Chapter 146: Yu Xie
The shrimp were freshly caught, and the other ingredients were freshly bought.
At first, Keqing had been a little hesitant, but in the end, her desire to eat the Golden Shrimp Balls proved irresistible.
After all, with nothing to do during the holiday, she thought it would be nice to make some of the delicious food she had been craving.
Once all the ingredients were prepared and after Yu Xie had finished cooking, a fresh batch of Golden Shrimp Balls was ready to be served.
Compared to Xiangling's cooking, Yu Xie's golden shrimp balls didn't look bad at all, although it was still uncertain how they would taste.
As the dish was brought to the table, Yu Xie handed Keqing a pair of chopsticks.
"Miss Keqing, please."
"Is this place one you rented?" Keqing asked as she took the chopsticks.
"Yes, it's a bit small, but it's enough for just one person," Yu Xie said, sitting down across from her.
Keqing didn't immediately start eating. Instead, she took a moment to look around the room.
The location wasn't bad at all, and from the window, she could see a beautiful view of Sea of Clouds. However, the room was quite simple, with not many pieces of furniture or decorations.
"You must have just moved to Liyue Harbor recently, right?" Keqing asked.
"Yes, it's been just over a month. I'm starting to get used to life here," Yu Xie said. "Go ahead and try it, though I can't guarantee it will be on par with Xiangling's cooking."
"Alright." Keqing picked up her chopsticks.
She took a golden shrimp ball and placed it in her mouth, savoring the blend of shrimp and other ingredients that filled her mouth with flavor.
Compared to Xiangling's golden shrimp balls, while the overall taste was slightly inferior, it had a unique flavor of its own. All things considered, it wasn't bad and could even be described as delicious.
"How is it?" Yu Xie asked.
"It's tasty," Keqing nodded. "Have you studied cooking?"
"Well, since I live alone, I have to cook for myself. And when I have free time, I sometimes research how to make different dishes."
"No wonder," Keqing said, taking another bite. "Aren't you going to eat? It's really good."
"I already ate before, so you can eat at your own pace," Yu Xie said with a smile.
Keqing hesitated for a moment before continuing to enjoy the golden shrimp balls she had been craving for so long.
After all, holidays wouldn't be complete without golden shrimp balls!
After a while, the plate of golden shrimp balls was finished.
A satisfied smile appeared on Keqing's face, but soon, she realized that she might have overindulged a bit. Her expression quickly returned to its usual composure.
"Thank you for the golden shrimp balls. By the way, I still don't know your name."
"My name is Yu Xie."
"Yu Xie..." Keqing paused. She felt like she had seen this name in a book somewhere, but couldn't quite remember where.
"What's wrong, Miss Keqing?"
"Oh, it's nothing." Keqing came back to her senses. "Just call me Keqing."
For some reason, Keqing felt that the young man in front of her, who seemed to be in his early twenties, was a little different from the average person.
It was a feeling that was hard to put into words, like something intangible.
As the sky grew darker, it was already evening outside.
The surface of Sea of Clouds reflected the glow of the setting sun, the water shimmering in the fading light.
A flock of seagulls flew over the sea.
After saying her goodbyes, Keqing left Yu Xie's place.
As she walked, Keqing couldn't shake the feeling that the name "Yu Xie" was something she had definitely seen before, but she just couldn't recall where.
She walked and thought, and in the end, Keqing changed direction and headed towards the Jade Chamber.
.....
Jade Chamber, the massive building floating above Liyue Harbor, was the residence of Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Seven Stars of Liyue.
To describe the grandiosity of this building as golden and resplendent was an understatement.
As the master of Jade Chamber, Ningguang's wealth was among the very top in all of Teyvat.
And she was more than worthy of her position as Tianquan.
Ningguang worked tirelessly for Liyue and was deeply respected by the people of the city.
At this moment, Ningguang was in her study, elegantly leaning against the railing, lost in thought as she gazed out the window.
The wind blew in from outside, gently stirring her silver-gold hair. Her red eyes were clear and bright, exuding beauty and maturity.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
"Lady Ningguang, Lady Keqing is here to see you."
"Please, let her in." Ningguang replied.
Soon, the door to the study opened, and Keqing walked in.
Ningguang moved away from the window to greet her.
"If I remember correctly, today is supposed to be your day off. What brings you to see me during your break?" Ningguang asked with a gentle smile.
"Ningguang, do you have any impression of the name 'Yu Xie'?" Keqing cut straight to the point.
"Yu Xie?" Ningguang paused to think, her red eyes reflecting rare confusion.
She then walked over to the bookshelf, scanning the rows for a while before pulling out a book.
It was a historical book, written in the form of stories, recording the history of the land.
However, some of the stories in the book are too ancient to be verified and cannot be confirmed for their authenticity.
Ningguang opened the book and stopped at a page in the middle.
"This is the one, look here." Ningguang handed the book to Keqing.
Keqing took the book and began reading.
The book described:
"During the Archon War, there was a general in charge of guarding the Guilli Assembly, named Yu Xie. This general, with the body of a mere mortal, could shake mountains and use his own strength to defend the area. He prevented the demons who sought to invade the Guilli Assembly from even setting foot inside, achieving great military feats."
"Unfortunately, a mortal's lifespan is limited, and this general could not escape the constraints of time. After his death, the Geo Archon and the immortals held an unprecedentedly grand funeral for him. The entire Guilli Assembly was filled with grief."
After reading this, Keqing fell silent for a moment.
Whether the contents of the book were true or not, perhaps only the Geo Archon and the immortals who lived through that time would know for certain.
But regardless of whether this was true, the Yu Xie she met today was certainly real.
"Keqing, why are you bringing this up? Did something happen?" Ningguang asked, noticing Keqing's silence.
"Today, I met someone named Yu Xie," Keqing answered honestly. "Of course, even if the story in the book is true, the Yu Xie I met today could very well just be someone with the same name. If it is the same person, that would be... too unbelievable."
"Unbelievable, you say..." Ningguang paused to think, "But..."
"I know what you're thinking," Keqing continued, picking up where Ningguang left off. "Sometimes, the more unbelievable something seems, the more it can make sense in the end."
End of chapter
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