Didn't you go to Teyvat to earn money to support me?

"Yes, yes, yes, this lowly and foolish race asks the Queen of the Sky, what would you like to eat?"

Celine sat cross-legged on the chair, her small feet in her socks pressed against her backside. She carefully flipped through the menu, frowning as she looked at it for a long time, before finally ordering a grilled steak.

The prices in Chinatown are not expensive. After all, it mainly serves Chinese cuisine, and the wide variety of dishes is its biggest selling point, rather than trying to take a high-end boutique route.

Shen Liang ordered Dezhou braised chicken and Yangzhou fried rice, plus some grilled vegetables. The food stalls here share seats; you can order from one stall or another, and the bill will be settled later. Shen Liang's braised chicken was from the restaurant next door, and since his dishes were pre-made, they were delivered quickly.

"I've never heard of Texas having... braised chicken?" After the dish was served, Celine frowned as she stared at the tender chicken meat on Shen Liang's plate that fell apart at the slightest touch, finding it hard to believe. "Isn't their only specialty guns?"

Dezhou Braised Chicken is a traditional delicacy from Dezhou, Shandong Province, and is known as "China's No. 1 Chicken". It has never been good-looking, but it is golden brown in color. The meat is tender and succulent, and it can be easily separated from the bone with a gentle pinch. It is often served with some side dishes and sandwiched in a steamed bun. It is very satisfying to eat it in one bite.

Although the dish here is made by heating pre-cooked braised chicken, and the taste isn't particularly outstanding, this kind of food is very complicated to make directly, with many steps involved. Shen Liang is very skilled at cooking, but he rarely makes or eats this kind of thing, so he was quite happy with his meal.

"Do you know that Dezhou has three major specialties?" Shen Liang asked.

Xilin looked at him, puzzled.

"Braised chicken, playing cards, and the chainsaw killer." Shen Liang tore open a boneless chicken leg and handed it to her.

Celine's eyes widened. "The chainsaw killer!"

"correct."

Xilin wanted to ask him why he made it sound so ordinary, but judging from Shen Liang's expression, it seemed like a very common saying. If she asked, she would only seem like she lacked common sense. So she held back and decided to check his phone later.

However, she still frowned and stared at the poorly presented braised chicken in Shen Liang's hand. "I'm not eating it."

"Try it, our Chinese cuisine has always been delicious."

"Shut up, human! Someone like me wouldn't eat this dripping oily food that no one even cut for me..."

Shen Liang shoved the chicken leg into Xilin's mouth, who was speaking with absolute certainty. Xilin glared angrily with her fiery golden eyes, chewed a few times, swallowed it, and then slammed her hand on the table.

"Is it delicious?" Shen Liang asked before she could react.

"How dare you feed me! Foolish human! Foolish servant! This is an overstepping of bounds!" Sirin roared in anger. "It's delicious!"

The little queen never bothers with self-deception; she will genuinely admit that something is delicious.

"So be it if I overstep my bounds." Shen Liang continued tearing the meat.

"I'm going to deduct your allowance for this month!"

“The Shaniat family has never given me pocket money. By the way, I also have some businesses of my own.”

“Then I’ll send Anna to Africa to carry out the work!” Sirin was incredibly clever.

"I'm sorry, Sister Xilin, I overstepped my bounds. Please forgive me." Shen Liang immediately backed down.

Celine was finally satisfied. She snorted arrogantly through her nose. If the Queen wanted to punish her servants, she wouldn't have trouble finding a way, would she? She then took Shen Liang's plate, slowly and methodically cut the chicken with the steak knife and fork, and then looked at Shen Liang, raising her chin high and snorting again.

This time, Shen Liang didn't quite understand what the little queen's "humming" meant.

Sirin showed her displeasure again. This foolish human, although he was her brother, brother-in-law, cook, and servant, was already quite capable compared to others, but he was still not smart enough to understand the Queen's intentions at any time.

She parted her lips slightly, or rather, she felt she was "parting her lips slightly," and said, "Open your mouth."

Shen Liang guessed it and opened his mouth helplessly.

Celine slowly forked a piece of cut steak and put it into his mouth.

Out of the corner of her eye, Shen Liang saw the knowing smiles on the faces of the other guests. It seemed that these people were treating them like young lovers, using the adorable, sticky way of "feeding each other" to prove their affection.

But Shen Liang knew that Xi Lin wasn't actually that "knowledgeable." She simply felt that being fed was like being fed a cat, an offense to her supreme authority. So she reciprocated by feeding him in an arrogant manner.

Moreover, given Shen Liang's confidence in the Little Queen, this guy will definitely retaliate twice as much; once won't be enough.

