Feeling weak from hunger, I trudged across the soft sand, heading alone toward the Umi no Ie.

The stares from other visitors along the way made me uncomfortable. I knew exactly what they were thinking—seeing a lone, pretty girl, they were probably debating whether to come over and strike up a conversation. But if any of them actually dared, I’d just take off my rash guard and give them a nice little mental shock.

The nearest Umi no Ie to me was a simple wooden shack, open on three sides, with only one designated entrance and waist-high railings on the other two. Even before stepping inside, the enticing aroma of stir-fried dishes wafted toward me, making my stomach growl in anticipation.

Aside from serving meals, the Umi no Ie also had a small corner selling water-related gear. Hanging on the wall were swimsuits, swim rings, goggles, and even rash guards.

It was strange, though—this was an indoor water park, where the sun couldn't reach. Why would they even sell rash guards? Just for the beachside aesthetic? And swimsuits? Everyone here would have passed through the changing rooms, so was there actually someone who came in without one?

180 yuan. Tch… kinda pricey. But I bought one anyway, planning to bring it back to Rinka after I finished eating.

At the entrance of Umi no Ie, there was a water basin with continuously flowing water to help visitors rinse the sand off their feet or flip-flops before entering.

Even though it was only 10 AM—not exactly mealtime—the place was surprisingly busy.

A girl with a bob cut, dressed in a white competition-style swimsuit, was sitting at the bar, struggling with a plate of cold noodles. Her, um… particularly eye-catching chest immediately drew my attention as soon as I entered.

So that’s why the place was packed… Quite a few guys had already finished their food but were still lingering, just staring at her.
Shameless, sure, but as a man, I could understand.

Because the boobs are right there!

(Because the mountain is there.)

“Sis Xi?”

I sneaked up behind her and called out softly near her ear.

I didn’t expect her to choke so hard.

“Uwah—! Cough cough cough! Lingmeng?!”

Knew it—I didn’t get the wrong person.

Startled by me, she choked, and a half-swallowed noodle even shot out of her nose. Tian Xi turned toward me, teary-eyed, her mouth covered in red chili oil.

Whoa, spicy cold noodles? That must burn. She hastily downed some lemon water before finally catching her breath.

After wiping her nose, she raised her fist and bonked me on the head. “You little brat—trying to murder me?!”

“Sorry, sorry, I didn’t think you’d react that strongly.”

I plopped down on the high stool next to her, scanning the area for a certain blonde twin-tailed idol.

“If you’re here, Sis Xi, does that mean Lei Meow Meow is here too?”

“Don’t bother looking. They’re playing inside—I came out to eat alone.”

Tian Xi noisily slurped up the last of her cold noodles, smacking her lips in satisfaction.

“They dragged this old lady here out of bed this morning before I even got a chance to eat. I was starving, now I finally got some food in me.”

Huh, this scenario felt kinda familiar…

And now she was calling herself old lady too. Looked like her body was influencing her mind.

That was a good sign. If she stopped resisting and decided not to change back, then it’d be time to swap the pencil for a permanent marker. A key indicator, so to speak.

“Ah, you must be Chang Lingmeng.”

Just as I was about to ask Tian Xi about her thoughts, a familiar voice came from behind the counter.

I turned toward the sound and first saw a black iron griddle sizzling with stir-fried noodles. Standing behind it was…

That same messy black-and-white hair. You know the rest.

Seriously? How many times does this guy need to be described? He’s just a side character!

Anyway, behind the griddle stood Li Jianlian, wearing a navy blue baseball cap with the Aqua World logo, depicting a mermaid emerging from the waves.

No doubt about it—this guy had switched jobs again.

“You change jobs a lot, huh… Or rather, why are you everywhere?”

“This place has a good working environment, and the part-time pay is decent.”

“So you’re on griddle duty now? Perfect, I haven’t eaten yet. One plate of fried noodles, please.”

“Got it! One teppan beef fried noodles!”

Despite always looking tired, Li Jianlian still had plenty of energy when he worked. He skillfully flipped the noodles with two spatulas, his motions smooth and practiced. No idea where he even got all that energy.

“Lingmeng, you sure have a wide social circle.”

“Nah, not really. This guy’s just… special.”

Tian Xi had finished her noodles and was now playing with the ice in her lemon water. She wasn’t drinking it yet—looked like she wanted to sit and chat a little longer.

“Sis Xi, you said they dragged you out of bed, right? So are you living with Lei… uh, your big bro now?”

Tian Xi hesitated for a moment at my question, her gaze drifting toward the wooden floor as if she found it difficult to say.

“Actually, my big bro changed his name to Lei Kelian now. His stage name is still Lei Meow Meow, though.”

