Chapter 500: Sichuan Restaurant

Chapter 500: Chapter 500: Sichuan Restaurant

Ahhh, so comfortable. What a soft bed. ’I feel like I could stay here forever.’ Rin Calloway fell asleep the moment she lay down.

Meanwhile, in the lottery shop, Lily Hart decided to take a stroll through the market.

Just as she was about to leave, she remembered what Roman Rowe had said yesterday—to give him a shout next time she went. So, Lily Hart sent a message to their group chat.

"Anyone want to go to the market? Please meet at the main entrance."

After sending the message, Lily Hart turned off her Light Brain and paid it no more mind. By the time she reached the market’s main entrance, Roman Rowe and Frost Shaw were already there, craning their necks in anticipation.

"Oh? You two are up so early?" Lily Hart asked in surprise.

It was just past eight o’clock. She had woken up early today and was feeling a good appetite, which was why she’d thought of making herself some noodles.

"Of course~" Roman Rowe said smugly, and Frost Shaw nodded in agreement.

Frost Shaw added, "We thought you’d already gone inside." It had only been one night since he’d last seen her, but it felt like ages. His gaze was glued to her.

Lily Hart frowned. "Of course not. We agreed to meet at the main entrance." With that, she tilted her chin toward the market. "Let’s go~"

The three of them walked in side-by-side, with Frost Shaw and Roman Rowe subconsciously positioning Lily Hart between them.

Since Lily Hart wanted to make noodles, her shopping list was simple: eggs, baby napa cabbage, and fresh shrimp.

As soon as she’d bought the baby napa cabbage and eggs, Frost Shaw habitually took the bags from her.

Lily Hart then remembered something and said to the two of them, "I’m craving stir-fried clams. Do you guys know how to make them?"

The two of them paused to think. Roman Rowe immediately piped up, "I can look up a tutorial online. It should be quick to learn."

Frost Shaw nodded along. That made sense.

’As long as they had the ingredients, there was no dish they couldn’t learn to make. Besides, their foundational cooking skills were pretty solid. With a little practice, they’d definitely be able to whip up some delicious stir-fried clams!’

Lily Hart was satisfied. "Come on, let’s go buy some clams! We’ll have them for lunch!"

She headed enthusiastically toward the seafood section, with Frost Shaw and Roman Rowe trailing a step behind.

Frost Shaw asked quietly, "You know how?"

Roman Rowe shook his head. "Nope."

Frost Shaw frowned and glared at him. "Then why did you agree so fast? If it doesn’t taste good, Lily Hart will be disappointed. You’d better watch out!"

"Hey, you nodded too! Besides, we can just learn, can’t we? It’s not like I’ll be clueless forever," Roman Rowe insisted.

The two didn’t argue any further and hurried to catch up with Lily Hart.

They bought a ton of clams. The two of them planned to cook, cook, and cook some more. If they didn’t get it right, they’d just keep trying, practicing for three days and three nights if they had to.

’Even if it didn’t turn out well, it wouldn’t matter. Leo Colby and the others weren’t picky; they’d eat anything. Once they perfected the recipe, then they’d make it for Lily Hart.’

They also bought shrimp. Boss Hart loved them, whether poached, braised, deep-fried, pan-fried, or in a hot pot.

She loved them all! As long as it was shrimp!

Once the three of them had bought all the ingredients they needed, they headed back.

Lily Hart had intended to cook her own noodles, but when the two men saw this, they reacted as if it were a major crisis. They quickly snatched the pot away and ushered her out of the kitchen.

Roman Rowe closed the kitchen door, leaving it open just a crack.

He shouted to her, "Boss Hart, whatever you want to eat, just tell us! No need to do it yourself!"

Lily Hart crossed her arms and replied with resignation, "Shrimp, meatballs, baby napa cabbage, and a fried egg."

"Got it, got it." Roman Rowe made an OK sign and shut the kitchen door completely. ’Good thing there’s a range hood in there, or they’d be smoked to death.’

Lily Hart had no choice but to wait outside, watching other people play their scratch-off tickets while waiting for her breakfast.

