Close to noon, Xia Zhi entered the kitchen to prepare lunch.
Ei followed, watching attentively from beside the stove.
"Did your sister eat the seafood porridge this morning?"
"She did."
"I used to make porridge a lot at home, but adding Slime Condensate was a first. Turns out it really smooths the texture."
"Mm. Sister said it was delicious, she loved it."
"You learned the recipe?"
"Yes."
"Good. Tomorrow, you'll cook porridge for her yourself."
"Got it!"
Xia Zhi set up a clay pot, filling it with water and rice.
Ei tilted her head curiously. "You're making porridge again?"
"Yes."
"For lunch?"
"No. This is a special meal for Miss Miyuki. She's not feeling well and needs something light. I'll make her medicinal porridge to help her recover."
"I see…"
Ei studied the simmering pot thoughtfully.
"All right, we'll let that cook. Next, I'm starting on [Gods' Temptation]. Watch carefully."
"Mm!"
As an extraordinary dish—[Gods' Temptation] demanded countless ingredients and meticulous timing.
The key lay in fire control and the exact moment to add each ingredient.
For a Culinary Grandmaster like Xia Zhi, it was second nature.
But Ei, still just an ordinary cook, quickly found herself overwhelmed.
It wasn't that she couldn't follow his movements—she saw every one clearly—but when combined, they made no sense to her at all.
Then, at a critical moment, Xia Zhi lifted the jar's lid.
A fragrance beyond words filled the room. The other chefs froze in place, stunned by the aroma.
Ei shivered, her Trait making her unusually sensitive. Even she, indifferent to most flavors, was consumed by the urge to taste it.
Xia Zhi closed the lid, satisfied. "It's done."
Ei stared at the jar. "This is… Gods' Temptation?"
"This is Gods' Temptation."
He nodded, glancing toward the kitchen doors.
"Even gods would leap walls to get a whiff of this."
Ei followed his gaze. At the doorway stood Venti and the Dragon King, rubbing their hands together eagerly.
"Dearest friend! We've come to help serve!"
Ei could only stare at them, speechless, like they were beggars.
But remembering that intoxicating scent herself, she reluctantly admitted their reaction wasn't unreasonable.
If just the smell was this irresistible, the taste must be divine.
No wonder it was her sister's favorite. No wonder even a warrior like the Dragon King would throw a fight just to eat it.
Which meant… if she could master this dish, her sister would surely—
Ei turned back, face serious. "I didn't understand just now. Can you make Gods' Temptation again tomorrow?"
Xia Zhi considered. "The dish requires rare ingredients. It's not easy to make repeatedly…"
"So?"
"I'll need something in return."
"What is it?"
"I want to see the technique that created the Raiden Shogun."
"Agreed."
Venti and the Dragon King exchanged a glance.
Those two strange breakfasts earlier that morning? Absolutely worth it.
---
After finishing the Gods' Temptation, Xia Zhi, as usual, prepared another dish—Hundred Herbs Broth.
He said it was for Ganyu, but Ei, standing nearby, quietly memorized every step of the recipe.
Once all the dishes were done, they set up a table beneath the Sacred Sakura Tree for a small feast.
Xia Ci pulled out her phone and called her best friend, inviting her to join them.
Moments later, Xia Zhen arrived from Tenshukaku, just in time to see Hanachirusato standing alone under the tree, her head lowered as she stared at something on the ground.
From Xia Zhen's angle, cherry blossoms drifted through the air, and Hanachirusato's delicate profile overlapped perfectly with the memory of Kitsune Saiguu's face from long ago.
Back then... they too had laughed and played beneath these same blossoms.
Xia Zhen's expression softened with a faint trace of melancholy.
She stepped closer and asked gently, "Did something come back to you?"
Hanachirusato lifted her head. There was a haze of confusion in her eyes as she whispered, "Lady Makoto..."
Xia Zhen smiled. "No need for formalities. Just call me Makoto. From the look on your face, I take it something triggered a memory?"
Hanachirusato nodded slightly. "Yes... I remembered her, sitting here with all of you, playing karuta beneath the cherry tree."
"Ah, karuta... She always prepared little prizes for the winners," Xia Zhen said fondly. "Handmade sweets, mostly. Simple, but they were delicious."
Her tone grew wistful.
"Because of her personality, Ei was always the stiffest one when it came to games. I don't think she ever won a single round back then. Her warrior's pride must've been bruised, because she started studying the game like it was swordsmanship—challenging me and Chiyo to matches, reciting poems by moonlight. Until one day, right here beneath this tree, she finally won. She beat the tengu after so many tries and shouted for joy. Then she realized everyone was laughing and tried so hard to hide her smile."
As Xia Zhen spoke, Hanachirusato's lost memories stirred. She could almost see the scene again—Ei's bright, awkward grin beneath the falling petals. "I... think I remember that too. Didn't she bury a few jars of sake under this tree afterward?"
Xia Zhen blinked. "She did?"
Hanachirusato hesitated. "It's been so many years... I wonder if they're still there."
"Only one way to find out," Xia Zhen said.
And with that, her figure vanished.
Hanachirusato blinked. She just... left?
It seemed Makoto had become much more decisive than she remembered.
A moment later, Xia Ci arrived, glancing around. "Hey, wasn't Makoto just here? Where'd she go?"
"She went to find some old sake," Hanachirusato explained. "She'll be back soon."
Xia Ci nodded, then asked curiously, "Still worried about your memories?"
Hanachirusato shook her head. "Not really. The incense helped me recall a lot already. The rest... will come in time."
"And when you remember everything?" Xia Ci asked softly. "What then?"
Hanachirusato fell silent.
Just then, Makoto returned—carrying two dirt-streaked sake jars in her arms. "Hanachirusato, they're still here."
"You actually went to dig them up?" Xia Ci laughed.
Makoto raised the jars proudly. "Five hundred years old. These deserve to be opened."
Xia Ci smiled at Hanachirusato. "Seems like the perfect drink for a reunion."
She uncorked a jar, and the rich aroma of aged sake drifted through the air.
Venti and the Dragon King were the first to rush over.
"Let me try a cup!"
"Just one!"
"Tch, still not as good as my friend's brew."
"Agreed."
Makoto chuckled, shooing them away. The sake was fine, but no matter how long it had aged, it was still just ordinary sake. What truly mattered wasn't its taste—it was the memories sealed within.
Then Ei arrived. Yae Miko followed soon after.
Xia Ci waved them over but declined to join, leaving the four of them together beneath the blossoms.
Makoto poured four cups. The women raised them, the rims clinking softly before they drank.
The familiar flavor lingered on their tongues, richer now than they remembered.
"Big sister."
"Hmm?"
"It's really nice, isn't it?"
"Yeah... it is."
----
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