At Wangshu Inn, Qiu Bai smiled as he looked at Yanxiao.
"Chef Yanxiao, that ghost won't be bothering you anymore."
Yanxiao was momentarily startled by Qiu Bai's words but quickly regained his composure.
"Really? That little rascal is actually gone?"
Qiu Bai nodded calmly. "Yes, the ghost won't be scaring anyone at Wangshu Inn anymore."
Hearing this confirmation, Yanxiao let out a long breath of relief before flashing a smile.
"In that case, please wait a moment! I'll make you the smoothest, most delicate Almond Tofu—I guarantee you'll love it!"
"Just let me get into the right mindset first. You guys go wait in the kitchen, and I'll be there shortly."
At that moment, Lumine spoke up.
"Yanxiao, do you mind if we borrow the kitchen for a bit?"
Yanxiao chuckled.
"Of course not. After what you did with that ghost, I still don't know how to thank you properly."
Behind them, Paimon cheered excitedly.
"Paimon's starving! After we cook for that Adeptus, we should totally have a feast ourselves!"
"No problem! I'm at full power right now!" Yanxiao grinned at them.
"Alright then, we'll head over first," Qiu Bai said.
He eyed Yanxiao with mild amusement. What a chameleon.
His attitude was completely different from earlier—but then again, who would be in the mood to cook after experiencing something like that?
With that, the three of them made their way to the kitchen.
…
Not long after, Yanxiao joined them.
"I'll get started now. You guys can rest at that table over there—I'll have it ready in no time."
"Thanks," Qiu Bai replied before turning to Lumine.
"It's almost your time to shine, Lumine."
"Make a few of your signature dishes."
Lumine nodded slightly but then looked at Qiu Bai in confusion.
"Why do I have to cook?"
"Can't the chef do it?"
Qiu Bai chuckled.
After all, in the future, when Lumine called for Xiao, he would always answer. Maybe this meal was the start of that connection.
"You don't get it, Lumine. Cooking it yourself makes it more sincere."
"Who knows? You might even win the heart of an Adeptus."
Lumine's face flushed red as she puffed her cheeks.
"Qiu Bai! You're teasing me again!"
Qiu Bai burst into laughter before taking a seat.
Nearby, Paimon leaned in, her big eyes full of curiosity as she stared at him.
"Qiu Bai, are you an Adeptus or something?"
"How do you know so many magical techniques?"
She couldn't hold back her curiosity any longer.
After all, Qiu Bai had performed all kinds of incredible feats—shapeshifting, teleportation—things she and Lumine had never seen before.
Qiu Bai smirked.
"What do you think I am, little Paimon?"
Paimon tapped her chin.
"Hmm… Let me think… nope, can't figure it out. There are too many mysteries."
"Guess we'll just have to wait until you decide to tell us."
Losing interest in the topic, she turned to look at Lumine.
Lumine, with a faint smile on her lips, was watching Yanxiao prepare the Almond Tofu with great interest—almost like she was secretly trying to learn.
Meanwhile, Qiu Bai found himself watching Lumine's side profile.
He had never really paid much attention before…
But now that he looked, he realized—she was really beautiful.
Back when Qiu Bai played Genshin Impact, he had chosen Lumine as his Traveler.
He still remembered clicking the center option repeatedly, only to be disappointed that it wasn't selectable.
Noticing Qiu Bai's gaze, Lumine absently touched her face.
"What's wrong, Qiu Bai? Why are you staring at me?" she asked softly.
Qiu Bai grinned.
"Lumine is adorable."
Qiu Bai looked at Lumine with a faint smile.
Lumine, caught off guard by his words, blushed furiously and quickly turned away, avoiding his gaze.
Qiu Bai awkwardly rubbed his nose, while Paimon, on the other hand, was completely focused on watching how the Almond Tofu was made. She was eager to taste it herself.
"From now on, I'll just have the Traveler make it for me!"
Paimon giggled to herself, happily stomping her feet at the thought.
...
Time passed bit by bit, and soon, Yanxiao called out, "It's ready!"
As he plated the Almond Tofu, its rich, sweet aroma filled the entire kitchen.
Carrying the dish, Yanxiao walked over to the table and placed it in front of the trio, grinning at them.
"Hahaha! It feels great to have steady hands again!"
"There's plenty of ingredients in the kitchen, so feel free to cook whatever you want."
"I'll go find the boss real quick—excuse me for a moment."
Qiu Bai nodded. "Thank you."
Paimon immediately flew over, taking in the delicious scent.
"It smells amazing! I really want to take a bite right now!"
She swallowed hard, her eyes locked onto the dish.
Before she could get any closer, Lumine swiftly picked up the plate.
"Paimon! This is for the Adeptus, no sneaking bites!"
Paimon huffed, stomping her foot in frustration.
"I was just smelling it! I wasn't gonna steal it!"
...
After a while, Lumine went to prepare a few more dishes, instructing Qiu Bai to keep an eye on the Almond Tofu and make sure Paimon didn't get any funny ideas.
Paimon glared at Qiu Bai with a sulky expression. It wasn't like she was actually going to steal any!
Qiu Bai chuckled at her reaction before offering a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, Paimon. Once we're done, we'll have the chef make another serving just for you."
"Really? Yay!"
Paimon clapped her hands happily.
Qiu Bai leaned back and quietly watched as Lumine cooked, waiting patiently.
After some time, Lumine stored the freshly made dishes in her mysterious backpack. She then turned to Qiu Bai and Paimon with a smile.
"All done! Let's go find that Adeptus."
Qiu Bai and Paimon nodded, and the three of them made their way toward the terrace.
...
This time, Xiao didn't suddenly appear—he was already there, standing quietly.
As if sensing something, he turned his head slightly, his gaze cold and distant as he looked at the three of them.
"It's you again…"
"Wait! Don't disappear this time!"
Paimon quickly called out before he could vanish.
Behind her, Lumine held the plate of Almond Tofu in her hands.
Xiao's eyes flickered with a trace of surprise.
"This is…"
"This is your favorite—Almond Tofu."
"It's one of the Traveler's specialties, a dish full of exotic flavors!" Paimon quickly added.
Lumine handed the dish to Xiao, who accepted it silently and began to eat.
"Quick, Traveler! Now that he's eating, tell him everything!"
Taking advantage of the moment, Lumine hurriedly explained everything that had happened.
Meanwhile, Qiu Bai remained fixated on Xiao.
Even while eating, he was still constantly suppressing the karma within him…