Love Affairs in Melbourne-Chapter 213 - 210: A Praiseworthy Existence

Yan Yan noticed the most obvious sign in the photo Jiao Zhifei sent was labeled Osteria Salumerla (note 1).

It had nothing to do with the name Jiao Zhifei mentioned.

Yan Yan, somewhat speechlessly realized that Jiao Zhifei’s lack of logic was a lifetime thing; he never fully committed to any role he played.

After putting down her phone, Yan Yan directly went to look at the food map Qi Yi had sent her.

Jiao Zhifei’s photo didn’t have Fottoria Rossi Firenze, but Yan Yan unexpectedly found this restaurant on Qi Yi’s food map, which was at most two hundred meters away from where she was staying.

Being so close, Yan Yan couldn’t think of a reason not to check it out.

Instead of studying the map for ages before deciding where to start eating, she might as well start exploring her own Florence food map from this restaurant, Fottoria Rossi Firenze.

Choosing a "shop" is not as good as bumping into a "shop".

When Yan Yan arrived at the restaurant’s entrance, she found the store name was indeed Osteria Salumerla.

However, behind the large store name sign, there was a picture that printed Fottoria Rossi, and even more tiny and inconspicuous, the word Firenze lay beneath those two words.

Normal people called a store by its big sign’s name, not the tiny letters.

Yan Yan shook her head, her younger brother really wasn’t normal. freёwebnoѵel.com

However, Yan Yan didn’t maintain this state of mind for long; she soon realized she was also abnormal.

Yan Yan walked into the restaurant that emitted a Renaissance vibe starting from its outer walls.

Her first sight wasn’t the centuries-old brick walls lined inside.

Nor was it the walls hung with hams.

Nor the antique beams overhead, just like the ones at her home.

It was Jiao Zhifei, who was having a lively chat with the Italian owner at the cashier, stuffing food into his mouth while talking.

This oddball was actually in Florence!

In fact, if anyone else had called today to say they were in Florence, Yan Yan would have believed them, but coming from Jiao Zhifei’s mouth, she just couldn’t buy it.

Jiao Zhifei had always made Yan Yan come to him; he always claimed he would visit Yan Yan from the beginning to the end but never followed through.

"Little lamb, old sister is here to pick you up," Yan Yan stated her "purpose" with unmatched calmness.

Yan Yan’s calmness was definitely feigned; she was extremely embarrassed at the moment, and if not for her extraordinary mental fortitude, she would have no idea how to face Jiao Zhifei, who had traveled a long way and been ignored by her.

"Oh, old sister, you found this place so quickly, sit anywhere," Jiao Zhifei greeted Yan Yan from a distance, much like how Bao Bao greeted Yan Yan at his coffee shop.

.........

After Yan Yan sat down, a waiter came to offer her a menu.

But Yan Yan wasn’t interested in the menu; her only thought was how to face the burst of grievances and even anger that might come from Jiao Zhifei.

Yan Yan sat there for two minutes before Jiao Zhifei walked over from the restaurant’s cashier.

During those two minutes, Yan Yan thought of many reasons.

Yan Yan glanced at Jiao Zhifei who lingered at the cashier.

Yan Yan was ready; if Jiao Zhifei asked her why she didn’t believe he came to Italy to see her, she would righteously counter, "Who let you have a bad record?"

In her heart, Yan Yan felt she was wrong and deeply regretted how she treated Jiao Zhifei today.

But the principle of not conceding defeat was something Yan Yan couldn’t abandon.

She could make it up to her "little brother" through actions afterward, but she couldn’t start with a linguistic defeat.

When Yan Yan had made up her mind, Jiao Zhifei had just taken a seat opposite her.

"Old Sister, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, you’ve been waiting at home for a long time, haven’t you?

You sent me the address, but my phone turned off automatically after I got into the taxi.

When the driver dropped me off, I didn’t understand a thing he said.

Luckily, I found this restaurant, otherwise I wouldn’t know how many more people I’d need to ask to find a charger.

But if you were able to come so quickly, it must mean your house isn’t too far from here, right?" Jiao Zhifei looked sincerely apologetic.

Yan Yan was momentarily stunned. Jiao Zhifei apologizing as soon as they met?

Wasn’t she supposed to express how unbelievable this was and then question her why she didn’t trust her own younger brother?

Yan Yan had even prepared her reasons.

She was so shocked by Jiao Zhifei’s apology that she didn’t know how to answer his question.

Had Jiao Zhifei overreacted on purpose?

Yan Yan was quite suspicious.

The guy in front of her had just abruptly hung up her call, seemingly very angry—a reaction that typically indicated anger.

Yan Yan looked at Jiao Zhifei and searched her memory for how their previous phone call had ended, but she still didn’t speak.

"Old Sister, don’t look at me like that.

I was just too hungry just now, so I ate a double portion of ham and cheese all by myself.

I didn’t mean to eat alone; I was really hungry, but you can order some more.

The smoked meat and cheese platter that the owner recommended to me just now is a specialty of this restaurant.

The meat is from his own family’s farm, and the cheese is made by his grandma.

It’s absolutely authentic Italian cuisine, handmade cheese—you just can’t stop eating it," Jiao Zhifei knew Yan Yan liked good food.

His current behavior clearly showed the eagerness of someone who has done something wrong.

Yan Yan looked at Jiao Zhifei with a somewhat unusual gaze.

So, the person in front of her now was genuinely sorry for what he had done.

Not angry, not wronged, but apologetic?

Jiao’s bizarre thought process was well known to Yan Yan as being exceptionally unconventional, but this was a bit too strange.

"Old Sister, the restaurant’s signature ham and cheese platter is only 25 Euros, definitely a conscientious price, super large portion—I felt fully revived after eating it. Don’t be mad, let me order another portion and treat my foodie Old Sister, okay?" Jiao Zhifei asked Yan Yan’s opinion.

"Oh, okay, let’s try it," Yan Yan tried to keep her face expressionless as she responded.

For the first time, Yan Yan felt that Jiao Zhifei’s way of thinking was notably praiseworthy.

note 1:

Osteria means a small pub or restaurant in Italian, and the word exists in English as well. There are Osterias all over Italy, equivalent to what we call a restaurant. However, we typically put the word "restaurant" after the name, like "Some Restaurant," whereas in Italian, the noun comes before.

So Salumerla is actually the name of the restaurant.

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(Come on, give a like for Jiao’s bizarre thought process! Seeking votes, monthly tickets, recommendation tickets—all to Xiao Mo’s bowl~)