Ch 18: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

Lu Yao crossed her arms and kicked the door open with a loud bang.

At this hour, Ji Qingyan and Xiao Zheng had already clocked out, leaving only the three Nitean little employees and a bored Jianlan in the shop.

The sudden noise startled them all. Instinctively, they dropped whatever they were doing and scurried into corners to hide.

Lu Yao stepped into the shop, paying them no mind, and made her way quickly to the kitchen.

Moments later, she emerged carrying a plush blanket, which she spread out on the windowsill. She then unwrapped her arms, letting several blood-red cocoons fall onto the blanket, along with a few squealing piglets.

Yuanwei and Zhu Zhou peeked out from under the table when they realized it was Lu Yao. Slowly, they approached her.

Zhu Zhou recognized the broken cocoons encasing the Nitean little people and quickened his pace. “What happened to them?”

Lu Yao, equally puzzled, replied, “I was out with Yingtong looking for the train, but we couldn’t find it. On the way back, these guys came crashing into me like rocks. I wasn’t hurt, but their cocoons all shattered. I’m not sure if they’re injured.”

Jianlan came over to inspect, rolling her eyes after hearing this explanation.

Of course their cocoons broke—you’re as big as a mountain!

Zhu Zhou examined the fallen Nitean little people and said, “They’re from the Red Pig Tribe’s hunting team. They’re very strong; they should be fine.”

Lu Yao counted eight little people and five red pigs. She wrapped the little people in the blanket, placed a small heater nearby to warm them up, and took the frightened, trembling piglets to the stables.

This was the third time she’d encountered such an incident, so she handled it with practiced efficiency. She even had time to call out to Yuanwei: “Ah Yuan, when they wake up, they’ll probably be hungry. Could you make something for them to eat?”

Yuanwei, eager to use the new mini-kitchen, nodded softly and headed off.

Zhu Zhou stood by for a moment, then hurried after her. “I’ll help.”

Meanwhile, Heici emerged cautiously from the laundry room, clutching Beef Cube, and peeked from behind a wall.

Lu Yao spotted him. “Why don’t you come over?”

Heici shook his head and stayed hidden.

Jianlan, curious, asked, “Where’s Yingtong? Why isn’t he with you?”

Lu Yao froze, then hurriedly reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a puffed-up, visibly upset Yingtong.

She placed him in her palm and gently checked his tiny frame. “Are you hurt?”

Earlier, she’d been so focused on chasing down the runaway piglets in the wind that she’d completely forgotten about the little guy in her pocket. Only now did she feel a pang of guilt. Nitean little people were fragile and delicate; a moment of carelessness could easily hurt them.

Yingtong sat cross-legged, his back turned, and refused to speak.

Relieved to find him unharmed, Lu Yao ran her fingers gently through his soft silver hair. “If you had beast ears, it’d be even better.”

Yingtong suddenly turned around, covering his head with his hands to block her touch.

Lu Yao’s gaze softened, a smile reaching her eyes. Still has some temper, I see.

At that moment, one of the Nitean little people wrapped in the blanket began to stir.

Heici, overcome by curiosity, inched closer and squatted nearby, observing. He was the first to notice. “Lu Yao, Lu Yao, one of the guests is awake!”

The newly conscious leader of the Red Pig Tribe hunting team froze, realizing he had been discovered.

Lu Yao glanced at the little figure pretending to still be asleep, a faint smile tugging at her lips. He reminded her of Monk. Casually, she said, “The first Nitean little person I ever met was on a snowy night. I found a cocoon hanging from a tree. He was just like this—also from the Red Pig Tribe. His name was Monk.”

The hunting team leader opened his eyes, propped himself up, and stared at Lu Yao in astonishment. Then, his gaze shifted to Yingtong, sitting in her palm, and back to Lu Yao.

“You’re the big human who runs the inn?” the team leader asked.

Lu Yao nodded. “Looks like Monk, Zhuang Yu, and Dada all made it back to the tribe safely.”

The hunting team captain struggled to suppress his shock and fear.

That little rascal Monk… so reckless! This enormous, terrifying human—how did Monk dare to approach them repeatedly without hesitation?

For this ice-period expedition, the hunting team had deliberately chosen a route to avoid Thorn Valley.

When Monk and his two companions returned to the tribe with food last time, the adult Niteans had to take notice.

However, the three youngsters were too young to comprehend the historical terror of humans. They didn’t understand just how destructive and fearsome humans had been in the past.

If humans returned to the Nitean continent, the monstrous thing known as “war” would soon follow and bring disaster upon the land again.

Because Monk had brought back dried meat, berries, shrimp larger than an adult Nitean, and a sturdy, finely crafted sled, the Red Pig Tribe had no choice but to accept the reality that humans had reappeared.

For now, the tribe could only focus on surviving the ice period. Once the sunshine season arrived, they planned to contact other tribes and decide their course of action.

