The atmosphere felt peaceful, almost like a safe haven from the outside world.
Yunlan Qingyi and Li Mei also noticed a cool breeze smoothly brushing against their skin. It wasn’t uncomfortable at all, and instead, it was quite refreshing.
They exchanged a quick glance. Without a word, they both had the same thought.
There must be an ice formation set up.
Just for comfort?
How extravagant!
Formations like this are usually only found in palaces or the most high-end sect shops.
And yet… here it was, in a store tucked away inside a shadowy alley.
Their thoughts were broken when their eyes landed on the young girl near the counter – Mo Xixi.
’Is she… the owner?’ they both wondered for a moment.
But they quickly dismissed the thought. She looked too young. Surely not.
Still, as etiquette demanded, they both gave a polite nod.
“Greetings”
“Greetings.” Yunlan Qingyi said with a gentle smile.
“Might I ask if you are the owner of this establishment?”
Mo Xixi shook her head lightly.
“I’m not the owner. I’m just the store crew. I’m the one watching the store right now.”
Mo Xixi then pointed toward the corner.
“That’s my boss. The owner of this store.”
“Boss?” Yunlan Qingyi repeated, a bit puzzled by the unfamiliar word.
Li Mei leaned in slightly and whispered beside her.
“Princess, the word ’boss’ is another way to say someone is the head of the store – the one who owns and oversees it.”
Yunlan Qingyi and Li Mei followed Mo Xixi’s finger and turned to look.
There, seated in the corner, was a young man eating a bowl of noodles.
He looked up mid-bite, his cheeks a little puffed from the mouthful of noodles he had just taken in.
Some soup clung to the side of his mouth, and a noodle strand dangled from his chopsticks.
He waved his free hand casually.
Not at all shocked by their beauty.
Perhaps it was because of Yue Xueyan, who now came to the store often – her beauty was just as stunning, so maybe he had gotten used to it?
“That’s the owner?” both Yunlan Qingyi and Li Mei were surprised.
He looked nothing like what they had imagined.
They expected some old, wise man in grand robes. Not… a noodle-slurping youth who looked like he’d just rolled out of bed.
Li Mei frowned slightly. ’How can he greet the princess in such a manner?””’
But before Li Mei could speak, Yunlan Qingyi stepped forward and gave a polite bow.
“Greetings, esteemed store owner.”
Li Mei, though clearly unhappy, followed her princess’s lead.
’If the princess offers her respect, what right do I have to refuse?’ Li Mei thought and gave a quick nod as well.
Hao gave them a small nod in return… and went right back to eating.
A twitch formed in Li Mei’s brow. She opened her mouth, ready to say something –
But Yunlan Qingyi, who knew Li Mei all too well, gently took her hand and gave it a soft tug.
“Let us look around, Mei Mei.” Yunlan Qingyi said with a kind smile.
Seeing her princess acting so calmly, Li Mei had no choice but to let it go.
Since neither the crew nor the owner seemed interested in introducing them to any products, they would have to look around on their own.
That, in itself, was unusual.
In other stores, the workers would always greet them with enthusiasm, showing off the best items and offering all sorts of expensive treasures. But here?
Nothing.
And worse – many of the shelves were empty.
Li Mei frowned. Is this place struggling? They even have a formation just for air cooling, and yet so few products?
Their first stop was a shelf filled with small, colorful cups.
“What are these?” Yunlan Qingyi asked softly, lifting a cup with the words “Beef-Flavored Instant Noodles” written on it.
Li Mei picked up another one beside her, scanning the strange packaging.
“I am not sure either, Yiyi.”.
They both stared at the cup.
Their faces were calm, but their eyes were full of curiosity.
“…Isn’t this the one the store owner was eating?” Yunlan Qingyi muttered as her eyes drifted toward the corner.
Li Mei followed her line of sight. Hao was still sitting there, slurping up noodles like he hadn’t a care in the world. Sure enough, the same kind of cup was in his hands.
“Yes, Yiyi.”
“This seems to be the container for those noodles.”
They looked down and spotted the price tag of the instant noodles.
One crystal.
They both paused.
“One crystal… for noodles in a cup?” Yunlan Qingyi blinked, confused.
Li Mei’s brows furrowed slightly. “That’s the price of a meal from a high-grade pavilion.”
“This isn’t even a proper dining house…”
“Isn’t this a robbery?”
Should they report this to the city officials? Or maybe it was some mistake?
“Pri – Yiyi.” Li Mei muttered, lowering her voice.
Yunlan Qingyi, however, shook her head and smiled. “Let’s try it first, Mei Mei.”
“If it costs one crystal, then surely there must be something special about it. We shouldn’t judge too quickly.”
That was how Yunlan Qingyi always was – open-minded, willing to give even the strangest things a fair chance.
Li Mei, however, was thinking the exact opposite. In her mind, this was nothing more than an overpriced scam. Still, seeing her princess so interested, she kept her thoughts to herself.
They brought the two cups to the counter and placed them down.
“Two crystals.”
After they paid, Mo Xixi gestured to a strange metal-looking device. “To prepare the instant noodles, go to that artifact.”
“It’s called a water dispenser.”
“Just lift the lid slightly, place the cup on the holder, and wait for it to pour the hot water.”
“Once it’s done, close the lid and grab a chopstick.”
“You can take a seat in the corner while it cooks. It should be ready in about three minutes.”
Though the instructions were simple, they still looked at the cup suspiciously.
That was it?
They were paying a full crystal, and the store didn’t even prepare it for them?