Shenhe hadn't even had time to react before Paimon grabbed her by the hand and hurried her forward.
"Wait, I…"
Shenhe looked a little lost, but faced with Paimon's enthusiasm, she found it hard to refuse, so she followed along toward Wanmin Restaurant.
Shao Yun knew Shenhe wasn't a bad person, but he was still surprised by how forward Paimon could be.
He turned his head toward Lumine and muttered, "Paimon's a bit too familiar, isn't she?"
Lumine only shrugged helplessly. After all, that was just how Paimon had always been.
Though she had grown a little sharper these days, her warm (and silly) nature hadn't changed.
…
The group walked along the street, passed through Feiyun Slope, and finally arrived at Wanmin Restaurant at Chihu Rock.
Paimon held tightly onto Shenhe's hand, with Shao Yun and Lumine following close behind.
As soon as they stepped inside, Paimon called out cheerfully to Master Mao.
"Master Mao! We're here!"
Seeing Paimon, Mao's face lit up with a warm smile. "Well, hello there, Paimon. It's been quite a while, hasn't it?"
But when his gaze fell on Shenhe, who had only just left Wanmin Restaurant earlier, he froze for a moment.
Recalling how she had "wasted" food earlier, he felt a little awkward. Forcing a smile, he greeted her: "Oh… miss, hello again…"
Paimon glanced around the restaurant curiously before asking Master Mao.
"Master Mao, is Xiangling here?"
At that, Mao understood—they had come to find his precious daughter Xiangling. He smiled and pointed toward the kitchen.
"You've come at the right time. Xiangling just returned not long ago with Guoba after gathering fresh ingredients."
Paimon twirled happily in the air at the news.
She turned excitedly to Shenhe. "Shenhe, I'm telling you, Xiangling is an amazing chef! The food she makes is sure to satisfy you."
Master Mao, however, couldn't help but sense something odd.
Could it be that Shenhe only ate tiny portions of every dish because his cooking wasn't good enough?
He began to reflect on his own skills, wondering if he needed to improve.
At that moment, Xiangling, having heard Paimon's voice, set aside the ingredients she had just collected and handed them to Guoba to prepare.
Then she quickly pulled aside the curtain and rushed out of the kitchen.
"Wow! Lumine, Paimon, Shao Yun! And a new friend too—hello, everyone!" Xiangling greeted them with her usual lively energy.
Paimon clapped her little hands in delight before explaining their purpose for coming.
"Xiangling, it's been so long! This is Shenhe—she just arrived in Liyue Harbor and is looking for delicious food!"
The first part of that sentence was true enough… but the last bit about "looking for delicious food" was entirely Paimon's own addition.
Hearing they were in search of fine cuisine, Xiangling's eyes lit up with excitement.
"In that case, you came to the right place! Guoba and I just brought back a whole lot of fresh ingredients."
"Tell me what you'd like—I can cook anything right now!"
Paimon turned eagerly to Shenhe. "So, Shenhe, what do you like to eat?"
Shenhe blinked, pointing at herself blankly. "Me?"
Then she recalled the food she had eaten while living with her "master."
"Qingxin, Glaze Lilies, Violetgrass… those are what I usually eat."
Shao Yun thought to himself, 'Just how did that bird raise her? She really treated Shenhe like a goat…'
Lumine frowned. "But aren't those… medicinal herbs? Can you really eat those?"
Xiangling tapped her chin in thought, mentally working through recipes.
"Well… it's not exactly common in Liyue, but no problem—I can handle it!"
Paimon gasped. "Wait, you can even make dishes out of herbs?"
"Of course I can," Xiangling replied with confidence. "Leave it to me! What about you, Lumine, Paimon, Shao Yun? What would you like?"
Lumine and Shao Yun were indifferent, so the choice fell to Paimon.
Paimon rubbed her hands together, grinning. "Hehe, then we'll just have Wanmin Restaurant's signature dishes!"
"Got it! Just give me a moment," Xiangling said, brimming with energy, before hurrying back into the kitchen.
Shao Yun watched her go, suddenly recalling that Shenhe probably didn't actually enjoy eating herbs…
Shenhe said quietly, "Paimon, you didn't need to trouble yourself so much. When we left Yujing Terrace, I smelled Violetgrass…"
She was referring to Bubu Pharmacy. At the time, she had even said they could just take her there.
But Paimon shook her finger firmly. "No way! Shenhe, this is your first time in Liyue Harbor—you need to taste real food!"
Shenhe, seeing Paimon's determination, simply said, "Then… thank you."
…
Shao Yun watched the three girls chatting animatedly. Finding himself with nothing to add, he excused himself to give them space.
Stepping outside, he caught sight of a faint azure silhouette slipping between Wanmin Restaurant and the nearby houses, as though spying on him.
When he turned to look, the mysterious figure quickly hid.
Curious, Shao Yun walked closer—and found a woman standing against the wall.
She wore red glasses, a cloud-patterned mantle, her high ponytail swaying slightly, and her figure was striking. Clearly, she was trying to avoid his gaze.
But her ostrich-like attempt at hiding—head down, body exposed—was hardly effective.
Shao Yun's eyes widened. "Whoa… you're… Cloud Retainer?"
Inwardly, Shao Yun couldn't help but wonder, 'So Cloud Retainer—Xianyun—took on a human form this early?'
Then again, it wasn't really his business when she chose to do so.
Though she had a less-than-favorable impression of him because of the damage he had once caused to Liyue's ley lines, she wasn't here to fight.
After all, Morax himself bore him no grudge, and she wasn't going to harp on the past.
Instead, she gave a light cough to cover her awkwardness, crossed her arms, and said with forced casualness:
"Ahem… Shao Yun, you are mistaken. I am not Cloud Retainer. Merely a passing mortal."
