Chapter 29: Real Chinese Cuisine (Part 1)
"Where's the boss?"
The young man who asked the question stood out immediately—dyed, colorful hair, flashy clothes, full Shibuya-style flair. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, posture arrogant, eyes scanning the shop with open disdain.
His girlfriend tugged on his sleeve, frowning.
He snorted and reluctantly took his hands out of his pockets, reining in some of his frivolous attitude.
"…Excuse me, would you like something to eat?" Mu Xiaoyue stood up from behind the counter and asked hesitantly in English.
Unexpectedly, the young woman's eyes widened in shock the moment she got a better look at her. She covered her mouth with both hands.
"Y-You're Sister Yueyue?!"
"…Yes."
Mu Xiaoyue blinked in surprise. When she heard the girl switch to Chinese, she responded instinctively. Then her expression became a bit awkward.
"Ahhh! I can't believe it! Let's take a photo!"
The girl immediately abandoned her boyfriend, rushed up next to Mu Xiaoyue, and began snapping selfies with practiced speed. She took several, adjusted the angle, then stepped back, thoroughly satisfied.
"Wait—did you come here just because of my article?" Mu Xiaoyue asked curiously, remembering the food travelogue she had posted online. She'd specifically listed Xia's Chinese Restaurant's full address in the article.
Anyone paying attention could've easily tracked it down.
The girl nodded excitedly. "Sister Yueyue, is the food here really as authentic and amazing as you described?"
"You'll know once you've tried it. Honestly, I don't even have the words to describe it." Mu Xiaoyue shrugged.
"Really?"
The girl's eyes sparkled. She turned and tugged her boyfriend's arm, dragging him to an open table. They sat down after some discussion—he in Japanese, clearly reluctant; she pleading gently, obviously wanting to stay.
Mu Xiaoyue watched them with interest.
The girl was probably a Chinese exchange student, judging by her accent and demeanor. Her boyfriend was clearly Japanese—and not very pleased to be in a Chinese restaurant.
"Xiaoya, you watch the front. I'm going to find that little rascal," she told her friend before heading into the back of the restaurant.
"A-Yu?"
Climbing the narrow stairs to the second floor, Mu Xiaoyue poked her head around. Everything was neat and tidy. She soon found a closed bedroom door. One was empty, but the other was clearly occupied.
She knocked and called a few times.
The door opened slowly. Xia Yu stood there, looking like he hadn't slept in days—dark circles under his eyes, face pale.
Mu Xiaoyue frowned. "You look terrible. What the heck happened to you? You looked fine this afternoon."
She peered past him into the room.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Her gaze lingered a little too long on the trash bin—empty, no suspicious white tissues in sight—before she quickly looked away, slightly red-faced.
"Did you really sleep for three hours straight?"
Before he could answer, she grabbed his wrist and started dragging him downstairs.
"Come on, don't dawdle. A customer's here—my fan, no less. She came because of my article. You better treat her well! If you mess this up, it'll ruin both our reputations!"
As Xia Yu followed her downstairs, his foggy mind began to clear.
Then it hit him.
Wait.
Why was Mu Xiaoyue here again?
Oh right—it had been raining three days ago, and he'd asked her and Anya to help watch the shop while he trained in the Kitchen God Space.
Hold on.
Three days ago?
Xia Yu's expression froze.
"System, how long was I in the Kitchen God Space?"
"You entered the Kitchen God Space at 2:33 PM Tokyo time. It is now 5:48 PM Tokyo time of the same day. You spent a total of 3 hours and 15 minutes in real-world time."
"…What?"
Xia Yu was stunned.
He had spent what felt like three entire days inside that virtual kitchen, cooking dish after dish until his mind went numb—only to discover that barely three hours had passed in reality?
He suddenly realized there was a major problem with how he had interpreted the time exchange!
Ten reputation points per hour in the Kitchen God Space… but that hour referred to real-world time.
So—was one real hour equivalent to one full day in the Kitchen God Space?!
The thought made Xia Yu shudder.
Before he could dwell on it further, Mu Xiaoyue dragged him back into the dining area.
"You two here for dinner?"
Xia Yu looked at the couple, brushing aside his lingering shock.
"…?"
The girl blinked in surprise. Then, seeing Xia Yu's young face, she glanced at Mu Xiaoyue in disbelief. "You… you're the boss here?"
"I'm not just the boss," Xia Yu replied with a friendly smile. "I'm also the chef."
Since she was speaking Japanese, he replied in fluent Japanese.
"Huh?"
The young man beside her raised an eyebrow.
He shifted from mild surprise to something more judgmental, then asked, "Are you a student at Totsuki?"
"Nope."
Xia Yu shook his head casually.
The young man's expression immediately darkened. A hint of contempt flickered in his eyes.
"You're not from Totsuki? Then what gives you the confidence to open a restaurant at your age?" he asked, voice laced with sarcasm. "Cooking isn't a game. If you don't know your customers' tastes, you're just bluffing with pretty plates."
His girlfriend shot him a glare, but the guy wasn't done.
"Is this the chef who made the Chinese food you were talking about? You'd be better off eating at a proper place run by a Totsuki graduate. I took the train here in this weather, and this is what I get? Seriously, I'm disappointed."
Flustered, the girl stood up and bowed.
"I'm so sorry. He… he just doesn't know much about Chinese cuisine…"
Xia Yu waved her off with a small laugh.
He'd already figured it out.
This guy looked down on Chinese food. He might as well have had "I've been scammed by Chinese takeout before" tattooed on his forehead.
Well then.
Xia Yu felt it was his duty to teach this lost lamb what real Chinese cuisine tasted like.
He had just spent the equivalent of three days cooking nonstop in the Kitchen God Space—his skills were on fire.
Turning calmly, Xia Yu returned to the kitchen and hung the menu board on the wall.
Mu Xiaoyue and Anya came over, peeking curiously.
The aroma of simmered sauces already lingered in the air.
"The Sichuan dishes: Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork, Mapo Tofu, and Spicy & Sour Shredded Potatoes."
"The Cantonese dishes: Shacha Beef, Sweet and Sour Pork with Pineapple, and Claypot Tofu with Fermented Bean Curd."
"…Only six dishes?" Mu Xiaoyue blinked in disappointment.
Xia Yu grinned. "Tell you what. If you finish three dishes, I'll treat you—free of charge. Sound good?"
Before turning back to the kitchen, he paused. "By the way, did any ingredients get delivered this afternoon?"
"Yeah," she said, wiping the corner of her mouth. "Some are in the fridge. The rest we left outside. By the way—where did you order from? Those delivery guys were crazy professional…"