Chapter 103: Chapter 73: Otaku’s Holy Land

As Jiangg Ning shyly told her friends that she would definitely bring her boyfriend to meet them when she got the chance…

…on the other side, Jiangg Yao and Chen Yuan were wrapped in each other’s arms, getting all lovey-dovey. The passion between them was escalating fast, and they were practically glued to each other.

After waiting in line and getting their merchandise, the three of them checked out the arcade inside the convention center.

By noon, they were starving.

Wan suggested, “Why don’t we go get some ramen? I know a place that’s amazing.”

Jiangg Yao had heard her hype it up before. She’d claimed the ramen from the shop on the fourth floor of Dongguan Mall was so fragrant you could smell it all the way down on the first floor; calling it an aroma that carried for miles wouldn’t be an exaggeration. So, Jiangg Yao happily agreed.

Chen Yuan was pretty happy about it too. When they asked for his opinion, he nodded. “I’ve always loved noodles. Steamed buns are the staple food where I’m from up north, but I had to get noodles every few days back in high school. When I went home, my mom would make scallion oil noodles for breakfast. I could always smell them the moment I got to the front door. I could put away two huge bowls.”

“Sounds like you really love them. I can only manage one bowl at most; my stomach’s just not that big.” Jiangg Yao initially agreed with a smile, but then, something occurred to her.

Her expression slowly soured…

Compared to herself, her sister Jiangg Ning was the type of person who truly loved life. When she had just started at Lanjing University, a young colleague who was leaving her job left behind a five-yuan succulent. By the time Jiangg Ning found it, the plant was sickly and looked like it was on its last legs.

Jiangg Ning took it home and tended to it carefully for a couple of weeks.

Now, it was thriving on her desk.

And now Chen Yuan had just mentioned his love for noodles… Jiangg Ning had practically maxed out her cooking skill. She made incredible clear-broth noodles, and her scallion oil noodles were her specialty. She also knew how to cook other signature dishes from Mingzhu City and had even learned a number of local Lanjing dishes from Ms. Qin after moving here.

At this thought, Jiangg Yao clenched her fists. A bitter feeling welled up inside her.

’Compared to my sister, I’m kind of useless. I can even burn scrambled eggs with tomatoes. Other than acting cute and being clingy, it’s hard to find any other good qualities.’

’A cute, useless homebody…’

Chen Yuan didn’t catch this subtle shift in Jiangg Yao’s mood. Women were just too difficult to understand; maybe they didn’t even understand themselves.

Who would have thought that after such a happy morning, she’d get upset over something so small?

…

「Dongguan Mall, Fourth Floor.」

The three of them all opted for the ramen shop’s signature dish—miso ramen.

It was lunchtime, and the place was so popular it was hard to find an empty table. Chen Yuan and the girls had to stand for a bit until a young couple finished their meal, freeing up their seats.

A waiter came and cleared the table, but Chen Yuan took a napkin and wiped down the oily residue anyway.

He didn’t forget to wipe the area in front of Jiangg Yao, too.

Jiangg Yao took in this thoughtful gesture. As she gazed at Chen Yuan, her heart softened.

’The feeling of being loved… you really can feel it in every little moment.’

They waited for over ten minutes. During that time, Wan had to fight to keep from drooling, her stomach growling—GRUMBLE GRUMBLE. The ramen at the other tables just smelled too good. Just as she was about to lose hope, the waiter finally approached with their tray.

“Yes!”

Wan eagerly took off her eye mask, stuffed it in her pocket, and deftly tied up her hair. She was ready for battle!

The moment the ramen was set down, wisps of white steam rose from the bowls, and Wan took a deep sniff.

Although it was said to be Japanese-style, the shop’s recipe had a rich history. It could be traced back over a hundred years to a soup noodle flavor created by a Chinese person living in Japan.

Then, a dozen or so years later, a particularly clever young Japanese man became the old master’s apprentice and introduced several modifications to the recipe.

He used a tonkotsu base, added a variety of other ingredients, and even created special portions of lard and garlic to enhance the richness of the broth.

Now.

The three of them gazed at the ramen before them.

Green onions, half a hard-boiled egg, shredded scallions, corn, lard, and sesame seeds were spread across the surface. A stir with chopsticks revealed the chewy, al dente noodles coated in a rich, oily sheen. At the very bottom, stir-fried vegetables trapped the piping hot steam.

Chen Yuan lifted a few strands to his mouth, and his eyes instantly lit up.

“Delicious!”

“Right? I told you you wouldn’t be disappointed,” Wan said with a smug smile, happy that her friends were enjoying her recommendation.

“Let me try. Can it really be *that* good?” Jiangg Yao said, looking doubtfully at their blissful expressions.

’How delicious can ramen possibly be?’

“When I was a kid,” Chen Yuan started, “there was a noodle shop in my county town that had been open for years. It was passed down from my senior’s grandfather to his father. It was also a ramen shop, and their noodles were the chewiest I’d ever had, right up there with this place.”

“So is your senior going to take over the family business?” Jiangg Yao asked curiously.

“He is. He’s the new owner of the shop now.”

“That’s wonderful. He gets to do what he loves. I bet your senior is very happy.”

“Huh?” Chen Yuan looked at Jiangg Yao’s innocent expression and chuckled. After a moment, he shook his head. “As far as I know, he doesn’t actually like doing it. But his grades weren’t good, and in a small county like ours, it’s hard to find good prospects if you don’t continue your education. It was his only choice, really.”

“’Prospects…’” Jiangg Yao didn’t quite understand what he meant.

