Ch 248: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

“Why does it feel like we’re heading further into the wilderness? Is Brother Zhixin really going to work?” Ji Zile studied the scenery on either side of the road. Under the blanket of snow, there were fewer houses and more trees.

Even though they suspected that wherever Ji Zhixin was working now might not be as prestigious as their family, they hadn’t expected it to be in such a remote area.

Ji Ziqing also found it strange. “Brother Zhixin’s leg has healed, and the family’s attitude towards him has changed. Yet he insists on following Uncle Ming here to Yaoguang. I thought there’d be something impressive going on here.”

Ji Zile muttered, “What impressive thing could there be in this desolate place? Brother Zhixin must have been influenced by Uncle Ming, still revering him as the former Divine Envoy. But the new Divine Child has already chosen Uncle Chen; it’s not Uncle Ming’s domain anymore.”

Back when Ji Feiming was the Divine Envoy, they rarely had the chance to see him. Even when they did, it was only from a distance, never up close.

Among their generation in the Ji family, there was always a mix of curiosity and respect for Ji Feiming, the Divine Envoy.

When Ji Feiming was chosen as the Divine Envoy, those not selected returned to the family. Some followed the family’s plans and became ordinary workers with steady jobs, while others continued pursuing the path of serving the divine.

Whichever path was chosen, during holidays and family gatherings, Ji Zhixiang and the younger members could always meet and chat with everyone.

Only the position of the Divine Envoy was unattainable.

When the old god suddenly fell, it was as if even the Divine Envoy had stepped down from his pedestal, allowing subtle feelings to fester in the shadows.

A significant portion of the family believed that the fall of the old god during Ji Feiming’s tenure was due to his failure as a Divine Envoy.

With the increasingly evident attitude of the family elders, the younger generation’s respect and feelings for Ji Feiming grew faint and complex.

When Ji Feichen discovered the new Divine Child, it was like a long-suppressed emotion had found an outlet.

Everyone, young and old, began openly expressing their dissatisfaction with the former Divine Envoy.

Ji Zhixiang felt they were following too closely. Once they were out of the city, traffic decreased, so she whispered, “Be careful, don’t let them spot us.”

Ji Zhixin glanced at the rearview mirror, his brows furrowing slightly. “I think someone’s following us.”

Ji Feiming, who usually arrived at the commercial street earlier than Ji Zhixin, was ahead of him, while Ji Feirong sat in the passenger seat of Ji Zhixin’s car.

Ji Feirong looked back and noted, “That car does look familiar.”

The familiarity came from earlier when she had glanced at the garage and noticed a car of a similar color and model.

Ji Feiming’s frown deepened, already guessing who it was, but there was nowhere suitable to stop on this stretch of road.

“Mom, call Ji Zhixiang and tell them to go back.”

Ji Feirong realized what was happening, and her expression turned a bit unpleasant. She made the call, her tone sharp and reprimanding.

These younger ones were truly being disrespectful.

When the call connected, Ji Zhixin glanced behind them. The trailing car slowed down, likely preparing to turn around.

After being scolded by Ji Feirong, Ji Zhixiang and the others didn’t dare to continue following.

Ji Zhixiang muttered under her breath, blaming Ji Ziqing for following too closely. Ji Ziqing, feeling indignant, couldn’t help but retort.

The car’s atmosphere grew tense and charged with irritation.

Suddenly, a gust of wind mixed with snow grains howled past, the force so strong that Ji Ziqing felt as though the car was being pushed forward.

The snow intensified abruptly, and within seconds, visibility dropped to almost nothing.

“What’s going on?” Ji Zile said nervously.

The strange noise only lasted for a short while. After about ten seconds, their view returned to normal.

Ji Ziqing shouted, “Look outside!”

Overnight snowfall had already piled thick along the mountain rocks, vegetation, roadside barriers, and road signs. But after what just happened, everything outside was now encased in ice.

The surface of the trees and dried grass seemed to be coated in a layer of frost, even the snow on them was enveloped as if frozen in time. Strangely, the road itself did not have any ice.

A black car sped past them and disappeared down the road.

Ji Zhixiang patted the car door, “That’s Uncle Feichen’s car. He was driving that yesterday, and the license plate matches.”

Without thinking, Ji Ziqing instinctively gave chase.

Meanwhile, Ji Feiming and Ji Zhixin had already arrived at the commercial street, where they parked next to a black Bentley.

Snow had settled on the car, suggesting it had been parked for quite some time.

