Ch 235: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

“Little dragon?” Hu Jiao asked, puzzled. Then he thought for a moment—it was likely the plush Lu Yao had given Hu Qi yesterday that he’d brought to school.

After all, Hu Qi was not even six years old yet, with a childlike innocence that adults couldn’t fully understand.

Observing his younger self from a different body was a unique experience.

Hu Jiao’s memories of childhood were filled with violence, scolding, frustration, and helplessness. He’d never dared to delve too deeply into them. But looking at Hu Qi in front of him—face young and bright, eyes clear without a hint of darkness—Hu Jiao saw him eagerly waiting, mouth curved in anticipation.

When Hu Qi didn’t get a response, he gently tugged on Hu Jiao’s sleeve again.

Hu Jiao snapped back to the moment. Unsure of how to interact with a child, he tried to mimic Lu Yao’s gentle tone and demeanor when she spoke with her younger friends. “What little dragon?”

Hu Qi pulled Hu Jiao closer and lowered his voice. “He’s my friend, and he’s only for you to see. Don’t tell anyone, okay?”

He remembered his promise to Alfred from last night.

Hu Qi was quite perceptive, always noticing Hu Jiao’s gloomy expression, and he instinctively wanted to cheer him up. Without realizing it, he let slip his little secret.

Only after speaking did he realize his slip-up, but, weighing his options, Hu Qi still hoped to bring a little happiness to Hu Jiao.

Treating a plush as a friend, Hu Jiao barely held back from covering his face in embarrassment.

Even if this child was his younger self, he still looked a bit silly.

Hu Qi could read expressions, but not to the extent that adults could.

He didn’t catch Hu Jiao’s complex feelings and assumed he had agreed, so he carefully pulled his backpack out from under the desk, covering the zipper with his hand as he slowly unzipped it. “His name is Alfred, a cute little black dragon who can talk.”

With the zipper slightly open, the little black dragon inside lifted its head, blinking as it looked up at the two of them.

Hu Jiao was startled. “!!!”

This was Alfred? The tutoring instructor that Xiao Ze and Xiao Xiao had mentioned?

A dragon?

Unbelievable. No one had told him the full story.

Hu Qi was cautious, allowing Hu Jiao only a brief glimpse before quickly tucking the backpack back under the desk.

Unable to resist, Hu Jiao asked, “He really talks?”

Seeing that Hu Jiao seemed a little more cheerful, Hu Qi’s face lit up, and he nodded enthusiastically, putting his hand to his mouth and whispering, “When no one’s around, I’ll call him out to play with us.”

On their first day of school, the teacher finished with the announcements and dismissed the students before noon.

The weather, clear in the morning, had suddenly turned to light rain by dismissal.

Most parents were waiting at the school gate with umbrellas, ready to take their children home. But when Hu Jiao and Hu Qi came out, they saw no sign of their parents.

Hu Jiao remembered that it was always like this when he was young—they would drop him off at school and leave him there.

Whether it was heavy rain or hail, they never came to pick him up.

If he came home late, it would just be another excuse to scold him.

The shop owner had told him not to dwell on the past, but being here, he couldn’t escape the familiar feeling of frustration and helplessness.

He couldn’t break free.

A shadow fell across his young face once again.

Hu Qi stood with him under the school gate’s porch, huddled in a corner to avoid the rain, staying clear of the crowded group.

Carefully, Hu Qi reached out, touching Hu Jiao’s hand, and when he didn’t react, he took his hand in his and let out a cheerful chuckle. “Hu Jiao gege, let’s wait for the rain to let up a bit before we go. Don’t be afraid.”

Hu Jiao looked at Hu Qi’s awkward but warm smile and sighed quietly.

All around, children were coming out of the school, spotting their waiting parents, and running over to grab their hands, disappearing into the rainy day under shared umbrellas.

As people cleared out at the school gate, only the guard and the two boys, Hu Jiao and Hu Qi, remained.

The rain hadn’t lessened; it had only grown heavier.

The guard, hands in his pockets, walked over from the other end. “Kids, is no one coming to pick you up?”

Feeling irritable, Hu Jiao didn’t respond.

Hu Qi replied cheerfully, “We’ll head back when the rain eases up.”

The guard, pitying the two little kids, went back to grab a floral umbrella with two broken ribs. “Here, take this umbrella. No need to return it.”

Hu Jiao stood still.

