Reborn in the 80s: Everyone Falls For Me
Chapter 174 - 173: Praised by a Love Rival (4 more updates)

Chapter 174: Chapter 173: Praised by a Love Rival (4 more updates)

Taste buds quivered, stimulated by the indescribably delicious flavor that was both numbing and refreshing.

It felt like dancing on the tip of the tongue.

There were also mushrooms and beef in the Butter Sauce.

The aroma of the beef, after being fried, had leapt into the diced mushrooms. The mushrooms, saturated with butter and broth, were plump and glossy. Biting into one, the succulent diced mushroom immediately burst with a rich, aromatic juice flooding the mouth.

The chewy texture of the mushrooms, so delicious, made one’s mouth water.

Xu Niannian was still carefully savoring the fragrance when she looked up and saw Xu Zhiqiang on her left and Jin Yu on her right, gobbling down the noodles with big bites.

Their actions, to put it mildly, were voracious.

Xu Niannian couldn’t worry about that and bent down to join the fray, not expecting that noodles made with Butter Sauce and a secret soup base could taste this good.

Less than three minutes later, Jin Yu’s bowl was empty.

Xu Zhiqiang was still eating.

Although Xu Niannian was greedy, she had just finished dinner not long ago and, with her small appetite, could only eat half before she was full.

Jin Yu, after taking a sip, looked at her putting down her chopsticks after eating half and asked, "Are you still eating?"

Xu Niannian waved her hand, "No, no more. I’ll burst if I eat any... "

Before she could finish speaking, Xu Niannian was stuck, because Jin Yu was continuing to eat from her leftover noodles.

Xu Niannian opened her mouth in astonishment. Although she didn’t have the habit of leaving half-eaten noodles in the bowl, those were still leftovers from her.

And he just continued eating from them?

Was this not an indirect kiss?

At the thought, Xu Niannian’s face flushed, "Brother Yu, this is what I’ve eaten. If you’re still hungry, I’ll make you another bowl. Don’t eat it."

Jin Yu was quick, and just as Xu Niannian finished her sentence, he took the last bite and lifted his head, "Hmm," and said, "Make me another bowl."

Xu Niannian: "..."

He had already finished eating it.

Jin Yu looked at her, his dark eyes shimmering with sincerity as he seriously said, "Don’t waste food."

That was his explanation for why he ate her leftovers.

Xu Niannian was at a loss for words. His expression was so serious that it made her concern seem petty.

She could only suppress the restlessness in her heart, took his bowl, and hurried into the kitchen.

Jin Yu watched her run off as fast as a rabbit, a smile lifting the corners of his lips.

He smacked his lips, wondering why the leftovers from her bowl seemed tastier.

Xu Niannian cooked him another bowl, which Jin Yu finished in just a few bites.

It made Xu Niannian wonder if he had even chewed or just poured it straight down his throat.

Xu Zhiqiang only ate one bowl, for the same reason as Xu Niannian—he had just had dinner and couldn’t eat much.

*

The next day, the shop officially opened.

Jin Yu set off a string of firecrackers at the entrance.

The popping noises attracted the stares of passersby.

But that was it—no one actually came inside.

Jin Yu frowned, thinking that shouldn’t be right. Why wasn’t anyone coming in?

Xu Niannian also frowned; an hour had passed since they opened, and not a single customer had come in.

She noticed several other food shops across the street with quite a few patrons inside.

The three of them sat in the lobby, Xu Niannian frowning, "Why are there no customers?"

Jin Yu was also puzzled. Logically, a new business should attract people’s curiosity to come and try the food. Why wasn’t there anyone?

Xu Niannian frowned, and Jin Yu comforted her, "Don’t worry, it’s only the first day. Customers will come soon."

Apart from waiting to see what would happen, Xu Niannian had no other solution.

Not long after Jin Yu’s words, customers did come.

"Oh, there’s a new shop here?"

"Yes, and it’s quite nicely decorated."

The voices of two women talking sounded somewhat familiar to Xu Niannian. As she raised her head, she saw Zhu Xinyu with another woman beside her.

Xu Niannian opened her mouth—it was indeed a small world.

But since they had entered the shop, Xu Niannian could only treat them as customers unless they caused trouble first.

"Would you two like something to eat?"

She stood up and went to greet them, being polite without being overly ingratiating.

Upon seeing Xu Niannian, Zhu Xinyu’s eyes widened in surprise, "You?"

"It’s me."

Zhu Xinyu’s good friend was taken aback by Xu Niannian’s stunning appearance and was momentarily distracted.

Suddenly hearing Zhu Xinyu’s shocked voice, she turned back and asked, "Xinyu, do you know her?"

Zhu Xinyu gritted her teeth, "I know him, Brother Yu’s annoying fiancée."

Xu Niannian: "..."

Jin Yu sat behind Xu Niannian, without standing up. Hearing Zhu Xinyu’s words, his fierce gaze swept over, frightening Zhu Xinyu into trembling.

