Ch 230: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

The livestream was in complete chaos, and Xu Xiaoxiao’s message was like a drop in a raging river, instantly swallowed up and completely unnoticed.

【What’s the status?】

【Where’s Hu Jiao? Why isn’t he talking?】

【He didn’t hit the ground! Is he somehow flying higher? Looks like he’s already drifting away from 66 Road.】

【What’s going on with Hu Jiao? Did his ability fail?】

…

Viewers couldn’t fully grasp the situation, only seeing from Hu Jiao’s shared perspective the dim gold web layer growing increasingly faint, fading into the distance as the sound of wind intensified around him.

Meanwhile, Zheng Siyao and her friends had witnessed everything unfold from the ground.

At first, they didn’t understand what was happening. They just saw a tall, slender girl stride quickly out of the Childhood Tutoring Center, looking up toward the sky. The three followed her gaze. Night had already draped the city in darkness, the lights along the skyline casting a soft, blurred glow. Nothing was clearly visible to the naked eye.

Only Zheng Siyao’s face suddenly turned pale as she exclaimed, “Someone’s falling!”

She had heard a distinct and unique heartbeat, heavy and weak, plummeting from above.

“Whoosh—whoosh—”

A sudden gust lifted Xiaomei’s skirt. She barely had time to hold it down as the strong wind pushed the three of them back two steps. They managed to glimpse the tall girl spreading immense black wings behind her.

Following her gaze, they watched as the gust swept the falling boy up into the air.

In the blink of an eye, they saw nothing more than a huge shadow enveloping the boy before he was whisked away by the winged girl.

Xiaomei’s bag of roasted chestnuts spilled across the ground, but none of the three paid attention to it. They hurried toward the Childhood Tutoring Center, where they found Xu Xiaoxiao leaning against the glass door, slumped to the floor.

Xu Xiaoxiao grabbed Zheng Siyao’s wrist, steadying herself as she stood up, and quickly brushed the dust off her pants. “That boy’s a streamer. He spent a lot of time in our shop this afternoon. Who could have guessed he had such thoughts? The person who caught him is the shop owner. I don’t know where they’ve gone, but the livestream is still running.”

Zheng Siyao, Xiaomei, and Du Qiuling immediately took out their phones and opened the streaming app.

Hu Jiao’s stream had already climbed to the top of the trending list a few minutes ago, with the number of viewers skyrocketing past a million and still climbing.

It took a bit of time for them to enter due to the app’s congestion, but they finally managed to join.

At that moment, viewers could see Hu Jiao’s perspective: a view of bright lights in the distance, like a sea of fire, as the wind howled all around, carrying him farther away from the city’s center.

Hu Jiao struggled; his white sneakers occasionally flashed on screen, accompanied by the rustling of fabric and his rapid, labored breathing—sounds starkly audible in the stillness of the night sky.

Restrained by a pair of slender, pale hands that held him tightly from behind, Hu Jiao’s voice rose, hoarse with frustration, “Let me go! Why do you even care?”

The viewers went wild at hearing his voice.

【Hu Jiao’s safe!】

【Thank goodness! He scared me half to death!】

【Am I the only one curious about who caught Hu Jiao?】

【Must be a super-skilled powerhouse!】

【I think I saw wings!】

【Is this person an animal-type like Hu Jiao?】

…

“I’m taking you to the highest place there is, and we’re almost there.”

The shop owner’s voice mingled with the wind, igniting a frenzy of excitement in the livestream chat.

The livestream was in a frenzy, Xu Xiaoxiao’s comment blending into the rapid torrent of messages, unnoticed amidst the excitement.

【What’s this!!!】

【If I heard right, it’s the owner of the Childhood Tutoring Center?】

【It’s her! Her voice is soft, with an indescribable calmness to it, but also oddly reassuring. Once you’ve heard it, you can’t forget it.】

【Are you guys writing an analysis on this now?】

【You all weren’t this chatty when Hu Jiao was talking to her earlier this afternoon.】

【Who’d think someone with such a gentle voice could be this skilled?】

【I just remembered! Since the Childhood Tutoring Center opened at 66 Sanhua Road, there hasn’t been a single report of someone falling from the nearby overpass.】

【You really needed to point that out? That energy net floating midair would catch anyone who fell!】

【…Could it be, and I mean it’s just a possibility, that the net was set up by the owner?】

【But isn’t her ability animal-based? A high-level skill like ‘constructing a suspended energy net’ should be reserved for nature-type abilities, right?】

…

Within minutes, Lu Yao had brought Hu Jiao to their destination.

She gently set him down on the rooftop platform of the towering 66th building.

The glass rooftop, textured with uneven, diamond-like panes, was set into metal frames, reflecting the moonlight like icy tiles.

Below, the candlelit greenhouse shimmered softly, and the expressions of the dozens of astonished faces inside turned to exaggerated stares as the two appeared overhead.

Lu Yao folded her wings and gestured for Hu Jiao to sit, her tone casual, “So, want to tell me why you tried something like that?”

