Ch 247: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

Lu Yao wanted Bai Yi and Xie Molin to become familiar with the workings of the tutoring center as soon as possible, so she had been carefully guiding them over the past few days.

Xu Xiaoxiao, who usually studied diligently, often sought advice from Lu Yao. Now that Bai Yi and Xie Molin were part of the team, she also turned to them for help. She soon discovered that, although both were knowledgeable in psychology, their theoretical explanations were notably different.

Bai Yi, after learning about Xu Xiaoxiao’s curiosity, calmly explained, “Even within psychology, there are many branches. Xie Molin and I studied different specializations, so naturally, our theories differ.”

Hearing this, Xu Xiaoxiao found the explanation reasonable, putting her small doubts to rest.

With the convenience store and the glass tea house gaining steady business, Lu Yao posted new job openings, anticipating that Xu Xiaoxiao would transition to being a tutor. She announced the hiring of two new staff members: one as a clerk for the convenience store and one as a server for the glass tea house.

When Xu Xiaoxiao saw the new job postings, she remained silent but focused even more intently on her studies during her breaks.

At lunchtime, everyone was gathered in the break room, including Hu Jiao. He mentioned that the shop owner and his mother had helped him get out of the research institute, which surprised Xu Xiaoxiao and Xie Molin.

When times were tough, Xu Xiaoxiao had once considered becoming a test subject but found the idea too terrifying and held on with gritted teeth. Her brows furrowed deeply, and her eyes filled with complex emotions as she quietly asked, “That must have cost a lot of money, right?”

Hu Jiao’s expression mirrored hers, equally complex. “I don’t know; Lu Yao didn’t say. But she did mention that once I finish my tutoring, she’d like me to stay and work here as a monitor. She said my ability is quite useful.”

What Hu Jiao didn’t say was that he had initially lost much of his will, but now, owing this debt to the shop owner had rekindled his fighting spirit.

Xu Xiaoxiao nodded. “So, you’re the monitor she mentioned. The shop owner must have planned this for some time. Where are you staying now?”

This was a concern for Hu Jiao as well. He had spent all his savings, thinking he wouldn’t need a backup plan. Now, without a formal job and needing to continue his tutoring, he had to plan his remaining funds carefully.

Xu Xiaoxiao said, “I live in an apartment complex with single units. The space isn’t large, but it’s comfortable for one person, and the rent is reasonable. If you’re interested, I can give you the landlord’s contact number.”

Hu Jiao’s eyes lit up as he took out his phone to note down the number. “Thanks, Xiaoxiao-jie.”

Since her tutoring ended, Xu Xiaoxiao’s naturally cheerful personality had fully emerged. She got along well with everyone at the shop, and while Bai Yi was quieter and more professional, she occasionally joined their conversations.

Only Xie Molin sat silently, eating his meal while thinking about how Lu Yao managed to get Hu Jiao out of the research institute. He knew the ins and outs of those places better than Xu Xiaoxiao and Hu Jiao did. Considering the negative impact of Hu Jiao’s viral live broadcast, the shop owner must have put in significant effort to get him out.

At noon, Lu Yao checked on the shopping street. Ji Feiming and Ji Zhixin had already gone back out after lunch.

The shopping street was located in a remote area, facing a river on one side and a mountain on the other, made even more challenging to navigate with the heavy snowfall.

In the morning, the uncle and nephew wore anti-slip boots and thick winter coats, mapping out a route for the barrier around the shopping street. In the afternoon, they began setting up the barrier point by point.

Ji Feiming didn’t explain to Lu Yao how the barrier worked; Ji Zhixin only learned by observing as Ji Feiming set it up.

The entire mountain had twelve points, each marked with ancient symbols drawn in blood.

Once all twelve points were connected, the barrier would be complete.

By evening, the snowfall grew heavier. Watching his uncle’s increasingly pale lips, Ji Zhixin felt concerned. “Uncle, can we use my blood instead?”

Ji Feiming shook his head and motioned for him to keep moving. “Just two more points left. Help me move faster.”

After a few steps, he couldn’t help but remark, “This wasn’t as taxing before. Since the Old God’s death, my power has all but dissipated. Now, I can only use blood as a medium.”

