***
In simulation and management games, building and decorating are indispensable elements. Full-dive games are no exception. But surely a full-dive game wouldn’t make players actually plaster walls and apply putty, right? That’s exactly what Building Mode is for: letting players decorate to their heart’s content!
There’s no need to do anything by hand. Just activate Building Mode, and you can freely change the inn’s decorations, furnishings, and facilities through the control panel!
Combining the twenty taels of silver Wang Er had given her earlier, Wu Guanyue now had thirty-three taels in hand. She took out thirty of them and went to the carpenter on Qihua Road to order six wooden tables, twenty-four benches, and five wooden beds. This would increase the maximum number of diners the inn could accommodate, while also furnishing the guest rooms a little.
However, the guest rooms still needed [Wooden Cabinets], [Tables], and [Chairs] before they could meet the minimum requirements for opening. She was still short quite a bit of money—and had plenty of grinding left to do…
First, she had to get the food business up and running!
As for the other two new abilities, Quick Delivery was certainly convenient. As for Rapid Fertilization and Composting Root Burn… Well, considering that the BOSS she was about to face was a tree demon, that skill seemed like it might be very useful.
Wu Guanyue leaned over the counter with her chin in her hands, deep in thought.
It was already late, and the inn was about to close for the night. Only two tables of guests remained. Wuyun was running back and forth across the main hall, sweeping up dust with its tail and belly (?) while occasionally letting out smug little meows.
Wang Er was still huffing and puffing away at his chores. To save money, Wu Guanyue hadn’t bought [Flour]. Instead, she had bought [New Wheat] and made Wang Er grind it in the back courtyard…
He really had become a donkey now!
Wenren Ying walked in from outside and said casually, “Good evening, Little Shopkeeper Wu!”
The moment Wu Guanyue saw Wenren Ying, her eyes lit up.
“Ah!”
A special guest with a star rating over his head!
Of course, not all guests were created equal. The longer a star-rated guest stayed at the inn and the better their reviews, the more positive bonuses they brought to the establishment. Wu Guanyue still remembered that on the second day after she started selling Sprite, Wenren Ying had been the very reason the inn’s popularity had suddenly shot up.
Therefore, maintaining good relationships with star-rated guests was absolutely the correct way to play the game!
Wu Guanyue suddenly pulled a cinquefoil from her sleeve.
Cinquefoils were common wildflowers in Meishan during the summer. They could be gathered in large quantities in the wilderness, and their function was similar to daffodils in Stardew Valley: they could be given to NPCs to raise their affection.
【[Wu Guanyue] gave [Cinquefoil] to [Wenren Ying]. May your friendship last forever!】
Wenren Ying: “…………?”
Huh? Why wasn’t he accepting it? Did he not like it?
【[Wu Guanyue] gave [Salt-Baked Matsutake] to [Wenren Ying]. May your friendship last forever!】
Wenren Ying: “…………?”
He rejected it again?
Wu Guanyue immediately forgot about the side quest she had originally been working on and began taking all sorts of things out of her inventory to give him, trying to figure out what kinds of gifts Wenren Ying liked.
Thus, Wenren Ying watched as the shopkeeper in front of him tilted her head, her twin ponytails swishing from side to side, then started pulling various objects out of her storage pouch in an attempt to give them to him…
And the more he refused, the more tightly her brows furrowed. The speed at which she swapped out the gifts also grew faster and faster.
Wenren Ying: “…………”
Wenren Ying: “………………”
A huge cold-sweat bubble appeared over Wenren Ying’s head.
Seeing that she was about to try giving him every single item she owned, Wenren Ying hurriedly accepted the object she was currently attempting to hand over.
“Thank you, thank you. I like it very much.”
The entire inn fell silent.
Several wandering cultivators sitting in the corner stared at him in astonishment. The owner of the neighboring pancake shop, who had been leaning against the counter, wore an equally incredulous expression. Even Wu Guanyue was frozen in place, her mouth as round as her eyes.
Wenren Ying: “…………”
Very, very slowly, Wenren Ying turned his head to look at the plate in his hands.
…Intestine sashimi.
Wenren Ying: “………………”
By then, Little Shopkeeper Wu had already dashed to the counter with astonishing speed. She opened her business log and began scribbling furiously.
