"Guoba, breathe fire!"
Following Xiangling's sharp command, the kitchen stove instantly erupted into flames.
A few minutes ago, because of Xiangling's utterly irresistible pouting and pleading, Ye Xi had decided to show off a little. It was the perfect chance to try out the recipes he had obtained from his Wishes.
He had just mastered a 3-star Cooking Skill, and he felt a new level of comprehension blooming atop his existing culinary knowledge. Most of this understanding manifested in his knife skills and his instinctive grasp of how to deconstruct ingredients—for instance, how to perfectly separate beef from the bone.
Even many veteran chefs might struggle with such a task; usually, only an experienced butcher would truly master that path. Ye Xi had rarely done such things before, and his technique had been quite raw. But thanks to his newly acquired skill, he now handled the blade with professional grace.
As he stood there, blade in hand, he began scaling and deboning the fish Xiangling had caught that day. Seeing his fluid and precise knife work, Xiangling's eyes widened to the size of saucers. She had assumed Ye Xi could cook at the level of simple home-cooked meals, but she hadn't expected him to be so practiced. He was clearly a master chef!
In a short while, two dishes were ready: Squirrel Mandarin Fish and Fish-Flavored Shredded Pork. These were two recipes as yet unknown to this world!
Watching Ye Xi move with the effortless grace of flowing water, Xiangling's mouth hung slightly open, her mind too stunned to remember to close it. When the aroma finally hit her, her eyes practically sparkled. She wore a cute, gluttonous expression that was simply heart-melting.
"Wow that's amazing, Ye Xi! You're so good!"
Ye Xi gave a sheepish smile, feeling that if he heard those words in any other context, they might have carried a very different meaning.
He gestured to the plates. "Want to try?"
"Mhm! I'm diving in!" Xiangling couldn't wait as she picked up her chopsticks and began to sample the food.
"Om-nom-nom... Mmm!"
"This fish is so delicious!"
"I feel like this Fish-Flavored Shredded Pork is going to be a massive hit! And it looks so simple to make!"
Xiangling praised the food incessantly. Moreover, drawing from her years of experience as a young chef at Wanmin Restaurant, she saw the greatest potential in the Fish-Flavored Shredded Pork.
Squirrel Mandarin Fish was quite a hassle to prepare; most people would only order it to try something new or for a banquet, but they wouldn't choose it for a regular meal. The shredded pork, however, was different. It was easy to cook and paired perfectly with rice ideal for the everyday diner.
"Ye Xi, I bet this dish will absolutely explode in popularity at Wanmin Restaurant!" Xiangling asserted without a hint of hesitation. Suddenly, a thought struck her, and her eyes lit up. "Wait, why don't you come to Wanmin Restaurant and be a chef with me?"
"With your skills, Wanmin Restaurant will definitely become even more popular!"
"As for the salary, you can have whatever you want!"
To Xiangling, this was a plan that killed two birds with one stone. Ye Xi had just returned to Liyue and surely had no source of income. If they worked together as chefs, he could earn money, and they could be together every single day!
And if... just saying if... the time was right, she would eventually have to get married anyway...
Ye Xi, unable to read her mind, missed the deeper meaning behind her words. He offered a faint smile. "I'll just give you the recipe. No need to go through all that trouble."
Xiangling felt a pang of disappointment at her plan falling through, though she didn't let it show on her face. "But... didn't you research and create this recipe yourself?"
Ye Xi waved it off. "It's just a recipe. If you want, I can teach you other dishes later on."
"You said it! No taking it back! This is a Contract!" Xiangling was overjoyed.
This meant Ye Xi would come back to see her and even cook for her! Besides, a delicacy like this just the recipe alone was worth a fortune. Since these were Ye Xi's original creations, opening a restaurant would surely be a gold mine. Yet, he was willing to give them to her without a second thought!
Seeing Ye Xi nod solemnly, Xiangling's eyes filled with delight. "Ye Xi, you're so good to me! I don't even know how to repay you!"
