Chapter 12: The Price of a Meal

“If you’re treating me, wouldn’t picking something at random be too easy on you?”

“Hmph—you’re quite the conniving one, big sis. Well, if you don’t want to go easy on me, then pick the most expensive thing.”

“Oh? You heard yourself, don’t regret it.”

Chajingyuan’s eyes immediately lit up, and she began diligently scrolling through her phone.

“That family restaurant earlier seemed quite good… Oh, wait, this won’t do. The average spend is only 60 yuan. Hmm, let me keep looking.

Sushi averages 66 yuan, burgers 45, and there’s even a burger place with an average of just 22… Wow, that ramen place from before actually averaged 80 yuan… Is their broth made of mercury?”

“Well now, every place has its own target demographic, you know…”

“Ah, this one’s perfect! An authentic steakhouse with an average of 243 yuan. There’s nothing more expensive than this, either before or after. What do you think of this? No backing out now!”

Finally, a gleam sparked in Chajingyuan’s eyes, and she gleefully returned the phone to Chahuayuan.

Chahuayuan cast a discerning glance over it, then nodded subtly.

“Of course, that’s no problem at all. I always keep my word, and since I promised to treat you, I won’t be stingy. However… are you absolutely sure about this place?”

“Hmph, little sis, are you scared? Trying to go back on your word over a mere two hundred yuan per person? How pathetic, my little minnow of a sister, so chicken?”

“Not scared, not scared at all~~ But, big sis, you shouldn’t back out halfway either, alright?”

“Huh…?”

Chajingyuan was bewildered for a moment. Yet, a mere twenty minutes later, she finally understood what her sister meant by ‘backing out’.

So tiring!

It stood to reason that in the vicinity of an old district and aging residential areas, there wasn’t much fertile ground for particularly exquisite restaurants.

Even if that Western restaurant wasn’t especially high-end, merely ‘authentic’ in an ordinary sense, the principle remained the same.

The Western restaurant Chajingyuan had found was a full 1.8 kilometers away from their residential complex.

“Ugh, ohh, I’m so tired… I… I can’t walk anymore, I don’t want to walk…”

“You promised not to back out, remember? Do you want to become the ‘minnow’ you just spoke of? It’s rare for us to go out, so walk a bit more and get some exercise. Come on, you can do it!”

“Waaah… Can I take a taxi…?”

“No.”

In the end, Chajingyuan was practically dragged into the Western restaurant by Chahuayuan.

No, if one were to say ‘dragged’, the person would at least still possess a coherent form. Chajingyuan, in her almost-melted state, seemed more like she was ‘carried’ inside.

“So exhausted, utterly exhausted… You wretched minnow of a sister, I… I… I won’t forgive you! You actually tricked me into walking a full two kilometers with your cunning lies…”

“You chose it yourself, so who are you going to blame? And judging by the outcome, your stamina is what truly qualifies as ‘minnow-like,’ considering two kilometers isn’t even a single subway stop.”

“Guh.”

Struck by her sister’s irrefutable logic, Chajingyuan completely collapsed onto the restaurant table, transforming into a glistening puddle of fried yogurt with spun sugar.

Chahuayuan reached out and poked Chajingyuan’s hair.

“Alright, alright, consider the walk an appetizer. Come on, you order. Today, you’re the host, the great hero.”

“…”

“Waiter! Could we get the menu, please? By the way, do you have digital menus or paper ones here… Fine, just give it to her. She’s my g— *cough, cough, cough*! This kid is in charge today.”

“Here you go, little sister. Select ‘2’ for the number of diners, tap the ‘select dishes’ button, and feel free to order whatever you like~~”

The waiter promptly arrived, sporting a professional smile that could rival any amateur streamer’s, and tucked the ordering tablet into Chajingyuan’s arms, startling her.

‘…Eek, I… I’m not some ‘little sister.’ Uh, uh-uh-uh, anyway, just let me look first. Don’t rush me, don’t pressure me!’

“No rush, no rush. Take your time ordering.”

‘Mhm, mhm, mhm.’

Chajingyuan, both cautiously and chaotically, rapidly flipped through the menu.

‘This, this… I’m trying to think about steak and things, like ribeye, sirloin, tenderloin.’

“If it’s your first time having steak, we recommend the sirloin; it has a more balanced texture.

