Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei finds a Freylian

After speaking, without waiting for a response from inside, he instructed his assistant to neatly arrange the food box and tableware on the low table in the small tea room. The lacquered food box had three layers; when opened, steam and a rich, mellow aroma rose up, filling the entire room.

The top layer consists of four hand-pulled, uniformly thick, pale yellow noodle cakes, neatly arranged on a bamboo mat sprinkled with a thin layer of powder. Next to them are several pieces of whole, clearly patterned kelp and a bunch of dried bonito flakes.

The middle layer consists of several exquisite blue-and-white porcelain bowls, each containing: a rich, milky-white pork bone broth with a layer of clear chicken oil floating on top; tender, flavorful slices of char siu pork, perfectly marbled with fat and lean meat, and an enticing dark brown color; a soft-boiled egg, lightly marinated in soy sauce and cooked to perfection; crisp bamboo shoots, shredded nori seaweed, and a small handful of fresh chopped scallions.

The bottom layer contains various ingredients: freshly ground spicy wasabi paste, roasted sesame seeds, seven-spice powder, and a small dish of perfectly pickled red ginger.

This is clearly a complete tonkotsu ramen set, made with carefully selected ingredients and exquisite craftsmanship, with a touch of performance. Compared to the delicate Japanese side dishes mentioned earlier, this bowl of noodles feels more down-to-earth, warmer, and more substantial, especially after a rainy night like this. For a traveler who has traveled a long way and is soaked and cold, its appeal is self-evident.

After everything was prepared, the head waiter bowed again: "The soup base and ingredients are all made to order, and the noodles need to be cooked fresh. Miss Frillie, may I cook the noodles for you now, or would you like to rest for a while?"

His gaze was fixed solely on Frilian, as if Caesar and the other two were merely background figures.

Frillie looked at the carefully arranged ramen array on the table, nodded, and said in Japanese, "ありがとう。今でいいです。" (Thank you. Now is fine.)

"Yes!" the supervisor replied, immediately giving a wink to his assistant behind him. One of them quickly went out and returned a moment later carrying a portable, compact but precisely heated portable gas stove and a small saucepan.

To ensure the noodles are cooked to perfection, they prepare to perform the final cooking step in front of the guests.

The portable gas stove was placed on a specially designed heat-insulating mat in the corner of the tea room, its blue flame burning quietly. Water was poured into a small saucepan, and soon fine bubbles began to rise.

The foreman personally oversaw the process. He first gently loosened a raw noodle cake, placed it in boiling water, and skillfully tossed it with long chopsticks to ensure even heating. He precisely controlled the cooking time, occasionally picking up a noodle to observe its firmness and elasticity. While the noodles were cooking, he kept the bowl of rich, white pork bone broth warm in another container filled with hot water.

About two minutes later, the noodles reached the ideal texture—chewy yet soft, fully absorbing water without swelling excessively.

The head waiter deftly scooped up the noodles with a special strainer, gently tossed them in the air to drain excess water, and then with a flick of his wrist, the noodles, like obedient silver threads, fell precisely into the bowl of warm pork bone broth, forming a neat ball.

Next, he arranged the sliced ​​char siu pork, halved soft-boiled egg, dried bamboo shoots, and shredded seaweed on top of the noodles, and finally sprinkled on some bright green scallions. The whole process was smooth and efficient, with no unnecessary movements.

A steaming bowl of tonkotsu ramen, brimming with toppings and exuding a wonderful aroma, was solemnly presented to Frilian with both hands. The broth was milky white, glistening with oil, the chashu pork was tempting, the tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled egg) was runny, and it was garnished with scallions, giving it an immense visual appeal.

“Miss Frillie, please enjoy your meal. Please add your own seasonings to your liking.” The head waiter stepped back and bowed again.

