Liyue Harbor, Wanmin Restaurant...
In the kitchen, Xiangling was busy preparing dishes, while Tartaglia, Qiu Bai, and Qiu Yue sat at a table, hands resting on the surface as they waited for their meal.
Wiping the sweat from her face with one hand, Xiangling continued stirring the sizzling ingredients in the wok with the other.
"When I got back just now, my dad really gave me an earful."
"Luckily, Mr. Qiu Bai helped explain things."
"Otherwise, I probably wouldn't be allowed to go out for a while."
Thinking about it, she glanced outside at Qiu Bai, her eyes filled with gratitude before focusing back on her cooking.
Meanwhile, Tartaglia sat across from Qiu Bai and Qiu Yue, lost in thought.
"A younger sister, huh? I wonder how Tonia is doing..."
"It's been a while since I last returned to Snezhnaya."
"But Qiu Bai's sister is seriously beautiful."
His gaze lingered on Qiu Yue for a moment, lost in admiration.
Qiu Bai, on the other hand, smiled warmly, watching Tartaglia with a seemingly innocent yet oddly knowing expression.
Qiu Yue, having noticed Tartaglia's gaze, blushed slightly. Lowering her head, she fidgeted with the hem of her dress.
"Mr. Tartaglia, is there something on my face?" she asked shyly, keeping her head down.
"Hey, Tartaglia, staring at a girl like that isn't very polite, you know?" Qiu Bai said with a smirk, resting his arms on the table.
"A-Ah! My apologies, Miss Qiu Yue!" Tartaglia quickly waved his hands in defense. "I was just reminded of my little brother back in Snezhnaya."
The last thing he wanted was to be mistaken for some kind of creep in front of such a stunning woman.
Somewhere far away, Tonia sneezed.
Then, Tartaglia turned back to Qiu Bai—only to be met with that same unsettlingly harmonious smile.
"Strange... Qiu Bai is just an ordinary person without a Vision," Tartaglia thought. "So why does he give off such an intense sense of danger?"
A shiver of excitement ran through him.
"I'd really love to spar with him sometime!"
Just then, Xiangling's voice rang out from the kitchen.
"Alright, everyone, food's ready!"
She emerged balancing a plate on her head, carrying another in each hand. Even Guoba helped out, carefully holding a dish in his paws.
As soon as the plates hit the table, a mouthwatering aroma filled the air.
"Please enjoy your meal, Mr. Qiu Bai, Miss Qiu Yue, and Mr. Tartaglia!"
"This meal is on the house!"
With that, Xiangling took a seat, while Guoba climbed onto a stool—his small stature making it necessary.
"Alright then, let's eat," Qiu Bai said, picking up his chopsticks. He grabbed a piece of meat and popped it into his mouth.
"Mmm… as expected from Xiangling," he murmured, chewing a few times before closing his eyes to savor the flavor.
"The meat is deep-fried to crispy perfection in hot oil, then coated with a glaze made from sugar and fruit preserves, thickened to just the right consistency before being set aside."
"Finally, it's tossed back into the wok with the prepared sauce, absorbing all the rich flavors as it's stir-fried to completion."
"Not only is the technique flawless, but it also carries the confidence of a true chef."
Opening his eyes, Qiu Bai turned to Xiangling and offered his praise.
"Hehe, Mr. Qiu Bai, you're making me embarrassed," Xiangling said, scratching her head sheepishly.
His words truly struck a chord with her.
For a moment, she was reminded of another customer—Zhongli.
Come to think of it, when he came to eat, he also had that same way of speaking...
Well, except that Zhongli always forgot to bring money.
"Haha, I'm just speaking the truth."
"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. If you don't believe me, just ask my sister."
"And Tartaglia."
Qiu Bai turned to look at Tartaglia, who was expertly handling his chopsticks, and then at Qiu Yue.
"Mhmm! Brother's right!" Qiu Yue said cheerfully, giving Xiangling a thumbs-up.
"It's delicious, Xiangling!"
Qiu Yue's cheeks were stuffed full, making it impossible for her to speak clearly.
She had completely lost her usual elegant demeanor—proof of just how delicious Xiangling's cooking was.
Qiu Bai's mouth twitched at the sight. He had always thought of his sister as quiet and graceful, but seeing her devour her food like this... well, it was certainly eye-opening.
Tartaglia, meanwhile, gave Xiangling a big thumbs-up.
"Miss Xiangling, your cooking..."
"It's even better than what I've had at Liuli Pavilion or back in Snezhnaya."
If not for his position in the Fatui, he might've already fallen in love with Liyue.
"Hehe, thank you, Qiu Yue, and Mr. Tartaglia!"
Xiangling beamed, clearly pleased with the praise.
Beside her, Guoba was also eating enthusiastically, balancing one foot on the chair as he stretched to reach the dishes.
Seeing this, Xiangling quickly picked him up.
"Guoba! Why do you keep getting heavier?"
She lifted him up so he could grab the food, then, using all her strength, placed him back on the chair, gasping for breath.
"Lu~ Lu~ Lu~ (＾ω＾)"
Guoba grinned happily at the meal in front of him before digging in.
Xiangling had anticipated this and made sure to prepare large portions of everything.
...
After about half an hour, Qiu Bai stood up, stretched, and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.
Xiangling began clearing the plates, while Qiu Yue, her mouth still glistening with oil, looked at Qiu Bai with an innocent, dazed expression.
Qiu Bai couldn't hold it in.
"Hahahaha!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
He clutched his stomach, laughing so hard he nearly choked on his food.
Qiu Yue, now pouting, stood up in protest, glaring at her brother in confusion.
"What's so funny?"
"Uh… Miss, you have some oil on your face."
Tartaglia, watching the scene unfold, offered her a clean handkerchief.
Qiu Yue accepted it and mimicked Qiu Bai's earlier movements, carefully wiping her mouth.
"So that's how it's done..." she mumbled, feeling like she had just learned something new.
Then, flashing a bright smile at Tartaglia, she said sweetly,
"Thank you, Mr. Tartaglia!"
"You're such a good person!"
Tartaglia froze.
Did he… just get the Good Person Card?
Before he could even process what happened, Qiu Yue extended her delicate hand.
Mistaking it for a handshake, Tartaglia instinctively took her hand—only for a gentle white light to radiate from Qiu Yue's palm and flow into his body.
A warm, soothing sensation spread through him, like soaking in a hot spring.
The exhaustion from the past few days melted away.
Even the lingering aftereffects of using his Delusion vanished, and for the first time in years, his eyes regained their natural clarity.
"Why… does it feel like my strength has returned to what it was before I started using my Delusion?" he muttered in disbelief.
Qiu Bai, observing with his divine sense, narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Did my sister just use her lifespan-extending authority?"
"Seriously… of all people, Tartaglia ends up getting this lucky?"
Qiu Bai sighed. His sister's way of showing gratitude was certainly… unique.
After all, who thanks someone by literally increasing their lifespan?
...