Monday morning.
At one of Liyue's city gates, merchant caravans bustled in and out.
A slender figure, covered in dust, waved goodbye to a caravan from Mondstadt.
She stood still for a moment, gazing up at the large characters on the city wall that read [Liyue], her face breaking into a bright smile.
"Finally, I'm home!"
A chubby little panda stood at her feet, mimicking her upward gaze.
"Woo!"
"Let's go, Guoba!"
"Woo!"
The pair cheerfully made their way through the gate.
---
Summer Shop.
It had only been half an hour since opening, but Diona's Rainbow Wine had already been snapped up by the shop's wealthy members.
The new product was a hit.
Thanks to it, the number of members had increased significantly over the past few days.
Xia Zhi leaned against the counter, recalling that he still had plenty of Rainbow Fruit Concentrate left from his last purchase.
Perhaps he could develop another new product.
Just then, he heard Zhu Zi's excited voice at the entrance.
"Xiangling! You're back!"
"Yeah!"
"Woo!"
"When did you two get back?"
"Just now! We came in through the gate over there and happened to pass by, so I thought I'd stop by to say hi."
"Oh, I see!"
"Did you expand the shop?"
"Yep!"
"Congratulations!"
"Hehe."
Xiangling noticed another girl walking out of the shop and was momentarily stunned.
"Isn't that Ying'er?"
"Long time no see, Xiangling. And Guoba too!"
"Woo!"
"Ying'er, why are you wearing the shop's uniform? Don't tell me…"
"Mhm, I work here now."
"What? You quit your job at Scent of Spring?"
"It was too exhausting. I'm done with that."
After a brief chat, Xiangling followed Zhu Zi into the shop, greeting Shenhe and Qiqi before quickly making her way to the counter.
"Mr. Xia! I'm back!"
"Woo!"
Xia Zhi smiled and nodded.
"Glad you made it back safely. How was your training trip?"
"It was amazing! Guoba and I saw so many new things!"
"It must've been tiring, traveling all that way."
"Not too bad! I learned a lot of new recipes…"
Xiangling eagerly shared her experiences and discoveries, like a student proudly presenting their hard work to a teacher in hopes of praise.
Xia Zhi listened patiently, a smile on his face, and while mixing some juice, he prepared two extra glasses for Xiangling and Guoba.
"Here you go."
"Thank you, Mr. Xia!"
"Woo!"
Xiangling took a big sip and sighed contentedly. Guoba, on the other hand, gulped his down in one go.
"Rainbow Juice is still the best!"
"Woo!"
"Did you finish all the fruit pulp you took with you?"
"We ran out a while ago."
Xiangling chuckled sheepishly.
"I made a lot of friends along the way, and it didn't feel right to keep it all to myself, so I shared it with everyone…"
Xia Zhi couldn't help but laugh.
With her fiery, generous personality, Xiangling was hardly the type to hoard things for herself.
He should've given her more to take along.
Xiangling took another sip and glanced at the unfamiliar staff member at the next counter.
"Mr. Xia, who's this?"
The cat-eared girl looked up and introduced herself. "I'm Diona, the shop's bartender."
"Bartender? Wait, you're selling alcohol now?"
"Yes, but it's exclusive to members."
Guoba's eyes lit up.
"Woo woo woo!"
"What's Guoba saying?"
"It wants to try the alcohol."
"Haha, Guoba's still as greedy as ever. But we're sold out for today…"
"It's fine, Mr. Xia. Don't worry about Guoba."
"Woo."
Guoba pouted, looking utterly dejected.
Xia Zhi chuckled. "It's alright. We still have some in stock. You can stay for lunch, and we'll have a drink together."
"Lunch? I'm afraid I can't… I need to go see my dad and my master…"
"Ah, of course. How about dinner, then? Bring your dad and master along. We'll have a proper meal to welcome you and Guoba back."
"That sounds great! Thank you, Mr. Xia! I'll show off my new skills too!"
"Looking forward to it."
"I won't keep you from your work any longer. See you later!"
"See you."
After finishing their juice, Xiangling and Guoba hurried off to Wanmin Restaurant.
In a corner of the shop, Xia Ci watched Guoba's retreating figure, a thoughtful expression on her face.
