"Tsk, so we came at the wrong time!"
Mu Xiaoyue smiled as she entered the restaurant, glancing playfully at the angelic blonde girl sitting silently in the corner. She shot a knowing wink at Xia Yu behind the counter.
Such a beautiful girl, sitting in a shop during non-business hours—she could only be one of two things: a close friend or a girlfriend.
Xia Yu's mouth twitched. He couldn't be bothered to explain.
Whether Erina Nakiri was a friend or more, one thing was certain—if she misunderstood, she'd definitely explode. And Xia Yu didn't feel like becoming the target of her wrath in front of two visiting Chinese tourists. So for now, he simply ignored the God's Tongue.
"You two saved some room for lunch?"
Glancing at the time on the old wall clock, Xia Yu turned and walked back toward the kitchen. "It's just about lunch hour. Give me thirty minutes—I'll whip something up."
Mu Xiaoyue and Anya took their seats and began chatting softly.
"Xiaoya, you don't know how badly I slept last night," Mu Xiaoyue said, excited. "That dish—Fuqi Feipian—it didn't taste like something from the human world. I've been dreaming of eating something that good again all day."
Anya remained quiet.
She wasn't as expressive as her bubbly friend, but her anticipation for the next meal was just as strong.
The two girls spoke in Mandarin, which left Erina Nakiri out of the loop. She sat quietly, unable to understand a word.
Outside, the skies over Tokyo darkened, and heavy rain began to fall.
Erina's phone buzzed. It was her personal secretary, Hisako Nido, frantically apologizing. A traffic accident had caused a major jam. She'd be at least an hour late to Ameyoko.
Click.
Erina ended the call, her expression darkening. Arms crossed, she walked to the door and looked out at the rain-soaked shopping street.
Her mind drifted back to that morning, at breakfast in the Nakiri estate. The Commander of Totsuki, Nakiri Senzaemon, had approached her and said:
"Erina, you're the same age as Mr. Xia Qing's grandson. If possible, help your grandfather take care of the young chef. Even if he doesn't join Totsuki."
At the time, the old man had even smiled.
"I think you two could become good friends. Erina, you need more interaction with chefs your own age. Mr. Xia Qing's grandson is more than qualified to be your equal."
And just like that, Erina had been sent here—alone.
Thinking of her grandfather's self-serving matchmaking, Erina could only feel helpless and slightly resentful.
She was the head of Totsuki's middle school division, one of the youngest members ever of the Elite Ten, and born with the divine gift of the God's Tongue. Why should she stoop to befriend some ordinary boy?
Lost in frustration, Erina suddenly caught a scent that made her eyes widen in disbelief.
"What... What is this smell?"
The storm had cleared the air, and now the fragrance coming from the kitchen was almost overpowering. It wasn't just inside the shop—the aroma spilled out onto the street, dancing in the rain.
Erina clenched her fists. Her feet itched to step forward, but pride held her back.
"No. I won't yield to a commoner."
To someone like her, requesting to taste another person's cooking was akin to lowering herself. High-end restaurants practically begged to have their food judged by her divine palate. Many even offered astronomical sums just for a review.
Why should she ask?
From inside the store, Xia Yu's cheerful voice called out:
"Only one dish on the menu today, but rice is unlimited—enjoy!"
Even from the entrance, she could hear it clearly. That voice she'd grown to detest.
But the smell was becoming impossible to ignore. The aroma had a boldness to it—spicy, numbing, rich—and the air itself seemed to thicken with its heat.
Then came the pot.
A large stainless steel pot with a lid was brought straight to the table. Erina watched in disbelief. He was going to serve it directly from that?
But the moment Xia Yu lifted the lid, time seemed to freeze.
A radiant glow burst out of the pot, illuminating the dimly lit shop in an instant. The glow was almost magical—ethereal.
In that moment, all of Erina's pride and stubbornness fell away.
Her gaze locked onto the food.
The glow only lasted two or three seconds before fading, but it was enough.
Mu Xiaoyue and Anya were also stunned into silence, staring wide-eyed at the dish.
"Please, dig in—" Xia Yu brought over three bowls of steaming rice.
Gurgle~
Mu Xiaoyue swallowed a mouthful of drool. Then she pointed at the dish and, in a dazed tone, blurted out, "Is that... Mapo Tofu? Sichuan cuisine?"
"Correct," Xia Yu smiled. "To be exact—Magic Mapo Tofu."
He glanced toward Erina, who had silently approached the counter. "Erina, isn't that right?"
He asked in English, making sure the tourists could follow along.
"No!" Erina shook her head with rare intensity. She bit her thumb and glared at the dish. "This is not the same magical Mapo Tofu I had last time!"
Xia Yu only chuckled. "You're right. The glowing version you see now—that's the completed dish. The one you and the Director tasted before? That was just a failed prototype."
"...Huh?" Erina nearly shouted. Her beautiful violet eyes burned with fury. "You dared to let my divine tongue taste a failed dish? How could you serve something incomplete to me—and to the Director of Totsuki?!"
Xia Yu remained unfazed.
"But didn't that 'failure' rip the Director's shirt?" he said with a grin. "Consider this finished version my formal apology."
Erina choked on her words.
The tear in her grandfather's collar had been real. She couldn't deny that.
"It's all thanks to you, Erina. Without your God's Tongue, I'd have needed far more time to analyze each flaw in my earlier attempts. But because of your reaction, I was able to finish the dish that very night. And now... this version is almost perfect."
"I finally get it now—why so many top restaurants pay you just to taste their dishes."
The words were clearly meant as praise, but to Erina, they stung.
Idiot!
Who the hell said I wanted to help you improve?!
Veins popped at her temples as she fought back the urge to explode like a female Tyrannosaurus.