Noticing Ji Feirong’s gaze, Ji Zhixin explained, “Fu Chi works here too. His shift starts earlier than ours.”

Usually from midnight to late morning.

Ji Feirong was surprised, “From the Fu family?”

Ji Zhixin nodded.

Ji Feirong lowered her eyes, pondering for a few moments before glancing around.

No matter what she had imagined, she could not have guessed that Ji Feiming and Ji Zhixin would work in such a place.

The area and the peculiar shops gave her an odd feeling.

It wasn’t quite fear, but rather a confirmation of her earlier suspicions.

The one who healed Zhixin’s leg was likely connected to the extraordinary.

At this point, Ji Feirong had no other desires.

After enduring those five years of hardship, whatever Ji Zhixin wanted to do now, she would no longer stand in his way.

She turned to the back of the car to retrieve the gifts she had brought.

Ji Feiming had already started his work.

He was busiest in the morning.

First, he would collect ingredients from the nail salon and the pet cafe, sorting and delivering them to the snack shop, then move pre-packaged blind boxes from the snack shop to the nail salon, stamp them, and take them to the blind box shop for stocking.

After finishing these errands, it was usually breakfast time, when he would deliver meals to each shop.

While Ji Zhixin explained things to Ji Feirong, he guessed that Lu Yao might be in the cinema, so he suggested his mother sit in the office while he went to find the shop owner.

Ji Feirong was taken aback to learn that Ji Feiming was essentially a delivery person.

It was… not what she had envisioned at all.

She couldn’t help but look at Ji Zhixin, “And what about you? What exactly do you do here?”

Seeing his mother’s attempt to maintain composure, Ji Zhixin smiled, “My job is primarily as a receptionist. It’s simple but interesting. We have a cinema, so when things are quiet, I also handle some licensing and copyright work with Fu Chi. That’s what I mostly do.”

He spoke without embarrassment or discomfort.

Ji Feirong noticed the large sign for the cinema and felt slightly relieved. There was at least some business aspect to his work, so he hadn’t completely abandoned the skills he had cultivated over the years.

But looking at these shops, none of them seemed like they had much business.

Her curiosity about the owner of the commercial street grew, though she kept her expression neutral.

Ji Zhixin left to find Lu Yao.

Shortly after, Gao Si, Gao Meng, and Liu Tang arrived together, surprised to see someone in the office.

In the cinema, Lu Yao was currently discussing an advertising project with several shopkeepers from the Great Wu Dynasty.

Recently, the cinema had undergone an upgrade and expanded to include a third floor.

The new floor didn’t have additional screening rooms but housed a photography studio for filming advertisements.

As Fu Chi’s reputation grew, any advertisement he filmed and produced, then screened in the cinema, would become an instant hit.

This innovative advertising method had gained popularity in Liangjing, and shopkeepers who reaped the benefits wanted more, while those who hadn’t yet had a chance were eager to participate, with many visiting the cinema daily.

For now, revenue from advertisements surpassed that of films.

The last two newcomers to Lingxiao Pavilion—Yiyi and Taier—had become Fu Chi’s apprentices, learning how to film ads and short films.

Fu Chi was training the two as successors for the advertising team. They were young and full of curiosity.

Though still beginners, Fu Chi was confident he could turn them into qualified advertisers.

When Ku Ba had free time, he would also attend the classes on the third floor.

This time, the advertising collaboration was with a familiar client, Chunxi Lou next door, which wanted to shoot a new commercial. The discussion process went smoothly.

After exchanging ideas, they signed the contract, concluding the meeting.

As Lu Yao came down from the third floor, she saw Ji Zhixin in the lobby and walked over quickly. “Good morning.”

Last night, Ji Zhixin had messaged her, mentioning that his mother wanted to visit.

Lu Yao saw no problem with it and agreed.

However, she didn’t expect them to come so early. After notifying Fu Chi, she walked out with Ji Zhixin.

Once outside, Lu Yao rubbed her arms. “Why does it feel colder than in the morning?”

In the office, Ji Feirong was chatting with Gao Si and the others.

Gao Meng stood up upon hearing voices. “The shop owner is here.”

Ji Feirong also looked toward the door.

However, Lu Yao and Ji Zhixin did not come inside immediately.

At the fork in the road leading from the main road, several cars had parked, blocking the way.

Bai Yi’s car was among those blocked outside. She managed to drive onto the road, only to be stopped again.

With her was Zhou Su on her electric scooter.