Ji Zhixin thought of Lu Yao’s question that morning and grew even more curious. “Why did the Old God…”

Ji Feiming walked along, a hint of confusion in his eyes. “Honestly, I can’t fully remember.”

At that time, the Old God had instructed him to stay behind and guard the sacred mountain, claiming there was a task to complete and forbidding him from following. He only remembered that the Old God had left and did not return for seven days.

One afternoon, while Ji Feiming was cleaning the temple, the Old God’s presence suddenly vanished.

Not long after, the 955 Special Department in Yuheng City also sensed something unusual. Following that, the evil spirits of the world seemed to naturally disappear, becoming undetectable.

At that moment, Ji Feiming felt immense fear. He had thought his entire life would be devoted to serving at the side of a deity. After all, as long as their family continued to serve the deity, the deity would not fall.

This was actually a kind of compromise.

Deities needed faith, and the Ji family needed glory. So, generation after generation, they served the deity to maintain belief and prevent it from fading away.

Unlike the world of Eden Sea, in Ji Feiming’s world, divine power gradually waned, until it could only protect a single family.

After the Old God’s demise, Ji Feiming contemplated deeply and came to this conclusion. Perhaps it was precisely because of the weakening divine power that the world did not collapse after the deity’s fall.

Yet now, with the connection between the Child and the shop owner, Ji Feiming felt uneasy. The Old God’s death might not have been as simple as he had thought.

The two walked on, stopping and starting, and finally completed the barrier just as night fell.

While Ji Zhixin felt nothing, Ji Feiming could see it—a thin, veil-like, pale red light shield rose over the shopping street as the last blood mark was completed.

Winter days darkened early, and the employees of the shopping street were finishing their shifts one after another.

When the Ji uncle and nephew returned, only Lu Yao was sitting under the eaves, wrapped in a long winter coat and scarf, holding a cup of hot milk tea.

Pounce, Tape, and Sugar had grown up by now. With their fur fluffed up from the cold, they looked like balls of cotton and clung to Lu Yao for warmth. The cats sprawled over her boots and legs, making her feel cozy all over.

Lu Yao had closed the tutoring center early that day, anticipating an upgrade that required the shop to shut down. She had come out of the store to find heavy snow falling over the shopping street and had stood under the eaves watching for a long time.

When the employees from the surrounding shops clocked out, she fetched the chubby cats from the pet cafe and sat under the eaves, petting them and watching the snow. Gradually, her restless thoughts calmed.

The streetlights along the shopping street glowed softly, their warm yellow light casting a gentle hue on the snow, making it appear warm.

Spotting two shadows approaching in the distance, Lu Yao squinted for a moment and waved when she recognized the Ji uncle and nephew.

Ji Feiming and Ji Zhixin went to wash their hands in the office, and Lu Yao moved back indoors. The three of them sat around the fire, and she poured each of them a cup of milk tea. Once their bodies warmed, they each grabbed a cat to hold, letting the warmth soothe their chilled limbs.

Lu Yao asked, “Is the barrier complete?”

The Ji uncle and nephew nodded.

Seeing that Ji Feiming’s face was slightly pale, she asked if he was feeling unwell. He shook his head without explaining why.

Lu Yao stood up, preparing to get some hot food from the snack shop.

Ji Zhixin’s phone rang.

He glanced at the screen and picked up the call, spoke briefly, and hung up.

Without hiding anything from Lu Yao, Ji Zhixin reported, “The Ji clan members have arrived in Yaoguang, even my mother is here.”

Ji Feiming stood up seriously. The two watched Lu Yao walk into the nail salon with the three chubby cats before turning and leaving.

…

When Ji Feiming and Ji Zhixin returned to their lodging, they found Ji Feirong and several younger clan members sitting in the downstairs living room.

The rest of the direct-line clan members had dispersed to various locations, attempting to intercept the Child.

Ji Zhixiang, Ji Zile, and Ji Ziqing immediately stood up when they saw Ji Feiming and Ji Zhixin.

Originally, Ji Feichen had kept the news tightly under wraps, but Ji Zhixun accidentally let it slip while arguing in the group chat, so these younger ones, who happened to be in Tianji, tagged along.

