Star-Gazing Pie

"Ah, thank goodness Li Ming was here, or we'd have been done for." Pardo braced her hands on her knees as she finally emerged from the bathroom, only to see Hua sprawled across the sofa.

"Hey, Pardo. Sorry about that." Hua smiled bitterly, feeling a little guilty toward Pardo.

Pardo looked at Hua in confusion. "Huh? Sister Hua, what are you talking about? Brother Su, hurry and save Canned Food—wait, where's Canned Food?"

"Don't worry. I'll take good care of her later." Li Ming smiled at Pardo, though he was gritting his teeth as he did.

Pardo said emotionally, "I'm so jealous. Brother Li Ming only knew Canned Food for one day, and they're already so close."

"No, no. Pardo, just focus on getting better. I'll go ask Brother Chrono to make something tasty. You too, Hua—you drank quite a lot yesterday."

Li Ming comforted Hua and Pardo, then headed toward the kitchen with a smile. Even though his whole body ached, he felt immensely satisfied inside.

Sure enough, as soon as he entered the kitchen, he saw Chrono, still wearing his eye mask, getting up. "Brother Chrono, what are we having for breakfast today? Need a hand?"

Li Ming was being unusually enthusiastic, which surprised Chrono. Li Ming usually got up early, but he would go through morning training. Afterward, let alone making breakfast, he wouldn't even want to move.

Yet today, Li Ming had actually offered to help make breakfast. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

Chrono looked at him suspiciously but did not refuse. Li Ming eagerly said, "Brother Chrono, Hua and Pardo are both a little weak. Could you stew some fish soup?"

"Are they hurt?"

"No. They drank Hua's special cooking last night and got diarrhea. They still haven't recovered."

(+_+)?

Chrono felt as though he had just heard something truly incredible. Li Ming did not explain, though, and merely asked, "Brother Chrono, how do you make a pie?"

Though Chrono strongly doubted Li Ming's motives, he still taught him how to make pie. Then he watched Li Ming gather up all those little fish heads and start preparing a pie.

Once everyone had gotten up, Cosmo and Griseo looked at Chrono and Li Ming bustling about in the kitchen, smelling the fragrant fish soup. "Cosmo, what is that? It smells so good!"

"Mm, probably fish."

Seeing the two little ones awake, Li Ming had them bring out his carefully made Star-Gazing Pie. "Cosmo, there's something else in the oven. Help me take it out."

The two opened the oven just as Li Ming and Chrono brought out the freshly stewed fish soup. Its aroma immediately filled the entire Golden Courtyard.

But when Cosmo and Griseo opened the oven, a rather subtle smell lingered around their noses, impossible to shake off.

Mixed with the scent of fish soup, it made them feel oddly sickened. Especially when they saw the fish heads on the Star-Gazing Pie staring with their dead fish eyes, they felt even more indescribably uncomfortable.

"Ah, what delicious thing did Chrono make today? It smells amazing!"

"Maybe fish."

Elysia and Eden came downstairs from above, while Kevin, Sakura, and Rin came up from below. Even Mobius and Vill-V, who had been lying in bed, came out. Everyone gathered around the freshly baked Star-Gazing Pie, and several question marks seemed to pop over Elysia's head. "Huh? What is this?"

"Probably a pie?" Eden rested her chin on her hand, sounding uncertain.

Sakura and Rin took one look at the pie and felt it was comparable to Salt Happiness—ordinary-looking, with a very subtle flavor.

"This is edible, right?" After examining Hua and Pardo, Su came to the kitchen to get them something to settle their stomachs, only to be greeted by this highly artistic pie.

After one glance at the Star-Gazing Pie, Griseo hid behind Cosmo. "Cosmo, scary~"

"We're not eating this." Cosmo decisively set the Star-Gazing Pie on the table, then turned to look at the pie beside it.

"The technique is pretty crude." Mobius had an unusual focus, while Vill-V was considering whether she could make a magic prop resembling the Star-Gazing Pie.

"We should just throw it out." Kevin immediately decided that the pie would taste exactly as bad as it looked, and moved to dump it.

Just then, Chrono and Li Ming came out after finishing up. The moment they entered, they saw Chang Wei beating Lai Fu—no, damn it, they saw their hard work about to go into the trash.

Li Ming quickly reached out. Not caring whether it was hot, he caught his Star-Gazing Pie first. "Hands off the pie!"

