Chapter 108: The one speeding was Daiyuan, what does that have to do with me, Daiyue?
Poor Brother Daiyuan. He probably hadn't even recovered his sense of taste yet. The poor man was clearly hallucinating, mistaking cars on the road for flying vehicles and the patrolling Millelith for Guizhong Ballistae.
Hu Tao instantly lauded her own brilliant insight. At the same time, the guilt she felt for dragging an innocent man into her culinary experiments last night deepened into a knot in her stomach.
She quickly took two steps forward, a comforting, almost placating smile plastered on her face as she began to coax Daiyuan like a small child, playing along with his delusions.
"It's alright, it's alright, Brother Daiyuan, it's not a big problem! Disturbing the peace… well, you were a little out of line. But, considering it's your first offense, and there were… 'special circumstances'…"
She deliberately drew out her words, her eyes flicking toward the numb-looking soldier standing guard nearby. "Later, I'll vouch for you, pay the fine, and I should be able to get you out of here. Don't worry, leave it all to Director Hu!"
As she spoke, the gears in her mind were already spinning at high speed.
'How much would be an appropriate fine? Should Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's 'Traffic Accident Aftermath Handling' service introduce a new package deal? And while I'm at it, I could promote a new slogan: Safe Driving, Cherish Life. Wangsheng Funeral Parlor Provides Warm Services for Your Life's Final Destination.'
Hmm, this was turning a crisis into an opportunity. Killing multiple birds with one stone.
The abacus in Hu Tao's mind clicked away, and the smile on her face grew brighter and more sincere with each imaginary calculation.
But when Daiyuan heard her words, a warm current surged through his heart.
A look of deep relief washed over his face, and he nodded repeatedly. "Good! Thank you, Director Hu! I knew you were the most reasonable person here!"
This Director Hu, a woman he had known for a mere two days, was willing to trust him so completely and promise to get him out without a second thought.
This ancient, straightforward kindness—this uninhibited trust—deeply moved the dragon king's avatar. Having only just regained his freedom, his mind still carried a touch of primordial simplicity, and the sincerity in his gaze as he looked at Hu Tao intensified.
Zhongli, who had been observing all of this from the side, felt a faint, dark line form on his forehead.
He had anticipated this. With Daiyuan's first exposure to the novelties of the modern world—especially the "flying vehicle" modified by Xianyun—his childlike curiosity and excitement were bound to cause some commotion. He had trusted his old friend's sense of proportion, certain he wouldn't cause any major trouble.
What he hadn't expected was Hu Tao's enthusiastic cooperation. Seeing her slightly guilty expression, he knew she was attributing the entire incident to that disastrous dish from the night before.
The conclusion was now set in stone: Daiyuan's manic joyride was entirely due to the 'residual poison' of yesterday's culinary experiment.
Zhongli was momentarily speechless. The situation was impossible to explain; he felt utterly stuck. He couldn't very well step forward now and announce, 'Director Hu, he's not poisoned. That car can actually fly, and it really was shot at by a Guizhong Ballista.' That would only spiral the situation into further absurdity.
Just as the atmosphere grew subtly awkward, the young Millelith soldier in the corner, responsible for both guarding and feeding the prisoner, tried his best to shrink into the shadows, attempting to erase his own presence.
He shuffled his feet carefully and began to clear the precariously stacked mountain of empty bowls. His movements were as light and silent as a cat's, driven by a single, desperate thought.
'This torturous 'feeding' mission is finally over! The nightmare shift is finally coming to an end!' He was so relieved he was on the verge of tears.
However, just as he picked up a teetering stack of bowls and began to tiptoe toward the exit, Daiyuan's booming voice rang out again, striking him like a bolt from the blue.
"Hey! You, the young man who delivers the food! Wait a moment!" Daiyuan's voice was frank and matter-of-fact. "Could you bring me a few more servings? I was so busy talking to Director Hu just now that I didn't really taste anything. I'm only just starting to get a feel for it, and my stomach is still empty."
"…" The young soldier froze mid-step. The arms holding the bowls trembled, and his expression solidified as if he'd been struck by lightning.
He slowly, mechanically, turned his head, his eyes filled with a bottomless despair as he stared at Daiyuan.
His superior's words from earlier echoed in his ears: "Just let him eat. How much can one person possibly eat?"
His lips trembled, wanting to say something, but all that escaped was a resigned, barely audible sigh. He defeatedly set down the empty bowls and, with heavy, leaden steps, walked back toward the door—a merciless meal-delivery machine, forced back online against its will.
Seeing this, Hu Tao's sense of guilt deepened. 'It's all my fault.'
Listen to those symptoms! "Didn't really taste anything," "only just starting to get a feel for it," "stomach is still empty"—weren't these the classic signs of dysgeusia and increased appetite after food poisoning?
That bowl of General's Phantom Chili she'd concocted yesterday was truly a sin.
"Brother Daiyuan, you just sit tight and… uh… fill your stomach. I'll go take care of the procedures for you right away!" Hu Tao said quickly. She then turned on her heel and briskly followed the desolate soldier out the door.
"Mister Millelith, wait for me! How much is the fine? What's the process? I'll pay right now!"
The room instantly fell silent, leaving only Zhongli and Daiyuan staring at each other through the iron bars, with a lone, steaming bowl of white rice left on the table between them.
Zhongli looked at his old friend—and current troublemaker—a rare sense of helplessness welling up inside him.
He slowly walked forward until he stood just outside the cell. His deep, golden eyes calmly observed Daiyuan, a gaze that seemed to see straight into a person's heart.
"Cough…" Daiyuan felt a little uncomfortable under Zhongli's stare and was the first to break the silence, his tone tinged with the awkwardness of his own guilt.
"Um… Morax… ah, Zhongli. I know what you're going to say. It's my fault, all my fault. I got too excited, a bit carried away with a new toy. I flew too ostentatiously and disturbed everyone's sleep."
"Don't worry. Once Director Hu gets me out, I'll change my appearance and my name. I'll say that Daiyuan's sworn brother, 'Daiyue,' has come to visit."
"I'll tell everyone that 'Daiyuan' is my country cousin who got drunk and took the vehicle for a joyride last night. I've already disciplined him severely and sent him back home! I guarantee I won't implicate the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's reputation! How about that? Pretty thoughtful, right?!"
He puffed out his chest and patted it proudly, projecting the air of a magnanimous man who understood the situation and would handle the aftermath. He was clearly determined to perform a perfect "cicada shedding its shell," abandoning the "Daiyuan" alias to escape this social catastrophe.
Zhongli listened quietly, his expression unreadable, until Daiyuan had finished his enthusiastic proposal. Only then did he slowly open his mouth, his voice steady and calm, yet carrying a certainty that made Daiyuan's heart skip a beat.
"I'm afraid that plan will not work."
"Hm?" Daiyuan was startled.
Zhongli continued, his tone carrying the subtle hint of someone explaining something for another's own good.
"To prevent any future inconvenience for you when traveling in Liyue, and to help your true integration into the myriad lights of the Harbor, I have already entrusted Miss Keqing, the Yuheng, to process a formal Liyue household registration for you. It is registered under the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
"Your identity documents, travel permit, and the household registration jade tablet engraved with your name are all ready."
He paused, his gaze falling on Daiyuan's instantly frozen face.
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