Sea Gazers Pavilion.
Ningguang finished the last dossier on hand and rubbed her brow with a hint of exhaustion.
Outside, the lights of Liyue Harbor lit up one by one like stars.
She stood up and spoke to Yelan, who was leaning lazily against the railing while scanning the harbor with a sharp gaze: "After being busy for so long, we've finally reached a stopping point. Come, let's go to Xinyue Kiosk. My treat, as a reward for your hard work lately."
Yelan withdrew her gaze, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Since the Tianquan Star is paying, I shall not refuse."
In a private room at Xinyue Kiosk, one could see the lights of thousands of homes and the starlight-like glints of ships on the sea through the window.
Ningguang took a sip of tea, her eyes falling on a prominent title on the menu—the "a bite of liyue" series.
She looked through it with interest, and after a brief moment of thought, said to the Shop Assistant standing by: "I'll have the boiled cabbage in clear broth, the Wenxin Tofu, and an order of crab roe lions head meatballs."
She paused, looked up at Yelan opposite her, and smiled slightly. "Miss Yelan's tastes must be different from a mundane person like me. Why don't you order for yourself?"
Yelan leaned lazily against the window frame, her eyes not leaving the menu as her finger casually pointed to several items. "spicy blood curd and offal stew, with an extra portion of jueyun chili. Sliced Beef and Ox Tongue in Chili Sauce—that's spicy, right? And... fish-flavored shredded pork. I'm curious to see what kind of flavor 'no fish but a fish aroma' actually is."
Ningguang chuckled upon hearing this. "That is indeed your style."
Exquisite dishes were served one by one, their aromas filling the air.
First was the bowl of "boiled cabbage in clear broth." The soup was clear to the bottom, like a mountain spring, with only a few tender yellow cabbage hearts lying quietly within. They were perfectly shaped, without a single trace of oil.
Ningguang picked up a white porcelain spoon and elegantly scooped up some clear soup. The moment the soup entered her mouth, her eyes lit up slightly, showing a rare look of appreciation.
"This soup..." she savored it carefully, "seems even more mellow and vibrant than when I came last month. It looks perfectly clear, yet it tastes as if it has concentrated all kinds of savory flavors. It's well-layered with a long-lasting aftertaste. The cabbage hearts are soft, tender, and sweet, having absorbed the essence of the soup. True mastery found in the ordinary... Not bad, Xinyue Kiosk's skill with this dish has become even more refined."
She clearly appreciated this extremely understated dish.
Next, the Sliced Beef and Ox Tongue in Chili Sauce that Yelan ordered made its debut. The red oil was glossy, and the aroma was bold, with the unique pungency of jueyun chili hitting the nose directly. Thinly sliced meat and various offal were evenly coated in sauce, garnished with green onions.
Yelan directly picked up a portion with her chopsticks and ate it, chewing slowly. The spicy, savory, and slightly numbing sensations instantly exploded on her taste buds, accompanied by the crisp toughness of the ingredients and the richness of the sauce, delivering a strong impact.
"It has a good kick," Yelan commented, her tone carrying a hint of satisfaction.
The spiciness was mellow and not dry, with a hint of sweetness in the aftertaste that kept one coming back for more.
The spiciness made her eyes narrow slightly, as if she thoroughly enjoyed this stimulating sensory experience.
The "Wenxin Tofu" was presented before Ningguang like an ink wash painting. Ingredients such as tofu, ham, and shiitake mushrooms were shredded as fine as hair, unfolding leisurely in the clear thick soup.
After tasting it, Ningguang was full of praise for the knife work that allowed it to melt in the mouth while remaining distinctly shredded.
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Greyhounds
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"