The crew of the ship erupted into an immediate uproar upon hearing Captain Beidou's words.
"Hiss meeting Lady Tianquan!?"
"If I remember correctly, the waitlist to see Lady Tianquan is already backed up until next year!"
"Exactly! The top merchants in Liyue are practically begging and pleading just for a chance to see her. If Brother Ye Xi is going to meet her, doesn't that mean he'll become one of the wealthiest lords in Liyue before long?"
Who among those on this ship wasn't a commoner used to hard labor?
They spent their lives drifting on the sea just to provide for their families. Being able to join The Crux was already a blessing, as they earned significantly more than their peers in the same trade. However, becoming a true merchant tycoon was an impossible dream for them.
But if one were lucky enough to meet the Tianquan, Ningguang, everything would change. Even a tiny scrap of information from her could transform a person into a titan of wealth, lording over Liyue!
Thus, everyone yearned for such an opportunity, viewing it as if they had hit the ultimate lottery. Now that they heard the Captain was taking Ye Xi to see her, every eye turned toward him with undisguised envy.
Ye Xi, of course, had no reason to refuse. He knew it would be a hassle to seek an audience with Ningguang on his own, and he had originally planned to ask Beidou for an introduction. Since she had brought it up herself, it suited his plans perfectly.
[It seems I'll have to prepare a proper meeting gift soon.]
Hearing Ye Xi's inner thoughts, Beidou felt a spark of curiosity. What kind of gift was he thinking of? In her eyes, what was the point of bringing a gift to a woman like Ningguang? Just going to see her was already giving her enough face. Sending a gift on top of that? That was just flattering her too much!
Xiangling tugged at Ye Xi's arm and said, "Ye Xi, you must be hungry. I'll make you some Black-Back Perch Stew!"
"We'll use the fish we caught this afternoon! It'll definitely be delicious!"
Hearing that lively, adorable voice, even if his stomach wasn't hungry, his brain would have screamed, 'No, you are starving! Give it to me!' Besides, Ye Xi hadn't eaten lunch, and it was already dinner time.
[Having Liyue's most impressive Little Chef cook for me is truly great.]
[In Inazuma, I always had to cook for myself.]
[This life of 'stretching out a hand for clothes and opening a mouth for food' is certainly comfortable.]
[If I could marry her, I'd definitely be spoiled into a useless person in the future...]
Satisfied, he gave his word. "Alright."
Hearing his inner thoughts, Xiangling felt a secret wave of joy. If they really became a couple, she vowed to cook something delicious for him every single day! However, discovering that Ye Xi could also cook ignited a strange, competitive spark within her. She wanted to see whose cooking was better.
More importantly, she desperately wanted to taste his food.
Thinking of this, she nodded and continued, "Then you come and help me out. Don't think I can't tell you're quite the hand in the kitchen yourself!"
"How did you figure that out?"
Xiangling's large eyes rolled playfully. "Let's just call it a kindred connection between chefs!"
[That excuse is a total foul.]
Ye Xi smiled helplessly and said, "Fine, whatever you say."
Watching the two walk away together, the crew members looked at each other in confusion.
"Is it just me, or has Sister Xiangling become even more clingy this afternoon?"
"Look at her! She's acting like a little bird seeking shelter!"
"And the way Brother Ye Xi looks at her is so full of doting... they're really flaunting it right in my face. I'm dying of jealousy!"
"They couldn't have gotten together already, could they!?"
"No way, it's only been one afternoon. No matter how you look at it, it shouldn't be..."
The crew chattered away, debating the possibility. Xiangling was notoriously difficult to pursue in Liyue, mostly because one had to get past her father, Chef Mao. Furthermore, she seemed to have no concept of romance at all; it was hard for any boy to find a way into her heart.
"It looks like Brother Ye Xi has become Sister Xiangling's first love."
"Well, he is Brother Ye Xi. He's handsome and strong, and he's even blessed by two gods. It wouldn't be strange at all for her to fall for someone like him!"
"This is going to be difficult. Brother Ye Xi already has the Shirasagi Himegimi back in Inazuma. I'm afraid Sister Xiangling will be the one getting hurt when the time comes!"
"It's our fault for making those blind jokes. It looks like we went too far."
"Oh, what are you all worrying about? It's only natural for someone as excellent as Brother Ye Xi to be popular with girls. What's wrong with having a few more wives?"
"True. Come to think of it, those wealthy merchants in Liyue have plenty of concubines."
"Whatever. We're just worrying about things that aren't our business. Let them handle it themselves!"
"..."
Initially, everyone had just been joking around. They all knew Ye Xi had already won the heart of the Shirasagi Himegimi in Inazuma, so teasing Xiangling was just a way to liven things up. They hadn't expected their meddling to actually work. It left them feeling a bit awkward.
Nearby, Beidou took a swig of wine and let out a hearty laugh. She had naturally heard everything Ye Xi was thinking. She had also seen Xiangling's reactions.
When Ye Xi's mind turned to the topic of "marrying a wife," Xiangling had clearly become incredibly shy. Anyone with eyes could see it. If she didn't like him, why would she react like that?
Beidou was very interested to see how Ye Xi would handle Xiangling's feelings. In her heart, she wouldn't feel right leaving a lively and cute Little Chef like Xiangling in anyone else's hands. If she gave her to Ye Xi, at the very least, she knew the girl wouldn't suffer.
Because Ye Xi was destined for greatness!
Of course, as the one who started the teasing, she felt a certain level of responsibility. Moving forward, she would pay close attention to whatever happened between the two of them.
She needed to tell Ningguang about this. A talent like Ye Xi was vital to Liyue. Given Ningguang's personality, any exceptional person was seen as a potential asset. And to make someone work for you, you had to find their weakness.
If Ye Xi and Xiangling were together, then Xiangling would be his "weakness." As long as Liyue treated Xiangling well, Ye Xi would never mistreat Liyue!
If she could use this chance to keep Ye Xi in Liyue, it would be a wonderful outcome. At the very least, whenever she returned from the sea, she would have someone to drink with.
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