The porridge in the clay pot finished simmering.
Ying'er carried it to Miyuki's room, where the shrine maiden lay resting in bed.
"Miss Miyuki, I brought you some porridge!"
"Miss Ying'er... thank you..."
Miyuki's voice was weak, her face pale.
"No need to thank me—our boss made this just for you."
"Mr. Xia? Then please thank him for me."
"You should tell him yourself," Ying'er teased. "How's your stomach? Still hurting?"
"A little..."
"You can try putting a hot water bag over it. Also, drink some warm brown sugar water."
"Miss Ying'er, you sound like an expert."
"I used to have the same problem."
"Used to? So you don't anymore?"
"Nope. I'm cured."
"Really?"
"Of course."
Miyuki tilted her head, curious. "How did you get better?"
Ying'er's lips curved into a mischievous smile. "I found a man."
"...Huh?"
Miyuki's eyes widened, her face turning bright red.
"You've heard the saying, right? Many girls have this issue, but after they get married, it magically disappears."
"I... think I've heard that before... Wait, Miss Ying'er, does that mean you're married?"
"No, I'm still single."
"Then the part about... finding a man..."
"I asked the boss to treat me."
"...What?"
"Not just me. Zhu Zi and Diona had the same problem, and he cured them too."
"..."
Miyuki buried her face in the blanket, peeking out nervously at Ying'er's sly grin. People from Liyue really are... open about relationships.
Ying'er leaned closer, her voice playful. "So? Want to ask the boss to treat you too? That way, you'll never have cramps again."
"N-No thank you!"
"Why not?"
"As a shrine maiden, I must remain pure to serve Lady Narukami!"
Ying'er tilted her head, intrigued. "Your shrine's rules are that strict?"
"Yes!"
"So it's fine to see a doctor, but not him?"
"Of course I can see a doctor!"
"Then why not let him take a look?"
"Because..."
Miyuki's cheeks turned crimson. She couldn't finish the sentence.
Ying'er burst out laughing. "You've got it all wrong, Miyuki. The boss is an excellent doctor! I got better thanks to his medicine."
"Ah?"
"Zhu Zi and Diona too."
"!"
"Come on, drink your porridge. This afternoon I'll take you to see him."
---
In Inazuma City, Zhu Zi sat at her desk, chin resting on one hand as she twirled a pen in the other, frowning at the window.
She was stuck.
The story had been flowing smoothly until today, and now—nothing. Not a single word would come out.
It was torture.
She glanced down at her manuscript. A kitchen romance between a master chef and his apprentice.
Every time she described the male chef, the boss's face appeared in her mind. He was, after all, the inspiration for the character.
Maybe she was out of inspiration because she hadn't seen him today. Usually, she'd greet him every morning... but she'd stayed home this time. No wonder something felt off.
Zhu Zi picked up her phone, found his contact, and hesitated for a long moment before calling.
"Hello?"
"Boss! It's me!"
"Oh, Zhu Zi. What's up?"
"Nothing really, just wanted to check in."
"Everyone's fine."
"Mm! Are you busy right now?"
"Not really. I'm just treating Miyuki."
"Miyuki? She's sick?"
"Just her monthly pain. Same as yours used to be."
"Oh..."
Zhu Zi's cheeks went pink, her voice dropping. "T-Then I'll let you get back to it."
"Alright."
After hanging up, she pressed her flushed face between her hands. Then, suddenly—inspiration struck.
Of course! The apprentice would also have her monthly pains. And what if the cooking competition happened on that very day?
The poor girl would be curled up in bed, crying quietly... until her kind master made her a special medicinal dish—one that warmed her body and her heart—giving her the strength to return and win the championship.
Perfect!
The boss really is my muse!
Zhu Zi snatched up her pen, eyes gleaming, and began to write furiously.
---
Xia Zhi hung up the phone and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, that was a quick call."
"It's fine, Mr. Xia," Miyuki said softly.
"Give me your hand."
"Okay."
He took her pulse, then withdrew his hand. "Nothing serious. You'll just need a few doses of medicine and some rest. Shenhe, get me paper and brush."
"Thank you so much, Mr. Xia," Miyuki said sincerely.
"It's nothing," he replied, jotting down a prescription and handing it to her. "Take this and have the herbs prepared exactly as listed."
"Yes, sir."
After leaving, Miyuki glanced at the paper.
As Ying'er had said, every ingredient was technically poisonous—some of them highly so.
She bit her lip.
It was unsettling, but Mr. Xia was a guest of Lady Yae herself. He had no reason to harm a mere shrine maiden like her.
Besides, he'd personally made her porridge that afternoon. It had tasted wonderful.
"I trust Mr. Xia..."
Clutching the prescription tightly, Miyuki decided to ask her fellow shrine maiden, to buy the medicine for her.
---
Later that day, Makoto returned to Tenshukaku to resume her duties. Ei accompanied her but soon came back to the shrine.
After Xia Zhi finished tending to Miyuki, Ei entered his room holding a slim notebook.
"This," she said, handing it to him, "is the technique used to create the Shogun's puppet body."
Xia Zhi took it, turning it over in his hands. The cover was made from an unknown material—smooth yet durable—and the writing inside was in the old Inazuman language.
Which was strange.
Technology capable of crafting a godlike puppet couldn't have originated from Inazuma alone.
"How did you get this?" he asked.
"I found it," Ei said flatly.
"Found it?"
She nodded. "Yes. One day it simply appeared before me—like fate. I don't know why, or why it's written in Inazuman, but I knew it could help me pursue eternity and escape erosion."
"Even with that knowledge, succeeding couldn't have been easy," Xia Zhi said.
"It wasn't," Ei admitted quietly. "I failed countless times, wasting materials, years... but eventually, I succeeded."
Xia Zhi tilted his head. "Did you really?"
Ei fell silent.
He flipped through the notebook absently, then set it on the table—only to pick it back up again. After repeating the motion several times, the Scholar's Ring on his finger shimmered faintly.
A mechanical voice echoed in his mind:
"Trait [Erudition] activated. Unknown knowledge detected. Absorb?"
"Yes."
Instantly, a torrent of intricate information flooded his mind.
When he finally finished processing it, he traced a finger along the strange script, his expression thoughtful.
"So that's how it works..."
----
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