Ch 16: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

Was it him?

Lu Yao crouched down, scrutinizing the figure.

The silver-haired, red-eyed Nitean little person was dressed in black, with a black collar around his neck.

The last time Lu Yao saw Lu Mingxiao in Sanhua City, he had worn a collar too. She hadn’t paid attention then or asked about it.

Suppressing her thoughts, she asked in a normal tone, “Are you here for food or lodging?”

The silver-haired, red-eyed little person tilted his head up and pulled a pack of candy from his black robe, placing it directly in her palm. “Lodging.”

Next to him stood a female Nitean little person in a white robe. She had long pale golden hair and light gray eyes, and she was holding two red pigs by their reins.

Noticing Lu Yao’s gaze, she didn’t show fear and instead asked, “Are you a big human?”

Lu Yao nodded. “May I ask where you’re from?”

“My name is Jianlan. I’m from the Shenmu Tribe,” the woman replied, her tone slightly haughty as she raised her chin.

Her petite stature, however, made her less intimidating.

Lu Yao turned her gaze to the silver-haired little person.

He inclined his head slightly, his gaze lowered, seemingly uninterested in her. “Yingtong,” he said.

Lu Yao dropped the candy into the currency exchange machine, which converted it into four Nitean coins.

Looking back at the two, she asked, “Would you prefer a suite or a single room?”

She patiently explained the differences between the room types in detail, in case they weren’t familiar.

Yingtong: “I’ll take a single room on the second floor.”

Jianlan hesitated but then said, “…I’ll also take a single room.”

Heici was still finishing his breakfast, so Lu Yao called Zheng over to handle the red pigs while she led the two guests upstairs.

In the first guest area, Yingtong took Room 201, and Jianlan took Room 202.

…

In Room 202, Jianlan carefully set down her luggage and began to survey the space.

The moment she stepped through the inn’s front door, she had sensed that this place wasn’t ordinary.

Now that she was inside her room, the truth of what those little people had described over the past few days became clear.

A few days earlier, five or six little people had come to the Shenmu Temple seeking fetal seeds. They mentioned a big human running an inn in Thorn Valley, providing food and lodging for travelers.

After they left, the priest had specifically sent Jianlan and Yingtong to investigate.

Big humans were thought to be extinct, so Jianlan hadn’t believed their claims at first.

But as they entered Thorn Valley, seeing the wide road stretching into the valley, the massive windmill turning with the breeze, and the enormous beast-like building in the valley’s center, Jianlan had to begin reconsidering.

Meeting the legendary big human, Jianlan had maintained her composure, upholding the dignity of her lineage as a descendant of the divine envoy.

Now, however, alone in her room, Jianlan felt somewhat disoriented.

The room wasn’t particularly large, but everything in it was exquisitely arranged and designed.

She found the washroom Yin Er had mentioned and turned the odd faucet. Warm water gushed out instantly.

The room offered clean clothes for changing, fluffy shoes, and soap-like items with a pleasant fragrance—everything matched what those little people had described.

…

Meanwhile, Zheng settled the red pigs and quickly prepared two custom breakfasts for little people.

Heici, now fully prepared for work, pushed the meals on a small cart to the guest rooms. Taking the elevator to the second floor, he delivered the meals to the guests.

Lu Yao timed the process on her phone.

It took Heici three and a half minutes to push the cart from the kitchen to the guest area, about five meters. Including the elevator ride and delivery, the entire process took five minutes.

Thankfully, Lu Yao had engraved a warming magic array on the serving cart, or the food would have been cold by the time it reached the guests.

She then pulled out a miniature convertible car model and called Heici over. “Want me to teach you how to drive?”

…

Jianlan sat at the table, staring down at the plate before her.

The first thing that caught her attention was the serving ware—small, white bowls and dishes, delicately adorned with charming little flowers. They felt smooth and refined to the touch.

At first, Jianlan thought the little flowers on the dishes were real plant decorations, but when she touched them, she realized they were part of the plate’s design.

Such beautiful tableware was something she had never encountered before.

The enticing aroma of the food made her swallow involuntarily. Forgetting to admire the plates further, she grabbed a beef patty and bit into it. As her teeth broke through the soft crust and reached the juicy filling, she froze momentarily, then brushed aside all distracting thoughts and focused solely on eating.

Jianlan devoured everything on her plate, leaving even the eight-treasure pickles spotless. She patted her belly, feeling slightly unsatisfied.

Not knowing she could request a second serving, she sat for a while reminiscing about the delicious meal before getting up to place her empty plate by the door. Then she went to the washroom to fill the tub with warm water for a bath.

After traveling non-stop from the Shenmu Tribe, Jianlan felt there was no reason not to enjoy the inn’s amenities now that they were here.

