After quickly inventorying the supplies, Liang He realized she wouldn't be able to move everything by herself in a short amount of time—after all, she still had to make lunch. Thus, with a bright smile on her face, she hurried over to Xu Yi.
"Doctor Xu, could you help me carry some supplies? I'll treat you to something delicious!"
Whether blinded by her sudden, radiant smile or intrigued by the legendary Blue Star food, Xu Yi finally let out a helpless sigh. Using the very hands he usually reserved for scalpels, he began helping her haul the supplies.
Huo An, who had just arrived at the control room and happened to witness this scene, darkened his gaze. He pursed his lips tightly, his thoughts unreadable.
"Xu Yi is being so attentive. He's probably hoping Liang He will help control the Marshal and the others so they'll cooperate with their treatments."
"That makes sense. Doctor Xu is always complaining that his talents are going to waste. He probably wants a chance to prove himself."
"Talents going to waste? I doubt Doctor Xu actually said that. Isn't that just a new Blue Star phrase you learned? Haha!"
Neither Xu Yi nor Liang He heard the teasing remarks from the colleagues. By the time they finished moving the supplies, it was already noon. Driven by the innate hospitality of Blue Star people and her earlier promise, Liang He naturally invited Xu Yi to stay for lunch.
In fact, Xu Yi had been curious for a while: was Blue Star food really that delicious? Otherwise, why would Huo An keep complaining that the nutrient solution was hard to swallow after just one meal?
"Thank goodness Lanton is so capable and caught a few large fish. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known what to make for lunch."
As a Canglan Hunting Eagle, Lanton's hunting skills were truly top-notch. Seeing the chickens and rabbits Cedriel had brought back earlier, his little brain had probably started turning. Thinking outside the box, he had decided to bring back a few big fish for Liang He instead.
"Doctor Xu, for lunch, let's have fish and tofu soup, braised fish roe, and diced pepper fish head, alright?"
While preparing the large fish, Liang He discovered a good amount of fish roe inside their bellies—just enough to make a full dish. Pairing that with the diced peppers she had specially brought from Blue Star, she could make a flavorful fish head dish. The remaining fish meat could be boiled into a soup that would definitely taste incredibly fresh.
"I found some edible wild vegetables nearby earlier. Doctor Xu, could you go pick some for me?"
As one of the Blue Star people, she strongly believed in a balanced diet of meat and vegetables. Asking her to eat only meat simply wouldn't do.
"Sure, just tell me where they are and what they look like."
Just hearing the names of the dishes made Xu Yi swallow unconsciously. He was looking forward to this lunch more and more.
Liang He told Xu Yi the location and appearance of the wild vegetables. To prevent him from picking the wrong ones, she even sent him a picture she had taken earlier with her Light Brain.
With the picture as a reference, Xu Yi felt confident and immediately went to work, while Liang He began preparing the fish.
"I wonder where Cedriel and Lanton went to play wild again. Their wounds haven't even fully healed yet," Liang He muttered, sounding like a worried old mother fretting over her wandering children. Her hands, however, didn't stop chopping the ingredients for a second.
"SCREECH!"
"ROAR!"
Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrives. Cedriel and Lanton materialized out of nowhere, immediately claiming the spots to Liang He's left and right, competing for her affection once again. Seeing the bloodstains at the corners of their mouths, she guessed they had gone hunting. She reached out and patted their bellies; they felt empty, which meant they hadn't eaten their kills and had simply hunted for sport.
Liang He wiped their mouths and brought out the fruit and vegetable platters she had prepared earlier, giving one to each beast.
Thus, when Xu Yi returned fully loaded, he was greeted by the sight of two contented fierce beasts guarding Liang He as she cooked—a picture of perfect harmony.
However, he wasn't feeling very harmonious!
"Ahem... Liang He, I... they..."
Seeing Xu Yi hesitating to approach, Liang He remembered how Cedriel had ambushed him earlier. She knew he wasn't exactly popular with the fierce beasts.
"Don't worry, Doctor Xu. They won't attack you."
Liang He put the lid on the simmering fish soup and gently patted the heads of the Mojin King Tiger and the Canglan Hunting Eagle, softly reminding them not to hurt Xu Yi.
