Hu Tao and Xinyan had known each other for quite some time.
From their chat, Fang Qiu learned that the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor had once invited Xinyan to perform there, ostensibly to test the waters. If the reception was good, she might have been hired as a resident singer.
Upon hearing this, Fang Qiu couldn't help but want to laugh.
Inviting a rock-and-roll singer to perform at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor?
It certainly sounded like something Hu Tao would do...
Fang Qiu suppressed a chuckle.
This reminded her of a video she had seen on a video hosting site in her past life.
The Coffin Dance. The Professional Team.
That video had spawned such a massive amount of fan-made content that the moment Hu Tao and Xinyan mentioned this topic, that addictive background music and the image of several men in suits dancing while shouldering a coffin automatically began to play in Fang Qiu's mind.
However, just as Fang Qiu was struggling to hold back her laughter at the memory of those videos, she learned from their conversation that the one who had invited Xinyan to perform was not Hu Tao. It was the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor consultant whom Hu Tao often mentioned to her.
Zhongli.
This made Fang Qiu freeze in surprise.
Although she had never met him—and had not seen that knowledgeable gentleman at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor today either—
Fang Qiu could roughly deduce his personality from Hu Tao's descriptions.
Mature, steady, taciturn, cautious in speech and action, and a very traditional individual.
Who would have thought?
That such a person would actually invite Xinyan to perform at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor...
How was that any different from raving on a grave?
No matter how she thought about it, it seemed inappropriate...
Thinking of this, Fang Qiu's impression of that mysterious consultant shifted slightly.
At the same time, Fang Qiu also noticed that Xinyan was a possessor of a Pyro Vision.
Just as they were chatting happily, a young man holding a thick stack of documents walked out from the cabin.
"Captain, the cargo inventory is just about done."
He walked up to Beidou and handed her the documents.
What made Fang Qiu curious was that this young man was not wearing Liyue attire, but rather a set of samurai garb. Over the samurai outfit, he wore something similar to a kimono draped over one side, a style she had seen in her previous life.
The pattern on his clothes consisted of scattered maple leaves.
Around his neck were two scarves, one black and one red, and nestled there was clearly an Anemo Vision.
Including Beidou's own Electro Vision, a single ship had actually gathered three Vision holders.
As expected of the legendary captain.
Truly impressive.
"His name is Kaedehara Kazuha. This guy is no simple character; rumor has it that in Inazuma's Tenshukaku, he blocked a strike from the Raiden Shogun."
Beidou took the documents, tossed them aside, and introduced him to Fang Qiu and Hu Tao.
"Blocked a strike from the Raiden Shogun? That's incredibly strong."
Fang Qiu's pupils constricted, and she sucked in a breath of cold air.
Hiss.
Gods existed in this world.
Although she didn't know exactly how strong a god was, one could roughly sense their power from legends.
It was said that the weakened version of the Overlord of the Vortex, which had caused chaos on the sea recently and was smashed back down by the Tianquan Ningguang using the Jade Chamber, was, in its prime, speared into the ocean by Rex Lapis. It hadn't crawled out for all these years, and a massive island formation had been created on the spot.
That was enough to prove how terrifying a god's power was.
And this young man before her, Kaedehara Kazuha, had actually blocked a strike from the God of Electro.
With a mortal body, standing shoulder to shoulder with gods.
His strength could only be described as terrifying.
Looking across all of Teyvat, such an existence was likely as rare as a phoenix feather or a unicorn horn, wasn't it?
Hmm...
She didn't seem to know much about Teyvat herself, so she'd better not jump to conclusions.
But thinking about it this way, it showed that Teyvat was full of powerful individuals; she had to become stronger herself.
"Captain, you're joking again."
Kaedehara Kazuha sighed helplessly, turned to look at Fang Qiu and Hu Tao, and said, "Hello, my name is Kaedehara Kazuha. Please just treat the Captain's words just now as a joke."
"Hello, I'm Fang Qiu."
"I'm Hu Tao."
