Author Archives: Thingyan

Ch 20: When the Wild Goose Returns

Qing Yan wished she could be standing at the city gates right now, cheering and waving to welcome Prince Min into the capital.

But alas, sitting across from her was still that towering monk.

Her eyes darted about, quickly trying to come up with an excuse to leave.

She glanced up at Duan Wucuo across from her—and was suddenly startled by the dark, unreadable look in his eyes. It felt like a bucket of cold water poured over her head.

For a split second, Qing Yan genuinely reflected on all her actions over the past few days.

“Dishes are here!”

Two waiters came in carrying two dishes each and laid them down on the slightly worn wooden table.

Qing Yan twitched her nose, glanced down at the fragrant, colorful dishes, and—without hesitation—pushed Prince Min to the back of her mind. She picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a piece of spicy fermented black bean pork rib, and popped it in her mouth.

Crisp.

Crispy on the tongue, the kind of crisp that made her soul want to do a happy little dance.

Her eyes curved into crescents. She was clearly delighted.

The pork ribs were very spicy. By the time she reached her second bite, her cheeks were already flushed.

Her face was pink like it had been glazed with honey. Her lips, already small and plump, now red from the spice, looked like moist rose petals softly rubbing together.

The mockery and gossip from the room next door had never stopped, but Qing Yan focused on her ribs, completely ignoring them.

Duan Wucuo slowly spun the lid of his teacup between long fingers. Just one glance at Qing Yan eating had captured his full attention.

He had never seen a young woman eat with such focus and genuine joy. The kind of joy that spilled naturally from the heart—neither forced nor concealed.

Not even a child given their favorite candy could look this gleeful.

Wen Xi noticed the change in Duan Wucuo’s expression and felt a subtle jolt. She coughed lightly.

Qing Yan stopped chewing by instinct, still holding half a rib in her hand.

She licked her tingling lips and asked, “Your Highness isn’t eating?”

Duan Wucuo took a sip of tea and replied casually, “I’m vegetarian.”

Qing Yan suddenly recalled the faint scent of sweet-and-sour fish on his kasaya that day at Yongzhou Temple.

She shot him a peculiar look but didn’t say anything. She turned her attention to the tea-infused chicken.

As she ate, she suddenly went “huh?”—why had the voices from the next room gone silent?

Heaven knew how pleased she had been to hear those girls say Prince Zhan would never marry her. It made her meal taste even better.

Then it hit her—if she could hear them, they must’ve heard her talking with Duan Wucuo too…

“Knock knock…”

Wen Xi went to open the door. Sure enough, someone from next door, clearly having heard Qing Yan and Duan Wucuo’s voices, had come over nervously to confirm.

In addition to Cheng Mujin, Tao Ningxin, and Dan Qian Yue, there was also County Princess Su Ruche and another unfamiliar girl.

Su Ruche had barely spoken earlier.

Qing Yan waved her chicken leg and smiled, “Want to join us?”

These were all noble daughters of powerful families in the capital. To be caught gossiping and mocking someone, only to discover the target had heard everything—embarrassment flooded their faces.

Faced with Qing Yan’s cheerful invitation, they wanted to sink into the floor.

Surprisingly, the youngest, Su Ruche, remained calm.

She glanced at Duan Wucuo with thinly veiled admiration and said softly, “We were just gathering for fun. Didn’t expect to run into Prince Zhan and Her Highness.”

“What a coincidence,” Qing Yan said sweetly.

Cheng Mujin didn’t want to linger and said, “We won’t bother you two any longer.”

Tao Ningxin quickly added, “Yes, yes—we’ll be on our way!”

Qing Yan nodded, not caring much.

Dan Qianyue’s eyes landed on Qing Yan and asked in surprise, “Isn’t that my outfit?”

Qing Yan didn’t recognize her or know where the pale apricot ruqun came from, so she just smiled politely.

Cheng Mujin tugged Dan Qianyue back. She quickly recovered and said, “My mistake.”

The girls turned to leave. Su Ruche, however, hesitated—then stepped inside.

Wearing a bright, charming smile, she affectionately placed a hand on Qing Yan’s shoulder.

She said, “Sister Lingwu, I was thinking of visiting you at the other palace later today to chat.”

Qing Yan’s mind sparked.

She hadn’t wanted to eat with Duan Wucuo at all. Now she had the perfect excuse. “I was just about to invite you over. I have something really important to tell you!”

She stood up and naturally took Su Ruche’s hand.

Then she looked apologetically at Duan Wucuo and said, “Your Highness, I must excuse myself. It’s a pressing matter. I’ll treat you to the rest of the places on the list another day.”

Duan Wucuo pursed his lips slightly, then made a gesture: “Please.”

Qing Yan, as if receiving a royal pardon, grabbed her draped hat and happily left with Su Ruche.

As she reached the door, she looked back—only to see Duan Wucuo calmly pick up his chopsticks and help himself to a piece of osmanthus yam.

Her heart sank a little.

There had been four dishes. She’d only had time to taste three.

That last one—the osmanthus yam—looked so good. She wondered, was it sweet?

Outside Shuiyun Pavilion, Qing Yan suddenly remembered something and told Wen Xi, “Settle the bill.”

Wen Xi gave her a surprised look, then silently returned to do so.

Upstairs, Duan Wucuo stood by the window, his expression unreadable as he watched Wen Xi return to the counter.

When he saw her settling the account, he blinked slowly. Once he understood what she was doing, he walked toward the second-floor corridor window and looked down.

Qing Yan and Su Ruche were heading to the carriage, holding hands.

As she walked, the tassels at her waist swayed gently.

Duan Wucuo could almost hear the delicate chime of jade pendants.

He removed the prayer beads from his wrist and slowly began to roll each one between his fingers.

At the other palace, Su Ruche immediately teared up and began crying about Su Ruqing’s misfortune—

“…My sister was only worried about Your Highness, so she waited nearby. We never thought… never thought His Majesty would…”

She lowered her head, overcome with sorrow.

Qing Yan gently coaxed her:
“Don’t be sad.
There’s nothing bad about Ruqing entering the palace as a consort. Who knows? She might live a blessed life.”

Su Ruche stole a glance at Qing Yan’s expression and, seeing her look so innocent and sincere, guessed she must’ve believed it. That gave her some relief. She sighed and asked:
“Then what about you, Princess? Will you still enter the palace?”

“I don’t want to enter the palace anymore.”
Qing Yan shook her head like a little rattle-drum.

Su Ruche felt a cold chill in her heart.

But Qing Yan curved her eyes like crescent moons and grasped Su Ruche’s hand, her rosy little face full of honesty:
“Princess, I want to marry Prince Min. Can you help me?”

Su Ruche was so startled that she nearly jumped. She said quickly:
“Don’t take those girls’ gossip to heart! You’re doing just fine, Princess!”

“It’s not because of them. I’ve thought it through.
I think the inner palace is terrifying, and I don’t want to go. I’m scared the Empress will harm me!”
Qing Yan’s almond eyes widened in fear.

“And Prince Zhan is scary too. Not only is he fierce, he’s completely no fun! He’s a monk! What if he starts chanting scriptures on our wedding night?
I thought about it very carefully—Prince Min is simple, kind, and a good man!
If I had to choose from three, I’d definitely choose Prince Min!”

Su Ruche could hardly believe what she was hearing.
She struggled to keep her gaze from treating Qing Yan like a complete fool.

But doubts still lingered. She suspected Qing Yan might not be speaking the truth.

She probed gently: “I don’t have that kind of power to influence your marriage.”

Qing Yan cupped her cheeks with both hands, smiling like a blooming flower:
“Do you know when Prince Min will return to the capital?
And which route he’ll take?
Just take me to welcome him, that’s all I need!”

Su Ruche scrutinized Qing Yan’s eyes, trying not to miss a single flicker of emotion.
She even replayed all their past interactions in her mind.

At last, she reluctantly came to a conclusion—this Princess Huachao was really just… dumb.

Then again, it was just escorting the princess to welcome Prince Min.
Not a big deal.

So Su Ruche finally smiled and said:
“Such a small thing? Of course.
I don’t know yet, but I’ll ask my father once I return.”

“Princess is so kind!”
Qing Yan’s pale purple eyes were brimming with gratitude.

Su Ruche made a show of persuasion:
“It’s just that Prince Min’s situation… perhaps you should think it over more carefully.”

“Mhm!”
Qing Yan nodded hard.
“I’ve thought it through thoroughly. So what if he’s a little dumb?
Still better than that cold monk.
At least he’s safe!”

Su Ruche felt deeply uneasy.

Even after leaving the palace, her thoughts were still a mess.
It felt like she had just taken a big step forward on the path toward marrying Duan Wucuo.
Everything had gone so smoothly, it didn’t even feel real.

Could she really be this lucky, to meet a foolish princess sent to help her?

Didn’t this prove that she and Duan Wucuo were fated?

She decided to offer incense and thank the Emperor of Tao for sending such a clueless princess her way.

After Su Ruche left, Wen Xi said coldly:
“That princess is ruthless and rotten to the core. Stay far away from her.”

“If I avoid her, she might cling harder.
Better to make her ignore me and leave on her own.”

Qing Yan answered offhandedly.

She picked up an apple and crunched into it with delight.

Wen Xi glanced at her, thinking: This fake princess might not be good at anything else, but she’s frighteningly skilled at playing dumb.
Even after spending every day at her side, Wen Xi sometimes couldn’t tell if Qing Yan was genuinely simple or just pretending.

…

Five days later, Prince Min returned to the capital.

Su Ruche had sent word to Qing Yan early and even came personally to pick her up. The two shared a carriage and rushed toward the road where Prince Min’s caravan would pass.

Su Ruche had carried doubts with her, but when she saw Qing Yan’s face alight with joy and eagerness, some of those doubts faded.

She took Qing Yan to Yinxiang Tower.
“Yinxiang Tower has a wide view. From the third-floor window, we’ll be able to spot Prince Min’s entourage from afar as it comes down the main road.”

“Princess is so good to me.”
Qing Yan thanked her sweetly.

She pulled over a stool to sit near the window, munching on sunflower seeds and watching the road with sparkling eyes.

The longer Su Ruche observed her, the more her suspicions melted.

She sat quietly at the side, sipping tea and finally showing a few signs of genuine cheer.

Time passed, but there was still no sign of Prince Min’s convoy.

Su Ruche probably drank too much tea, and went downstairs to relieve herself.

Qing Yan finished the handful of seeds in her palm and grabbed another. Her slender legs swayed under her skirt.

When she heard footsteps, she casually said,
“You’re back?”

No response.

She paused, listening closely—then suddenly realized the footsteps weren’t Su Ruche’s.

She turned quickly—only to be met with a wall of dark blue fabric.

She looked up, and locked eyes with Duan Wucuo’s calm, unfathomable gaze.

Qing Yan’s hand trembled, and half the seeds spilled from her palm.

Duan Wucuo narrowed his eyes and looked toward the far end of the road, speaking slowly: “So it seems the princess has already fallen for someone else.”

He hadn’t expected her to actually show up today.

His eyes darkened slightly.

Then he gave a soft laugh, lowered his gaze to her, and spoke gently:
“So in the princess’s eyes, this humble monk is no match for a blind and foolish second prince?”

The remaining seeds in Qing Yan’s hand slipped away, scattering across her clothes.

Her heart turned over a thousand times. Then, steeling herself, she looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes and said pitifully:
“Yan’er has her reasons…”

“Let’s hear them.”

The more casual his tone, the more panicked Qing Yan became.

“…I’ve already given myself to another. I’m not worthy of Your Highness!
I knew I couldn’t hide the truth from others, but I selfishly tried to deceive the Second Prince!”

Their eyes met—Qing Yan full of sincere conviction.

“Oh—”

Perhaps staring down at her was tiring, because Duan Wucuo suddenly grabbed Qing Yan by the waist and lifted her easily, setting her atop the windowsill.

Qing Yan’s toes went completely stiff.

Only then did Duan Wucuo meet her gaze at eye level.

He slowly rolled up his sleeves and said:
“Let this humble monk verify for himself.”

°❀.ೃ࿔°❀.ೃ࿔

Protected: Ch 343 (Extra 17): Apocalypse Star House Hoarding

Protected: Ch 342 (Extra 16): Apocalypse Star House Hoarding

Protected: Ch 341 (Extra 15): Apocalypse Star House Hoarding

Ch 340 (Extra 14): Apocalypse Star House Hoarding

The door closed, and the man embraced her from behind.

A-frame villas didn’t have many doors, and each room’s door was relatively small. This one was on the right side of the wooden staircase, with the north and east walls overlapping with the villa’s exterior walls. The door faced west, and to the south was an interior window looking out into the first-floor living room.