Then, he remembered there were three others beside him, and turned to Caesar, Chu Zihang, and Lu Mingfei. His tone remained respectful, but lacked the extreme caution he had shown when facing Frilian: "If the three gentlemen are also interested, the chef has prepared the same amount. Would you like it cooked for you now?"

Lu Mingfei's stomach was already rumbling from the aroma. He stared longingly at the bowl of noodles in front of Frilian, which was practically a work of art, and then at the three remaining raw noodles and the accompanying toppings on the table. His mouth was practically watering. Upon hearing this, he immediately nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes, yes! Thank you!"

Although Caesar and Chu Zihang were still suspicious of the shop manager's sudden and noticeably different level of attentiveness, the delicious food, especially a bowl of warm and comforting ramen, was indeed a hard-to-reject comfort after their nerve-wracking escape and absurd host internship. They nodded in agreement.

"Okay, please wait a moment," the supervisor gestured to his assistant to continue cooking the noodles.

Soon, four identical, steaming bowls of tonkotsu ramen were placed in front of the four. The head waiter, having completed his task, bowed again and quietly withdrew with his assistant and portable gas stove, gently closing the tea room door and leaving them with the warm aroma of food and a relatively private space.

The tea room fell silent, with only the rising steam from the four bowls of noodles and the rich, mouthwatering aroma filling the air.

Lu Mingfei couldn't wait to pick up his chopsticks, rub his hands together, and say with shining eyes, "I'm starting!" He then reached for his bowl of noodles.

"Wait a minute," Chu Zihang suddenly said.

Lu Mingfei's chopsticks stopped in mid-air as he looked at Chu Zihang with a puzzled expression.

Chu Zihang didn't look at Lu Mingfei, but instead looked at Frillie, "Frillie, do you need to be checked?"

His caution was innate, especially when such kindness came too abruptly and abundantly.

Caesar also put down his chopsticks and looked at Frillie, having similar thoughts. The manager's attitude towards Frillie, and this unusual hospitality, were clearly driven by a powerful force. Whether this force was friend or foe was not yet fully clear.

Chapter 636 Everyone Eats Together (Part 2)

Frillie picked up her chopsticks and casually stirred the noodles in her bowl to help the toppings and broth mix better. Then she picked up a mouthful of noodles, blew on it gently, and put it in her mouth. She chewed slowly and carefully.

A few seconds later, she swallowed the noodles, then scooped up a small spoonful of soup and drank it.

Then, she looked at Chu Zihang and Caesar and said calmly, "The noodles are very good, and the soup is also very pure. There's nothing superfluous."

When she said "there's nothing superfluous," she wasn't just referring to the taste. With her abilities and perception, that was enough to make Caesar and Chu Zihang lower their guard considerably.

Lu Mingfei didn't think much of it. Hearing Frillie say "very good," he immediately cheered, "Then I won't be polite!" He picked up a big mouthful of noodles, slurped it into his mouth with a "slurp," and grimaced from the heat, but chewed with a blissful expression. "Mmm! Delicious! So delicious! This char siu melts in your mouth! This soup is so fragrant!"

Seeing Lu Mingfei's innocent and completely absorbed enjoyment of the delicious food, Caesar and Chu Zihang exchanged a glance and picked up their chopsticks as well. Their tense nerves relaxed slightly with the warm aroma of the food.

Chu Zihang ate quietly, savoring each bite.

Caesar ate with great gusto, yet his demeanor remained elegant. He always had a high appreciation for fine food, and he was quite satisfied with the quality of this bowl of ramen, nodding in approval.

Frillie ate the slowest and most focused. She ate her noodles in small bites, occasionally picking up a piece of char siu or dried bamboo shoots, and always used a spoon to drink her soup, her movements gentle and slow. Her slightly lowered eyelids and the tranquility of her focus on the food made her seem less distant than usual, and more down-to-earth.

The four people sat around a low table, silently eating their noodles. For a moment, the only sounds in the tea room were the soft clinking of bowls and chopsticks and the slurping of noodles. The outside world—the pursuit by the Snake Clan, the eeriness of Takamagahara, and the uncertain future—was temporarily shut out by this steaming bowl of ramen and the rare tranquility of the moment.

