Before ordering, Victor Wang confirmed, "You're not like Ganyu, restricted to only eating vegetarian food, right?"
"I am not a mystical beast, so I have no such dietary restrictions. However… though human cuisine is indeed delicious, if I were to one day return to the mountains, the lingering taste of such delicacies might instead become an obstacle to cultivation."
"Cloud Retainer is that powerful, yet she hasn't invented any kind of mechanism for cooking delicious food? Something like a 'Culinary Automaton'?"
"This… I wouldn't dare to speculate on my master's preferences. I can only say that such a mechanism doesn't exist yet, but she would certainly be interested in the idea."
"So, you don't need to worry about not being able to eat it again when you return to the mountains. Just pick whatever you like—Wanmin Restaurant's dishes are definitely tasty."
Hearing this, Xiangling chuckled. "You flatter me!"
"Then I… I want to eat a bowl of noodles. That bowl of noodles tastes like home, unforgettable for a lifetime."
"The taste of home…?"
Victor Wang froze, then hesitantly replied, "But in a restaurant, dishes are generally ordered according to the menu. Even regular customers who order off-menu wouldn't be able to request something like 'the taste of home'…"
"Oh, don't worry about that." Xiangling crossed her hands in front of her and waved them. "Though we normally don't accept custom flavors, it's different when it's for friends!"
"Friends? We're already friends?"
"Of course! You're Victor's benefactor, Chongyun's family, and to me you're like a senior sister of the same generation. Just treat me as a friend!"
Shenhe looked slightly troubled. "I'm not sure whether I'm truly related to Chongyun."
"He's already confirmed it. By seniority, he has to call you 'Auntie'. His whole family is even preparing to choose an auspicious day to invite you to a gathering."
"No… suddenly meeting a bunch of strangers, I wouldn't know how to handle it. Better not to go…"
"Just follow your own wishes, slowly." While comforting her, Victor Wang quietly asked Xiangling, "Can you really make this 'taste of home'?"
Xiangling whispered back, "I'll try my best."
Then she carefully asked Shenhe for more details.
"My home is southwest of Mt. Tianheng, against the mountain but not by water, with adeptal bloodline… The food tasted warm, with mushrooms and diced meat as side ingredients. My mother cooked it… I think I understand. And you, Victor, what would you like?"
"I'll also try this 'taste of home'."
"Then wait just a little! Since I'll need to rework the ingredients from the start, it may take a bit longer."
From the kitchen came the sounds of a knife meeting a chopping board (thock-thock-thock), moist ingredients touching hot oil (sizzle!), steam colliding with a pot lid (clatter-hiss), and finally the harmony of bowls and spoons.
Xiangling presented two bowls of noodles topped with a reddish-brown sauce, garnished with mushrooms, diced meat, and some unknown ingredient.
"Cold Noodles with Mountain Delicacies?"
"That's right. Based on the ingredients Shenhe remembered and the geography of her home, this should be close. I also adjusted it considering the region's culinary preferences, a mother's mood while cooking, and homestyle habits—hopefully it resembles the taste."
After tasting it, Victor Wang was surprised to find that the noodles were not as delicious as those he had eaten before. Still, they weren't bad either. It was the kind of dish where, if no one asked, he wouldn't say it was bad, but if asked, he could answer "good" without sounding insincere.
It was as if… as if though the dish looked the same as one in a restaurant, at home it would only use essentials like soy sauce and salt. The flavor was less rich, less layered.
Shenhe said nothing at first, quietly finishing the entire bowl. Only afterward did she murmur, "Very similar, about eighty percent alike."
Xiangling pouted but then quickly relaxed. "Well, this was just the first time. You can tell me the differences, and I'll adjust next time."
But Shenhe shook her head. "This is fine. If it were identical… it would make me feel sorrow, even fear. Truly, thank you."
"Mhm, mhm! Whenever you want to eat it again, just come by! I've memorized the flavor now—next time it'll be much faster."
After sending Shenhe to the door, Xiangling even called Victor to leave together, without realizing anything unusual.
"Ahem, we came here to dine, after all."
"Right, Xiangling, I need to pay you."
"Oh, don't bother, it's your first visit—I'll treat you!"
Shenhe tilted her head toward Victor, still sitting stubbornly at the table. "Come on, Xiangling said no need to pay."
"Xiangling, I'm helping Shenhe get used to the rules of human society. Forget the treat—please calculate the bill for us."
"Oh—" Xiangling suddenly understood. "Then it's 2000 Mora each for Wanmin Restaurant. Sorry, Shenhe, I'll treat you once you're more used to things."
"…2000 Mora, is that correct?" Shenhe fished four 1000-Mora coins from her small purse.
"That's too much—this is 4000."
"I paid Victor's share too."
"Then that matches up."
But Victor Wang immediately objected. "No, no, that won't do."
