Finding Some NPCs (Part 1)

Time quickly passed, and it was lunchtime after school.

"One, two, three... Everyone's here!" Aemeath counted the number of people, and after confirming that everyone was present, she nodded enthusiastically. "A-Yu, where are you planning to take us later?"

"The first thing to do after school at noon is, of course, to eat, right?" Xiao Ling replied. "Then the first stop is naturally the cafeteria."

"But here's the problem: what are we going to eat at the cafeteria later?"

(Yeah, what should we eat?)

"That's a good question. Before, when I was at home, I could cook whatever I wanted to eat. Now that I suddenly have to eat in the cafeteria, it's hard to decide." Suisui, who always had her folding fan with her, sounded a little troubled. "Brother Ling, do you have any suggestions?"

"My answer is that I haven't eaten there much," Xiao Ling said with a helpless shake of her head. "Before you guys came, I was living alone, so I mostly ordered takeout or ate out. Occasionally I'd cook for myself, and I'd only go to the cafeteria a few times a semester."

"In any case, let's go check out the cafeteria first. Who knows, we might just find a place we like?"

Inside the cafeteria.

"Not bad~ The environment is comfortable, clean and hygienic, and you can smell the food from far away~" Aemeath said with a smile.

"The cafeteria has a wide variety of food, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but no late-night snacks. If you get hungry in the middle of the night, you'll have to bring your own snacks," Xiao Ling explained to the girls behind her as she walked ahead. "This is the first floor; there's another floor upstairs, with Chinese and Western food, snacks, and drinks—everything you could want."

"Wow, there are quite a few kinds. I'll have to think carefully about what to eat." Miss Xin looked around the cafeteria, seemingly trying to find a flavor that suited her taste.

The cafeteria was bustling with people at lunchtime, the noise of conversation and laughter so loud it seemed like it could shatter the windows.

"Hey? You went to that Western restaurant on the second floor too?"

"Yes, yes, the shop owner is a very cute little girl, like a doll, and she even has a 'chu' sound in her mouth when she talks."

"I remember she wore a chef's hat with ears on it, they were really noticeable... and she also had a fluffy tail, just like Lupa's..."

Three female alumni came down from the second floor, chatting as they passed by Xiao Ling and his group. Every word they said was precisely heard by Xiao Ling.

Xiao Ling: Keyword Capture. jpg

"Shall we go up to the second floor and take a look?"

"Hmm? Shall we go straight to the second floor?" Yangyang, looking into Xiao Ling's eyes to confirm. "Does Xiao Yu perhaps have something she wants to investigate?"

"You're too quick-witted... I haven't even said anything yet."

"Don't we know you well enough?" Suisui smiled charmingly. "You've never been one to speak without reason. If you suddenly said you wanted to go upstairs, you must want to confirm something."

Seeing this, Xiao Ling decided not to hide anything anymore and immediately told them what she had just heard.

"To be honest, I just heard some information that really interests me..."

Second floor of the cafeteria.

"Hello, two Atami pineapple pizzas, thank you for your patronage."

A long queue was forming in front of a shop called Margaret Restaurant. A squirrel girl was busy working, her bangs stuck in place by sweat, and her apron was stained with flour and sauce.

Miss Margaret herself was oblivious; she was practically on her feet, but her hospitality didn't wane, completely unaware that an unexpected reunion awaited her.

After seeing off several students who had come specifically to see her, Margaret immediately began serving the next customer.

"Welcome to Margaret Restaurant. How may I help you...?"

Upon seeing the remarkably familiar guest before her, Margaret couldn't help but blink twice before flashing an even warmer and more welcoming smile than before.

"Oh, long time no see, Miss Margaret. It seems your business is doing quite well," Xiao Ling said with a gentle smile.

"Rover, it really is you!" Margaret's voice was clear and bright. "Hehe, actually I just moved here myself."

Although Xiao Ling really wanted to chat with the squirrel girl in front of her a little longer, she was in a queue and it was better to maintain some public etiquette.

"Give me a hot sea pineapple pizza," Xiao Ling said to the girls behind her after ordering. "You can order whatever you want; I'll pay for everything."

Aemeath and her companions readily accepted, each ordering the dishes they wished to eat.

After paying the bill, Xiao Ling said goodbye to Miss Margaret and then prepared to find a place to sit and wait for a while.

To be fair, although the cafeteria was packed with people, there were more empty seats than empty seats.

"Strange, why are there so many empty seats in the cafeteria?" Chisa pondered. "Given the high volume of people here, this situation seems rather unusual."

"This is normal. At first, students might eat in the cafeteria out of novelty, but over time they'll find that it's better to take food back to their dorms than to go to the cafeteria specifically for a meal," Xiao Ling explained.

"That makes sense. After all, you won't feel heartburn when you're enjoying delicious food in a comfortable environment," Lynae wholeheartedly agreed.

They chatted and quickly found an empty seat, and then...

"Zani- jie? You're eating here too?" Lynae exclaimed excitedly when she saw Zani eating.

"I'm a regular at this restaurant." Zani had only eaten half of her meal, calmly wiped her mouth with a tissue and tossed it into the trash can. "Their food is affordable and delicious, perfect for a working person like me to soothe my mind and body."

"Would you mind sharing a table?" Xiao Ling asked.

Please make yourself at home.

The group quickly found seats and sat down. Xiao Ling looked around and suddenly noticed a small problem.

"Where are Yangyang and Suisui?" he asked, puzzled. "And what about my big fox fairy sister?"

"It seems they went to find another restaurant, and Sister Xin went with them," Aemeath reported. "They said they wanted to taste something from home."

As soon as Little Ai finished speaking, the calls of Suisui and the others could be heard from not far away.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

Yangyang, Suisui, and Xin brought over the food, filling the last three empty seats at the table.

"Looks pretty authentic!" Xiao Ling exclaimed after glancing at the food they had brought out. "Which restaurant did you go to?"

"Ah, that's exactly what I was about to say!" Suisui said with a bright smile, "We just ran into an acquaintance."

"Kuaignang?"

"Brother Ling, how did you know?"

"I guessed it."

Actually, it wasn't entirely a guess. After all, this girl was a named and beautifully modeled NPC, so it was natural for Xiao Ling to guess in that direction.

"Speaking of which, I just happen to have something I wanted to tell you." After finishing her meal, Zani stacked the empty dishes together and wiped her mouth again with a tissue. "If you have time later, you can go to the infirmary for a check-up."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing special, I just think there might be something there that interests you," Zani said, keeping everyone in suspense.