The Private Room Where Adepti Devoured Their Meal
"Burrrrp~~~~"
Bosacius leaned back against the chair's backrest, patted his full belly with satisfaction, and sighed. 'The ingredients of the mortal realm truly are quite delicious!'
As for how to handle the grease on his mouth? A real man never needs such troublesome procedures. Just wipe it off with the back of his hand.
Bosacius's current appearance was completely unlike that of the Leader of the Five Yakshas. Instead, he resembled more of a carefree, slovenly uncle who liked to go shirtless.
Compared to Bosacius's disheveled look, Zhongli beside him was far more elegant. He produced a white napkin from who-knows-where.
He gently dabbed at his lips, the picture of a learned and refined young gentleman, looking quite dashing.
If Zhongli didn't appear so aloof, he would surely be chased down a hundred streets by the aunties of Liyue Harbor.
Such a handsome man, whether for men or women, was hard to resist. After all, one of Teyvat's 'wrenches' wasn't a baseless title.
"They really finished it all..." Xiao stared at the table of empty plates. Not a single spring onion or chili pepper remained.
Especially Bosacius. He had the most dishes, all meat-based, yet he was the first to finish.
'Does Bosacius have a bottomless pit for a stomach?'
Beside him, Bonanus watched Big Brother Bosacius's satisfied expression. She slowly put down her chopsticks. Handling chopsticks with her large hands was quite troublesome.
Their size made delicate tasks like this cumbersome and clumsy. She also couldn't control her strength well, fearing she might accidentally snap the chopsticks.
"Big Brother Bosacius looks very content," Bonanus said in an extremely casual tone, though her words still sounded gentle.
"Hah, your big brother here rarely had a full meal back in the war days."
"Of course I'm satisfied this time!"
Bosacius shook his head slightly. Satisfied, he remained motionless, practically melting into the chair, giving off an air of languor.
"Big Brother, since you're enjoying it so much, let me give you a shoulder rub." Bonanus stood up, a hint of mischief in her smile. 'She wanted to see if she could sneakily absorb some Karmic Debt.'
"Oh ho! Little sister is so thoughtful! Come, come, give all four arms a rub while you're at it."
Bosacius's eyes lit up upon hearing this. 'His little sister was gentle and thoughtful.' Then he glanced at the nearby Alatus, whose cold aura was undisguised.
Moreover, looking at Xiao's demeanor, Bosacius felt his brother's mood didn't seem too great.
"Alatus, don't wear that face like someone owes you Mora!" Bosacius waved at Xiao, signaling him to look over.
Upon hearing this, Xiao merely turned his head to the side, his expression seemingly indifferent. Inwardly, however, his teeth were practically grinding.
'Sister Bonanus is actually giving Bosacius a shoulder rub! This is truly incomprehensible! In the past, although he received Sister Bonanus's care, he never got such treatment.'
(Bonanus: Do head pats not count?)
Although Bosacius was family, his big brother, and such behavior among family was normal, he just felt... irritated.
Extremely displeased. In short, 'he tasted vinegar...'
"Alatus, did the tofu not suit your taste?" Bonanus asked with a smile. Xiao was indeed handsome, but always wearing a scowl wasn't good.
"No..." Xiao responded flatly. He quietly closed his eyes, regulating his breathing. 'Today was truly unpleasant.'
"Really?" Bonanus frowned. The Xiao before her seemed so unfamiliar! Completely different from the aloof, beautiful youth in the game.
Xiao: ....Silence....
'Could it be that he only shows this kind of emotion in front of his family? If so, that's wonderful.'
'After all, it means Xiao has fully accepted her and doesn't see her as an imposter.'
Bonanus nodded contentedly. 'It seemed she didn't need to worry about those concerns anymore!' Thinking this, she continued massaging Bosacius's shoulders while saying with a mischievous grin:
"Big Brother Bosacius, how did you find the taste of that 'Boiled Meat in a Pouch'?"
