"Isn't this equivalent to an indirect kiss?!"
Qin thought shyly as she took small bites.
However, she didn't refuse and instead enjoyed the feeling. As Feng Yi finished the entire basket of bananas, Qin's work also came to an end. After a brief tidy-up, they headed to Qin's residence.
Qin's residence was vast, extremely vast, occupying an area more than three times that of Feng Yi's.
But due to Qin's busy work schedule, she rarely stayed there, leaving the large house largely vacant.
However, servants regularly cleaned and maintained the house, ensuring Qin could return to live there at any time.
"Feng Yi, what would you like to eat? I'll instruct the kitchen to prepare it for you..."
Upon returning home, Qin took off her coat, brewed a pot of hot tea, and placed it on the tea table, asking about Feng Yi's preferences.
"Since you're inviting me, I must show you my skills! Just order what you like; I can do anything!"
Feng Yi stated he wasn't picky, as long as it wasn't some bizarre, extreme dish, he could accept it.
"Alright, I'll go tell the kitchen to prepare the dishes according to the VIP menu."
Qin nodded, informed the maid about the evening's menu, and had her relay the order to the kitchen.
"Qin, where is the kitchen? I need to use it!"
Upon hearing Feng Yi's request, Qin quickly called the maid back and asked her to escort Feng Yi.
After Feng Yi left, Qin entered the bathroom, filled a tub with hot water, sprinkled in some flower petals, and then undressed to soak comfortably.
She was planning to give Feng Yi a surprise later.
After washing away the weariness and fatigue, Qin, clad in a bathrobe, went to her bedroom's changing room and selected an exquisite evening gown.
Such a gown was something she only occasionally wore when she was younger and accompanied her mother to high-level gatherings.
At that time, every appearance she made would draw everyone's attention, with countless high-ranking officials and wealthy young men flocking to strike up conversations, which she found quite vexing.
However, ever since joining the Knights, Qin rarely wore such gowns.
The result was that this particular evening gown was now a bit too small...
When this gown was custom-made, she was just a teenage girl who had only recently begun developing.
Now, Qin's bust, due to its size, caused the gown to get stuck and refuse to go up.
This left Qin feeling somewhat helpless. Most of her other gowns were also of similar size. She had to compromise slightly, finding a pair of scissors to temporarily alter the gown's fit.
With a snip at the neckline, the gown could indeed be worn, but two-thirds of her chest was now exposed to the air, having broken free from the constraints.
However, this didn't stump Qin. She found a brooch, made some simple modifications, and then tied it around her chest, acting as a strapless top, perfectly resolving the awkward situation.
By the time Qin had finished, a maid came to inform her that dinner was ready and Feng Yi was waiting at the dining table.
Qin checked her makeup in the mirror, and once satisfied, opened the door and proceeded to the dining table.
"Qin, you look absolutely beautiful in that gown!"
Feng Yi rose to greet Qin, who shimmered like a noble princess. The light purple gown accentuated her elegant, charming, and mature aura.
Her fair neck and collarbones caught the light, casting a soft glow that made his eyes widen.
Accustomed to seeing Qin in her form-fitting work attire, Feng Yi was truly captivated by her appearance in the evening gown for the first time.
Qin, in her current state, resembled a swan playing in a clear spring pond on a warm day.
Feng Yi thought to himself that this swan must taste delicious!
"Thank you!"
Qin curtsied gracefully, a slight smile gracing her lips.
Receiving Feng Yi's compliment made her effort in altering the gown all worthwhile.
Qin and Feng Yi took their seats, and after dismissing the attendant maid, they clinked glasses and began to enjoy the lavish feast.
The spread included high-class Mondstadt cuisine meant for honored guests, as well as distinctly Liyue regional dishes prepared by Feng Yi.
"Feng Yi, what is this dish? It looks, well... a bit peculiar."
Qin curiously asked, looking at the unusually shaped dish before her.
"This is a famous Liyue dish called Jueyun Guoba. It's the layer of rice that sticks to the pot and becomes crispy when cooking rice. It has a crunchy texture and a rich rice aroma, seasoned with spices. Hmm... this Jueyun Guoba contains Jueyun Chili, so it's quite spicy. If you can't handle spice, you can try other dishes..."
Feng Yi kindly reminded Qin.
He had been inspired to create this dish while cooking rice, noticing the readily available Jueyun Chili.
"Oh, if it's very spicy, I'll just try a small bite then!"
Qin nodded. In her opinion, since Feng Yi had specifically made this Jueyun Guoba for her, not trying it would be embarrassing for him.
Feng Yi's inner thought: Don't misunderstand, I just happened to have the ingredients on hand and it was easy to make, so I whipped it up on a whim...
Qin cut a thumb-sized piece with her fork and knife. She first brought it to her nose and inhaled gently. Indeed, a pungent spicy aroma assailed her.
After a few seconds of hesitation, she finally put it in her mouth and chewed slowly, savoring the taste.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
As expected, Qin still experienced the unexpected.
Seeing Qin choking on the Jueyun Guoba, Feng Yi quickly got up to pour her a glass of ice-cold milk to alleviate the spiciness.
It is widely known that milk, especially whole milk, is a miracle worker for soothing spicy food.
(Professor Bosland of New Mexico State University stated: "The chemical component that gives chili peppers their heat is capsaicin. We discovered that milk contains a protein that can displace the capsaicin on the taste receptors on the tongue, making it the best way to relieve spiciness.")
"Gulp, gulp... cough, cough..."
As Qin drank the milk, she coughed, and some of the milk dripped from the corner of her mouth onto her clothes.
Coincidentally, most of the milk landed on the brooch on her chest.
Seeing Qin's precious evening gown stained with milk, Feng Yi exclaimed with regret and quickly grabbed a napkin, holding it below Qin's mouth to catch any dripping milk.
"Qin, are you feeling any better?"
Feng Yi gently patted Qin's smooth, tender back, helping her to calm down.
Although he had touched this back every day, no matter how many times he did, the delicate texture always left Feng Yi in awe.
"Feng Yi, thank you, I'm much better!"
Qin took the napkin from Feng Yi and wiped away the milk from the corner of her mouth.
She couldn't imagine if people from Liyue could truly handle such spiciness.
Qin had only taken a tiny bite and was already nearly overwhelmed by the heat. If Feng Yi hadn't quickly offered milk to cool her palate, she felt her tongue would have been gone for the day.
Liyue people have such strong tastes!