Soaking in the hot water until her body warmed, Jianlan eventually stepped out, slid on her slippers, and climbed onto the bed. Wrapping herself in the cozy blanket, she quickly drifted off to sleep.

…

In Room 201, Yingtong stepped out to return his empty plate and noticed Lu Yao downstairs teaching Heici how to drive a miniature car.

He stood silently by the railing, watching the clumsy young little person sweating profusely as he learned.

Seeing his observing expression, Lu Yao called up, “Want to try?”

Yingtong met her gaze, blinked, and then, to her surprise, turned and leisurely walked downstairs.

Lu Yao lined up the miniature cars she had assembled the previous night, letting him choose. Yingtong picked a sleek black “Bentley.”

The model cars operated on principles similar to toy cars for children but scaled down to match the Nitean little people’s size. With some basic skills, the little people could drive the cars around and even perform drifts.

Heici, however, struggled to learn. Being a native little person, he lacked any mechanical concepts in his understanding of the world. The mere fact that the car could move unnerved him.

Yingtong was different.

He opened the car door, climbed in, gripped the steering wheel, and carefully started the car. The palm-sized black model car began moving across the table.

Heici watched with wide-eyed disbelief.

Yingtong quickly gained speed, driving along the windowsill’s edge, making a smooth U-turn at the end, and returning to park neatly in front of Lu Yao.

Heici stood frozen in awe, staring at Yingtong with undisguised admiration, his excitement leaving him at a loss for words.

Lu Yao suggested, “Want to hop in and experience it? Let Yingtong take you for a spin.”

Heici looked at Yingtong with anticipation. “Can I?”

Yingtong glanced up at Lu Yao, who smiled warmly, her expression soft and encouraging.

Without a word, Yingtong nodded.

Heici, barely containing his excitement, carefully opened the car door and climbed in.

Lu Yao reminded him to fasten his seatbelt.

…

Ji Qingyan entered the inn just as the sleek little car zoomed by with a loud “vroom vroom.” Hastily switching into her indoor shoes, she exclaimed, “Wha-what kind of new game is this?”

Lu Yao replied calmly, “Learning to drive.”

Ji Qingyan gave her a thumbs up, thinking, You’re always the one with the coolest ideas.

She couldn’t resist pulling out her phone to record the scene, her face lighting up with the same “auntie smile” Zheng had earlier.

Lu Yao warned, “Delete that video before leaving the inn, or your phone might explode.”

Until the intranet was set up, the shopping street remained under the rules’ constraints.

…

Yingtong, now fully at ease with the car, began showing off his skills.

Heici clung tightly to his seatbelt, looking even more thrilled than the driver.

Meanwhile, in Room 401, Zhu Zhou and Yuanwei had just woken up and were preparing to go downstairs for breakfast.

Stepping out of their room, they heard unusual noises and leaned over the railing to look down.

What they saw left them dumbfounded: Yingtong and Heici sitting in a strange little box-like contraption, speeding along the floor below.

The box-like vehicle didn’t require red pigs to pull it—it ran on its own, zooming around with a “vroom vroom” sound.

Zhu Zhou and Yuanwei descended the stairs, their emotions a mix of curiosity and amazement.

The black “Bentley” drove over from the kitchen and stopped at the dining area entrance.

Heici hopped out of the car and went to unload the small cart hitched to the back.

Lu Yao pressed her phone’s stopwatch. “It only took fifty seconds to get here from the main kitchen.”

Heici quickly served breakfast to the two guests, then turned to plead with Yingtong to teach him how to drive.

Zhu Zhou and Yuanwei, however, ate their breakfast distractedly.

Zheng’s cooking was as consistently excellent as ever, but the little cars were simply too captivating.

Sitting by the window, the couple watched as the black car periodically zoomed past, completing loops before disappearing with another “vroom vroom.”

Eventually, Zhu Zhou leaned over the windowsill, fixated on the tiny car.

Lu Yao brought out two more model cars. “Want to give it a try?”

Zhu Zhou’s eyes widened. “We can too?”

Lu Yao nodded. “It’s not hard. Just be bold, and you’ll learn quickly.”

The two exchanged hesitant glances.

At that moment, Heici drove the tiny car back, slowly turning and stopping right in front of Lu Yao. “Lu Yao, Lu Yao, I can drive now!”

Lu Yao habitually ruffled Heici’s head, praising him, “Great job! I knew you’d get the hang of it.”

Zhu Zhou and Yuanwei couldn’t resist anymore and ran over, asking Heici to teach them.

Lu Yao headed to the nail salon to fetch Merulu and Puxiu. The windowsill became lively for the rest of the morning, with cars zipping back and forth nonstop.

So many little people wanted to drive the toy cars that the models Lu Yao had built the previous night weren’t enough.

