Gourmet: From a Stall in Northern Europe-Chapter 71: You Brat Can Actually Pay? That’s Suspicious
"Indeed, professional recipes are more reliable. Online recipes aren’t quite right; I wonder which restaurant’s secret recipe this is."
Lin took a folding stool and sat in front of the food truck, savoring the piping hot porridge, enjoying the gentle morning breeze.
His gaze wandered into the distance, where dazzling golden light flickered through dark clouds.
Sparrows lined up on the power lines, chirping incessantly, curiously tilting their heads at the figures below.
"Chirp—"
The sound of tires screeching came from nearby as an empty bus steadily pulled over, with three or four passengers scattered inside.
"Hey!"
Lin Chen was anticipating a familiar face stepping off the bus when suddenly a hand tapped his shoulder, accompanied by a familiar female voice at his ear.
He turned his head to find a pair of clear, light green eyes.
Strands of flowing brown curls draped over her chest, gently fluttering with her movements and the breeze.
"Good morning!"
Dreya beamed at him, raising her pale hand in greeting.
Lin Chen was momentarily stunned, blinking as he tentatively extended his hand as well.
"Clap—"
"Your food truck opens the earliest I’ve seen. It’s said Asians work very hard, and I’ve finally witnessed it."
Dreya lightly slapped his palm, quickly drawn to the porridge cradled in his other hand, and leaned forward, her cute little nose twitching slightly.
Lin Chen wondered how she knew he was there at 7... Lucas!
It had to be that guy.
Oh well, waking up early is a disease; it spreads quickly when shared.
An aroma suddenly wafted near, like roses or jasmine, fresh and elegant, quite pleasant.
Dreya’s figure was quite striking; given the hot weather, she wore scanty clothes—just a wide-neck, cropped, tight-fitting tee on top and denim shorts below, forcing him to turn his head away, silently reminding himself not to stare.
The woman seemed completely unaware of any issue with her posture, or didn’t care at all.
As a lingerie model, cultivating an allure in behavior is a compulsory lesson, already taken in stride.
"Hmm, it really looks great, just like in a restaurant. Quick, show me the menu."
Dreya stood up, a strong desire reflecting in her eyes as her tongue casually brushed her lips.
"I haven’t written it down; the ingredients are on the table. You can see what you want."
Lin Chen sighed in relief. Despite being abroad for over five years, he’s still not used to foreigners’ social interactions, genuinely thankful that this famous female model didn’t start with a kissing greeting.
As she moved toward the window, Lin Chen hurriedly got up, holding his porridge, ready to make some for her.
Dreya scanned the neatly arranged ingredient boxes and nodded with satisfaction: "Great, none of my allergens here, so I’ll take them all!"
"Is yours all-inclusive too?"
"Yes."
Lin Chen immediately scooped two large ladles of porridge to heat, chatting with her while stirring to avoid boredom while waiting.
"By the way, what’s your allergen? You’ve been a regular; I can avoid it next time."
"Me? I’m allergic to pineapples and fish skin; I haven’t tested specifics since I’ve tried cooked fish skin before without allergies."
Talking about this, she wrinkled her nose with sadness.
"I love fruits, and pineapples are deliciously tangy, but eating them causes allergies. I can only taste a small piece each time; eating more leads to itchy red welts."
Allergic to pineapple and fish skin?
Hearing this, he silently trimmed the white fish skin off the fillet’s edge. It must have been disguised with starch, and she didn’t recognize it.
"Let me tell you, pineapple allergies don’t necessarily mean an allergy to the whole fruit; it might just be a part."
"On our Great Xia forums, there are many hot posts discussing allergies. The most common is mango allergy; many can’t resist experimenting despite allergies. And guess what happened?"
Dreya instantly became interested, her big eyes twinkling, "What? Did they die?"
"Uh, no, many realized they were allergic to the mango peel instead of the flesh. Some had lip sensitivity to mango, not body. Others eventually showed no allergies eating mangoes; there are all kinds of peculiar examples."
"Really?? That’s amazing; I never thought of such methods. Maybe I’ll try it someday!"
In foreigners’ minds, allergies are almost synonymous with death; attempting them is unthinkable.
Lin Chen dared to mention it since she only experienced rashes instead of shock from pineapple allergies, suggesting mild reactions.
"Hey, don’t test randomly; Asian and North American, Northern European genes differ. What works for us might not for you; if you end up in the hospital, I’d have to visit you."
"Pfft... Don’t worry, my life’s precious; I won’t die before becoming a world-renowned model!"
"Yo, you guys are chatting happily, aren’t you?"
Lucas suddenly appeared beside them, sporting dark circles under his eyes, wearing a resentful expression.
"Who wakes someone an hour and a half early? It’s unfair; quickly make me some porridge to comfort my wounded soul!"
Dreya turned, her clear green eyes quietly studying his face, weighing something in her thoughts, making Lucas shiver with goosebumps, unsure where to put his hands.
After a while.
"You’re the one who called me at six, right?"
"Yes, yes, it was me."
Lucas chuckled awkwardly; he hadn’t expected casual online chatting to earn two ladies’ numbers.
She was a somewhat famous beauty model—bragging about it would make others envious, wouldn’t it?
"I could have slept till ten; you woke me four hours early, treating me to breakfast would soothe my soul, wouldn’t it?"
"...?"
What do you mean, "I could have slept till ten"? You agreed last night to come for breakfast!
Women, your name is capricious.
Seeing Lucas’s fly-swallowing-like expression, Dreya’s lips curled into a mischievous smirk, turning to Lin Chen.
"Put my tab on him, unless it’s free, you know, I don’t like owing favors."
"Pfft..."
Lin Chen laughed, nodding repeatedly, gesturing with his hand: "Buddy, come on, pay up!"
"How much again?"
"10 euros."
"Take it, take it!"
To be honest, after knowing Lucas for so many days, I’ve never seen him pay; he’s always freeloading.
Even next-door Lunard owes him a free taco, yet to claim.
It’s rare to see him pay, coincidentally for a beautiful model.
Lin Chen’s eyes twinkled, continuing to tease in his native tongue.
"Hey, you’re paying so readily; are you smitten?"
