By the time noon rolled around, Xia Ci took out her phone and sent a group message to everyone in the library:
[Xia Ci]: Time for lunch, everyone.
The group chat instantly flooded with replies:
[Zhu Zi]: Huh? It's noon already?
[Chi Yu]: I'm just getting to the best part of this book!
[Ying'er]: I just found a book about alchemy! I only just started reading it!
[Xiangling]: I found a cookbook! It's really interesting!
[Mona]: I found a book about astrology. The author is Alice—that's Klee's mom, right?
[Charlotte]: I found some old records about Mondstadt's previous Windblume Festivals! Turns out the old aristocracy was involved. Who knew Mondstadt had such dark history?
[Xianyun]: Hm. Even Mondstadt's mechanisms have their merits.
…
[Xia Ci]: So… none of you are hungry?
[Chi Yu]: I mean, my stomach's kinda hungry, but I don't want to go too far for food. I want to come right back and keep reading. It's such a dilemma…
[Zhu Zi]: Same here!
…
Apparently, no one wanted to tear themselves away from their books.
Looking at the messages on his screen, Xia Zhi smiled and sent another text:
[Xia Zhi]: In that case, let's just eat something simple for lunch today. I've got some instant noodles and some mini cakes. You can pick whichever you like.
The chat was instantly flooded with "Yay!" and celebratory stickers.
Mini cakes could be eaten right there in the library—as long as you were careful not to get frosting or crumbs on the books.
But instant noodles were a different story—the smell was too strong, and they required hot water.
Those had to be eaten outside.
So naturally, everyone chose the mini cakes.
Except Ganyu.
Seeing her sitting alone with her noodles, Xia Zhi decided to keep her company and have instant noodles too.
There was a small square not far from the Knights of Favonius headquarters, with a few benches for travelers to rest. It was the perfect spot to sit, chat, and eat noodles together.
As Xia Zhi and Ganyu stepped out of the library and into the hallway, he noticed something through his god's eye.
A girl in a maid outfit was quietly standing in front of the Grand Master's office next door, holding a covered lunch tray, waiting patiently.
She had a Geo Vision hanging at her waist, along with a silver progress bar: Progress [0%].
Just then, the office door opened, and Jean stepped out.
The girl in the maid outfit handed over the lunch tray and said seriously, "Acting Grand Master Jean, here's your lunch."
Jean smiled as she accepted it. "Thank you, Noelle… Oh?"
She noticed Xia Zhi and Ganyu nearby.
"Mr. Xia, Miss Ganyu—heading out for lunch?"
"Hello, Acting Grand Master." Xia Zhi nodded. "We're just going to grab a bite."
"Oh, lunch… what about the others?"
"They're still reading in the library."
"What about their lunch?"
"We brought cake."
"Cake doesn't sound like a proper meal. Why not have them join us for lunch at the Knights of Favonius?"
"No need. They're too engrossed in their books to leave right now. Best not to disturb them."
"Reading so hard they forget to eat?"
"Pretty much."
Jean thought for a moment. "Well then, let's not disturb them. But the two of you can come, right?"
"Uh…"
"Since you're already out, and it's peak lunch hour out there, you'll probably have to wait for a table if you go to a restaurant. Why go through the trouble? The Knights' meals aren't bad at all."
"…Alright. Thank you, Acting Grand Master."
Unable to refuse her hospitality, Xia Zhi and Ganyu agreed.
The maid stepped forward, her expression earnest. "I am Noelle, maid of the Knights of Favonius. Esteemed guests, please follow me to the dining hall."
Ganyu politely replied, "Thank you for your trouble."
Usually, Jean ate in her office to save time for dealing with official duties.
That had been her plan today too—Noelle had already brought her lunch.
But since she'd spent the whole morning reading a romance novel instead of working, and since she now had guests for lunch, it was only proper for her to join them.
So Jean carried her lunch tray and went to the dining hall as well.
The Knights' dining hall was pretty big.
Since it was lunchtime, quite a few knights were already there. When they saw Jean walk in, there was a flicker of surprise in their eyes, but everyone kept quiet—no one said anything out loud.