Hu Qi glanced at him, hesitated, then reached out to take the umbrella.

Just then, soft footsteps approached, and Lu Yao appeared, holding a checkered umbrella. “Sorry, the rain caused a traffic jam, so I’m late. You both were so good, staying right here. Let’s go—I parked just over there.”

Hu Qi’s eyes lit up with pure joy as he ran straight to Lu Yao without a second thought.

Hu Jiao stood there, frozen, until Lu Yao finished exchanging a few words with the guard and called for him to join them.

Lu Yao’s umbrella was large enough to easily cover three adults.

But with Hu Qi and Hu Jiao’s smaller stature and their uncoordinated steps, Lu Yao let them walk hand-in-hand in front while she held the umbrella behind them.

On the drive home, Lu Yao kept the conversation going, with Hu Qi eagerly answering her questions.

He was already very fond of “Auntie Lu” who had given him Alfred.

She was unlike any other adult he had met. She listened to him attentively and responded warmly to everything he said.

It felt as if, around her, the spell of “neglect” that others cast on him simply didn’t exist.

Hu Jiao sat in silence, watching Hu Qi lean forward, his bright eyes fixed on Lu Yao, with an ache in his chest he couldn’t ignore.

Kumquat Elementary wasn’t far from the Kumquat Neighborhood—about a twenty-minute walk, and even less by car.

Lu Yao parked in the garage, and they took the elevator from the basement to the third floor, stopping outside room 305.

Hu Qi paused, a bit dazed. Right, he was home.

Lu Yao pressed the doorbell for him.

When Hu Qi’s mother opened the door, her initial look of impatience slipped into a forced smile as she noticed Lu Yao. Glancing down at Hu Qi, she repressed whatever irritation she was feeling. “Oh, thank you, Hu Jiao’s mom, for bringing Hu Qi home as well.”

Water dripped from the umbrellas propped against the wall, and Lu Yao, expression unsmiling, replied, “Hu Qi’s mom, the rain is quite heavy, and there’s a lot of traffic. It’s generally not safe to have kids make their way home alone in this weather.”

Hu Qi’s mom’s face froze, and she replied awkwardly, “Ah, I guess I was too tired from getting up early. Took some medicine for a headache and didn’t even notice it was raining.”

Lu Yao could see that a few words wouldn’t change Hu Qi’s situation, but she added, “It’s nearly noon. Make sure he gets something to eat. He’s still growing; don’t let him go hungry.”

Knowing Lu Yao was a teacher at Kumquat Elementary, even if just a PE teacher, added some pressure to Hu Qi’s mom, who nodded and pulled Hu Qi inside.

Hu Qi seemed accustomed to his family’s indifference, showing little expression.

As his mother closed the door, he waved enthusiastically and called out loudly, “Goodbye, Auntie Lu! Goodbye, Hu Jiao gege!”

With the closing of room 305’s door, Hu Jiao’s first tutoring session concluded.

His awareness faded briefly, and when he regained it, he was lying on a chair in the tutoring room, covered with the same blanket he’d used the previous night.

Gripping the chair’s armrest, he tried to sit up but felt unusually heavy. Not seeing Lu Yao, he felt a sudden emptiness and, struggling to his feet, walked to the research room door and knocked, receiving no response.

Xiao Xiao, coming out of the bathroom, saw him and asked, “You’re awake. Looking for the shop owner?”

Hu Jiao closed his eyes briefly, thinking, Isn’t it obvious? He nodded.

Xiao Xiao, noticing his downcast mood, recalled her own emotional roller coaster after her first tutoring session.

That feeling of reaching for hope only to lose grasp of it was more unbearable than having no hope at all.

Xiao Xiao walked over and spoke softly, “The shop owner is resting. When she returned this time, she looked completely drained. Even I could see how exhausted she was. If you need something, it’s best to wait until she wakes up. Or, you can talk to me.”

With the shelves emptied and the small shop closed early, only the glass tearoom still had a few guests. Xiao Xiao helped Hu Jiao to a seat in front of the empty shelves.

“Has she ever been this tired from tutoring before?” Hu Jiao asked.

Xiao Xiao thought for a moment and shook her head. “After past sessions, she always looked refreshed. This time, it seemed like she was about to pass out. Your tutoring must be different from mine.”

Hu Jiao asked about Xiao Xiao’s tutoring experience and fell silent after listening.

