Chapter 17: The Maid Cafe Test

While the initial mention had stirred a slight surprise, Ling Wei reasoned that a maid café was merely one among countless ordinary eateries, distinguished only by its catering to a specific clientele. There was truly nothing extraordinary about it.

Thus, despite never having patronized such an establishment in reality before, Ling Wei felt confident she could effortlessly simulate Xia Shi’s reactions.

Ultimately, it was merely a barely passable, 60-point scheme! It was nothing to fear.

“Welcome home, Master! Young Miss! Love!”

It was only upon stepping inside, enveloped by a swarm of what appeared to be maids, that she realized her perception had been somewhat flawed.

The reason for adding ‘appeared to be’ was that the young woman found it utterly impossible to imagine a maid in any world speaking with such a strained, high-pitched voice.

‘Would they truly not fear being strung up and beaten by their masters?’

‘Would anyone genuinely enjoy frequenting such a place?’

‘No, perhaps as jump scares in a haunted house, they might indeed prove exceptionally effective, even becoming wildly popular.’

Despite enduring a considerable psychological assault, Ling Wei was, after all, a person capable of confidently donning women’s clothing, and would not falter before such a minor inconvenience.

While feigning an expression of profound astonishment, she subtly observed Lu Chen beside her from the corner of her eye.

The young man’s expression remained entirely normal; in fact, a hint of curiosity flickered in his eyes.

He offered the maids a dazzling smile, forming a heart with his hands, and declared:

“Thank you! Love!”

After addressing the maids, he turned his head to face the young woman, and also formed a heart gesture towards her.

“Xiaoshi, they’re greeting you. Aren’t you going to respond?”

‘Eh, Xiaoshi? Is he talking to me? Do I have to do it too? And aren’t you going OOC? Be more professional!’

Ling Wei was genuinely taken aback for a moment, before frantically sifting through her mental archives.

‘Xia Shi’s reaction upon seeing her boyfriend make a heart gesture to others…’

‘Xia Shi’s reaction when confronted by a horde of swarming pseudo-maids…’

‘Xia Shi’s reaction when asked by her boyfriend to make a heart gesture to others…’

Needless to say, even after scouring her memory ten times over, the young woman found not a single comparable scenario.

‘…Not bad, Mr. Lu. You’ve found a blind spot.’

After offering a silent compliment, Ling Wei adopted a bewildered, helpless expression, and mimicked Lu Chen’s heart gesture.

“…Ah? Uh, yes. Thank you, everyone, love…?”

This was a moderate, faultless performance.

While it might not perfectly align with Xia Shi’s true personality, and thus wouldn’t decisively dispel Lu Chen’s suspicions, it certainly wouldn’t be far off the mark either.

To put it plainly, Ling Wei had adopted a defensive posture, intending to stubbornly hold her ground, and quietly await an opportunity to counterattack.

Lu Chen gazed down at the young woman beside him, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his eyes.

Just as Ling Wei had surmised, he, too, had never witnessed Xia Shi’s reaction in such a scenario, and could only make an educated guess based on his understanding of his lover.

The young woman’s current response landed squarely in the ambiguous territory between ‘definitely Xia Shi’ and ‘absolutely not Xia Shi’.

A maid stepped forward, her smile radiant.

Gazing at the two who were exchanging heart gestures, seemingly affectionate (?), she bent slightly, and gestured towards the deeper recesses of the small café, inviting them in.

“Yay~ Welcome again~ Please follow me, both of you~”

****

“You can scan the QR code here to order. Master and Young Miss, please call me anytime if you need anything, love you all~”

As she followed the maid to an empty table and sat down, Ling Wei had largely deciphered Lu Chen’s plan.

This fellow intended to use extreme situations to elicit extreme emotions from Xia Shi, and observe her reactions.

This was truly a personal domain, a blind spot for Ling Wei.

Only Lu Chen, who had devised the test, and Xia Shi herself could provide the correct answer to pass.

‘…However, to navigate this predicament, she didn’t necessarily have to rigidly accept the challenge and solve the problem.’

As Ling Wei pondered, Lu Chen, with a slightly disgusted wave to the maid, bade her farewell, and took his seat.