Zhou Su, who only had her scooter for commuting, had wrapped it in a windproof cover. Even at her leisurely pace, she had endured quite a bit of wind. All she wanted now was to get to the shop and warm up, maybe eat something hot. But at the road’s entrance, a group of people in black suits blocked her path.

Zhou Su tried to explain patiently, “I work here.”

Bai Yi also got out of her car. She immediately recognized Ji Feichen standing by the roadside. Her eyes scanned the area and spotted Ji Zhixiang and the others hiding in the distance. When she shifted her gaze, she caught sight of a child with white hair and red eyes, momentarily stunned.

The child, not very tall, stood surrounded by adults, staring intently in the direction of the commercial street.

Seeing Bai Yi, Zhou Su felt as though she’d found a savior. “Bai Yi, I don’t know what’s going on, but they’re blocking us from getting in.”

The men in black had parked a car sideways in the middle of the road and ignored Zhou Su’s complaint, appearing quite arrogant to onlookers.

Bai Yi held her back, unsure of what was happening.

These members of the Ji clan seemed different from the usual staff at the commercial street; they looked unfriendly.

But being from a branch of the Bai family herself, mentioning it wouldn’t make a difference.

She recognized the younger ones behind them, but this didn’t seem like the time to exchange greetings.

Ji Zhixiang and the others also recognized Bai Yi, puzzled by her presence there.

At that moment, Lu Yao was already walking toward the main road.

In the crowd, the child’s eyes shifted and he leaped onto the roof of the car blocking the road. A silver ice spear materialized in his hands.

Ji Feichen’s expression changed, “Lord diety!”

The child hurled the ice spear.

With a sharp “crack,” it seemed something had shattered.

But to onlookers, the ice spear hung motionless in the air.

The sound of rustling and a sharp swish echoed from above, though nothing was visible when one looked up.

Even the snow had stopped falling.

On the commercial street, Ji Feiming, who was delivering goods, suddenly faltered and nearly collapsed.

Xue Ge caught him just in time, preventing him from falling.

The other store workers, startled, quickly gathered around.

Ji Feiming steadied himself with help, his face as pale as a sheet. Without explaining, he hurried outside.

His barrier had been broken.

With the barrier shattered, the divine child wrinkled his nose slightly, and his expression relaxed.

It was indeed here.

He jumped down from the car and strode toward the commercial street.

The Ji clan, led by Ji Feichen, scrambled to follow him.

No one blocked the way anymore, so Bai Yi and Zhou Su also headed toward the street.

Ji Zhixiang and the others glanced at them without speaking and quickly followed as well.

Zhou Su maneuvered her small electric scooter around the parked car, carrying Bai Yi as they caught up, muttering, “What’s wrong with these people?”

Bai Yi frowned. “The Ji clan members are mostly like that.”

Zhou Su didn’t understand. “All of them have the surname Ji? Are they related to Uncle Ming?”

Bai Yi couldn’t be sure. “Possibly.”

Ahead, the divine child had already stopped and was staring directly at Lu Yao from afar.

Ji Feichen and his group halted behind the divine child, their expressions shifting when they saw Lu Yao.

How could it be? How could they look so alike?

Except for the divine child’s hair and eye color, his facial features were almost a perfect match with the girl in front of them.

Was there truly someone who resembled the divine child so closely?

Ji Zhixiang and the others caught up and immediately saw Ji Zhixin.

Ji Zhile asked, “Why is Brother Zhixin here?”

It was then that everyone noticed Ji Zhixin standing beside Lu Yao, with Ji Feiming and Ji Feirong emerging behind them.

The Ji clan members exchanged glances.

Ji Feichen, realizing something, turned pale. His gaze on Lu Yao changed as he murmured, “Is she the divine child’s shadow self?”

It had to be. No other explanation made sense with such resemblance and the presence of Ji clan members nearby.

But what enraged Ji Feichen was that Ji Feiming and Ji Zhixin had attempted to shelter the shadow self. He realized then that the barrier the divine child broke at the road earlier must have been Ji Feiming’s work.

He shouted, “Ji Feiming, you dare to align yourself with the shadow self? And even attempt to hide it from the divine child?”

The Ji clan members behind him stirred restlessly.

The former divine envoy protecting a shadow self?

Lu Yao turned to Ji Feiming and Ji Zhixin, her eyes full of confusion. “What is a shadow self?”

Everyone has both good and evil within them. An unascended the divine child naturally embodies this duality. A shadow self is essentially the physical manifestation of the divine child’s evil separated from him.