"Ah—" Xilin watched as he immediately forked another piece and handed it to her as soon as he swallowed the meat. Seeing her younger brother's humiliated expression, she narrowed her golden eyes into slits with pleasure, propped her head up on her elbows on the table, and gently teased his tongue with her fork.

She didn't realize what was happening until Shen Liang finished eating all of her steak, and then she ordered another one.

"Next time I'll take you to the best French restaurant in England," Xilin said, slicing the grilled tofu that Shen Liang had ordered.

"In the Heavenly Mandate?" Shen Liangxu pointed to the top of his head.

Celine nodded. The best restaurant in all of Britain was in the Destiny Headquarters building, but it was just a canteen in the Destiny Headquarters, so only Celine could take him there.

In fact, when inviting someone of the opposite sex to dinner, it's generally best to go to a high-end restaurant or hotel. It doesn't necessarily have to be the most delicious food, but it must be the most upscale. Because often, dining isn't about the food itself, but about the atmosphere. The service and ambiance of high-end restaurants can satisfy many of the needs of young people... or rather, their vanity, the feeling of being valued as a "petit bourgeois," and the sense of prestige.

But Xilin wouldn't invite Shen Liang to a place like that; she'd rather take her to the cafeteria. For her, the essence of dining was savoring the food, not doing something pointless before putting it in her mouth. She didn't need those high-end service atmospheres to demonstrate her luxury and nobility; so-called rituals were worthless. The eldest daughter of the Shaniat family was extraordinary enough from birth.

Of course, she would occasionally accompany some important business figures to dinner, and she would still choose places like this. But Celine didn't like those occasions; they were tedious and boring work, where she was just a cold and ruthless genius manager.

Of course, I have to eat something delicious while I'm with my younger brother.

It's a shame that being German means having to treat someone to French food in England, but that's just how England is. It's not just Valkyrie; ordinary Britons are the same way—when they want a treat, they go to French, Japanese, or Chinese restaurants.

After eating and drinking his fill, Shen Liang, who was slumped over the table pouring himself one glass of cola after another, changed the subject, "Why did you suddenly say you wanted to go to Tianming?"

"Because I just did some spiritual practice."

These words startled Shen Liang.

Celine, clutching a Coke bottle, sat cross-legged in a plastic chair and continued, "Human, you know I'm a genius."

Well, the opening is the habitual attempt to elevate oneself.

“I know you’re thinking badly about me right now,” Sirin took a swig of cola from the bottle and glanced at Shen Liang, “but I’m the most talented member of the Shaniat family besides that woman, and countless people say I’m destined to reach S-rank. Do you know why?”

"Everyone knows you're the number one young talent in the Shaniat family."

"Shaniat has no shortage of young A-ranks. Even if A-ranks are rare, they're not uncommon in the world. Schicksal Headquarters has A-ranks everywhere. But humans, the great Queen of the Sky, are different," Sirin said calmly. "I awakened as a Valkyrie at birth. My Honkai energy is so adaptable that my eyes will never go out. Even without much diligent training, I reached B-rank at ten and A-rank at thirteen. My foolish sister is only now barely glimpsing the threshold of A-rank. Even a genius like Anna only reached A-rank at sixteen through hard work from a young age. Tell me, what do you think of my talent?"

Shen Liang was indeed somewhat impressed. Although Xilin was usually quite annoying, her abilities were truly remarkable. She really had the right to be eccentric and arrogant. Thinking about it carefully, she had devoted most of her energy to managing the family. Just think about it, the girl who could hunt bears as a child now complained of foot pain when she walked. But even with such a relaxation, she was still the number one among the younger generation of the family.

It's all about talent.

“If that’s the case, Sister Sirin not only seems to have the qualifications to be the number one in the Shaniat family, but also has the potential to be the number one among the younger generation in the world.” Shen Liang rarely flattered her. “Miss Rita seems to have entered S-rank at the age of twenty-one, and Durandal entered S-rank at the age of sixteen. If you had put in a little more effort back then, the Destiny Ranking might be rewritten now.”

"I dare not," Celine whispered.

Shen Liang was slightly taken aback, noticing a hint of annoyance and anxiety in her expression.

“The blood of the saint, you know, will always reside in only one person. That woman… Cecilia, needs the holy blood to protect her life. But the holy blood will choose a new host. Anna, Kiana, Maria, every Shaniat could potentially inherit the holy blood, but as far as I know, the one most likely to inherit it is me.” Sirin gazed at the messy table before her. “The holy blood will only be born in the most exceptionally talented young woman of each generation, and I know myself very well. If I want to take it… it can only be mine.”

Shen Liang gradually came to understand, and he suddenly realized that it wasn't just Xilin.

After reaching S-rank, Maria wasn't in a hurry to become stronger. Instead, she left Schicksal and returned to Germany—to put it nicely, she went home to take care of her kids; to put it bluntly, she was just looking after the house. Shen Liang noticed that she rarely did combat training, or even meditation. Instead, she focused on educating the younger generation of children, taking them for morning runs, yoga, and physical training every day.