Ji Qingyan immediately got to work assembling a line of stylish cars. Before long, a fleet of “Rolls-Royces,” “Porsches,” “Lamborghinis,” and “Fords” filled the lineup.

Lu Yao handed her more parts, stifling laughter. “Too expensive. Shouldn’t we build a parking lot for these?”

Ji Qingyan pulled out the miniature train Lu Yao had built the previous night. “Are you planning to keep this in the inn too?”

Lu Yao pushed the train along the table, then had an idea. “This big guy’s a bit bulky for inside the inn. Why not set it up outside?”

Ji Qingyan: “Outside?”

Lu Yao: “The inn’s located in a valley. We cleared out the thorny vines nearby a while back and built a road. The little people are so tiny—it takes them ages to walk over from the hillside. I was thinking of laying tracks along the fence to shuttle guests back and forth.”

Ji Qingyan, unable to leave the inn herself, struggled to imagine the project. “How long would the tracks need to be?”

Lu Yao stood at the door, scanning the area. “Let’s start with a short segment, about fifty meters one way.”

If she built a loop, it would be over a hundred meters long.

After some hesitation, Lu Yao decided to construct a circular track around the fence, running from the inn’s entrance to the signpost.

Ji Qingyan took a deep breath, her eyes sparkling. “What a huge project! It’s a shame I can’t help outside.”

Lu Yao patted her shoulder. “I’ll handle the outdoor tracks; the indoor area is yours. These cars may be small, but having too many running around can be dangerous. Plan out some routes.”

Both women were quick to act. With their roles decided, they went their separate ways.

…

Zheng handled cleaning, guest care, and meal preparation. His “homebody” personality was fully on display, as he performed each task with meticulous care.

When he finished, he pulled up a chair by the window, smiling as he watched the little people play.

When the little people got tired and returned to their rooms to rest, Zheng joined Ji Qingyan in continuing to upgrade the inn.

Outside, Lu Yao marked out the track’s path under the fence, clearing the snow that had accumulated overnight. Using a small shopping basket, she carried a load of parts to start building the track from the inn’s entrance toward the Red Pig Tribe.

Every meter, she engraved a magic array to stabilize and reinforce the track.

Not far away, Yingtong silently observed her. He didn’t offer to help, nor did he speak.

Whenever Lu Yao moved forward to lay a new section, Yingtong followed her at a distance.

When he got tired of standing, he climbed onto the horizontal rail of the fence to sit and rest.

His small, unassuming figure completely struck Lu Yao’s “adorable” nerve.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of stuffed marshmallow candy, offering it to him.

Yingtong took it and hugged it in his arms.

Lu Yao: “Not going to eat it?”

Yingtong couldn’t tear open the wrapper on the marshmallow candy and handed it back to Lu Yao, looking at her with wide, expectant eyes.

Lu Yao felt this guy was deliberately weaponizing his cuteness.

But there was no denying it—Nitean little people were naturally adorable.

She took the candy back, tore open the wrapper, and returned it to him.

Yingtong hugged the marshmallow candy with both hands, leaning down to take a fierce bite. A dusting of white powder ended up on his cheeks, but he still hadn’t reached the filling.

The sky was clear, and the snow-covered ground sparkled.

Lu Yao, carrying a shopping basket, crouched by the fence, carefully piecing the tracks together one by one.

Yingtong sat on the horizontal rail of the fence, holding the candy in his arms, taking small, deliberate bites.

When he finally reached the filling, he tore off a chunk and stretched out his short arms. “Lu Yao.”

Lu Yao looked up, beads of sweat trickling from her hairline and sliding down her fair skin.

She wiped her face with her arm, shaking her head. “My hands are dirty.”

Yingtong furrowed his brows, stubbornly holding out his little arms.

After a moment of silence, Lu Yao put down the parts she was working on, picked Yingtong up from the fence, and placed him in her palm. She gazed down at him and said, “Nitean little people are truly adorable.”

Yingtong tilted his head in confusion. “?”

Lu Yao extended a finger and lightly poked his cheek. “Even I can’t resist wanting to squish and pinch you.”

Yingtong: “…”

…

After lunch, Harold and Budu came over to help, and Yingtong, who had spent most of the morning being coddled in Lu Yao’s hand, finally settled down.

In the afternoon, he sat diligently in the shopping basket, handing Lu Yao parts as she worked.

With the four of them working efficiently, they finished the 100-meter-long miniature train track by the end of the day.

Lu Yao pondered what else was needed: station signs at both the start and end points, a small platform, maybe a rain shelter, and a few benches.

The tracks and platform were completed, but another issue arose—they needed a train driver and conductor.

The inn’s day shift ran from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and those on night duty stayed overnight. The schedule rotated weekly, and this week it was Lu Yao and Heici’s turn for night duty.