Hu Jiao, now calmer, tapped the glass surface beneath him and muttered, “People are watching below.”

Lu Yao, with a subtle ring on her finger, tapped the glass. The transparent surface darkened, temporarily obscuring visibility.

Surprised, Hu Jiao blinked, “Is this part of your ability? Aren’t you just an animal-type?”

Lu Yao answered each question calmly, “Yes, that’s one of my abilities. What’s ‘animal-type’?”

Shocked, Hu Jiao replied, “You have wings, so isn’t it a bird ability?”

Viewers in the livestream, seeing through Hu Jiao’s perspective, could only make out the faint outline of Lu Yao, glowing softly with a pale golden aura, her features hidden in the darkness.

Yet her voice, familiar and distinctive, was unmistakable.

Lu Yao chuckled, lifting the winged pendant necklace from her chest, “The wings you saw aren’t actually part of my ability…or perhaps you could say they’re an extension of it. My flying comes from this accessory—a flying toy currently being developed at the Childhood Tutoring Center. Wearing it allows you to experience flight like an insect or bird, or even a dragon straight out of a fantasy novel.”

The restaurant manager, having been notified of the incident, was rushing from the office to address the disruption. Upon seeing Lu Yao promoting the flying toy, he slowed his pace.

Inside the glasshouse, guests who had noticed the roof darken also began pulling out their phones to watch the stream.

Hu Jiao’s eyes widened in disbelief, “That’s impossible. How could a toy like that even exist? You’re messing with me, aren’t you?”

Lu Yao couldn’t resist ruffling his hair, nearly tipping him over the edge but quickly grabbing him again, “What would I gain from tricking you? You sure have some nerve, climbing the overpass and slicing through my energy net.”

Remembering something she’d been meaning to do, Lu Yao held Hu Jiao steady, retrieved her phone, and made a call.

The call connected instantly, and Lu Yao asked, “Xiaoxiao, are you still at the shop?”

Xu Xiaoxiao replied, “Yes, I’m here.”

Lu Yao instructed, “I have something to handle, so I won’t be able to come back right away. Can you help me with something?”

She asked Xu Xiaoxiao to take the special bubble gun from behind the shelves and reinforce the shop’s energy net with two additional layers.

Having this happen twice in a row was unsettling. Especially with the net damaged, she needed a new solution.

Zheng Siyao and her two companions, watching the livestream as Lu Yao made the call, saw Xu Xiaoxiao in the shop following her instructions to retrieve the bubble gun.

Xiao Mei was stunned, “Using a toy gun like this to set up an energy net?”

Xu Xiaoxiao was also using it for the first time, but following Lu Yao’s instructions, she completed the task with ease.

Du Qiuling pulled a monocle with special lenses from his coat pocket and observed the air above the tutoring center, “It’s true; it’s been fixed.”

Xiao Mei was skeptical, “Really? Let me see.”

After looking, she passed it to Zheng Siyao, who also took a peek, “Maybe the owner has never lied; perhaps the Childhood Tutoring Center really is meant to help adults revisit their childhoods.”

There was no time to dwell on it; Hu Jiao’s live stream was drawing an increasingly massive audience, now over eight million.

Lu Yao, relieved after receiving Xu Xiaoxiao’s call that the energy net was restored, looked back at Hu Jiao, “Alright, let’s talk about what’s troubling you.”

Hu Jiao, defiant, turned his head away, “There’s nothing to discuss between us.”

The kid still hadn’t calmed down.

Lu Yao, her tone as casual as before, continued, “Maybe you haven’t thought this through—if I hadn’t sensed something wrong a few minutes ago and you’d succeeded, my shop would likely have to close tomorrow. Even if it didn’t shut immediately, with no customers, it would eventually collapse. I just hired a new employee today—the young girl you saw this afternoon. She just finished her tutoring and decided to start anew. You may have chatted with her briefly, maybe even found her alright, but you have no idea what she’s been through. I respect her a lot, like her, and I’ve promised to support her start over. If my shop fails, she’ll be out of work. Now, don’t you think we have something to discuss?”

Hu Jiao clutched the hem of his hoodie, wrinkling the fabric with his grip.

After about ten seconds, he finally responded slowly, “So, what do you want to talk about? Don’t ask me why; I just felt I’d had enough. Just chose the wrong place; I’ll be more careful next time.”

The audience in the livestream couldn’t hold back anymore.

【This brat!】

【I’m clenching my fists! What kind of parents raised this kid? No manners, and stubborn too!】

【The owner’s patience is incredible. If it were me, I’d give him a good beating first, then talk!】

…

Perhaps because of the height, the stars were shining brighter against the night sky, forming a river of light.

Lu Yao looked up at the expanse, her voice fresh as the night breeze, “A writer once wrote that when a person dies, it’s like water disappearing into water (1). Another wrote—death isn’t the loss of life, it’s stepping out of time (2). Death and aging are as common as stars; everyone will face them eventually. When the time comes, no one can escape. But for someone your age, it seems a bit early.”