---
Wanmin Restaurant.
It wasn't yet lunchtime, and Chef Mao was in the kitchen prepping ingredients.
"Dad!"
"Huh?"
Chef Mao turned around and saw his daughter, his face lighting up with a warm smile.
"Xiangling's back!"
"I'm home!"
"Woo!"
"How was the trip?"
"It was great!"
"Woo!"
"You say it was great, but look at your face—it's so much tanner!"
"Oh, it's nothing."
"Be careful, or you might never get married."
"Dad! How's business been?"
"Not bad. The lines have died down."
"I heard a lot of big things happened in Liyue recently?"
"You mean the battle at Guyun Stone Forest?"
"Yeah! Tell me all about it!"
---
Yujing Terrace.
After lunch, Yaoyao dashed out the door, full of energy.
Inside, Moon Carver and Mountain Shaper sat sipping a fine tea that Madame Ping had received as a birthday gift from Xia Zhi.
Halfway through their tea, they heard a voice calling from outside.
"Master! I'm back!"
"Woo woo woo!"
The two adepti exchanged knowing smiles.
Moments later, Xiangling entered the room and was slightly surprised to see them.
"Masters, you're here too?"
"Mhm."
Xiangling bowed respectfully to her three masters.
Madame Ping smiled warmly. "Xiangling, when did you get back?"
"This morning."
"How was your training?"
"My cooking skills have improved a lot!…"
Xiangling excitedly shared her experiences, describing all sorts of strange cooking methods and ingredients she'd encountered—things even the adepti had never heard of.
The three masters' initially calm expressions gradually shifted.
"Master always says 'seeing is believing,' and I think that's so true. That's why this trip was so valuable. I've talked so much, but I'm sure you can't really understand. Tonight, I'll show you what I've learned by cooking for you!"
The three adepti fell silent for a moment.
Mountain Shaper coughed lightly and said gently, "Xiangling, your thoughtfulness is appreciated, but I have an appointment tonight and won't be able to make it."
"What about you, Moon Carver?"
"I also have plans. I'm afraid I won't be free."
"Oh, that's too bad."
Xiangling looked disappointed, then turned to Madame Ping.
"Master, you're free, right?"
Madame Ping, seeing the hopeful look on her disciple's face, felt torn.
Her disciple had worked so hard during her journey. Turning her down outright would be too harsh.
Ah, if I don't take the plunge, who will? After all, I'm her master…
Reluctantly, Madame Ping nodded. "I'm free."
"Great!"
Xiangling beamed.
"Then make sure to come to Summer Shop."
"Huh?"
Madame Ping was taken aback.
The other two adepti were equally surprised.
"Summer Shop?"
"Not Wanmin Restaurant?"
"No, I stopped by Summer Shop earlier and visited Mr. Xia. He invited me to dinner tonight to welcome me back. I'm planning to cook a few dishes and ask for his feedback."
"I see…"
Madame Ping's smile returned.
So it's not hell—it's heaven!
She shot a glance at the two traitorous old men beside her. "What about you two? Didn't you say you had plans? Why are you still here?"
The two adepti exchanged looks and quickly made up their minds.
Mountain Shaper coughed again and said gently, "On second thought, my appointment isn't that urgent. This is Xiangling's first training trip, and as her master, I should really evaluate her progress."
Moon Carver nodded. "That's true. I'll try to wrap up my business early and come by to see how much Xiangling has improved."
Xiangling was thrilled. "That's wonderful! Thank you, masters!"
The two adepti replied nonchalantly, "Mhm."
With that, they stood up and left.
Madame Ping glared at their retreating backs.
Xiangling asked curiously, "Master, when did Mountain Shaper and Moon Carver come down from the mountains?"
"They came down for my birthday to mooch some food, and they've been sticking around ever since."
"Oh no! I forgot your birthday!"
"It's alright. You were away. I don't blame you."
"I brought you a gift!"
Xiangling quickly pulled out two presents she'd brought back from Mondstadt.
"This one's for you, and this one's for Yaoyao."
"You're so thoughtful."
Madame Ping accepted the gifts with a smile.
"How was the Serenitea Pot during your trip?"
"It was great!"
"Did you practice the spear techniques I taught you?"