At 5 p.m., Ji Qingyan and Zheng Ziyang clocked out.

Before leaving, Zheng had already prepared dinner in advance.

At dinner, Yuanwei, Zhu Zhou, Yingtong, and Jianlan gathered in the first-floor dining room.

That afternoon, Yuanwei and Jianlan had a minor spat—again over the topic of fetal seeds.

Legend had it that the Nitean little people from the Shenmu Tribe were descendants of divine envoys, marked by their pale golden hair.

Seeing Jianlan, Yuanwei was reminded of her recent disappointment.

Jianlan, in turn, recognized Yuanwei and Zhu Zhou. When she spotted Heici, she remarked, “The priest’s decision was wise,” which ignited Yuanwei’s temper.

Dinner was tense and stifling.

…

After cleaning up in the kitchen, Lu Yao noticed the strained atmosphere. Both sides remained at the table, too full to bother returning to their rooms.

Lu Yao pulled out the miniature train model and announced, “The moonlight is perfect tonight. Who wants to go for a ride with me? You can sit on the little train.”

The little people had heard about the impressive tracks Lu Yao and the others had been building that afternoon. Yuanwei and Zhu Zhou had even gone to see it, though they couldn’t quite figure out its purpose.

Their curiosity was piqued, but they were also hesitant.

Lu Yao spread her hand out on the windowsill. Yingtong was the first to hop into her palm, followed by Heici. Then Yuanwei and Zhu Zhou, and finally Jianlan, who fidgeted awkwardly before joining them.

Merulu and Puxiu couldn’t cross the star gate, so they stayed behind to watch the inn.

The two little ones hadn’t had enough fun with the miniature cars yet. Once the guests left, they each picked their favorite car and started zooming around the windowsill in chaotic circles.

Outside, Lu Yao placed the model train on the tracks and guided the little guests into the carriages.

Originally, she had planned to use magic to drive the train and give the guests a ride. But Yingtong entered the driver’s cab instead, pulling Heici along to join him.

The structure of the model train was simple and didn’t require advanced skills. The train driver controlled the direction and speed, while the conductor assisted passengers in boarding. The train could carry up to ten passengers per trip.

Once the guests became familiar with the train, a conductor wouldn’t even be necessary—just one driver would suffice.

“Choo-choo—”

The crisp sound of the whistle rang out, and the train began moving slowly.

Yuanwei and Zhu Zhou, sitting in the first carriage, were unfazed thanks to their earlier experience driving the mini cars.

Jianlan, sitting alone in the second carriage, was startled and nearly screamed.

The train moved at a gentle pace, and through the small window, Jianlan watched as the scenery slowly receded.

The string lights wrapped around the fence sparkled like a slow-flowing river of stars.

Immersed in the tranquil night, her emotions gradually settled.

The train climbed a gentle slope and stopped at the signpost.

Lu Yao had gotten there faster on foot and was already waiting at the end of the slope, waving to them as she crouched down.

At the fence’s end was a platform with a rain shelter. Under the dark green awning were four long benches placed side by side.

Outside the shelter stood a pale yellow signpost with the words “Thorn Valley” written in large Nitean script.

The little people stepped onto the platform, their faces filled with curiosity.

Yuanwei and Zhu Zhou sat side by side, staring in silence at the night view beyond the shelter.

Yuanwei clasped her hands together, leaning lightly against the backrest. A warm light shone in her eyes as she said softly, “Living here doesn’t seem so bad.”

Zhu Zhou observed Yuanwei for a moment before gently taking her hand and nodding slightly.

…

When the walk was over, the train carried the little guests back along the fence, slowly returning to the inn.

Back at the inn, Yuanwei and Zhu Zhou approached Lu Yao and expressed their desire to stay.

Lu Yao quickly processed their employment paperwork.

[Congratulations on recruiting qualified staff within seven days. Task complete! Reward: +300 popularity points, +3 Acorus seeds!]

[Lu Yao’s inn has earned initial trust from the Nitean little people and has been upgraded to a two-star establishment. Reward: Moon Goddess Flower *1. Keep up the great work!]

[New task: Host at least 100 guests within one month and upgrade the inn to a five-star establishment. Reward: 50,000 popularity points, Sun Tangerine *10, Bitter Hemps *20, Oilstones *100. Work hard to complete this task!]

…

Nitean Continent, Red Pig Tribe.

Ten hunters, armed and packed with supplies, mounted their red pigs and set out with an imposing air.

The elder stood at the edge of the territory, his expression shadowed with worry. “This journey will be dangerous—stay vigilant.”

The ice period had dragged on unusually long this year, and the area surrounding the territory was devoid of prey. All the edible plants had long since been harvested.

The hunting party had no choice but to embark on a perilous expedition during the harshest season, seeking new hunting grounds and wild yam fields.

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