However, our ribeye is also highly recommended, made with excellent ingredients, offering a very rich flavor experience from the first bite.

Oh, and of course… you don’t have to focus solely on steak, little sister. You can also look at the appetizers and desserts towards the back; you could simply choose a two-person appetizer platter…”

‘Guh-uh…’

The waiter’s overly enthusiastic recommendations only exacerbated her difficulty in choosing, and combined with her already fully-triggered social anxiety, Chajingyuan’s eyes started to spin.

‘I-I-I-I don’t care, just something simple, simple…’

“Oh, right, if you want something simple, you could look at this. Hmm, just scroll back up here, see this? This 239 yuan set meal also offers great value…”

Seeing Chajingyuan’s continued bewilderment, the waiter leaned closer to her, bending down and using a finger to help her navigate the pages.

The looming shadow of an adult human!

The sheer presence of a stranger instantly sent Chajingyuan’s awkwardness soaring to its peak.

‘(丿＞д＜) 丿 I… I-I-I don’t know anything! Chahuayuan, you choose for me!’

Chajingyuan snatched up the tablet and, without a word, shoved it into Chahuayuan’s arms.

‘…You said you’d help me fend off the waiter earlier! Don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t dump this on me! I’m the host, you choose for me!!’

“Uh…”

Chahuayuan took the tablet, gazing at her flustered sister with a look of amusement.

It seemed that the aggressive, white-haired brat she had seen online yesterday was nothing but a facade. In the real world, this sister was, after all, still a hopeless idiot incapable of handling normal conversation.

Sigh.

Still, at least, the number of lines she could actually utter had increased.

Compared to how she was nine months ago, when Chahuayuan had practically ‘snatched’ her sister from their parents, this was already an unimaginable improvement.

At this thought, Chahuayuan couldn’t help but show a hint of doting affection.

She righted the tablet, grumbling good-naturedly, “Alright, alright, if you want to give up your right to choose, then give it up,” while earnestly selecting items from the menu.

The young waiter chuckled.

“You two sisters have such a good relationship.”

“It’s alright, it’s alright. After all, this one, well, this kid, truly can’t manage without someone looking after them.”

Before long, Chahuayuan efficiently placed their order and saw the waiter off.

As her strength slowly returned and the stranger departed, Chajingyuan finally began to perk up, sluggishly sitting upright.

The food runner set the cutlery, then delivered bread, appetizers, and pre-meal soup. Wisps of steam, carrying a rich aroma, wafted into Chajingyuan’s nostrils, slowly re-igniting the hazy spark in her eyes.

Clutching the soup spoon, she looked at the fragrant cream of mushroom soup.

‘Wow… such thick soup, all yellowish and gooey.’

“Can’t you pick some more appealing adjectives, big sis…?”

Chahuayuan was instantly speechless.

‘Hmph, doesn’t all food pretty much look like this? How else am I supposed to describe it?’

Chajingyuan averted her gaze and let out a soft huff, then nonchalantly scooped up half a spoon and put it into her mouth.

‘…Mmm…’

The expression of her eyebrows relaxing immediately caught Chahuayuan’s attention.

“Well? Big sis, it’s quite tasty, isn’t it?”

‘It’s not exactly ‘delicious,’ so don’t ask me if it’s good. Anyway, the taste is… is…? Quite interesting, I suppose it’s rather ‘fragrant,’ you could say.’

“Sigh, you always give that kind of response.”

‘What else?’

Chajingyuan huffed nonchalantly once more, pouting her lips and raising her eyebrows.

‘…*Cough, cough*, anyway, I’ll try a couple more bites of something else… probably.’

“Alright, as long as you don’t find it unpalatable, that’s fine. Take your time, big sis, and if it’s not enough, we can always order more.”

Chahuayuan didn’t dwell on it, and leaving Chajingyuan to her own pace, she began to heartily enjoy her meal.

‘Mmm.’

Chajingyuan set down her spoon, then speared a piece of garlic bread, bringing the pale green blend of salt and garlic to her mouth.

She swallowed a small bite, then tasted the fries, chicken strips, and large snails from the platter…

Unexpectedly, each item had a distinct flavor. She couldn’t quite label them ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ but they were all quite fragrant.

It had been a long time since she had felt this way, not since she fell ill.