"Yes! I used them to defeat a lot of monsters in the wild! Guoba was a huge help!"
"Woo!"
"A spear must taste blood. I can sense that your elemental energy has become more refined. This trip has truly tempered you."
"I'm planning to travel to more places in the future!"
"That's a good goal, but don't rush it. Take your time to absorb what you've learned from this journey first."
"Yes, Master!"
The two chatted for a while longer, discussing topics like the reconstruction of the Jade Chamber, the Mahjong King Tournament, and the new school being built…
Around two o'clock, Madame Ping took out a red invitation.
Xiangling looked curious. "Master, what's that?"
"Ningguang sent it to me yesterday. It's an invitation to a women's gathering at the Jade Chamber this afternoon."
"Oh, then you should go, Master. I'll head out now."
"At my age, what's the point of attending such gatherings?"
Madame Ping smiled and handed the invitation to Xiangling.
"Weren't you just asking me about the new Jade Chamber? As they say, 'seeing is believing.' No matter how much I describe it, it won't compare to you seeing it for yourself."
Xiangling thought for a moment, then nodded with a smile. "You're right. Thank you, Master."
"Go on, then."
"Alright. Don't forget to come to Mr. Xia's for dinner tonight."
"I won't."
Xiangling left, taking Guoba with her, and soon arrived at the entrance to the Jade Chamber.
After showing her invitation to the guards, she ascended the floating stone steps and finally reached the Jade Chamber high in the sky.
As she admired the view, she made her way to the gathering spot, where many women were already chatting and laughing softly.
Their elegant, luxurious attire made it clear that they were all ladies of high society.
Xiangling wasn't particularly interested in such gatherings, but Guoba was tugging at her pants, clearly drawn to the food on a distant table.
"Woo woo woo!"
"You glutton! Fine, let's go."
Xiangling laughed and led Guoba over, only to discover a spread of delicacies from all over Teyvat.
"This looks delicious! And this! Wow, this is from Inazuma, and this is from Sumeru…"
Xiangling couldn't help but feel a little envious.
She had to travel far and wide to find new ingredients, while these people could enjoy anything they wanted without leaving home.
The life of the rich is truly simple and unpretentious.
As she ate, Xiangling heard someone call her name.
"Xiangling?"
She turned around and saw who it was.
"Miss Ganyu!"
Ganyu walked over, looking surprised. "Weren't you in Mondstadt? You're back already?"
"Yeah, I just got back today!"
"What brings you here?"
"Master gave me an invitation. I came to see the Jade Chamber!"
"I see."
"Miss Ganyu, aren't you usually busy with work? What are you doing here?"
"I… haven't been too busy lately, so I thought I'd come out for a change of pace."
"Miss Ganyu, try this! It's vegetarian!"
"Thank you."
Ganyu took a bite, but her expression didn't change.
"You don't like it?"
"It's alright… but it doesn't compare to Mr. Xia's cooking."
After all, her taste buds had long been spoiled by Xia Zhi's culinary skills.
Ordinary food just couldn't satisfy her anymore.
"Oh, right! Mr. Xia… I can't eat anymore!"
Xiangling suddenly pulled her hand back from reaching for more food.
"What's wrong?"
"I almost forgot! I'm having dinner at Mr. Xia's tonight. I need to save my appetite!"
Ganyu was momentarily stunned.
"You're having dinner at Mr. Xia's?"
"Yeah! Guoba! You're not allowed to eat anymore either!"
"Woo!"
"You dummy!"
"Woo!"
Ganyu watched the two bicker in front of her, deep in thought.
It's not about mooching a meal or anything… I've just been so idle lately. Maybe I should drop by Mr. Xia's shop tonight to check on my junior sister.
As her senior, it's only natural for me to show concern for her well-being.
Yes, that's it!
Soon, Ningguang made her entrance, and the gathering officially began.
Ganyu and Xiangling watched as Ningguang stepped onto the stage, holding a red lipstick.
"Today, I've invited you all here to introduce something special. This is called lipstick. It adds color and fragrance to your lips while also moisturizing them… However, supplies are limited, so those interested may place pre-orders."
The room erupted into a frenzy, the women clamoring like it was a bustling market.
Ningguang lightly pressed her lips together and smiled.
---
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