Chapter 162

Page Nineteen Group Investigation

[November 20, Wednesday, 13:07]

After hesitating for a long time at the entrance of the Peach Cat Maid Café, Xiàlù finally agreed to bring us inside.

It was easy to guess why she changed her attitude.

Sister Shān and Sister Léiluó were Sister Miāomiāo’s sisters. If they could help them, they might be able to say a good word for them to Sister Miāomiāo and mitigate the negative impression caused by the kidnapping incident.

As soon as we entered, a short-skirt maid greeted us, but her attitude did not seem like she was welcoming guests.

“Miss Xiàlù, why have you come again?”

She blocked Xiàlù who was walking ahead with her body, then glanced back at the other guests and whispered reluctantly, “There’s an order from the young master that prevents us from letting you work here as a maid. Don’t you understand?”

“No, this time I’m here to consume, along with these girls.”

Xiàlù stepped aside, pointing to Aunt Shān, me, and Sister Léiluó standing behind her, saying, “As a guest, you can’t stop me from entering, right?”

“They are… ah!”

The maid quickly realized what was happening. She straightened up, bowed to greet us, and put on a sincere smile.

“Ladies, welcome home!!”

She switched to business mode.

No matter how high-end this maid café was, it still followed the Akihabara style, didn’t it?

Passing through the circular water bar at the entrance, we were guided by the maid to an aerial corridor. This aerial pipeline connecting two shopping complexes was the main structure of the Peach Cat Maid Café, while the kitchen, warehouse, and employee rest areas were tucked inside the building.

This glass-domed corridor had been converted into a café. The winter afternoon sunlight shone directly down, bringing a natural warmth.

(In fact, it was the air conditioning.)

The narrow space was divided into several dining areas by lattice partitions, each area equipped with elegant tables and comfortable single sofas, complemented with greenery, carpets, bookshelves, and decorative lights to create a relaxing and comfortable dining environment.

Moreover, the seating arrangements were carefully designed, all hugging the glass walls on both sides, ensuring that every seat had a view of the crowd below.

—Indeed, it had style, but it would be difficult for ordinary people to rent such an aerial corridor to open a café. This was a privilege only the sons of the Tianping Group could enjoy.—

In addition to the maid guiding us, another maid came over to help. They pulled out single sofas for us, invited us to sit, and handed us a free glass of mint lemon tea… Ah, this free drink was also very delicious.

As soon as we sat down, Xiàlù rested her chin on her hand and asked, “How is it? Can you provide material for your investigation of our café?”

If we were to conduct a real investigation, such a high-standard café clearly couldn’t be used as a typical reference.

Looking around at the maids, I asked, “Xiàlù-nee, compared to the custom maid outfits at Kamehameha, each maid here seems to have a different outfit, don’t they?”

Xiàlù shrugged helplessly, “That’s because it’s Ziye’s interest… No, haven’t you been to Kamehameha before?”

“The shopkeeper Shēnyáng posts so many photos online every day. Even if you don’t go to the store, you can still learn about it, right? Do you think those seventy thousand followers are all customers who have visited the store?”

“That’s true, but there’s still a gap between the photos online and reality. You should experience it in person. Everyone has been deceived by the fool’s photos!”

Was she jealous of Xiǎo Lěi’s popularity?

Although the maids at Kamehameha would try to personalize their outfits, they weren’t as varied as those at the Peach Cat.

Here, you could see British traditional style long dress hooded maids, Japanese style short skirt ribbon maids, and even maids wearing strange outfits mixed with cheongsam and kimono elements… Almost no repeated styles, yet the overall black-and-white color scheme prevented any clash.

Different dressed maids gathered together, and there were displays and introductions of different maid outfits on the partition walls, even categorized by nationality such as French and British… Uh, what’s this futuristic mechanical maid outfit?

Lin Zǐyè indeed loved maids, which was why he opened such a maid café.

Cherry Sauce rebutted, —”No, his case is more about liking the maid outfits than the maids themselves! The maids here are just mannequins for him to display his outfits.”—

He was truly a strange person, even stranger than Sister Qínglán.

I asked, “So, Xiàlù-nee also wants to switch jobs to this café?”

“My initial goal in working at Kamehameha was to wait until this place officially opened and join in.”

I looked at the Akihabara-style maid next to me and asked, “Can’t Xiàlù-nee become a maid? She has experience, doesn’t she?”

The maid laughed, “It’s the young master’s order that forbids Miss Xiàlù from becoming a maid. Of course, it’s understandable. How could an unmarried fiancée work in her own fiancé’s store~”

Xiàlù covered her forehead helplessly, “Yes, he doesn’t want me to work, but he wants to collect the maid outfits at Kamehameha! He says they’re art-level pieces. It infuriates me. In his eyes, I’m not worth more than a piece of clothing!”