Ten minutes later, her deluxe bowl of noodles was placed on the table. It was perfect in color, aroma, and taste.

The two had even taken special care with the plating. The shrimp, baby napa cabbage, meatballs, and fried egg all had their own designated spots, each occupying a different quadrant of the bowl.

’I don’t even need to taste it. The smell alone is enough to know it’s delicious.’

Lily Hart was already starving. She eagerly picked up her chopsticks and dunked the entire fried egg into the broth, letting it soak up the juices.

Next, she picked up a piece of the baby napa cabbage. It was so sweet and crisp, a sweetness that went straight to her heart. The leaf was also saturated with broth—it was simply perfect.

Hers was the deluxe bowl of noodles; Frost Shaw’s and Roman Rowe’s were the simple version, with only a fried egg and baby napa cabbage.

Theirs had been cooked in the same pot as Lily Hart’s.

The meatballs and shrimp were reserved exclusively for Lily Hart.

As they were eating, Leo Colby came upstairs. Seeing the large pile of groceries by the kitchen door, he raised an eyebrow. "Been to the market?"

Lily Hart, still slurping her noodles, nodded in response, the strands of noodle in her mouth bobbing up and down.

Watching her, Leo Colby worried that the broth would splash onto her clothes.

Lily Hart, however, had no such concerns. ’If it gets dirty, I’ll just wash it. If the stain doesn’t come out, it’ll just become a pajama shirt. Who cares~’

There were still cooked noodles in the pot, with pieces of baby napa cabbage floating in it. There were no more fried eggs, but Leo Colby didn’t mind and ladled a large bowl for himself.

Sitting down to eat with them, he found himself cherishing the atmosphere of everyone gathered for a meal—it was relaxed, happy, and casual.

’It felt like you could say anything, and someone would always join the conversation. You could eat to your heart’s content without worrying about what others thought.’

’He was used to being a loner and had never thought much of the liveliness of a crowd. But after meeting this group, he found he preferred the atmosphere when they were all together.’

’He didn’t want anyone to ruin this atmosphere, or the bonds between them.’

’And Lily Hart, too...’

After breakfast, Lily Hart started browsing her Light Brain. She "liked" a few comments about the base, making plans for the future.

Once a person started browsing their Light Brain, they would get completely absorbed, tuning out everything happening in the outside world.

It wasn’t until Diana Sharp came over and tapped her on the shoulder that Lily Hart snapped out of her Light Brain-induced trance. "What is it?" she asked, dazed.

Diana Sharp pointed outside. "Someone won the first prize."

Lily Hart’s eyes lit up. ’Did the wish I made last night already come true? Nice work, System!’

The System was secretly pleased with itself.

She hopped right out of the RV and found the person who had scratched off the first prize winner.

It was a short-haired girl. Lily Hart walked right up and tapped her on the shoulder. "Hi, are you the one who won the first prize?"

The girl nodded and handed her the small ticket. Before Lily Hart could even look at it, the girl spoiled the surprise. "It’s a Sichuan restaurant."

Lily Hart’s eyes lit up again. ’Just last night I was thinking about how great it would be to have more restaurants.’

’Hot pot is delicious, but you can’t eat it for every meal, every day. You’d get sick of it!’

’A Sichuan restaurant is perfect! I love spicy food, especially Hunan and Sichuan cuisine.’

"Want to redeem your prize?" Lily Hart didn’t bother taking the ticket to inspect it, getting straight to the point.

"Of course!" the girl said with certainty, deftly stuffing the small ticket into the Lucky Cat’s mouth.

Her movements were smooth, as if she had rehearsed them a thousand times. In fact, she had—mentally.

A familiar white light flashed, settling on the spot next to the market. When the light faded,

a giant chili pepper appeared in everyone’s line of sight. It was a chubby, squat, red bell pepper.

The visual impact was immense. Lily Hart was stunned once again. ’But this kind of pepper isn’t even spicy. Why use a bell pepper?’

’Is it just because it’s cute?’

The girl beside her was also stunned. She’d expected some grand, impressive building, but instead...

’A pepper? Is this right? Though it does look very cute and eye-catching.’

’Whatever. I’ll take it.’