"Gulp… coconut milk… so good…"
Qiqi drank her coconut milk. Normally, because of her constitution, Qiqi couldn't really taste anything—but Koji had restored her, letting her perceive sweetness, sourness, bitterness, spiciness, and saltiness again.
That long-lost sensation brought a cute smile to Qiqi's little face.
For a zombie who'd spent years unable to taste food, how precious was that feeling?
"So that's how it is. Qiqi can't taste anything at all, huh? No wonder."
Hu Tao suddenly understood. If that was the case, then Qiqi fundamentally wouldn't even know why she loved sweets so much despite being so young.
But then… if she couldn't taste, why was she still so fixated on "cocogoat milk"?
"Koji, can you restore Qiqi into a normal person?" Hu Tao asked.
Watching Qiqi constantly forget things, she genuinely sympathized with the poor zombie.
"I can, but… are you sure that's really a good thing?" Koji shot back.
In this era, Qiqi had no family left. If she recovered, how heartbreaking would it be—especially if her memories from back then returned?
"Yeah… that's true."
Hu Tao thought about it. Qiqi looked like a little kid, but in reality, she was a senior who'd lived who-knew-how-many hundreds of years. In that endless stretch of time, her relatives had all passed away, and everyone she'd once known was gone.
"Let's ask Qiqi what she wants later," Hu Tao said.
"Sure. If she has an opinion, then we respect it."
Koji nodded. If Qiqi wanted to remember the past, then he wouldn't stop her anymore.
He remembered that Qiqi seemed to have some connection to Keqing—there was a strong chance Keqing was a descendant of Qiqi's relatives, only Keqing didn't know it herself.
If they checked a clan genealogy, they should be able to find something.
…
"Tianquan?"
"Why are you here?"
When Xiangling at Wanmin Restaurant saw Koji arrive together with Ningguang, she asked in surprise.
Ningguang saw the suspicion on Xiangling's face and sighed helplessly—I'm not here to buy out Wanmin Restaurant.
"Just call me Ningguang, kid. And don't look at me like that—over the years, I've sponsored Wanmin Restaurant quite a bit," Ningguang said, her tone casual.
"Huh?"
Xiangling blinked. Wanmin Restaurant really had been sponsored over the years, but it was always anonymous—she'd never known who it was.
Finding out it was Ningguang made her expression… complicated. She truly hadn't expected that.
"Tianquan, I'm not a kid," Xiangling said helplessly.
Sure, your seniority is higher than mine, but I'm not some little child either.
"Is that so?"
Ningguang glanced at Xiangling's chest. As Wanmin Restaurant's head chef, she obviously wouldn't mistreat herself in terms of food and nutrition.
But… it just didn't inspire anything.
Hu Tao's was flatter, but she somehow had more presence. Ningguang honestly couldn't figure it out.
"Tianquan, you're here to eat, right?" Xiangling noticed Ningguang's gaze and her mouth twitched.
Yes, my figure can't compare to yours, but do you really have to stare like that?
"Koji invited me to come down for a meal. It's been a long time since I came down anyway, so I thought I'd eat here once," Ningguang said with a faint smile.
Most of the time, she ate up in the Jade Chamber. She rarely came down to the ground to eat.
"I didn't expect it, Koji—you actually managed to invite our Tianquan out," Xiangling said, surprised.
"What trick did you use?"
In Liyue Harbor, plenty of people dreamed of pulling that off, but not a single one had succeeded.
"No tricks. I just went up and invited her, and Ningguang agreed," Koji said with a shrug, sounding completely relaxed.
If anyone who knew Koji heard him say that, they'd be speechless. Look at your character model and your stats—if it were someone else, where would they get that kind of chance?
"You make it sound way too easy. Most people can't even get up to the Jade Chamber," Xiangling said, utterly exasperated.
Young nobles from Yujing Terrace, successful young merchants, ship captains who'd traveled the seven nations—everyone tried everything just to win a single smile from Ningguang. But Ningguang only ever remained politely courteous, keeping a measured distance.
To this day, no one had been able to move Ningguang's heart.
"So, what do you want to eat?"
Koji looked at Ningguang and smiled. "Ladies first. Ningguang, you order."
"Boiled Water Cabbage. You can make it, right, Xiangling?" Ningguang didn't hesitate long, naming what she wanted directly.
A broth simmered slowly from old hen and pork bones, poured over tender cabbage hearts…
"Tch, tch, tch—of course it's you. Starting off with a high-difficulty dish. Fine," Xiangling said, her mouth twitching. She could make it, but it took time to prepare.
As for the broth, she'd started simmering it in the morning—otherwise it would take even longer.
"…For me, a few servings of Adepti's Temptation," Koji said.
Xiangling's eyebrow jumped. "You two… both picking dishes this complicated. Wait a bit."
As a chef, she had to satisfy their requests, so she went straight to work.
Normally, not many people ordered those two dishes. They took too long—most customers didn't have that much time—and they were far more expensive than most dishes.
With her dad here, she could focus on Koji and Ningguang's table. The other customers could be handled by Chef Liu.
"It really is the streets and alleys that have that human warmth," Ningguang said with a sigh.
It was something you couldn't experience in the Jade Chamber.
"When you've got time, come down and take a walk," Koji said.
You're in the sky every day—coming down this rarely is kind of tragic.
"For now, I don't have much time," Ningguang said, shaking her head.
All kinds of matters were waiting for her to handle. Even the few times she came down to the ground were usually for work—festivals like the Lantern Rite and the like, where she had to personally oversee everything.
While they chatted, Xiangling finished the dishes and set them on the table in front of them.
"Alright, enjoy."
Adepti's Temptation came in an elegant clay pot, its rich aroma instantly making mouths water.
It was a famous Liyue dish with an extremely complicated process. Packed with delicacies from mountain and sea, it wasn't something many people in all of Liyue could make well. It was a harsh test of any chef's skill.
"…So good!"
Koji took a bite. The ingredients were smooth and tender, and an intensely delicious flavor bloomed across his mouth—pure concentrated essence.
Even after swallowing, the aftertaste lingered, deep and endless.
No wonder it was called Adepti's Temptation. Even an adeptus would involuntarily leave their illuminated abode the moment they caught that scent.
(End of Chapter)
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