Chapter 473: Xu Jiyun Loses His Composure
"Thank you for your patronage. The total comes to 172 gold coins."
Looking at the three completely empty plates in front of her, the girl's face showed a trace of lingering satisfaction.
It turned out that this restaurant wasn't just extraordinary because of the dish called Dongpo Pork Knuckle. The latter two dishes had just as quickly conquered the heart of the Fifth Princess of the Sun Moon Empire.
Patting her slightly rounded stomach, she felt incomparably content. The slight unhappiness of spending her birthday alone had completely vanished.
This owner's cooking really was even better than the imperial chefs'!
Who would have thought that on such a remote street there would be a restaurant like this?
Thinking back to when she entered and saw the shop seemingly about to close, with not a single customer inside, the girl couldn't help but feel a bit sympathetic toward the young owner.
Since it was only their first meeting, she naturally wouldn't overstep by suggesting he move his restaurant to Sun-Moon Avenue or anything like that. But after tasting such incredible food, she felt it was necessary to encourage him.
If this place went out of business, where would she ever eat food like this again?
"My name is Xu Yueyue. I'm from the Emp— ah, never mind. Anyway, don't worry—I'll introduce customers to you in the future!" The girl's eyes shone brightly as she spoke with great sincerity.
Better not tell him her identity. After all, he had just seen her in such an undignified eating state. Telling him who she was would only make it more embarrassing. There would be opportunities in the future.
Seeing the girl's earnest expression, Qi Han smiled slightly. "Then thank you very much."
He had been worrying about how to deal with Side Quest 10-1 given the shop's remote location. Now, with this wealthy young lady named Xu Yueyue as a starting point, perhaps the quest would progress faster.
After watching Xu Yueyue leave, Qi Han finally closed the shop door.
Lunch hours were over.
After soothing Pururu for a while and preparing its cat meal, Qi Han flashed into the training space and resumed his practice of Zilong Sheds His Armor.
…
Xu Yueyue hurried toward the palace. Completely different from the foul mood she had been in earlier, after enjoying a feast unlike anything she had ever tasted before, her spirits were as bright as a sky cleared after rain.
In truth, girls were easy to cheer up—there was no problem that good food couldn't solve. And if one meal wasn't enough, then two would do!
By now, she had entirely forgotten that she had gone to Mingke Street to hide from her Third Brother. The only thought in her mind was that since she had discovered such a delicious restaurant, she had to share it with the person closest to her—her Third Brother.
She would bring him there for tonight's dinner!
That shop was called Han Shi, right? Xu Yueyue would remember it!
Hmm… she just didn't know whether Third Brother would be busy tonight…
Forget it. Today was her birthday. No matter how busy he was, he had to accompany her for dinner!
With that thought, Xu Yueyue's steps became even lighter.
After returning to the palace, she didn't immediately head to the Third Prince's residence. Instead, she went back to her own palace quarters to take a nap.
It was only just past lunchtime; dinner was still far off. No rush.
After a lovely nap, Xu Yueyue leisurely made her way toward the Third Prince's usual residence—the Deyang Hall.
As expected, the attendant outside informed her that His Highness the Third Prince was currently busy handling affairs.
"I know. Third Brother didn't say I couldn't enter, did he?" Xu Yueyue asked with a nod.
"Of course not. Fifth Princess, please." Seeing that Xu Yueyue insisted on going in, the attendant naturally didn't dare stop her and quickly stepped aside to lead the way.
Entering the hall, Xu Yueyue soon saw the Third Prince bent over a desk, busily writing something. A trace of concern flickered in her eyes before she broke into a bright smile.
"Third Brother!"
"Hm?" Xu Jiyun's pen paused slightly. He looked up toward the hall entrance and immediately stood to greet her. "You little rascal. I originally planned to have a simple lunch with you today, but suddenly some matters required my attention. On your birthday, as your elder brother, I couldn't even stay by your side. I didn't expect you to come looking for me instead."
As he spoke, Xu Jiyun's face carried a trace of helplessness.
Xu Yueyue was his full-blooded younger sister, born of the same mother. Naturally, he doted on her deeply. Having spent several years infiltrating the Douluo Continent, he had missed her dearly. But upon returning to the Sun Moon Empire with unparalleled merit, he had thoroughly threatened the Eldest Prince's position. Not long after his return, the struggle between them had escalated into a white-hot confrontation.
Although his achievements were monumental, the Eldest Prince had spent years laying intricate foundations throughout the empire. He was extremely difficult to deal with. Now, Xu Jiyun walked on thin ice at every moment, not daring to relax in the slightest.
"Brother, I know you've been working hard lately." Xu Yueyue gently took Xu Jiyun's hand. "But can you have dinner with me tonight?"
"Dinner…" Xu Jiyun calculated silently. He could probably spare the time for a single meal. Nodding, he said, "Alright. Shall we eat in the palace?"
"No, no, no—I'll take you outside the palace." Upon receiving his agreement, Xu Yueyue's face brightened, and she smiled mysteriously.
Third Brother definitely hasn't been to that restaurant!
"Oh? Come to think of it, I haven't gone out to eat much since returning. Shall we go to the Bright Court Pavilion or the Heavenly Star Palace?" Xu Jiyun asked lightly.
Both of those were the finest restaurants on Sun-Moon Avenue, and the former even had royal backing behind it.
"Neither." Xu Yueyue shook her head. "Third Brother, let me tell you—at noon today I snuck off to Mingke Street and discovered an unbelievably delicious restaurant…"
"Mingke Street?" Xu Jiyun frowned slightly.
His concern wasn't because the street was remote, but because it was rather far from the palace. A round trip would waste more time.
Should he persuade Yueyue to choose somewhere closer?
Just as he was about to speak, Xu Yueyue continued excitedly.
"Yep! If I hadn't gone there, I wouldn't have known there was a restaurant called Han Shi. The dishes they cook are even better than what the imperial chefs make."
Xu Jiyun suddenly stiffened. The words of refusal that had reached his lips were instantly swallowed back down.
Han Shi… why did that name sound so familiar…?
Wait— Han Shi?!
He abruptly raised his head to look at Xu Yueyue. "Han as in 'cold,' and Shi as in 'food'?"
"Yeah." Xu Yueyue nodded. "Third Brother, let me tell you—"
"—Wait!" Xu Jiyun interrupted her. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Yueyue, go back first. I have something urgent to deal with."
Seeing dissatisfaction appear on her face, Xu Jiyun forced a smile. "In half an hour, I'll go with you to Han Shi for dinner."
"Yay!" Xu Yueyue noticed nothing unusual, assuming her brother simply had other matters to handle. She nodded happily. "Then I'll go back and wait for you!"
"Alright." Watching his sister skip away cheerfully, the smile on Xu Jiyun's face quickly vanished, replaced by a grave expression.
"Guards!"
"At your command!" Three figures appeared silently behind him.
"You have half an hour. Investigate everything about the Han Shi restaurant on Mingke Street!"
"Yes!"
The figures vanished instantly.
Xu Jiyun strode quickly back to his desk and soon retrieved a stack of papers. From them, he pulled out two sheets and examined them word by word with intense focus.
A restaurant that existed on the Douluo Continent had mysteriously appeared on the Sun Moon Continent.
Understanding everything behind this was more important than anything else.
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Latest Chapter: Chapter 505: Qi Han's Choice[1]
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[1] https://www.patreon.com/posts/becoming-food-in-155496005
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/becoming-food-in-155496005