Chapter 54: The Culinary Disaster and the Aquarium Wish

Upon hearing the sound, Xia Xingyan quietly gestured towards the stove.

Following her gaze, Hua Mu’ai observed a fire blazing on the stove, a steamer basket perched above it, from which plumes of white steam billowed out through the crevices.

A tantalizing aroma of food drifted towards them.

“You’re cooking?” Hua Mu’ai’s voice held a note of disbelief.

Could someone so unaccustomed to domestic tasks actually be cooking?

Xia Xingyan nodded faintly, then offered a quiet explanation.

“For the past few days, Captain has been making steamed buns for me.”

“I felt that Captain must be quite tired doing this every day, so I wished to lighten your load a little.”

Hua Mu’ai stood frozen.

‘Lighten my load? Simply because I’ve made her breakfast for a few days?’

Though this person appeared aloof, their heart proved surprisingly warm. A wave of unexpected warmth surged through Hua Mu’ai, leaving her feeling a touch uncomfortable.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Hua Mu’ai adopted a facade of reluctant acceptance.

“Fine, since you’ve gone to the trouble, this young lady shall deign to inspect your culinary prowess.”

With these words, she approached the stove, her hand already reaching to lift the lid of the steamer.

Xia Xingyan, however, moved with greater swiftness, her hand immediately pressing down on Hua Mu’ai’s.

“Wait!”

“What is it?” Hua Mu’ai questioned, a hint of confusion in her tone.

Xia Xingyan’s lips pressed together, a fleeting hint of embarrassment coloring her features.

“It might… not have been entirely successful.”

“What’s there to be afraid of?” Hua Mu’ai declared, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Is there something so unsightly? Quickly, let this young lady take a look!”

With a firm push, she dislodged Xia Xingyan’s hand and swiftly flung open the steamer lid.

A cloud of hot steam billowed forth, and a heavy silence descended upon the two of them.

Within the steamer, the steamed buns had uniformly collapsed, their skins and fillings grotesquely melded together, scattered in haphazard clumps, presenting a truly ghastly sight.

It was nothing short of a culinary catastrophe.

Xia Xingyan’s cheeks flushed a deepening crimson, a transformation visible to the naked eye.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, her gaze cast downwards.

Witnessing her abject expression, the last vestiges of mockery in Hua Mu’ai’s heart instantly evaporated.

‘Oh, forget it. What’s the point of bickering with a kitchen novice?’

She let out a resigned sigh.

“It’s fine, I don’t blame you. It’s the thought that counts.”

As she spoke, she reached for the plate of culinary failures, retrieved it, and set it upon the dining table.

“Come on, eat it. Don’t let it go to waste.”

Xia Xingyan lifted her gaze, a flicker of disbelief in her eyes, only to find that Hua Mu’ai had already picked up one of the misshapen buns and popped it into her mouth.

Despite its atrocious appearance, the taste was surprisingly passable.

After a brief hesitation, Xia Xingyan also took a seat, daintily consuming the dish she had prepared.

Hua Mu’ai offered her critique between bites.

“Your bun dough didn’t rise properly; the flour was mixed too stiffly, which is why it tore when steamed, causing the filling to leak out. Who taught you this?”

“Online videos,” Xia Xingyan replied with candor.

“Oh.”

Hua Mu’ai hummed in acknowledgment, then picked up another bun and continued eating.

Xia Xingyan simply watched in silence, observing Hua Mu’ai consume, bite by bite, the very buns that even she found unpalatable.

For a time, the only sounds filling the dining room were the soft murmurs of chewing.

Just as Hua Mu’ai was nearing the end of her third bun, Xia Xingyan abruptly broke the silence with her voice.

“The instructions in the video weren’t clear enough. Many of the finer points, I couldn’t grasp, nor could I replicate them.”

She paused, her cool, clear eyes fixed directly on Hua Mu’ai.

“Captain, the steamed buns you make are truly delicious.”

“Could you… teach me?”

‘She praised me… Damn it, why do I feel a ridiculous surge of pride?’

‘My face is burning… What? She wants *me* to teach her?’

‘Wouldn’t that be tantamount to admitting how pleased I am? No, no, where would this young lady’s dignity be then!’

“Cough, cough, cough!”

Hua Mu’ai’s face immediately flushed crimson, though whether from choking or sheer embarrassment, she couldn’t tell.