“Wenren Ying… likes… intestine sashimi…”
Wenren Ying: “…Hey, don’t write everything down in that lousy notebook of yours.”
In any case, Wu Guanyue had successfully obtained some vital information. Hooray!
She calmly put away her business log, filled a bowl with Sprite for Wenren Ying, and activated her new skill, [Quick Delivery]!
There was a sudden “whoosh,” and the bowl of Sprite landed in front of Wenren Ying without spilling a single drop!
“Nice!”
Lu Datong, sitting nearby, shouted his approval.
“Excellent! Absolutely excellent! Shopkeeper, your aim and control are truly remarkable. That was an eye-opener! Brother Wenren, why don’t you show the shopkeeper how it’s done?”
“Show us! Show us!”
The other guests began cheering him on.
Wenren Ying seemed a little helpless, but he disliked ruining other people’s fun. He suddenly tipped his head back and drained the Sprite in one gulp. Then he flicked his hand, and with another “whoosh,” the empty bowl landed on Wuyun’s head.
Wuyun, now balancing a stack of bowls on its head, let out a serious series of meows and scampered toward the back courtyard—where Nuclear-Powered Donkey Wang Er was washing dishes…
“Wuyun can do it too! Wuyun can do it too!”
The other guests started cheering again.
Wow! What a great atmosphere!
Wu Guanyue was delighted. She kept using Quick Delivery without pause. Soon, the sounds of “whoosh, whoosh, whoosh” and “nice, nice, nice” rang out nonstop, while plates and bowls flew through the air above the inn.
After a while, Wuyun returned with another pile of dirty dishes on its head, meowing in confusion.
Wu Guanyue: “?”
Wu Guanyue followed Wuyun to the back courtyard and took a look.
There was no one there.
Only a huge pile of empty bowls remained. Wang Er, who had still been sitting there and huffing away as he washed dishes half an hour earlier, had somehow vanished!
Wu Guanyue was shocked.
Her Nuclear-Powered Donkey!!!
At the same time, her quest panel updated!
【Quest · Side Quest: The Missing Employee (NEW!)】
【Quest Details: Your employee, Wang Er, has suddenly disappeared… Ask the people nearby if they saw him!】
This was the first side quest in the game!
She had no idea whether the rewards would be generous… Regardless, she had to get moving!
“Hello, my employee Wang Er suddenly disappeared. Did you happen to see him just now?”
Wu Guanyue ran to the front of the inn and asked the guests who had been inside.
【Wenren Ying (frowning): “Your employee has gone missing? I’ll take a look.”】
The tall NPC rose to his feet and headed toward the back courtyard. After a while, he returned.
【Wenren Ying (thoughtful): “There weren’t any traces left behind… It feels like he followed someone of his own accord. Little Shopkeeper Wu, did anything happen here?”】
【Would you like to tell him about the Yongfeng Bank incident?】
Of course she chose yes.
Wu Guanyue: “Mumble mumble, mumble mumble.”
【Wenren Ying: “I see. So Wang Er was taken away by Qian Shi'an… Qian Shi'an seems to have a monster for a master. Since he took Wang Er away, Wang Er is probably in grave danger. He deceived you before—are you looking for him?”】
Of course she was!
This was the player's side quest!
With her hopes pinned on the quest reward, Wu Guanyue put on a stern expression and said to Wenren Ying, “Regardless, this concerns a human life. Whether he’s alive or dead, we need an answer!”
Wenren Ying paused.
He couldn’t help glancing at Wu Guanyue. The young innkeeper’s expression was utterly serious, and her glasslike eyes were so clear, filled with genuine concern for Wang Er’s life.
Wenren Ying couldn’t help admiring her inwardly.
As expected of Shopkeeper Wu—she truly was a person of honor and righteousness!
In all his life, he had admired righteous people most of all!
He said, “Very well. I’ll make inquiries on your behalf. Since I’ve taken this matter on, there’s no way I won’t be able to find him.”
Shopkeeper Wu’s eyes immediately lit up again… and then she stuffed another plate of large-intestine sashimi into Wenren Ying’s hands!
Wenren Ying: “…………”
Wenren Ying: “………………”
Righteousness aside, was there perhaps something slightly… er… wrong with the way she thought?
Here it comes. Even the male lead can’t escape being victimized.