At the moment, the curtain on that window was drawn shut, and with no lights turned on inside, the room felt even dimmer and more shadowed.

After the past two days, the floor heating had been running long enough — thanks to the two generators — to bring up the temperature. Yu Xi had set it to the lowest adjustable setting, but it was still sixteen degrees; the actual indoor temperature felt more like eighteen to twenty.

Compared to the near-freezing weather outside, the inside of the villa was incredibly warm. Indoors, they could get by wearing only spring clothes.

Yu Xi didn’t get cold easily and was wearing even less — just a thin loungewear set. And the way he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her fully into his embrace, let her feel the warmth of his body straight through the fabric.

Yu Xi tried to struggle a little, but her arms and waist were both firmly held by him. His breath hovered right by her ear, like she was some priceless treasure — like he was afraid she’d suddenly disappear, and this was the only way to keep her near.

Yu Xi sighed, a little disappointed. She had actually thought he’d stay distant and aloof from now on. Turns out — just a few days?

That’s it? That’s all it took?

“What are you doing? I’m tired. I was going upstairs to sleep.”

“It’s not even eight yet.”

“Well, I’m still tired.” Yu Xi deliberately kept her voice cold, clearly showing she didn’t want to bother with him. But before she finished speaking, her earlobe was suddenly bitten.

He didn’t bite hard, but ears were all soft cartilage — and sensitive. That sudden bite made the back of her neck go numb.

Irritated, Yu Xi turned her head to grab his face, but he took advantage of the moment to spin her around and lower his lips to hers.

Again?

As he pinned her against the wall and kissed her, Yu Xi rolled her eyes.

In the dim room, the man’s eyes were half-lidded during the kiss, his long lashes casting faint shadows. His lips were soft and warm, and the hand gripping her waist was especially tight.

She pushed him a few times, and when it didn’t work, she gave up and let him be.

But when her tongue started going numb from his sucking, she bit his lip — and it worked, making him stop.

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” he murmured against her lips, the vibration of his voice brushing between them, lingering and teasing, more seductive than the kiss itself.

“Did what on purpose? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Yu Xi narrowed her eyes and stared at his face. Every time they kissed, the corners of his eyes would grow misty, and it always hit a certain spot in her heart, making her want to flip the tables on him.

“Why haven’t you talked to me these past two days?”

“I did. Didn’t you ignore me first?” Yu Xi’s fingertips grazed his Adam’s apple, brushing lightly along his slender neck and collarbone.

All of his attention was drawn to her touch. What looked like casual gestures — only he knew how much they affected him.

His breath faltered, and he nearly kissed her again, but he forced himself to hold back.

He hadn’t pulled her in here just to hug and kiss her.

He did want to talk about Pang Yuqing. He knew she’d gone to the central utility building these past two days trying to meet him, though for some reason they never actually spoke.

He had so many things he wanted to ask, even knowing full well she only retained this world’s memories. Even if he asked, the answer wouldn’t be what he truly wanted.

He was also well aware of the exact time point she had entered — those past connections were just part of the setting.

But even knowing all this, he still felt unsettled. His head understood everything clearly, and yet he still wanted to ask those meaningless questions. He didn’t understand why his emotions were in such chaos.

Even with a powerful spaceship system analyzing everything for him, he still couldn’t figure it out…

And in the end, Xing Min still couldn’t bring himself to ask.

He looked at the slightly youthful face of the girl in his arms. Compared to her real appearance, she looked much younger — by the calendar of G Blue Star, this was how she had looked around seven or eight years ago, back when they first met.

There were some differences, but it still made it easy for him to imagine: what would the real nineteen-year-old Yu Xi be like?

“All done now? If so, I’m going upstairs to sleep.” She no longer had any fear like when she first discovered his abnormality. Mainly, she’d never once felt any threat or harmful intent from him.

More than that, once she got closer, she realized Xing Min was, at his core, a deeply gentle person. Even the two times he couldn’t restrain himself and kissed her, he had never actually hurt her.

In front of her, he was more patient and helpless — like someone completely and hopelessly in love with her.

Yu Xi had tried hard to recall, but she truly didn’t remember ever meeting him before. Was he being this good to her purely because of who she was? Or could it be… had she somehow become a stand-in for another woman?

Yu Xi wasn’t the kind of person who liked making wild guesses, so as soon as the thought occurred to her, she furrowed her brows suspiciously. “Is it that someone you used to love looked a lot like me, and that’s why …”

“It’s only ever been you.” He cupped her cheek and kissed her eyelid gently. “From beginning to end, it’s only ever been you. It has nothing to do with anyone else.”

His gaze was so tender and indulgent that Yu Xi almost felt the urge to push him back onto the room’s soft couch, tease him more, and watch him tremble and restrain himself under her touch…

No!

She had to stay clear-headed. They were talking about something important.

“If it’s really me, and only me, then why don’t I remember you at all?”

Xing Min, of course, couldn’t answer that. And because it had been her own request, he couldn’t even give her a reason.

In the end, he could only borrow a common phrase from G Blue Star: “One day, you’ll understand everything.”

Yu Xi: …

Is she seriously getting brushed off with that?

Strictly speaking, that day’s conversation didn’t go anywhere. The only outcome was that Yu Xi stopped deliberately ignoring Xing Min.

In the following two days, the stormy weather started showing some pattern: around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, the wind would rise, and heavy rain would follow. It usually poured through the night and gradually lessened after sunrise, stopping completely for an hour or two around noon.

The fuel in the inn had already been heavily used up by the previous freeloaders, but fortunately, everyone’s inflatable boats still had some reserve.

The fuel had been hard-earned; they had braved storms to climb to the rooftop parking lot of the shopping mall, siphoning fuel car by car.

Most of it had been used to run the generators at the mall. Before leaving, they’d taken some for the boats, and because they followed Yu Xi’s more direct route, some was left over.

On top of that, as the innkeeper, Mr. Pang had a couple of secret storage rooms even the staff didn’t know about. There was still some fuel hidden away there, and together, it was enough to keep the central building’s generator running for a while.

Currently, the generator ran three hours a day and was strictly managed, supplying only the most essential needs: heating for the sick, centralized cooking and laundry, and — most importantly — charging phones.

With backup generators powering their phones and battery packs, they were no longer “blind and deaf.”

The internet was barely clinging on. Even though the signal was extremely poor, refreshing the page a few more times could still bring in some outside news.

They learned that this current pattern of rain and breaks was the result of artificial weather intervention. The thick cloud layers covering the planet remained, with some areas still plagued by storm clouds—hence the occasional hurricane and hailstorm.

Those gas mist missiles launched earlier by fighter jets did help scatter the clouds, but such weapons weren’t easy to produce. So the authorities chose their timing carefully, aiming to reduce the rain during daylight hours.

Online and over the radio, there wasn’t much detailed information. Most of it was about supply distribution, rescue efforts, and relocation. As for the actual cause of the disaster — there was little to nothing being said.

It was impossible to tell whether the authorities themselves knew very little… or whether they knew too much, and couldn’t afford to say a word.

If it were the former, that would be fine — but if it were the latter… then no matter how she thought about it, it was unsettling.

Now that the rain pattern during the day had stabilized and usually lightened or stopped, Yu Xi decided to head out. Since they were planning to live here long term and would constantly be seeing the same people, it was better to make some things clear.

For instance, the car, the generator, some repair tools, and the stainless steel shutters and bulletproof glass she intended to use for modifications.

She planned to reduce the size of the large south-facing triangular glass wall by half, and add windows to the two upstairs rooms. That way, she could monitor the west, north, and east sides of the A-frame house.

The windows didn’t need to be large, or even able to open — just the same size as the single-panel ones stored in her spatial storage. Double-paned bulletproof glass with an extra layer of external stainless steel shutters would be both well-insulated and secure.

As for the car, she wanted to do a proper upgrade while making it publicly known. She would mount most of the shutters over the vehicle’s windows for durability and protection.

Before going out, she planned to speak with Mr. Pang and give him a heads-up. At the same time, she also wanted to find Pang Yuqing and resolve the situation between them.

In fact, she’d intended to talk to Pang Yuqing on the first day they arrived. Her willingness to have Xing Min stay in the same house with her and her family already made her position clear.

Whatever her relationship with Xing Min truly was, he was more suitable to be on her side at the moment.

She knew he carried secrets, and she had tacitly acknowledged her own abnormalities to him as well.

Though she still couldn’t trust him like she did Yu Zhenzhen — enough to hand him her full trust and vulnerability — they now shared a certain balance, bonded by their mutual secrecy.

Which made it all the more awkward to keep Pang Yuqing hanging. After all, he had made his stance quite clear when they reunited: he still cared about her, and hoped they would stay together.

But for some reason, although she had tried to find him over the past few days, something always got in the way.

The first couple times, Yu Xi thought it was a coincidence — especially since Pang’s mother had been unwell and resting a lot. But when it happened a third time, she began to suspect otherwise.

So after informing Mr. Pang that she was planning to head out, she directly asked him to help bring Pang Yuqing to her — but asked him not to mention she was the one asking.

She went to wait at the café. A few minutes later, Mr. Pang brought Pang Yuqing over.

Pang Yuqing followed behind his father, thinking there was something important he wanted to discuss — only to see Yu Xi sitting in the café.

His steps faltered, and for a moment he nearly turned and walked out.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Mr. Pang noticed something was off and gave a low warning. “You see someone and don’t even say hello before trying to run? What kind of manners is that? Is this what I taught you?”

Pang Yuqing stopped, turned back, and gave Yu Xi a forced smile. “Hey…”

“Hey my ass! She’s the one asking to see you! If you’ve got something to say, say it properly — clear things up with the girl!” Mr. Pang said his piece, then turned and walked off, leaving the space to the two of them.

“Finally got a chance to see you.” Yu Xi smiled and motioned to the seat beside her. “Don’t tell me you’ve been avoiding me on purpose?”

“Of course not!” Pang Yuqing answered quickly, though his steps were slow. It took him a moment to walk over and sit down.

“Good, I’m glad. I’ve actually been looking for you because I have something I want to talk about..” Yu Xi didn’t call him out. She wasn’t sure what had happened over the past few days to make him shift from being overly warm to actively avoiding her. Had he figured out something about her and Xing Min?

Either way, since they had once been close, she wanted to end this properly.

She opened her mouth again. “It’s like this, the two of us …”

“Let’s break up,” Pang Yuqing cut in.

His expression was clearly strained. It looked like it had taken a great deal of effort — and courage — to get those words out.

Courage?

Yu Xi was a little confused. “What?”

“I’m really sorry. I know I just promised you a future a few days ago, but now I really can’t do it. Let’s break up!” Pang Yuqing was clearly nervous — his hands were clenched together so tightly that his knuckles had gone pale.

“I know it’s my fault, but you …”

“No, no, no! How could it be your fault? Of course it’s my problem!” Pang Yuqing interrupted again, looking even more anxious. “I’m the one who wants to break up. The issue is obviously with me!”

Yu Xi looked at the flicker of emotion in his nervous expression. Somehow, he didn’t just seem anxious — he looked… afraid?

Since he’d started, Pang Yuqing didn’t hesitate any longer, deciding to just get it all out in one go: “We haven’t seen each other for so many years. Especially in your third year of high school — we barely messaged each other at all. I really didn’t expect that you’d become … this strong.”

“I still remember how you looked in your first year — so much shorter than me, soft and delicate, couldn’t even open a bottle of water… I didn’t expect that after all this time, you would have grown so much. Now you’re … really strong. Too strong…”

He seemed to have touched on the key point, and his voice trailed off, becoming softer and lower. “But I’m still just so ordinary. I keep feeling like I’m not worthy of you anymore…”

Yu Xi slowly pieced it together. At first, she thought the reason sounded a little over the top, but as Pang Yuqing continued speaking, that odd sense of déjà vu crept over her again.

It felt like … someone had said the exact same thing to her before.

But it wasn’t Pang Yuqing.

Who was it?

It wasn’t Xing Min either.

But someone had definitely said it to her — using the same reason. Saying she’d become too good, too strong, and that they weren’t worthy of her anymore, so they broke up…

What was going on?

Yu Xi felt like something didn’t add up … Was she supposed to be here?

“Yuqing! Yuqing!”

Her thoughts were interrupted by someone calling out. The drifting feeling in her mind seemed to suddenly snap back.

It was one of the classmates who had come to the inn with the Pang family. He was poking his head in from the café entrance, clearly there to find Pang Yuqing for something important.

“I should …” Pang Yuqing stood up.

“Go take care of what you need to. I get what you mean.” Yu Xi smiled lightly. “Actually, I came to talk to you today about this exact thing. It’s been years since we last saw each other — everyone’s grown up. I agree there’s no need to hang on to the past. From now on, we’ll just be normal friends.”