Lei Kelian? What part of him is “pitiful”? That still sounds like a stage name.

“And, well… Sis Yuanyue adopted me as her goddaughter. So now I have to call my big bro ‘big sis’ instead.”

This family dynamic was a mess.

Also, I was pretty sure I started calling her Sis Yuanyue first, and Tian Xi never bothered to correct it… Not that Yuanyue would mind.

Being called sis instead of mom probably made her feel younger.

Of course, Lei Meow Meow, as her actual daughter, couldn’t call her that—wouldn’t be proper.

Teppan-fried noodles produced quite a bit of steam and oil smoke during cooking. Even from a few seats away, I could smell the rich aroma of soy sauce sizzling on the iron plate.

Li Jianlian was pretty skilled—he could even flip a whole batch of noodles into the air, spin his spatula, and catch them perfectly. He could totally star in a Chuka Ichiban! live-action adaptation.

…Should I be clapping for this?

“Here’s your teppan beef fried noodles. Enjoy.”

Only then did I realize I hadn’t even checked the price. I glanced at the menu on the wall.

As expected of Aqua World’s in-house restaurant—38 yuan for a plate of fried noodles. But after that little cooking show, I somehow didn’t feel like I was being ripped off. Consider it a performance fee.

Snap!

I snapped apart my disposable chopsticks and took a bite, full of anticipation.

The taste…

Well, it was just fried noodles. Nothing particularly surprising. Maybe all fried noodles in the world taste the same.

With no other orders at the moment, Li Jianlian wiped his hands and came over to chat.

“How’s the taste, Lingmeng?”

Hearing that name so many times still felt weird.

“It’s… ordinary, but good.”

“I see. Seems I still have a long way to go on my Path of Frying Noodles.”

“…Hey, Senior Li, if you don’t want to answer, just ignore this. But why do you work so many jobs? Is your family struggling?”

This time, he didn’t dodge the question. He let out a sigh and replied slowly.

“My family situation is complicated… I have five younger siblings.”

“…What? Five?!”

“Yeah. And an older sister.”

“So your family has seven kids?”

Holy crap, how does one even have that many? Multiples at once? Seven, like the Calabash Brothers?

“So, your parents can’t afford to support everyone, and that’s why you’re working part-time?”

"It's pretty much as you imagined. Our life was okay before, but my dad fell ill last year. Now he's barely hanging on at home, and with the family losing its backbone, my mom and sister are the ones supporting us."

"So you're working part-time to help out at home?"

"That's part of it… but mainly, it's for my tuition. My mom wants me to start working right after high school, but I still want to go to college. So I'm saving up for that."

Li Jianlian's troubles… don't seem like something that can be solved with the magical Bishoujo Notebook.

After all, his biggest problem is money. And turning into a girl isn’t exactly a way to make money.

…Wait, actually, maybe it is? All he’d need to do is put on a JK uniform and hang around a metro station looking for rich old men. But no way in hell would I let something like that happen!

Even though the notebook grants happiness, pinning one’s hopes on something that vague and uncertain is just…

"I mean…"

Tian Xi, who had been quietly listening, suddenly spoke up.

"Why don’t you just run away from home or cut ties with them? Start fresh on your own?"

That was very much in line with her personality. But not everyone could be that cold.

I didn’t entirely agree with Tian Xi abandoning her own mother, but I also had no right to play the saint and urge her to go back. What if she really ended up getting beaten to death one day?

Not everything in life is as simple as black and white.

"I can’t do that. No matter what, they’re still my family."

Li Jianlian simply shook his head in refusal.

"No matter how good a person once was, under the pressure of life, they can become twisted, so ugly that you won’t even recognize them. Have you ever thought about the possibility that the tuition money you’ve worked so hard to save might just end up being taken by your mom to cover household expenses?"

Coming from Tian Xi, these words were particularly brutal. Her own mother, driven insane by debt collectors, must have had a gentler side once too.

Li Jianlian furrowed his brows, clenching his teeth, unsure how to respond.

"Ah, come on, let’s not talk about such heavy stuff. This is a water park, right? Let’s have some fun! The fried noodles won’t taste good if we’re all gloomy."

"You’re acting all detached, but weren’t you the one who started this topic, Lingmeng-chan?"

She gave me a light smack on the back—not too hard, but enough to send her own chest into a mesmerizing bounce.

"Well, I’ll be off then. Big… sis and the others are still waiting for me. See you around."

As Tian Xi left, the male tourists who had been lingering for ages all trailed after her…

"Sorry about that. I brought up something weird and ruined your mood."

"It’s fine. Even though it was harsh, I appreciate her honesty… She was probably just speaking from personal experience."

I took another bite of my fried noodles.

Ugh. Bitter.