He took out his phone, scanned the QR code, then placed the screen in the center of the table, displaying the dazzling array of menu options to the young woman before him.

“The menu is quite extensive, and they have all the usual drinks too. Xiaoshi, what would you like to order? How about their signature omurice?”

Ling Wei’s brows furrowed slightly as she replied:

“…Not great. I already said it’s only 8 AM, didn’t I? And I don’t even like omurice. Just a regular orange juice will do.”

A hint of resentment and grievance colored the young woman’s voice.

Lu Chen’s pupils quivered, a wave of guilt washing over him, and he almost immediately offered apologies and comfort.

Though he had anticipated her distress, witnessing it firsthand made it impossible for him to remain calm.

‘Was this truly alright?’

‘To casually disregard Xia Shi’s feelings, and trample upon their invaluable relationship, all because of a dream whose veracity was hard to ascertain?’

‘This girl had arrived at their meeting spot an hour early, her eyes brimming with anticipation as she waited for him.’

‘…No, calm down.’

While Morning Star might be a bit eccentric, her advice was remarkably pertinent—he was becoming too emotional, to the point where it clouded his rational judgment.

Lu Chen lightly bit his tongue, and his wavering resolve momentarily steadied.

He resumed his flippant tone, pointing at the menu as he spoke:

“Don’t say that; it’s their signature dish, after all. Wow, look, it even comes with a magic spell-casting service! You know, where the cute maids say things to the omurice after it’s made—”

The young woman’s gaze turned cold, her dark pupils fixed squarely on Lu Chen.

“I know what that part is, no need to explain. You seem quite interested, very excited, in fact.”

“Yes, of course. Isn’t that why we came here, to experience this? Orange juice, on the other hand, can be drunk anywhere.

“Well then, I’m ordering it. Don’t you dare throw a tantrum when it arrives and waste food, alright?”

Without waiting for Ling Wei’s reply, Lu Chen lightly tapped the button and placed the order.

The young woman’s gaze grew even colder, her knuckles on the table turning white.

Lu Chen’s heart jolted, and his breathing quickened abruptly.

Finally, he had spotted a flaw.

This contradicted Xia Shi’s usual habits; when upset, she habitually rested her hands on her lap, doing her best to conceal her anger from others.

‘…This alone wasn’t enough to make a definitive judgment, but it undeniably indicated that his current method was effective. He had to press on!’

Lu Chen composed his thoughts, and, straightening his face, spoke to the young woman:

“I say, what kind of expression is that? You’re being a little unreasonable, aren’t you?”

The young woman’s beautiful eyes widened, as if she hadn’t quite grasped his words for a moment.

“…What did you say?”

Beneath the table, Lu Chen clenched his fists, adopting an expression of helpless disappointment, and articulated clearly:

“I said you’re being unreasonable.

“I came straight here from the hospital to be with you because I wanted to be happy, yet you’ve been sulking this whole time. It’s truly a mood killer.

“I’m begging you, could you please consider my feelings a little and try to smile, even just a bit?”

The young man’s tone was dismissive and superficial.

The young woman clenched her jaw, her slender brows trembling uncontrollably, and a faint flicker of fire gleamed in her eyes.

Lu Chen’s heart pounded faster and faster.

He had only once witnessed Xia Shi lose control in a fit of rage, but the image remained deeply etched in his mind, every detail unforgotten.

If the young woman before him—no, if the person before him—also revealed a furious expression, he would be confident in making a judgment, and deciding whether to report the situation to Morning Star!

“Thank you for waiting~ Here is your omurice.”

As he mused, a fragrant aroma wafted over.

A maid arrived at their table, carrying the omurice.

Lu Chen suppressed his impatience, and, turning his face to the maid, said:

“Thanks! Hurry up and do that so-called spell-casting!”

As Lu Chen spoke, he turned his head to look at the young woman, and said with a smile:

“Xiaoshi, you also—”

However, the moment his gaze fell upon the young woman’s face, his words abruptly ceased, and his feigned smile instantly shattered.

The young woman mumbled an apology, as glistening tears streamed from the corners of her eyes.