"Like me... a little more?"
Bonanus's words instantly caught Xiao off guard. A faint blush slowly crept up his cheeks.
This direct? Happiness came so suddenly that Xiao didn't know how to react. He could only cover his reddening face with his hand to hide his expression.
His eyes focused intently on Bonanus. Though flustered, he needed to confirm if this was real.
"Ar... are you... being serious, Sister Bonanus?" Xiao stammered, barely able to contain the excitement spilling from his gaze.
Seeing Xiao acting like such an innocent young man, Bonanus nodded with satisfaction. Yep, this was an expression she'd never seen in the game.
Not bad!
"Of course I'm just teasing!" Bonanus gently tapped Xiao's nose with her finger, delivering a line that would make any flirtatious woman proud.
Well, maybe not flirtatious exactly. Bonanus genuinely cared for Xiao, but she also knew she was like an older sister to him. She couldn't make things awkward.
What she forgot, though, was that their sibling-like bond wasn't actually connected by blood.
The moment those words left her mouth, Xiao's expression darkened. He immediately reverted to his usual cold demeanor, arms crossed, saying nothing.
But the aura radiating from him made one thing crystal clear: he was not happy. One wrong move and he'd explode.
"Can you two keep it down? The competition's reaching its climax!" Bosacius suddenly interjected from the sidelines.
Not far away, the cooking contest had entered its final stage. No flashy techniques remained—those were useless now anyway.
"We can't even see anything," Bonanus said, arms crossed as she shot a glance at Bosacius.
"Just fly up and watch then." Bosacius shrugged, clearly half-answering just to shut her up.
Bonanus could only shake her head helplessly. Did it occur to you that flying would draw way too much attention?
Besides, who in their right mind would waste their power just to watch a cooking contest? As Yakshas, they'd rather use that energy to slay enemies.
Shaking off the thought, she glanced at Xiao, who was still visibly upset.
His eyes were closed as if meditating, but the occasional twitch of his brow betrayed his true state.
"What's the matter? Don't get upset over something so silly!" Bonanus threw an arm around Xiao's shoulder and gently patted his chest. "No hard feelings, okay?"
"Mm." Xiao's response was barely audible. His mouth said one thing, but who knew what was really going on in his head?
Plenty of methods exist to suppress an adeptus, Xiao mused darkly. If worst comes to worst... I could always just lock her up.
(T/N: Wow, I didn't know Xiao knew the basement method.)
Mortals had a saying: "A melon forced off the vine isn't sweet." But hey, it still quenches your thirst.
At that thought, a strange smile curled at the corner of Xiao's mouth. It was different from his usual expressions—darker, more unsettling.
Seeing him smile, Bonanus assumed her comfort had worked. Grinning, she grabbed Xiao by the wrist and started dragging him elsewhere.
Since she couldn't see the contest anyway, might as well explore somewhere else.
"Hey! Where are you two going?" Bosacius blinked in confusion as he watched them walk away.
He glanced at the departing pair, then back at the ongoing competition. After a deep breath, he decided to stay.
I've watched this much already—no way I'm leaving now!
He'd find them later. Adepti were good at tracking people, especially their own kind.
---
Meanwhile
"Where are we going, Sister Bonanus?" Xiao let himself be dragged along, asking quietly.
"Just somewhere else. We couldn't see the contest anyway. Besides, didn't we agree you'd spend some alone time with me?" Bonanus shot him a smile and kept walking.
Alone time... huh.
Xiao turned the phrase over in his mind. He'd read about "dates" in books, but the term had multiple meanings—family outings, romantic rendezvous...
Either way, he found himself looking forward to it.
Little did he know, a brutal trial awaited. After all, a woman's shopping stamina was something mere mortals could scarcely endure.
---
At the Harbor Fish Stalls
Fishing boats of all sizes lined the harbor, freshly returned from sea. The fish practically glistened with freshness.
This area was packed—Lantern Rite meant everyone wanted something special for dinner.
At one particular stall, two familiar figures seemed to be negotiating with the vendor.
"Hey boss! How much for the black-back bass?" Hu Tao yawned, looking tired.
Curiously, this stall wasn't busy at all. People passing by shot the vendor dirty looks.
The vendor, "Old Gao," was notoriously shady—and that was putting it lightly.
"Three hundred Mora each, or a thousand for three." Old Gao crossed his arms, looking insufferably smug.
Hu Tao blinked. A question mark practically materialized over her head.
Did I wake up, or did this guy?
"Come again?" She rubbed her eyes, making sure she heard right.
"Three hundred each, one thousand for three. Got a problem?" Old Gao's expression practically begged someone to start a fight.
They say the customer's always right, but this guy acted like he wanted to drive people away.
Even Zhongli frowned at the price. He stroked his chin thoughtfully before speaking.
"Speaking from a rational perspective... your prices are rather inflated."
He'd also noticed something else—the fish here weren't even fresh. Flies buzzed around, and the vendor couldn't care less.
Even Zhongli, not exactly known for frugality, had his limits.
"Hmph! Take it or leave it." Old Gao's nose was practically in the air.
Literally looking down on people.
"Hey, is your black-back bass fully ripe?" Hu Tao suddenly asked, completely out of pocket.
"You here to start trouble? Fish don't ripen, they're either fresh or not!" Old Gao snorted, mocking her ignorance.
Even Hu Tao's legendary patience wore thin. She was this close to personally escorting this guy to the afterlife.
But Liyue had rules. Tempting as it was, she held back.
Arms crossed over her chest—well, as much as she could—Hu Tao shot him one last dirty look, tossed her hair, and walked off.
Plenty of other fish stalls. She didn't need this attitude.
"Mr. Zhongli, let's go." She nudged the still-contemplating consultant.
Zhongli silently shook his head and followed.
They stopped at another stall run by "Old Sun." Here, the fish were genuinely fresh.
Best of all? Two-forty a pop. Still pricier than usual, but after Old Gao's nonsense, this felt like a steal.
"Super fresh fish! Get 'em while they're fresh!" Old Sun hawked loudly to a decent crowd.
"Mr. Zhongli, let's buy from him!" Hu Tao tugged Zhongli's sleeve, pointing at Old Sun's stall.
Zhongli examined the fish carefully, assessing their quality. After a moment, he delivered his verdict.
"Acceptable quality."
Hu Tao nodded. Decision made—Old Sun it was!