“Boss, I’ll head downstairs first, in case any customers come to order,” Sara said.
Though she wanted to stay with the boss and Barbara, she simply couldn’t handle the spiciness.
Grinding up Jueyun Chili was far too intense—when she made Spicy Grilled Fish, she always used pre-made powder, which kept the heat much milder.
Even so, not many people in Mondstadt could stomach that dish.
Only occasionally did merchants and travelers from other regions order it.
“Mm,” Jiang Chen nodded.
He took down the fresh boar meat Sara had hung up that morning and minced it into paste.
The fresh meat came from Springvale, just outside Mondstadt, where every household were hunters who supplied the city with fresh meat daily.
He also took a Small Lamp Grass from the box and squeezed out a few drops of its juice, sprinkling it along with the minced Jueyun Chili into the pot of tender white tofu simmering in red broth.
“This single Small Lamp Grass costs a thousand Mora at Flora’s,” Jiang Chen said, holding up a stalk whose stamen emitted a faint blue glow.
Using Small Lamp Grass as an ingredient enhanced umami flavor.
Cooking this Mapo Tofu for Barbara was costing him a fortune.
If even Mondstadt’s specialty Small Lamp Grass was this expensive, then Liyue’s Jueyun Chili went without saying.
Why would he take such a loss?
Don’t ask!
Ask, and the answer was simple: Barbara was just too adorable!
“I know, I know, Brother Jiang Chen is such a cheapskate,” Barbara rolled her eyes at him, her attention entirely on the red broth and white tofu in the pot.
Just a light sniff of the steam rising from it made her feel a subtle heat spreading through her body.
“It’s ready,” Jiang Chen said after a moment.
He set the steaming Mapo Tofu on the table.
Amid the red broth and white tofu, the chopped inch-long stalks of Small Lamp Grass stood upright in the dish, emerald green and glistening with oil, as if freshly picked and cut from the forest—vivid and lifelike.
“Wow~” Barbara’s eyes sparkled, colorful magical stars twinkling around her as she eagerly grabbed a bowl and chopsticks and sat down.
“Barbara’s digging in!” She clasped her hands together in prayer, then scooped up a spoonful of Mapo Tofu and brought it to her lips.
“Mmm!”
The silky smooth tofu and the crispy minced meat that melted on the tongue—hot, spicy, numbing, savory—exploded across her taste buds like fireworks.
Barbara covered her cheeks with both hands and squeezed her legs together, barely managing to suppress the unladylike urge to cry out.
Sweat beaded on her skin.
Tiny droplets glistened on her shoulders, and her warm white stockings were already damp, faintly revealing the shape of her calves beneath.
Jiang Chen leaned against the window, watching her eat with a smile.
Suddenly, he caught sight of a familiar tall figure outside waving at him.
He turned and nodded.
The figure stepped into Good Hunter.
“Jean’s here,” Jiang Chen said.
Barbara, still lost in the Mapo Tofu, stiffened instantly.
Her sapphire-blue eyes looked up at him, questioning.
“Look, she’s already coming up,” Jiang Chen gestured toward the stairs.
The Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, clad in a white knight’s uniform, had already ascended.
Her figure was tall and elegant.
With grayish-purple eyes and a fair, delicate face that was a pleasure to behold, her naturally curly golden hair was tied into a ponytail, with two locks falling on either side.
The white uniform bore golden embellishments, and a black leather swallowtail cape extended from her back and waist, reaching down to her calves.
She wore an outer cape of black with a blue inner lining and a Gothic stand-up collar, with a golden belt slanted across her waist—a symbol of her position as Acting Grand Master.
She was undoubtedly worthy of being called a beauty.
“Jean!
What a rare guest!” Jiang Chen laughed.
“It’s not as exaggerated as you make it sound,” Jean smiled slightly at him, then noticed there was someone else in the shop.
Her tone softened.
“Barbara, you’re here too.”
Barbara’s face flushed crimson.
Like a mouse caught stealing, she scrambled away.
“I—I’m full!
Grand Master Jean, Brother Jiang Chen, I’ll head back to the church first.” She took two steps, then realized she’d forgotten to put on her shoes.
She came back, slipped on her little black formal shoes, and hurried downstairs.
Being caught by Jean sneaking out of the church at noon not to do anything productive but to eat at Good Hunter—that was bound to weigh on her mind for a long time.
“You don’t have to run that fast.
Am I really that scary?” Jean sighed helplessly.
She wished she hadn’t come up.
“In Mondstadt, anyone caught by Jean resting or even slacking off would flee in shame, covering their face,” Jiang Chen said.
Jean looked a little dejected.
“I feel like I’ve become someone nobody wants to see.”
“Not at all.
I’m very happy to see you, Jean,” Jiang Chen said, crossing his arms as he appraised her.
“A beauty like you is a rare sight.”
“Thank you for the compliment,” Jean curtsied slightly in a ladylike gesture.
Then she added, “Barbara works very hard.
Sometimes she pushes herself too much.
I can tell she’s happy when she’s with you.
I really shouldn’t have come up and disturbed you.”
Jiang Chen paused for a moment, then stepped forward and reached out to touch her cheek.
“Jiang Chen?” Jean stepped back, her cheeks flushing.
“I was wondering if your face would burn when you said that,” Jiang Chen said flatly.
“You’re the last person in all of Mondstadt who has the right to say that, Acting Grand Master.”
Happy reading!