Shokugeki No Douluo Dalu (Patreon)

Chapter 77: Two Similar Flowers

In his previous life on Earth, Qi Han had experienced a romance.

As a well-known food influencer, he frequently traveled to various places to taste local cuisine and capture footage for his video content.

During one of his trips to Sichuan province to sample local dishes, he met a girl who shared his passion for food and travel.

The girl was beautiful and had a personality that matched well with Qi Han's. They quickly became acquainted, and their friendship grew as they embarked on several trips together. Eventually, in a cozy little inn near a famous scenic area, after sharing some wine, sparks of love ignited between them, and they became a couple.

Their time together was filled with sweet and wonderful moments. However, their happiness didn't last long. The girl's family was traditional and conservative, unable to accept or understand Qi Han's profession as a food influencer. They deemed it to be an improper occupation and disagreed with her relationship with him. In the end, they forcefully separated the couple, and the girl was married to someone she didn't love.

Qi Han drowned his sorrows in alcohol, heartbroken. From then on, he never easily let his heart be swayed by any girl. Even after he arrived in the Douluo Continent due to an unexpected event, he remained single.

Since he had a second chance at life, he didn't dwell on his past romance. He didn't intend to seek out love in this lifetime. However, in this new world, where he had just arrived, he hadn't considered such matters yet.

In the midst of this, Qi Han saw Yue Lengxin, and for a brief moment, his heart skipped a beat.

The woman before him slowly overlapped with the unforgettable image from his past life. Qi Han was astonished to find that the two had at least seventy percent similarity, and the woman before him was even more beautiful than the one from his past.

"System, besides me, is it possible for anyone else to have crossed over to the Douluo Continent?"

At this moment, Qi Han suddenly felt a rush of excitement and joy. Could this woman before him be the one who crossed over?

【Based on the system's analysis, only the host has arrived in the Douluo Continent. As for the similarity between this woman and someone from the host's past life, it's just a coincidence, like two similar flowers in the river of time, but they are not the same flower.】

"So, you mean it's just a coincidence?"

【Yes.】

Just a coincidence, huh? Qi Han smiled wryly, shook his head, and returned to the cutting board, starting to prepare the next dish.

Well, it's impossible for someone else to have crossed over, isn't it? (Note: This part is not a spoiler, just setting the stage.)

"Huh?"

Yue Lengxin keenly sensed that someone in the small restaurant seemed to be looking at her.

It was normal for her to attract the attention of the opposite sex with her appearance, but this particular gaze felt different, making Yue Lengxin instinctively turn her head to look.

Following the direction of the gaze, Yue Lengxin saw a figure turning away in the kitchen.

Could it be just her imagination?

Yue Lengxin furrowed her brows slightly, feeling that the figure in the kitchen seemed to exude an indescribable sense of loneliness, as if they were out of sync with the world.

"Senior Sister, what's wrong?" Ying Shuang curiously asked, bringing Yue Lengxin back from her thoughts.

"It's nothing," Yue Lengxin smiled and replied. "You go ahead with your work. I'll find a seat and take a look at the menu first." With that, she lifted her slender hand and pointed to the dishes that Qi Han had placed on the table.

"Oops!" Ying Shuang shrunk her head, embarrassed, and stuck out her tongue. "I'll go back to work then. Senior Sister, please take a look at the menu." She hurriedly went to the table and served the dishes to the respective customers.

Lost in conversation with her Senior Sister, Ying Shuang almost forgot that she was currently covering for Fuya and working as a waitress in the small restaurant.

Seeing the somewhat careless junior, Yue Lengxin couldn't help but chuckle softly. She found an empty dining table, disregarding the gazes that were now directed at her, and looked at the extensive price list covering one wall.

Although she had learned from her junior during the queue that the food in this restaurant was not cheap, Yue Lengxin couldn't help but be amazed when she saw the actual prices. Especially the dish priced at a thousand Gold Coins per serving, the "Fish Belly Stuffed with Lamb," was incredibly expensive.

She remembered that even in the bustling Food Street, where the cuisine was diverse and high-quality, the most expensive dishes were priced in Silver Coins. Some street vendors even priced their snacks in Copper Coins. Dishes priced in Gold Coins were exceedingly rare.

The prices at this restaurant seemed to be on par with the high-end nutrition meals in the academy cafeteria.

No, not even the advanced nutrition meals at Shrek Academy cost more than ten Gold Coins per meal. Compared to that, the prices here were exorbitant.

While Inner Court disciples had few classes, and Yue Lengxin often went on adventures, earning a fair amount of money, she wasn't exactly short on funds. Although the prices at the small restaurant were ridiculously high, she could afford it.

If there were few customers in the restaurant, Yue Lengxin might have hesitated, wondering if there was any forceful selling or other dubious practices happening here. However, with so many customers choosing to dine here despite the high prices, it could only mean that the restaurant's cuisine, though expensive, was undoubtedly worth it.

Furthermore, since she entered the restaurant, the scents of various unique and enticing dishes had already wafted into Yue Lengxin's nose. Each of them was a unique delicacy that she had never smelled before, far more tempting than any food she had ever tasted. This only strengthened her conviction.

Waving over Ying Shuang, who had been standing by, Yue Lengxin revealed an unusual expression of indecision on her face. "Let's have a small serving of fried rice, and as for the rest... do you have any recommendations, Junior?"

Yue Lengxin could only discern that the fried rice was likely a main course, but as for the other dishes, she had no clue. The dish names were entirely unfamiliar to her, leaving her somewhat perplexed.

Ying Shuang was eager to recommend her favorite dishes like the Exploding Honey Badger Intestines and Tin Foil Roasted Brain Flower. However, after some thought, she decisively refrained.

Well, Senior Sister just arrived; let's not scare her away.

A new dish would be a good choice. That's it!

With a nod, Yue Lengxin agreed to try the Kung Pao Chicken. She found the name a bit challenging to pronounce but assumed it had something to do with chicken, so she eagerly ordered it.

"And that one..." Ying Shuang pointed to another dish on the wall, "Dongpo Pork Knuckle is also a popular choice among our customers. Senior Sister, despite the high price, after eating it, you can accelerate the flow of your Spirit power for half an hour."

Although this was Ying Shuang's first time working as a server, she had been a customer at the small restaurant many times before. She was well aware of the popularity of the various dishes on the menu.

Especially after the introduction of the Fish Belly Stuffed with Lamb, the sales of Dongpo Pork Knuckle had visibly increased. People used to hesitate to order it because of its high price, but now, with the comparison to the Fish Belly Stuffed with Lamb, they found it quite affordable.

Enhancing Spirit power flow?

Yue Lengxin was pleasantly surprised. Even advanced nutrition meals couldn't achieve such effects. The only things capable of such effects were likely to be precious treasures from the world of martial Spirits.

"In that case, I'll have one of those too." Yue Lengxin didn't hesitate and decided to give it a try.