For the sake of maintaining peace during this period, the Liyue Qixing had barely found time to rest.
Almost all of them were working nonstop, moving from one matter straight to the next.
After finally obtaining the Glazed Crescent Moon, Keqing's mood had only just begun to relax. She originally planned to depart immediately and resume the unfinished work she had set aside.
Having heard that the Crux Fleet had returned, she also intended to personally look into the division and management of Liyue's maritime territory.
After all, the sea was difficult to oversee on a daily basis, and unattended islands were easily turned into breeding grounds for pirates and bandits.
As for Luo Li's kindness, she planned to repay it at a later time.
Whether through gifts or other forms of assistance, Keqing disliked owing favors to others.
That was how things were supposed to go.
Yet after passing through three streets, she realized that Luo Li and his group were still walking alongside her.
Already feeling puzzled, Keqing finally couldn't help but ask,
"May I ask, Mr. Luo Li… where are you headed?"
Luo Li, equally surprised, saw no reason to hide their destination and answered directly,
"Wanmin Restaurant."
"Huh? You're going to Wanmin Restaurant as well?"
Keqing was genuinely shocked. She knew very well that Wanmin Restaurant had been fully booked for the evening and was not accepting outside guests.
Did they not know about this? Or was it that—
Suppressing her doubts, she said nothing further, waiting until they arrived at the restaurant's entrance.
As a small eatery struggling to survive between Liyue cuisine and Yue cuisine, Wanmin Restaurant wasn't particularly well-located.
It sat toward the far end of Chihu Rock.
Even so, thanks to its decent flavor and affordable prices, it had earned a loyal following of regular customers.
If it were known in advance that Xiangling herself was cooking, the place would undoubtedly be packed to capacity.
Today's Wanmin Restaurant, however, was especially noisy.
Before they even arrived, loud laughter and boisterous shouting from burly men could be heard from afar.
Just from their voices, Luo Li could tell they belonged to Hailong and Chongzuo.
Standing at the entrance, he exchanged a glance with Keqing.
Both of them immediately understood.
"So that's how it is. I didn't expect Mr. Luo Li to be a guest invited by the Crux Fleet. I was discourteous earlier."
Keqing knew very well that anyone personally invited by Beidou had to be exceptional—at the very least, outstanding in some field.
Even without that, Luo Li's aura alone marked him as anything but ordinary.
Having seen all kinds of people, Keqing was particularly sensitive to such details.
Just as Luo Li was about to respond, the door was suddenly pulled wide open, and Beidou spotted them standing outside.
"Oh? Isn't that Keqing and Mr. Luo Li? Why are you standing outside instead of coming in?"
The straightforward and enthusiastic captain immediately grabbed both of them and pulled them inside.
Keqing staggered slightly, startled.
"H–Hey, wait, don't pull me!"
Luo Li gently shook Beidou's hand off and nodded toward Raiden Makoto behind him.
The mature woman smiled faintly and followed along with Eula and Noelle.
She didn't dislike people who were overly familiar, and the noise inside didn't bother her in the slightest.
Looking around, the restaurant was packed wall to wall with Crux Fleet members.
Hundreds of people crammed the interior, and those who couldn't find seats had borrowed tables and chairs from nearby shops, setting them up on the open stone pavement outside.
Aside from the crew left behind to guard the ships, nearly everyone was present.
"You really came at just the right time."
Beidou didn't give Keqing any chance to speak, cheerfully leading her to the table with the fewest people.
Luo Li's group followed, filling the table perfectly.
"Xiangling! Everyone's here—start serving the dishes!"
Beidou shouted loudly.
From the kitchen came Xiangling's energetic response.
"Got it! Coming right up!"
Amid her reply, faint muttering could be heard—something about "Guoba, hurry and breathe fire."
Keqing was half-dazed as she was pulled into a seat.
The moment she sat down, she immediately stood back up.
"Wait, Captain Beidou, I actually came here to—"
Before she could finish, Beidou pressed her back down again, cutting her off without hesitation.
"Whatever it is, we'll talk after eating and drinking."
Keqing: "..."
This captain always ignored rules and protocol—truly a headache.
Yet the Crux Fleet was indispensable to Liyue Harbor.
Fortunately, the one who gave her even more headaches was "Tianquan."
At least she only encountered Beidou occasionally.
Watching from the side, Luo Li found the situation amusing.
If there was anyone capable of leaving Keqing completely speechless, it was probably Beidou.
Keqing wanted to refuse, but every attempt to speak was interrupted.
In the end, she could only fall silent.
In truth, there was another reason for her reluctance.
She knew of Xiangling's talent and genuinely admired her. In the past, she had even considered commissioning several banquets from her.
However, after tasting trial dishes made with lizards and slimes, she had immediately abandoned the idea.
Now, she was worried that Xiangling might serve something equally unconventional.
Not eating would be impolite—but eating it would be… troublesome.
Thankfully, the answer was revealed quickly.
As Xiangling, Chef Mao, and several familiar sailors began serving dishes, Keqing saw none of the bizarre creations she feared.
Instead, her gaze was instantly drawn to one particular dish.
"Th–That is… Golden Shrimp Balls!"
Her eyes lit up with delight.
Logically speaking, she shouldn't be overly attached to food, but Keqing simply couldn't resist Golden Shrimp Balls.
Even eating just one was enough to satisfy her taste buds and wash away all accumulated stress.
Seeing this, she immediately abandoned the thought of leaving.
Luo Li noticed her subtle reaction and found it faintly amusing.
Who would have thought that one of the mighty Liyue Qixing—Yuheng herself—would be utterly powerless before a single dish?
However, his attention soon shifted elsewhere.
His gaze settled on a small figure following closely beside Xiangling.
It was a mysterious creature that looked somewhat like a raccoon, busily helping to carry dishes back and forth.
The moment Luo Li noticed it, the creature seemed to sense something as well.
It turned and locked eyes with him.
Luo Li clearly felt it stiffen.
Abandoning the dishes it was carrying, the creature scampered over, waving its arms wildly and shouting in a language no normal person could understand.
"Long time no see, Marchosius."
At the greeting, the creature began bouncing excitedly.
"Guoba-guoba!"
"Yeah, I'm back."
"Gulu-gulu!"
"I haven't seen Zhongli yet—but it won't be long."
"Wu-wa wu-wa!"
"You're asking about me and Makoto? Yes—just as you're thinking. That kind of relationship."
The two carried on a conversation completely incomprehensible to outsiders.
Nearby, both Keqing and Beidou stared in shock.
They had, of course, seen this strange creature that followed Xiangling—but never once had anyone been able to communicate with it.
Judging by the scene before them, this man named Luo Li not only knew it…
He seemed to be on very good terms with it as well