Kiana is the same; she's still only a B-rank Valkyrie. Maria scolds her for being playful and unambitious, but she really doesn't have much of a drive to become stronger... She and Sirin are sisters; there's no reason why Sirin's unparalleled talent should mean she's only fit to slack off all day?

Even among the younger generation of A-rank Valkyries like Anna and Angelia, Shen Liang rarely saw them on combat missions anymore, and they were seldom seen focusing on cultivation within the family. Firstly, Neuschwanstein Castle was naturally not as suitable for training as the Destiny Headquarters, and secondly, they seemed to prefer spending their time elsewhere. For example, Anna would rather come to him at night, clutching her pillow, and then not get up until the afternoon the next day.

All the gifted girls in the Shaniat family unanimously chose to suppress their talents for Cecilia's sake.

Shen Liang was at a loss for words.

"But seeing how skillfully Anna's cold aura was getting, I suddenly wanted to relive the feeling of circulating Honkai energy, since I haven't practiced for many years. And then, Pandora, guess what happened?"

"how?"

Chapter 45 Knowing that Sister Himeko is Pure and Virtuous

“Perhaps I’ve been dormant for too long. I see that the path to a higher level has been opened.” Xilin said softly. “I was 13 years old and I’ve been at A level for six years now. I’ve been standing still for six years. Now I’m ready to take that step at any moment.”

“S-rank?” Shen Liang was stunned.

"If I really reach this level, the last bit of holy blood in that woman's body may not be able to be preserved. With her level of Honkai energy, once she loses the adaptability of holy blood, she may be eroded in just a few hours."

Shen Liang remained silent for a while.

“It’s not just Cecilia who’s pressed for time, I’m running out of time too.” Sirin lay on the table, toying with a bottle of wine. “I don’t know how much longer I can hold on. Maybe I’ll have a nightmare and subconsciously want to use even more power, and I’ll wake up to find myself at S-rank. Humans always strive to be stronger and better; it’s instinct. I’m worried I won’t be able to control myself.”

She stared at the orderly lights along Chinatown, seemingly lost in thought.

Shen Liang also looked ahead, and after a long while said, "When I go to Teyvat to seek out immortals and find their life-protecting methods, Honkai energy and Teyvat's elemental power seem to lead to the same goal. If they can allow mortal bodies to survive for thousands of years, perhaps Earthlings can replicate them."

"Human, your mother treats you like her own child, so you must keep your word."

"of course."

“If something really happens to Mom one day, and you break your promise, or if it’s too late or you can’t do it…” Sirin glanced at him, then chuckled, “I will let you know what kind of methods a genius comparable to an S-class Valkyrie can use.”

“Hmm,” Shen Liang said softly, looking at the weariness in Xilin’s eyes, “If that day really comes, and I fail to save Sister Lia… Sister Xilin can consider it a broken promise, and whatever she does to me… I can accept it.”

"I'll kill you, Pandora."

Shen Liang remained noncommittal, "Even if an S-rank Valkyrie wanted to kill me, I couldn't escape."

“An S-rank Valkyrie,” Sirin rolled her wine glass around, her eyes glazed over. “In the end, it’s all about pursuing S-rank… Ha, an S-rank Valkyrie.”

Shen Liang suddenly felt that Xilin's expression was full of contempt.

------------

"Boss, when did you become so studious? The girl is right next to you, and you're reading?" Tiger Chiyo practiced a handstand with her legs hooked around the chandelier in the guest room, looking at Shen Liang with curiosity.

Shen Liang was reading "The Classification of Valkyrie Strength Advancement" on his tablet, but what he was reading wasn't important; what mattered was his current state. This wasn't a hotel bedroom, but a private gym. It was six in the morning, and the gym was quiet. Shen Liang was covered in sweat, but his movements were powerful and efficient as he sat on the dumbbell bench, flipping through documents, wearing only a white towel provided by the gym around his waist.

Then he ruffled the woman's hair and casually said, "Alright."

Wearing only a sports vest and shorts, covered in sweat, the long-haired woman with red hair, who looked like she had come to the gym to work hard, staggered to her feet. She had a great figure, with fair skin and firm muscles, but her expression was not right. She frowned and glared at Shen Liang.

“You can spit it out.” Shen Liang said without looking up.

The woman picked up the water glass next to her, tilted her head back, took a swig, swallowed with a bitter expression, then casually lifted her tight-fitting strapless bra to wipe the corner of her mouth, and glared at the boy with annoyance: "If you spit outside, they'll find out. This is a gym exclusively for Valkyries. Do you think they can't tell by their sense of smell?"