But plans never go as expected.

The hunting team had taken every precaution in choosing their route to avoid Thorn Valley, but the area around the valley had changed too drastically. The once-dense brambles were gone, and the barren valley now looked indistinguishable from the surrounding hillsides. This led them astray.

By the time they realized they were heading in the wrong direction, the great ice period had struck suddenly. Unable to react in time, they were forced to cocoon on the spot.

Then, a gust of fierce wind blew their cocoons directly into the human’s lair.

Lu Yao glanced at the newly awakened guest, whose expression shifted between panic and disbelief, likely imagining terrifying human stories in his mind. She casually called Heici over.

“Take care of him.”

The hunting team captain’s expression grew even more complicated.

This human is too evil. Worse than the depictions of humans on the stone tablets shown to us by the tribal elder. They’ve already started enslaving Niteans!

Zhu Zhou poked his head out from the kitchen, where he had been washing vegetables. “Lu Yao, Yuan is about to cook noodles. How many have woken up?”

Heici, who had recently been learning to count, immediately stood up to take inventory. He counted for a good while before turning back to Zhu Zhou with a report: “Four.”

One of the Niteans, who had regained consciousness but was pretending to be unconscious, lay stiffly on the blanket: “…”

Heici turned back, his eyes narrowing as he pointed to another Nitean lying behind the hunting team captain. He shouted, “Another one woke up!”

The little Nitean sat up abruptly, glaring at Heici with frustration. “You sharp-eyed little brat, just like an eagle!”

In the mini kitchen, water in the big pot had already reached a rolling boil.

Zhu Zhou folded two long strands of dragon whisker noodles again and again before cutting them into smaller pieces with tiny scissors and tossing them into the pot.

As the noodles softened, he added a handful of finely chopped greens.

Yuanwei deftly ladled soup and noodles into bowls, layering the dish with shredded egg crepes, crunchy pickled mustard greens, oily shredded meat, and a sprinkle of chopped green onions.

The aroma from the noodles filled the air, wafting through the door and out into the room.

Several Niteans who were still pretending to be unconscious couldn’t help but swallow hungrily.

Zhu Zhou called out from the kitchen door, “The noodles are ready!”

The hunting team captain suddenly stood up. “Zhu Zhou?”

The others, upon hearing that name, jerked their heads toward the mini kitchen in surprise.

Zhu Zhou had probably recognized them long ago and greeted them warmly: “My partner just made some noodles. Everyone who’s awake, come and eat!”

Initially, five little Niteans made their way to eat, but by the time the meal started, all eight had woken up, filling the entire dining area. The sound of slurping noodles echoed throughout the room.

The hunting team captain, named Liyan, sat near the door, shoveling food into his mouth. Every so often, he would lift his gaze to glance at Zhu Zhou, who was leaning against the window.

It was clear that they were familiar with Zhu Zhou. Initially wary of Lu Yao, they visibly relaxed once they saw him.

By now, they had completely ignored Lu Yao, engrossed in catching up with Zhu Zhou instead.

One team member complained while eating, “We set out with ten of us, but before we could even finish cocooning, the great ice period started.”

Lu Yao silently counted again—eight.

She glanced at the hunting team, still blissfully immersed in their delicious noodles, oblivious to the missing members, and turned toward the door.

Yingtong noticed her movement and quickly climbed up her arm to perch on her shoulder. “It’s too late. Don’t go out.”

Lu Yao replied, “There are still two missing. If I go now, I might find them in time.”

The harsh conditions of the Great Ice Period were enough to make even Lu Yao cautious. The cocoons of Nitean smallfolk were fragile; if those two spent the night outside, by morning, they might have turned into ice sculptures.

Pulling out her wand, Lu Yao swiftly carved a gravity magic array onto the soles of her shoes. She donned her hat and gloves, preparing to head out.

Yingtong clung tightly to her coat collar. “I’m going too,” he insisted, then quickly added, “But I’m not staying in the pocket.”

Lu Yao retrieved a wool scarf from her personal storage, casually wrapped it around her neck twice, then gently nestled Yingtong into the folds. “Hold on tight. You’re so small that if you fall, I might not notice.”

Nestled within the warm, soft scarf, Yingtong settled down, his ears tinged with a faint blush.

The wind began to subside, replaced by gently falling snowflakes, soft and fluffy as cotton balls.

Lu Yao held up her phone as a light, heading toward the direction of the guidepost. The hunting team had flown out from there and collided with her earlier.

Her steps were slow and deliberate, her breathing gradually becoming labored.

She lightly cupped the scarf with her hand. “Sorry, if it’s uncomfortable, shift a bit.”

Yingtong could clearly hear her breaths, feel the subtle, warm vibrations beneath her skin as she inhaled. The heat surrounding him suffused his cheeks with a deeper red, his crimson eyes glowing faintly, bright and mesmerizing.