Hearing Li Ming stop him, Kevin halted, but still said, "There's obviously something wrong with this pie. We shouldn't eat it."

"No, no. I made this especially for Canned Food. With so much fish, she'll definitely love it." After ladling himself a bowl of soup, Li Ming carried the soup and pie outside.

"Have Ming and Canned Food become that close?"

Sakura was puzzled, but Elysia said, "Probably. Ming met Canned Food yesterday. Li Ming was the one who helped Pardo find her."

"Oh, then that makes sense." Everyone looked enlightened. Su expressionlessly watched Li Ming's departing back, feeling that something was off for some reason, but he first brought Hua and Pardo each a bowl of soup.

"Time to eat, everyone!"

The atmosphere in the Golden Courtyard remained as warm and lively as ever. Once outside, Li Ming avoided the puddle of chocolate beneath the tree where Canned Food hung.

"Canned Food, look what I've got." Li Ming raised his brows, found a spot upwind, and smiled. "Fish. Delicious, fragrant fish!"

He even drizzled fish soup over the Star-Gazing Pie, took a sip of the soup himself, and winked at Canned Food. "How about it? Want some?"

"~Meow~" Canned Food wriggled excitedly. Li Ming quickly stood up so she would not splash him with chocolate. To keep himself from getting so disgusted that he could not eat later, Li Ming hurriedly drank all the fish soup.

Seeing Li Ming drink the soup in his hands, Canned Food grew even more excited, constantly pawing at the air. But she did not want to fall into her own chocolate either. Even if it was hers, that was unacceptable.

So when she was about to fall, Canned Food immediately froze, crouching on the branch. "Meow~ Meow~"

"Call me big brother once, and I'll let you eat." Li Ming wafted the fish-soup-soaked Star-Gazing Pie beneath Canned Food's nose.

Canned Food lay on the tree with a deeply unwilling expression. In the end, she still let out a low cry. "Meow~~ow~"

"I'll take that as you called me big brother. All right, we're even now. I'll help clean you up." Seeing Canned Food yield, Li Ming stopped tormenting her. He set the pie aside so she would not fall into her own chocolate while eating.

"Meow~" Canned Food threw herself into the pie. After taking one bite, it felt like eating chocolate that tasted like poop—a thing that was not exactly a thing, but was still edible.

Canned Food hesitated, but ultimately decided not to think too much about it. No matter what, this was much better than what she had eaten last night.

"Come on, wipe up. Let's wash you off."

Li Ming was thankful that he wore gloves, or his hands would have been covered in chocolate. For some reason, Canned Food was not disobedient when he helped clean her, but she always found one way or another to rub chocolate all over him.

After expending tremendous effort, Li Ming finally got Canned Food clean. She finally stopped making a fuss too, curling up obediently inside the pie and staring eye to eye with those dead fish eyes.

Pardo took a sip of fish soup. She had originally wanted to bring Canned Food some, but then she saw Li Ming bathing Canned Food and giving her Star-Gazing Pie. Full of envy, she said, "Brother Li Ming is way too nice. I'm so jealous of Canned Food—she even gets to eat Brother Li Ming's pie."

"Is that really how it is? Ming's cooking..."

Hua seemed to remember something and suddenly shuddered. Su clearly did not believe Li Ming's pie was anything good either.

Li Ming strolled back to the Golden Courtyard with a towel in hand, only to find all three of them looking at him. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"Brother Li Ming, you're way too good to Canned Food~" Pardo looked envious. Although she no longer felt weak, she was still immensely jealous that she could only drink soup while Canned Food got to eat pie.

"Aha, it's nothing. I'm heading to the orphanage first. I'll bring some soup to Aponia and the others."

After leaving the kitchen, Li Ming carried a large food container toward the orphanage.

Actually, after completing Pardo's task and receiving the Signet, most of his anger had faded. Still, he felt irritated whenever he saw Canned Food, so he had made her a Star-Gazing Pie.

But speaking of which, after receiving the Signet, why could he not find where it was? It was not on his face or his hands.

The Signet of Wealth: sparkling monster kills granted extra shiny silver coins. Lower-rank monsters granted five, while higher-rank monsters granted one hundred.

Before obtaining Empty Dream's other Signets, this Signet had no effect whatsoever. So Li Ming cared more about where it was than what it did.

