Chapter 83 - Little Yunnan

"You can starve....Valentina what are you in the mood for?" Ignoring Zhuang Wei in the back Xi Long turned to Ying Yue for her answer. He felt weird calling her by another name but he had to follow what she had said. Not that he did not trust his best friend, it was not his place to offer that information. Especially since neither name he knew her by was her real name. They were all alias' for her true identity so not giving one of them would make no difference. There was a balance of trust he had to maintain between them, he could feel Zhuang Wei slowly try to analyze them but it was unlikely he would discover much. When he had first tried looking for her they had gone through great lengths to discover her name and identity but everything was scrambled. It was as if she did not exist or was the combination of multiple people since each lead they had lead to another person. Her body language also didn't give much. It was slightly funny to imagine that there was a problem his best friend could not solve.

Zhuang Wei held a warm persona at work but was a cold and calculative person. He was also his right hand in the underworld. For one to be at that position it was natural that he possessed strong computer skills and was an entire information guild by himself. There was relatively no news that did not come back to him so having a person he does not know and be so close to them would drive him crazy. He was desperately reaching trying to chip away at his Kitten's true form but she was skillfully evading him. Every drop of information she gave them he knew she deemed it either negligble or it was an intentional mislead. Though one thing he could believe to be true is he love for food. The minute he asked the question he could see the figurative gears rolling in her head as she debated what to eat.

"I want something spicy but also...meat. Definitely should have meat!"

"That's quite vague you know, many restaurants have spicy dishes with good meat. What about cuisine?"

"Hmm, Chinese maybe Mala spiced food?" He thought of all the good restaurants nearby and immediately crossed ones without private rooms. If they were going to eat he'd rather do it in a secluded area where he could mitigate having problems.

"How about Little Yunnan?"

"Okay." Nodding his head at Zhuang Wei's suggestion he turned the car on and reversed out of his parking spot. Finally leaving the company grounds he drove towards the restaurant. He turned on the radio and let the soft sounds of classical music accompany them. "If you don't like the music you're free to change it. I have no strong preferences." He glanced at Ying Yue to confirm she heard him before focusing on the road.

"Neither do I, classical is fine." His lips curved up in delight before turning the volume up higher. The music flowed creating a comfortable atmosphere during the drive. It wasn't a long ride before they arrived to medium sized building. The exterior was simple but held elegance. Parking on the side he waited till everyone got out from his vehicle before locking it. He moved forward and towards the front door. As they entered, the smell of traditional chinese food entered their noses. To greet them an older man stood next to the podium.

"Welcome to Little Yunnan, do you have a reservation?"

"You know we never do Old Zhu." Xi Long laughed at the man as his voice held a warm tone.

The old man broke into a chuckle as he spoke to them. "Yes yes but an old man can dream. Come your regular room is free, your lucky I haven't given it out today." Ying Yue curiously watched their interaction before following them through the restaurant. The inside held a historical feel with brown and gold accents. There was a good amount of people dining on the floor that made the place look more welcoming. Going past everyone they went towards the stairs and headed to the upper level. This was less occupied and mainly compromised of private rooms. Old Zhu as what they called him opened the far back room and moved aside to let them enter. As she entered she was graced with a luxrious setting. The furniture was just a wood table and pillows on the floor. Adorning the side were ancient styled paintings on the walls with a window to gaze out of. Taking off her shoes in the corner she sat down at the table with a pillow as comfort. She quite liked the way everything was set up, it gave a calm vibe. Xi Long followed her suit and sat down at the head of the table while Zhuang Wei sat across from her.

"So will you be having your regular meals? And a menu for the lady?"

"Ah Old Zhu you know us well but a menu would be great thank you!" Zhuang Wei answered with a teasing smile. Stepping out from the room the man took less than three minutes to come back with the menu. Handing it to her he made a motion to leave again.

"No sir, wait a second. No need to leave again I don't want to trouble you this won't take very long." Quickly reading through the menu she looked for the most appealing dishes. "Can I have the Ma La Xiang Guo extra spicy and a side of rice please and thank you."

"Okay, drinks?"

Turning to them she wanted to see what they would order but they shrugged in response. "A teapot of jasmine tea would be good." It was a basic choice so if they didn't like it, it was their fault for letting her decide. The old man nodded his head before leaving to put in their orders.

"Old Zhu is a family friend and has been with us for many years. We always frequent here so we are considered regulars." Xi Long calmly told her how they knew him as if he was expecting her to ask. 'The curiosity on my face must have been obvious through my eyes. Its quite weird that he can read me so well even though I'm wearing a mask.'

"Mhmm, thanks... what do you guys usually eat?"

"I usually get Taiwanese beef noodle soup and XiXi gets chili crap with egg fried rice."

"You can try my food." Her lips tilted in a smirk as she heard his statement. He tried to act sauve but she knew exactly what he was doing when he offered her the food. Once she heard that there would be chili crab her mouth watered from the image of it. There was no way she would be able to control herself with it in front of her.

A knock sounded outside the door interrupting her thoughts. They waited a couple seconds before speaking up "here to deliver the tea."

Zhuang Wei answered her "come in."

The door opened as a slender body entered the room. She had on a mid-sized skirt and a uniform standard top. In her hands she held a tray with the cups and steaming teapot. Placing it onto the table she carefully put everything in order before stepping away.

"Would there be anything else?"

"No thank you." She looked up to see who responded and her gaze quickly went over Xi Long as well. Ying Yue could see that her eyes had slightly widened before she controlled her expression and nodded her head in response. Exiting the room the woman went away with her tray but something felt off. She could not pinpoint her feeling but she could feel that there was something different to that waitress.

'Am I just imagining things.'