Yu Xi didn’t even feel like this was a breakup. It was oddly casual, maybe even a little one-sided. But in her mind, this was how it should be.

As she left the central function building, that earlier feeling of dissonance resurfaced. But no matter how she tried to recall it now, she couldn’t seem to grasp what she had felt at that moment.

She left a bottle of [High-Temperature Perfume] for Yu Zhenzhen and taught her how to use it. Then she reminded her to keep the A-frame villa’s glass door tightly shut. If anyone came looking for her, they were to wait until she and Xing Min returned.

It wasn’t that Yu Xi didn’t trust the Pang team — but their house has electricity and underfloor heating. The moment the door opened, others would notice how different the interior felt.

“I’ll be back soon.” She wasn’t really going out to look for supplies — this was just to “legitimize” the existence of the things in her space. Her sister’s car was in too perfect condition; she needed to make its sudden appearance more believable.

“Don’t worry,” Yu Zhenzhen replied. “Your sister isn’t an idiot. If I can’t be useful by going out during this mess, then the only thing I can do is stay home, listen, and not drag anyone down. I won’t open the door for anyone, and even if the rain stops at noon, I won’t take Tianbao outside. We’ll just wait here until you two come back.”

She reached out and gently ruffled her sister’s hair. “Take care of yourself.”

Yu Xi and Xing Min left the homestay a little after 9 a.m. It was still raining, though it had weakened to a steady drizzle.

They each put on rubber boots and waterproof clothing, sling the backpacks over their shoulders, and layered rain ponchos over their gear before setting off on foot from the inn.

After rounding a corner on the high ground where the homestay was located, Yu Xi took out her phone and checked the pre-downloaded navigation map. She first confirmed their exact location, then searched for nearby shops.

Although Qiu Wang Mountain was known as a mountainous scenic area, it was very close to H City and had been thoroughly developed. It wasn’t exactly a remote wilderness. Near several popular scenic spots, there were clusters of supporting businesses.

Most people came to Qiu Wang Mountain for self-driving tours, stopping at scenic spots to explore and often grabbing lunch nearby. At night, they’d find a suitable inn to stay at.

As a result, restaurants and souvenir shops were the most common businesses around the scenic areas, followed by inns and small supermarkets. There were also a few vehicle repair shops and even some gas stations.

The gas stations were off-limits now — since the military had arrived in the area, fuel had become a strictly controlled resource. Those stations were likely guarded, and not somewhere they could operate freely.

But the repair shops were another matter. Unlike gas stations, these were mostly privately owned businesses. The military wouldn’t seize them outright; at most, they might negotiate with the owners to buy large quantities of spare parts, motor oil, or cleaning agents — but they wouldn’t station troops there.

Yu Xi and Xing Min were hoping to find a repair shop with no one guarding it, where they could use their generator for electricity and work on modifying Yu Zhenzhen’s car. Since they had many items to “explain,” Yu Xi also wanted to look for a cargo trailer — something that could be hitched onto the back of the Jeep to carry the materials from her space all at once.

After confirming their first target, they took a turn around the mountain and stopped in a secluded spot near a rock wall. There, Yu Xi brought out Yu Zhenzhen’s car from her space.

The Jeep was in perfect condition, and the rain even washed away the dust on its body. Yu Xi took off her rain poncho and stuffed it back into the space, and said, “You drive,” before quickly hopping into the passenger seat.

Following their plan, they visited two repair shops. One still had someone guarding it, and the other didn’t have the trailer they needed.

It wasn’t until nearly noon that they found what they were looking for at a repair shop built against a mountainside.

Behind the shop loomed a rock wall, and above it was a scenic spot. The surrounding buildings had holes punched into the windows, walls, and roofs—likely caused not only by hail, but also by rocks dislodged by the storm and falling in a “rockslide rain.” The damage had made it uninhabitable, and everyone had long since evacuated.

They found a trailer still attached to the front of a broken-down tractor. The tractor’s cab was badly damaged; the steering wheel was bent out of shape and completely unusable — but the trailer itself had only two damaged railing sections. However, the coupling that connected the trailer to the cab was crushed, making it impossible to detach normally.

Xing Min retrieved a power saw from his space, while Yu Xi set up a generator nearby. Once the saw was connected to power, Xing Min formed a light gold protective visor over his eyes and began cutting.

By midday, the rain had stopped, though heavy clouds still loomed overhead.

The past few days had followed a similar pattern. Even when the rain stopped, the sky remained overcast. But this brief respite was hard-won — carefully bought time, thanks to government intervention.

Many people used this window to head out for supplies or relocate. If they were lucky, the wind and rain wouldn’t return until after 5 p.m., gradually intensifying later in the day.

Yu Xi and Xing Min, though unfazed by the rain, had skipped lunch to make the most of this break. According to plan, they disassembled and attached the trailer, then moved to a half-damaged warehouse next to the repair shop to begin modifying the Jeep with stainless steel louvered panels.

No matter how effective Xing Min’s shields were, as long as there were other people around, using them openly would be limiting.

The louvers were installed on the front and rear windscreens as well as all four side windows. They didn’t need to fit perfectly — just enough to block the glass. They could be opened while driving and closed when parked.

Of course, after installing those heavy louvered panels, the driver’s field of vision would be significantly reduced — but compared to facing another sudden, merciless hailstorm or hurricane, a limited view was a minor concern.

The installation process was time-consuming. She had to sift through her space to find suitable louver panels, attach steel brackets, leave enough clearance to open and close them, and figure out how to set up a control mechanism so they could be operated from inside the vehicle etc…

Seeing that Xing Min was working in an orderly manner, Yu Xi went to the other side of the warehouse to look for more usable car parts.

The accident happened without warning. Just as the first loud crash hit the crumbling warehouse roof, she happened to be standing in an open area without any cover.

The sky darkened instantly. Thick clouds churned in a swirling, spherical formation, and sharp lightning streaked through the dense layers.

A moment later, thunder exploded.

Crack—crack—

Several more impacts followed. The already unstable half-roof ahead of her groaned sharply before collapsing under the weight.

She glanced toward Xing Min on the far side of the warehouse — he had already packed away the car and tools and was racing toward her.

Just as she lifted her foot to run to him, a chunk of hail about the size of two fists slammed down right in front of her. She froze in place.

“Careful …!” he shouted anxiously. But even faster than his voice, a shower of faint golden light shot above her head, blocking the massive hail from striking her.

The golden flecks quickly formed a light shield that descended tightly over her body, wrapping her from head to toe.

Even though she was protected by Xing Min’s shield, Yu Xi still felt the painful impact of the hail. She knew how powerful that force was after being amplified by gravity; without Xing Min’s protection, she would’ve been reduced to a bloody mess.

As he shielded her from the hail, Xing Min rushed toward her, flicking pale golden blades from his fingertips. They shot outward and struck the falling hail, knocking it away to prevent any of it from hitting her.

He soon reached her, gripped her hand tightly, and pulled her toward a half-collapsed steel awning nearby. The frame there could block some of the massive hail, and with the added protection of his shield, they could hold out much longer.

Though this time Xing Min didn’t have to possess a dying person and wasn’t stuck in a weak body like before, the energy he could use was still limited. He couldn’t exceed this world’s natural laws — or the world would reject him.

Yu Xi stared at him blankly, as if falling into a dream.

The sky was just like this — overcast, oppressive, with no sunlight in sight. Cold rain struck her, mixing with blood pooling on the ground.

She remembered the blood was dangerous. She couldn’t touch it. But there was no way out. Every step she took would lead her closer to it.

Her body was heavy, her head ached, and she felt completely drained — as if she’d just done something very important and saved many people.

But now she was trapped in danger. There was no one left to rescue her. She knew she couldn’t collapse — she had to keep going.

She had always been strong-willed and resilient. She believed she could push through.

She drew in a breath, ready to keep going — just like countless times before when she had faced danger alone and could only rely on herself.

But just as she braced herself, a thin veil of golden light wrapped around her.

The light was so faint it was barely visible, yet she felt it — it was him.

Torrential rain fell around her, bringing with it not just monstrous creatures but razor-sharp shards — hail.

A tall figure walked toward her from the storm, golden flecks falling from his fingertips. Beautiful and lethal, those flecks wiped out every monster in his path.

He came toward her, and she moved toward him.

She finally reached his hand.

There was warmth in his palm — just like now.

Yu Xi relaxed completely. Even though danger still loomed, she trusted him. She could safely let him watch her back.

She even closed her eyes, allowing him to carry her.

Having someone to rely on at the moment when all strength had been spent — that was a rare blessing.

She reflected on how reckless she’d been during this trip and thought he would scold her, but instead, he said she had done well.

He moved slowly through the storm and blood; not because he wanted to, but because of his physical limitations and the cost of using energy. Every step was hard-won.

Yet the arms that held her were steady from start to finish.

That was the first time she ever heard that word: z‖?╓〤.

…

Yu Xi stood stunned until he took her hand, enclosing them both in a golden shield and guiding her through the hailstorm to shelter beneath the steel frame. Only then did she come back to herself and look up at his face.

It was exactly the same face and form as the one on the Endless Train. The eye color, the curve of his lips — identical.

She remembered him telling her that this form was slightly different from his original one. But it was a face she recognized and liked. So whenever possible, he’d always come to her in this form.

“z‖?╓〤,” Yu Xi said softly, her voice drowned in the pounding of the hail.

While still watching the storm outside, Xing Min quickly said, “Don’t worry. Since I knew we were heading out today, I embedded a shield last night in two eaves and a wall of the A-frame villa. Even without me, it’ll hold for 24 hours. The south-facing glass is bulletproof. As long as they stay inside, they’ll be fine…”

As he spoke, he suddenly paused and turned to her, surprised: “What … did you just say?”

“z‖?╓〤…” Yu Xi repeated the strange name, then smiled at him. “I was calling your name, Xing Min.”

Ch 339 (Extra 13): Apocalypse Star House Hoarding

Qiuwang Mountain was densely vegetated, and the soil was not easily eroded by water. Coupled with wide mountain roads, Yu Xi hadn’t noticed any signs of landslides during their uphill journey in the military truck.

They drove for about half an hour. At a fork in the road, a soldier pointed to a road heading north and said that the official evacuation center was about twenty minutes from there. But they were heading in the opposite direction. Following Pang’s father’s directions, it would take another ten minutes uphill to reach the family’s homestay.

The rain was heavy, and the wind fierce. The soldiers didn’t just drop them at the base — they drove all the way into the homestay grounds and even brought them to the elevated clearing where the triangular cabins stood.

This highland was nestled among the mountains, facing south with a curved mountainside to the north acting as a natural protective wall. The land was flat and open, covered in dense vegetation. At its southernmost edge was a cliff with a spectacular view. The six A-frame villas stood firmly on raised viewing platforms, completely intact despite the storm.

To the west of the highland, there had originally been a small fishing pond and a narrow, winding stream. Now, after continuous rainfall, the pond and stream had merged into a flowing creek that passed the western side and fell into a small waterfall at the southwestern edge. That side of the highland was the lowest, so all the rainwater drained that way, acting like a natural drainage system.

Besides the six A-frame villas, there was also a four-storey central utility building, equipped with a generator room, laundry room, kitchen, freezer and cold storage, camping gear storage, dining hall, game and movie room, café bar, and other function areas.

“Yo, this place is pretty nice!” praised the team leader who had brought them up.

Pang’s father quickly responded with modest pleasantries and generously invited the soldiers to stay as well. Though he said the words, he was secretly uneasy, afraid the military might take a liking to the place and declare it an official evacuation center.

Of course, having military protection would drastically increase safety. But at the end of the day, he was just an ordinary citizen and a businessman — naturally, he didn’t want to hand over his hard-earned property just like that.

“Not necessary,” said the team leader with a wave of his hand. “It’s half an hour away by car. We’re not lacking space, just lacking citizens capable of helping with construction.”

He then directed his men to unload the three inflatable boats from the roof and began moving the waterproof-covered supply crates onto the boats.

Soon after, the soldiers prepared to leave. It was clear this whole trip was a favor — they hadn’t come expecting anything in return.

Pang’s father felt a little ashamed of his earlier thoughts. He considered offering them some supplies as thanks, but quickly realized there wasn’t much they had to offer — just food, water, and daily goods. And the military, strict in discipline, wouldn’t accept things like that from civilians.

As the military trucks drove off, Yu Xi had already helped Yu Zhenzhen move Tianbao under a nearby pavilion.

Though the pavilion’s roof had some damage, it was large enough to at least partially shelter them from the rain.

Tianbao, who had slept all the way, finally woke up. Yu Xi pretended to take a backpack out from the waterproof tent on the boat and pulled out Tianbao’s special water bottle to give her a drink.

