Chapter 115

Creak...

Gently closing the door, Hiroshi nodded and smiled at Verr Goldet, the innkeeper of Wangshu Inn, who was smiling back at him.

"This room will do," Hiroshi said.

"Glad the guest is satisfied," Verr replied.

Taking out two plaques, Verr Goldet hung one on the door and handed the other to Hiroshi. "Luckily, you arrived early. With the upcoming Rite of Descension, more and more people are coming from all directions to Liyue. If you'd come a few days later, the top-floor rooms would surely have been all booked out."

"I see." Hiroshi looked at the wooden plaque in his hand, then casually hung it on his waist. Glancing at the others emerging from their rooms, he turned back to Verr Goldet and said, "It's dinner time, and I'm looking forward to the specialties of your inn. Could you arrange that for us?"

"Of course! You won't be disappointed," she replied confidently.

Leading the group, Verr guided them out of the rooms, across the corridor, and down a few sets of stairs until they returned to the terrace.

Seated at the round table on the open terrace, Hiroshi accepted the menu offered by the waitress. He looked at the diverse and delicious dishes on the menu, picked a few that he fancied, then turned to see that everyone else had already ordered. He smiled at Verr Goldet, "Could you add a few of your special dishes as well?"

"Our chef is quite skilled," Verr said, her smile hinting at a secret. "But there is one dish that is truly unique. In fact, one of the adepti of Liyue liked it so much that they named it — 'Sweet Dreams.'"

"Really?!" Paimon floated up to Verr's side, her eyes sparkling as she eagerly asked, "There's something even better than what's on the menu, and an adeptus even named it?!"

"Of course!" Verr confirmed, glancing at the flying creature before her. She continued, "You all must be from Mondstadt, correct? Especially you," she added, nodding towards Noelle. "Your armor's pattern suggests that you're with the Knights of Favonius."

"N-no, not yet!" Noelle waved her hands, blushing. "I'm just an apprentice and a maid, not a full knight yet."

"Do you have something to discuss with us?" Lumine asked, pointing at the middle-aged man who was busy working behind the counter. "Isn't it the maid's job to take care of guests? Why are you entertaining us personally?"

Verr smiled at Lumine. "I'm also from Mondstadt, so I was hoping to hear more about my hometown."

"Really?!" Noelle gasped, covering her mouth. "You're from Mondstadt, too? I don't think I've seen you there before."

Verr only smiled mysteriously, avoiding Noelle's question. Instead, she bowed slightly and said, "Please wait for a moment. Your meals will be ready shortly, and I promise they won't disappoint."

"Brother Hiroshi!" Klee's loud voice echoed across the terrace as she came running, her small backpack bouncing with each step.

Jumping into Hiroshi's arms, Klee excitedly said, "Brother Hiroshi, I want to eat some delicious almond tofu, please!"

"Of course," Hiroshi replied, lifting Klee and placing her on a chair. With Klee looking expectantly at him, he turned to Verr. "Could we have two orders of almond tofu as well?"

"No need for that," Verr said, shaking her head and crouching down to face Klee. With a soft smile, she asked, "Little one, how did you know we have almond tofu here?"

"Hmm..." Klee tilted her head, supporting her chin with her hand. "I met a big brother with deep teal hair and a purple mark on his brows at the top floor. He told me about it. He was strange, though—it felt like he was wrapped in a scary black mist, but also really kind."

"I see," Verr smiled, patting Klee's head. "You're very perceptive to notice all that. But as you said, he is a very gentle person."

Standing up, Verr gave Klee a cheerful wave. "Little one, your almond tofu—Sweet Dreams—is on the house tonight."

"Really?! Yay! Thank you, big sister!" Klee cheered.

Verr waved her hand as she returned to the counter.

Lumine watched her go and sighed. "What a mysterious person." Then she turned to Xiangling. "Don't you think so, Xiangling?"

"Ah!" Xiangling, lost in thought, nodded absentmindedly. Suddenly, she grabbed Lumine's hand. "Are you sure it's okay for us to stay in such fancy rooms? Isn't it expensive?"

Lumine blinked at the anxious Xiangling before realizing, "Oh, so that's why you've been so tense! I thought you were scared of heights!" She waved dismissively. "Don't worry. We're on Hiroshi's tab."

"Yeah, yeah!" Paimon chimed in. "Hiroshi is super rich, so don't worry about it! Besides, Xiangling, haven't you been to Hiroshi's place before?"

"Wait, what?!" Xiangling looked at Paimon in disbelief. "You mean the place where they hosted the engagement wasn't rented?!"

