In Liyue Harbor, as the cooking competition progressed, the Moonchase Festival atmosphere grew stronger and stronger. Foreigners could even be spotted cheering at the venue—though no one knew which genius had told them to shout encouragement, it had turned the competition into a boiling cauldron of noise.
At Wangsheng, far from the bustling venue, Su Bai was heating some milk. Klee, who had tried to escape halfway only to be caught by Shenhe, had no choice but to throw a relentless charm offensive at Su Bai.
"Brother Su Bai, Brother Su Bai! Klee doesn't want to drink milk today! How about giving today's milk to Sister Toto? She'd definitely love it."
"You're thinking of your sister Toto now? Too late. She already drank her portion. You're not getting out of this cup, little Klee."
Su Bai flashed a mischievous grin. To make sure Klee got proper nutrition, he had decided she needed at least one glass of milk a day.
He had underestimated Klee's cleverness, though. The little girl had been using the excuse of giving gifts to Sister Toto to pass off all her milk. It was only a few days ago that Shenhe had accidentally discovered the trick and told Su Bai.
"But Klee doesn't want to drink milk. Milk is the worst."
Klee hung her head pitifully. Seeing her look so dejected, Su Bai's heart softened and he almost gave in. But remembering Albedo's lecture on the benefits of milk for growing children, he steeled himself and placed the cup in front of her.
"Brother Su Bai, Klee really doesn't want milk... sob sob~"
"Fine, fine, you've defeated me, Klee. I'll make you some milk tea instead. But let's get one thing straight—if the milk tea turns out badly, you'll have to drink the plain milk."
"Yay! Brother Su Bai is the best!"
Watching Su Bai cave, Shenhe seemed to understand something. Perhaps she could try that tactic too.
"Before I make the milk tea, though, Klee, you'll need to ask your sister Toto to get some tea leaves from Zhongli's room. It doesn't seem like anyone else at Wangsheng has a tea-drinking habit."
"Okay! Klee will go find Sister Toto right now."
Back at Wangsheng, the distant cheers from the competition venue reached Zhongli's ears. He took a sip of tea. The competition was getting fiercer by the day. If he remembered right, Cloud Retainer had built an automatic cooking device that she planned to showcase to the mortals during the Moonchase Festival.
But it looked like she had forgotten all about it. Ever since Azhdaha had delivered those alchemy notes, Cloud Retainer had barely left her abode. Even messages from him on the phone took her ages to reply.
"It seems Cloud Retainer has some talent for alchemy after all. Azhdaha, when you visited her yesterday, did you ask what she's been up to?"
"I just went to Mt. Aocang to gather some Cor Lapis. Didn't pay much attention to what Cloud Retainer was doing. I did hear her mumbling something about 'growing hair' though. If you want details, just ask her on the phone."
Azhdaha plopped down in the chair next to Zhongli and grabbed the teapot, downing the entire pot in one go. After wiping her mouth, she added:
"Zhongli, your tea isn't very good. Watch—I'll show you a new way to drink it."
"I only hope you won't waste my tea leaves again. And next time you raid my room, at least take the ones on the table. Those are decent too."
"Hmph, do you think I don't know anything? I know the ones you've been hiding are the real treasures. And I've learned how to tell good tea from bad, so don't even think about trying to fool me."
Zhongli stared at the empty pot, feeling a pang of frustration. When had Azhdaha developed such a taste for tea? And of course, she only wanted his best collection.
He had tried giving her ordinary tea leaves before, but she could tell after just one sip. His precious tea reserves—those he had been saving for special occasions—were dwindling fast.
Thinking of his disappearing tea canisters, Zhongli found himself longing for the days when Childe had footed the bill. If only he had known Azhdaha would ravage his collection like this, he would have stocked up on more expensive tea while Childe was paying.
"Coming, coming! Try this new drink I've made. It'll knock your socks off, Zhongli."
Just as Zhongli was considering whether to start carrying his tea canisters with him, Azhdaha emerged carrying a large bowl.
The aroma of tea and milk wafted from it. Zhongli was pleasantly surprised—it didn't seem like a dark concoction. This unique scent was something he had never encountered before.
"Hehe, never seen anything like it, have you? This is Su Bai's Liyue-style milk tea. Here, try it."
Azhdaha poured him a large cup and produced a straw from a drawer. Intrigued by this unfamiliar beverage, Zhongli took a sip.
The sweetness of milk blended with the refreshing taste of tea, creating a unique sensation. As he savored it, he also detected hints of Whopperflower Nectar and the chewy texture of Illusion Mushrooms.
"Hmm... the Illusion Mushrooms don't seem to have any hallucinogenic effect anymore. Turning them into little balls to go with the milk tea adds a nice touch."
"Of course! I was going to leave them out, but Su Bai had been slacking on feeding his Illusion Mushrooms with adeptal energy, so they were about to be thrown away with the trash."
"I tried one on a whim, and the chewy texture paired perfectly with the milk tea. So I rolled some into little balls and added them in."
Azhdaha took a satisfied sip. This drink might have been Su Bai's way of getting Klee to drink milk, but that didn't stop her from enjoying it too. With her improvements, it tasted even better.
What a genius I am, Azhdaha thought, silently congratulating herself. A moneymaking idea began to form in her mind.
"Zhongli, do you think Wangsheng could make some extra Mora by selling milk tea on the side?"
"The ingredients are cheap—milk and tea are easy to come by. We can use ordinary tea leaves. The Whopperflower Nectar came from Albedo Junior's Whopperflowers—nutritious and free. And the Illusion Mushrooms are grown by Su Bai, so they don't cost anything either."
"Seems like a pretty good deal. Once Hu Tao gets back, I'll talk to her about opening a milk tea stand outside Wangsheng."
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