Lu Mingfei was the first to finish all the soup, letting out a small, satisfied burp. He leaned back on the cushion, rubbing his stomach with a contented expression: "Ah, I'm alive again. I feel like I've never eaten such delicious ramen in my life."

He looked at Frillie and asked curiously, "Frillie, what do you think? Is it to your liking?"

He remembered that Frillie seemed to be quite picky about food; at least in the school cafeteria, she always ate very little and rarely showed any particular liking for any dish.

Frillie had finished most of the noodles in her bowl, with some soup left. She put down her chopsticks, picked up a napkin to wipe her mouth, and then looked at Lu Mingfei, nodding: "Yes. The soup base was cooked perfectly, with enough time and effort put into it. The noodles were also just the right chewy texture."

"Right, right!" Lu Mingfei was as happy as if his cooking skills had been praised, then he remembered something and scratched his head, "Um, the manager was really too polite to you. He startled me."

He hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help but lower his voice and ask, "Just who is this partner the store manager knows? Even he's so afraid of him?"

This was also the question that Caesar and Chu Zihang wanted to know, so they stopped what they were doing and looked at Frilian.

Frillie paused for a moment, carefully choosing her words. She picked up the pot of warm soup, poured herself a small cup, held it in her hands, and gazed at the slightly swirling liquid inside.

“I don’t know the specifics either,” she said slowly, her voice softer than usual. “They are very mysterious. Most of the time, they just exist without directly interfering. Here, they happen to have their businesses and influence.”

She looked up at the three of them, her eyes filled with honesty: "How long this protection will last, and what their ultimate goal is, I am equally unsure. Therefore, we still need to be careful and cannot rely on it completely."

These words are very frank. There was no exaggeration, no concealment of the fact that the relationship was being exploited, and the potential uncertainties were pointed out. This frankness is more convincing than any grand, impassioned assurance.

Caesar nodded. "Understood. Any external assistance is only a temporary tool. Ultimately, we must rely on ourselves. However, this does solve our immediate problem. Thank you, Frilian."

Chu Zihang also expressed his agreement.

Lu Mingfei only vaguely understood what he was hearing, but he summarized it as follows: Frillie knows some very powerful but mysterious people who protect the store, so the store manager is afraid of her, and they benefit from it as well. But having powerful backers isn't always reliable, and he still needs to be careful.

"It's so good to have you here, Frilian," Lu Mingfei chuckled twice, expressing his most direct feelings. Now, they have hot noodles to eat, clean rooms to sleep in, and no longer have to live in fear of hiding.

Frillie glanced at him but didn't respond. She simply lowered her head and slowly finished the remaining soup in her glass.

The atmosphere in the tea room became increasingly relaxed due to this frank conversation and the warmth of the food.

“Speaking of which,” Lu Mingfei remembered something else, his expression becoming somewhat conflicted, “Frilian, you, you know what we’re here for, right?”

He pointed to the soft but fancy yukata he was wearing and shrank his neck.

Frillie put down her cup and said calmly, "Chu Zihang said, 'Apprentice gigolo.'"

Her tone was too casual, as if she were saying "trainee librarian," causing Lu Mingfei's prepared explanations and defenses, such as "we were forced," "this was just a pretense," and "we were unwilling in our hearts," to all get stuck in his throat.

"Uh, yes, yes," Lu Mingfei chuckled awkwardly, rubbing his hands together. "Well, it's... it's quite a good workout, isn't it?"

Caesar couldn't help but rub his forehead, while Chu Zihang silently turned his face to the side, pretending to study a ukiyo-e painting on the wall depicting ocean waves.

Frillie didn't seem inclined to delve deeper into the topic. She stood up and said, "I'm a little tired. I'll go back to my room and rest. You should all get some rest too. We'll discuss what to do next tomorrow."