"Nope, that's Brother Hiroshi, Sister Liyue, and Klee's home!" Klee said with a grin, suddenly recalling something. She hopped off her chair and clapped her hands. "Yuan Yuan! Bei Bei!"

A small magic circle appeared at Klee's feet, and two small pandas appeared, each chewing on bamboo. Klee ran up to Xiangling, her eyes full of hope. "That's Yuan Yuan and Bei Bei! Sister Xiangling, can you bring out your little bear from before? I want Yuan Yuan and Bei Bei to be friends with it!"

Seeing the two black-and-white pandas that had followed Klee, Xiangling's eyes sparkled with affection. She crouched down, petted them, and then removed the Guoba plushie from her waist. "Guoba, come out!"

Poof!

A puff of smoke dissipated, and Guoba sat on the ground, tilting his head at the sight of the two pandas in front of him.

Meanwhile, a burly middle-aged man approached Hiroshi and whispered something into his ear.

Hiroshi looked at Klee and Xiangling happily playing with the bears, nodded at the man, and then headed to the counter.

"So, you're saying you can't make the ultimate almond tofu—Sweet Dreams—because the kitchen is haunted?" Hiroshi crossed his arms, his face calm.

Yanxiao nodded quickly. "Yes, it's just like a swordsman needing a steady hand to perform intricate techniques. As a chef, if I can't even handle my tools properly, I can't make the ultimate almond tofu."

"I see," Hiroshi replied calmly. He glanced at the visibly trembling Yanxiao. "Alright then, let's go catch the ghost."

"Wait, what?! You mean... me too?!" Yanxiao shook his head frantically, tears welling up. "No! There's no way! Ghosts are way too scary!"

"Alright, alright." Paimon floated over, patting Yanxiao's shoulder, her constellation twinkling behind her. "Don't worry! With us here, any ghosts will be gone in no time."

She looked at Hiroshi with determination, pointing at the kitchen. "Let's go, Hiroshi! For delicious food, any little ghost better disappear!"

"Why are you even here?" Hiroshi asked, looking at the overly enthusiastic Paimon. He sighed in relief, noticing everyone else still sipping tea at the round table. "Just go back to the others before they realize anything's wrong. I'll handle this."

"Eh?" Paimon pushed against Hiroshi's hand, quickly explaining, "Relax! Lumine is distracting everyone. Let's hurry and solve this so no one will be disappointed."

Seeing Lumine subtly wink at him from afar, Hiroshi relented. "Alright, let's make this quick!"

He grabbed Yanxiao, who was struggling to even stand, and dragged him to the kitchen. He also restricted his movement to prevent further resistance.

Hiroshi greeted Verr Goldet at the counter. "Your chef says the kitchen is haunted, so I'm heading down to catch the ghost."

"Thank you," Verr said, shaking her head as she looked at Yanxiao, who Hiroshi held effortlessly. "It's funny—he was once a famous pirate, yet now he's scared of a harmless ghost."

Hiroshi gave her an amused smile. "Alright, I'm going to catch the ghost. If it's harmless, I promise not to hurt it."

With that, he disappeared down the stairs, leaving Verr smiling as she flipped through her paperwork.

Setting Yanxiao down, Hiroshi scanned the large kitchen, which was filled with a variety of ingredients. He noticed the little ghost girl shrinking back in the corner, trembling.

With a wave of his hand, the ghost girl, Xiao Ming, found herself suddenly in front of Hiroshi. She fell back, sitting on the floor, hugging her head as she trembled.

"That's her, right?" Hiroshi asked, looking at Yanxiao, who nodded in fear.

"Yeah, that's her."

"Alright, I'll take her away. You can focus on the dishes now," Hiroshi said, picking up the trembling Xiao Ming. He and a curious Paimon turned and left.

"That's it?!" Paimon exclaimed. She glanced at the ghost Hiroshi was holding. "What are you going to do with her, Hiroshi?"

"I'll give her to the boss," Hiroshi said, shaking his head at Xiao Ming, who looked like she might faint. "I even reined in my aura, and she's still scared? Not a very qualified ghost—her courage is lacking."

At the counter, Hiroshi handed Xiao Ming to Verr Goldet with an apologetic smile and walked back to the table.

Verr looked at the little ghost, who had started to calm down, and smiled. "Are you going to be naughty again?"

Xiao Ming shook her head silently, tears still in her eyes.

A short while later, Yanxiao himself brought the dishes from the kitchen up to Hiroshi's table.

Seeing all the expectant eyes on him, Yanxiao smiled as he set down the plates. "Please, enjoy your meal."