Anyway, let’s file Lin Zǐyè under the “Very Strange XP” folder for now.

“Is the café manager going to be Xiàlù-nee’s future husband?”

To my obvious question, Xiàlù crossed her arms and answered, “Do you still care about this? His father is the chairman of the Balance Commercial District, my father is a major shareholder, and our families have been close since childhood, so Ziye and I have been betrothed since we were young.”

This was the first time I heard this.

Sister Léiluó asked, “Huh? The major shareholder isn’t the chairman?”

“There are exceptions.”

In short, Xiàlù’s father was at the same level as Lin Yùhuáng, and might even outrank him.

Although I knew she was a lady, I hadn’t expected her to be this wealthy…

Thinking back, it would take a lot of funds and privileges to build so many hidden rooms and secret passages in a soundproof store.

Xiàlù handed us the menu and asked, “Three ladies, what would you like to drink?”

The heavy leather-bound menu looked very formal, but the prices listed were equally realistic.

“Hey, everything here is too expensive, right?”

A simple cup of coffee cost hundreds of yuan, making Aunt Lín’s café seem much more affordable.

Xiàlù smiled, “Little Risa, a comfortable atmosphere and high-quality service come at a price.”

Her words sounded harsh coming from her, considering the quality of service she usually provided couldn’t justify the prices at Kamehameha.

But Sister Shān was someone who had seen the world, and after flipping through the menu briefly, she said, “I’ll have a cappuccino, and… Léiluó can’t handle bitter things, so maybe some orange juice?”

Léiluó immediately protested, “Wait! It’s just coffee, I can drink it! Why are you deciding for me?”

Sister Shān, acting like a sister, warned her, “You’ll make a scene if you can’t drink it later.”

“If you don’t want coffee, why don’t you order the same as me?”

Xiàlù turned the menu to the non-alcoholic drinks page and pointed to a drink called Rainbow.

The maid introduced, “This is our signature Rainbow cocktail… non-alcoholic version. If you can’t drink coffee, I recommend trying this, ladies!”

It seemed to be a popular item, marked with a “recommended” tag.

In the tall Collins glass, layers of gradually changing colored carbonated juice created a visually stunning effect, with bursting pearls settling at the bottom, adding further complexity to the taste.

Léiluó’s eyes froze in place, her mouth forming a large O.

Seeing her reaction, Sister Shān had her answer.

“Then let’s order this?”

Léiluó nodded silently.

As an adult, her dignity was shattered, and she couldn’t even hold her saliva together.

Xiàlù asked, “What about you, Little Risa?”

“Coffee, but not too bitter.”

She closed the menu and said to the maid, “Cappuccino, mocha, two glasses of rainbow juice, oh, and bring some butter cookies too.”

“Are these your private stash?”

“…No! Just normal cookies!”

Hmm? Did she hide any premium snacks?

“Do you want to try the signature omelette rice?”

Xiàlù gave me a questioning look, and I replied, “No, we’ve already had lunch.”

“Alright, please wait a moment, ladies!”

The maid left with the menu.

I continued the previous topic, “What’s your fiancé like, Xiàlù-nee?”

“Hmm? Little Risa is interested in Ziye?”

Xiàlù clearly liked Lin Zǐyè, not just in her speech but also in wanting to kidnap him and force him to work here as a maid.

However, to help Líng Shàojié get revenge on Lin Yùhuáng, Lin Dàgōngzi might need a little sacrifice…

Xiàlù didn’t seem to be guarded around me, so I continued to probe her.

“Of course I am. After all, his father is the chairman of the commercial district! Someone so impressive must have an impressive son, right?”

“Uncle is indeed impressive, but Ziye… isn’t quite there. He can’t even beat me.”

“It’s not just about physical strength. What about character, principles, and conduct?”

Why did this lady’s mind seem filled with muscles and violence? Perhaps the major shareholder should reflect on where his education went wrong…

“You know quite a bit.”

Originally observing the pedestrians, Xiàlù glanced at me and replied, “Ziye’s character is fine. Although he’s a bit frivolous, he has his own principles when it comes to doing things.”

She pointed at the maids in the café, “You can ask them. Everyone here speaks highly of Ziye.”

Maids were employees. Who would dare speak ill of the manager’s fiancée? They’d lose their jobs!

“Really? Does he have any siblings?”

“Only child… Are you checking my family background?”

Maybe my questions were too forward, making Xiàlù uncomfortable.

“No, I just want to know more about you!”

“You’re only asking about Ziye!”

Before the coffee arrived, Xiàlù sighed and slumped into the sofa, while Cherry Sauce sent a warning.

—I sensed a fluctuation in magical energy around you!—