Very soon, the two random customers in the shop finished reading their manga as well.
With a flash of light, their rewards appeared in their hands.
"Oh my god, it's Taichi's goggles!!"
"And I got Luffy's hat, this is amazing!"
The two of them were overjoyed.
Even though these weren't particularly powerful items, they were iconic accessories of the main characters from their respective series.
Just seeing them immediately evoked images of Taichi and Luffy. For die-hard manga fans, they were priceless collectibles—like owning a famous celebrity's personal belongings.
At least for these two, the trip had been more than worth it.
After putting on the goggles and straw hat, the two excitedly thanked Boss Han before heading for the door.
At the side, Noelle politely added:
"Please come again next time!"
The two were flustered by her courtesy and hurriedly replied:
"Miss Noelle, you're too kind! We'll definitely be back!"
"We didn't expect to see Miss Noelle here, what a pleasant surprise!"
Clearly, they recognized her. They had just been too absorbed in their manga earlier to notice.
And now, their envy toward the shopkeeper grew even deeper—this mysterious Boss Han not only had a magical bookstore but even had the adorable Noelle working here as a maid.
But then again, given how wondrous this manga shop was, it made sense.
Seeing Noelle so naturally slipping into her role as a little maid, Han Feng couldn't be more satisfied. Accepting her had definitely been the right decision.
At that moment, Han Feng glanced around the shop and, seeing that no other customers remained, instructed Noelle:
"Go hang a 'Temporarily Closed' sign on the door."
"Eh? Boss, you're closing already?" Noelle asked curiously.
"It's almost noon. I'm going to cook now, so we'll pause business," Han Feng explained.
"Oh, and the ingredients and seasonings are with Lumine. Go fetch them."
He said this while heading upstairs, to the second floor where he usually cooked.
So that was it—Boss was about to cook!
Which meant she could learn!
Thinking this, Noelle hurried to hang the sign at the entrance and then rushed to find Lumine.
But Lumine told her the ingredients were actually with Mona, so Noelle dashed off again.
"Yay! Boss Han is about to start cooking! We'll finally get to eat his food!"
Watching Noelle's figure disappear, Paimon squealed in delight. She had been waiting since last night, and now her patience was finally rewarded.
"I wonder if Boss's dishes really can move people to tears…" Lumine mused, recalling what Han Feng had said the night before. A spark of expectation lit her eyes.
"Of course they can! Would Boss Han ever lie?" Paimon declared firmly.
She was Boss Han's number-one fan—everything he said had to be true.
"Boss, I've brought the ingredients."
Noelle's efficiency was impressive—soon enough she came running back upstairs with everything.
"Just set them down." Han Feng nodded.
As she laid everything out, he looked them over: meats, vegetables, condiments—everything was there.
"Lumine and the others did a good job shopping," Han Feng chuckled.
Earlier, he'd forgotten to specify exactly what to buy, and he had worried they'd get the wrong things. But seeing the selection, he realized Mona must have helped them.
Having lived in Liyue for some time, she was familiar with Liyue-style cuisine. For her, buying the right ingredients wouldn't be difficult.
With everything prepared, it was time to showcase his cooking.
Han Feng moved smoothly into action. Standing over the stove, he flipped the wok skillfully, flames roaring up from beneath, the pot glowing with a crown of blue fire.
It looked like something straight out of a professional chef's performance.
With his Cooking Master level skills from Little Master Chef, Han Feng's movements were second nature.
"Boss Han is incredible!"
Noelle stood frozen in awe. She had never seen cooking look so dazzling—every motion was perfectly timed, fluid, and confident.
Her admiration for Boss Han only deepened. Clearly, she still had much to learn.
Although the cooking was happening upstairs, the fragrance was already wafting down to the first floor, immediately capturing everyone's attention.
"What's Boss Han cooking? It smells amazing!"
Paimon sniffed the air, practically drooling.
"It must be delicious, no doubt about it!"
Even Venti finally pulled himself out of his manga. He had thought the Golden Fried Rice from Good Hunter was aromatic enough, but compared to Boss Han's cooking, that seemed utterly ordinary.
He couldn't wait to taste the dish—could it really be so moving it would make one cry?
"I can't stand it anymore—I have to try it first!"
Paimon dropped her manga and zipped upstairs.
"Ahaha, me too!"
Venti followed suit, abandoning One Piece: East Blue and scampering up the stairs.
"Wait for me, Master!"
Their Meicoomon bounded after them, terrified it would miss out.
In the blink of an eye, only Lumine and Mona were left downstairs.
"Let's go up together, Mona," Lumine suggested.
"I… I don't care for food," Mona replied, putting on an aloof expression—even as her throat betrayed her with a small swallow. Clearly, she too was tempted by the fragrance, but pride (and poverty) held her back.
"Miss Mona, Boss has invited you to join," Noelle approached just then with a smile.
Everyone in the store was within Boss Han's invitation.
…Except Mona.
It would be awkward to leave her behind, so Han Feng had asked Noelle to fetch her—after all, she had contributed to buying the ingredients.
Sharing a little with her was no problem.
"Eh? Boss… invited me?"
At that, Mona's proud facade crumbled, replaced with a bashful expression.
"Let's go together." Noelle encouraged her.
And so the three of them headed upstairs to the dining room.
The table was already laden with dishes, each covered with a lid so the contents remained a mystery.
Meanwhile, Paimon and Venti were waiting anxiously.
Seeing Lumine and the others arrive, they practically jumped with joy.
"Lumine! You're finally here—hurry and sit down!"
Once everyone had taken their seats, Noelle went to help in the kitchen.
It wasn't long before she brought out the final dish.
At that moment, Han Feng himself stepped into the dining room.
Downstairs, however, a small figure had just arrived at the manga shop.
"Eh? Where did Brother Han Feng go?"
Little Klee scratched her head in confusion when she saw the first floor empty.
Just then, a mouthwatering fragrance drifted down from the second floor.
"What is that? It smells sooo good!"
Klee's little nose twitched as she inhaled deeply.
That scent—it reminded her of the Mapo Tofu she had tasted before!
Could it be that Brother Han Feng was secretly cooking again?
Wiping away the drool gathering at the corner of her mouth, Klee crouched low and began sneaking her way upstairs…
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