Wanmin Restaurant
A while later
After Xiangling's meticulous cooking and stir-frying, a large table of delicious "delicacies" was finally ready. However, the appearance of these dishes somewhat exceeded the understanding of ordinary people.
Xiangling and Guoba excitedly carried all the dishes into the room, nodding to everyone with sweet smiles.
Seeing that smile, Bonanus couldn't shake the feeling that this girl might not be entirely 'good'!
As soon as the lids on the plates were lifted, the ingredients inside seemed to suddenly emit beams of light, illuminating the entire private room.
The light from the ingredients was so dazzling it practically blinded the 'titanium alloy eyes' of those present. It certainly looked like impressive cuisine!
Dang-dang-dang-dang-dang-dang~ Dang-dang-dang~
The bright light faded, revealing the ingredients inside. Upon seeing them clearly, the other three people froze.
Are you sure this stuff... is edible? It won't cause food poisoning, right?
"Esteemed adepti, after tasting them, please don't forget to give this humble girl some feedback so I can continue to improve!"
Before leaving, Xiangling flashed a rather inscrutable smile. Judging by the slight trembling at the corner of her mouth, one could tentatively infer it was an expression of excitement.
"Gulu gulu gulu!" Guoba also nodded slightly, seemingly offering a faint smile, before following her out.
The dishes looked plentiful and smelled quite good, but their appearance... was really something else.
How to put it? Some of the dishes, especially Xiao's tofu dishes, looked like something a dung beetle might push...
"Mr. Zhongli, to endure such fare in the mortal realm... you have truly suffered..." Bosacius looked at the dish made of Slime and meat before him and couldn't help but frown slightly.
Could elemental monsters like this really be edible?
"Hmm, Adeptus Bosacius need not be alarmed. Although Chef Xiangling's dishes may not be aesthetically pleasing, their flavor is excellent."
Zhongli poured fine wine into his cup, glanced at the plates of "memory-filled" food before him, and let out a soft sigh.
Picking up his chopsticks, Zhongli began to taste the dishes with elegance. Perhaps because old friends had returned, even the food on his chopsticks seemed more delicious.
"Today's dishes are exceptionally flavorful..." Zhongli nodded in appraisal.
"Though you say that, still..." As Bosacius spoke, his gaze fell on the dish named "Boiled Meat in a Pouch."
He had a feeling, a suspicion that the cloth wrapping this dish was fabric from someone's clothing. The patterns on it gave a rough idea.
Seeing that cloth, Bonanus couldn't help but snort with suppressed laughter. She recognized what that was in an instant!
It was the cloth Hilichurls used to cover their... private areas! Good heavens! That plate of meat must be... aromatic!
But she couldn't very well say it now. She didn't want to ruin Big Brother Bosacius's appetite. Better to tell him in detail after he's finished tasting it!!
Seeing Bonanus's expression of wanting to laugh but not daring to, several question marks seemed to pop up over Bosacius's head. Though puzzled, he didn't dwell on it.
If even the Geo Archon could swallow it, then these ingredients probably weren't as bad as he imagined. Following Zhongli's lead, he began to taste as well.
With the first bite, his entire expression lit up!
This visually unappealing plate of meat was incredibly delicious! Absolutely! During the Archon War, he had never tasted such a delicious dish!
Accompanied by the spicy wine going down his throat, Bosacius began to eat heartily, looking as if he hadn't eaten for centuries...
Ah, no... it seems he literally hadn't eaten for centuries...
Compared to Zhongli and Bosacius, Xiao and Bonanus hadn't touched their chopsticks. For no other reason than they truly didn't know where to start with the things before them.
"This thing..." Xiao stared at the three special-edition plates of Almond Tofu before him, lost in thought.
Their names were respectively: "Slime Almond Tofu," "Jueyun Chili-Sweet Almond Tofu," and "Flaming Flower Stamen Almond Tofu."
'That Xiangling girl is truly ruthless. She pushes out all these new versions of Almond Tofu but not the original one.'
