Ryou recognized the voice at once.
He turned and smiled. "Baizhu. It's been a while."
Baizhu came over with that same mild look of his, though his eyes lingered on the teapot for a second too long. He sat beside Ryou, and Ryou poured him a cup without waiting to be asked.
"This is good tea," Ryou said. "Try it first."
Baizhu picked up the cup and took a careful sip.
His eyes changed almost immediately.
"This tea is remarkable," he said. "The fragrance stays even after drinking, the sweetness carries a trace of bitterness, and the aftertaste lingers without turning heavy."
He set the cup down.
"One more."
Ryou laughed and poured again.
Since Baizhu had taken the bait himself, Ryou went straight to the point.
"I came today because I need your help."
Baizhu did not answer right away. He only lifted the second cup and drank slowly, eyes half-lidded as if he had heard nothing at all.
Ryou knew better than to wait for him to ask.
"The patient beside me has Eleazar. Her condition is delicate. I have something that can suppress the symptoms, but I need you to examine her properly."
Only then did Baizhu lower the cup.
"Eleazar is Sumeru's incurable disease," he said. "I have some confidence in my medical skill, but even I cannot cure it."
Dunyarzad's hands tightened around her cup, though she did not interrupt.
Baizhu continued, "If you only need an examination, of course I can help. But this thing you mentioned—something that suppresses Eleazar. What is it?"
His gaze sharpened, the doctor in him fully awake now.
"Can it be made in quantity? If it can, it would be a blessing for every Eleazar patient in Sumeru."
Ryou thought of Bloody Mary and shook his head.
That bottle was made with a drop of his own blood. If Keqing were the one suffering from a disease like this, he would not hesitate. But Dunyarzad, kind as she was, had only met him recently. He could help her, but he could not pour his life into it without limit.
Dunyarzad, Dehya, and Keqing all looked at him.
Ryou kept his answer simple.
"It's extremely precious. I don't have much."
Baizhu understood enough from that and did not press.
"Then let me examine her first. Dunyarzad, come with me."
Dunyarzad stood, and Dehya immediately moved with her.
Before leaving, Baizhu glanced toward the pharmacy hall.
"Also, may I ask for some of this tea for the elderly patients inside?"
Ryou looked at him.
Baizhu smiled faintly. "I saw what happened just now. One cup, and the old patients recovered faster than they would with my medicine. That effect is hard to ignore."
"That's fine," Ryou said. "It's only tea. Consider it my thanks for your help."
"Then thank you."
Baizhu led Dunyarzad into the inner room.
Ryou carried the teapot into the hall and poured tea for the waiting patients. The elderly people were nervous at first, but after one cup, their coughs eased, their color returned, and the stiff pain in their bodies faded so obviously that even the people watching could see it.
Three pots of tea were emptied before long.
Once Ryou brewed another pot, the patients came over one after another to thank him.
"Thank you, Ryou-sama."
"You saved us."
"Thank you, Ryou-sama."
Ryou waved them off. "No need for that. It was only a cup of tea. If you like it, have another."
Most of them were too embarrassed to accept.
Ryou did not force them. He put the teapot away and returned outside to wait for Baizhu's results.
…
By early evening, Wanmin Restaurant was still packed.
It was less frantic than the lunch rush, but only barely. Steam rolled from the kitchen, customers called for more food, and the whole place carried that lively noise that made Wanmin feel like Wanmin.
Tabibito walked in with Paimon and headed straight for the kitchen.
She had just reached the curtain when Chef Mao pulled it aside and nearly ran into her.
"Oh, Tabibito. You startled me." Chef Mao stepped back and wiped his hands. "Here for Xiangling? Go on in."
Tabibito nodded and slipped inside.
Guoba was sitting near the stove, helping with the fire. When Guoba saw Tabibito and Paimon, Guoba waved happily.
Xiangling, meanwhile, was staring at a pot lid without moving.
Tabibito walked up and tapped her shoulder.
"Xiangling."
Xiangling jumped and took two quick steps back.
"Tabibito! Don't scare me like that. You came in without making a sound."
"You were the one spacing out," Tabibito said. "Even Guoba noticed us before you did."
Paimon floated closer, instantly curious. "Xiangling must have been thinking about someone she likes."
Tabibito's eyes lit up.
"Oh? Xiangling has someone she likes?" She leaned in, smiling. "Come on, we're friends. Tell me."
Xiangling gave her a look and said nothing.
How was she supposed to answer that?
She liked Ryou quietly.
Tabibito liked Ryou openly.
Tabibito had already fought with Keqing over him, more than once. Strictly speaking, Xiangling and Tabibito were rivals too.
Chef Mao stepped into the kitchen, and Xiangling immediately shook her head.
"Don't talk nonsense. I'm still young."