Since the Child had gone missing and people were needed for the search, Ji Feichen selected a group of direct-line clan members.

However, upon arriving in Yaoguang City, Ji Feichen only utilized the group that had originally accompanied him to Qianmen Mountain and some more seasoned elders. The three younger Ji clan members were left at the villa.

Ji Feirong came along mostly for the ride; she just wanted to check on Ji Zhixin. She had little interest in matters involving deities or the Child. Rather than relying on the precarious protection of deities, she trusted herself more.

But seeing Ji Zhixin walking towards her now, seemingly unaffected, stirred a mix of emotions in her heart. The matter of how Zhixin’s leg had healed still remained a mystery.

Ji Feirong thought she should meet Ji Zhixin’s current boss this time.

“Mom, have you had dinner?” Ji Zhixin asked.

Ji Feirong shook her head. “I was waiting for you all.”

Ji Feiming, looking exhausted, headed straight upstairs. “You all eat; have my meal sent up.”

The younger Ji clan members exchanged glances. Uncle Ming’s temperament was as proud as ever.

Ji Zhixin offered an explanation, mentioning that Uncle Ming was tired from work.

The younger ones took the opportunity to ask about their work and chatted amongst themselves, occasionally exchanging knowing looks, thinking no one noticed.

Ji Zhixin felt irritated and, after eating, also went upstairs.

Later that night, Ji Feirong knocked on Ji Zhixin’s door and expressed her wish to meet Lu Yao.

Ji Zhixin hesitated.

According to Uncle Ming, the Child was currently looking for Lu Yao, making this an inconvenient time for a visit.

Seeing the hesitation on his face, Ji Feirong’s suspicions grew. “Is it inconvenient?”

Ji Zhixin asked Uncle Ming for advice and privately messaged Lu Yao. After receiving a reply, he nodded.

The next morning, Ji Feiming and Ji Zhixin got up as usual, finding the downstairs quiet.

It seemed that no one had returned last night, and the younger ones were still asleep.

Spotting Ji Feirong in the kitchen, Ji Zhixin looked surprised. “Mom, why are you up so early?”

Ji Feirong was preparing side dishes while porridge simmered on the stove. She spoke softly, “I figured you’re busy with work and probably don’t pay much attention to eating. Since I’m heading out with you all later, I thought I’d make breakfast.”

There was a housekeeper at home, but during the years when Ji Zhixin’s leg was in poor condition and he was particularly stubborn, he refused help from others. Back then, Ji Feirong was the one who took care of him.

Her cooking skills were honed during that time.

Ji Zhixin had originally planned to take Ji Feirong to the Little Pet Cafe for breakfast, but now it didn’t seem appropriate to say so.

He hadn’t had his mother’s cooking in a long time, and the familiar aroma did make him feel a bit hungry.

Ji Zhixin sat down and called Ji Feiming over as well.

The three of them sat in the dining room, each with a bowl of porridge, two plates of side dishes, and a serving of soup dumplings.

Once breakfast was finished, the dishes were placed in the dishwasher, and the three of them headed out one after another.

As the sound of the front door closing echoed, Ji Zhixiang, Ji Zile, and Ji Ziqing ran down the stairs, hurriedly put on their shoes, and chased after them.

Ji Ziqing was driving, with Ji Zhixiang in the passenger seat.

Ji Zile, sitting in the back, leaned forward, gripping the seatbacks and keeping his eyes fixed on the rear of Ji Zhixin’s car. “Is it really okay for us to follow them like this? If Zhixin didn’t want to reveal where he works, it must be because he’s embarrassed about it. Waiting at home for news about the Child would be much better. It’s freezing this early in the morning.”

Ji Zhixiang was excited. “Even if there’s news about the Child, it won’t be our turn to hear it. We might as well find out what Zhixin and Uncle Ming have been up to. Yesterday, Uncle Feichen mentioned Uncle Ming. I’m curious about what he’s been doing lately. If we hear anything useful, we can report it to Uncle Feichen.”

With this, the younger ones grew more intrigued.

The three cars drove one after another out of the city and gradually headed towards the outskirts.

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