“If you ever get the chance to visit my hometown, you’ll see. It’s very different from Lanjing. It’s a really remote place, a designated poor county, even.”

’See the place where my boyfriend grew up?’

Chen Yuan’s simple words suddenly filled Jiangg Yao with anticipation. She studied his profile for a moment before lowering her head, lost in thought.

’In the future, maybe one day, probably a long, long time from now…’

’…she would go to Chen Yuan’s home with a new identity—as his future wife…’

’By then, our relationship would be serious enough to talk about marriage. That would be so wonderful, wouldn’t it?’

A slow smile curved Jiangg Yao’s lips. She truly hoped that day would come.

…

“*BURP*~”

In the three heavy porcelain bowls, nothing remained but the warm, oily broth. All the other ingredients had been devoured, vanishing without a trace.

Looking like a pregnant woman, Wan clutched her stomach and leaned back heavily in her chair, staring up at the ceiling.

“I’m so stuffed. That was amazing,” she murmured.

“Of course you’re stuffed. One serving was more than enough, but you had to order an extra half-portion of noodles.”

Chen Yuan and Jiangg Yao had already been full for a while. But Wan, still not satisfied, had ordered more, and the two of them could only watch in shock as she devoured it.

It was mind-boggling.

Chen Yuan couldn’t understand how such a petite girl could have a bigger appetite than him.

’Truly, a woman’s stomach is as unfathomable as her heart.’

“Alright, stop lounging around. We need to free up the table for other people,”

Jiangg Yao could feel the owner’s gaze on them and knew they were being prompted to leave. Chen Yuan had already gone to pay, so she had no choice but to pull Wan up from her seat.

“I’ve paid.”

“Then let’s go.”

The three of them left the mall together. A biting wind immediately hit them, sending the hair on Jiangg Yao’s shoulders flying.

“Where are you headed? I’ll give you a ride,” she said, turning to Wan.

“I’m heading to Qingsu Street, to the Cat Ear Maid Cafe. Yaoyao, do you know where that is?”

“I think so… What are you going there for?”

“You know how I bought two sets of merch this morning? One is for a friend of mine who works at the cafe. I’m just going to drop it off for her.”

“Cat Ear Maid Cafe?” The novel term sparked Chen Yuan’s imagination. “Is that one of those places where the waitresses are girls dressed in maid outfits?”

“That’s right. You’ve never been?”

“Nope.”

“You should check it out sometime, Chen! The girls there are super pretty, and every one of them is adorable. Plus, their outfits and accessories are all handmade. Their personalities are different, and even their cat ear colors are different. It’s considered the best maid cafe on Lanjing’s Qingsu Street.”

Hearing her description, Chen Yuan’s interest was piqued.

It wasn’t that he was being a pervert; he was just curious, having never seen a shop like that before.

“For real? Different personalities get different ear colors? That’s creative. So does that mean the black-eared ones are cool and aloof, and the pink-eared ones are dorky and cute?” Jiangg Yao exclaimed in surprise. A moment later, she shot Wan a look, raising her eyebrows. They exchanged a glance, and the corners of their mouths lifted into a knowing smile that only a true otaku would understand.

“You guessed it! The manager of the Cat Ear Maid Cafe is super professional, and the staff she trains are top-notch. They never break character when they’re playing the part of a maid. That was her idea, too.”

’Wow, I’d love to open a shop like that,’ Jiangg Yao thought wistfully. Girls are naturally drawn to games involving management, role-playing, and coordinating outfits.

That’s why they’re interested in playing house and with Barbie dolls as kids, and in running shops and playing dress-up as adults.

In a way, a place like the Cat Ear Maid Cafe was a holy land for otaku!

“So why don’t we go check it out today? It’s perfect since we’re all here. Let me tell you, there’s a new girl who just started, she’s so pure and simple, quiet and adorable. I love her! In last month’s maid ranking, she won second place as a newcomer!” Wan said, getting excited.

“Today…” Jiangg Yao glanced at Chen Yuan. “Maybe not. We’ve been running around all morning. I just want to rest. Let’s make plans for another time.”

“Okay, that works.”

“Alright, let’s go then.”

…

The car slowly pulled to a stop in front of the Cat Ear Maid Cafe on Qingsu Street.

Wan said goodbye to them, hopped out of the car, and walked happily toward the shop entrance with her backpack on, looking just like an elementary schooler heading home after school…

…even though she was in her twenties and had been a corporate drone for nearly two years.

Many of her colleagues couldn’t understand why Wan was so into her “chuuni” hobbies, so hopelessly lost in the 2D world. They couldn’t fathom spending at least half of her monthly salary of over six thousand yuan on her interests.

But only she knew how wonderful that virtual world truly was, and by contrast, how miserable real life could be.

If it weren’t for the 2D world, Wan, who’d had few friends growing up, wouldn’t have found any reason to love life at all.

The two of them watched until Wan disappeared through the cafe’s entrance.

Chen Yuan suddenly found the sight of her departing figure to be heartwarming, and his own mood seemed to lift along with it.

“Wan’s a really good person.”

“She is,” Jiangg Yao said with a smile. “She’s my best friend.” Inside, however, she was thinking, ’Hehe, the third wheel is finally gone.’

“Let’s go home and rest. I’m dead tired.”

Chen Yuan said, stretching his back. He’d spent the whole morning running around with these two, and they’d spent an hour just waiting in line. His legs were aching.

“Okay—ACHOO!”

Jiangg Yao didn’t even finish her word before she let out a huge sneeze.

She wrinkled her nose. The sneeze was so forceful it made her eyes water.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep