4:30 PM
"What's going on today? Why did you drag me over so early? Isn't it not mealtime yet?" Grandma Doma looked at Liu Ming curiously.
"Of course it's a good thing, but allow me to keep you in suspense," Liu Ming said mysteriously.
Not long after, the Chitawara Natsume sisters also arrived.
"Manager, we're here! When will that dish be ready? I can't wait!" Chitawara Natsume found Liu Ming as soon as she entered, her expression full of anticipation.
"I was just waiting for you. Now that you're here, we can officially begin tasting.
Thor, quickly close the shop door.
Oh, right, before closing, put this notice on the main door."
Liu Ming found a pre-prepared piece of paper from the cash register.
Miyu walked over curiously, and after seeing the content on the paper, she let out a gasp of surprise,
"Xiao Ming, is the restaurant not open tonight?"
"That's right, we're taking a night off," Liu Ming nodded.
Chihiro Orie was speechless. It was just one dish, did it really warrant this? They were even taking a whole night off specially.
"Alright, now that everyone's here, let's start the tasting. You two are guests, so you'll sit at a separate table. Everyone else here will sit at another table."
Liu Ming led Chitawara Natsume and her sister to a not-too-large empty table.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, he turned back to Thor and said, "Thor, remember to lock the door after closing, and also, draw the curtains on the windows."
This time, it wasn't just Chihiro Orie.
Everyone else present, upon hearing his words, was also stunned.
What kind of trick was this?
Wasn't it just tasting a new dish?
Wouldn't doing this be a bit too exaggerated?
Closing the door was one thing, but even drawing the curtains?
"Why are you closing the door? Wait, what's written on the paper in your hand?"
Natsuno Kirihime happened to arrive outside the door at this moment. As a writer, she was quite sensitive to words.
With just a glance, she roughly understood what was written on it.
"Not open tonight, you can leave," Thor said, proudly holding up the notice in her hand.
"Not open?" Natsuno Kirihime couldn't help but look inside the shop, only to find everyone inside, especially when she saw Chihiro Orie and the others, her mood immediately soured.
She and the other party dined here almost every day. Although they didn't know each other, it was easy to recognize each other.
She pointed at them and asked, "Didn't you say you weren't open? Then why are they inside?"
"Uh, anyway, we're just not open," Thor didn't know how to explain and simply insisted they were closed.
"I don't believe it. I want to ask them myself," Natsuno Kirihime said, about to walk into the restaurant.
Thor, however, blocked her way, not letting her enter.
Natsuno Kirihime's expression changed, and she slowly took out the silver scissors from her waist.
"I don't know why you have such hostility towards me, but I'm not someone to be trifled with."
"Haha, perfect! I've wanted to teach you a lesson for a long time, always pestering Xiao Ming!"
Thor's expression also became quite dangerous, her hands already transforming into dragon claws.
However, even so, she hadn't forgotten Liu Ming's instructions.
She always maintained the cognitive hindrance magic, not letting anyone else discover her true identity.
"Dong~~" A light hand chop landed on Tohru's head.
"Xiao Ming~?" Tohru immediately reined in her imposing aura, pouting unhappily as she asked.
Liu Ming, seeing that the situation inside was not right, immediately walked out.
Neither of them was a simple character; if they fought here, they would destroy his restaurant.
Uh, but it probably didn't matter; even if it was reduced to dust, Tohru could restore it.
He admired Natsuno Kirihime, though she herself was a human missile, Tohru was a human nuclear bomb.
He really didn't know where she got the confidence to dare to brandish a weapon at Tohru.
"You two, come in quickly, or someone else will arrive soon," Liu Ming waved to the two of them.
Tohru huffed loudly at Natsuno Kirihime; since Liu Ming had said so, she wouldn't bother with it anymore.
As Natsuno Kirihime passed by Liu Ming, she asked, "Why are you closed tonight?"
"Something came up; you'll know in a bit."
After closing the door, locking it, and drawing the curtains, Liu Ming breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that no further incidents occurred.
There were ten of them, all sitting at one table, which was a bit crowded, but it couldn't be helped.
Originally, they could have split into two tables, five people per table.
But then he thought about it and decided not to do that.
Why?
Because they had three big eaters: Tohru, Kanna, and himself.
It was impossible for them to separate, and on the other side, it wasn't good for The Takanashi Sisters to separate either.
In the end, they just decided to sit together.
Once everyone was seated, Liu Ming pulled Tohru into the kitchen. Soon after, they both emerged, each carrying a jar of wine.
Liu Ming was quite cunning; he took the smaller jar to The Chitawara Natsume Sisters, while Tohru carried the larger one to their side. Chitawara Natsume gave him a glare, but she didn't say anything.
Although their jar was small, its size was enough for the two sisters to eat.
"Tohru, what's in this wine jar?" Grandma Doma asked curiously.
"Buddha Jumps Over the Wall," Tadokoro Megumi answered her.
"It's actually this dish! It's said to be quite famous in Huaxia," Grandma Doma exclaimed in surprise.
Kanna, the foodie, couldn't help but stand on her chair and lean her head over.
She sniffed, but didn't smell anything.
This was strange.
"I heard that after Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is cooked, you can't smell any fragrance. It seems the rumors are true."
Chitawara Natsume's eyes lit up. She had eaten Buddha Jumps Over the Wall before, but it always had an aroma wafting out.
This was truly the first time she had encountered one with no scent at all.
This alone was enough to prove the success of this dish.
Liu Ming smiled without speaking. He placed his hand on the lid of the jar, then gestured with his eyes for Tohru to do the same.
"Three"
"Two"
"One"
As the countdown ended, they both simultaneously lifted the lids of the jars.
Two massive golden light beams simultaneously rose, illuminating the entire restaurant.
Even with the curtains drawn, they couldn't block this dazzling light.
The Chinese Restaurant was like a giant light bulb, sparkling brightly