Unfortunately, the darkness of the night concealed his reaction from her.

Lu Yao attuned her ears to the sounds carried by the wind, adjusting her direction as needed. After walking a long distance, she finally spotted two broken cocoons dangling precariously from the branches of a large, withered tree.

They hung like dead leaves from the skeletal branches, swaying slightly in the cold air.

Lu Yao carefully plucked them down and tucked them into her coat pocket. Scanning the area with her phone, she confirmed there were no other signs of life nearby before turning back, trudging heavily through the snow toward the inn.

Inside the inn, the satiated and well-rested smallfolk were finally realizing the numbers didn’t add up.

Panic set in as they began to scurry around anxiously. Several team members wanted to head out immediately to search for the missing pair, but Captain Liyan hesitated.

“We barely survived this ordeal,” he said, his voice heavy with the weight of their situation. “We’ve managed to save eight of us. To go out now would be unwise.”

Though they were torn between hope and despair, the captain’s words sobered them, and they reluctantly stayed put.

The door was pushed open from outside. Lu Yao stood under the eaves, shaking off the snowflakes clinging to her, then stepped into the inn, bringing in a wave of cold air. From her pocket, she pulled out two shattered cocoons. “I found only two. Your pigs couldn’t be recovered.”

Liyan looked up, his gaze traveling from the cocoons resting in her palm to her towering figure.

She was enormous, her nose and cheeks tinged with a faint red from the cold. Snowflakes had melted into damp spots on her hair and clothes, and she was still catching her breath in soft, visible puffs.

Strong yet beautiful.

Liyan couldn’t suppress the thought that crept into his mind—this giant human seemed different from the terrifying figures depicted in the stone engravings.

The other smallfolk clustered around Lu Yao’s hand, visibly anxious and at a loss for what to do.

Meanwhile, Jianlan, who had been watching from the second-floor hallway, noticed Yingtong climbing out from under Lu Yao’s scarf, his expression calm yet unreadable.

He followed her out?

Lu Yao ignored Yingtong for the moment and deftly peeled away the remnants of the cocoons, gently tucking the two unconscious smallfolk under the soft blanket. “They’ll wake up soon. Don’t worry.”

For the first time, the hunting team members really observed Lu Yao, their feelings a tangle of wariness and tentative trust.

Her sheer size was intimidating, yet the sight of their unconscious companions safely nestled under the blanket instilled an odd sense of reassurance.

When the two missing smallfolk awoke just minutes later, that reassurance only deepened.

Liyan sensed the uncertainty growing among his team and decided to have a quiet conversation with Zhu Zhou. Afterward, he stiffly approached Lu Yao.

Given their current situation, it seemed the only way to safely survive the Ice Period was to stay at her inn.

The problem, however, was that their belongings had been lost in the storm, leaving them with nothing to trade.

Under immense pressure, Liyan awkwardly explained their plight and tentatively voiced his request.

Lu Yao replied with ease, “That’s not an issue. I’ll have Zhu Zhou and Heici arrange rooms for you immediately. The Ice Period is an exceptional time; I understand you have no choice. You can settle the lodging fees after the ice period ends.”

Liyan stared at her in stunned silence, his expression a mix of disbelief and confusion.

She agreed so easily?

Zhu Zhou and Yuanwei had already moved into the staff dormitory, freeing up two single rooms on the second floor of the first guest area. Four members of Liyan’s team were assigned to two double rooms on the third floor, while the remaining six were placed in the second guest area.

The second guest area resembled the first—a four-story building made of blue bricks, though the interior design was slightly different.

The inn’s frontage featured four large windows. Lu Yao intended to utilize the excellent lighting by constructing four distinct architectural styles for the guest areas, with entertainment facilities interspersed between them.

Both the first and second guest areas were situated under the first large window, their designs leaning toward classical elegance.

The first window had space for only three buildings; the third guest area was already structurally complete but remained unfinished inside. In another two days, it would be fully furnished.

Lu Yao glanced at the open space between the first and second windows, pondering the wary attitude Liyan’s team had toward her and the inn. She needed to find a way to shift their impressions.

The next morning, Ji Qingyan arrived early, surprised to find Lu Yao asleep on the windowsill.

Did the boss pull an all-nighter?

Her gaze landed on a new object leaning against the wall. It hadn’t been there the night before. She picked it up curiously and weighed it in her hands.

It was a rectangular, slightly flat box, resembling an old-fashioned television with a hollowed-out screen.

What’s the point of building this?

Lu Yao woke up groggily and, upon seeing Ji Qingyan, muttered, “Morning.”

Ji Qingyan set the TV model back down and sat beside her. “Boss, that app is ready.”

Lu Yao stretched and sat upright. “Good. Start internal testing immediately.”

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