A shadow self possesses all the original’s selfishness and negative traits and wields half of the divine child’s divine power, hiding in the world like a shadow.

Only when the divine child finds and slays the shadow self, reclaiming his divine power, will he gain a complete divine nature.

After hearing the explanation, Lu Yao’s expression grew complicated. She glanced at Ji Feiming and Ji Zhixin. “Do you two also think I’m a shadow self?”

Ji Zhixin stood still, while Ji Feiming reluctantly nodded.

Seeing the divine child’s photo earlier and understanding their current situation, he was convinced Lu Yao was the shadow self.

Even though her conduct was not as malevolent as recorded shadow selves, the traits and behavior of shadow selves can vary between different incarnations of the divine child.

Perhaps this the divine child’s shadow self manifested evil in subtle ways.

Despite their conviction that Lu Yao was the shadow self, Ji Feiming and Ji Zhixin had chosen to protect her and even set up a barrier to hide her.

Lu Yao’s eyes showed resignation. She turned to face the divine child and the Ji clan members behind him. “My name is Lu Yao. Since birth, I have been an ordinary human. I am not the shadow self you believe me to be. If there’s nothing else, please leave. I need to open for business.”

Ji Feichen swept his gaze over the store signs on either side and scoffed. “Business in this remote place? Nonsense. Don’t think of running. As a shadow self, it is your fate to be slain by the divine child.”

His eyes shifted past Lu Yao to Ji Zhixin and Ji Feiming, voice cold. “After this matter is resolved, I’ll deal with you both.”

His gaze brushed over Ji Feirong, who stood under the eaves, and he snorted dismissively.

“Who said she’s my shadow self?” the divine child spoke, turning to glare at Ji Feichen. “Step back, all of you.”

Without waiting for a reply, the divine child strode toward Lu Yao.

Ji Zhixin furrowed his brows and silently stepped in front of Lu Yao.

Lu Yao moved aside and whispered, “I’m fine. Go check on Xiao Ji. He doesn’t look well.”

Ji Zhixin stood firm.

Lu Yao held his wrist, speaking in a low voice, “I can handle this.”

Only then did Ji Zhixin step back.

Ahead, the child quickened his pace.

Snow began to fall again, and something changed about him.

When he arrived, he was wearing the children’s clothes prepared by the Ji clan.

Unafraid of the cold, he was dressed in a black hoodie and long pants.

Now, those clothes seemed to dissolve like melting snow from his body.

He returned to how he appeared on Qianmen Mountain: a white robe reaching his knees, revealing the snow-white pants underneath, a plaid scarf around his neck, and barefoot.

Clusters of red marks, like plum blossoms, appeared under his left cheek, and a ring-shaped birthmark became visible on the skin of his right wrist.

A blood-red, jagged blade condensed in his hand, as if made from flowing blood, with a droplet of fresh blood teetering at the tip.

With this weapon summoned, the air around them grew even more tense.

Lu Yao remained calm, silently watching him approach, a strange feeling rising within her, as if she had been waiting for him for a long time.

The child stopped three steps away, unable to hide the joy in his eyes. “Mother, I’m late.”

????

Lu Yao’s composed expression began to crack bit by bit.

The snow fell heavily, the wind blew fiercely, and she felt as if she hadn’t heard correctly.

“What did you call me?”

The child knelt on one knee, performing a formal salute that Lu Yao couldn’t understand. When he raised his head, his eyes were full of adoration and reverence. “Mother, I finally found you.”

Lu Yao stared at him for a moment before looking away, stiffly raising her head to glance at the Ji clan members opposite. She spotted Bai Yi and Zhou Su behind them, blinked, then turned to the nearby staff, taking one, two, three steps back, and struggled to refute, “This is definitely not my child.”

The snow fell with a whisper, and the surroundings were silent.

Lu Yao turned back to the child, who barely reached her thigh, and shook her head forcefully. “This cannot be my child.”

It was impossible for her to have a child like this, though he did resemble her, and his hair and eye color pointed to someone she knew.

But it was too absurd!

The system, rarely seeing the store owner so visibly unsettled, chimed in cheekily: “Isn’t picking up a divine child as a bodyguard quite nice?”

Lu Yao felt exhausted. “You definitely know something. What’s going on with this kid?”

The system, clueless yet unwilling to show it, remained silent.

Seeing her anxious, nervous state was far more entertaining than her usual confident, commanding demeanor.

But more shocked than Lu Yao were the people opposite her.

