I'm a male god in Liyue

Grandma Ping looked at Gan Yu and nodded: "You look much better. You used to work too hard, staying up late every day, and your mental state was too poor. Ningguang told me that she is considering changing the civil service system in Liyue. Once the specific measures are implemented, you should not be so busy anymore."

"Ah."

“You should also have some space of your own. Spend more time with Shen He. It will help her and you as well.”

"it is good."

Grandma Ping picked up a piece of mooncake and put it in her mouth.

Freshly baked mooncakes, compared to those that have cooled down, don't have the oil seeping back into their crust, so they're not as soft and sweet. They're more crispy and crumbly, but they're still delicious.

Meanwhile, her platinum progress bar was quietly increasing.

Gan Yu remembered something, hesitated for a moment, but still said it: "Grandma Ping, I saw Miss Ye Lan come to Mr. Xia's shop yesterday."

Grandma Ping smiled and said, "Don't worry, I've already spoken to Ningguang. Yelan is probably just conducting a normal investigation. Mr. Xia will be fine."

Gan Yu was relieved: "That's good, I'll go help in the kitchen."

Gan Yu turned and left.

Just then, there was another soft knock on the door.

Yao Yao obediently ran over to open the door.

"Qiqi, you're here too!"

"Um...where is Mr. Xia?"

"Big brother is busy in the kitchen, come in quickly!"

"it is good."

"I'll go tell my big brother you've arrived!"

Qiqi walked into the store, saw Grandma Ping, and politely greeted her in a soft voice: "Hello, Grandma Ping."

Grandma Ping looked at her and smiled gently: "Yes, Qiqi is here."

For some reason, Qiqi felt that Grandma Ping's gaze was a little strange, as if it carried a hint of guilt and helplessness.

She had met Grandma Ping before, but she didn't have this feeling.

Perhaps... it's because she was mentally unstable before and couldn't notice such details at all.

Qi Qi paused for a moment, then lowered her head and sat down quietly at the table.

Xia Zhi and Yao Yao came out from inside and said with a smile, "Miss Qi Qi is here."

Qi Qi said softly, "Hello, Mr. Xia."

"I just made mooncakes, but Miss Qiqi doesn't like hot food, so I'll light some incense for you instead."

"Thank you, Mr. Xia."

Xia Zhi took the incense burner, put a whole piece of "Perfect Calming Incense" inside, lit it, and placed it on the table.

A unique fragrance wafted through the store.

Qiqi smelled the incense, a satisfied look on her little face.

Grandma Ping was quite surprised to smell this incense for the first time.

With such an excellent calming effect, the ingredients must have included some kind of miraculous medicine.

This incense is already considered a spiritual incense; no wonder Qiqi likes to eat it.

Mr. Xia has quite a lot of good stuff in his hands, from rainbow juice containing "vitality" to nourish the body, to strange incense that calms the mind and pleases spirits.

As Grandma Ping was thinking this, she heard Xia Zhi say to Qi Qi, "Miss Qi Qi, I have a gift for you."

"Hmm? Is it incense? I haven't finished using it yet..."

"No."

Xia Zhi took out a round, cool, white bead.

"it is this."

As if drawn by a great attraction, Qiqi's gaze was fixed on it and she couldn't look away.

For the first time, a hint of longing appeared on her expressionless face.

Qiqi didn't know what the bead was, but her body instinctively told her that she needed it, and that only with it could she become more "complete".

Xia Zhi took Qi Qi's hand and placed the round bead in her hand.

"This is a bead I found a while ago. It can make the surrounding environment cooler. It's not very useful to me, at most it's for cooling off in the summer. But Miss Qiqi likes a cool environment, so it's perfect for her to wear."

"I……"

"I had been thinking of giving this to Miss Qiqi, but I forgot where I put it. I only found it a couple of days ago. Since it's a festival today, I'll give it to Miss Qiqi as a gift. I hope Miss Qiqi won't find it offensive."

"No, I like it very much, thank you Mr. Xia."