"Oh, okay, okay! You get some rest!" Lu Mingfei quickly replied.

Caesar also stood up: "Good night, Frilian. Thank you again."

Chu Zihang nodded: "Good night."

Frillie opened the sliding door, walked out, and her figure quickly disappeared into the corridor.

Three men remained in the tea room. The bowls and chopsticks had been cleared away, leaving only a faint aroma of food in the air.

Lu Mingfei let out a long sigh of relief and collapsed onto the mat: "My god, it feels like a dream. Frillie actually came, the manager was so scared, and there's such delicious ramen."

Caesar walked to the window, lifted a corner of the curtain, and looked at the night view outside. "Whether it's a blessing or a curse, it's hard to say right now."

Chu Zihang began cleaning up the scattered water stains on the table. "Tokyo is probably not going to be peaceful from now on."

As Lu Mingfei listened to their conversation, his mind involuntarily replayed the image of Frillie quietly eating her noodles, and her calm final words, "Apprentice male escort"...

He suddenly felt his face getting hot and his mind a bit chaotic, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong.

Lu Mingfei shook his head, dismissing the somewhat "pathetic" thought. His immediate priority was to survive, then find a way to contact the academy, expose the Snake Clan's conspiracy, and clear his name.

He patted his face to try and clear his head.

Chapter 637 The Job of a Host (Part 1)

At 8 p.m. sharp, Takamagahara switched modes. The soothing prelude music transformed into energetic and energetic electronic dance music, and the lights changed from ambiguous warm tones to dazzling and mesmerizing laser lights. In the air, the sweetness of perfume, the richness of cigars, the spiciness of alcohol, and the restless scent of hormones began to heat up, mix, and ferment rapidly.

"Go! Go! Go! Get moving! Ladies! Run! Show your spirit!" The humpback whale's deep, bass-heavy roar, now brimming with excited fighting spirit, echoed in the long, busy backstage corridor, drowning out the deafening music prelude and the faint commotion outside.

"Our beautiful and lonely angels have arrived! They need to be saved! They need to be ignited! They need you, men like the sun, to illuminate their world with your light and warmth!"

Inside and outside the dressing room, a chaotic scene unfolded. Male escorts came and went like Broadway actors about to go on stage. Some were fixing their hair in front of the mirror, adjusting the angle of their bow ties; others, with the help of assistants, were tucking shoulder pads into their tight shirts or applying shiny olive oil to their bare chests; some were taking deep breaths, adjusting their standardized, charming smiles; and still others were repeatedly reciting witty remarks or heartfelt lines they would say to their regular customers later.

"Sakura! Where is Sakura?!" The humpback whale's roar was like a vengeful call, its eyes urgently searching for the slender figure among the passing crowd.

"Coming, coming! I'm here!" Lu Mingfei's voice was filled with panic, accompanied by a flurry of footsteps.

He was seen clutching the unruly belt adorned with cheap rhinestones around his waist with one hand, while haphazardly pulling on an overly shiny, ill-fitting silver vest with the other. He tumbled and crawled out of the bathroom, his hair disheveled with a few strands sticking up, and his face still wet with water droplets.

"Sakura! Hurry! My Sakura!" The humpback whale charged at him like a human tank, its large, fan-like hand slapping him hard on his thin shoulder blade with a loud "smack," almost making Lu Mingfei spin around on the spot. "We're short-handed! The guests in the front hall have almost finished their drinks! The angels are calling for rain! Go! Rush over there like a firefighter! Pour the drinks! Smile! Let them feel the warmth of spring!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Boss! I'm going right now! Immediately! Right away!" Lu Mingfei grimaced as he was slapped, feeling half of his shoulder go numb, but he didn't dare to delay for a moment. He used all his strength to fasten his belt, which tightened so much that he gasped for breath. He then sprinted toward the main hall while still struggling with the slippery vest. His back looked as disheveled as a rabbit being chased by a dog.