Jean found a table by the window and invited Xia Zhi and Ganyu to sit.
Noelle stood by the table, pouring tea for the three of them. Her face remained serious as she asked, "Do you have any preferences, or anything you don't eat?"
Xia Zhi shook his head lightly. "Anything's fine."
Ganyu, a little embarrassed, said softly, "I can only eat vegetarian."
Noelle took note of that and nodded. "Understood. Please wait a moment. Acting Grand Master, would you like me to bring you a fresh meal?"
Jean waved her hand with a smile. "No need to waste food. What I have is fine."
The little maid turned and left.
Soon, she brought over two plates of food—classic Mondstadt dishes.
Xia Zhi tried it and thought it was pretty good—actually better than some of the restaurants he'd tried these past couple of days.
As Jean ate, she asked, "Mr. Xia, how is it?"
"It's great," Xia Zhi replied with a nod.
Jean turned to Ganyu. "And you, Miss Ganyu?"
"It's good," Ganyu said, nodding too.
Jean smiled. "Most of this was cooked by Noelle."
Xia Zhi's expression shifted slightly. "That maid just now?"
Jean glanced at Noelle's busy figure not far away and said quietly, "Mhm. Technically, her real role isn't a maid—she's a provisional knight. Once she passes the selection, she'll officially become a Knight of Favonius."
Xia Zhi thought for a moment. "Even though I can't see it, I can tell she's very diligent."
Jean nodded. "Exactly. She's still just a provisional knight now, but when the time comes, I'm sure she'll be an excellent knight."
Xia Zhi set down his fork and said, "Actually, I think she might make an even better chef."
"A chef? Mr. Xia, you really think so?"
"Considering she's self-taught and can already cook to this level, her talent isn't far off from Xiangling's."
"Are you suggesting…"
"If she's interested, I could give her some culinary guidance while I'm here."
Jean's eyes lit up. She still remembered the taste of the pastries Xia Zhi made yesterday—those flavors were still lingering on her tongue even now.
She'd eaten Xiangling's food before too and found it delicious, but since Xiangling had become Xia Zhi's apprentice, it was clear his culinary skills far surpassed hers.
Jean beamed. "Mr. Xia, if you're willing to guide Noelle, that would be wonderful. Noelle!"
She called out.
Noelle put down what she was doing and walked over, still wearing that same serious expression. "Acting Grand Master, do you need my assistance?"
Jean introduced her. "This is Mr. Xia from Liyue—he's also Xiangling's master."
"Xiangling?"
Noelle blinked, startled.
She knew Xiangling. Last year, when Xiangling came to Mondstadt for culinary training, they'd even had a friendly cooking competition. Noelle had narrowly lost.
If this Mr. Xia was Xiangling's master, then he must be an extraordinary chef.
Jean looked at Noelle and said, "Mr. Xia tasted your cooking just now. He thinks you have a lot of culinary talent and would like to guide you."
Noelle turned to Xia Zhi, looking a little confused. "You want to guide me?"
Xia Zhi nodded. "Yes. I think you have a lot of potential that hasn't been tapped yet. It'd be a shame to let that go to waste."
Noelle hesitated for a moment, then lowered her head politely. "Thank you for your kind offer, Mr. Xia. But my dream is to become a true knight, not a chef. So… please allow me to decline."
Xia Zhi found her response interesting. "You're really going to refuse?"
"Yes," Noelle replied seriously. "My schedule is already packed. I'm preparing for this year's knight selection exam, and I truly don't have any extra time to take cooking lessons."
There was a steadfast light in her eyes.
Xia Zhi nodded. "In that case, never mind. I wish you success in becoming an official knight this year."
Noelle looked at him and said sincerely, "Thank you for your blessing. I hope you enjoy your time in Mondstadt."
With that, the little maid turned and got back to work.
Jean sighed softly. "What a shame."
Ganyu's expression was a little odd too. "It really is."
After all, this was a rare gesture of kindness from a god—and this girl just flat-out refused.
The three of them continued eating.
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