The Unveiling of Secret Queen

Chapter 40: Chapter 40: The Nobility that Bends to Accompany Her in Eating_1

The air was thick with the scent of fireworks and the spicy aroma of Hot Pot seasoning.

Nathalie Quinlan exchanged a few words with the middle-aged woman and then beckoned Amadeus Yancey to find a seat.

It was the peak hour for students to get off school and office workers to finish work, and more than thirty tables set up by the roadside were almost fully occupied.

Luckily, there was still a spot by the corner of the wall.

Amadeus Yancey watched as Nathalie Quinlan confidently made her way there, pressed her phone onto the table to reserve the spot, and then turned back to ask him, ”Do you want chili in your spicy soup?”

Amadeus Yancey stood out among the crowd, like a crane among chickens; his bloodthirsty eyes glanced at the bowl of young people at the table next to them.

The white porcelain bowl had a layer of fiery red Chili Oil floating on top.

He hadn’t even tasted it yet, but his throat and stomach were already starting to ache.

”...just a little,” he said.

Nathalie Quinlan’s eyes and brows exuded a wild energy as she snapped her fingers, ”OK. What about blood curd, do you want that added in?”

In Beijing, everyone knew Amadeus never messed with random food and was particularly averse to offal; he wouldn’t even touch French foie gras.

It wasn’t that he didn’t eat it, but that he would have an allergic reaction.

Amadeus Yancey rubbed his forehead, feeling a bit of a headache, and said in a low, enticing voice, ”No, just give me a bowl of the most ordinary noodles.”

Nathalie Quinlan blinked, her dark, bright eyes seemingly piercing through to his weakness in an instant, her voice casual, ”You can’t eat offal?”

Amadeus Yancey didn’t know how she figured it out, since he certainly had never mentioned it himself.

But before he could speak again, the beautiful and cool girl had already dropped her casual demeanor and was ready to go get the food, ”No offal, and less chili, right? Got it.”

...

The tables and chairs at the street stall were truly too tiny for him.

With a height of less than half a meter, coupled with an even shorter plastic stool, it made up a table, as rudimentary as playing house.

Thankfully, although the furniture was simple, it was clear that the owner kept it very clean, scrubbed spotless.

He bent down and pulled out a stool to sit on.

Being tall with long arms and legs, and the plastic stool being so short, he had to curl up to barely fit on it, his long legs almost nowhere to be placed.

It was the first time Amadeus Yancey ever felt so awkward, even more so than when he had faced bullets and gunfire.

”Here we go.”

Nathalie Quinlan returned swiftly, carrying two steaming bowls in her hands, so hot they looked like they would burn one’s hands.

”This one is yours, didn’t put much chili in it.”

A bowl of hot and sour noodles was placed on the table in front of him, its fragrance wafting up. It had only a thin layer of red oil on top, and indeed it didn’t look too spicy.

”This one’s mine.”

Nathalie Quinlan sat down across from him, with a bowl of similarly vibrant hot and sour noodles that seemed much spicier, topped with a layer of Chili Oil, and the bowl contained sweet potato flour, duck blood, and bean sprouts...

She looked relaxed as she pulled out two pairs of disposable chopsticks from the chopstick holder, opened one pair for him, then opened a pair for herself.

She spoke in a good mood, ”Spicy soup is best when eaten hot. Aunt Cagwin’s cooking is very good, everyone from nearby students to workers loves to come here to eat, you should try.”

”Mhm.”

Amadeus Yancey watched her enjoying her food with gusto, and he mysteriously felt his appetite grow. He lowered his head, picked up some noodles with his chopsticks to test the taste.

The sweet potato noodles were soft and flavorful from the Hot Pot seasoning, with bean sprouts adding a fresh and crunchy contrast, providing just the right mixture of spice and refreshing taste. He had never tried this kind of street snack before, but to his surprise, it was quite delicious. He curved his lips into a smile, the fierceness in his eyes diminishing, and his shoulders relaxed just like Nathalie Quinlan’s.