Then she changed the subject. "Anyway, why are you here?"
Tabibito heard Chef Mao behind them too and lowered her voice.
"Let's talk in a private room later. I need your help with something very important."
Then she brightened again.
"But before that, make a table of food for me and Paimon. Whatever's good, bring it out. We're rich now."
Paimon puffed up proudly.
Tabibito leaned closer and added, "I'll tell you a secret. Soon, the Third-Round Knockout across from you will belong to me."
Xiangling stared at her.
"That's impossible."
"Not impossible."
"Degui would never sell that place," Xiangling said at once. "That location is worth a fortune."
Tabibito smiled. "I'm not lying. You'll know soon."
She winked. "For now, just make us something good. We'll wait outside."
After Tabibito and Paimon left, Xiangling looked at Chef Mao.
"Dad, do you think she was telling the truth?"
"Impossible," Chef Mao said without hesitation. "You know how valuable Third-Round Knockout is. If Wanmin could move there, our profits would multiply several times over."
He shook his head.
"If I owned a spot like that, I wouldn't sell it either. Degui was arrested by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and still hasn't been released, yes, but selling Third-Round Knockout? I don't see it."
He glanced at Xiangling.
"Ask her properly later."
"I will."
Xiangling got back to work.
Once the dishes were ready, she carried them to the private room herself and stayed behind.
Tabibito immediately picked up her chopsticks.
The first bite made her eyes brighten. The flavor bloomed across her tongue all at once, hot, rich, and layered in a way only Xiangling's food could manage.
She gave Xiangling a thumbs-up.
"As expected of you. Your cooking is amazing. Even ordinary dishes turn out delicious."
Xiangling smiled. "Then why do I feel a 'but' coming?"
Tabibito coughed.
"But… compared to Ryou, it's still a little behind."
Xiangling paused.
Tabibito hurried to explain. "Not by much! The flavor isn't the issue. It's more that his food has this texture and feeling that makes it stand out. Yours is still incredible."
That was honest praise, but Xiangling still fell into thought.
She knew Ryou's cooking was good. She had admired it before.
But recently, she had been working hard on new dishes and felt she had improved quite a lot.
Had Ryou improved again too?
Xiangling had been pouring herself into new dishes lately, and she knew she had improved. But from the way Tabibito said it, she was still not quite at Ryou's level.
That stung a little.
Only a little.
More than anything, it made her want to find a chance to cook with Ryou again, compare properly, and maybe close the distance between them in more ways than one.
Xiangling looked down at the dishes for a while and was about to speak when she noticed Tabibito watching her carefully.
"Xiangling, sorry," Tabibito said. "I'm used to saying whatever I'm thinking. Don't take it the wrong way."
Xiangling shook her head. "It's fine. I've been trying to catch up to Ryou anyway. If you say there's still a gap, then I just have to work harder."
Tabibito and Paimon exchanged a look.
Neither of them had a good answer to that.
Xiangling saw Tabibito go quiet and remembered why she was here in the first place.
"You said you needed my help, right?" Xiangling asked. "Tell me. If I can help, I will."
She and Tabibito were close. If Tabibito really needed something, Xiangling had no reason to stand aside. Besides, she was still curious about the Third-Round Knockout issue.
Tabibito looked at her for a long moment.
Then she asked, "Xiangling, have you ever liked Ryou?"
Xiangling froze.
She had been so careful. She had kept it quiet, kept it small, never let it spill out where people could see.
So how had Tabibito noticed?
Xiangling shook her head. "No."
"Don't lie to me," Tabibito said. "The way you look at him is obvious."
Xiangling's fingers tightened around the edge of the table.
Tabibito leaned in a little. "We're friends. I'm not going to hide things from you either. Just tell me honestly. Do you like Ryou?"
"I said no."
Xiangling did not want this getting out.
Ryou was already married. If people started talking about her liking someone else's husband, it would be bad for everyone. Even if she trusted Tabibito not to spread it around, saying it out loud still felt dangerous.
Tabibito watched her for another moment.
Then, instead of dropping it, she said something even worse.
"Xiangling, since we're friends… have you ever thought about teaming up with me?"
Xiangling stared at her.
Tabibito spoke quickly, as if afraid Xiangling would run away before she finished.
"I'm not trying to fight you over him. I mean we should work together. If the two of us team up, we'll definitely have a better chance than Keqing alone."
Xiangling's mind went blank.
Tabibito kept going.
"Then we'll make Ryou marry both of us. That way, we both get what we want."
Xiangling was completely stunned.
She had not even dared say she liked him.
Meanwhile, Tabibito was not only openly fighting Keqing for her husband, she had come all the way here to drag Xiangling into it too.
Was she serious?
Was she insane?
Was Keqing going to kill them both?
[End of chapter]