'She's determined to make me try these new creations!'
Shaking his head slightly, Xiao looked up at the two men enjoying their meal and let out a soft sigh.
His eyes shifted to Bonanus beside him. At this moment, Bonanus was watching him with a curious expression. From her sparkling light-blue pupils, one could tell...
'She's preparing to watch a good show...'
"Hmm..." Xiao let out a soft chuckle, turning his face fully towards Bonanus, a somewhat stiff smile on his lips.
"Sister Bonanus, why are you staring at me? Wanmin Restaurant's new dishes are so delicious, why aren't you eating?"
"Huh?"
Clearly, Bonanus was also caught off guard by this sudden question. But after a moment's reaction, she responded immediately.
She realized her 'spectator' gaze was probably too intense, making Xiao notice her stare.
"I'm not in a hurry to taste them. The dishes are still a bit hot for my mouth. I'm waiting for them to cool down..."
"Oh? But all the vegetarian dishes on Sister Bonanus's side of the table are cold dishes..." Xiao's smile shifted from stiff to interested. 'Sister Bonanus, really... she can't even find a proper excuse!'
'See? Exposed immediately!'
"I-I-I..." Bonanus was left speechless by this retort. It was already exposed; saying more would only make her seem more awkward.
Bosacius, who was eating heartily, stuffed most of the meat dishes into his mouth, his cheeks puffed out like a hamster's.
Hearing their conversation and seeing them still hesitating with their chopsticks, he spoke a few muffled words through his full mouth.
"Huh? Why aren't you guys eating?"
"Ha! Listen to your big brother's advice! The dishes here might not look good, but they're really tasty!"
"For example, this Slime Jelly Meat!"
Saying this, Bosacius continued using his chopsticks. Currently, he was only using chopsticks because the Emperor was present, and he had to maintain some decorum.
Otherwise, given his nature, he'd probably just grab the food with his hands.
"You two, don't let the young lady's efforts go to waste. Taste at least a little."
Zhongli also spoke up. The Yaksha clan never used to be picky eaters, because in the old days, they never truly ate proper food.
What they consumed were either "pleasant dreams," snow from the ground, tree bark, or leaves—living almost like wild beasts.
Most Yakshas developed an aversion to food because of those "dreams," like Xiao. But a minority could recover from it.
"Mr. Zhongli, it's not what you think," Bonanus explained with a smile.
As she said this, she also picked up her chopsticks, picked up a piece from the dish called "Anemo Slime Salad," and began to taste it slowly.
The stuff was really sticky when picked up. 'Damn! This Slime stuff even strings like cheese! Looks just like se—'
(T/N: I almost forgot how imaginative Bonanus was...)
Seeing this, Xiao also suppressed the discomfort in his heart and patiently began to taste. This Slime Almond Tofu was indeed quite good.
The inclusion of the Slime made the tofu even softer, melting in the mouth, sweet and fragrant. The taste was just a little bit peculiar.
But overall, it was quite acceptable.
Compared to the Slime Tofu, Xiao couldn't bring himself to like the other two dishes. One was too spicy, the other too 'fiery.'
Such ingredients were probably delicacies for those who liked spice, but for him, they were just so-so.
And so, the group sat in the private room, unhurriedly tasting each dish. There were many, requiring some time to finish.
During this process, Zhongli would occasionally raise his wine cup to share a drink with everyone.
"Excellent wine!" Bosacius laughed heartily. This wine was truly delicious!
"Hmm, this wine is fine stock Wanmin Restaurant procured from the cellars. The flavor is certainly superb," Zhongli nodded in agreement.
"Hey! Today's meal is truly pleasant!" Bosacius laughed heartily, completely oblivious to the two shorter individuals whose faces had darkened.
Zhongli chuckled softly. 'It had been a long time since they had gathered like this.' Thinking this, he glanced towards the closed door of the private room.
'Asleep on the rooftop, is she...'