Then she turned to attend to other tasks.
Lovia looked at the delicious-looking food before her, then at Shenhe's busy back. She picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a piece, and stuffed it into her mouth.
The wonderful flavor exploded in her mouth. As the food went down, it dispelled a bit of her tension.
Before long—
Lovia set down her chopsticks; the plates were empty.
Xiangling happened to be coming out of the kitchen with two bowls of steaming soup. Seeing her, she smiled and asked, "How was it? How was today's 'rising mist'?"
"Mhm! It was delicious!" Lovia nodded vigorously, her fingers curling slightly before relaxing.
She took a deep breath, as if summoning great courage, and her voice was soft but clear: "Um... Xiangling, Shenhe, you guys seem pretty busy. C-can I help out too?"
This wasn't a sudden thought; she had actually wanted to do this for a long time. Xiangling often treated her to food, calling it "tasting for free" or saying, "You're the Wanmin Restaurant consultant, of course I won't charge you."
Therefore, she felt she should help out in some way. Previously, she had always come when there were no other customers, so there was no opportunity. Now that Wanmin Restaurant was so busy, she naturally didn't want to just sit there.
"Huh?" Xiangling was clearly stunned, blinking as she looked at Lovia.
She knew this culinary consultant was a bit shy, usually wrapping herself up tightly and wanting nothing more than to shrink into a corner when she came to eat. Today, she actually took the initiative to offer help?
Even Shenhe, who had just finished delivering a pot of tea and was standing quietly as if thinking about what to do next, turned her head at the sound, her calm gaze falling on Lovia.
Being watched by both of them at once, Lovia's cheeks began to heat up again, but she braced herself and continued, "Just... carrying plates, wiping tables, and stuff... I should be able to, right?"
Her voice grew smaller and smaller, carrying a clear lack of confidence.
She still knew how to do these chores. Not counting her help at the Old Woman's stall, she had lived alone in her original world; if she didn't know how to do these things, wouldn't her home be a mess?
Xiangling looked at her, then at the cool-faced Shenhe beside her, and suddenly burst out laughing, her eyes curving into crescents. "Sure! Of course! Wanmin Restaurant welcomes all enthusiastic diners... no, enthusiastic helpers! It just so happens there are a lot of people today, and Shenhe just got back, so things are a bit overwhelming!"
Xiangling briskly untied a spare apron from her waist and stuffed it into Lovia's hands. "Here! Put this on so you don't get your pretty cloak dirty!"
Lovia took the coarse cloth apron, which still carried the Warmth of the kitchen, and felt her palms grow a bit sweaty.
Lovia silently tied on the apron. Wearing it over her large hooded cloak looked a bit ridiculous, but it also strangely gave her a sense of reality about "working."
And so, in the bustling evening of Wanmin Restaurant, there was a new novice "temporary worker" wearing a hooded cloak and a coarse cloth apron.
She kept her head down, trying her best to avoid direct eye contact with the stranger diners, focusing on clearing dishes and wiping tables. Occasionally, when soup splashed onto her hand, she would only frown slightly and wipe it off with a cloth.
Just like when she often helped at the Old Woman's stall, as long as she was busy, her social anxiety seemed to temporarily "disappear."
In the gaps of her busy work at the stove, Xiangling looked up and saw this scene, unable to help a smile as she continued tossing her wok. As for Shenhe, she remained in her own rhythm—serving food, delivering tea, clearing up—but when she passed by Lovia, she would subtly slow her pace, as if confirming that this "temporary companion" wasn't running into trouble.
Busyness made time fly by.
When the last wave of diners left satisfied and the restaurant gradually fell quiet, Lovia finally felt her arms aching and fine beads of sweat on her forehead. She took off the apron and let out a long sigh of relief.
"Good work, Lovia!" Xiangling handed over a glass of warm water with a bright smile. "I didn't expect you to be so efficient at chores!"
"I-it was alright..." Lovia took the glass and replied softly.
Shenhe sat right beside Lovia.
The afterglow of the setting sun cast a warm hue over Shenhe's cold profile. She looked at Lovia, still with that expressionless face, but her eyes seemed a few degrees less detached than they had been at the beach.
"Um... I-I'll be heading back now." Lovia set down the glass and said to Xiangling.
"Alright! Thanks a lot for today! Come back anytime you want to 'help'!" Xiangling winked at her mischievously.
Lovia's face turned red. She pulled up her Hood and didn't exchange any more pleasantries, quickly walking out of Wanmin Restaurant.
The night breeze brushed her face, carrying the unique bustle of Liyue Harbor's nights. She looked back at the brightly lit Wanmin Restaurant; through the window, she could see Shenhe saying something to Xiangling.
Today was truly... an unexpected day.
From the startling encounter on the beach to the reunion at Wanmin Restaurant, and finally to this inexplicable "temporary job"... it seemed... not so scary after all?
She touched the ice crystal in her arms, which was still cool.
Lovia tightened her Hood, yet her lips curved into a tiny arc without her even noticing.
As for her secret identity? Well, it was still safe for now.
At this moment, Lovia did not know that a letter concerning her was sailing across the sea, being rushed to the Opera Epiclese, and would officially arrive in a few days.
Meanwhile, the Feiyun Commerce Guild, which had long known the news of the Melusine and should have been the first to send a reply, was still dispatching more people to help the Fontaine side with the search due to their Second Young Master's concealment.
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