Chapter 398: Midnight Snack Service Begins
Lobster and crab might both have large claws, but the taste and texture of their claw meat were worlds apart.
Compared to the firm texture of crab, lobster claw meat was softer and far more delicate.
Unlike the body meat, which soaked in the broth until it brimmed with fiery, numbing fragrance, the claw meat was sealed tightly within its hard shell during cooking. Protected in this way, the spices only seeped in faintly, while the meat itself retained a hidden sweetness.
That sweet, juicy flavor burst out the instant it met her tongue, mingling with the tender texture, and the experience was nothing short of exquisite.
With just one bite, Ping Xinyan's eyes lit up. She quickly grabbed the second claw, her movements much faster this time.
The first lobster had taken her some effort to handle, but by the second one, she had already grown proficient, her hands flowing smoothly through the motions of peeling.
A portion of spicy lobster wasn't small either. Each serving weighed a full three catties—around twenty lobsters, given the size of the deep-sea crayfish used.
Before long, Ping Xinyan had happily finished her staff meal. She washed the oil from her hands, tidied the dishes, and began preparing for business.
The faint smile tugging at her lips made it obvious just how good her mood was.
She had long since grown used to staying up late and sleeping in the mornings. It wasn't just a habit; it was tied to her very martial spirit. As the wielder of a Little Devil martial spirit, her energy at night was always unusually high. She often tossed and turned, unable to sleep, filling the time with cultivation. But in the depths of the night, hunger always crept in, leaving her craving snacks.
The three late-night dishes hadn't filled her stomach much, but they had completely satisfied her cravings. Now, her hunger gone, she felt her mood lift several notches.
'So this is the magic of a midnight snack?'
After eating, Ping Xinyan began to understand what set supper apart from lunch or dinner.
There were no staple foods involved—no rice or noodles. Supper wasn't meant to stuff the stomach or provide balanced nutrition. It was a parade of dishes that could be enjoyed on their own, meant entirely to delight the taste buds.
Its purpose wasn't sustenance. Its purpose was indulgence.
'I wonder if the customers will enjoy this new idea of supper as much as I do…'
Her gaze swept toward the doorway. Beneath the warm glow of the beautiful lantern posts outside, the line of waiting customers was clearly visible.
In fact, thanks to the lighting, even more people had gathered, many of them staring up at the lights in wonder.
Once the dishes had all been placed in the dishwasher, Ping Xinyan turned to Qi Han.
"Boss, are we opening now?"
"Yes. It's time," Qi Han confirmed after glancing at the clock.
At that, Ping Xinyan strode quickly to the front and gently pushed the doors open.
The line outside stirred restlessly for a moment before filing inside in an orderly stream. At the very front were still the two Limit Douluo powerhouses.
The moment they entered, Tang Qianqiu caught the lingering fragrance of the earlier staff meal. His eyes brightened as he quickly seated himself by the window and eagerly picked up a menu.
Qi Poxiao strolled over to sit opposite him. Even just from that faint trace of aroma in the air, his appetite had been completely roused.
"Hm?"
After flipping a few pages, Qi Poxiao's expression turned to surprise.
"There's so many new dishes?"
The menu easily listed hundreds of items.
Not a single one was familiar. Every dish was new.
For little Boss Qi to be putting out new dishes at this pace… it was nothing short of astonishing.
Tang Qianqiu's lips curved into a strange smile.
"I recall the two of us saying… we'd eat through every new dish before leaving?"
"Forget it, forget it." Qi Poxiao gave a helpless chuckle. "We'll leave tomorrow. No more delays. If we drag this out any further, the Holy Spirit Cult's leader might recover."
"Alright." Tang Qianqiu nodded. "Tomorrow after breakfast, then we go."
"That much, I can agree to."
…
Yue Lengxin slowly stepped into the restaurant, her eyes carrying a flicker of wonder.
Normally at this hour she would be in meditation, cultivating her spirit power. But tonight, meditation had become impossible.
With such enticing new late-night dishes calling to her, she couldn't focus her mind at all.
One had to admit, Han Shi's arrival had already caused a massive impact among the disciples of Shrek—especially the inner academy.
It was only a meal, yet with the time needed to line up and return, it took away a sizable chunk of their day. Disciples who once spent every spare moment cultivating in quiet meditation now found their average time in trance reduced noticeably.
And yet, curiously, their cultivation speed had not dropped—it had risen. In fact, calling the increase "doubling" was hardly an exaggeration.
The reason, of course, was the food itself.
The purple-ranked dishes with their special effects went without saying. Even the simple one- or two-star meals contained more nutritional value than the advanced "nutritional meals" Shrek custom-prepared for its inner academy disciples. And on top of that, they were vastly more delicious.
After eating these dishes, the refined essence within would remain in the body, to be slowly absorbed during training, accelerating spirit power growth.
What's more, the high-grade nutritional meals at Shrek were strictly rationed; disciples had quotas, unable to eat more even if they wanted to. But here at Han Shi, as long as you had the appetite and could pay, you could eat as much as you pleased.
So no one minded a little time wasted standing in line.
As soon as Yue Lengxin entered, the fragrance hanging in the air immediately caught her attention. She glanced idly at a few nearby tables and noticed that everyone seemed to be eating something different. Just from a glance, she could already make out over a dozen distinct dishes.
This…
Her heart leapt in delight. Clearly, there would be no shortage of new food tonight.
"Welcome!"
Recognizing the inner academy's senior sister at once, Ping Xinyan greeted her with a bright smile. "There's a seat open over there."
"Thanks." Yue Lengxin returned the smile and headed where she was directed. She quickly sat down and picked up the brand-new supper menu.
The instant she pinched its thickness between her fingers, her fine brows rose ever so slightly.
Was it… thicker than the hotpot menu?
With that thought, she swiftly opened it and skimmed through the index.
The deeper she read, the more surprised she grew.
'Barbecue… skewers?'
'So many kinds of skewers?'
She flipped through for quite some time before finally closing the menu with a thoughtful look.
"I'll take one grilled Pacific saury, one set each of beef skewers, lamb skewers, corn skewers, and celery-beef skewers… also a grilled eggplant…" she murmured to herself as she ticked boxes on the order slip. "And one salt-and-pepper mantis shrimp… plus a glass of Pure Rye Lager."
Originally, Yue Lengxin hadn't planned on drinking. But when she noticed the menu's note beneath the rye beer—'Not a strong liquor. Strongly recommended with barbecue'—her heart stirred. She decided to give it a try.
"Alright, please wait a moment," Ping Xinyan said with an easy smile, taking the order.
Of course, with this senior sister, it was unlikely she would have to deliver the food herself.
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