"Wait! Perfume! You forgot to reapply perfume!" The humpback whale roared, stomping its foot behind him, its voice cutting through the noisy background. "You smell like you just cleaned the toilets! Do you want to scare away my VIP?! Show some professionalism! The perfume's on the shelf at the end of the hallway! Spray it on! Just one! Then, like a real man, on your flower path, like a galloping steed—run for me!"

Without turning his head, Lu Mingfei waved to indicate that he had heard, then slammed on the brakes in front of the perfume shelf at the end of the corridor. He grabbed a bottle of men's cologne of unknown brand and sprayed it twice on his neck and chest. The strong, pungent scent of citrus mixed with musk instantly enveloped him, making him sneeze. Then he started up again, sprinting at top speed into the bizarre and deafening "battlefield" ahead.

From 8 pm to 10 pm, this is Takamagahara's true golden hour, and also the time with the most pressure and the fastest pace.

On stage, the male prostitutes take turns performing meticulously choreographed plays: some might be dressed in Roman-style white robes, performing ancient costume dramas like "Cleopatra and Antony," full of exotic charm and erotic allure; others might be Chu Zihang making a reappearance, performing an upgraded version of his cold and deadly "Fish-Sashimi Bushido," with flashing swords and flying fish, eliciting suppressed screams from the audience.

Offstage, after the warm-up and the influence of alcohol, most of the guests were already slightly tipsy or even more so. They began to abandon their inhibitions and loudly called out to their favorite male escorts, asking them to leave the public performance area and come to their booths for exclusive service.

Luxury cars arrived in a steady stream at the entrance, and the new guests were often groups of stylishly dressed girlfriends who had finished dinner elsewhere and arrived in Takamagahara with heightened excitement, ready to join the already boisterous revelry. Greeting, exchanging pleasantries, guiding guests to their seats... every step required manpower.

The entire venue was like a sophisticated, overloaded machine of desire, where the male prostitutes and waiters had to operate at high speed without the slightest lag. The humpback whale was the machine's general coordinator and cheerleader, patrolling back and forth in the backstage engine room, roaring and supervising, much like a grumpy ringmaster in a circus wielding a whip and urging the animals to show off their best skills.

At times like these, Lu Mingfei felt he wasn't a gigolo, but rather the most inconspicuous and clumsy curly-haired monkey under the troupe leader's command. While Caesar, the Bengal tiger jumping through fire hoops, and Chu Zihang, the black horse with magnificent white feathers about to perform a dressage, were still backstage making their final preparations and whetting the audience's appetite, he would be thrown out first to perform simple tricks like balancing a bowl on his head, riding a unicycle, or making a funny face—tricks that required little skill but could at least warm up the audience and prevent them from getting bored.

"Ukyo! Ukyo! Where is my Ukyo?!" He had barely rushed into the main hall, amidst the dazzling lights and deafening music, and before he could even catch his breath, a shrill, mournful soprano voice, thick with Kansai dialect, pierced through the noise and assaulted his eardrums. "If you don't come to my side soon, I'll jump off this building! Let's meet in heaven! By then, will you still love me as much as you do now?!"

The sound came from a luxurious circular booth not far away. A middle-aged woman with an unusually plump figure, wearing a tight dress covered with sequins, was clutching her chest with one hand and pointing to the sky with the other, as if she was in unbearable pain.

As Lu Mingfei hurriedly buttoned up the last button of his vest, he grumbled to himself, "Jump, jump, lady, look carefully. This is the first floor, and there's carpet outside. You won't die from a fall; at most, you'll twist your ankle."

He forced a stiff smile, which he thought was somewhat professional, and jogged towards the booth, intending to first fulfill his duty as a troubleshooter by pouring drinks. However, before he could even get close to the sofa, the obese woman, who had been sprawled on it in agony, caught a glimpse of a young man with black hair wearing a silver vest out of the corner of her eye.