Ryou got the item from Madame Ping, then returned to Yujing Terrace. When he arrived, he saw Keqing and Ganyu walking out from inside.
Ganyu even winked at him.
Ryou smiled at her. "Ganyu, have you been doing all right lately?"
"I've been fine," Ganyu said.
"Then let's go home first. I'll have the housekeeper arrange the food later."
"I'll invite the others after that. The kitchen staff have been idle for a while anyway. Might as well give them some work."
"All right. I'll follow your arrangements," Keqing said.
"Mm." Ryou nodded.
He brought Keqing and Ganyu back home. Quite a few people looked over along the way.
After all, Keqing had gained quite a few enhancements after being bullied by him.
She had become prettier, her figure had improved, and in only a few nights, her beauty had risen sharply.
That alone was enough to leave people stunned.
It was not only men who looked at her with heated eyes. Even women could not help taking a few extra glances at Keqing.
Keqing did not care about any of that. What caught her attention was something Ganyu mentioned from yesterday.
Ganyu said Ningguang had asked her what the strongest wine was, and that Ningguang had bought several bottles.
That was clearly not about the wine itself.
Ningguang was obviously trying to get Ryou drunk so she could make a move on him!
Keqing should never have agreed to let Ningguang come to their home. Tonight, that woman would definitely try to persuade Ryou to drink.
And those wines would absolutely be strong. What if something happened?
No. She had to strike first!
When the time came, she would get Ningguang drunk first, then let the drunken Ningguang crawl toward Ganyu's bed.
After that, Keqing would like to see how Ningguang still had the face to cling to her husband.
"Ganyu-nee, there's something I'd like your help with later," Keqing said.
"Sure," Ganyu said with a nod.
Ryou saw a roadside shop selling seafood and suddenly wanted crayfish.
Crayfish did exist in Teyvat, but they were not the kind he remembered. They were more like strange giant prawns.
Their flavor and texture were a bit worse, and seafood like this was rather expensive.
Because they tasted surprisingly good, not many restaurants sold them. Places like Wanmin Restaurant, Xinyue Kiosk, and Wangshu Inn were among the few that did.
Ryou bought quite a lot.
"Ryou, do you want to eat shrimp?" Keqing asked, looking at the bucket full of crayfish.
"Mm. Once we get home, I'll cook them," Ryou said.
"All right. I'll be looking forward to it." Keqing smiled at him.
When they returned home, Ryou saw Shenhe sitting in the courtyard, cultivating. Lumine had also come back at some point.
She was sitting in the courtyard, drinking tea and eating fruit.
"Tabibito, what are you doing back here?" Keqing asked.
Keqing grew angry the moment she saw Lumine. After all, this woman had been relentlessly chasing after her husband.
And when she thought about how Ningguang planned to use wine as her opening move tonight, Keqing's head started to ache.
Lumine and Ningguang were both taking the initiative, while Keqing was only one person.
As for Ganyu, she would probably be of little help.
Keqing's eyes shifted as an idea came to her.
Instead of letting Lumine and Ningguang wait for chances to strike, she might as well team up with Lumine to take Ningguang down first. After that, she could deal with Lumine.
"I'm only staying for one day. I'll leave tomorrow," Lumine said while eating a strawberry.
"Oh. Fine." Keqing nodded.
"I'm going to the kitchen to prepare the crayfish," Ryou said to Keqing.
"Mm-hm." Keqing nodded, then grabbed Lumine. "My husband is going to cook crayfish. What are you following him for?"
"Also… Tabibito, I want to ask you for a favor."
"What favor? I'll help if I feel like it," Lumine said.
"Then leave my house right now!" Keqing glared at her.
"I didn't say I wouldn't help." Lumine curled her lips.
"That's more like it." Keqing glanced at her, then paused. "Wait. My husband's strawberry harvest wasn't that big. Where did you get so many strawberries?"
Lumine swallowed a strawberry and said, "He planted a lot today. There was a whole field of strawberries, so I took some."
"That many?" Keqing was a little surprised. "Didn't he say he had no seeds left?"
"He probably kept some. I saw him plant a lot of fruit."
"He used some special method to make them all bloom and bear fruit. The reason his face looked so bad was because he used too much energy."
Lumine explained, "Later, have the housekeeper make some chicken soup or something for him. Let him recover a little."
"So that's what happened. No wonder his face looked so awful. Fine! I'll arrange it with the housekeeper later."
Keqing stopped there and looked at Lumine. "Lumine, why are you so concerned about my husband? Are you trying to fight me?"
"Who wants to fight you? I'm helping you care about him." Lumine said it without the slightest blush, then asked, "What did you want me to help with?"
"You… can you drink?" Keqing asked.
"No." Lumine shook her head.
"Then you can leave," Keqing said.
