"Er... so, does Benefactor Wende always cook such a lavish feast? This truly leaves this humble lady feeling rather overwhelmed."
Tingyun looked at the massive spread of dishes on the table with some embarrassment. There were a few Xianzhou dishes, but most were cuisines she couldn't name.
"Of course! Miss Tingyun, you ran around with us for so long but never got to experience Wende's cooking. Come, come, this is my absolute favorite, braised chicken leg. Hurry and try it!"
March 7th beamed as she placed a large chicken leg into Tingyun's bowl.
"Well, this humble lady thanks Benefactor March."
Seeing the enormous chicken leg in her bowl, Tingyun quickly thanked March. Then, she gently poked the golden, glistening skin of the chicken leg with her chopsticks.
Psssssh...
The moment the chopsticks made contact, the incredibly soft skin immediately gave way, forming a small indent. An alluring, meaty aroma wafted out as juices trickled down the leg. A rich fragrance instantly exploded in Tingyun's nostrils!
"This... this is..."
Tingyun stared at the chicken leg in shock. Was this really just an ordinary chicken leg?
Wende watched Tingyun's reaction with a confident smile on his face. For this dinner, he had brought out one hundred percent of the skills he had learned at a certain Eastern culinary academy. He had even used ten rounds of Tuina massage on the ingredients, making the meat more tender and the texture more delicate and soft. This was all to give the seemingly normal, but actually somewhat off, Tingyun a little "China shock"!
Gazing at the chicken leg, a look of keen interest appeared on Tingyun's face. She then took a small, delicate bite.
BOOM!!!
Tingyun's eyes flew wide open, her pupils trembling uncontrollably. Her taste buds... no, her very soul! It was exploding! Ascending!
The moment her teeth touched the chicken, there was a slight springy resistance before the tender meat gave way. Then, an explosion of savory juices flooded her tongue!
Savory! Salty! Soft! Tender!
A blush spread across Tingyun's cheeks, the pair of fox ears on her head stood up straight, and her large, fluffy tail began to sway from side to side uncontrollably.
The tender chicken meat seemed to melt into a paste without any real effort of chewing. As it slid down her throat, it felt as if it had transformed into the most exquisite chicken broth, flowing into her stomach and warming her entire body...
Tingyun was stunned. After coming back to her senses, she looked at the large chicken leg that had only been bitten once, and then at the feast spread across the table. She subconsciously licked the corner of her lips, a sense of anticipation she hadn't felt in a long time sparkling in her eyes.
"Woah!!!"
March stared at the chicken leg in her own hand, utterly shocked. This was... too delicious!!!!
Was this really food she was allowed to eat? Did food like this truly exist in this world?!
March then looked nervously at Wende. Was he really Wende?! Could he have been possessed by that Aeon who presides over food?!
"Hm? Why are you staring at me like that? Go on, eat. It'll get cold." Wende looked at March's neurotic expression and asked, feeling a bit puzzled.
"Wende... are you Wende?" March asked cautiously.
"Hm?" Wende raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Of course I'm Wende. Why would you ask that?"
"Wuu... I was just afraid you'd been possessed or something. Why is your cooking so delicious?!"
Viciously tearing into the large chicken leg in her hand, March had completely forgotten all the ladylike etiquette Himeko had taught her on the Express!
If the world were about to end, and she could eat something this delicious before the apocalypse, she would die with no regrets!
Riiiiip...
Suddenly, a strange sound came from the side.
Everyone turned their heads toward the source of the noise.
They saw their esteemed Mr. Yang silently put down the chicken leg he had only taken a small bite of. He pushed up his glasses and straightened the strips of cloth that were once his clothes.
"Hiss..."
March stared at Welt in amazement. His muscles had exploded...
"......"
"I'm going to go change my clothes."
Welt excused himself from the table and left his seat. He had indeed brought an extra set of clothes with him.
"Uh..."
The corner of Wende's eye twitched. It couldn't be that dramatic, could it...?
"Wende..."
For some reason, Stelle suddenly called out Wende's name softly.
"Hm? What's wrong?"
He turned his head to the girl beside him and suddenly felt a pair of small hands grip his own tightly.
Stelle was looking at him with tears streaming down her face, snot on the verge of dripping from her nose...
"Wende, I'll never make you angry again. I'll never touch those weird glowing spots again..." Stelle confessed repentantly to Wende. If Wende hadn't stopped her, she probably would have issued an "Imperial Edict of Self-Blame" right there at the dinner table.
"Alright, alright, it's good that you know you were wrong, mhm."
Wiping Stelle's tear-streaked face with a napkin, Wende gently patted her back, comforting her.
"Mhm..."
Stelle nodded vigorously, then fiercely tore into the chicken leg in her bowl.
"Hehe, it seems Benefactor Wende's culinary skills are truly remarkable. This humble lady has traveled as a merchant to many planets and tasted many delicacies, but I have never encountered a cuisine as soul-stirring as Benefactor Wende's," Tingyun praised Wende without reservation.
"Miss Tingyun, you flatter me. I simply learned some cooking skills and took a few shortcuts," Wende said humbly.
"HOLY SHIIIIIIIIIT! What the hell is this thing! Aaaahhhh!"
After encountering Tingyun and inviting her to dinner, Sister Guoguo suddenly received a golden, glowing item. She casually opened her inventory to check, puzzled when she couldn't find the glowing item in her consumables tab.
Then, she opened the Precious Items tab. The sight of the item, which shone with a blinding golden light, scared her so much she nearly jumped out of her computer chair.
[HOLY CRAP! FATHER! From now on, I am willing to go through fire and water for you! If you tell me to go east, I will never go west! If you tell me to fight Destruction, I'll blow up his damn latrine while he's taking a shit!]
[DAD! BIOLOGICAL DAD! AHHHHHHHH!!!]
[I hereby declare! Wende is the person I revere most! Bar none!]
[Aeons? How many divisions do you Aeons have?! You're only fit to sniff my Father Wende's farts!]
[This is the confidence Yifu gives me! Thank you, Lord Yifu!]
The golden item flashed with the most dazzling, yet most practical, effect.
[Wende's Lavish Dinner]
Use: Gain 200 Stellar Jade.