Joy danced across her features, her porcelain-doll-like face radiating happiness. This recipe was the first gift Ye Xi had ever given her. To others, a recipe might not seem like much, but to a chef, it was worth its weight in gold and silver. To call it the "perfect gift" was no exaggeration.
Ye Xi didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
[According to romance novels, shouldn't she be offering to give herself to me in marriage?]
[No, no, for a single recipe, that's going a bit far.]
[What am I even thinking?]
He gave a self-deprecating laugh and straightened his expression. "These recipes are useless if I keep them to myself. I'd rather hand them to you so you can share them with the world. Xiangling?"
Seeing the girl standing there motionless like a statue, Ye Xi felt a bit puzzled. Little did he know, Xiangling's brain had completely short-circuited after hearing his inner thoughts!
G-Give herself to him in marriage!?
Xiangling's eyes were a chaotic mess of panic. Something like that was so embarrassing...
But, if it was Ye Xi...
He was so handsome, skilled in martial arts, a great cook, and he could even use so many different Elemental Powers... having a husband like that would surely lead to a wonderful future.
Just thinking about it made her so shy she couldn't lift her head, so she buried her face in her bowl and kept eating.
Once the meal was over, Xiangling fled back to her bedroom as if she were escaping a crime scene. Ye Xi was left feeling quite bewildered, though he did gain a new appreciation for his own culinary skills. When he went to see Ningguang tomorrow, he planned to prepare a light and elegant dish: Steamed Cabbage in Supreme Soup.
As for the Basalt Pillar, he planned to keep that as a trump card for another purpose.
The next day.
The sun shone brightly, and the breeze was gentle. After a night of sailing, The Alcor finally docked at Liyue Harbor.
Dockworkers busily moved back and forth, unloading crates. Special local products from Inazuma and seafood harvested from the ocean were transported onto the shore. Beidou and her crew were busy settling the transport fees with the local shop owners.
After all, their ship was the only one running the route between Inazuma and Liyue; the commission fees alone were enough to fill their coffers to the brim.
Xiangling hadn't slept well the night before because of her embarrassment. She looked a bit groggy, but she didn't forget to remind Ye Xi: "You have to come to Wanmin Restaurant for dinner tonight! I'll be waiting for you!"
"Yeah. By the way, why do you look like you haven't woken up yet?"
Xiangling guiltily looked away. How could she possibly tell him the reason? "It's nothing..." she mumbled, blushing.
Now that they were about to part ways, Xiangling felt a heavy sense of reluctance. She had no idea when she would see Ye Xi again after this. What if he didn't show up tonight? In a place as vast as Liyue, where would she even begin to look for him?
"You have to tell me where you're staying! If you don't have a place, just come to my house!"
"My bed is huge..."
By the time she finished the sentence, her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz. Even she realized how suggestive that sounded.
Ye Xi didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
[Even if the bed is huge, we can't exactly sleep in the same one, right?]
[What is this girl thinking?]
Despite his thoughts, he wouldn't actually say that out loud. Instead, he gave a solemn promise: "If I find myself without a place to stay, I'll definitely come find you."
"That... that's more like it..."
Xiangling's face turned bright red; she was so mortified by her own words she wished she could sink into the ground! She didn't know why she had said something so shameless. It had to be because of the lack of sleep!
Still, the thought of Ye Xi having nowhere to go and being forced to sleep on the streets of Liyue... that would be too pitiful! If it came to that, she would rather have him sleep right next to her!
'Oh my, what are you thinking, Xiangling!'
She hurriedly shook off the stray thoughts and waved. "Then, I'm off..."
Watching her receding back, a trace of warmth bloomed in Ye Xi's heart. After saying goodbye to Xiangling, his next task was to meet the Tianquan, Ningguang. He still needed to make some preparations.
Right then, the ethereal voice in his mind arrived exactly as scheduled!
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