The "proper" way to eat vanilla dumplings?
Xiaohan got hooked instantly. She set her chopsticks down and leaned in, eyes bright, "Alright — spill. What's the proper way?"
Vash didn't answer right away, "First, tell me — how many ways do you think there are to eat vanilla dumplings?"
Xiaohan blinked, "One. You eat them. With your mouth."
Vash hummed, "And that's what everyone does. Which is why everyone misses the best part."
"Then tell me already!" Xiaohan's food-brain switched on like a flip of a breaker.
"I'll tell you." Vash said, "But you have to agree to one thing."
Xiaohan narrowed her eyes, "If you're about to say something weird, I'm throwing a dumpling at you. Though…" She smirked, "If you're so curious, I can tell you my measurements."
What the hell…
Vash didn't even blink, just ignored the last part, "I need access to the kitchen. Not to steal secrets — just to borrow a stove, a pan, and ten minutes."
"Kitchen access?" Xiaohan hesitated for half a second — then her grin turned sharp, "You're lucky. I don't own this place, but I know the owner and the chef. Tony owes me enough 'dinner stories' to last a lifetime."
Vash didn't comment.
Pepper & Spice was already solid — better than most "high-end" Night City joints that used lighting and velvet ropes to hide bland food. But good wasn't the same as unforgettable.
And those famous vanilla dumplings? If you ate them straight, you were only tasting the surface.
Vash decided it was time to open this big-breasted corpo's eyes.
"If you can get Tony to let me use the kitchen." Vash said, "I'll show you a way to eat vanilla dumplings you'll remember for the rest of your life."
Xiaohan clicked her tongue, "Big talk."
She pulled out her phone and fired off a message.
A minute later, a man in a chef's jacket stepped out from the back — broad-shouldered, sleeves rolled, with the calm stare of someone who'd survived a thousand kitchens and a thousand worse customers.
Tony Haleek.
Xiaohan waved like they were meeting for coffee, "Tony! Over here!"
Tony walked up, took in the table, then Vash. His eyes weren't manager-polite — they were curious, measuring.
Xiaohan said, "This is the guy I told you about. He says he can make your vanilla dumplings even better."
Tony snorted, "That's a dangerous sentence."
"Let him try." Xiaohan said lightly, "Come on. You always said the best meals happen when somebody breaks the rules."
Tony stared at Vash for two seconds, then jerked his chin toward the back, "Ten minutes. You touch my knives without asking, I throw you out myself."
Vash stood, "Fair."
Under the room's gaze, he followed Tony into the kitchen — with Xiaohan and Sandra tagging along.
Pepper & Spice's kitchen was loud, but controlled: pans hissing, knives tapping, aromas layering like a playlist from a dozen countries.
When Vash walked in, the line cooks glanced up — then went back to work. Night City had seen stranger than a guest being escorted in by the chef.
Vash washed his hands, rolled his shoulders, and spoke fast and clean.
"I need a small pan, butter, a little brown sugar, citrus peel, and a splash of strong coffee. Also — one bowl of fresh vanilla dumplings. And a few basics for plating."
Someone started to ask why.
Tony cut them off with a look, "Do it."
The moment the ingredients hit his station, Vash moved.
No knife tricks. No showing off. He melted butter, toasted sugar until it smelled like warm caramel, then shaved in a thin curl of citrus peel — just enough to cut the sweetness without turning it into perfume.
Then a splash of coffee — depth, not bitterness.
The pan hissed. The glaze turned glossy.
He didn't drown the dumplings.
He painted them.
Then Tony's eyebrow rose.
Vash plated the dumplings like dessert — and built a pairing "flight" beside them fast enough to feel unreal.
First: a thin, glassy sugar shell — crème brûlée style — cracked over a spoonful of vanilla custard. The crunch echoed the caramel in the glaze.
Second: warm mochi bites, lightly pan-seared, brushed with honey. Soft-on-soft, but with a different rhythm.
Third: tight churro twists dusted with cinnamon and a pinch of salt — sweet, but with just enough edge to keep your tongue awake.
Last: candied orange peel in thin strips. A palate reset — sharp, bright, clean.
Tony crossed his arms, "That's… a lot for ten minutes."
Vash wiped his hands, "Vanilla's simple. That's why it's dangerous. Treat it with respect, or it turns boring."
Xiaohan tasted first, then Sandra, then even Tony.
Their eyes widened. It wasn't just "good" — it was like someone had pulled the soul out of the dish and made it loud.
Tony could admit the dumplings themselves were cleaner, slightly sharper… but it was the side pairings that really made his eyes light up.
Should he steal the recipe? …Wouldn't be the first time.
Xiaohan wiped her mouth, "Name your price. How much to be my personal chef?"
Vash laughed, helpless, "I'm not a chef."
Xiaohan nodded solemnly, "Fine. I admit defeat. My measurements are—"
"Absolutely not necessary." Vash cut in. He pulled a thumb-sized piece of vibranium scrap from his storage space and handed it to her, "If possible, give this to your father."
Xiaohan stared at it, "You want me to deliver… this little black chunk of metal?"
Plenty of people tried to cozy up to Kang Tao. Offering a random piece of metal as a 'gift' was a new one.
"Yes." Vash said, "Just that chunk."
"Fine." Xiaohan pocketed it, then sent him a contact request, "Add me. When you're free, we'll go eat something actually worth the trip."
"Hey, I'm still here." Tony looked at her with fiery eyes.
Xiaohan just winked at him, clearly showing that she was joking.
Getting a direct line to a Kang Tao board member was a win. Vash couldn't deny it.
As he and Sandra were about to leave the kitchen, Vash turned back to Tony.
"You can keep the recipes for all of it. I'll ping you later with the exact steps."
Tony coughed, looking just barely embarrassed, "Free food for a year?"
"That works."
"Deal." Tony said.
Vash nodded once, "See you."
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Outside the restaurant, Sandra smiled, "Looks like tonight was… pretty profitable for Mr. V."
"More like an unexpected bonus." Vash said. He hadn't planned any of it.
Sandra didn't dodge it, "Then as a reward… can I ask you out next time? A real date. Just the two of us."
Vash could only laugh awkwardly, "I might be busy for a while."
"It's fine." Sandra's voice softened, "Whenever you're free, ping me. I'm always free."
Watching her slide into the Excelsior Delamain, Vash let out a quiet sigh.
Beautiful women in this city were dangerous — hard to refuse, harder to handle.
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
After leaving Little China, Vash rode to Misty's Esoterica.
The moment he stepped inside, he saw Jackie and Misty flirting.
"V." Jackie called out, grinning, "Been waiting on you a long time."
❖❖❖❖❖
T/N: Comment, give me Power Stones, like and favorite, it all supports me and makes me go foward with this. Appreciate my other stories as well, I guarantee the good work!
If you want 20 chapters ahead, smut chapters or spicy images of this novel for just $5, or enjoy a large catalog of good novels with excellent translations (free or starting at $1.5): MrBlackWing (you know where to search)
Take a look at the new book I'm translating on my profile, Umamusume Pretty Derb: I'm Just a Trainer! Its also on my website for $5 too!
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)