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Before long,
Mu Xiaoyue came out of the kitchen, holding a wooden tray with a glass and a glass container full of tea on it.
"Please enjoy—"
Placing a glass in front of An Yilun, Mu Xiaoyue, speaking in her clumsy, freshly learned Japanese, poured him a cup of tea, showing a shallow smile with lovely dimples, then turned and left.
The glass was cleaned thoroughly, and the tea was clear and bright. Obviously, during the brewing process, the dregs were carefully filtered out, leaving the tea without any sediment or impurities.
A small detail that instantly won An Yilun's favor.
Compared to domestic tea leaves, Japanese roasted green tea had relatively finer leaves, and even with careful filtering, it was easy for the tea to carry some sediment. An Yilun held the glass, gently shaking the tea inside, a deep green displayed before his eyes. He couldn't help but silently praise the tea brewer's tea ceremony skills.
The fragrance was overwhelming.
Having been left alone all morning, An Yilun was honestly a bit thirsty and tired.
The tea was still hot. He carefully took a sip, immediately brightening his eyes, blowing cool air to cool the surface layer of tea, and then drank a bit more this time. As the steaming tea flowed into his mouth and was swallowed down his throat, a rich warmth instantly spread throughout his whole body.
At that moment, An Yilun felt every cell in his body cheering joyfully, and the fatigue from working side jobs continuously during spring break seemed to vanish.
"...This isn't ordinary green tea, is it?" Like discovering a treasure, An Yilun clutched the glass tightly.
On the other side, Mu Xiaoyue greeted Ren Xue and Shuigu Jun.
"Didn't you look at the business hours sign last night?"
Mu Xiaoyue finished serving tea and pointed to some text next to the empty menu bar.
Shuigu Jun lowered his head to hide his embarrassment.
Ren Xue helplessly pouted, "Sister Yueyue, you know how delicious the food is. How can we pay attention to so much!"
Glancing at this perfect couple, Mu Xiaoyue suddenly thought of the unusually large crowd of guests today.
"Xiao Xue, I remember you are the Dance Seer on niconico, right?" she asked.
Sure enough, as soon as she spoke, Ren Xue immediately sold out her boyfriend, pointing to Shuigu Jun, who was lowering his head beside her, "It's him! Last night he posted an offensive tweet, so after tasting real Chinese cuisine, he posted another to apologize... Let's just say, we have some influence on niconico."
Some influence?
Mu Xiaoyue thought of the group of young customers gathered at the door, patient and persistent, and felt the corners of her mouth twitch.
Originally, she had thought her foodie travelogue had done Xia Yu a huge favor, feeling a bit proud and superior in a psychological sense. But now, Mu Xiaoyue was suddenly struck by the realization that the travelogue article she spent all night writing was less effective than her female fan's boyfriend's simple tweet.
For a moment, Mu Xiaoyue's thoughts got stuck in a rut, not realizing that even if fans were enthusiastic, they couldn't just fly over immediately in a foreign country.
She was a bit despondent, pouring tea for another table of customers.
"Wow—"
The customers at this table were three girls preparing for high school. As soon as Mu Xiaoyue served the tea, they eagerly began to enjoy it. One freckled girl quickly covered her mouth, "Is this green tea?"
Mu Xiaoyue couldn't understand. She turned her back to the girls, placing the tray on the counter and sitting next to her best friend An Ya.
"What's wrong?" Noticing Mu Xiaoyue's low spirits, An Ya asked amusedly.
"Nothing." Pouting, Mu Xiaoyue rested her face in her hands, lost in thought.
"Makki!"
The two high school-bound girls, after savoring the green tea, called out to their third companion, who seemed lost in thought.
The freckle-faced girl said happily, "Makki, doesn't your family live nearby? Why have I never heard you say there's a Chinese Restaurant in the old shopping street?"
"The tea alone is exquisite. I'm looking forward to the food here!" Another girl with long black hair said, frowning in distress, "I don't know why, after drinking the tea, I'm so hungry. But we still have to sit and wait until the afternoon!"
Hearing this, Sen Tian Makoto raised her head, her charming face forcing a smile.
"Because the place usually doesn't get many customers, there wasn't a need to mention it." Sen Tian Makoto's fair fingers twirled a lock of hair by her ear.
"I trust Tianfeng's taste!"
"The food here must be delicious!"
The two girls, now in fangirl mode, didn't notice the complex look in their companion's eyes.
While the table of girls chatted enthusiastically, Shuigu Jun was sweating silently.
Ren Xue chatted amiably with An Ya and Mu Xiaoyue, but her hand was placed discreetly on Shuigu Jun's thigh. When the girls about to enter high school made bold remarks, that hand pressed down silently. Shuigu Jun turned pale, keeping silent as he turned his back to the little fans.
Knock knock.
About half an hour later, the small shop welcomed another beautiful girl.
Due to the spring break, Sazama Eri wasn't wearing her school uniform but rather a casual outfit—a green and white striped fabric dress hugging her youthful and graceful figure. Her long legs were clad with smooth, delicate black over-knee socks.
Her golden twin ponytails still bounced with her steps, and paired with her doll-like delicate features, she was utterly adorable.
As soon as she entered the shop, Sazama Eri caught the amazed glances of everyone.
Besides her beauty, her blonde hair was truly eye-catching.
"Hi—"
Glancing around the shop and spotting An Yilun seated, Sazama Eri greeted him and sat across from him.
Mu Xiaoyue returned to the kitchen, then came back with a pot of hot tea, refilling Sazama Eri's cup.
"Thank you."
At least in front of strangers, Sazama Eri's etiquette was impeccable, smiling with the demeanor of a true young lady, exuding uncommon elegance.
The table of girls returned to their gossip.
"Why meet such a cute girl in a small shop like this!" The freckled girl admired with dreamy eyes.
Another chimed in, "She looks just like a heroine from an anime!"
Sen Tian Makoto forced a smile.
Seated, An Yilun and Sazama Eri didn't know what to say, silence lingering mysteriously.
Childhood friends may sound nice, but the gap between them had lasted seven years, requiring a catalyst to mend things. Sazama Eri's invitation for An Yilun to join her here for Chinese cuisine was simply for company, and to casually retaliate against Tiqie Helinai, with whom she had argued until midnight the previous night.
Thus, barely seated, Sazama Eri pulled out her phone, snapping a few photos of the restaurant's interior and sending them over to the aloof tsundere who had coldly rejected her invitation.
"Hey! Lord Eriina, I'm already at the restaurant. By the way, the place only opens normally at 6 p.m. I finished my draft today, so I hope my waiting will be worthwhile!"
Buzz buzz.
As soon as the message was sent, the phone vibrated.
Glancing at the reply, Sazama Eri showed her canines and giggled softly, "The Divine Tongue is really adorable!"
She had an odd expression, as if plotting a new 18+ fan manga.
An Yilun, sitting across from her, adjusted his glasses.
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