"Su Bai, you're here! Find a place to sit and rest. Once I finish the dishes Master asked for, I'll start on ours."
Xiangling greeted them briefly before rushing into the kitchen. The aroma wafting through the air nearly made Paimon and Mona float right in after her.
Mona, being an astrologist, managed to maintain some self-control. Though she desperately wanted to see what Xiangling was cooking, she held back, not wanting to make things awkward by prying into her secrets.
Paimon had no such reservations. She flew into the kitchen just as Xiangling dumped a whole plate of Jueyun Chilis into a sizzling wok. The combination of hot oil and chilis, enhanced by Guoba's flames, sent a burst of fire shooting up from the pan. Paimon was mesmerized. She had never seen cooking done so dramatically.
Before the flames could die down, Xiangling tossed in the freshly cut pork from Springvale. The high-quality meat turned a beautiful golden brown, releasing a rich, savory aroma that filled the kitchen.
"The smell... so good! Cough, cough... why is it so spicy?"
Paimon inhaled deeply, but the spicy fumes and heat hit her like a wave, sending her tumbling backward. She smacked her head against the window frame with a loud thud. Before she could recover, she fell straight into the wok Xiangling was stir-frying.
"AAAAH! Lumine, help!"
"Oh no! Guoba, get some water!"
"Lulu lulu!"
Guoba scurried over with a large basin. Xiangling, desperate to save Paimon, grabbed it without looking and poured its contents into the wok.
Seeing that Paimon no longer seemed to be in pain, Xiangling let out a relieved breath. Thank goodness there was such a large basin of water in the kitchen. But why was the liquid so red?
Wait. If she remembered correctly, her father had bought some top-quality Whopperflower Nectar and excellent Jueyun Chilis this morning. Judging by the color, that red liquid was probably chili oil made from those Jueyun Chilis.
"Oh no! That's the chili oil Dad made this morning!"
"Huh? No wonder it feels so weird."
"Hiss... so spicy! Why is this chili oil so hot?"
Paimon's face turned red from licking her lips. Spotting a large jar in the corner, she flew straight toward it and dove in without a second thought.
With a wet plop, the thick liquid nearly sealed her eyes shut. She struggled to climb out of the viscous mess.
"Xiangling, what's in that jar? Everything feels so slippery—like I've been covered in Whopperflower Nectar."
"That is Whopperflower Nectar. It arrived fresh this morning."
Looking at Paimon, now covered in a mixture of chili oil and Whopperflower Nectar, Xiangling was at a loss. Paimon, however, calmly licked the nectar off her hands. It was too good to waste.
Hearing the commotion, Su Bai and the others came to the kitchen. Seeing Xiangling holding a spatula and Paimon covered in mess, licking her fingers, Lumine remarked dryly:
"Xiangling, while Paimon is technically food, she's only emergency food. When there's actual food available, let's not cook her just yet."
"Hey! Paimon is not food!"
Paimon stomped her foot in the air, sending droplets of Whopperflower Nectar flying into Lumine's mouth. The spicy-sweet combo made Lumine wince. Maybe emergency food was better off eaten sooner rather than later.
"Oh my, what are you all doing? Trying to marinate little Paimon and roast her? How cruel!"
Hu Tao walked in carrying two jars of wine. She had parted ways with them earlier to fetch the alcohol.
"Exactly! You're all terrible!"
Paimon nodded in agreement. Hu Tao pulled out her Staff of Homa, Pyro energy flickering along its length.
"When you marinate Paimon, you should at least add some shrimp! Such a waste. So, when do we start roasting her? Your director can provide the Pyro~"
"Hey! Hu Tao, you're even worse!"
Everyone burst into laughter at Paimon's indignant expression. Seeing the joke had run its course, Xingqiu volunteered to clean up.
"Raincutter!"
Several Hydro blades gently splashed Paimon. His control over Hydro was impressive—judging by Paimon's contented expression, the water pressure was just right.
"My turn."
Mona traced a circle in the air, forming a water orb above Paimon's head. Before she could react, it burst, drenching her completely.
While everyone was laughing, Xiangling's smile seemed forced. Su Bai noticed her distraction and asked:
"What's wrong, Xiangling? Need any help?"
"No, no, I don't need help. But the last dish for Master seems ruined."
Xiangling looked at the wok full of red chili oil. Aside from the ingredients Ningguang had sent, the restaurant's supplies were nearly depleted. Still one dish short of the twelve.
Could she borrow from Ningguang's ingredients? No, no. Those were for the evening banquet. Using them now wouldn't be right.
Looking at the empty ingredient racks, Xiangling sighed. The sky was darkening, and even if she went shopping now, nothing would be open.
Su Bai looked at Xiangling's worried face, then at the empty racks, and nodded thoughtfully. He might have figured out what was troubling her.
Seeing her distress, Su Bai searched through his Vision's subspace. Aside from the Illusion Mushrooms he'd cultivated with adeptal energy after returning to Liyue Harbor, there was nothing edible.
Illusion Mushrooms. If he remembered correctly, they had an excellent texture. For those with sufficient strength, the illusions they produced shouldn't be an issue.
"Um, Xiangling, I have some mushrooms here. If you don't mind, you can use them."
Su Bai placed several colorful mushrooms on the cutting board. Xiangling's eyes lit up at the sight of this unfamiliar ingredient.