When Ji Feichen and the Ji clan members heard the child’s “Mother,” they were rendered speechless.

Ji Feichen, barely maintaining his composure, took a step forward and, with a trembling voice, asked, “Divine Child, what do you mean by this?”

Divine children are typically born of the heavens; there should be no way one would have such a mother.

Rejected by Lu Yao, disappointment was evident on the child’s face. His translucent skin seemed even paler, highlighting the plum-blossom-like marks on his cheek and the birthmark on his wrist, making them as vivid as the blood-red blade in his hand.

The divine child turned to look at Ji Feichen, his expression calm. “I resemble my mother because I am her child. My shadow aspect has not separated because I cannot abandon my intent to kill. To serve by my mother’s side is my purpose, and my desire. Your clan has no inherent connection with me, yet I see that some among you have been chosen by my mother. She truly remains soft-hearted.”

The divine child’s words were like countless small daggers, repeatedly stabbing at the Ji clan members on the opposite side.

He had been sleeping in the temple and only awoke when summoned by his mother. By sheer coincidence, the Ji clan found him, disturbed his slumber, named him the divine child, and began to serve him.

The Ji clan did not know that the last covenant between them and the divine was already nullified when the old god perished.

It was mere chance that they found him again.

But he was not the god of the world, nor the god of the Ji clan.

He was just a tool to protect his mother.

Silence fell once more, broken only by the soft rustle of snow, which prickled at everyone’s hearts.

Lu Yao thought to herself that if she were five years younger, she would have stars in her eyes upon hearing such words. Now, with age, she could barely hold herself together. Her toes curled tightly inward, and she took a deep breath, exhaling slowly to calm her emotions before speaking. “Divine child, why are you so insistent that you’re my child?”

Hearing his mother’s voice, the divine child felt a surge of joy. He pressed his lips together and lowered his head bashfully for a moment. Then, not wanting to keep Lu Yao waiting, he carefully took out a slip of paper from beneath his plaid scarf.

Lu Yao took the slip from his hand; it was a photograph with a missing corner, and one side was creased. She gently smoothed out the folded corner with her fingers and stared at it, stunned.

The photograph depicted two people, beaming at the camera.

Lu Yao gazed at it for a long time before crouching down beside the divine child. “Where are you in this picture?”

The divine child pointed softly to a spot. “I am here.”

Lu Yao looked closely, frozen in shock, before turning to scrutinize the divine child from head to toe.

He had already dispelled his weapon, and the red marks on his face and wrist had disappeared.

Looking at him now, he did indeed bear a striking resemblance to her.

…

The morning’s event was sudden and complicated. After examining the photograph, Lu Yao took the divine child away, leaving behind a bewildered Ji clan and the staff members.

Lu Yao sent a message instructing Ji Feiming and Ji Zhixin to entertain the guests and keep them at the shopping street for now.

At least until she had the time to erase their memories before releasing them.

Ji Feiming and Ji Zhixin exchanged glances, their worries easing.

Even if they wanted to chase the clan members away, those people wouldn’t leave so easily now.

Who could have guessed that even the divine child was connected to the store owner?

There weren’t many Ji clan members who had come to the shopping street—three cars and about a dozen people.

However, Ji Zhixiang, Ji Zhile, and Ji Zhiqing had followed, bringing the total close to twenty.

After Lu Yao and the divine child left, they moved the cars blocking the path, allowing Bai Yi to finally drive in.

The office couldn’t accommodate so many people, and the store owner didn’t want to use other shops as makeshift waiting areas. So, she opened up an empty store next to the office, had it tidied up, placed some chairs, and set up a few heaters to keep them warm.

Ji Feichen and two elder members of the clan spoke with Ji Feiming and Ji Zhixin in the office, with Ji Feirong also present.

Ji Zhiqing, Ji Zhixiang, Ji Zhile, and Ji Zhisun sat in the newly opened store.

The shop was large but unfurnished, giving it a cold and empty feel, with only the heaters providing some warmth.

The younger members of the Ji clan sat in a circle, each with their own complicated expression, Ji Zhisun’s being the most troubled.

Just a few months ago, he had been basking in his status of serving by the divine child’s side and had even taunted Ji Zhixin in their group chat. Who would have thought that Ji Zhixin would be secretly serving the divine child’s mother in Yaoguang City, along with Ji Feiming?

The idea of the divine child having a mother was even more absurd.

That woman appeared younger than any of them and seemed to be just a human. Yet, the divine child had called her mother.