Tianbao sipped warm water through the straw while curiously looking around, occasionally letting out little exclamations to Yu Zhenzhen. It was her first time going out in over a month, and the lush mountain surroundings naturally piqued her curiosity.

But soon, she wrapped her arms around Yu Zhenzhen’s neck and whispered that she needed to pee.

Yu Zhenzhen had anticipated this during their journey. She gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek and told her that she was already wearing an oversized diaper — if she could hold it, great, and if not, she could go ahead and pee. Once they got inside the new house, she’d help her change.

“Are we moving?”

“That’s right, sweetie. Mommy and Auntie told you yesterday, remember? The city flooded, and no one can go outside, so now we’re up on the mountain. It’s really high, and it won’t get flooded. You’ll be able to go out again soon in a raincoat.”

“Then I don’t have to go to kindergarten?”

“Not for now. But once it stops raining, you still have to go.”

Most little kids aren’t fond of school. Hearing she didn’t have to go for now, Tianbao stopped asking. She just tugged on Yu Zhenzhen’s clothes, squatted on the bench, her little cheeks turning red as she peed into her diaper.

After all, Tianbao was only four, still in the semi self-consciousness stage. If she were any older, she wouldn’t be able to do something like that in front of others.

Seeing she’d finished, Yu Xi used the backpack as cover and discreetly took out an egg pancake and a box of strawberry milk, handing them over. It wasn’t convenient to brush teeth or wash up outside, so the priority was making sure the child ate and stayed warm.

Thanks to Xing Min’s shield, Tianbao had slept well all the way here. She was indeed hungry now. She accepted the egg pancake and sat in Yu Zhenzhen’s lap, quietly nibbling away, calm and content.

After that, Xing Min also entered the pavilion. As soon as Tianbao saw him, she lit up with joy and handed him her unopened strawberry milk, saying she wanted to give it to the pretty big brother to drink.

Xing Min walked over to stand next to Yu Xi, took the milk from Tianbao, and then pulled out a box of banana milk from his backpack to hand back to her, gently patting her on the head.

Tianbao loved having her head patted by Xing Min. She squirmed happily in Yu Zhenzhen’s arms like a little pretzel.

Yu Xi glanced sideways at Xing Min, but he didn’t look at her, so she didn’t say anything either.

She had already tried talking to him a few times on the boat, but now wasn’t the right time anyway. She wasn’t in a hurry — in fact, she figured if he really ended up ignoring her for good, it might actually be a good thing.

After all, she’d been keeping her distance from him from the start. He was the one who insisted on clinging to her…

Besides, she needed to settle the housing issue first.

She also reached out to pat Tianbao’s head, pulled the rain poncho tighter around Yu Zhenzhen to block the wind and rain blowing into the pavilion, and then looked up at the A-frame villas not far away.

Things were already getting heated over there. Just as she had expected, all six of the villas were occupied. A few of the original staff members from the homestay were also present. From the looks of it, they had been bullied badly before. Now that the owner had finally shown up—and had even brought a whole group of people — they came rushing out of the central building in rain gear to vent their grievances to Pang’s father.

The original guests had all left after the hailstorm. Since the mountain hadn’t flooded, their cars, though battered, were still functional. Worried about their families, they’d driven back home. A few of them had also been part of the homestay staff.

Now, the ones occupying the villas were people who had arrived later — some were local farmers from nearby, and some were city residents who got lost while trying to reach the evacuation site and ended up here by mistake.

The villas’ floor-to-ceiling windows had withstood the hail. The pristine structures now stood tall and eye-catching in the rain. These people quickly realized the location was well-stocked. The central building had running water and electricity, plus a cold storage room with fresh and frozen food. While the villas themselves didn’t have power, they had fireplaces, which meant they could still stay warm. The interiors were luxurious and cozy — it was clearly more comfortable than a government evacuation site.

At first, these people had tried to negotiate with the homestay staff, asking to stay temporarily for a reduced fee due to the hard times. They offered to cram more people into each villa and handle their own cleaning. They also said they would leave once the official shelter became more livable.

The staff had been moved by their pitiful state and agreed.

But inviting gods is easy, sending them away is hard.

After a few days of paying, they stopped. When the staff went to collect more rent, they were met with hostility and refusal.

Excuses poured in: this was a special situation, they had already paid something, and anyway, the villas were just sitting there empty. Why get so hung up on money? They accused the staff of being heartless leeches with no conscience.

Eventually, the intruders, emboldened by their numbers, flat-out declared they wouldn’t pay anymore. What could the staff even do? They weren’t the owners. For all they knew, the owners might already be dead. And if the owner was dead, then these villas were unclaimed. First come, first served.

The three staff members were all guys in their twenties. No match for the crowd physically or verbally, they had no choice but to back off.

Once the staff stopped pushing back, the squatters became even more brazen. They took the keys to the cold room from the central building and helped themselves to food.

Some of them decided the central building was better because it had heating, so they brought their families over and kicked the staff out of their quarters.

Others didn’t want to crowd into a single villa anymore, so they found all the keycards and unlocked every guestroom, shamelessly moving in.

When Pang’s parents heard that nearly half of their stored food had been raided, their blood pressure shot through the roof. Any thoughts of trying to negotiate disappeared — they just wanted to evict everyone immediately.

There were about twenty or so squatters in total. At first, they’d been worried when they saw the military trucks arrive, thinking the staff had called in reinforcements, and had fled into the villas to hide.

But when they saw the military leave shortly afterward, they completely relaxed.

Even the military didn’t care — so what if the owner showed up? They were alive, they were human. What could the owners do, kill them?

By the time Yu Xi finished helping Yu Zhenzhen and came over, the situation had reached a stalemate.

Pang’s father, braving the rain, was trying to go door-to-door to evict people, but the intruders had locked the glass doors from inside and refused to come out.

They weren’t stupid. With the wind and rain howling outside, who would fight them out there? Besides, they had plenty of food and drinks inside — enough to last four or five days.

They stayed inside, eating and drinking comfortably, just waiting to watch the drama unfold.

Pang’s father went to two villas in a row, but the situation was exactly the same. These people had clearly coordinated their tactics: stay inside where it was warm and dry, keep eating, and just refuse to open the door.

Meanwhile, outside in the pouring rain, their clothes were completely soaked through. With the wind howling, they were nearly freezing to the point of catching a fever.

A few of the girls stood anxiously with Pang’s mother at the entrance of the central building, trying to get a view of the situation.

If those people inside refused to leave, what were they supposed to do? The central building could provide shelter, sure, but it didn’t have enough beds or bathrooms for everyone. The living conditions couldn’t compare to the A-frame villas.

What’s more, this was their homestay — their property. Why should a bunch of random people get to live in it?

The more Pang’s mother thought about it, the angrier she got. After a while, she became dizzy and collapsed right there on the ground.

Hearing people yelling “Auntie Pang!” and seeing the commotion of people trying to help, Pang Yuqing knew things had taken a turn for the worse. He rushed from the villa back to the central building and helped lift his mother onto the sofa.

And yet, the squatters inside the villa were still flapping their mouths behind the glass doors, mocking them. They said if the owners had come and talked nicely, maybe they’d have been willing to vacate a few of the villas, let everyone squeeze in, and avoid standing in the rain.

But no, he just barged in furiously trying to kick people out, with no room for discussion. So now, this was what he deserved!

Pang’s father was livid. “What kind of bullcrap are you spouting?! This is my property! I’m already being generous by not asking you to pay compensation. I’m warning you one last time — get out of my house now, or else, or else…”

“Or else what? You gonna call the cops? Ha! You think anyone cares now? Did the soldiers who came earlier give a damn? The police can’t even manage their own mess!”

Their arrogant taunts were interrupted by a loud thud against the glass door.

Yu Xi had pushed to the front. Before doing anything, she looked over her shoulder at Uncle Pang and asked, “Uncle, do you remember what I said in the truck earlier?”

Of course Pang’s father remembered, but he didn’t see how it was relevant. These glass doors were made with bulletproof glass. Not even the recent hailstorm had managed to break them.

If the doors opened inward, they might have had a chance to kick them in or smash the locks. But these were sliding doors, tightly framed. The intruders had locked them and engaged both upper and lower latches from the inside. Even with spare keys, there was no way to undo all three layers of locks.

“I remember — you said you wanted to rent a villa long-term. That was fine before, but now —”

“No problem. As long as you remember your promise,” Yu Xi replied, taking off her rain poncho and handing it to a young man nearby. Then she flexed her wrist and pulled a Swiss army knife from her backpack.

She aimed the blade at the nearly invisible gap between the door and frame, found the right angle, and slammed the hilt with her other hand. The sharp, hard blade scraped against the metal frame and wedged right into the gap.

Next, Yu Xi pulled out a military dagger from her backpack. Under the shocked gazes of the people inside the villa, she used the tip of the first blade as a wedge and forcefully pressed the dagger into the gap as well.

“Holy crap!” the young man holding her poncho stared wide-eyed. He had guessed what she was trying to do — but this… this was actually happening?!

His suspicion was confirmed in the next second. The seemingly delicate young girl gripped both blades tightly and twisted them with full force.

Creak—crack—clang—

With a grating screech of metal, three of the locks embedded in the bulletproof glass frame were wrenched out of place. The reinforced frame gave way under the pressure and came loose from the door.

Gasps and shouts broke out behind her as Yu Xi set the massive glass door aside with one hand and stepped into the villa.

“D-Don’t come closer! Wh-what are you doing?!” the people inside were clearly terrified but still tried to keep up a tough front. “You—you’re just a little girl! Don’t think we’re afraid of you! There’s three of us!”

Yu Xi flexed her wrist, somehow feeling that this situation suited her particularly well.

She toyed with the two gleaming blades in her hands and calmly asked, “Are you walking out on your own, or do I have to kick you out?”

Moments later, accompanied by a few screams, the three men who refused to face reality were physically kicked off the villa’s viewing deck.

Yu Xi still didn’t have perfect control over her strength, so she used her maximum force each time, aiming to settle things in one go.

The three men were kicked straight into the cold, muddy ground. After twitching twice, they passed out completely.

Yu Xi took her rain poncho back from the young man and wrapped it around herself. Then she looked at the Pang family’s group, who were still staring at her in shock. “Come on, next A-frame villa.”

Everyone: ……

After Yu Xi broke down the doors of two more A-frame villas and kicked another two groups of people unconscious into the rain-soaked mud, the remaining four villas finally opened their doors, albeit unwillingly.

They knew what would happen if they refused, but what was the point of holding out? That girl was like some kind of brute-force monster — breaking in was as easy for her as drinking water. Staying inside wouldn’t save them; they’d just get thrown out — and possibly knocked out cold. Better to open the door and at least stay conscious.

Seeing the way the others were sent flying, their ribs were probably broken.

Some of them packed up and left, but not without bitter threats, saying they would call the police or report everything to the military at the shelter.

“Go ahead and call the police! Think anyone cares anymore? The cops can barely handle themselves. The military? Didn’t you see them just now dropping us off here? We’re tight with them! They just didn’t realize you rats were squatting here — otherwise, they would have kicked you out already! Yelling about justice while stealing — disgusting!” one of the younger guys in Pang’s group snapped back, throwing the squatters’ own words right back at them.

A few women among the intruders tried to play the sympathy card. True, they hadn’t joined in mocking or threatening anyone, but they also hadn’t said a word when their family and friends bullied the staff, stole supplies, and shut the doors on the property owners.

“It’s too late,” Pang’s father said, waving his hand firmly. “You already had your chance. I won’t charge you for the stay or the stolen food, but there’s no way you’re staying. All of you, out!”

“But it’s raining so hard, and it’s cold…”

“Too bad! You came by foot, you leave by foot! If your cars don’t work, walk! I’m not letting a bunch of thieves squat in my house!” Pang’s father had been in business too long to be moved by a few tears — especially after his wife had fainted from anger over this.

The Pang family’s team quickly got to work preparing to move in, and the eviction process sped up. Yu Xi stood by silently with her dagger and military knife in hand. She didn’t say a word, but her presence alone was enough to scare the squatters witless.

They hurriedly gathered their belongings, stuffing a few of the homestay’s food supplies into their bags. Two young men from Pang’s side tried to stop them, but Pang’s father raised a hand to stop them.

He knew cornered rats could bite. These people already took so much — what was a little more at this point? Better not provoke them when they were clearly on edge and capable of snapping.

The squatters did have vehicles, and they had done a decent job covering them with waterproof materials. Though the wind and rain had continued for days, the worst storm had been that first hailstorm — since then, their cars hadn’t deteriorated much more.

Worried that the Pang group might seize their vehicles, they quickly loaded their knocked-out companions, started the engines, and drove away.

Watching the cars vanish beyond the property, Pang’s father started thinking — if they were going to stay here long-term, they’d need to upgrade the homestay’s defenses. Maybe fix the surveillance system, or install some traps on the mountain path.

