Address

Chen Miemie raised his teacup to his lips, but for a long time, he did not take a sip.

After a while, he set the cup down.

"Miss Dujuan, thank you for your trust. You've stated your troubles clearly, and I've understood everything completely.

However, no one can make life choices for another person.

I believe that you came to me after you'd already made your decision, not that you were asking me for advice before deciding.

What I can do for you is to help clear the obstacles standing in the way of the choice you've already made.

So, please, boldly tell me the barriers you're facing."

The woman gulped down a large mouthful of tea, as if to steel herself.

"It seems my friend's two children don't like me very much."

"Mm, facing rejection from children—what outcome would you like to achieve?"

"I hope they can accept me."

"Tell me about the two of them."

"The brother and sister—the older brother is called Da Zhuang. He feels I've taken his mother's place, so he yells at me;

the younger sister is Xiao Qin. When she was little, she was very lively, but now she has mild autism, which is getting worse day by day. She seems a bit afraid of me."

Chen Miemie tapped his fingers lightly on the sofa, thinking to himself: Making a newly bereaved brat accept a new person—that really isn't a simple matter.

Before Chen Miemie could say anything, Dujuan herself spoke up with the solutions she'd thought of.

"Da Zhuang has loved sweets since he was little, which caused tooth decay. My friend never let him eat too many. I plan to start with his diet—I'm hoping to get a recipe for sweets that won't harm his teeth.

As for Xiao Qin, she's especially introverted. I'll set aside time to be with her and keep her company, but I really hope I can completely cure her autism."

"So, what you're asking for is an effective recipe and a method to treat autism."

Having spoken her mind, Dujuan let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, shopkeeper. I know these worries of mine are very personal.

I realize you're a high-ranked mystic, and your power is probably beyond my imagination.

Unfortunately, my little concerns are too trivial, maybe even too small to harness your great strength.

Through this conversation, I've gradually sorted out my own thoughts and recognized what I truly want.

So, consider my request non-binding. Maybe as someone about to become a mother, I can just take it slowly on my own."

"I appreciate your understanding. I understand what you mean. I'll still keep an eye out for your needs. If I find a viable recipe and treatment method, I'll deliver them to your home. Rest assured, if there's no deal, there's no need for you to pay a price."

"Thank you most sincerely."

Dujuan left.

Her steps were much lighter than when she'd arrived.

She left her address—a small villa at No. 50 Nuan Yu Road.

As soon as she left, the various strange beings in the shop revealed themselves one by one.

Chen Miemie remained seated on the sofa, brows furrowed, unmoving.

"What's wrong, Chen Miemie? Stuck on a recipe and a cure for autism?" The [Forbidden Fruit Compendium] floated closer.

"No, something feels off. Don't you think Dujuan's story sounds a bit familiar?"

The Blue-and-White Porcelain spoke directly, giving voice to Chen Miemie's suspicion:

"You think Dujuan is the stepmother of Yizhu and Yixian?"

Chen Miemie nodded. "I can't help but think so. The biological mother was injured and died, the maid, the stepmother, the son and daughter—too many matching details."

"But the timing doesn't match, right? Dujuan said her friend passed away last week. Yizhu and Yixian's mother's been dead for seven years."

"Come on, let's go outside and take a look."

Chen Miemie squeezed through the [Door-Gap]. On Fairytale Road, everything was just as usual.

Old Man Yu saw him pacing in front of his own shop and smiled, greeting him.

Chen Miemie walked to the coffee shop.

"Qiu Tian? Remember me?"

"Of course, Chen Miemie! Someone who praised my coffee—I wouldn't forget. Want a cup today too?"

"Sure, I'll have one. Huh?" Chen Miemie noticed the menu on the big blackboard had changed.

Last time he remembered it was [Spring Cherry], [Summer Cicada], [Autumn Moon], [Winter Snow].

Now it was [East Pear], [South Gardenia], [Watermelon], [North Firewood].

"Why'd the menu change?"

Qiu Tian didn't even look up. "Standing guard at the shop all day gets boring. There aren't many customers anyway, so I kill time by changing the menu names—whatever I feel like. That's just how I do things."

Chen Miemie thought about it; it seemed quite reasonable, something he'd do himself. "Then I'll have a [Watermelon]."

"Alright, but just so you know, the main ingredients for [Watermelon] are pumpkin and winter melon."

"Uh, your coffee's getting weirder and weirder."

After drinking the strange but tasty coffee, Chen Miemie returned to his own shop.

"No anomalies detected. Everything seems normal. Earlier, I thought it might be someone from the past visiting the shop—if that were the case, going out might have shown me Fairytale Road from seven years ago. But it wasn't like that."

"Could it really just be a coincidence?"

"No way. There can't be such a perfect coincidence. There must be something we're overlooking. Come on, everyone, let's review what happened today and see what's different from the past few days."

The Blue-and-White Porcelain spoke: "Tonight is the Ever-Moon Night."

Cycle spoke up: "Today a new member, the [Forbidden Fruit Compendium], officially joined."

Meitu: "Today's guest arrived at the shop completely by herself, knowing neither the address nor how to get in."

Bobo chipped in: "Today Chen Miemie didn't eat any roast chicken the whole day!"

Chen Miemie tore off a drumstick, stuffed it into his mouth, and only then drove the meddlesome Bobo away.

Just as everyone was racking their brains, Chunsui's two remarks made everyone's hearts skip a beat:

"At 7 p.m. today, the one who opened the shop wasn't Chen Miemie—it was [the Yellow Robe]."

"And tonight, this place is not just the [Mysterious Shop]—it's also the [Wonder Shop], temporarily run by [the Ever-Moon Walker] as its shopkeeper."