worse after this session? It didn’t help at all.”

Lu Yao could understand Xu Xiaoxiao’s feelings. She had indeed adjusted the data, aligning every condition to its optimal state so that Xu Xiaoxiao could navigate the crisis smoothly.

Only with responsible adults, dedicated officials, and a supportive educational environment could a child’s innocence be protected from the malice lurking in the shadows.

It was this vast gap and the contradiction with reality that left Xu Xiaoxiao in such pain.

She was no longer a child; she now understood the weight and helplessness of reality. This fairy tale no longer had the power to deceive her.

Lu Yao waited quietly for Xu Xiaoxiao to finish venting her feelings. When Xu Xiaoxiao had stopped crying, Lu Yao took her hand and softly said, “Xiaoxiao, I understand your pain. Suppose—just suppose—you had the chance to go back to your parents’ childhoods. You might find that they, too, never received the things you longed for.”

Xu Xiaoxiao froze, her sniffles stifled as she looked at Lu Yao.

Lu Yao continued, “Cycles can be terrifying because they mean we’re stuck, endlessly looping without moving forward. When we realize we’re caught in a cycle, what’s the first thing we think to do?”

Xu Xiaoxiao’s gaze drifted, and finally, she looked back at Lu Yao with a hoarse voice: “…To break the cycle?”

Lu Yao’s lips curved into a small smile. “Smart. Humans are the only rational beings on this planet, with the will to decide our own lives. So the question is—who do you want to become?”

Xu Xiaoxiao lowered her gaze, lost in thought.

The system grumbled, [Liar.]

Lu Yao: “?”

[There are countless beings more rational and elegant than humans. What’s so noble about humanity? Hmph.]

The system felt indignant.

Lu Yao replied, “The world has its barriers, so why take it so seriously?”

Just then, a rush of customers entered the store, and Ji Feiming was struggling to keep up, so Lu Yao went out to help.

After a long while, Xu Xiaoxiao emerged from the tutoring room and said goodbye to Lu Yao. “I’ve made up my mind. I don’t want to become an adult like my parents, or like Zhang Li, or that disgusting school guard. I don’t even need to be great or noble. Just being a resilient person who doesn’t trouble others would be enough.”

Lu Yao took a lollipop from the snack shelf and handed it to her, “Congratulations, Xu Xiaoxiao, on completing your childhood tutoring!”

The first graduate was born!

Leaving the Childhood Tutoring Center, Xu Xiaoxiao felt a weight lift, as if she were reborn. She couldn’t wait to find Xiao Ze and talk about their shared teacher, Alfred.

But Xiao Ze probably hadn’t finished work yet.

Feeling cheerful, Xu Xiaoxiao saw a line at a milk tea stand and joined it, suddenly craving a cup herself.

The people in front of her mostly had their heads down, scrolling on their phones, so she hadn’t noticed until she heard an uproar.

People in the queue were getting agitated.

“Oh my god, that scumbag should get the death penalty!”

“A disgusting pervert, and he still has the nerve to cry!”

“What kind of pig-brained school leaders let this happen?”

“I swear, if even one parent had spoken up, this trash wouldn’t have gotten away with it for so long!”

A strange feeling rose in Xu Xiaoxiao’s chest. She took out her phone and didn’t need to search hard to find the top headline: Recently, a repeat offender in indecent acts was apprehended in the town of Cat Paw Pad Town No. 4 in Daimei City. Investigation revealed the suspect had been loitering near a certain elementary school, waiting to prey on victims. The total number of victims is estimated to be over ten. Relevant school and security officials have since resigned…

Xu Xiaoxiao quickly skimmed the article, and the comments section was already ablaze.

Many people were angrily asking how such a terrible incident could have continued for nearly ten years before being reported. One comment claimed to be from a resident of Cat Paw Pad Town No. 4: “Rumor has it this only came to light after a direct report to a higher security authority, with all evidence and the suspect presented together.”

Xu Xiaoxiao read this, a flash of realization crossing her mind, and she turned and ran back toward the Childhood Tutoring Center.

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