Noticing the gloom that seemed to surround him, Xiao Xiao couldn’t help but say, “Trust the shop owner. She’s one of those rare people who can genuinely empathize with others’ situations. If she’s decided to help you, she’ll give it her all.”

As they chatted, Xiaomei and Zheng Siyao, who had visited yesterday, suddenly reappeared.

At first, Xiao Xiao thought they were there to ask about tutoring, but they pulled out an official transfer document with serious expressions.

Hu Jiao’s live broadcast last night had caused such a stir, attracting millions of viewers. The authorities were initially planning to transfer him to a high-security psychiatric hospital.

The Supernatural Research Institute caught wind of this and intervened, requesting custody.

The two were there to escort Hu Jiao to the institute.

When Lu Yao awoke, Hu Jiao had already been taken away.

Xiao Xiao looked guilty. “I’m sorry, Shop Owner. I couldn’t stop them.”

Lu Yao, draped in a blanket, sat in the wicker chair in front of the shelves, gazing through the glass at passersby, while Erxin brushed against her leg for comfort. She reassured Xiao Xiao, “It’s fine. Zheng Siyao sent a message explaining the situation. We don’t need to worry about Hu Jiao for now. I’ll bring him back for his tutoring sessions. In his case, it might even help him to interact with more normal people.”

Xiao Xiao nodded, though she couldn’t help but wonder if the people at the institute really counted as “normal.”

Leaning back in her chair, Lu Yao’s fatigue was evident as she sighed, “The most urgent task right now is finding a qualified tutoring instructor.”

Xiao Xiao glanced at the recruitment notice posted on the door, hesitated, then spoke up, “Shop Owner, do you think I could become a tutor?”

Despite her nerves, her gaze was steady.

Since joining the tutoring center, Xiao Xiao had set a new life goal for herself. She wanted to become a tutor like Alfred, guiding people lost in life.

Though she knew she wasn’t ready yet, she couldn’t stay calm after hearing that Lu Yao was looking for instructors.

Lu Yao wasn’t surprised. “Our center’s instructors need a certain level of expertise. I’ve organized the relevant books and materials; they’re in drawer ninety-nine.”

Xiao Xiao eagerly rushed into the tutoring room and retrieved the materials from drawer ninety-nine.

Just as she had trained nail technicians in the past, Lu Yao was now preparing to train tutoring instructors.

Tutors trained by the Childhood Tutoring Center were required to sign a five-year contract.

Five years later, they would be free to stay or leave as they wished.

Seeing Xiao Xiao’s enthusiasm, Lu Yao retrieved a slip of paper from her personal storage. “Xiao Xiao, when you have a moment, please contact this client.”

Xiao Xiao took the slip and unfolded it, revealing a familiar yet distant name, followed by a series of numbers.

Lu Yao explained, “I tried to persuade her, but she refused to come. Maybe you’ll have better luck. I know you might not want to see her again…”

“I understand. I’ll reach out,” Xiao Xiao interjected firmly.

Exhausted, Lu Yao sat outside for a while before returning to the research room to rest.

In the evening, Ji Feiming arrived, bringing toys and snacks restocked from the snack shop, nail salon, and blind box store. Seeing that Lu Yao was still resting, he and Xiao Xiao handled the stocking quietly, not disturbing her.

The next morning, just as the tutoring center opened, Xiaomei and Zheng Siyao arrived with two others. The group of four included Xiaomei, Zheng Siyao, An Yan, and a test subject.

Xiao Xiao guided them to the tutoring room, made tea for them, and then knocked on the research room door.

The door opened, and a tricolor cat burst out before Lu Yao emerged.

Zheng Siyao and Xiaomei greeted Lu Yao, who replied warmly, inquiring about Hu Jiao’s situation before turning her attention to An Yan and the test subject.

An Yan wore frameless glasses, his short hair silver, with vivid red eyes like pigeon’s blood and an unnaturally pale complexion. No one seemed to find his appearance unusual, suggesting that here he had no need to disguise it.

Responding politely to Lu Yao’s greeting, An Yan gave only a slight nod, his demeanor cool.

Only Zheng Siyao noticed An Yan’s erratic heartbeat, confirming that her suspicions on the train hadn’t been a mistake.

Looking at An Yan’s indifferent expression, she couldn’t help but shake her head.

This man was beyond saving.

🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️