"That one? The taste was indeed excellent, though it looked a bit strange."
"But I must say, this Chef Xiangling Mr. Zhongli mentioned certainly has skill."
Hearing this, Zhongli merely nodded slightly, saying nothing. His amber eyes simply watched Bosacius and Bonanus quietly.
Seeing their conversation, Zhongli nodded approvingly. 'This was how it should be. They shouldn't have a superior-subordinate relationship; they should chat like ordinary people.'
But Zhongli knew that changing these individuals' ingrained thinking was nearly impossible. After all, even the three animal-form adepti often used honorifics when addressing him.
Sometimes, when bored, he liked to stroll outside Liyue Harbor. On the road, he would occasionally encounter the "Cloud Retainer," who had taken human form to descend and study mechanisms.
Though most often she was in beast form; the human form was only a couple of times.
"Big Brother is such a carnivore... feels like Big Brother can eat anything," Bonanus said with her gentle smile. Bosacius's appetite could qualify him for an eating contest.
"Little sister, you may not know this. Whether mortals or adepti, when they obtain something they didn't have before, they always want more." Bosacius laughed heartily as he explained. It was a basic human emotion.
Saying this, Bosacius unconsciously sat up straighter to better accommodate Bonanus's massage technique.
Xiao bit his lower lip. Though his eyes were still closed, his ears were turned, aimed squarely at the two.
'Sister Bonanus... it's been three minutes. Why are you still massaging? Even if Bosacius's body is tired, he wouldn't need someone else to massage him!'
The more he thought about it, the angrier he felt. But with the Emperor present, he couldn't very well throw a tantrum.
"Big Brother Bosacius is so smart!" Bonanus continued with her gentle smile.
"Little sister, stop beating around the bush. If you have something to say, tell your big brother quickly." Seeing his little sister's expression that suggested she had something on her mind, Bosacius grew curious.
Faced with such a question, Bonanus just shook her head slightly. 'It didn't feel like the right moment to make a move.'
Given Xiao's and Bosacius's personalities, they would never let her absorb Karmic Debt easily. If they noticed, they'd probably jump out of their skin.
"It's nothing, nothing. I was just thinking about some daily matters."
Bonanus explained with a smile. 'It seemed she'd have to wait until they were asleep to make her move.'
"I see. If there's anything, you must tell your big brother." Bosacius patted his strong chest, speaking with confidence.
Bonanus nodded lightly. Though he said that, some things still couldn't be told to him.
"Little sister! No need to keep massaging. Go sit down and rest as well."
Bosacius said this because he noticed the temperature around Alatus was dropping lower and lower. Seeing this, he could pretty much guess why.
After he said this, Bonanus didn't hesitate either, quickly returning to sit beside Xiao. Her blue eyes blinked, as if wondering why it was so cold here.
Freezing... Freezing...
"You're quite perceptive." Seeing his sister return, Xiao finally relaxed. He looked at Bosacius, a slight smile appearing on his lips.
"Hahaha!" In response to this remark, Bosacius just laughed heartily. 'It was amusing to see Alatus wear such an expression.'
"Hmm..." Zhongli beside them also let out a soft chuckle. 'This atmosphere was truly pleasant!'
This atmosphere reminded him of his old friends. Those who once fought alongside him would also joke with him like this.
'How nostalgic...'
After laughing, Bosacius let out a deep sigh. He quietly gazed at the ceiling, at the beautiful decorations, and couldn't help but reveal a bittersweet smile.
Bosacius sat there, suddenly seeming hundreds of years older. 'He missed Menogias and Indarias so much. They would have loved the food here too.'
Though he was indeed already a two-thousand-year-old monster...
"Hmm, everyone, let's tidy up and prepare to leave."
As Zhongli spoke, he slowly stood up. Seeing this, the others did the same. Bosacius also pulled himself out of his melancholic mood, took a deep breath, and pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind.
In short, he would let himself experience the life of the mortal realm properly on behalf of his two departed siblings.