The woman with Zhu Xinyu was her close girlfriend, named Zhu Hongxiu, who shared the same surname as Zhu Xinyu and always looked up to her.

Knowing Zhu Xinyu’s long-standing crush on Jin Yu, and because he was present, she dared not be presumptuous and whispered to Zhu Xinyu, "Xinyu, let’s go back first."

But Zhu Xinyu didn’t leave immediately; she frowned and asked Xu Niannian, "Is this restaurant yours?"

"It is mine." Xu Niannian stated straightforwardly. After all, with Jin Yu here waiting for his dividends, he surely wouldn’t let anyone touch her restaurant.

Expecting Zhu Xinyu to lash out with harsh words, she instead grabbed her girlfriend by the hand, sat down arrogantly on a stool, and tilted her head up proudly.

"What delicious food do you have here?"

Xu Niannian: "...There’s a menu on the table."

She thought she wouldn’t deign to eat here.

Xu Niannian had not only written out a large menu and posted it on the wall, but also placed a bold-print menu on each table for everyone who could read to see clearly.

So that everyone who could read would understand her writing, Xu Niannian’s handwriting was neat and clean, hardly any different from the fonts found in textbooks.

Zhu Xinyu glanced over and asked with her delicate brows furrowed, "What can you prepare the fastest?"

Xu Niannian: "Butter Sauce noodles or rice noodles would be fastest."

"Fine, then give me a bowl of that, one serving of Butter Sauce noodles, or rice noodles."

Xu Niannian: "...Rice noodles or noodles?"

With such a reminder, Zhu Xinyu felt as if her intelligence had been insulted, and she stomped her foot, aggrieved, "Brother Yu, did you see? She is bullying me!"

Jin Yu didn’t even bother to lift his eyelids, "Being foolish and blaming others."

Chastised by Jin Yu, Zhu Xinyu huffed and said to Xu Niannian, "I want the rice noodles."

If Zhu Xinyu was eating, Zhu Hongxiu would definitely join in.

She hurriedly said, "I want the noodles."

"Okay, please wait a moment," Xu Niannian said, then turned and went into the kitchen, with Jin Yu following, "I’ll help you."

Seeing this, Zhu Xinyu’s face swelled with jealousy.

Xu Zhiqiang saw someone coming in, remembered Xu Niannian’s instructions, and sat down at the counter by the door, ready to take the money.

In the kitchen, two large soup pots sat on the stove, one for boiling noodles and the other containing the secret broth made last night.

To keep the broth at a high temperature at all times, it could only be kept on the stove. However, Xu Niannian did not dare to turn up the heat too high; she placed sparse coal on top to maintain warmth, ensuring a continuous temperature rise without boiling over.

Soon, a bowl of rice noodles and a bowl of noodles were ready. Xu Niannian was about to serve them when Jin Yu took over, "I’ll do it."

Xu Niannian was happy to relax.

Seeing Jin Yu carry out the bowls, Zhu Xinyu’s heart fluttered, and with her hand over her chest, she gazed infatuatedly at Jin Yu.

"Thank you, Brother Yu."

Jin Yu’s stern look swept over her, "Call me ’Brother’ again and get out."

Zhu Xinyu snorted and turned her head, instantly captivated by the tempting fragrance wafting from the bowl.

She still remembered the noodle dishes Xu Niannian had made before, and she had been craving their flavor ever since, so without a second word, she dove in and began eating voraciously.

Zhu Hongxiu was also devouring her meal.

When they both took their first bite, their pupils dilated sharply, and then their eating pace quickened significantly.

Xu Niannian only heard the sound of them slurping.

Before Zhu Xinyu had finished eating, she called out, "Give me another bowl."

Zhu Hongxiu hurriedly looked up, mouth still full, "Me too, me too."

While speaking, the food in her mouth made her words muffled and unclear.

Xu Niannian immediately cast aside Zhu Xinyu’s annoying traits and cheerfully went back to the kitchen to continue making noodles.

For a chef, there was nothing more gratifying than having diners want another serving of what they had prepared.

Two steaming bowls of noodles came out, and before long, the bowls were empty.

Both women were stuffed.

Zhu Xinyu wiped her mouth with a paper and stood up, hand on her waist, "How much is it?"

Seeing her like this, one could tell she intended to pay together. Xu Niannian said, "Fifty cents a bowl, you’ve had four bowls, that’s two yuan in total; please pay at the front."

"Two yuan?" Zhu Xinyu was shocked, looking incredulously at Xu Niannian.

Xu Niannian blinked, wondering if she had charged too much?

No, that can’t be right, other places charge fifty cents a bowl for their beef noodles, so her price was very affordable, wasn’t it?

Before she could linger on her confusion, she heard Zhu Xinyu say, "With such a high-end décor and food that’s so tasty, you only charge fifty cents a bowl?"

Realizing she had misspoken, she hastily corrected herself, "No, it’s terribly tasteless, only worth two yuan."

She was annoyed beyond measure; how could she praise her rival?