A voice that felt incredibly familiar to Ye Xi rang in his ears, making him look over instinctively.
He saw a lively young girl hugging a Ghostflicker and letting out a surprised yelp.
"Xiangling, sis! Watch out!"
A nearby sailor quickly grabbed the Ghostflicker and tossed it into a cage.
The girl patted her chest in fright, still shaken. "That scared me to death! How is this Ghostflicker so hyper!"
Wasn't this Xiangling?
How could she be afraid of a little Ghostflicker?
Though, thinking about it, girls generally freaked out over bugs with lots of legs.
Back when he and Kamisato Ayaka were practicing swordsmanship by the mountain stream on Mount Yougou, they'd once encountered a massive Ghostflicker. It had scared Ayaka so much she dove straight into his arms and even dropped her katana.
"Ye Xi, this is Liyue's most famous chef, Xiangling!"
Beidou introduced her to Ye Xi.
Ye Xi nodded.
Of course he knew Xiangling!
When he played the game, Liyue was his favorite region, so he was very familiar with it.
Xiangling was the head chef at the renowned restaurant Wanmin Restaurant. Plenty of people went there just to try her cooking.
He just hadn't expected to see her here.
"Sister Beidou, why was the bamboo basket full of Ghostflickers instead of octopuses today? I wasn't prepared at all!"
Xiangling approached Beidou with a look of having just survived a disaster, complaining and drawing a big laugh from Beidou.
"Xiangling, you weren't scared when you made Ghostflicker stew before. What happened to that boldness today?"
Xiangling pouted, looking wronged. "Normally Ghostflickers move so slowly—who knew this one would lunge at me? And you're still laughing, Sister Beidou!"
"Hahaha... Alright, let me introduce you. This is Ye Xi, a good brother I met in Inazuma."
"Don't let the Inazuma part fool you—he's actually from Liyue too!"
Beidou slapped Ye Xi on the shoulder, acting like she was showing off a family friend.
Xiangling's big eyes turned to Ye Xi, and she was instantly drawn to his handsome face. She seemed a bit nervous as she greeted him. "Hi, I'm Xiangling, the chef from Liyue. I'm best at making all sorts of... uh,捞...捞, dishes... Argh, I've practiced so many times, but I still get nervous, heh."
Ye Xi couldn't help but chuckle. "Hi, I'm Ye Xi. If you ever need help with anything, just let me know."
Fresh in Liyue, he needed to make more friends—especially important ones.
That way, he'd fit right in!
Thinking about it, Xiangling's background was pretty intimidating too!
Being tight with Beidou meant being tight with the Crux Fleet.
Who in Liyue hadn't heard of the Southern Cross?
Plus, behind Wanmin Restaurant was the covert backing of the Tianquan, Ningguang.
She had connections in both the underworld and the legitimate world.
With Liyue about to enter the era of mortal rule, that kind of backing was incredibly powerful.
Hearing Ye Xi's words, Xiangling's eyes lit up. "You said it, so no backing out! I'm working on a new cuisine lately, so I'll need you to taste-test it!"
Ye Xi's smile froze a little, and he inwardly groaned.
[Taste-testing, huh...]
[It wouldn't be that Ghostflicker soup the boss lady mentioned, would it?]
[This is bad—]
Though he was screaming inside, Ye Xi forced a smile on his lips. "Oh... sure, no problem."
At that moment, Xiangling's expression turned strange, like she'd heard something shocking.
Who was talking?
The voice sounded just like Ye Xi's.
Beidou noticed Xiangling's odd look and pulled her aside, whispering so only they could hear. "Xiangling, did you hear Ye Xi's voice just now?"
"Sister Beidou, how did you know?"
Xiangling was utterly surprised.
Beidou draped an arm over Xiangling's shoulder and murmured, "Don't worry—it's Ye Xi's inner thoughts. For some reason, we can hear them."
"Huh?"
Xiangling's little face was full of shock. "Sister Beidou, you can hear it too? Does that mean everyone can?!"
Beidou waved it off. "Relax—from what I've observed, not many people can hear it. You're the only one I know of."
"Ye Xi doesn't seem to know about it himself, so let's keep it quiet."
Actually, Beidou had been startled by this the first time she met Ye Xi too.
That day, she'd been drinking alone by the shore and noticed some Treasure Hoarders plotting nearby.
She'd planned to play drunk and teach them a lesson.
But then Ye Xi showed up out of nowhere and sent those Hoarders fleeing.
The kicker? That's when she heard his inner voice.
That sparked her interest in him, leading to their later friendship.
Being friends with Ye Xi was all about two words: sincerity!
In the jianghu, plenty of people were two-faced, all smiles to your face and knives behind your back.
But in all her time with Ye Xi, she'd never heard a bad thought from him about her.
She liked friends like that best!
So she told Xiangling, "Didn't you want Ye Xi to taste-test your new dishes?"
"If you can hear his thoughts, you'll get his honest first impressions, right?"
Hearing this, Xiangling's eyes sparkled!
Right!
Before, when she'd had friends or customers try her new creations, they'd often hold back the truth to save face, which frustrated her to no end.
Now, with Ye Xi around, wouldn't he be the most honest taste-tester ever!?