Everyone’s thoughts were tangled and difficult to express.

Ji Zhile, unable to hold back, rubbed her hands and said, “I guess Zhixin really is the most capable among us.”

After being bedridden for five years, he still managed to stay ahead of them.

Ji Zhixun pursed her lips, saying nothing.

Ji Zhixiang elbowed Ji Zhiqing. “What are you staring at? Say something.”

Ji Zhiqing withdrew his gaze. “I was just looking at the signs outside. They all have ‘Lu Yao’ written on them. That girl mentioned opening her shop, but I haven’t seen a single customer come by. Doesn’t that seem odd to you?”

Ji Zhile chimed in, “Speaking of which, didn’t Uncle Ming ask the family for more people during the summer? Do you think they might still be hiring here?”

Ji Zhixun sneered. “You’re not seriously thinking about working here, are you?”

Ji Zhile replied, “The divine child wants to stay here.”

Ji Zhixun rolled her eyes. “That’s not certain yet. How could Uncle Chen let the divine child stay here? Even if the divine child insists on staying with that girl, they could just buy this street and bring her back to Tianji.”

Ji Zhixiang and the others, who had been scolded by Ji Feirong that morning and witnessed the divine child’s defiance toward Uncle Chen, now saw that Uncle Ming and Brother Zhixin were more familiar with the girl the divine child favored. They didn’t want to agree with Ji Zhixun anymore.

Ji Zhixiang said, “Brother Zhixin is a smart person, and he’s willing to stay here. At first, they even mistook that girl for the divine child’s shadow aspect and were ready to resist the divine child for her. There’s more to this than we know.”

Ji Zhiqing and Ji Zhile nodded.

Ji Zhixun felt her control over the conversation slipping, which angered her, but she had no way to regain it.

Just then, Ji Zhixiang said, “By the way, did you see earlier? There seemed to be someone from the Bai family here too.”

Ji Zhiqing nodded. “Bai Yi, right? I’ve seen her at banquets before. I heard recently that her family arranged some job for her, and now it turns out it’s here.”

Ji Zhile added, “I saw her go into that building with the ‘Tutoring Center’ sign just now. Is she working as a tutor?”

The younger ones continued talking amongst themselves while the adults sitting nearby exchanged glances, their thoughts racing.

In the office next door, Ji Feichen and the two elders from the family looked at Ji Feiming with complex expressions.

One of the elders said, “Feiming, now that the divine child’s shadow aspect has been found, why didn’t you send word back to the family?”

This was a reprimand, despite the divine child having stated that Lu Yao was not a shadow aspect; they refused to accept it.

For some reason, Ji Feiming felt annoyed.

The divine child’s words were clear, indicating that the Ji clan no longer held the divine’s favor.

Yet these people acted as if they didn’t understand.

Perhaps the passing of time had dulled their reverence, as their privileges grew unchecked, replacing respect with arrogance like parasites infesting the once-proud, now-decaying robes of the Ji lineage.

Ji Zhixin saw that Uncle Ming was tired of dealing with them and was about to speak when one of the elders cut him off. “And you, Zhixin. You’ve been here so long without passing on any information. Did the Ji clan raise you to turn your back on it?”

Ji Zhixin fell silent as well.

The office was quiet, save for the editing team in the adjacent room, fully absorbed in their work.

They had drawn down a small bamboo curtain to block the view.

Fortunately, the soundproof glass kept outside conversations from being overheard and prevented the sound of their typing from leaking out.

Fu Chi, who had received a message from Lu Yao, came out and saw the Ji clan members, appearing a bit surprised.

But he paid them no mind. He knocked on the office door, glanced at Ji Zhixin, nodded to Ji Feirong, and spoke to Ji Feiming. “Uncle Ming, the store owner thought you might be busy and asked me to help bring breakfast.”

Ji Feiming stood up and walked out. “Go back. I’ll handle it myself. Zhixin can manage things here.”

Fu Chi didn’t press further and turned back toward the cinema.

Ji Feichen sat inside, watching through the glass as Ji Feiming walked to the small eatery across the street. He knocked, received something handed to him, and it disappeared in an instant. Ji Feiming then visited each shop, one by one, before returning to the office. After distributing items to the editing team, he finally sat back down.

Ji Feichen asked, “What were you just doing?”

Ji Feiming replied, “Working.”

Ji Feichen disliked that about him—the way he was always so blunt, direct, without a hint of tact or diplomacy.

Ji Feiming and Ji Feichen were cousins, both once had the chance to stand before the divine.