Then he turned and saw Yu Xi again. Recalling the terrifying strength she’d shown earlier, he inexplicably felt reassured. So he turned to her and offered directly, “As promised — you and your people can have an A-frame villa to yourselves. Four of them still have intact doors. You’ve got a child, can’t let her catch a cold. Pick whichever of the four you want.”

Then he paused and looked over at Xing Min, who stood under the pavilion not far away. “You’re sure just one A-frame villa is enough for you? If needed, I can clear out an employee room in the central building for you. It’s not as spacious as a villa, but it’s got power. Decent for a single person.”

Pang’s father was older and had sharp instincts — unlike his oblivious son, who just assumed Xing Min was the older sister’s friend. Pang’s father thought otherwise.

That man was cool and quiet, treating Yu Zhenzhen with care, but in truth, his attention was focused entirely on Yu Xi.

Still, his son hadn’t seen the girl for a couple of years, and these were matters between young people — he didn’t think Yu Xi had done anything wrong.

Following Uncle Pang’s gaze, Yu Xi looked toward the pavilion. Through the heavy rain, she saw Xing Min’s tall and upright figure. He appeared not to be paying attention to them, his head lowered as he watched Tianbao grin and act cute at him.

But Yu Xi just knew — he could hear her, and he was carefully listening to her answer.

For some reason, a soft, tingling warmth welled up in her chest. “No need. One villa is enough, it has three rooms.”

In the end, Yu Xi chose the A-frame villa farthest from the central utility building and the other villas.

By the time they dragged the rubber boat inside, stored it, changed Tianbao’s diaper, got all three adults and the child into warm, dry clothes, then cleaned and organized the entire house, three hours had passed.

Although the place had been lived in recently, it had been cleaned occasionally. But Yu Zhenzhen’s cleanliness kicked in — she insisted everything had to be spotless for peace of mind.

She not only scrubbed the house down with disinfectant solution but also replaced the bedding and mattress.

The bathroom, wardrobes, sofa covers — even the carpet in front of the couch — were all replaced with their own stuff.

Since everything had to be put in and taken out from Yu Xi’s space, she had to stay the entire time. Despite kicking in two doors and clearing out five or six people, this was somehow even more exhausting — just standing there being a “walking inventory” nearly wore her out.

Thankfully, Xing Min helped with half of the cleaning too.

Three hours later, he pulled a bundle of dry firewood from the storage room near the fireplace and reignited it, bringing warmth back into the villa.

There were no curtains on the large south-facing floor-to-ceiling windows. The glass showed marks from the hailstorm—still intact, but it would need reinforcement later.

Yu Xi didn’t like how exposed it felt, so she pulled out several dark bedsheets from her space, grabbed a stepladder, climbed up to the central beam of the triangular window, and began nailing the sheets to the top and sides of the frame.

Once the top was done, she moved to the lower beam — by the end, the entire glass wall was completely covered.

During the day, they could pull the makeshift curtains aside. When running the generator, heaters, or cooking, they could lower the curtains for privacy.

The A-frame villa had only one wall of glass; the other three walls were solid and sturdy.

Lunch was simple — Yu Xi pulled out some pre-made stir-fry dishes she’d stocked. Tianbao got an extra cheeseburger and juice.

Xing Min seemed a little surprised that she no longer avoided using her space around him, and during the meal, he spent half the time watching her.

But now it was Yu Xi’s turn to ignore him. After lunch, when Xing Min discovered the house had floor heating and mentioned it could be restarted as long as there was electricity, she just replied with a quiet “mm.” Then she brought out two gasoline generators and two 30L fuel tanks from the storage room and went upstairs.

That afternoon, after putting Tianbao to sleep, Yu Zhenzhen went to Yu Xi’s room and subjected her to a full-on “interrogation.”

Knowing “walls have ears,” Yu Xi just kept nodding and letting her sister scold her, ending up with red marks on her forehead from all the jabs.

She mentally blamed all of it on Xing Min and didn’t speak to him for two whole days.

Forget talking — she didn’t even glance his way.

In truth, there was a lot to do over the next two days; setting up the A-frame villa, planning reinforcements — Yu Xi was pretty busy. She could endure it. But someone else couldn’t.

On the third night after dinner, after she checked the glass door and turned off the dim living room light, just as she passed by Xing Min’s room to go upstairs, she was suddenly pulled in by the arm — right into his room.

Ch 338 (Extra 12): Apocalypse Star House Hoarding

Thingyan: My sincere apology for releasing the last extras sooooo slow. I for some reason thought I already did. Really appreciate all your patience and also thanks to all the kofi supporters 😘😘😘😘😘

…

Pang Yuqing’s earlier words — Xing Min had heard them all.

Because Yu Xi had come into this world this time through a different method, certain fine details about her background hadn’t been crafted by him, so he didn’t know everything in full. He just hadn’t expected someone like Pang Yuqing to exist — or more accurately, he hadn’t expected there to be someone with a shared past with Yu Xi.

The man who jumped onto the opposite raft was tall, not wearing any rain gear. With long legs and clean movement, he dropped down from the broken tree trunk — more than a person’s height — onto the raft, which only swayed slightly beneath him.

The motion also jolted Yu Xi, and her soft little hand nearly slipped away. Pang Yuqing instinctively tightened his grip, reluctant to let go so quickly.

He hadn’t seen Yu Xi in years — especially during the grueling final year of high school when even their messaging dwindled. He understood that those fuzzy first-love feelings from youth rarely lasted. Under normal circumstances, had they met again, they might have gradually grown apart due to differences in growth, personality shifts, time spent apart … and peacefully brought that chapter to a close.

But now, under the pressure of a disaster, the past seems more precious and beautiful than ever. This seemingly fated reunion added a dramatic flair, making Pang Yuqing feel like a leading man reuniting with his destined heroine.

He had just said something important, was still waiting for Yu Xi’s reply, when someone interrupted — and he couldn’t help feeling annoyed. He turned his head toward the voice, and for a second, was dumbfounded.

Holy ** — this guy’s face was insane. Especially the eyes — were those contacts? Was he mixed race?

While he was still frozen, the man lifted his eyes and glanced back at him. That calm, distant look was like a flash of cold electricity. Just one glance, and Pang Yuqing felt like something invisible had jolted through him.

Electricity?

Before he could make sense of it, his body gave an involuntary shudder — and the fingers holding Yu Xi’s hand loosened.

“Sorry,” said the handsome blue-eyed man, his tone polite but distant. As he handed his backpack to Yu Xi, he looked back at Pang Yuqing. “We’re on the move — afraid we can’t keep chatting.”

“You’re heading this way — toward Qiu Wang Mountain?” Pang Yuqing pressed again.

Yu Xi nodded. “Yeah.”

“Perfect!” Pang Yuqing’s hesitation vanished in an instant. “That means even if we hadn’t run into each other here, we might’ve reunited at Qiu Wang Mountain. So why not travel together?”

Xing Min, who had turned away, paused mid-step. He reached out, took the umbrella from Yu Xi’s other hand, and gently reminded her, “The rain’s picking up. We should hurry.” Then he gave her a look and gestured toward the bag — clearly saying: we’ve got everything.

Yu Xi understood immediately. She looked at his calm face, and for a moment almost thought that the glint of stormy coldness in his eyes earlier had been her imagination.

But she hadn’t missed Pang Yuqing’s hand trembling when he let go. There was no way that had nothing to do with Xing Min.

So, aside from her voluntary affection and initiative, Xing Min clearly had high expectations when it came to exclusivity and priority.

Yu Xi bit her lip gently. This was tricky. After all, she hadn’t officially broken up with Pang Yuqing. Technically speaking… wasn’t Xing Min the one intervening?

Uh…

She suddenly realized something — had she accidentally made Xing Min into… a third party?

For a second, she really felt like she was kind of a jerk. But the thought didn’t weigh on her for long.

What actually troubled her was something else entirely. If they hadn’t randomly run into Pang Yuqing here, she might have forgotten about him completely. Why did the memory she had of him feel so disconnected, so foreign, when compared to seeing him in person?

She had felt deja vu from the disaster footage, from some things Yu Zhenzhen had said — but now the people and moments she should’ve remembered clearly… felt like they belonged to someone else’s life.

Back on Pang Yuqing’s side, his two inflatable rafts carried not just his parents, but several neighbors and friends from their villa community who had also sought shelter at the shopping mall.

There were also a few classmates who had studied abroad in F Country on the same flight as him. They’d planned to return to school together before the National Day holiday.

They hadn’t expected to get trapped in the same place. When Pang’s parents came to pick him up, there was no way he would have abandoned his friends. Luckily, they’d brought a seven-seater van, and they’d all squeezed in.

Then disaster after disaster struck. Those classmates were all from out of town. Though they had contacted family, they couldn’t leave H City, so they had been following Pang Yuqing’s group ever since.

There were both guys and girls among them — and seeing Pang Yuqing suddenly act so out of character, crossing the water, grabbing onto some girl and refusing to let go… of course they were curious.

After all, Pang Yuqing was a well-known figure at H University — a rich second-gen, handsome, kind, and a top student. Plenty of girls liked him, and many had even pursued him, but no one had ever seen him agree to date anyone.

So was it because he already had a girlfriend that he had always ignored the other girls’ confessions?

While the guys were curiously eyeing Yu Xi, the girls were all staring at the man beside her.

With that kind of look, it was simply impossible to ignore him. An outstanding man now appearing beside his long-lost girlfriend — was Pang Yuqing really not worried?

There was electricity, water, and food at the shopping mall, but life in a shelter was terribly boring. Now that there was finally something juicy to gossip about, a few of the classmates quietly discussed it the whole way.

Could a first love separated by time and distance still have a happy ending?

Sure, Pang Yuqing was charming: handsome, smart, and wealthy — but that man beside Yu Xi was even better-looking, with a cold, elegant aura and, by appearances, was extremely gentle and considerate to “Xixi.” Did Pang Yuqing still stand a chance?

Or… had he been unknowingly cheated on this whole time?

Things at the mountain villa were going to be real lively…

…

The two black inflatable rafts trailed behind Yu Xi’s raft. Of course, Yu Xi could hear their gossip.

Gentle and considerate?

Yu Xi glanced at Xing Min’s face. Ever since he returned to the windproof tent, he hadn’t looked at her even once. His expression was calm and distant. When she mentioned the mountain villa, he just gave a flat “mm” and said nothing more.

He might as well have written “I’m in a bad mood, figure it out yourself” across his forehead.

What was she supposed to do?

She couldn’t exactly fix his mood here, could she?

Her sister and Tianbao were both on the raft — wasn’t that asking a bit much of her?

But between Xing Min and her sister, her sister clearly looked more upset. After all, she had been betrayed by Yu Jun herself, and now her little sister seemed to be juggling her own little “pond of fish”; of course she wasn’t thrilled.

Yu Xi tried to say something several times but hesitated because of Xing Min’s brooding presence. Yu Zhenzhen just gave her a few hard looks, clearly meaning: You wait till we get there. We’re going to have a talk.

Once they left the shopping mall area and continued west, they quickly reached the cultural park.

This park had a massive lake. The shoreline twisted and curved, and all the landscaping was built around it. It focused on natural scenery and had very few man-made buildings, most no higher than three stories tall. A few amusement rides were actually taller.

Now, almost all of the park was flooded. It looked like a vast body of water, with only a few treetops sticking out like aquatic plants. In some places, the water surface was entirely covered by fallen branches and leaves.

The Pang family’s group hadn’t originally planned to take this route. Their initial plan was the same as Yu Xi’s alternate route: head south first, then take the wider main road westward.

But that would’ve meant a huge detour around the park—and they couldn’t be sure they had enough fuel to make it to Qiu Wang Mountain. They’d hoped to maybe find some fuel along the way.

After hearing Yu Xi’s plan and with Pang Yuqing’s strong endorsement, they changed course at the last minute.

Of course, if the Pang family’s rafts had gone first, the journey would’ve been bumpy with multiple times getting stuck. Luckily, Xing Min led the way, and after more than an hour, they finally crossed the park and reached the western outskirts.

By then, the rain was coming down harder, pounding on the inflatable rafts. Most of the Pang family’s waterproof material was covering their supplies, so the people were left to sit in the rain. Even with rain ponchos, the wind was picking up, and the rain felt like it was being dumped on them by the bucketful.

Their clothes were soaked, faces wet, eyes stinging — they couldn’t even see clearly. The rain leaked in through their collars no matter how tightly they wrapped up. They were shivering from the cold.

And yet, they had to keep scooping water out of the raft with whatever tools they had — otherwise the boats would quickly fill up and capsize.

