After listening to the question, Qiqi took a moment to process.
"Food... I like...? Mm..."
She scratched her head and spread her hands. "Same... all no taste."
Baizhu explained to them that Qiqi had some issues with her sense of taste and couldn't distinguish flavors, so he hoped they wouldn't mind.
Xiangling, of course, already knew this.
"It's fine, I'm aware. But even so, Qiqi must have some preferences, right?"
She turned to Qiqi. "I want to know what kind of texture you like in food."
Qiqi narrowed her eyes. "Texture... touch? Mm... touch, yes."
"Cold... like coconut milk."
Paimon interjected, "Coconut milk is a drink, though—that doesn't count as reference..."
Qiqi seemed to understand. "Then... shaved ice. And... snowskin mooncakes. Yes, mooncakes."
"Snowskin mooncakes?"
Xiangling knew about mooncakes—Mu Yang had sent some yesterday.
But what did "snowskin" mean?
Baizhu smiled. "They were a gift from Adeptus Mu Yang yesterday. He said they were specially made for Qiqi. She really likes them."
[Though Mu Yang hasn't appeared yet, legends of him are everywhere.]
[Gotta respect the thoughtfulness—who wouldn't love a man like that?]
[Qiqi's an Adeptus too, so she must be friends with Mu Yang.]
Lumine patted Qiqi's head. "Qiqi, do you really like those snowskin mooncakes?"
"Mm. Cold... Qiqi likes cold things."
The mention of Mu Yang's mooncakes again made Paimon practically vibrate with impatience.
"Ugh, that Mu Yang! He called us here, then disappeared who-knows-where! I wanna try those mooncakes too!"
Changsheng, hearing this, had Baizhu lead the group into the reception room.
She didn't know what Mu Yang was planning.
With his skills, he shouldn't have run into any danger.
But standing people up after inviting them was pretty rude.
As an old friend, she'd do the honors of hosting Lumine and Paimon first.
Baizhu brought out tea and mooncakes.
Paimon finally laid eyes on the long-awaited treats. "So this is a mooncake...?"
She immediately dug in, her face lighting up with bliss.
"Mmm! As expected of Mu Yang—so good!"
"And this must be the snowskin Qiqi likes! It really is cold, with a unique flavor!"
Even with her mouth full, Paimon managed to critique. "Lumine, doesn't this remind you of Fine Tea, Full Moon?"
Lumine took a bite and agreed—it was similar, but without the strong tea pastry taste, and the filling was much richer.
"This is probably a modified version of Fine Tea, Full Moon."
Changsheng glanced at them in surprise. "You could actually guess that? Did he tell you?"
Then she noticed Xiangling sitting quietly without eating.
"Little girl, don't you like snacks?"
Xiangling waved her hands. "No, no! Mu Yang's mooncakes are delicious."
"We got some yesterday too and already ate them. These should be for you all to enjoy."
She didn't reach for any.
She thought Mu Yang had given everyone one box each.
Guoba had already eaten two whole boxes, much to her embarrassment—how could she take more now?
Changsheng seemed to see right through her. "Eat as much as you want. He sent me way too many."
"There's no way we'd finish them all soon. I was even considering using them as rewards for kids who take bitter medicine."
To prove it, Changsheng took Xiangling to see the storage cabinet.
This cabinet was a gift from Mu Yang—it had a mechanism that continuously released cold air, functioning like a refrigerator.
Xiangling's jaw dropped when she saw it—the cabinet was packed full of mooncakes.
Xiangling licked her lips. "Then... I won't hold back!"
She dashed back to the living room and started devouring them.
——————
Watching this scene, Guinaifen analyzed:
"Seems like Mu Yang gave one box each to close friends like Xiangling and Guoba."
"But for Changsheng... he sent an entire fridge's worth."
Guinaifen smirked.
"Such blatant favoritism... He and I really are made for each other."
[Wait, what? Is that how you interpret this?!]
[Guess even among friends, there are tiers.]
[Bro Yang, did you regain your memories after that fight with the Raiden Shogun?!]
[Even if not, given his state last time, he must've realized how important Changsheng is to him.]
[Confused? Go rewatch Chenyu's Forgotten Memories. Educate yourself.] (They can search; you don't need to—I made this up.)
——————
Lumine didn't eat much.
She, too, had noticed that Mu Yang seemed to treat Changsheng differently from others.
But from what happened last time, it seemed neither of them remembered.
As they ate and chatted, Xiangling asked Baizhu and Changsheng:
"I've noted Qiqi's preferences. What kind of dishes do you two like?"
Changsheng replied that, for her, any tender meat dishes were good.
Baizhu agreed, though his professional habits kicked in:
"Many of the patients we get are elderly or children. Large cuts of poultry or seafood are hard for them to swallow and digest."
"Making dishes more delicate would help."
Once Baizhu started, he couldn't stop.
"Also, some patients catch colds or have sore throats and can't handle greasy food..."
"But from a nutritional standpoint, I'd recommend dishes with more broth."
Xiangling scribbled notes. "Mhm, like... medicinal cuisine?"
The moment "medicinal cuisine" was mentioned, Qiqi shook her head vigorously. "Medicinal... no like."
Baizhu smiled apologetically.
"I got too sidetracked. We've had a lot of patients lately—can't help overthinking."
"If anything, it's the recent weather changes. You should all be careful too."
Lumine: "Thanks, Baizhu. This is really helpful reference material."
Paimon: "Yeah! Dishes that suit the season and appeal to all ages are a great choice."
"They carry the chef's heart in them."
Lumine and Paimon weren't wrong in their interpretation.
Xiangling added, "Medicinal cuisine focuses more on balancing health benefits than regular cooking."
"Though I don't usually emphasize 'medicine,' this is a competition—considering both taste and health could give my dish an edge."
Qiqi: "Meaningful... will be better. Everyone will like."
Baizhu saw them off at the door.
Xiangling turned back to thank them.
Qiqi: "No problem... helping is good."
Xiangling grinned. "Hu Tao was right—doctors do have a unique perspective. Super enlightening!"
Baizhu: "You flatter me."
Changsheng remarked that Xiangling was great at taking advice—she'd make an excellent chef.
After leaving Bubu Pharmacy, their next step was to consult some pickier eaters.
And for that, Yujing Terrace was the obvious destination.
Just as they were about to ascend the steps to Yujing Terrace—
A white-haired youth landed lightly beside Lumine.
"Sorry, I had to return to Chenyu Vale for something. You didn't wait too long, did you?"