"Manga? What's that?"
Xingqiu grew curious.
Since he and Yanfei had worked together many times before, she almost always agreed whenever he came looking for her.
This was the first time she had politely refused him.
And the reason wasn't anything urgent—it was to read manga?
That made Xingqiu extremely curious.
"Manga is a type of book with more pictures and fewer words. It's more visually direct than novels."
Now that the topic had come up, Yanfei became instantly energized, enthusiastically recommending it to him.
"There's a manga shop called Solace Book House. The stories are incredibly exciting, and after you finish reading, you can even receive rewards. Look—this bicycle of mine was obtained there."
Yanfei proudly gestured to her beloved little bike.
She really liked it.
While it wasn't as convenient as the Bamboo Copter, riding it around Liyue Harbor was still lots of fun.
"Exciting illustrated books? And you can get rewards?"
Xingqiu's interest deepened.
He loved reading novels.
Solace Book House was practically his second home.
He had read nearly every novel there.
He had even written one himself and placed it on the shelves—
though sadly, hardly anyone read it.
Now he was hearing about an entirely new type of literature.
And judging by Yanfei's urgency, it seemed even more captivating than novels.
As for the rewards—
Xingqiu glanced thoughtfully at her bicycle.
"It's somewhat similar to a carriage."
In his view, such novelties were likely just a marketing tactic.
But that didn't matter.
He cared more about the manga itself.
Perhaps there were martial arts manga there?
That thought immediately hooked him.
"Miss Yanfei, would you mind taking me along? I'm not particularly interested in rewards, but I'd like to see what manga is like."
"Of course!"
Yanfei smiled and nodded.
She could tell Xingqiu didn't think much of the rewards.
That was normal.
After all, her bicycle wasn't exactly extraordinary.
She didn't bother explaining further.
Once he visited the shop himself, he'd understand its magic.
Besides—watching newcomers be stunned by their rewards was one of the joys of being a regular.
"I'm heading to find Xiangling first. If you don't mind, you can come with me."
"Certainly."
Xingqiu nodded.
The two made their way toward Wanmin Restaurant.
Before long, they arrived—only to be shocked by the scene.
Wanmin Restaurant was packed inside and out.
The crowd was several times larger than usual!
Excited voices echoed nonstop.
"Chef Mao! When will my Magical Mapo Tofu be ready?"
"Yeah! We came specifically for the glowing dish!"
"Haha! I already ate one earlier—it was incredible! I just ordered another!"
"Ugh! I should've come earlier! Who knows how long I'll have to wait!"
These customers had all come because of Wanmin's new glowing dish—
Magical Mapo Tofu.
After tasting it, they were utterly amazed.
Now everyone was ordering it like crazy.
"Coming, coming!"
Chef Mao emerged carrying several plates of Magical Mapo Tofu.
He served them one by one.
"Here you go!"
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he smiled.
Ever since his daughter returned from Mondstadt and created this Magical Mapo Tofu—business had exploded.
He had heard she got the recipe from some manga shop.
If he had time, he should really visit it himself.
"Haha! My glowing delicacy is finally here!"
One customer eagerly accepted his plate.
Golden light burst from the dish.
An unbelievably rich fragrance filled the air.
Even though nearby customers had seen it many times before, they still stared in awe.
Their craving only intensified.
"This tofu is that fragrant? And it glows?!"
Xingqiu stood stunned.
As the second young master of the Feiyun Commerce Guild, he had eaten nearly every delicacy imaginable.
He was a regular at Xinyue Pavilion and Liuli Pavilion.
But he had never seen anything like this.
Wanmin Restaurant had such culinary skill?!
"So Magical Mapo Tofu is a success?"
Yanfei's eyes lit up.
She loved tofu dishes the most.
So she had been especially looking forward to this one.
As for the glowing—she had already experienced that when she ate Golden Fried Rice in Mondstadt.
So she wasn't too shocked.
"Magical Mapo Tofu?"
Xingqiu looked at her in confusion.
Was that the name?
"Yes. Xiangling obtained the recipe as a reward from the manga shop."
Yanfei explained with a smile.
"The manga shop can even reward recipes like this?!"
Xingqiu's eyes widened.
He had thought the bicycle was just a novelty reward.
He hadn't expected something like this.
Even he had never encountered such a dish before!
"If it can reward this… does that mean there are even more incredible rewards?"
The thought made his curiosity burn even stronger.
He wanted to visit the manga shop immediately.
Ignoring Xingqiu's shock, Yanfei stepped forward and greeted Chef Mao.
"Chef Mao, is Xiangling home?"
"Ah, Miss Yanfei! Young Master Xingqiu! Xiangling's inside busy making Mapo Tofu."
Chef Mao chuckled.
"Then I'll go find her!"
Yanfei's eyes sparkled as she hurried inside.
Xingqiu, not being particularly close to Xiangling, stayed outside.
Instead, he smiled and said politely:
"Chef Mao, may I have one serving of Magical Mapo Tofu?"
"Of course, Young Master Xingqiu. Please wait a moment."
Chef Mao grinned and returned to the kitchen.
And somewhere in Xingqiu's heart—a seed had been planted.
Martial arts manga…
Glowing dishes…
Mysterious rewards…
Perhaps this manga shop was far more interesting than he imagined.
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