As he pondered, he arrived at the orphanage entrance. From far away, Li Ming could hear the children practicing martial arts. His first instinct was to turn around and leave.

Li Ming poked his head inside and took a glance. Aponia sat helplessly in a corner of the confessional, while Adam led a group of children of all ages in punching practice.

After taking a huge detour, Li Ming finally made it to the back door. He had just shut it when Aponia quietly floated out.

She smiled at Li Ming. "What's this? Our busy man actually has time to visit these children?"

"And you brought food?" Aponia casually took the food container. "Thanks for the effort."

That reaction left Li Ming completely confused. He could only scratch his head and say, "Freshly stewed fish soup from this morning. You and the children should have some."

"So you still remember the children." Aponia took the container and prepared to open the door to see him out.

Li Ming hurriedly put a hand against it. "The children can't practice martial arts blindly. I have to keep an eye on them."

"It's fine. If there's a problem, I'll ask Su and Hua. No need to trouble you."

Aponia silently reached out, ready to fork Li Ming right out.

"Hua has a fracture. Su... Su went to find a girlfriend."

Sorry, Su. I'll do my best to find you a girlfriend later. Even if it's female Kevin, I'll bring her back for you.

Li Ming thought to himself, and his initial guilt vanished without a trace.

"Where—is your shame?" Aponia had clearly been defeated by Li Ming's shamelessness.

In the end, Aponia still let Li Ming in.

After teaching Adam some key points of several moves, the two sat inside the confessional.

Li Ming held his head in his hands, lowered his head, and said nothing. Aponia merely watched him without speaking.

In the end, Aponia broke the silence. "You have something on your mind."

"Mm—" The words fell, followed by another long silence.

"Tell me. What do you need me to do?" Aponia took a contented sip of fish soup, and the confessional was filled with its aroma.

Li Ming glanced at Aponia with a deep gaze. Especially when he saw the table groaning under its unbearable pressure, his eyes drifted even more.

"Are you under a lot of pressure?" Aponia spoke lightly, expressionless. Only the fish soup clinging to the corner of her lips was a little distracting.

Li Ming subconsciously looked at his right wrist. Faint markings appeared and disappeared there, like blood vessels.

"Ah, perhaps."

"You are hesitating. You are uncertain. You want to ask me, but you are afraid. What are you afraid of?"

Aponia's words were like knives, stabbing straight into Li Ming's heart, as if peeling open his chest layer by layer and piercing the depths of his soul.

"Li Ming, do you know? Fate has long cast its shadow, and we merely follow step by step."

Light seemed to bloom behind Aponia. Li Ming vaguely saw several hands stretch out from behind her and embrace him.

"Fate is woven into threads, densely interlaced, yet even the tightest net has a flaw. You and I have not reached the end."

Li Ming did not understand Aponia's meaning at all. He could only vaguely sense that she seemed to mean there was still hope for him.

All you cryptic bastards, get out of the Elysian Realm.

Su was one, Aponia was one, Mobius was one. Who started this awful trend?

"Honkai Energy is not evil. Honkai is." Aponia did not care whether Li Ming understood and simply continued. "I once tried to change fate, but every attempt ended in failure."

"But someone told me to try letting go of fate and enjoy the process instead. Forget fate, and remember that I am Aponia. So I must tell you this too, Ming. You are simply yourself. Just do it."

After hearing all that, Li Ming finally understood. He only needed to act; if anything happened, they would be there.

How terribly indirect.

"If you believe, you exist. If you believe, you grasp it. If you believe, you endure forever. In the name of Aponia, I hope you believe that Honkai will always be by your side."

With a flash of light, the butterfly wings suddenly vanished. Li Ming felt as if something had been added to him. No, perhaps not to his body—perhaps to his mind.

For a moment, Li Ming could not explain it. Perhaps this was the power of a Discipline. He opened his palm and looked at it. The marking on his wrist did not seem wrong at all now; instead, it felt strangely familiar.

When Li Ming directed the energy within his body toward it, rather than successfully dispersing it as before, he felt an indescribable discomfort.

Li Ming immediately stopped. There was no need to court death when the problem had been solved.

"Thank you." Li Ming hurriedly expressed his thanks, but Aponia merely raised a hand and forked him outside.

"Once you are better, you should go back. You have stayed here too long." Aponia pushed Li Ming all the way toward the back door. After shoving him out, she casually shut it behind him.

Li Ming stood outside the door: (?◇?)?