Kael and Xiangling bought a mountain of ingredients along Commercial Street.
This time, he didn't dare toss food casually into the Serenitea Pot. With that bottomless pit living inside, anything thrown in would vanish without a trace.
So the three of them had no choice but to lug their heavy bags back by hand.
When they returned to the stall, thin wisps of smoke were already curling from the chimney.
Turns out Mona had lit the stove fire early, waiting for them to come back.
Kael dropped his bags onto the floor with a sigh.
"You're really in a rush, huh? We weren't even back yet and you're already this ready."
Mona flicked a braid of hair over her shoulder, smug. "An astrologist's greatest strength is foresight."
"Yeah, yeah, sure."
First time I've ever seen someone dress up gluttony as foresight.
Once everything was ready, Xiangling and Kael rolled up their sleeves and got to work.
Boiled Fish, Shrimp Rings, Smoked Fowl, Steamed Fish…
Soon, the table was lined with dishes bursting with Liyue flair.
Each one looked like a feast for the senses.
Mona couldn't hold back. She snatched up chopsticks and dove right in.
"I'll help you test the—urk!"
She had grabbed one of the sparkling, translucent Shrimp Rings. But the moment it hit her tongue, a wave of extreme sourness exploded in her mouth, making her whole face scrunch up.
"Pfft—blegh! What in the world is this?!"
Xiangling rushed over to take a bite herself, and her own face twisted the same way.
"I thought adding Wolfhook would give it a sweet-and-sour flavor… but I didn't realize that once it's cooked, it turns unbelievably sour… so that's why… maybe if I…"
She muttered to herself, still analyzing as she chewed through the lingering taste.
Only then did Mona understand what "recipe testing" actually meant.
This is just chaotic cooking!
She quietly set down her bowl and chopsticks and inched toward the door.
She'd only agreed to help because she loved good food—and had heard Xiangling was a famous chef from Liyue.
But if everything tasted like this? No thanks.
Just as she was about to slip out the door, her back bumped into a solid chest.
She spun around to see Kael standing squarely in the doorway, blocking her escape.
He arched a brow, looking down at her. "What's this? Trying to run?"
Mona bristled. "Run? No! I just thought it was stuffy inside, so I was… getting some fresh air."
"Oh yeah? And did you get enough fresh air? Because there are still plenty of dishes left to try."
Seeing her hesitation, Kael added one more poke. "Or are you scared?"
"As if! I'm the great astrologist Mona Megistus—how could I possibly be afraid? I'll eat them all right now!"
She bolted back to the table, grabbed her chopsticks, and dug in with reckless determination.
Kael smirked. He knew it—when it came to a tsundere, provocation always worked best.
"This Smoked Fowl… why does it smell like… sweaty socks…?"
"…Then I'll try this Boiled Fish instead…"
Mona sampled dish after dish, only to find that the one with Sweet Flower in it was barely decent.
The rest? A nightmare. Each one was an assault on human taste buds, every flavor stranger than the last.
She sat at the table, face pale, while Xiangling shuffled over, embarrassed.
"Sorry… it's my first time working with so many new ingredients, and I got carried away trying different combinations. If it's too awful, you don't have to force yourself."
Seeing Xiangling's guilty look, Mona worried she'd hurt the girl's feelings. She gritted her teeth and shoved another bite into her mouth.
"Urgh—" She barely swallowed down the gag. Then forced a smile. "N-no, actually… if you taste carefully… it has a certain… unique flavor."
"Really?"
Encouraged, Xiangling immediately tasted it too. Her face puckered up at once, but she still muttered as she analyzed. "So… Dandelion Seeds give off this smell when stir-fried… interesting… maybe this could…"
Standing off to the side, Eula looked like she wanted to step in and help.
But Kael stopped her. "Mona's got the testing covered. If you're hungry, just eat the dishes I made."
Eula blinked, then nodded obediently. "Alright."
Using his Head Chef Talent, Kael had cooked with simple, regular ingredients.
Unlike Xiangling's experiments, his dishes weren't just pretty—they were the real deal, perfect in color, aroma, and flavor.
Xiangling's creations were better left to… torment Mona.
As for his own cooking…
Eula's eyes lit up with anticipation. What girl could resist food made by the man she liked?
She silently vowed: even if Kael's cooking was awful, she would eat every bite without complaint.
She followed him to another table, where the rich aroma of his dishes filled the air.
But remembering Xiangling's lessons, Eula no longer trusted appearances.
It looks amazing… but what if this is another trap?
With grim determination, she popped a Golden Shrimp Ball into her mouth—
Crisp potato threads wrapped around juicy shrimp, the richness perfectly balanced with freshness.
Eula's eyes widened.
This… this is delicious!
Seeing her expression, Kael smiled. "Well? Not bad, right?"
Of course he was confident. With the System's Talent, making bad food was practically impossible.
Eula nodded furiously, chopsticks flying as she grabbed more and more.
Kael joined her, the two of them enjoying the feast together.
Meanwhile, across the room, Mona sat slumped, her complexion green as she watched them happily dig in. The resentment radiating off her was practically tangible.
"So you just left me there, suffering through Xiangling's tests all alone?"
Kael looked up innocently. "Weren't you the one who volunteered? How's that my fault?"
"Hmph! You two-faced bastard!"
Her glare only made him chuckle inside.
Serve you right for always throwing shade at me.
"How'd the testing go?"
Xiangling skipped over, brimming with excitement. "Great! Thanks to Mona, I gathered a ton of data! I've got so many new ideas now!"
She looked earnestly at Mona. "Thank you! I'll definitely cook a proper feast for you next time!"
Just remembering the taste made Mona's face blanch. "N-no need to be so… polite…"
"Hahahahaha!"
Kael finally couldn't hold back his laughter.
Only when Mona's face began to twitch in embarrassment did he stop.
"Alright, since testing's done, come sit down and eat. Don't worry—this table's food is the real thing."
Mona reluctantly joined them. Cautiously, she took a bite of Kael's cooking—
And her eyes lit up like stars.
She nearly burst into tears.
This! This is actual food!
It's so good!
She attacked the dishes with astonishing speed, chopsticks flashing as she devoured bite after bite.
Just as everyone was happily eating, a voice called from the doorway.
"Kael! I'm off work! Look, I brought you some—huh?"
Everyone turned.
Amber stood at the door with a food box in her hands, staring in surprise at the sight of Eula sitting at the table.
"Eula? You're back?!"