"Um, Mona, while the cooking competition rules do allow contestants to bring assistants, I really don't think you need to help Xiangling. Lumine's already volunteered."
Su Bai tried his best to dissuade Mona from offering her assistance. Ever since the food poisoning incident, they had learned from Mona herself that she had lived off vegetable salads for so long that she could only make cold dishes and simple recipes. For example, her chicken soup was literally just chicken boiled in plain water.
As for the undercooked matsutake from last time, Mona considered that an accident. She had never worked with such premium ingredients before, so mishandling the heat was just a fluke.
Afraid of crushing Mona's confidence, Su Bai and the others had secretly agreed to never let her cook for them again. They'd rather drink Albedo Junior's emergency nutrition potions than eat another of Mona's half-raw dishes.
"Oh? Well, alright then. I was hoping to help Xiangling, but I guess Lumine beat me to it."
Still unaware of her own culinary shortcomings, Mona muttered to herself. She had wanted to show Xiangling the cooking skills that Ningguang had praised. Unfortunately, registration for the competition had already closed, or she would have signed up to show off her talents.
Su Bai let out a silent sigh of relief. Even Shenhe, whose iron stomach had endured years of herbs and dew, couldn't handle Mona's cold dishes. Ordinary people would have no chance.
"Speaking of which, where's Director Hu? She rushed out early this morning and hasn't come back. And Albedo Junior left before breakfast too. I wonder what they're up to."
Mona looked at the Mora Meats she had bought with a headache. If she had known they wouldn't be eating breakfast at home, she wouldn't have bought so many. Now she'd be eating Mora Meats all day.
"Hu Tao went to find Xiao, I think. I'm not sure how she convinced him over the phone, but he actually agreed to teach her some techniques for a few days. That's rare."
"As for Albedo Junior, do you even need to guess? He's definitely gone to Wangshu Inn to find Albedo. Those two are within striking distance now. Did you really think he'd stay put at Wangsheng?"
Su Bai grabbed a Mora Meat from the table and took a bite. Albedo and Albedo Junior seemed to be at odds with each other. Last night, whatever they had discussed over the phone had kept Albedo Junior up all night, leaving Su Bai exhausted too.
"Looks like everyone's up early today. Zhongli went out early as well. No idea what he's up to."
"Good morning, Brother Su Bai, Sister Mona, Sister Toto~"
Azhdaha rubbed her eyes as she emerged from her room. She had sensed Zhongli leaving Wangsheng early that morning but had been too sleepy to follow. Klee also stumbled out, her clothes all crooked, probably woken up by an alarm clock.
"Sister Toto, let's go find Qiqi! We agreed to play together today. We can't be late."
The little one clearly hadn't slept enough—her adorable eyes were barely open. But the prospect of playing outside had won out over her drowsiness, and she had managed to drag herself out of bed early.
"Little Klee, are you sure you don't want to sleep a bit longer? You look like you're about to pass out."
Mona straightened Klee's clothes while trying to convince her to go back to bed. It was barely past seven—if she didn't rest now, she'd be exhausted later.
"No, Klee's not tired. Klee wants to go play. Klee... zzz"
Klee's voice grew softer and weaker. Just as she was about to doze off, her head drooped and she snapped back awake.
"Ah, Sister Mona, what did you say? Klee accidentally fell asleep..."
"This is... Little sister Zhongtuo, are you sure you want to take Klee out? She's in no state to be running around. If something happens..."
"Hmm, you're right, Mona. That is a problem."
"But I've already figured out how to solve it. This is Klee's first Moonchase Festival in Liyue, and she's going to enjoy it to the fullest."
With that, Azhdaha dashed into Zhongli's room. After some rummaging, she emerged clutching a bag of tea leaves. She boiled some water, then dumped the entire bag into the pot.
Instantly, a rich tea aroma filled Wangsheng. Even Shenhe, who had been meditating, opened her eyes at the scent.
"Zhongli really knows his tea. This is even better than the one he brought out last time. But little sister Zhongtuo, you're wasting it... This much tea could steep a whole vat of water, and you used it for just one pot. I wonder if Zhongli will spank you when he gets back."
"Afraid of that old man? Looks like you don't want any tea."
Azhdaha glared at Su Bai and reached for his cup. Quick as a flash, Su Bai grabbed it and grinned.
"Just kidding, just kidding."
"Don't worry, little sister Zhongtuo. Since I've had this tea, I'll cover for you. If Zhongli tries to spank you, just lock yourself in your room."
The others nodded in agreement, drawn by the tea's irresistible aroma. If it weren't so hot, they would have already started drinking.
"Whoa, this tea is incredible. One sip and my mind feels so clear. Zhongli really knows how to collect good things."
Su Bai marveled at the clarity in his head. The others also felt its effects—Shenhe noted its benefits for cultivation, Klee wondered if she could drink it every day to stay awake and play, and Mona lamented how much Mora such potent tea must cost. It was like drinking Mora itself.
While Su Bai and the others enjoyed their tea at Wangsheng, Xiao had taken Hu Tao to a secluded spot outside Liyue Harbor. With so many contestants in the cooking competition, the judges Ningguang had selected would only evaluate from the semifinals onward. After all, no one could eat as much as Paimon.
"Master, let's begin! I want to learn that move where you zip through monsters with that xin xin xin sound. It's so cool!"
Mentioning Xiao's technique made Hu Tao's plum blossom pupils nearly turn into star shapes, showing how much she looked forward to learning it. Seeing her excitement, Xiao felt the task Zhongli had given him was going to be quite difficult. Could this lively, mischievous little one really master his techniques?