“Who—who has the time to teach you something like this, step by step!” she suddenly exclaimed, springing to her feet. “This young lady’s time is exceedingly precious! I have worlds to save, and Void Beasts to vanquish!”

Having blurted out her protest, Hua Mu’ai was already poised to flee the scene.

Yet, Xia Xingyan made no attempt to press the matter.

She simply lowered her gaze, her eyelids softly drooping, and responded with a barely perceptible whisper.

“Mm…”

That single syllable, however, resonated with a profound sense of dejection.

Hua Mu’ai froze in place.

That expression was uncannily similar to how Qianqian used to look as a child.

Every time she’d tried to help, she’d only made a mess, then her little mouth would pout, and her face would bear that aggrieved expression, as if to say, ‘I’m so useless.’

A powerful surge of responsibility instantly breached Hua Mu’ai’s defenses.

It was Gu Qing’s paternal instinct, manifesting in her.

“Oh, honestly, you’re impossible.”

Hua Mu’ai, her face still burning crimson, blurted out to Xia Xingyan.

Xia Xingyan lifted her head, her eyes wide with surprise.

“Fine, I’ll teach you, what’s the big deal?” Hua Mu’ai declared, her tone a mix of feigned ferocity and childish petulance. “However, this young lady’s time is billed by the second! It’s incredibly expensive!”

She wracked her brain, desperate to reclaim some semblance of authority.

“Your tuition fee will be paid with the steamed buns you make in the future. You’ll have to make this young lady a hundred meals! No, a thousand breakfasts, that’s it!”

Observing her adorable, blustering facade, Xia Xingyan’s tightly held lips curved into a subtle, upward twitch.

“Alright.”

A crisp, decisive reply.

Catching sight of the fleeting smile that touched the corner of Xia Xingyan’s lips, Hua Mu’ai felt an unsettling suspicion that she had been outmaneuvered.

Her face grew even redder, and she abruptly whipped her head away, unable to meet Xia Xingyan’s gaze any longer.

‘Confound it!’

‘That stoic, expressionless girl, she absolutely did that on purpose!’

Having finished their breakfast, the two of them set out.

Their destination was the Linhai City Oceanarium.

With her hands tucked into the pockets of her hoodie, Hua Mu’ai stared quizzically at the two tickets clutched in Xia Xingyan’s hand.

“A VIP couple’s package? And a unique aquarium experience?” Hua Mu’ai mumbled, lowering her gaze to examine the tickets in her hand, before suddenly snapping her head up, her eyes narrowing suspiciously at Xia Xingyan. “Hold on, did you also reserve a table at an underwater restaurant?”

Her brow furrowed. “Hey, what exactly are you plotting now? It’s just a trip to the aquarium; do we really need all these extravagant arrangements?”

Today, Xia Xingyan was clad in a simple white dress, her long black hair cascading over her shoulders, a stark contrast to her usual immaculate demeanor at school.

In response to Hua Mu’ai’s interrogation, she merely stated with serene composure, “I wished for Captain to have a more enjoyable time.”

Having spoken, Xia Xingyan quietly turned and proceeded towards the VIP lane, where no queuing was required.

How, precisely, had events unfolded to reach this peculiar point?

To understand it all, one had to trace back to that belated welcome party held two days prior.

****

Two days ago, at the Sweet Time Dessert Shop.

Qin Lan had personally reserved the entire establishment to host a belated welcome party for Xia Xingyan’s official entry into the squad.

“Xingyan, welcome to our Starfall Squad!” Gu Qianqian exclaimed, raising a glass of juice with infectious enthusiasm. “Following the tradition of all magical girl teams, new members are granted one small wish upon joining. Provided it’s not too outlandish, we’ll do our utmost to fulfill it for you!”

Beside her, Lin Xiaolu nodded vigorously, her face alight with eager anticipation as she gazed at Xia Xingyan.

“Exactly! President, is there anything you desire?”

Encircled by the group, Xia Xingyan remained silent for such a prolonged period that Gu Qianqian began to fear she might decline.

“Well… if Sister Xingyan feels too shy to speak, then perhaps it’s alright…”

“I wish for Captain to accompany me to the aquarium,” Xia Xingyan suddenly interjected. “Just the two of us.”

Her gaze drifted past the assembled faces, finally settling upon Hua Mu’ai, who was currently devouring a strawberry parfait with fervent abandon in the corner.