I opened a shop on the Astral Train-Chapter 65

Asmodeus snapped her fingers, and an invisible force pried Aether's mouth open against his will.

Grinning like a mischievous devil—which, to be fair, wasn't too far off—Asmodeus strolled over, holding a bowl of ominous-looking soup. The thick, brownish liquid sloshed inside, its consistency questionable at best.

Aether, still disoriented from the earlier events, squinted at the bowl, his instincts screaming at him to reject whatever was about to happen.

Asmodeus chuckled darkly.

"Your Highness, this is a very special soup, crafted just for you," Asmodeus announced with a wicked smile. "Ox stomach soup. Made from grass that the cow ate but didn't quite have time to digest. I thought, what better way to remind you of your noble heritage than a meal straight from nature's, ah... second-hand pantry?"

Aether immediately turned a shade of green that rivaled Dendro slimes. He gagged, trying desperately to shake his head, but the dark red energy chains binding him kept him locked in place. His stomach twisted in horror as the stench of the soup reached his nose—earthy, sour, and with an unholy tang that could probably make a ruin guard shut down out of sheer disgust.

He thrashed wildly, but Asmodeus had no intention of letting him escape his gourmet fate. With an exaggerated flourish, she scooped up a spoonful and brought it closer to Aether's trembling lips.

"Come now, Your Highness," Asmodeus cooed, "it's time for your royal feast~"

One force-fed spoonful later, Aether went stiff, his body shuddering violently before he promptly passed out, head bobbing to the side as Asmodeus stared on.

March 7th, who had been watching from a safe distance, winced. "Ugh. That was cruel. I smelled that stuff earlier when Xiangling reheated it, and let me tell you, I have never seen someone yeet a pot out of a window so fast in my life."

Yuri let out a low whistle, shaking his head in faux solemnity. "Rest in peace, Aether. May your soul find peace in another, less disgusting culinary realm with...generally less gross things...."

With Aether out cold, the group dispersed to resume their usual activities—some back to their mahjong game, others installing the last of the computers. Xianyun, ever the opportunist, suddenly had an idea. Her eyes darted to Hu Tao, who was fully engrossed in her mahjong match, cackling like a villain every time she made a good play.

Smirking to himself, Xianyun transformed into her human form, quietly snatched up a computer, and bolted upstairs.

"Hehehe! Finally! Let's see how advanced this alien world technology really is!" she muttered excitedly, rubbing her hands together as she prepared to take the computer apart.

But before she could even remove a single screw, a golden aura enveloped the machine and promptly yanked it right out of her hands.

Xianyun stiffened. That power... it could only be—

She turned his head slowly and came face to face with Zhongli, who merely adjusted his sleeve, looking supremely unimpressed. Without a word, he sent the computer floating back downstairs with the same level of care one might use to place a teacup on a table.

Xianyun let out a defeated sigh. "Damn it, caught again..."

With her grand scheme foiled, she slunk back to the first floor, her gaze filled with longing as he watched everyone else setting up the sleek new computers.

—

By midnight, the last of the computers had been assembled, polished, and powered up, marking the completion of their latest grand project. Silver Wolf, ever the hacker extraordinaire, had even spruced up the interior with the Ether Editor, adding a sleek counter, self-service beverage machines, and neon-lit signage for dramatic effect.

The pricing structure was set:

First floor: General lobby, 998 Mora per hour.

Second floor: Five-person private rooms, 1,998 Mora per hour.

Third floor: Esports luxury rooms, perfect for gaming marathons and overnight stays, 69,998 Mora per day.

Hu Tao, ever the generous host, clapped her hands together. "Alrighty, since everyone worked so hard, dinner's on me tonight! Xiangling's whipping up something special at Wanmin Restaurant!"

A collective cheer erupted from the group, and soon, they were all making their way through the streets of Liyue, talking and laughing along the way.

Kevin threw an arm around March 7th's shoulders. "What do you say? We skip sleep tonight and have an all-nighter at the new internet cafe?"

March 7th immediately recoiled, shaking her head furiously. "No way! Every time I play with you guys, you just run off and leave me behind while I get obliterated! I never get any EXP!"

