Chapter 481: Zhou Yuan's Confusion
Sometimes you can't judge a person just by appearances. If you don't truly understand someone, you can't possibly know what kind of person they really are.
For example, when Qi Han saw that dark-skinned young man yesterday—the one who was extremely obsessed with his younger sister—he felt nothing but disdain in his heart, and even thought the guy might come looking for trouble.
But who could have imagined that after leaving yesterday afternoon, the young man secretly introduced more than a hundred customers to him. As a result, the restaurant couldn't even accommodate everyone at the moment, and there was actually a line outside.
You should know that at this exact time yesterday, there wasn't even a single customer in the shop.
What was this?
This was basically a mysterious customer hero who did good deeds without leaving a name!
He had completely misunderstood him. The look the young man gave him before leaving yesterday afternoon wasn't about coming back for revenge later, it was about bringing him business in the future?
Looking at the dark-skinned young man in the dining area who was silently stuffing his face with food, Qi Han suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
It was like when a delinquent gives you a look that says "Wait for me at the school gate after class." Then after school you nervously go there, only to find him cleaning the playground that you were supposed to sweep on duty…
A strangely accurate metaphor.
It seemed that the officials were worried that arriving at Han Shi in such large numbers would make Qi Han suspicious, so they all agreed to claim that Xu Jiyun had introduced them.
Although Xu Jiyun felt somewhat helpless when this huge blame suddenly landed on his head, he still accepted it for the sake of the officials' plan.
Qi Han naturally had no idea what ridiculous events had occurred in the Sun Moon Empire's imperial palace while he had been practicing "Zilong Sheds His Armor" in the training space early that morning. But he was extremely grateful to Xu Jiyun for introducing customers to him.
What a good person…
To express his thanks, he even specially gave Xu Jiyun a serving of candied hawthorn as a small token of appreciation.
"Your Dragon Well Tea Shrimp and Swallow-Skin Dumplings are ready. Please enjoy."
Qi Han carried the dishes to a refined-looking middle-aged man and placed them in front of him, meeting the man's unwavering gaze.
Every customer who had come today stared at him for a noticeably long time. Some even kept sneaking glances at him while eating. At first, Qi Han wondered if something was on his face.
But after being stared at by customers for so long, he gradually got used to it.
Maybe people in the Sun Moon Empire had the habit of watching the chef while eating—it might make the food taste better?
Hmm… although a little strange, every place had its own customs. Qi Han felt he could understand that.
So… go ahead and look!
Thinking this, Qi Han became even more relaxed.
After setting down the dishes, he turned back to the kitchen and continued cooking the next customer's order.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yuan sat at his table, watching Qi Han's departing figure. Then he looked at the two steaming dishes placed in front of him, filled with rich fragrance, and fell into deep thought.
Something… felt a little off.
Ever since entering the shop, he had been carefully observing every facial expression of the Han Shi owner, Qi Han. Facing so many new customers, Qi Han showed absolutely no difficulty or dissatisfaction. Instead, he displayed an unexpectedly joyful expression.
This was extremely unreasonable.
No matter what Qi Han's real purpose for coming to Mingdu City was, running the Han Shi restaurant was merely a disguise. Once the restaurant—his outward cover—became busy, it would inevitably interfere with his true objective!
So how could he still be smiling so happily?
Could it be that he had anticipated their anticipation—deliberately showing a happy smile so that they would think coming here to support his business actually helped his real goal, making them abandon this plan… when in fact abandoning the plan was exactly what he truly wanted?
They were on the second layer, but he was already on the third layer?
No… that couldn't be right.
Qi Han didn't even know them. To him, they were just new customers invited by the Third Prince to dine here. How could he possibly predict something like that?
Thinking this, Zhou Yuan quickly rejected this absurd, nesting-doll-like speculation.
Then could it be… that their initial guess had been wrong from the very beginning, and he really had come here simply to run a restaurant and make money?
The moment this thought appeared, Zhou Yuan quickly rejected it as well.
On one hand, anyone seriously trying to run a restaurant would never deliberately choose such a remote and secluded street. That clearly didn't match Qi Han's behavior.
On the other hand—and more importantly—this guy had crossed through the Sun Moon Empire's layers of blockade, traversing an extremely dangerous ocean filled with countless terrifying sea spirit beasts, all the way from the Douluo Continent!
He endured all that hardship to come here from Douluo Continent… just to run a restaurant and make money?
Who would believe that?!
Of course, Qi Han didn't possess the cheat ability to hear other people's thoughts. Otherwise, if he had heard Zhou Yuan's inner monologue, he would definitely have protested innocently that coming from the Douluo Continent hadn't been difficult at all…
Open the door, close the door—guess what? You're here!
As for why he came to open a restaurant in the Sun Moon Empire, Qi Han could only say helplessly that he hadn't really wanted to either.
System mission—who could refuse that?
No matter how long Zhou Yuan sat there frowning and thinking, he still couldn't figure out Qi Han's real purpose for coming here. In the end, he decided to temporarily put the matter aside and wait until he had more clues before making further guesses.
As for now…
The tempting aroma of the two dishes in front of him kept drifting into his nose, making Zhou Yuan feel increasingly uncomfortable. The craving in his stomach had already been stirred, and he was itching to taste them immediately.
The officials had come to Han Shi to keep the restaurant owner busy. By having everyone watch him together, they hoped to prevent him from making any suspicious moves.
Eating here was merely a cover for that objective.
But now…
He glanced around the room and saw several officials who had already been served their dishes devouring the food with great enthusiasm. Their faces were filled with intoxicated satisfaction, completely forgetting the purpose of their visit. Once again, Zhou Yuan felt that things were developing in the opposite direction from what he had expected.
This wasn't right. Something was very wrong!
He suddenly shook his head vigorously.
Was the food here really that delicious?
I'll just have to try it myself!
With that thought, Zhou Yuan somewhat awkwardly manipulated the unfamiliar utensil used in Han Shi—called chopsticks—and picked up a piece of shrimp, placing it into his mouth.
The tender yet springy texture burst between his lips and teeth. The fresh sweetness of the shrimp slowly blended with the rich aroma of tea, instantly filling his nose and mouth. It was a marvelous flavor Zhou Yuan had never experienced in his life, almost overturning everything he thought he knew about food.
This…
A trace of surprise appeared in Zhou Yuan's eyes. He already loved drinking tea, and this Dragon Well Tea Shrimp, with its unprecedentedly exquisite tea fragrance, conquered him in a single instant.
It was… this delicious?
Unable to resist, he used his chopsticks to pick up another piece and slowly savor it again, his face filled with enjoyment.
Thinking that he might be able to eat such delicious food every day in the future, a faint smile couldn't help but appear on Zhou Yuan's face.
But his rational mind quickly extinguished the fantasy in his heart.
If coming here to eat was exactly what the other party wanted, then what they should do was stop coming here altogether!
Looking at the Dragon Well Tea Shrimp in front of him, then at the officials around him who were wolfing down their food, Zhou Yuan let out a quiet sigh in his heart.
Stop coming in the future?
Could they really do that?
Not even talking about the others—just himself.
Food this delicious, with such an exquisite tea fragrance…
How could he possibly give it up?
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Latest Chapter: Chapter 505: Qi Han's Choice[1]
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[1] https://www.patreon.com/posts/becoming-food-in-155496005
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/becoming-food-in-155496005