"ROAR~"
"SCREECH~"
Fortunately, the two large beasts gave her enough face. As Xu Yi approached, they merely lifted their eyelids slightly, too lazy to even move.
Feeling utterly unwelcome, Xu Yi debated whether he should just make a run for it, but he was held back by the alluring aroma of Liang He's cooking. He had just caught a whiff of it, and the fragrance was truly unprecedented. It was the first time he realized he harbored an inner glutton.
"Then... then I can rest easy... Ah!"
The moment Xu Yi sat down, the Mojin King Tiger stood up and sharpened his claws, while the Canglan Hunting Eagle spread his wings. Terrified, Xu Yi sprang up from his seat, leaping a full three meters away.
"PFFT."
Seeing Xu Yi get spooked, Liang He couldn't hold back a laugh. These two little guys were too naughty; they were clearly scaring Xu Yi on purpose.
Sure enough, after their successful prank, Cedriel lazily changed his posture and lay back down. Lanton, meanwhile, began preening his feathers, striving to be the most handsome eagle in the Eagle Realm.
"They're just playing with you. Don't be afraid."
"I'm not! I'm not afraid!"
Knowing he had just made a huge fool of himself, Xu Yi could only put up a brave front to salvage some pride. He clenched his fists and slowly inched closer, his steps stiff and halting. This time, thankfully, he wasn't scared off again.
"Alright, have a bowl of fish soup to calm your nerves."
Liang He handed Xu Yi a bowl of the freshly cooked fish and tofu soup. The milky-white broth, blended with the light fragrance of tofu and the wild vegetables he had picked himself, made Xu Yi's mouth water. He took it immediately.
"Hiss! It's so hot!"
Being too eager, Xu Yi scalded his tongue until it went numb. He wanted to put the bowl down but couldn't bear to part with it.
"Sorry, I forgot to warn you. Have some water to soothe your tongue first."
Full of apologies, Liang He handed him a cup of cold water. After downing more than half of it, Xu Yi's discomfort was finally relieved.
"I was just too impatient, it's not your fault."
Having recovered, Xu Yi finally learned to drink the soup slowly. This time, he was able to properly savor the delicacy from Blue Star.
"This fish soup is delicious! I don't even know how to describe the sensation, it's just so... so?"
"Umami. On Blue Star, we call it umami."
Although Blue Star had joined the Interstellar Federation, most of its people still chose to remain on their home planet. As a result, interstellar people knew very little about Blue Star, let alone its culinary delights.
"So this is umami!" Xu Yi gave Liang He's cooking a thumbs-up without hesitation. Once the soup cooled to a bearable temperature, he started gulping it down, GLUG GLUG, not even sparing a single vegetable scrap.
"This is incredibly delicious!"
He finally understood why Huo An had been so utterly disgusted by the nutrient solution after returning yesterday. It truly couldn't compare to Blue Star food.
After all, once a tongue had tasted exotic delicacies, why would it ever settle for surviving on scraps?
"I'd like another bowl, please." Xu Yi looked at Liang He a little sheepishly, afraid she might judge him for eating too much.
"There's plenty of soup, Doctor Xu. No need to rush. You can try the other dishes first."
As the chef, seeing a diner looking thoroughly satisfied and asking for seconds was undoubtedly the best form of praise. Naturally, Liang He didn't mind at all.
"Here, try my braised fish roe and diced pepper fish head."
Liang He wasn't sure about the interstellar people's tolerance for spicy food, so she had tried to use as little chili as possible. She let Xu Yi try the mildly spicy braised fish roe first.
"Hiss~ What is this flavor?"
Xu Yi felt a slight, burning sensation ignite on the tip of his tongue. It wasn't uncomfortable, but rather exhilarating!
"Why... why do I feel like I can't stop eating? HICCUP!"
Even though he was already hiccuping, Xu Yi kept stuffing food into his mouth, causing Liang He to furrow her brows.
"ROAR!"
The Mojin King Tiger suddenly stood up again. Having experienced this once before, Xu Yi originally wanted to pretend to be calm. However, the next second, he saw the tiger's gaping maw lunging straight toward him. Terrified, he nearly launched himself into the air.
"Ahhhh! Help me!"