But even though Ji Feiming was highly talented, he had little standing among the brothers due to his straightforward and dull nature, transparent as glass but full of pride.

Everyone was somewhat annoyed by him.

Yet, he seemed oblivious to it.

In the end, that year, Ji Feiming was chosen as the Divine envoy.

Whether people had liked him or not, all that remained in their eyes was respect.

Times changed, and the old god suddenly perished.

Ji Feiming lost his position as the Divine envoy, and Ji Feichen discovered a new divine child.

Ji Feichen thought this would be his turn.

But in the end, it seemed he had lost again.

Did the gods prefer fools?

Ji Feichen simmered with frustration.

Meanwhile, Ji Feiming thought about how to dismiss the two elders so he could discuss future plans with Ji Feichen alone.

Lu Yao had indicated that everyone Ji Feichen had brought would need their memories erased, which wouldn’t be easy without Ji Feichen’s cooperation.

The other clan members could lose their memories, but Ji Feichen needed to know.

The divine child had said their family had lost the protection of the divine.

So what was Lu Yao? Not a shadow aspect, yet the divine child willingly accepted her guidance.

Ji Feiming felt that, regardless of what the future held, the Ji family couldn’t continue down their current path.

He and Zhixin wouldn’t leave the shopping street, but someone within the Ji family needed to know the truth and guide them anew.

Perhaps this was the beginning of living like ordinary people.

With that in mind, Ji Feiming simply asked Ji Feichen to come outside for a talk.

Ji Zhixin had to manage the elders while reassuring Ji Feirong.

Ji Feirong shook her head, not minding, her eyes gleaming with a light Ji Zhixin had never seen before.

Puzzled, Ji Zhixin asked, “What’s going on?”

Ji Feirong shook her head, unable to hide a slight smile. “I always thought what your Uncle Ming did was just nonsense. But now it seems that our Ji family really did serve a divine being.”

Ji Feirong had never been enamored with the idea of serving gods. Her interests and strengths lay in academics during her youth and business as an adult.

A family as large as theirs couldn’t survive on the men’s fantastical pursuits alone; behind them were countless “average” Ji family members carrying the weight, and Ji Feirong was one of the most outstanding among them.

Years ago, when Ji Zhixin had his leg injury, she had given up her position to focus on caring for him.

This year, Ji Feirong had reclaimed her place in the family.

She never imagined that just by coming to visit her son, she would witness such a dramatic turn of events.

Without their status as “the family that serves the divine,” would the Ji clan finally learn to keep their feet on the ground?

…

Lu Yao asked the divine child if he could enter the alternate space, and he nodded, indicating he could. So she took him inside.

As the divine child stepped into the Childhood Tutoring Center, Xu Xiaoxiao, who had just arrived, shivered and began rubbing her arms repeatedly, exclaiming, “Why did it suddenly get so cold?”

The divine child stood by the door, looking at Lu Yao with a hint of grievance.

Lu Yao asked him, “Can’t you suppress it a bit?”

The divine child tilted his head and thought for a moment. “If Mother were to gift me something to restrain my divine power, perhaps I could.”

He willingly accepted being restrained by his mother.

Lu Yao felt a bit embarrassed; the sudden role of a mother was overwhelming. When addressed as “Mom” or “Aunt” during tutoring, she never felt this flustered.

But he was stubborn, refusing to change how he addressed her no matter what she said.

Lu Yao sighed, “Is there something you want?”

The divine child’s gaze remained fixed on her. At her question, he thought for a moment, then nodded with pursed lips, “Yes.”

Lu Yao asked, “What is it?”

The divine child answered, “A name.”

Lu Yao was surprised.

He seemed worried she might refuse, his ruby-like eyes glistening with anticipation. “Every divine child is called ‘Divine One’ and has no name before becoming a god. But I want Mother to name me.”

He couldn’t fully express the feelings in his heart and looked at Lu Yao nervously.

Lu Yao pondered for a moment and asked, “Do you want to share my last name, or do you only want a first name?”

The divine child’s eyes brightened, “I want the ‘Lu’ from Lu Yao.”

Lu Yao thought for a moment, then crouched down to face him, “Alright, your name will be ‘Lu Budu.’”

Lu Budu.

She thought back to the photograph showing a tiny snow figure huddled in one corner, barely visible, contrasted with the two beaming figures at the other end—so lonely and pitiful. Now looking at the divine child before her, the name came to her mind.

Traveling alone before, but never again.

