Chapter 23: The Old Connoisseur
While the boss was busy looking for the information, Lin Xuan turned around to look around the noodle shop.
The shop was indeed small, with only six or seven tables in total. Currently, three tables were occupied.
Since it was a bit far from Shrek Academy, the guests were not Shrek students but mostly local residents.
The customers ate their own food and chatted about their own topics; no one seemed to pay special attention to the counter.
Lin Xuan's gaze swept casually over these ordinary scenes, but just as he was about to look away, he suddenly noticed something wrong.
In the innermost corner of the noodle shop, where the light was relatively dim, there was another small square table.
Because of the angle and a supporting pillar, he hadn't noticed someone sitting there at first.
Looking now, he saw a person indeed sitting at that table, their upper body and face completely hidden behind a fully unfolded newspaper.
Only a pair of extremely graceful and slender legs could be seen crossed comfortably under the table, toes swaying slightly.
However, what truly made Lin Xuan's heart tighten was a pair of extremely beautiful, seemingly speaking eyes staring straight at him without blinking from the top edge of the upright newspaper.
The gaze wasn't sharp, nor was there any obvious hostility, but it sparkled "bling-bling" in the dim yellow light.
Seeing this, Lin Xuan's nerves instinctively tightened for a moment. Just then, the bald boss's voice rang out again.
"Found it! Hey, it was stuffed behind a pile of dry goods. Little brother, here, this is what you wanted."
As the boss spoke, he handed over a palm-sized, neatly folded pale yellow piece of paper.
The paper was of ordinary quality, and there was even a hint of what looked like an oil stain on the edge. It seemed to have no security or protective measures at all.
"I'm doing long-term business, so more intelligence will be sent in succession later."
Lin Xuan took the paper and handed over a glittering silver coin at the same time.
Then he glanced at the prominent oil stain on the paper and said somewhat helplessly.
"I hope you can keep it a bit more properly in the future, boss."
"Ha, definitely, definitely! This time was an accident, absolutely an accident!"
The bald boss scratched his shiny scalp hard in embarrassment and patted his chest in guarantee, then enthusiastically began to promote.
"Little brother, since you're already here, why not try my family's ancestral beef noodles? I'm not bragging, this broth, this heat, this beef... I guarantee you'll want to come back after eating! If it's not good, I'll give you this shop!"
Lin Xuan pondered for a moment and nodded.
"Alright."
As he spoke, he didn't choose another empty seat but walked straight toward the corner blocked by the newspaper, where only a pair of beautiful eyes and long legs were visible, holding the pale yellow paper with a steady pace.
Under the gaze of the other party, which carried obvious surprise, Lin Xuan calmly pulled out the chair on the other side of the small square table and sat down, casually placing the oil-stained intelligence paper on the corner of the table.
It wasn't until then that the person opposite seemed to recover from this unexpected move.
Those eyes that had been observing him over the newspaper blinked, and then the newspaper blocking the two was slowly lowered, revealing the true face behind it.
It was a woman who looked to be about twenty years old, with exquisite features and skin as white as snow.
Her ink-like black hair wasn't carefully styled but simply draped over her shoulders, adding a touch of casual and natural beauty.
However, the most eye-catching thing was the well-tailored, fire-red school uniform she was wearing.
That was the symbol of a Shrek Academy Inner Court disciple.
Lin Xuan's eyelids twitched slightly. He feigned surprise, then turned it into a polite and refreshing smile, taking the initiative to speak.
"Hello, Senior. I didn't expect to meet someone from the academy here."
The woman folded the newspaper in half and set it aside. Her gaze moved between Lin Xuan's face and his white freshman school uniform, and a smile appeared on her face. Her voice was clear and pleasant.
"Let me guess... Junior, is your name Lin Xuan?"
"Hmm?" Lin Xuan frowned slightly.
"How did Senior know my name?"
"A guess, well... but not entirely."
The woman smiled. "My name is Han Ruoruo. I'm a good friend of Eldest Senior Sister Zhang Lexuan. She mentioned you to me a couple of days ago and told me some things about you."