Hu Jiao bit his lip, his face still defiant.

Lu Yao sighed, her tone tinged with helplessness, “Sometimes I think that death might just be a transition from one stage of life to another. Life steps out of the time of living, but it enters the time of death. In another world, your body feels light, you have infinite time, you won’t age, but you also won’t feel the vibrant pulse of a changing world, you won’t smell scents, taste food, or sense hot or cold. You’re as eternal as time, but you’re also as silent and solitary as time.”

Hu Jiao couldn’t help but remark, “You have quite the imagination.”

Lu Yao shrugged, “I’m equally amazed. Humanity has gained superpowers, yet their imagination seems as dry as a shriveled autumn gourd, less lively than even the ancient people of thousands of years ago.”

Everything she said was based on personal experience, though few would believe it.

Hu Jiao snuck a glance at her, “What exactly is your ability?”

Lu Yao looked back, “Interested?”

Hu Jiao scoffed, “Just never seen anything like it.”

Lu Yao: “My ability isn’t anything special. If I had to describe it, I’d say I can give materials the qualities I envision.”

The system couldn’t help itself: [Hey! Your ability hasn’t even awakened yet, don’t make it sound like custom work.]

Lu Yao shook her head, “You’re no fun. I’m just adding to the setup. It’ll make selling toys so much easier later on.”

System: […]

Hu Jiao looked surprised, “Just that? Not some ultra-powerful nature type or an ancient fantasy beast type?”

After his earlier guess was wrong, Hu Jiao assumed the owner’s superpower was something rarer and more unique.

Lu Yao shook her head, “People often rank things by strength, thinking that the person or superpower with the most force or flashiness is the best. Few understand that true, enduring strength, full of life, comes from within. I already know—you don’t really want to die.”

Hu Jiao’s face darkened.

Lu Yao continued, “You’re probably facing problems you haven’t found a way out of, with no idea how to rescue yourself. You’re sinking deeper and eventually getting lost.”

“Inside, you lack the courage to hold yourself up.” Her voice was gentle, yet it pierced straight to Hu Jiao’s heart.

Hu Jiao’s shoulders shook violently, and just then, his livestream cut off.

Millions of viewers saw their own puzzled expressions reflected back as the screen displayed, “The streamer is on their way back.” But until dawn, the stream didn’t reconnect.

Hu Jiao clutched the owner’s hand, his voice hoarse and rougher than before, “You’re right. You’re completely right. I’ve done everything, but I can’t escape it—I’m sick of it all.”

Hu Jiao was visibly upset, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the owner as flashes of his buried memories transmitted to her mind through shared empathy.

Lu Yao startled, “That’s enough.”

Hu Jiao’s expression showed a hint of relief.

Only through shared experiences can people truly understand each other.

He had only shared a fraction of his suffering, yet it nearly brought her to tears.

Lu Yao grabbed Hu Jiao’s wrist and pulled him up, “I understand your situation. Let’s head back to the shop, and we’ll schedule you for the earliest tutoring session.”

Hu Jiao: “???”

What was this woman thinking?

Lu Yao activated her flight pendant and firmly escorted Hu Jiao back to the tutoring center.

…

In the grayed-out livestream, millions of viewers lingered.

At the Superpower Research Institute, An Yan put down his phone and signaled the nearby test subject, “Alright, let’s continue testing.”

The subject had been captivated by the stream earlier, and after the cut-off, had been lost in reading comments. He snapped back to reality when An Yan interrupted.

Just as they were about to start the test, the subject blurted out, “Professor An, I’d like to request half a day off tomorrow.”

An Yan: “For what?”

The subject looked down, a bit shy, “Just want to check out that tutoring center on Sanhua Road.”

An Yan: “?”

The subject looked embarrassed, “She’s just… interesting. I want to see the place myself.”

“…” An Yan’s gaze lowered slightly, his tone deepening a bit: “Let’s finish your ability testing today.”

If he still had the energy to go out tomorrow, he could take all the leave he wanted.

In his single apartment, Xiao Ze read through the comments for a while, then exited, realizing the stream wasn’t coming back.

“When someone dies, it’s like water disappearing into water.”

“Death isn’t losing life; it’s stepping out of time.”

Xiao Ze found himself involuntarily contemplating death, then thinking about that night when he had met Lu Yao.

If he hadn’t met her, he’d have just been another drop lost in the water.

Living life in a daze, slipping away in the fog, and in the blink of an eye, swallowed by time.

Fortunately, fortunately, Xiao Ze suddenly felt a wave of relief.

Meeting her was just the beginning of things getting better.

Tomorrow was the day he and the shop owner had agreed to review the results of his tutoring.

Xiao Ze was surprised to find that, somehow, his once-empty heart had started to gather a bit of courage.

Even if, in the end, there wasn’t someone who loved him, he felt that he could keep moving forward on his own.

🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️