“Lu Budu.” He repeated the name softly, smiling shyly, “I like it. Thank you, Mother.”

With a name given, Lu Budu walked into the Childhood Tutoring Center without releasing cold air uncontrollably.

Lu Yao entered with him; Xu Xiaoxiao and Bai Yi were inside, about to have breakfast.

Xie Molin hadn’t arrived yet.

Seeing the child’s appearance, Xu Xiaoxiao’s face lit up with curiosity, “Boss, who is this little guy?”

He looked so much like Lu Yao, and the white hair and red eyes seemed familiar, though she couldn’t immediately recall where she had seen them before.

Bai Yi’s eyes were also filled with curiosity.

She had only half-understood the commotion outside earlier. All she knew was that this child’s identity was extraordinary, and he had called Lu Yao “Mother.”

Unable to hold back, she asked, “Boss, is this really your child?”

Xu Xiaoxiao nearly spit out her soup; she had thought he might be a younger brother.

After all, Lu Yao looked like a recent university graduate, and this child appeared to be at least four or five years old.

Just then, Xie Molin arrived. His first glance confirmed that the tutoring room had indeed been transformed overnight as planned by the boss.

Whether the others had already talked about it or hadn’t noticed, they seemed to be discussing something else.

He set down his bag, “Morning.”

Everyone exchanged greetings and settled down for breakfast.

Xie Molin spotted Lu Budu and gave a questioning look to his colleagues.

This child looked so much like Lu Yao and that other person.

Hadn’t anyone else noticed?

Lu Yao and Lu Budu sat off to the side. She opened her meal container, steam rising as she asked, “Budu, can you eat?”

Wouldn’t this warm meal melt you?

Lu Budu shook his head, his eyes bright as he answered, “I can.”

Lu Yao found a clean set of dishes and split half of her breakfast for him.

Bai Yi asked, “Who is Budu?”

Lu Yao introduced, “Lu Budu, that’s his name.”

Bai Yi was surprised and asked again, “Boss, is this really your child?”

Lu Yao thought for a moment and nodded, “Yes.”

She had privately asked Budu, and he confirmed he was indeed the lonely little snow figure in the photograph. He hadn’t explained it very clearly, but the general idea was that she had made the snow figure, although she had no memory of it.

Due to some complicated reasons, he had gained consciousness and became the divine child.

In his eyes, Lu Yao was his mother.

Lu Yao sensed that Budu was still holding back some information, but she wasn’t in a hurry to press him; she had too much on her plate at the moment.

The tutoring center was busy with daily appointments, and after handling this, she still had to deal with the matters involving the Ji clan.

She intended to accept the divine child.

From the first glance, she noticed that Budu not only resembled her but also looked like A.

And with that photograph, it felt as if certain things were beginning to surface.

Xie Molin studied Lu Budu, unable to resist pulling out his phone to contact Du Qiuling.

Du Qiuling had just returned to the office after making his morning rounds and finally saw the message.

[Xie Molin: Senior, I discovered that our boss and An Yan from the Supernatural Institute seem to have an unusual relationship.]

[Du Qiuling: ???]

[Xie Molin: They have a child.]

[Du Qiuling: !!!!!]

Xie Molin dropped this bombshell and then went silent, as a customer had arrived.

The morning appointment was with Sang Li, and Lu Yao planned for Bai Yi to lead the session. However, as it was Bai Yi’s first time handling a tutoring session alone, Lu Yao intended to supervise the whole time.

Lu Yao said to Budu, “Stay in the store; I’ll be back after I finish my work. It won’t take long, just a few minutes.”

Budu nodded obediently.

Afterward, Lu Yao, Bai Yi, and Sang Li went to Bai Yi’s office with their materials, and Sang Li’s childhood tutoring began.

Sitting across from Lu Budu, Xie Molin felt a gnawing curiosity. He desperately wanted to ask the child if his father’s name was An Yan.

The boy’s features and aura resembled the boss, but the striking white hair and red eyes were too distinctive.

In all his life, Xie Molin had only ever seen An Yan with such rare genetic traits, though even the institute hadn’t pinpointed the exact reasons behind it.

An Yan was cold and formal.

No matter how much Xie Molin stretched his imagination, he couldn’t picture An Yan and his boss as a couple.

He had a bit of an obsessive streak and felt unsettled until he had answers.

After debating with himself for a while, Xie Molin finally asked softly, “Budu, where’s your father?”

Budu frowned, “I don’t have a father.”

Xie Molin: “…”

🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️🛍️