"I'm glad you like it, Miss Qi. I'll go to the kitchen to get busy now."

"Um……"

Qiqi held the bead, watching Xia Zhi's figure disappear without looking away.

Grandma Ping, standing nearby, looked at the round beads in Qiqi's hand with a silent expression.

Mr. Xia has so many good things...

Chapter 115 Treating someone to a meal is a wonderful thing

After noon, Xia Zhi waited for another half hour, but Miss Yan Fei did not come.

It seemed she would arrive in the evening, so they prepared to eat.

Several girls helped serve the dishes, and soon ten large bowls were laid out on the table.

This is the customary practice in Xia Zhi's hometown of inviting people to meals when doing good deeds.

However, since Gan Yu only eats vegetarian food, half of the dishes were replaced with vegetarian dishes by Xia Zhi. But they were all luminous dishes, and they were all seasoned with [Melker Star Powder], making them delicious and visually appealing.

Xia Zhi even "saw" Grandma Ping swallow a few times, almost imperceptibly.

Sure enough, even immortals can't resist such delicious food.

Xia Zhi couldn't help but think of the little crane. Shen He had told him that she loved food. He thought that once she came out of seclusion, he could treat her to a good meal.

Let's skip the alcohol. Xia Zhi doesn't like drinking anyway, and there are only girls here. It's better to have a glass of rainbow juice for each of us.

There's no custom of clinking glasses in Liyue; after a few casual words, everyone starts eating.

"Mmm~ Delicious!..."

Then, there was nothing more to say. I was so engrossed in eating that I didn't have time to talk.

Xia Zhi smiled and scooped a spoonful of magical Mapo Tofu for himself.

Generally speaking, Mapo Tofu has five flavors, but this one has six.

The "spiciness" of Jueyun pepper, the "fragrance" of garlic sprouts, the white of tofu, the "color" of red peppers and green garlic sprouts that whet the appetite, the "scalding" heat, the "numbing" flavor of wild mountain peppers, and the "crispy" texture of minced soybeans and meat after deep-frying.

Because ground soybeans are used instead of beef, this is a completely vegetarian dish.

Furthermore, because Xia Zhi used Frost-Dried Tofu in the preparation, which has a rich and refreshing bean aroma, this dish has a seventh flavor in addition to the original six flavors.

The lingering sweetness is unforgettable.

The piping hot, square tofu cubes are smooth and elastic, accompanied by chili oil and minced soybeans and meat, melting in your mouth and bringing a full spicy stimulation to your tongue.

Xia Zhi took a bite and found it delicious with white rice.

He glanced at Gan Yu, who was now eating with teary eyes, her face flushed, her forehead covered in glistening beads of sweat, and her rosy lips slightly parted as she breathed heavily.

Despite being overwhelmed by the spiciness, she couldn't help but keep eating, displaying an adorable, bittersweet expression of being unable to stop.

Looking at Qiqi again, her lips were smeared with a little red oil, and her face remained expressionless.

For zombies, even the most painful spicy taste is something they can only dream of experiencing again.

Unless Xia Zhi possesses the [Path of the Underworld Chef] and draws upon the power of the rules, he will be unable to create a dish that Qi Qi can also taste.

However, that thing is too expensive and not very versatile. Besides, Qiqi doesn't come over for dinner every day, so there's no need to buy it specifically for a gathering.

If I ever get another ghost employee in my shop in the future, I might consider buying it...

Xia Zhi was thinking about this when he suddenly heard a system notification sound.

"Progress bar has reached 100%, Platinum Chest reward obtained."

Wow, it's already maxed out so quickly?

Xia Zhi paused, then couldn't help but "look" at Grandma Ping.

The fairy is eating with an elegant posture. She seems to be eating slowly, but a closer look reveals that she is actually the one who eats the fastest and the most at this table.

All I can say is, he truly is a celestial being.

Xia Zhi calmly withdrew his probing gaze, lowered his head, and looked at the platinum treasure chest in his inventory.