"Why not?"
"In human society, when living long-term, you'll often eat out with friends. In those situations, there's a saying: 'Even among close brothers, accounts are settled clearly.' Unless you've agreed beforehand, everyone should just pay their own share."
"I can't understand—why would close brothers still settle accounts?"
"It's to draw clear boundaries, to avoid unnecessary disputes if brothers ever differ or split apart later, and to keep the affection between them pure, untainted by money."
"If even close brothers must draw such lines… then what relationship is truly reliable…"
Xiangling chimed in to help: "It's really only about finances. Property disputes are messy. Usually only between parents and children, or between spouses, is there real financial sharing."
"Parents and children… spouses…" Shenhe fell into thought, then silently took back the two extra coins.
Sensing she was getting tired of lectures, Victor Wang shifted the topic. "Come on, let's go shopping."
It was already 3:00 PM, past the peak crowd, but the streets of Liyue Harbor were still bustling. Shenhe, walking among the crowd, stayed close to Victor Wang, somewhat tense.
But the variety of goods at the stalls and shops stirred her curiosity. Nearly everything that caught her eye, she went up to ask about. And yet, perhaps by nature, though she looked at many things, she bought nothing.
Once familiar with the lively street, Shenhe asked curiously, "Do these people not need to work?"
"Ah, well… work is always a heavy subject.
"Those here at this hour—elderly folks are retired, no need to work. Children aren't old enough yet. The young people currently working are supporting them.
"As for young people out shopping, maybe they've achieved financial freedom, or maybe they come from good families… no need to work."
Sigh…
After sighing, Victor Wang continued, "You're not working right now either, because your work is already done. Completing four commissions in less than half a day earned enough Mora to support you for nearly ten days, since you don't need rent.
"That's why I like being an adventurer—as long as you're capable, it's incredibly free."
Victor Wang himself had no talent for shopping. To him, shopping was only for purchasing necessities directly—it was otherwise a time-consuming chore. Luckily, Shenhe was the main focus today, so accompanying her kept him from feeling bored.
After walking side by side for a while, Victor Wang's eyes lit up when he spotted a stall selling accessories. Finally, he had a reason to buy something.
The stall owner, a plump woman, noticed them and, though unsure of their relationship, cleverly asked, "Young man, are you buying accessories for your girlfriend?"
"She's a female friend, not a girlfriend."
Guessing Shenhe wouldn't understand the difference, Victor Wang didn't explain, scanning rows of hairpins, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings—yet not finding what he wanted.
Grabbing a lock of his own hair, he gestured. "What do you call that string for tying hair? Do you have those?"
"Hair tie?"
"Anyway, the kind that ties hair and makes a bow. It should be red, like the one on my neck!" Victor Wang smacked his forehead, realizing he already wore one.
"Yes, yes, I have that!"
The vendor produced a redwood box, revealing a rope nearly identical to Shenhe's. She boasted, "This red string is from the Feiyun Commerce Guild, woven by hand from pure Silk Flower fibers. The quality is unquestionable—perfect for this young lady!"
"Feiyun Commerce Guild?"
"Oh, don't doubt it. Though most Silk Flowers from the guild are used for weaving fabric, some are used for other things. I'd never dare lie about them."
Without bargaining, Victor Wang bought it and handed it to Shenhe. "Use this red string to replace your old one."
"…Alright."
She simply tied her long, waist-length hair and Vision again.
"White hair and red string look perfect together. Without it, something feels missing."
Wait—had he ever seen Shenhe wearing the red string in reality before? Did he just slip up?
"Really?" Shenhe brushed her hair, the corners of her mouth curving into a faint smile. She didn't seem to notice his slip.
"Yes, very pretty! But after all this shopping, didn't you want to buy anything?"
"I need little for daily life. Apart from food and lodging, most of these are just amusing—buying them would serve no purpose."
"Eh~, young lady, that's not right." A prosperous-looking stall owner overheard and cut in. Seeing their attention, he continued, "Life isn't just about survival. Otherwise, what's the difference from animals? That's why we need hobbies. As long as you like it, who cares if it's useful?"
"What are you trying to say?" Shenhe bluntly interrupted, seeing his tendency to ramble.
The stall owner froze, then smoothly adapted. "I mean, you might like my jade-ore stones. Play small, it brings good luck. Play big, maybe you'll strike it rich."
"Spending money on stones can earn money?"
Seeing she was unfamiliar with gambling stones, the vendor eagerly launched into a persuasive explanation of their supposed benefits.
Shenhe was swayed, already holding her purse. Victor Wang, knowing the saying 'nine out of ten losses in stone gambling', deliberately let her buy one as a lesson, watching silently.
"Prince?"
A sudden voice echoed in his mind. Victor Wang turned sharply, locking eyes with Diergis's uncertain gaze.