Shao Yun stared at her blankly. 'What kind of bird-brained answer is that?'
"Uh… yeah, no. If this were truly our first meeting, you wouldn't know my name. And calling yourself 'this immortal'? That gave it away."
Seeing her disguise exposed, Xianyun simply admitted the truth with grace.
"Very well. I am indeed Cloud Retainer. But tell me—how did you recognize me? This is the first time I've taken human form."
Shao Yun couldn't very well say he had already known from elsewhere, so he spun a plausible lie.
"Well, the adepti I know—Mountain Shaper and Moon Carver—are both men. Xiao and Morax don't look anything like you. And you… you have that aura of an adeptus. I just put the pieces together."
He shrugged. "In short, I guessed."
Xianyun blinked. He guessed? Yet somehow his reasoning sounded entirely reasonable—and disturbingly accurate.
"You're far too good at guessing," she muttered.
Shao Yun shrugged again. "Anyway… don't tell me you've been following us all this time. And Shenhe's master—that's you, isn't it?"
Xianyun stiffened, eyeing him warily. "Your guesses are… frighteningly precise. Almost unnerving."
Shao Yun didn't answer—better to let her think what she liked.
…
Then Xianyun explained why Shenhe was in Liyue Harbor.
"I heard Tianquan Ningguang plans to rebuild the Jade Chamber. That structure once served Liyue well. Since it is being rebuilt, we adepti ought to contribute.
Thus, I sent my disciple Shenhe here—to assist with the reconstruction. More importantly, to experience the ways of mortal life."
She added why she herself was in the city.
"As for me, I merely came to ensure no one bullies her."
Shao Yun chuckled. "Who'd dare bully your disciple?"
Leaning against the wall beside her—keeping a meter's distance—he pulled a cigar from his Legend of the East satchel.
After a moment's thought, he offered it to her with a teasing grin. "Want one?"
Xianyun twitched at the corner of her eye, clearly displeased. "Tsk… Xiao was right. You really are a rude man. Why does Madame Ping say otherwise?"
Lighting the cigar, Shao Yun smirked. "Isn't respecting elders a Liyue tradition? You may look young, but you're certainly not a child…"
Given her mature form, she didn't exactly fit with "elderly" or "youth."
Adjusting her glasses, Xianyun wasn't sure if he was complimenting her—or calling Ping old.
"…I don't even know how to respond to that."
"But don't let Ping's current old-lady appearance fool you. She was once quite beautiful."
Shao Yun exhaled a plume of smoke, humoring her. "Oh? Now I'm curious."
…
He leaned there, cigar burning slowly, smoke curling upward.
Xianyun produced a curious little device shaped like a bird.
It flapped its wings, sending a breeze that blew the smoke away from her side.
After all, standing beside a smoker when one didn't smoke was unpleasant.
Seeing this, Shao Yun was polite enough.
He took one last draw, then dropped the cigar—barely a quarter burned—onto the ground, snuffed it with his boot, and wrapped the stub in cloth to tuck back into his satchel.
After all, Xiao had told him: never litter.
Then he popped a mint leaf into his mouth to freshen his breath.
Once Xianyun noticed he had stopped smoking, she put away her little device and asked, "So then, why did you come outside?"
Shao Yun jerked his thumb toward the wall behind him. "Your disciple, Lumine, and Paimon are chatting away. Three girls together—what's a guy like me supposed to do? Play the third wheel?"
Xianyun nodded thoughtfully. "I see… By the way, when will you be heading to Inazuma?"
Shao Yun blinked. 'Uh… we already went there and came back… what is she talking about?'
He smirked. "You're a little behind the times—we've already returned from Inazuma."
"What? You've been and come back already?" Xianyun asked in disbelief.
Scratching his head, Shao Yun recalled bidding farewell to the others. He hadn't said goodbye to Morax, but he had to Ganyu at least.
'Did that absent-minded "slime-can't-hold-a-cloth" disciple of yours forget to mention it?'
"I remember telling Ningguang, Keqing, and Ganyu before we left. Didn't Ganyu tell you?"
But Xianyun only sighed. "That child… she visits me once a year at best. If she spends even half an hour with me, it's a miracle."
Shao Yun shrugged. "Fair enough. I forgot how things are with Ganyu."
Xianyun's curiosity turned to their Inazuma journey.
"Then tell me—how was it there? Share your story with me. In return, I'll tell you one. Perhaps about Ganyu as a child… or Shenhe's childhood?"
Shao Yun winced inwardly. 'How did either of those girls survive with this long-winded bird looking after them?'
But he relaxed, waving her off. "Forget it. I've no interest in childhood tales.
In Inazuma, we solved… quite a few problems. I had a long discussion with the Raiden Shogun—Beelzebul.
In the end, I convinced her. The Sakoku Decree and the Vision Hunt Decree—let's just say I solved those with… practical application of classical mechanics."
The phrasing was odd, but to Xianyun, it sounded no different than how things had gone in Liyue.
"Impressive. Truly, wherever you go, troubles seem to resolve themselves."
Just as she was about to share a tale of her own, Xiangling's cheerful voice rang from inside Wanmin Restaurant.
"Food's ready!"
Followed quickly by Paimon's excited call.
"Shao Yun, come eat!"
"Got it," Shao Yun replied.
He glanced at Xianyun, lifting his chin politely. "Care to join us, Cloud Retainer?"
She shook her head.
"No. I don't indulge in mortal delicacies. And Shenhe would feel uneasy seeing me."
"As for my stories… another time, perhaps."
Shao Yun didn't press her—it had only been a courtesy.
"Fair enough. Then I'll head back in."