Kevin gave her a lopsided grin. "I promise, I'll protect you this time."

March 7th narrowed her eyes. "You said that last time. And the time before that. And the time before—"

"Alright, alright," Kevin laughed, holding up his hands in surrender. "Tonight, I swear on my Judgment of Shamash."

March 7th sighed and pouted. "You know what..maybe...just maybe..."

Hu Tao, ever the chaos enthusiast, gave a thumbs up. "Sounds great! All-night canyon session, let's gooo~!"

Ying and Amber immediately joined in, hyped at the idea.

Meanwhile, Klee, Hook, Diona, and Bailu had gotten distracted by their newest obsession—a set of wind-up toy windmills that Xianyun had made for them. They chased them through the streets, giggling as the tiny mechanisms spun wildly in the night breeze.

Jing Yuan, munching on a skewer of candied haws, nodded approvingly. "Speaking of which, these Liyue-style candied haws are surprisingly good. Sweet, sour, just the right crunch."

Zhongli, also savoring one, hummed in agreement. "A delicacy of refined simplicity."

Yuri, skeptical, accepted one from Asta and took a bite. "Huh. Not bad. Could use some spice, though."

Before long, they reached Wanmin Restaurant, where the warm glow of lanterns and the scent of sizzling food welcomed them inside.

Xiangling, already hard at work in the kitchen, peeked out and grinned. "Oh, you're here! Perfect timing—I just finished a fresh batch of sweet and sour pork!"

Kevin lifted the curtain and stepped in, catching a glimpse of the glistening, sauce-coated pork sizzling in the wok. His stomach rumbled in appreciation.

"Xiangling, you're a lifesaver."

She laughed. "Grab a plate and dig in!"

Soon enough, everyone was seated, savoring the flavors of Liyue's finest cuisine.

Asmodeus, already on his second helping, leaned back with a satisfied sigh. "Hu Tao, can your chef make this?"

Hu Tao shook her head. "Nope."

Asmodeus scoffed. "Then fire him. What's the point of a chef who can't even make sweet and sour pork?"

Zhongli chuckled, setting his teacup down with practiced elegance. "Let's be honest, Asmodeus. There's only one Xiangling in Teyvat."

Asmodeus rolled his eyes. "What, are you saying no one else can cook? You act like she's some culinary archon."

Zhongli smirked. "You've had her cooking. Would you disagree?"

Asmodeus opened his mouth, then hesitated. She glanced at her plate, then back at Zhongli. "Alright, fair point. But still, the man should at least try."

Hu Tao grinned. "Oh, he did."

Asmodeus raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"He almost burned down the kitchen."

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Zhongli sighed. "A tragedy, truly. A chef who can't handle fire is like a bard who can't hold a tune."

A mischievous glint flickered in Hu Tao's eyes. "Speaking of bards who can't hold a tune, Venti tried making this once."

Zhongli pinched the bridge of his nose. "Let me guess—he got distracted and turned it into some kind of drunken glaze?"

Asmodeus snorted. "I bet it was more wine than pork."

Hu Tao nodded solemnly. "We don't talk about that meal."

Zhongli leaned back, his amusement clear. "Perhaps it's best we leave the cooking to the professionals."

Asmodeus sighed. "Fine. But if I ever find someone who can match Xiangling, I expect you to admit you were wrong."

Zhongli smiled. "I look forward to that day."

Hu Tao suddenly stood up, lifting an imaginary baseball bat. "Alright, enough talk! If you two don't stop babbling like old men, I'm gonna knock some sense into you—home run style!"

Zhongli raised an eyebrow. "Violence, Hu Tao? How uncharacteristic."

Asmodeus grinned. "Nah, sounds about right."

Also I must point out...that was quite the pun you just did..." Zhongli chuckled to himself.

"Always talking about puns...Why don't you just-" Asmodeus was promptly interrupted.

"Hey!" Hu Tao interrupted the potential argument that was about to erupt.

"If you both don't enjoy your lovely meal...I might curse you both forever...." Hu Tao laughed darkly.

Zhongli and Asmodeus exchanged a glance before quickly returning to their food.

Hu Tao smirked.

"That's what I thought."