Listening to these guys, Lovia felt her cheeks flush hot, burning more intensely than the jueyun chili stir-fried in Xiangling's wok. The blue antennae atop her head curled sensitively, and her small tail froze awkwardly in mid-air behind her.
She instinctively wanted to cover her face with her free hand, yet she couldn't bear to put down the remaining half-bowl of crunchy ore ice jelly. She was plunged into a sweet yet embarrassed state of confusion.
"Y-you guys..." she mumbled softly, her teal eyes flickering and her gaze drifting, not daring to look at the two boys in front of her. "...Stop saying that."
So scary!!
Xiangling watched Lovia practically curl into a ball and couldn't help but laugh, finding her incredibly adorable. She put her hands on her hips and said to Xingqiu and Chongyun, "Alright, alright, can't you see my little Lovia is shy? If you keep going, she might just dive into the stove with her bowl! Xingqiu, Chongyun, you're here to eat, right? What do you want? Today's on me!"
Guoba also let out a couple of "Rua Rua" sounds, circling in front of Lovia as his chubby body tried to help block her from their sight.
The smile in Xingqiu's eyes deepened. He smoothly dropped the topic of her being "cute" and turned to Xiangling. "Then many thanks, Xiangling. Besides, Chongyun heard you've been researching new dishes lately and has been looking forward to it for a long time."
Only then did Chongyun snap out of the slight embarrassment brought on by his blunt praise. He nodded quickly, his eyes sincere. "Yes, yes! Xiangling, whatever is new, bring it on!"
After speaking, he couldn't help but steal another glance at Lovia, who was still trying to minimize her presence, and added, "...Um, just not too spicy."
"Perfect! I just adjusted a filling based on Lovia's suggestion. Come help me taste it!" Xiangling said, nimbly taking several small, delicate, steaming buns from the steamer and handing them over on a plate.
Xingqiu accepted them naturally, but his gaze drifted thoughtfully toward the bowl of ice jelly with "crunchy ore bits" in front of Lovia, as well as the Hood and cloak folded beside her.
At this moment, she clearly had no intention of putting them on.
Xingqiu understood in his heart that this Melusine miss had truly found a harbor here with Xiangling where she could comfortably be herself.
This level of trust was rare. Perhaps he could mention a thing or two about Fontaine?
Chongyun's attention was immediately drawn to the buns. He curiously picked one up and carefully blew on it. "Xiangling, what's the filling this time? It's not another... especially intense one, is it? Huh?"
He looked at the nearby jar of jueyun chili with lingering fear.
"Don't worry! It's a refreshing flavor that Lovia likes, with a bit of the fragrance of Violetgrass and processed slime condensate to add texture!" Xiangling explained with a grin.
At the mention of "slime condensate," Chongyun's face instantly paled, and even Xingqiu's hand holding the bun paused almost imperceptibly.
Watching their reactions, for some reason, a little spark of mischief rose in Lovia's heart.
She scooped up a spoonful of ice jelly with sparkling ore bits and said with a hint of smugness, "It's very delicious. Sister Xiangling made it specifically for me, and the texture is excellent!"
Hearing this, Xingqiu raised an eyebrow at her, catching the flash of cunning in her eyes. He chuckled; this little one certainly knew how to use the situation to "show off."
He calmly took a bite of the bun in his hand, savoring it carefully, then nodded in praise. "Hmm, the fragrance of the Violetgrass is indeed just right, and the condensate brings a wonderful springy texture. It's quite good."
Seeing that even Xingqiu said so, Chongyun could only steel himself and take a small bite. His eyes immediately lit up. "Eh? It's actually... quite good! And even a bit refreshing!"
Seeing the two of them (especially Chongyun) accept it well, the embarrassment and tension in Lovia's heart were completely replaced by the satisfaction of successfully sharing a "treasure."
It tastes good, right? Hehe, it tastes good now, but maybe not tomorrow~
Lovia was already calculating how to guide Chef Xiangling to improve it further. Then, she proactively pointed her spoon at her own bowl and said to Chongyun, "This ice jelly is also very delicious. It's cool and crunchy."
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