They didn’t have the energy to gossip anymore. They just stared at the windproof tent on Yu Xi’s orange raft with envy, fantasizing about how once they reached the villa, they’d immediately change into dry warm clothes, boil a pot of water on a gas stove, make some hot coffee or milk tea — or even a bowl of instant noodles with a braised egg and some sliced sausage…

In reality, Yu Xi’s raft tent wasn’t as magical as they imagined. It was still a soft structure. Regular rain wasn’t an issue, but in this kind of downpour, the tent would collapse or at least cave in under the weight.

What was truly holding the tent up… was Xing Min’s pale gold barrier.

Fortunately, just ahead, gray land came into view — that was the Qiuwang Mountain scenic area. They had arrived!

Yu Xi had a car in her space. The original plan was to pretend to search for a bit, then “find” the vehicle and drive it back — just to keep appearances. Now that the Pang family’s group was also here, their plan was similar: send out two or three people to look for a car nearby.

This was a tourist area with lots of parking lots. Though hail and wind had hit the area hard, they weren’t picky — even a car with broken windows would do, as long as it could still run. They have waterproof covers; they just didn’t want to haul supplies through the rain on foot.

But they got lucky. The search party hadn’t gone far when they ran into a convoy.

Several large military pickup trucks appeared. The cargo beds were covered with heavy-duty waterproof tarps, packed full of supply crates. Inflatable rescue boats were tied to the roof. From the look of it, these were soldiers headed into the city to distribute aid.

When they saw the three rafts and the people aboard, the soldiers didn’t look particularly surprised.

This wasn’t the first wave of evacuees they had seen in the past few days.

Although the Qiu Wang Mountain refuge zone was still under construction, the area’s elevation made it a natural gathering point, and many people from the western part of H City had already moved into the official shelters. The soldiers had also learned more about the local situation from residents.

Just as Yu Xi had predicted, most of the people who had been trapped in scenic hotels and homestays had already relocated to the official refuge areas.

There were also quite a few rural households in the surrounding outskirts. Some lived at higher elevations and had their own wells in their yards. They reinforced and repaired their homes and stayed put. Others, who lived in lower areas, saw their first floors completely flooded during the storms, with holes punched into their rooftops. When staying in self-built houses became impossible, soldiers arrived in assault boats. Since the distance was short and the number of people was small, they took them directly to the shelters.

When the soldiers found out that the Pang family had their own homestay in the mountains, they didn’t insist they go to the official shelter. Instead, after unloading the rafts and supplies, they let them ride along in the military trucks, since the route overlapped. They were willing to drop them off at their homestay along the way.

This thrilled everyone — including Yu Xi. She had just surveyed the area and found that although there were vehicles, most had been wrecked by hail. Finding one with intact windows was nearly impossible.

In such a situation, pulling out the car she had stored in her space would be far too suspicious. If it were just Xing Min, fine. But with the Pang family group present, it would definitely raise eyebrows.

With no need to search for vehicles or figure out directions, everyone got to work despite the rain — hauling the inflatable boats ashore, transferring supplies, then securing the boats to the truck roofs.

Yu Xi’s process was simpler thanks to the tented raft. Since the supplies were packed inside, she didn’t need to unload anything—just tie it down and go. Everything could be sorted once they reached the homestay.

Of course, that’s only if there were actual supplies inside.

Yu Xi exchanged a glance with Yu Zhenzhen, who sighed again. The three of them had evacuated without even packing a bag. They could fool outsiders, but not Xing Min.

Still, knowing Xing Min’s unusual nature gave Yu Zhenzhen some comfort. So with Yu Xi’s help, she and Yu Zhenzhen bundled sleeping Tianbao in a raincoat and umbrella shield and were the first to board the military truck.

When Yu Xi turned to help Xing Min move the raft, she noticed it felt noticeably heavier. Peeking through the narrow transparent section, she saw several cardboard boxes inside—it looked like Xing Min had discreetly taken them out of his space to make it look like they had real supplies.

The soldiers didn’t just stand there — others also helped carry the raft. Seeing how tightly sealed Yu Xi’s raft was, they even praised it as a good piece of equipment.

The military truck was large, and both groups boarded the same vehicle. As soon as Yu Xi got on, Pang Yuqing called her over to sit.

Yu Zhenzhen was already there, and there were two empty seats beside her.

After calling Yu Xi, Pang Yuqing politely waved to Xing Min as well: “Have your sister’s friend come sit too!”

Xing Min lifted his eyes and glanced at him. Then, after his cool gaze briefly passed over Yu Xi, he went and sat down in the seat next to Yu Zhenzhen.

Yu Xi felt chilled by that look. When she glanced his way again, she caught Yu Zhenzhen watching her with an amused yet disapproving look — equal parts “disappointed in you” and “serves you right.”

Yu Xi: …

Yeah, definitely her biological sister.

On the way to the homestay, Pang Yuqing was enthusiastically showing her pictures and videos from his mom’s phone, introducing the property.

His family’s homestay was a popular internet-famous spot, with six individual units. Each was an A-frame villa nestled among the mountains. They were built on raised foundations and featured viewing platforms. The villas had vaulted ceilings with a second floor — one bedroom downstairs and two upstairs.

In the photos, the homestays looked like deep blue isosceles triangles nestled in the lush green forest.

Each villa had a fireplace and was around six meters high. Along the eaves, they had installed solar panels made of tempered glass. Even if some were damaged, the rooftops underneath should remain intact. At worst, the panels would stop generating power, but they could still serve as a protective layer against further hail.

The only downside was that the southern walls of the villas, designed for lighting and aesthetics, were made entirely of glass — including the sliding doors. Although they had used bulletproof glass, they had never seen hailstorms of that intensity in H City before. Even if the glass hadn’t shattered, it likely didn’t look too great now…

And with villas of that quality, they were practically ideal shelters in the midst of a disaster — everyone was worried that by the time they arrived, the villas might already be occupied by others, which could easily lead to conflict.

In times like these, a small group like theirs wouldn’t have much say if that happened.

While Pang Yuqing was speaking, Yu Xi had been closely examining the photos and videos. Each of the A-frame villas was spaced apart from the others, and as long as repairs and reinforcements were done properly, the **security and functionality were actually very good.

But after all, the homestay was still the Pang family’s property. If she moved in directly, it would inevitably tie her to Pang Yuqing in some ambiguous way. However, what he had just said gave her a bit of inspiration.

“If your villas really have been taken over, and the occupants refuse to leave and insist on staying there for free, I might be able to help you regain control of the situation.”

Hearing such words from a young, slender girl made everyone in the Pang family’s group think she was just joking — Pang Yuqing included. Still, not wanting to dampen her spirit, he nodded and thanked her in advance for her help.

“If I really do help,” Yu Xi continued, “I would like to rent one of the A-frame villas on my own. I’ll need the right to modify it, and I want it on a long-term lease — with a proper contract, in black and white.”

She could afford to buy it, sure — but first, the family probably wouldn’t want to sell, and secondly, there was no need.

It would be better to rent it for three to four years and gradually renovate and reinforce it. Even if her predictions turned out to be wrong and the disaster did stabilize, she could always move back to the city later. The villa could remain as a backup refuge.

Pang Yuqing realized from the seriousness in her tone that she wasn’t joking at all. “That’s fine — anytime you want to stay, just come. And even if the place is occupied now, I’m sure we can talk it out. Everyone’s had a hard time… I don’t think it’ll really turn into something that bad.”

Yu Xi nodded. “Of course, that would be ideal.”

If everything could go smoothly with less trouble, that would certainly be best. But based on Pang Yuqing’s earlier descriptions of the A-frame villas, she didn’t think it would be that easy.

Ch 64: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

Zhong Lianjia followed the narrow cement path downhill, first noticing a row of cars parked in a shabby lot. The sight only added to his unease about this strange place.

On this desolate, seemingly abandoned street with barely a soul in sight, there was an entire lineup of luxury cars—varied models, none repeated—boldly parked by the roadside as if they were nothing more than cabbages in a market.

Continuing onward, he saw signs hanging on both sides of the path: Snack Shop, Qingshan Noodle House, Nail Salon, Blind Box Shop, Hot Spring Inn… Every single sign started with the name “Lu Yao,” giving the impression that the entire street belonged to one person.

In a location this remote, where even hailing a cab is difficult, was this kind of setup necessary?

Yet, at the very end of the road, there really was an internet café. Unsurprisingly, its sign also began with “Lu Yao.”

Standing in the middle of the narrow cement path, Zhong Lianjia clutched his phone tightly. The emergency number “110” was already entered, his finger hovering over the “dial” button.

The moment something felt wrong, he planned to turn and run, making sure to call the police as he fled.

His emotions were conflicted—half convinced this place was off, but also feeling a peculiar rush of excitement.

Maybe he really had a bit of a death wish.

“K… C?” A voice, laced with curiosity, came from behind him.

Killerclown was Zhong Lianjia’s gaming ID, and most people who knew him through games addressed him by it, or by the initials “KC.”

Zhong Lianjia slowly turned around to see a young woman standing at the entrance of the hot spring inn.

When she saw his face, her confusion and surprise gradually morphed into delight. She quickly walked toward him. “It really is you, Zhong…”

Zhong Lianjia scratched the back of his short hair and finished her sentence for her. “Zhong Lianjia.”

Bai Lu had been tidying up the inn’s guest rooms when she caught a glimpse of someone outside the window. The figure didn’t resemble any of the shopping street staff, so she stepped out to check. To her surprise, the visitor turned out to be someone completely unexpected.

She happened to be a casual fan of Zhong Lianjia.

However, Bai Lu wasn’t the type to obsess over celebrities, whether they were esports players or otherwise. For her, it was more of a trendy pastime to enjoy during leisure moments.

But encountering Zhong Lianjia in a place like this—especially right after yesterday’s major news—was still astonishing to her. “What brings you here? Could it be… you’re here to unwind?”

The shopping street in this world was only open to a select few VIP customers, so Bai Lu didn’t think beyond that.

Given Zhong Lianjia’s status as a former professional player, he shouldn’t be lacking money. Having just retired, it was reasonable for him to seek out a place like this to relax and clear his mind.

Zhong Lianjia hadn’t expected to meet someone who recognized him in such a remote area. The psychological defenses he’d built up began to dissolve. “You work here?”

Bai Lu nodded. “Yeah. Is this your first time here? Which shop did you book? I can take you there.”

It seemed she misunderstood.

Zhong Lianjia felt a bit awkward. “I’m here for the internet café.”

Without overthinking it, Bai Lu enthusiastically led him toward the café. “The new shop just opened recently. Where did you hear about it?”

“The café is hiring, right?” Zhong Lianjia asked.

Mentioning this made Bai Lu huff indignantly. “Yeah, they’ve been looking for a net manager. Two people came for interviews the other day, but neither was a good fit. Our café is clearly amazing!”

Lu Yao heard voices and stepped out of the shop. “Bai Lu.”

Bai Lu quickly walked over to her. “Boss, this is Zhong Lianjia. You’ve heard of him, right?”

Lu Yao took a good look and realized it really was the young man from the résumé. However, there was a faint weariness in his expression, a touch of despondency that hadn’t been present in his photos or videos.

“Yes, he’s the new applicant for the position,” Lu Yao said, patting Bai Lu’s shoulder and motioning to Zhong Lianjia. “Come on in.”

Zhong Lianjia walked past Bai Lu, murmuring a soft “Thank you,” without daring to meet her gaze.

For Zhong Lianjia, today had been a series of bizarre experiences. First, the suspiciously scam-like job posting for a net café manager turned out to be genuine. But the real blow was running into someone who recognized him during his fall from being a professional player to applying for a job as a net manager—a reminder of the “professional halo” he hadn’t yet fully shaken off.

Bai Lu stood frozen at the doorway, processing what she had just heard: Zhong Lianjia… applying to be the net manager at the Interdimensional Internet Café.

!!!

She pulled out her phone and immediately shared the explosive news in the employee group chat.

[Hot Spring Inn Bai Lu]: [OMG.JPG] I just saw Zhong Lianjia—he’s applying to be our net manager!

[Interdimensional Cinema Gesi]: What?! Zhong Lianjia retired just yesterday, didn’t he?

[Hot Spring Inn Zheng Ziyang]: [Shocked Leopard.JPG] Are you sure it wasn’t someone else?

[Hot Spring Inn Bai Lu]: I saw him in person! How could I mistake him? He even introduced himself as ‘Zhong Lianjia.’ I thought he was a customer at first, but the boss said he came to apply.

[Nail Salon Edward]: Is he really that impressive?

[Little Pet Cafe Piao Piao]: Whimper? Whimper?

[Childhood Tutoring Center Bai Yi]: At his peak, they called him ‘K King.’ He was truly phenomenal back then. I didn’t expect his career to end like this…

[Snack Shop Xiao Qie]: What do you mean? Is the shopping street somehow beneath him?

