That scummy fox!?
Ye Xi abruptly sat up, nearly throwing a punch in the heat of the moment.
"What are you doing here so early in the morning?!"
This woman had snuck into the courtyard hot spring for a soak yesterday, and now she was pushing her luck even further by barging straight into his bedroom!
Who could handle this?
"Looks like your brain hasn't turned to mush from sleep yet."
Yae Miko chuckled teasingly, her gaze boldly scanning Ye Xi from head to toe.
It sent shivers down his spine, as if she could see right through him.
He instinctively patted his pajamas, only relaxing with a sigh when he confirmed they were still on properly.
"So, this is the sleepwear you had custom-made at that little shop in Konda Village?"
Miko tilted her head in curiosity, musing aloud, "I just don't get it—how do you sleep comfortably with clothes on? I prefer a more natural approach."
Ye Xi rubbed his forehead in exasperation, not even knowing where to begin with her nonsense!
[This fox sleeps hugging her nine tails every night—what's the difference from bundling up under a blanket?]
[I'm just a corporate drone in my wellness years; sleeping without clothes would give me a cold!]
Truth be told, sleeping in clothes had become a habit.
After landing a stable job, he'd gotten on in years—not young anymore, pushing thirty.
Years of late nights and irregular meals had left him with a laundry list of gut issues, the toll of overwork.
If he really slept without anything on at night, he'd probably spend the next day glued to the toilet.
After crossing over to the Genshin world, his body had reverted to its prime at seventeen or eighteen—diamond-age vitality, with his looks and physique back at their peak.
But habits formed back then were hard to shake.
Hearing Ye Xi's inner thoughts, Yae Miko's eyes curved into sly crescents.
Sleeping while hugging her tails was indeed toasty and comfy; almost all youkai with tails did the same.
She suddenly felt a pang of pity for humans—they didn't even have tails to cuddle.
"So, what's the point of waking me up bright and early?"
Ye Xi yawned. He'd stayed up late last night plotting his trip to Mondstadt.
It was only eight or nine in the morning now, and this scummy fox had roused him with her antics, leaving him thoroughly annoyed.
No one who pulled all-nighters enjoyed being woken like this!
Yae Miko beamed. "First, when the oil is at about eighty percent heat, slide the tofu into the pot along the edge."
"Then simmer on low until it's golden brown, and take it out nice and hot."
"There's nothing in this world tastier than fried tofu."
Ye Xi stared blankly at the pink-haired fox before him, her rosy lips parting and closing as her enchanting voice wafted over.
He couldn't quite recall what she was rambling about, but it felt like he could drift off to sleep any second now, lost in sweet dreams.
"Huh? I've already told you the recipe—why are you still spacing out?"
Ye Xi snapped back to reality, only to see a slender jade hand waving in front of his face.
"Oh... fried tofu..."
He subconsciously threw off the covers and got out of bed. As soon as his feet hit the floor, it hit him.
[This woman woke me up at the crack of dawn just to make her fried tofu!]
[What a scummy fox!]
[Fine, whatever—I'm making tri-colored dango for Ei anyway. Might as well.]
Yae Miko, eavesdropping on his thoughts, felt a surge of jealousy bubble up inside.
What did he mean by "might as well"?
Was making tri-colored dango for Ei *that* important?
She wanted to protest, but she had no grounds to.
After all, Ye Xi hadn't said it out loud.
She couldn't exactly admit she was peeking into his mind.
So she could only grit her teeth in frustration, mentally taking it out on Ei.
Ye Xi got up, washed his face, and headed straight to the bathroom.
The Small World bent to his will, so he'd recreated a house as close to modern comforts as possible.
Mirror, plumbing, toilet, sink... all there.
Twist the faucet, and clear water flowed. Toothpaste from a bamboo tube, brushed with a simple toothbrush.
Living here often gave him a taste of urban life.
He'd do his best to make this Small World even more convenient going forward.
Honestly, he never imagined his first villa would come to life in *this* world.
But when he spotted clumps of fox fur clogging the sink drain, he spat out a mouthful of foamy water.
[This scummy fox used *my* sink!?]
Yae Miko muttered "stingy" under her breath, then acted all innocent. "The water here's so clear—perfect for dipping a comb to untangle knots in my fur."
"The fish pond in the courtyard? I'd end up with scales stuck to my tail."
She stood there nonchalantly, like a curious kid, watching Ye Xi from the side.
Ye Xi was at a loss.
[Tired... just destroy it all...]
After sharing his morning routine with this beautiful vixen, he made his way to the outdoor stove.
*Snap*
Flames flickered to life beneath the stove.
Ye Xi fetched chilled tofu from the ice cellar and sliced it up with practiced cuts.
He heated oil in the wok, waiting until it shimmered at eighty percent heat before sliding the tofu in along the edge.
The aroma immediately filled the air.
"Your cooking skills could rival the head chef at Wu You Pavilion. Even something simple like fried tofu smells this divine." Yae Miko inhaled deeply, unwittingly letting one glossy tail slip out.
Ye Xi sighed helplessly. This scummy fox only ever said nice things when food was involved.
A few minutes later, the gluttonous pink-haired fox was munching on fried tofu as she sauntered to the pavilion.
Ye Xi turned his attention to preparing the tri-colored dango.
He took out the rice he'd bought, ground it into flour, and set it aside.
Then he mashed the leftover tofu in a bowl, mixing in some milk and sugar, followed by the rice flour.
Kneading it repeatedly turned it into a soft, glutinous ball.
Milk, snapdragons, crimson hydrangeas, and rice.
The snapdragons and hydrangeas were just for color.
He divided the dough into three portions: one left its natural milky white.
The other two got dyed with the green from the snapdragons and the pink from the hydrangeas.
After kneading them into smaller balls—
White, matcha green, and pink: the tri-colored dango was ready.
Boiling them was like cooking dumplings.
Into the boiling water they went, fished out once they floated.
A quick cold-water rinse, then skewered on bamboo sticks.
Ye Xi wiped off the excess moisture and placed them satisfiedly on a tray.
But in that instant, a pink blur flashed by, and visibly, a few skewers had vanished from the plate.
"I'll taste-test these for Ei first."
Yae Miko had already swiped two skewers, daintily covering her mouth as she savored them.
"You stinky fox! Aren't a few pieces of fried tofu enough?!" Ye Xi frowned. She'd scarfed down the tofu, and now she was after his dango too.
But then it dawned on him.
[With a fox like this, she'd probably devour you before you could even feed her...]
[Does Bubu Pharmacy sell goji berries?]
Ye Xi was utterly exasperated.
Yae Miko, sneaking bites nearby, overheard his thoughts and flushed slightly, her eyes flickering with a hint of restless desire.
Just then, a disturbance rippled through the Small World.
Someone was here!
Outside the door.
A group of attendants clustered around a poised and elegant young woman, drawing stares from the crowd of fortune-seekers.
In the throng, the girl wore a gradient-blue haori over a deep-blue pleated skirt embroidered with falling cherry blossoms and flowing water motifs. Her midriff was guarded by armored plating bearing the Kamisato clan's camellia crest.
Her lips parted, and a soft voice carried forth.
"The Kamisato Clan. Kamisato Ayaka, here to pay a visit."