"What? Just because I can't drink, you want me gone?" Lumine rolled her eyes. "I can't drink, but I know someone who can."
"Who?" Keqing asked.
"Venti," Lumine said. "Venti can really drink."
"Please. He went down after only a few cups last time, and then he slept through the whole thing," Keqing said disdainfully.
"That was an exception. Venti can usually drink a lot. And… we're talking about the Anemo Archon," Lumine said.
"Oh! That… that makes sense." Keqing nodded. "Then help me invite Venti over."
"Invite Venti how? Mondstadt is too far away. How am I supposed to get someone here on such short notice?" Lumine said irritably.
"Then why did you bring Venti up? I need someone to help block drinks, and you're no use." Keqing glanced at Lumine and shook her head.
After all, Ryou had come back today, so he had definitely gotten the item from Madame Ping. Soon, Lumine would have a place of her own.
But Lumine quickly realized that Keqing still had one arm clamped around her and simply refused to let her leave.
Meanwhile, Ryou was in the kitchen preparing the crayfish. He took out all kinds of seasonings, ready to make spicy crayfish.
He gently touched the crayfish and began applying buffs.
[Ding! You bestowed Holy Light on the crayfish. Crayfish quality +1.]
[Ding! You bestowed Vitality Adeptal Energy on the crayfish.]
[Ding! Affected by energy, the crayfish's overall attributes increased by 75%.]
The next moment, Ryou saw the crayfish, which had only been about the size of a finger, swell up in an instant until they were each the size of a fist.
The sight startled him. Why did these crayfish suddenly feel like Australian lobsters?
It took him half hour to cook them. After all the crayfish were finished, Ryou lowered his head and checked the dish.
[Spicy Crayfish]
[Quality: +5 (Holy Light active)]
He picked one up and tasted it. The moment it entered his mouth, the freshness and flavor were simply incredible.
The Crayfish meat was firm, rich, and delicious. Eating it was pure enjoyment, and one bite left him deeply satisfied.
"Give me a bite," someone beside him said.
"Holy—Hu Tao, you scared me!" The thing in Ryou's hand nearly fell onto the table.
When Ryou saw it was Hu Tao, he glared at her. "Why did you come into the kitchen?"
"I smelled something good," Hu Tao said, hugging his arm and swaying it back and forth. Her voice turned sweet. "Ryou-nii… give me one, please?"
Ryou looked at Hu Tao. "Your family should be pretty well-off, right?"
"I-It's all right, I guess." Hu Tao scratched at her hat. "Are… are you going to charge me Mora?"
"Then I'll take all of them!" she said.
"Charge you, my foot. I'm saying your family earns plenty. You shouldn't be lacking food or drink, so why is it that when you hug me, I don't feel anything?" Ryou asked, looking at Hu Tao.
"What?" Hu Tao tilted her head at him, then quickly understood.
She gritted her teeth. "Ryou, what's that supposed to mean? I… I'm just young! I haven't fully grown yet!"
"Tsk, tsk," Ryou said.
"Aaah! I'm going to fight you!" Hu Tao bared her claws and lunged at him.
But the moment she saw Ryou pick up a crayfish, her hands froze in the air. She swallowed and said, "Just this once!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Ryou said.
"You're so annoying. Hmph, just you wait two or three years."
Hu Tao took the crayfish and peeled it. The shell came off easily, revealing the whole piece of meat inside. The aroma was absolutely irresistible.
When she ate it, the meat was tender, fragrant, and carried a hint of spicy. The taste was simply incredible.
Hu Tao looked at Ryou and blinked. "Ryou-nii, I want more!"
"One is enough. What, you want to eat your fill?" Ryou knocked her on the head. "Did you come alone?"
"Xiangling and our consultant came too. Speaking of which… why did you invite Baizhu? He looks kind, but his heart is dark," Hu Tao said.
Ryou rolled his eyes at her. "He's my friend. And isn't it inappropriate for you to keep talking about him behind his back?"
"Hmph! I'm telling the truth!" Hu Tao tugged at Ryou's clothes. "Give me one more."
"Help me carry the crayfish out. There's more than enough here. You can eat as much as you want later." Ryou picked up one tray. "Let's go."
"Oh." Hu Tao picked up another plate and followed him out.
When Ryou and Hu Tao came out, everyone looked over, because the aroma was far too strong.
After Ryou placed the food in the hall, he finally noticed that quite a few people had arrived.
Xiangling, Zhongli, Baizhu, Ryou's father, Ryou's mother, and several others were all there.
"It smells amazing," Keqing said, stepping forward.
Ryou was just about to say something when he heard footsteps outside.
When he looked over, it was Ningguang.
Behind her were Baiwen, Baishi, Beidou, and Kaedehara Kazuha. Most importantly, Baiwen and Baishi were each carrying a box.
[End of chapter]
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