[Nail Salon Clarissa]: If he retired and still ended up at the shopping street, the man must have some extraordinary luck.

[Childhood Tutoring Center Bai Yi]: …You know, the more I think about it, you might actually be right!!!

[Hot Spring Inn Bai Lu]: Think about it this way: if K King gets the job, doesn’t that make us his seniors?

[Little Pet Cafe Ji Zhixin]: That’s not even surprising. My Uncle Ming joined the shopping street and is now just ‘Xiao Ji.’

Ji Feiming, quietly reading the chat, sighed and facepalmed. Family disgrace.

…

Cheng Ye glanced at the rapidly scrolling messages in the chat and then looked up to see Zhong Lianjia being shown around the café’s modest work area by Lu Yao. He couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.

If the esports legend gets hired, his title will instantly downgrade from “K King” to “Xiao Zhong.”

…

Zhong Lianjia stepped into the Interdimensional Internet Café and immediately spotted a sausage grill and a warming cabinet on the counter. He blinked, swallowing back the urge to comment.

Then he turned to survey the hall, which was smaller than his old training room. It was hard to believe this was supposed to be a modern internet café—small, cramped, with barely ten computers in total.

So, was “interdimensional” supposed to mean traveling back a decade or more?

He felt thoroughly scammed. A place like this would be lucky to offer 2K a month, let alone 10K.

Though Zhong Lianjia wasn’t in desperate need of money at the moment, even he had thought the advertised salary was outrageous when he looked at the posting again earlier that morning. Still, he had held on to a shred of hope.

The café’s patrons were also a little odd. Their outfits and styles seemed outlandish, giving the place the feel of a cosplay event rather than a regular internet café.

Lu Yao said, “The space is a bit small for now, but once business stabilizes, we’ll plan to expand.”

Zhong Lianjia interrupted, “I saw on the job posting that the salary is listed as 10K a month.”

Lu Yao nodded. “That’s correct. 10K.”

“Seriously?”

She smiled. “What, you think it’s just a pipe dream?”

Zhong Lianjia shook his head, frowning. “I don’t get it. This place…”

He wanted to say that the location was remote, the space was small, and with no events or promotions, how could they possibly have enough business to support such a salary? Could the café even make 10K a month, let alone pay it to the manager?

…

At that moment, two striking blue butterflies fluttered into the café. As they shimmered with a soft blue glow, they transformed into elegant women with wasp-waists and long legs. The pair sauntered to the counter.

“Net manager, open two computers for us,” one of them said, her voice as sweet as honey.

Cheng Ye looked up apologetically. “The café is fully booked this afternoon.”

The butterfly demons turned to Lu Yao, their voices laced with a playful charm. “Boss, this morning it was full, and now this afternoon it’s full too. Are you deliberately avoiding doing business with us sisters?”

Lu Yao gestured to Zhong Lianjia to wait and walked over to the counter. She grabbed two grilled sausages and handed them to the butterfly demons, smiling warmly. “Why would you think that, sisters? I love having straightforward and beautiful ladies like you come and play! It’s just bad timing today, but in a few days, we’re expanding the shop. I’ll reserve two spots for you then.”

The butterfly demons had only been teasing and found her response amusing. This human was sly yet refreshingly straightforward—she knew how to charm them.

Taking the sausages, they didn’t cause any trouble and leisurely wandered into the main hall to watch others use the computers.

Lu Yao returned to Zhong Lianjia and picked up the conversation where they left off. “I understand your concerns. Normally, a net manager wouldn’t earn this much. But as you’ve seen, our café caters to some rather… unique customers. The higher pay is mainly because the job comes with a bit more risk than usual.”

Zhong Lianjia: “…”

A bit more risk? That’s putting it lightly!

Cheng Ye chimed in, “It’s true that demon customers are a little different from humans, but honestly, it’s not that bad. I’m new here too, and I haven’t had much trouble adjusting. In fact, I think it’s more fun than working in a regular company full of humans.”

Zhong Lianjia: “…”

Is this place even real?

His mind was spinning with thoughts. He felt like either the alcohol from last night hadn’t worn off, or someone was seriously messing with him.

Seeing his exhausted and hesitant expression, Lu Yao didn’t press him. “You look like you didn’t get much rest. Why don’t you sit behind the counter and take a moment to collect yourself before deciding?”

For reasons even he couldn’t explain, Zhong Lianjia followed her suggestion and sat in the rocking chair behind the counter, trying to clear his head.

A few notifications popped up on his phone—friend requests. Without thinking too much, Zhong Lianjia accepted one.

The person immediately introduced themselves as a representative from Red Apple Live and offered him a streaming contract.

Zhong Lianjia glanced at the message before exiting the chat.

These past years of gaming had been relentless. Turning something he loved into a profession—had it paid off? Yes.

Was he satisfied with how it ended? Not at all.

But did he want to go back?

Zhong Lianjia wrestled with the question. To his surprise, the answer was no.

At least, not right now.

He got up and walked over to Lu Yao. “Boss.”

Lu Yao turned. “Yes?”

Zhong Lianjia: “When can I start?”

A flicker of delight crossed Lu Yao’s face. “You’ve made up your mind?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

Lu Yao quickly prepared a trial contract, offering a seven-day probation period.

Zhong Lianjia was a little surprised. He could tell Lu Yao really wanted him to stay, but her handling of the process was unexpectedly professional.

Contract in hand, Zhong Lianjia opened his phone and replied to the Red Apple Live representative, stating that he had already found a job and currently had no plans to start streaming.

The other party was shocked and kept pressing Zhong Lianjia, asking if he had already signed a contract with another platform.

Zhong Lianjia didn’t reply.

Meanwhile, countless fans online were also waiting for Zhong Lianjia’s next move. Many assumed that after retiring, he would quickly return as a streamer.

Instead, Zhong Lianjia posted a brief farewell message: “Don’t miss me.”

Rumors swirled across the internet, but Zhong Lianjia remained silent.

…

On the second night of his new job, Lu Yao added Zhong Lianjia to the internal chat group of the shopping street.

At the time, he was working the night shift, and most staff members had already clocked out, leaving the group buzzing with activity.

[Interdimensional internet cafe Zhong Lianjia]: “Hello everyone, I’m Zhong Lianjia. Please take care of me!”

[Hot Spring Inn Bai Lu]: “Welcome, K King!”

[Interdimensional Cinema Gao Si]: “K King has really joined the shop street! Ahhhhh, so exciting!!!”

[Nail Salon Harold]: “So, this is the ‘Xiao Zhong’ everyone mentioned?”

[Childhood Tutoring Center Bai Yi]: “@Nail Salon Harold. Shh!”

[Snack Shop Chi]: “Haha, just human interactions.”

[Blind BoxShop Ji Feiming]: “@Interdimensional internet cafe Zhong Lianjia, stay humble and you’ll get used to it.”

Zhong Lianjia didn’t dare type anything else for the rest of the night.

He soon realized that every shop in the area belonged to Lu Yao, and the employees, while friendly, were… unusual.

Seeing the bizarre clientele in the internet cafe, Zhong Lianjia couldn’t help but wonder: Are the other shops just as weird?

…

A few days later, the Interdimensional internet cafe had gained considerable fame among the demons. The shop was now packed daily, with many customers waiting for a spot.

Unlike human internet cafés, demons preferred to cultivate at night, especially from midnight to dawn, when absorbing the essence of heaven and earth was most effective.

This led to peculiar scenes: powerful demons gathering outside the café in their original forms to cultivate through the night. At first light, they would transform into human shapes, file inside to play games, and grab breakfast.

The café’s breakfast menu, which originally consisted of instant noodles and starch sausages, had expanded to include items like fried dough sticks, tofu pudding, sesame balls, and pancakes.

Some customers, unable to find a seat, would simply buy breakfast and stand behind others, watching them play.

…

Smaller demons like the sparrows, Black Swallow, and Cui Yu would cultivate at night, work in Liuxian City as underlings for the demon emperor during the day to earn spirit stones, and only splurge on a visit to the café when they managed to secure a spot.

Lu Yao had started considering expanding the shop and adding more machines, but there was a recurring issue—demon customers struggled to use the keyboards.

While playing games involved only a few keys and could be mimicked mechanically, things became complicated when they wanted to communicate with other players. They didn’t know how to type and had to frequently call for help, which affected their experience.

Although the mortal realm’s universal script was somewhat common, demon, magic, and cultivation realms each had their own unique writing systems, none of which were compatible with the café’s keyboards.

Expecting demons to learn an otherworldly language just to browse the internet was clearly unreasonable.

After discussing it with Cheng Ye, Lu Yao decided to modify the keyboards and create a custom input method that suited the residents of the mystical continent. Ideally, it would also support multiple world languages.

Cheng Ye would handle the keyboard modifications, while Lu Yao focused on gathering language data.

She made several trips to BaiXian Town with Harold, where they purchased dictionaries, historical texts, and popular storybooks—enough to cover most of the mortal realm’s common vocabulary.

However, BaiXian Town was too remote and lacked comprehensive resources on demon and magic languages or the cultivation world’s complex terms.

The nearest city, Liuxian City, had once been a mortal settlement but was now under the jurisdiction of the demon emperor. Over the centuries, the number of demons residing there had surpassed that of humans.

Lu Yao planned to visit Liuxian City for better resources.

While packing supplies, Wuling approached her at the counter. “You’re going to Liuxian City?”

Lu Yao nodded. “It’s said to be a demon city. Do humans need special permissions to enter?”

Wuling frowned. “Knowing it’s a demon city, you still want to go?”

Lu Yao replied with determination: “We need to solve the keyboard issue. To do that, I must learn more about the demons. Liuxian City is the nearest demon hub, so I have no choice.”

Hearing this, Wuling’s expression darkened. Recently, he’d been deeply engrossed in Dreams of Jianghu, gaining recognition for his stellar PK skills.

However, his inability to type remained a constant source of frustration.

Sometimes, after winning a duel, he’d encounter sore losers who would open chat windows to hurl insults. Unable to respond, he’d have to call a café assistant, but by then, the other player would have finished cursing and blocked him.

Wuling hesitated for a moment before fixing his gaze on Lu Yao. “I can take you to Liuxian City, but you must listen to everything I say once we’re inside.”

Lu Yao asked, “What about bringing my brother along?”

Wuling shook his head. “I’ll only take you. Your brother seems neither demon nor human nor cultivator—he’s an anomaly. Bringing him into Liuxian City will immediately alert the Demon Bureau.”

Lu Yao nodded. “Alright, I’ll leave it to you then.”

Wuling stepped closer and lowered his gaze. “In return, I want five boxes of those seafood mooncakes, twenty beef sandwiches, and a ten-day supply of strawberry boba orange drinks.”

The little flower demon’s hidden foodie nature had clearly been awakened by the café’s snacks. Lu Yao couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright, and when we get back from Liuxian City, I’ll treat you to some things you haven’t tried yet.”

The two agreed to depart for Liuxian City at dawn the following day.

…

Demons were most active at night when their powers were strongest, while their presence was more subdued during the day.

When the shopping street staff learned that Lu Yao was going to a demon city, they quickly flooded the group chat with shopping requests.

[Hot Spring Inn Bai Lu]: “Boss! Help me check if there’s a slimming pill available. As long as it works, I’m willing to pay up to five figures in soft girl coins.”

[Hot Spring Inn Ji Qingyan]: “Boss, can you get me a Qiankun Bag? My budget is up to seven figures.”

[Interdimensional Cinema Gao Meng]: “Ugh, these filthy rich ladies make me so jealous! Boss, if there are sugar-coated haws in the demon realm, please get me a skewer. But no more than ten yuan!”

[Nail Salon Harold]: “[Angry.JPG] Why can’t I go with you? Can that little flower demon Wuling be trusted?”

[Lu Yao]: “@Nail Salon Harold. It’s all about blending in. Your identity stands out too much here. Don’t worry, I have dragon scales and the key. If there’s danger, I’ll call you.”

[Little Pet Cafe Leilei]: “Lu Yao, bring back something tasty!!!”

[Little Pet Cafe Piaopiao]: “Tasty snacks!!! Lots of them!!!”

[Lu Yao]: “Got it. I’ll bring some back.”

…

That morning, a light rain had left a thin mist over the mountains.

Wuling stood outside the café, conjuring a spell with his fingers. A peach blossom sprouted from his arm.

He broke off a small branch and tucked it into Lu Yao’s hair.

In an instant, her plain attire transformed into a pink gown, and her hair grew long, tied up with a pink ribbon.

The peach blossom complemented her delicate face, making her appear vibrant and radiant.

Wuling frowned at the lotus-shaped earring dangling from Lu Yao’s left ear. “This thing can’t be disguised? It looks out of place. Take it off.”

