460. Maid Café
Even though the school is hidden away in the mountainous region, thanks to Zhang Shaoqing’s car, it only took a little over half an hour for the group to reach a bustling night market district nearby.
The car stopped in a brightly lit area full of neon signs where bars and KTVs flaunted every color of the rainbow, dazzling to the eye. A faint beat of music could be heard faintly in the background, mingling with the mouthwatering aroma of char-grilled skewers wafting from street side stalls.
But it was still only afternoon, and the night market district was surprisingly empty. Many shops weren’t even open yet, making the place feel a bit desolate.
“Just wait until tonight; it’ll be booming,” Zhang Shaoqing quipped, leaning against the car with both hands stuffed in his pockets. He looked smugly at Wen Yang and teased, “By then, there will be plenty of night club girls around! Just look at you, standing there like a magnet for attention. I bet they’ll be lining up to buy you drinks.”
Wen Yang nodded knowingly, “Then I guess I shouldn’t come here at night.”
“What?! You actually think that?”
“Is there another option?”
“Man, you are so boring.”
Shrugging, Wen Yang leaned back against the luxury he was born into, preferring to enjoy his simple life with Ning Chu—no matter how mundane.
Ning Chu wandered over, wrapping her arms around Wen Yang and tilting her chin at Zhang Shaoqing, humming, “You think everyone’s like you? It’s bad enough you led Wang Jie astray; let’s not ruin my Wen Yang!”
“When did I ever lead Wang Jie astray?” Zhang Shaoqing grumbled, flamboyantly locking the car door. He turned, striding toward a modest-looking shop along the street. “Let’s go! My friend runs a maid café, and I’m here to show some support.”
“Oh, it’s your friend’s place, huh~?”
“It’s not like I’m not paying. Why do you have that ‘I missed a great deal’ look?”
Leading the way, he added, “All the maids are regular folks, so keep your hands to yourself.”
“Is this a self-reminder?” Ning Chu chimed in, totally undermining him.
“There are also handsome butlers there. Ning Chu, want me to order a couple for you?”
She disdainfully lifted Wen Yang’s arm, “I have Wen Yang, thank you very much.”
“Have you ever heard of a succubus satisfied with just one man?”
As the two continued their bickering, the group entered the maid café.
Inside, the spacious hall featured a massive circular bar that looked surprisingly like a bar, but it lacked flashy lights or loud music. From the character standees at the entrance to the posters on the walls, everything was drenched in an anime aesthetic.
This thrilled Wang Jie, the ultimate otaku. As soon as he stepped in, he couldn’t control himself and began taking in every detail, excitedly sharing his love for the place. “That figurine is a limited edition! It goes for thousands! Now you’d have to pay ten thousand to get one!”
“I can’t believe it! That’s my favorite character!”
Wen Yang wasn’t really into anime either; he only tagged along with Ning Chu. He blinked in confusion, nodding vacantly, “Oh… which anime?”
“A virtual singer!”
“Uh?”
Zhang Shaoqing chatted with the shop owner for a moment then turned back to the group, saying, “Alright, let’s head to the private room!”
“There’s a private room too…?”
Ning Chu murmured as her gaze fell on a few maids doing live streams at the side of the bar.
This café seemed genuinely respectable. At least the maids were dressed conservatively, showing only an acceptable amount of skin, with no daring displays of cleavage in sight.
There was even a sign on the wall stating no private interactions with maids and absolutely no hands-on activity…
As they trickled into the private room, Ning Chu cozied up to Wen Yang on the sofa, leaning forward and whispering, “What do you think?”
“Not bad? Feels sort of like KTV?”
“True, outside is bar-like and inside feels KTV-ish.”
She nodded in agreement, just as the private room door swung open, and a row of maid-attired girls entered, lining up in front of the sofa.
“Welcome, Master~”
The synchronized greeting sent a shiver down Ning Chu’s spine. Her eyes widened as she recognized a familiar trope from dramas: a customer usually waves their hand dismissively and calls for a “new batch” at this moment.
“Which one do you like?” Zhang Shaoqing asked playfully, eyeing Wen Yang. “My treat! Don’t be shy!”
“No way! Is this place really as wholesome as it looks?” Ning Chu cut in, trying to halt the potential train wreck.
Don’t let it turn into a silver party! What would a succubus like her do in a silver party?!
“Where’s your mind wandering off to?” Zhang Shaoqing shot her a glance. “Even middle schoolers bring in two maids to help with homework! How unwholesome can it be?”
“……”
“I think most people come here to play board games. The maids even can’t drink alcohol! They’re afraid someone, like you, will try to tempt the maids with drinks.”
“Oh~” Ning Chu shrunk back a bit, mumbling to herself, “I should’ve never come with Shaoqing.”
If it weren’t for her curiosity about maid cafés…
“Shao Qing isn’t entirely clueless.” Wen Yang didn’t even bother looking at the row of standing maids. Just a brief glance, then his gaze fell back on Ning Chu, “When we go back tonight, will you wear a maid outfit for me?”
Compared to these average girls, nothing excited him more than the thought of his little succubus in a maid outfit.
Even the most conservative maid outfit would be irresistible on Ning Chu.
“Absolutely not~”
Ning Chu rolled her eyes, scooting away from Wen Yang a bit, glancing at the waiting maids.
Just a quick look and she spotted one oddly timid maid, practically shrinking back from the group.
She looked awfully familiar…
“Nana?”
Zhang Shaoqing was busy ordering a bunch of foreign liquors, glancing back at her in confusion, “Who? Which one caught your eye?”
Ning Chu continued to stare at the maid in her ensemble, shaking her head. “Nothing…”
But she couldn’t shake the feeling that the shy girl was Nana, the vampire.
Wasn’t she supposed to be fragile and fainting at a moment’s notice? She just underwent the hypnosis spray treatment for her fear of men, and now she’s working part-time as a maid!
A vampire maid… makes sense, I guess?
“Come on, hurry up and pick two; if you don’t, I’ll just choose whomever I want.” Zhang Shaoqing complained when he noticed the group dawdling. “You guys are acting like blushing virgins. What’s there to be shy about?”
In one swift motion, he casually pointed at two maids, “You two, come over.”
Then, turning back to Ning Chu, he asked, “Isn’t it Wen Yang’s birthday? Don’t you think you should drink a bit?”
“Why do you always want to get me drunk?” Ning Chu retorted, “Are you plotting something?”
Zhang Shaoqing acted as if he was deeply insulted, fervently insisting, “You don’t even have cat ears! My taste is not that low!”
“The horns are pretty nice too,” Wen Yang chimed in.
While they could be a bit deadly, they did make for a fine steering wheel—especially the shape and size of Ning Chu’s horns.
“I can tell this horn is hard as a rock and cold as ice without even touching it! It doesn’t even compare to soft, fuzzy cat ears! Right, Wang Jie?”
Wang Jie shrugged, “Got nothing to say to a furry lover.”
“Since it’s your birthday today, I won’t argue with you.”
Zhang Shaoqing grinned as he poured drinks for everyone, “Come on, drink up! No drunk, no return!”
“Drinking again…”
“Your husband’s birthday; you can’t skip out on this one.”
Before they even started, Ning Chu’s face turned a bright shade of pink at the word “husband”.
They could call each other anything at night, but she hadn’t expected this teasing from someone else.
“I’ll drink for you.”
She blocked Wen Yang’s reaching hand, “Forget it; if you get drunk, I’ll have to take care of you.”
——————
Done. I couldn’t help but take a shower and now I’m dizzy again.
Never shower while feeling this way!
