In the night sky, a bright, round moon hung high above.
The moonlight spilled over the flowing water, dyeing the ripples in silver light. On the deck of The Alcor, a clear, spirited cry rang out.
"Guoba, get 'em!"
Flames licked the bottom of the iron wok, and the Jueyun Chilis and lean meat inside released a spicy, tantalizing aroma. Xiangling handled the cooking ladle with precision, constantly tossing the ingredients. The golden-brown slices of meat and the bright Jueyun Chilis were a match made in heaven!
"As I thought, chilis paired with a fierce fire are the only way to bring out the most fragrant dishes," Beidou remarked. Sniffing the aroma of the stir-fry, her mouth watered uncontrollably.
"Cough, cough... As expected of the Captain, to be able to eat something that spicy!"
"If I eat Stir-Fried Meat, I have to mix it into a huge bowl of rice just to get it down."
"Only the Captain loves such heavy flavors."
Old Zhao and several other sailors complained one after another.
Ye Xi couldn't help but cough as the scent hit him. It was incredibly pungent! He hadn't expected the Stir-Fried Meat to have such a powerful kick. In the game, Stir-Fried Meat was used to revive a fallen character. Looking at this dish now, he felt that if someone actually used this to revive someone on their last breath, that person might lose that final breath the moment they tasted it!
"Stir-Fried Meat, coming out!"
Xiangling scooped the food onto a plate and impatiently brought it to Ye Xi. She boasted, "This is a specialty of my Wanmin Restaurant! It's a must-order for customers who love bold flavors! Ye Xi, try it quickly!"
Ye Xi gave a bitter smile. For the entire day, Xiangling hadn't stopped. She insisted on having him taste every single dish from Wanmin Restaurant. Of course, he only took one bite of each, leaving the rest for the other crew members.
Reluctantly, Ye Xi picked up a slice of meat and ate it. Immediately, an intense, spicy sensation flared up.
Sss this is a real rice-killer...
It tastes great, but tomorrow might be a very painful day.
Better to eat just a little.
Ye Xi wouldn't be so tactless as to say those things out loud. Instead, he feigned enjoyment and smiled. "It tastes good. I'll definitely visit Wanmin Restaurant to try more when I'm in the mood for something fresh."
Hearing Ye Xi's inner thoughts, Xiangling was overjoyed. She was testing him to see if his thoughts were always honest. As expected, even Ye Xi would resist a dish she had made extra spicy. He resisted it in his heart, yet his mouth offered no criticism.
What a gentle person.
However, if she couldn't hear his heart, she would never have known his true feelings! Being able to hear his thoughts was truly interesting.
Now that she had made every specialty from Wanmin Restaurant once, her goal was achieved.
Xiangling clapped her hands and announced, "Alright, I declare that today's food-testing session has ended perfectly!"
The surrounding sailors and crew members cheered.
Old Zhao walked over to Ye Xi and said with a sigh of emotion, "Brother Ye Xi, you really are a remarkable man. I've never seen Xiangling work so hard to cook for just one person!"
Sea Drake, standing nearby, nodded hurriedly. "Yeah, I really don't understand why Xiangling was in such high spirits today, making every single dish in Wanmin Restaurant just for you!"
"We're all basking in Brother Ye Xi's light today! Usually, Xiangling doesn't make so many different varieties! The brothers all got to enjoy a real feast thanks to you!"
"Brother Ye Xi is amazing. To be so recognized by the Captain and to hit it off so well with Xiangling on the very first day... it's truly enviable!"
"I'd say Xiangling has taken a liking to Brother Ye Xi! After all, our Ye Xi is quite the handsome gentleman. It's only natural for Xiangling to lose her heart to him!"
As the conversation reached this point, everyone suddenly fell silent.
They all knew that the Shirasagi Himegimi of Inazuma had exchanged tokens with Ye Xi earlier that day, signaling a relationship that was clearly unusual. Making such jokes now was a bit insensitive to the atmosphere.
However, Xiangling didn't know about that.
Hearing everyone talk like this, she stole a glance at Ye Xi's face, and her fair cheeks instantly turned a deep red. To be honest, you couldn't find many people as handsome as Ye Xi in all of Liyue. And even if you did, none of them treated the food she made with such sincerity!
Seeing Xiangling's bashful appearance, Beidou understood everything. She feigned a thoughtful look and said, "The boys are right. Xiangling is at the age to get married. Xiangling, why don't you consider it?"
Seeing their Captain lead the teasing, the crew immediately caught on and joined in.
"Sister Xiangling, you can't let those cooking skills go to waste!"
"I knew there was a reason she worked so hard today, it turns out—"
"Hahaha, Brother Ye Xi, you're going to be a lucky man! To enjoy Wanmin Restaurant's food at home every day... who knows how many people would be jealous!"
The group's teasing made Xiangling's face flush bright red.
"Sister Beidou!" she cried out in a bashful huff. "You haven't found anyone yourself, so I'm not in any rush!"
Beidou hadn't expected to be counter-attacked. she could only give a helpless, bitter smile.
The people on the ship were all members of The Crux, so they naturally sided with Beidou. Everyone added fuel to the fire, making Xiangling so embarrassed she couldn't stay there any longer.
She grabbed Ye Xi's arm. "Ye Xi, let's go. Ignore them!"
With that, Ye Xi was pulled away from the crowd.
Coming to the deserted bow of the ship, Xiangling walked a few steps ahead of him. At this hour, there was no one at the bow, as all the torches had been moved to the midsection of the vessel.
The moonlight fell silently, as if plating Xiangling's silhouette in a glowing outline. Looking closely, one realized it was because her skin was so fair that even the moonlight left a faint luster upon it.
The sea breeze blew gently, the ship rocked, and the sound of the waves remained constant in their ears.
Xiangling crossed her arms and stretched, revealing the grace of a young girl.
"Whew, I really used up my last bit of strength for you today!"
"It's been a long time since I worked this hard. Having finished all of them, I feel totally refreshed."
Ye Xi was stunned.
Finished all of them?
She's talking about the cooking, right?
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