Not long after the introductions, Xiangling's grilled fish was ready. She placed the grilled fish onto huge platters, added the prepared toppings, and then poured hot oil over them one by one.
Hearing the sizzling sound of the ingredients under the hot oil, everyone swallowed their saliva in anticipation.
It smelled so good.
Once the platters of grilled fish were served and Beidou gave the word to start, everyone eagerly picked up their chopsticks to dig in.
"Whoa, this grilled fish smells amazing!"
Xinyan picked up a piece of fish that was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, put it in her mouth, and spoke with a face full of bliss.
"Using such good food to go with wine, I'm truly blessed, hahaha."
Beidou ate a mouthful of fish, then took a large swig of wine, feeling thoroughly refreshed.
The group ate with relish, while Xiangling seemed to still be busy with something and hadn't joined them at the table yet.
So, Fang Qiu also moved her chopsticks, picking up a piece of the crispy-skinned, tender fish.
"Fang Qiu, don't..."
Just as Xiangling's voice rang out, the fish had already entered Fang Qiu's mouth. Instantly, an intense spiciness exploded on her tongue.
The spice made Fang Qiu's mouth ache, and her slightly pale, pretty face was quickly flushed with an alluring shade of red.
She quickly stood up and ran to the side of the boat, leaning over the rail to spit out the fish she had chewed a couple of times.
"Water... is there any water?"
Fang Qiu asked.
"Here, for you."
Xiangling hurriedly handed over a cup of water.
Fang Qiu took the water and went back to the rail to rinse her mouth, only then did the spiciness fade significantly.
She choked a couple of times while rinsing, coughing until tears came out.
Her pitiable appearance made the eyes of quite a few people present go straight.
Even Beidou couldn't help but nod and offer a couple of words of praise.
"Are you alright?"
Xiangling and Hu Tao asked with concern.
"I'm fine, just got hit by the spice."
Fang Qiu shook her head.
"Sorry, Fang Qiu. Since Sister Beidou and the others are at sea for long periods, I made the grilled fish heavy on flavor and oil, and quite spicy. I actually prepared a separate portion for you that isn't so spicy, but you started eating before I could bring it out."
Xiangling said with an apologetic look.
As she spoke, she turned and brought out a portion of grilled fish that looked much lighter in flavor.
"It's fine, it's fine. Thank you, Xiangling."
Fang Qiu smiled and put a piece of the fish Xiangling had prepared for her into her mouth.
Although it was lighter, both the texture and the taste were very rich.
It was delicious, but at the same time, Fang Qiu couldn't help but sigh in her heart.
In her past life, although she wasn't a heavy spice eater, she could still easily handle the heat of grilled fish.
But after being reborn, she completely lost the ability to eat spicy food...
Eating it felt like burning.
It was truly a pity.
If she had swallowed that mouthful of fish just now, she probably would have been in too much pain to sleep tonight.
However, Xiangling's cooking was indeed amazing; before she ate it, she hadn't sensed that piece of fish was spicy at all.
"Haha, your tastes are actually quite similar to that fellow Ningguang."
Beidou took a sip of wine, smiled, and said, "Although you're a literary person, your body really is a bit too weak. Do you want to come stay on The Alcor for a while? Follow us on a round trip to other nations, and I guarantee we'll get you into good shape."
"Let me train for some time first, then I'll come find Sister Beidou, so I don't cause you trouble then."
Fang Qiu smiled, drank some water, and washed away the spicy taste remaining in her mouth.
"Hahaha, you're an interesting girl. I like that. Come, drink."
________________________________________
🌸 Help Love Bloom!
Our girls need a little push... and you can help!
💖 Gift for Everyone: Once we hit 50 Powerstones, I'll release +1 bonus chapter to warm your hearts.
🚀 Community Reward: If we reach 10 supporting members, we'll have a +5 chapter marathon across all stories! The romance won't stop.
👻 Come to our secret corner: Search for GirlsLove on (P). You know that's where the magic happens... 😉