"Of course, that includes your appearance. Not many freshmen can get her to mention them specifically. So when I saw you just now, especially with your uniform and... unique temperament, I tried to guess."
So that's how it is... Lin Xuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. As long as she wasn't targeting him, it was fine.
Han Ruoruo's gaze swept seemingly casually over the pale yellow paper Lin Xuan had placed on the corner of the table.
"I've been coming here to eat noodles for several years, but this is the first time I've seen an Outer Academy junior who is also a user of 'Spider Web'. You seem even more special than what Eldest Senior Sister said."
"You flatter me, Senior."
Lin Xuan's smile remained unchanged. Instead, he turned his gaze to the folded newspaper she had set aside and changed the subject in a relaxed tone.
"Senior is the one with elegant interests. It seems that besides cultivation, you also care quite a bit about the world and various news."
On the upward-facing side of the folded newspaper, several bold, sensational headlines were printed.
"Shocking! Cries of misery heard from Duke White Tiger's mansion in the Star Luo Empire late at night. Is it the loss of morality or the distortion of humanity?"
"The three days and three nights a certain Countess in the Heaven Dou Empire had to tell with her guard!"
"Exclusive Reveal: Skeleton monsters appear deep in the Sunset Forest! Are they ancient Soul Beasts never discovered before, or the work of an Evil Soul Master? Read now!"
Sure enough, clickbait is everywhere... Lin Xuan was speechless. He hadn't realized Han Ruoruo liked reading this kind of stuff.
Han Ruoruo followed Lin Xuan's gaze to the newspaper she had bought, and a faint blush couldn't help but appear on her beautiful face.
But she quickly regained her composure and even shook the newspaper, her tone frank.
"One needs some entertainment besides cultivation."
"Senior is right," Lin Xuan agreed with a smile.
At this time, the bald boss came over carrying a large bowl of steaming, fragrant beef noodles.
"Noodles are here! Your noodles, little brother. Careful, it's hot!"
"Boss, put this bowl of noodles on my tab as well. My treat for this junior," Han Ruoruo said with a smile.
Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow but didn't refuse.
"Then thank you for the treat, Senior."
"You're welcome, it's just a bowl of noodles," Han Ruoruo waved her hand.
Steam rose between the two, carrying the rich aroma unique to beef and bone broth.
Just as Lin Xuan picked up his chopsticks and was about to stir the noodles, Han Ruoruo opposite him suddenly spoke softly.
"Junior, don't be in a hurry to eat the noodles. Listen to me: first, scoop a small spoonful of soup, blow on it to cool it down, and drink it. Then, taste a piece of beef and feel its rich flavor from being stewed. Finally, eat the noodles."
"The layers of flavor will be completely different this way. It's the hidden way to eat at this shop."
Hearing this, Lin Xuan's movements paused, and he looked at Han Ruoruo with some surprise.
Oh? An old connoisseur?
However, he didn't brush off her kindness. He put down his chopsticks as instructed and tasted it in the order she suggested.
Because he had tasted the essence of the soup and meat first, his taste buds were fully awakened. Now, as the noodles mixed with the remaining broth and beef scraps entered his mouth, the flavor became exceptionally rich and layered. It was indeed much more delicious than just gobbling down the noodles.
A look of obvious admiration couldn't help but flash in Lin Xuan's eyes.
"I didn't lie to you, did I?"
Han Ruoruo smiled with her eyes curved, seemingly very satisfied that her recommendation was recognized.
"Delicious food sometimes needs the right way to be opened."
Afterward, while Lin Xuan ate his noodles slowly, he used his free left hand to unfold the slightly oil-stained pale yellow paper. Under the dim light next to the noodle bowl, he looked down at it.
The handwriting on the paper was quite neat, arranged in order, and the content was concise and to the point, listed line by line.
"Heaven Dou Empire, Heaven Dou City, Cangzhen Pavilion Anonymous Auction, seven nights later. Preview of the auction list: core components of a Class 6 spirit tool..."
"Dou Ling Empire, Linhai City 'Sea Soul Chamber of Commerce' quarterly auction, fifteen days later. Confirmed items: one piece of Thousand-year Whale Glue, one seven-thousand-year Soul Bone..."
"..."
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