Lu Yao reached up to touch the earring. “I’ve grown used to wearing it. I’d feel uneasy without it.”

Wuling sighed. Though the peach blossom suited her, the lotus earring disrupted the harmony of the look.

He crafted another spell, and golden specks of light surrounded Lu Yao.

Her pink gown transformed into a white one, with golden lotuses embroidered on the hem, sleeves, and collar. The golden specks shimmered faintly as she moved.

The peach blossom in her hair turned into a jade lotus, and the ribbon became white silk. A delicate emerald-green lotus-shaped earring now adorned her right ear.

This human woman could appear charming in pink and coolly elegant in white. Wuling felt his effort was worth it.

He extended his sleeve to Lu Yao. “Let’s go.”

…

BaiXian Mountain, Hengze Sect

Jiang Yan and the apprentice stood at the mountain path’s entrance, gazing toward the shadowy side of the hills.

Apprentice: “Third Senior Brother, hasn’t the demonic energy on the mountain been thicker these past few days?”

Jiang Yan: (nodding) “The southeastern skies are heavy with clouds that refuse to disperse—there must be a gathering of demons.”

Apprentice: “So… are we still going up the mountain today?”

Jiang Yan, frail since childhood with poor spiritual roots, had found a modest talent only in alchemy. His cultivation was weak, and he lacked combat skills—so much so that even dealing with mischievous sparrow spirits required gentle tactics.

If they encountered a powerful demon in the mountains, neither he nor the apprentice could put up a fight.

With the sect’s other disciples away on training missions, Jiang Yan was left alone at the sect, with nowhere else to go.

Initially, Jiang Yan wanted to suggest they return, but upon seeing the worry on the apprentice’s face, he changed his mind. Adjusting his basket, he stepped forward.

Jiang Yan: “We’ll go up. The herbs are nearly gone. If we don’t go today, we’ll have to go tomorrow—we can’t avoid it forever.”

…

Lu Yao followed Wuling into Liuxian City.

The legendary city of demons was far livelier than BaiXian Town.

Shops lined both sides of the streets, with endless covered bridges and waterside pavilions stretching into the distance. To Lu Yao’s surprise, the city featured many interconnected canals densely filled with blooming lotus flowers.

Regardless of the season, the lotus flowers were in full bloom, visible from every corner.

Even more striking was the prevalence of lotus motifs on the decorative beams and doors of restaurants and shops.

Lu Yao’s outfit, adorned with lotus embroidery, her jade lotus hairpin, and lotus-shaped earrings, naturally drew attention as she walked through the city.

Wuling, noticing her curiosity, remarked, “Do you know the origin of this city’s name?”

Lu Yao blinked. “‘Liuxian’ sounds like it’s about keeping an immortal here. Could it be named after someone who loved lotus flowers?”

Wuling raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised. “Not entirely correct, but not far off either.”

He began to recount a story in his flat, emotionless tone—a tale of love between a demon and an immortal.

Three centuries ago, a lotus fairy descended from the heavens to endure her tribulation. She met a demon in this very city.

Smitten by the fairy, the demon tore out his heart, offered his demon core, and planted lotus flowers throughout the city to win her favor—causing a massive uproar that shook the entire city.

Their entanglement spanned a hundred years, but in the end, the fairy ascended back to the heavens, leaving behind a city filled with lotus flowers and an empty shell of a town.

The name “Liuxian” (“keep the immortal”) symbolizes the demon’s futile attempt to keep her heart—and her presence.

Lu Yao: “Did the fairy ever say she liked the demon?”

Wuling blinked in confusion. “How would I know such private details?”

Lu Yao: (chuckling) “Pardon my bluntness, but from your description, this doesn’t sound like mutual love—it’s clearly unrequited!”

Wuling tilted his head. “What’s the difference?”

Lu Yao: “That demon must’ve been an impressive one to stir such a commotion. Who was it?”

Wuling turned away abruptly. “Didn’t you say you wanted books? Hurry up.”

Lu Yao hurried after him. “You won’t even say the name? The worst thing is someone who leaves gossip half-finished!”

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Ch 63: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World II

Is pitching dreams like this even legal?

Lu Yao wasn’t familiar with the esports scene, but the résumé included a photo, and under “Professional Experience,” it stated the applicant had played for a top-tier domestic team, with a retirement date listed as… yesterday.

Retired yesterday and already applying for an internet café job today? That reeks of hitting rock bottom.

But if it really was this person, Lu Yao couldn’t say no.

She wanted this net manager.

Exiting the email, Lu Yao searched the applicant’s name online, and five full pages of competitive records and statistics popped up.

The person in the match videos looked slightly different from the photo on the résumé, but it was clearly the same individual.

If this isn’t a prank, then this… is striking gold.

Even retired, a top professional player would have plenty of opportunities—like streaming, with platforms surely lining up to sign them.

Sitting up straight, Lu Yao decided not to dwell on whether the résumé was legitimate and immediately sent out an interview invitation.

…

Yaoguang City, a residential complex.

Zhong Lianjia groggily crawled out of bed, his head pounding as if it were about to explode.

Last night, he had been in a terrible mood and drank far too much.

Now it felt like he was paying for it, nausea rising as he stumbled into the bathroom to vomit. Afterward, feeling slightly better, he sat back on his bed and reached for his phone.

The screen was black, unresponsive no matter how much he tapped it.

After issuing his retirement statement yesterday, he had been bombarded with messages. Not wanting to deal with them, he vaguely remembered doing something before shutting off his phone.

Weird!

For the life of him, he couldn’t recall what he had done before powering it down.

After a quiet night, he turned the phone back on, and a flood of notification sounds began chiming incessantly.

Zhong Lianjia ignored the noise, tossing the phone aside, and went to the kitchen for water.

After gulping down a whole bottle of cold water, he sat on the balcony, staring into space.

Normally at this hour, he would be in the training room.

That routine, so deeply ingrained, had ended yesterday—completely and irreversibly.

Zhong Lianjia thought he had made peace with it, but waking up alone in this unfamiliar city, he realized how empty he felt.

His heart, his body, everything seemed hollowed out, leaving just a thin shell enclosing this barren, unremarkable self.

Life really is utterly joyless.

His phone continued its relentless buzzing. With a resigned sigh, Zhong Lianjia returned to his room and picked it up.

A strange notification appeared on the screen.

[Interview time: 2:00 PM. Interview location: Yaoguang City. Before heading to the interview, please sign the confidentiality agreement in the app.]

What is this?

He began scrolling through his messages and found a copy of the résumé he had sent last night.

The memory came rushing back—before turning off his phone, he had found a job posting for the best-paying net manager position in Yaoguang City and submitted his résumé.

And the most ridiculous part?

They actually shortlisted him!

The interview invitation was already there.

What should I do? Should I go?

Zhong Lianjia sat on the bed, his mind a tangled mess.

…

Shopping Street, Lu Yao’s Interdimensional Internet Café.

“Net manager! Net manager!”

“Net manager, come help me with this!”

“Net manager!!!”

The “dandelion bomb” had proven to be a resounding success. The previously quiet café was now bustling, with the main hall fully occupied and even the two private booths taken.

Cheng Ye could barely keep up, and Lu Yao flitted from one task to another to assist.

Earlier that morning, a group of curious young demons had arrived just in time to witness Wuling being challenged to a PK duel.

The opponent, likely an experienced player with a new account, seemed irritated by Wuling’s character. Using a paid item, they initiated PK mode directly.

Wuling, suddenly thrown into the arena, was clueless about what was happening.

Lu Yao quickly explained the basics of PK battles to him.

No sooner had she finished than the countdown hit zero, and the fight began.

The opponent, a swordsman like Wuling, was around the same level but equipped with a decent weapon. Confident in their advantage, they assumed they could easily crush a rookie like him.

Wuling, having just started A Dream of Jianghu the day before, lacked game sense but made up for it with real combat instincts and quick reflexes.

The opponent launched swift, aggressive attacks, hoping to catch Wuling off guard. Yet each time, Wuling countered with precision, narrowly keeping his health bar intact. In the end, Wuling eked out a surprising victory.

This low-level newbie duel would normally go unnoticed in the game, but within the café, it sparked a wave of excitement.

This PK mode, where players controlled puppet-like characters in the game world without risking their cultivation levels, resonated deeply with the battle-loving demon clientele.

The café quickly filled to capacity, with everyone clamoring for computers.

Some demons, upon hearing that creating a game account cost twenty top-grade spirit stones, grumbled about the expense and left. Their seats were immediately taken by new arrivals.

One such customer called out loudly as they sat down: “Net manager! Quick, quick, quick, set up an account for me!”

Wuling, who had been grinding levels alone, suddenly received a friend request.

A leopard demon at a nearby computer, looking a bit shy, said, “Big brother, can I join you?”

“…” Wuling hesitated but eventually accepted under the little leopard demon’s pleading gaze.

Soon, the white-clad swordsman on Wuling’s screen was joined by a red-clad girl with the name Enuo.

Lu Yao watched this unfold quietly.

A little leopard demon playing as a female character? Was that intentional or just a mistake?

Walking through the main hall, she noticed that single-player games, online games, and dramas all had their fans among the demon customers. The café’s popularity was clearly on the rise.

Even demons without spirit stones or those who arrived too late to get a seat lingered, gathering in small groups behind other customers, eyes glued to the screens.

Seeing this, Cheng Ye couldn’t help but recall his childhood, when he and his friends would crowd around to watch others play at internet cafés.

…

By noon, the sparrow spirits returned after being absent all morning.

Where they had gone remained a mystery, but each one returned with a spirit stone clutched in its beak.

They deposited the stones in a birdcage, forming a small mountain of wealth, then flew off again after rolling around the counter to bask in Lu Yao’s attention.

Lu Yao chuckled, exasperated, as she looked at the pile of low-grade spirit stones.

Cheng Ye asked, “Where did they cause trouble this time?”

Lu Yao shook her head. “This time, it doesn’t seem like trouble.”

Cheng Ye: “?”

Lu Yao explained, “They heard that the Demon Emperor is recruiting followers and went to sign up as little henchmen to earn spirit stones.”

Recalling what she’d overheard from the sparrows earlier, she laughed. “Apparently, Black Swallow and Cui Yu went too, and they earned even more spirit stones than the sparrows. It’s driving the little guys mad with jealousy.”

Cheng Ye was puzzled. “The Demon Emperor? That must be someone incredibly powerful, right? Why would they accept sparrow spirits as underlings?”

Lu Yao shrugged. “I don’t really understand demon politics. As long as they’re not causing trouble for mortals, being little henchmen is fine by me. Anyway, the Demon Emperor is technically their real boss.”

Cheng Ye mused, “I wonder what the Demon Emperor’s true form is.”

He occasionally overheard customers chatting about how the rulers of the demon and magic realms were always the strongest of their kind.

In his mind, he pictured mythical beings and characters from fantasy dramas—majestic nine-tailed foxes, serpentine dragons, and the like, all exuding power and grandeur.

A customer buying water and snacks overheard their conversation and couldn’t help but chime in: “Our Demon Emperor is a flower demon.”

A flower demon?

Cheng Ye struggled to imagine it.

Lu Yao asked the customer, “Have you seen the Demon Emperor?”

The little demon shook its head. “How could someone like us possibly meet such a noble figure? It’s said that while the current Demon Emperor is a flower demon, they are the most powerful emperor in history.”

Lu Yao’s curiosity was piqued. “What kind of flower are they?”

The little demon shook its head again. “The world only knows that the Demon Emperor’s true form is a flower, but no one has ever seen it.”

After lunch, Lu Yao sat at the counter, occasionally glancing out toward the door.

Cheng Ye noticed and asked, “What’s going on?”

Lu Yao replied, “Someone sent in a résumé yesterday. I invited them for an interview this morning. I’m wondering if they’ll show up.”

Cheng Ye remarked, “For you to care this much, they must be quite the candidate.”

Lu Yao couldn’t help but laugh. “Whether they’re suitable or not is hard to say, but they’re definitely unexpected.”

…

On the main road outside the shop street, a yellow taxi pulled to a stop.

Zhong Lianjia stepped out, carrying a casual backpack. Looking down the dilapidated street, he took out his phone to double-check the location and asked the driver, “Are you sure this is the shopping street I’m supposed to go to?”

The driver, clearly annoyed, replied, “This is it. There’s no other place by that name around here. If you don’t believe me, I can drive you back.”

Zhong Lianjia took a deep breath, waved the driver off, and turned to walk down the narrow path.

He was determined to see what kind of internet café this was, located in such a rundown area, yet bold enough to offer a 10K monthly salary for a net manager.

Isn’t selling dreams like this illegal?

Besides, could a place like this even have business?

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