Strangers for a Lifetime, Friends at First Sight

In this day and age, having small utensils custom-made was incredibly easy. As long as you provided the drawings, they could be delivered right to your door in less than a day.

Things like the steamer from before, and the teapot and teacups now, had all been ordered online by Jing Yi and custom-made for delivery. Fortunately, Mi Star people's technology was advanced enough to be practically cheating. Otherwise, having arrived on this alien planet without Taobao's vast selection of goods, Jing Yi would have been miserable from the inconvenience long ago.

He brewed a cup of clear tea for Fan Qiao and one for himself.

Once the originally brown tea leaves met suitably hot water, the tender leaves that had been curled into little balls unfurled. They were lush and emerald green, casting even the white porcelain teacups with a layer of verdant color. A fragrance unique to tea swept through the room.

Fan Qiao sniffed, doing his best not to embarrass himself by drooling. He asked in surprise, "How did you come up with these pastries, and... this tea? What are they made from? They smell so good!"

Jing Yi was a little smug. He moved the teacups and pastry plates closer to Fan Qiao and said, "They don't just smell good. The flower-shaped ones on this plate are sweeter. They're called Prosperity Begonia Pastries. The other plate has meat inside, so they're savory. They're called Assorted Albizia Cups. They just came out of the oven. I made a lot, and since I just moved here, I was planning to give some to the neighbors as a greeting. Try them. They won't taste as good once they cool down."

Fan Qiao had never known that he could have so little self-control in the face of food.

He glanced at Jing Yi.

Jing Yi was looking at him with a smile.

Fan Qiao picked up a Begonia Crisp and put it into his mouth.

With a crunch, Fan Qiao found the pastry's outer crust astonishingly crisp and fragrant. Biting into it felt like breaking through a thin shell, then his teeth sank in, and his tongue tasted the rich, soft, silky filling...

He closed his eyes involuntarily, as though he wanted to engrave this wonderful taste, unlike anything he had ever experienced, into his heart.

—In truth, there were countless brands and flavors of nutrient solution, nutrient powder, nutrient pills, and nutrient capsules within the Federation. Most people simply switched to another kind whenever they grew tired of one. There were so many options that it created an illusion of prosperity. Before meeting Jing Yi, before eating this Begonia Crisp, Fan Qiao had truly never thought anything like, "My food choices are so limited. How pitiful I am." It was like how primitive people who had never tried cooked food would never think there was anything wrong with eating fresh meat raw.

At that moment, Fan Qiao's emotions were no less profound than those of someone who had eaten raw meat their entire life and was tasting cooked meat for the first time.

Food could actually have a texture like this.

He carefully finished the Begonia Crisp. Even the crumbs of flaky crust stuck to his fingers, he licked clean bit by bit. Then he let out a breath and sighed, "It's so good..."

Smiling, Jing Yi told him to take a sip of tea to soothe his throat before trying the other kind.

There was not the slightest hint of mockery in his eyes. He did not find these "uncultured" Mi Star people pitiful or laughable. Instead, he found them deeply familiar. The children from his orphanage, himself included, had once treated food with the same reverence. They would never waste even a tiny bit of food. No matter how bad it tasted, they would share it and finish it all. No one was born knowing how to cook, and the food Jing Yi made at the beginning had been truly dreadful. Yet it was precisely because he had a group of such easily satisfied "diners" cheering him on that Jing Yi had become the culinary expert he was now.

Ten minutes earlier, these two had been strangers.

The atmosphere between them suddenly became harmonious, and it was far from being just because Jing Yi had treated Fan Qiao to a delicious afternoon tea.

They smiled and met each other's eyes, as though they had found a flicker of mutual understanding. It was impossible to describe—perhaps simply a subtle kind of rapport...

Fan Qiao relaxed. He no longer stood on ceremony with Jing Yi and lifted the tea for a sip. This strange drink was slightly bitter upon entering his mouth, especially compared with the sweet flavors from before, making Fan Qiao frown. But a second later, the tea left a sweet aftertaste. Its distinctive, refreshing fragrance washed away the cloying sweetness of the Begonia Crisp. Unlike the Federation's current mainstream drinks, which were so "intense," it was gentle and elegant, subtle as spring rain. Fan Qiao even felt that he liked it more than the Begonia Crisp from earlier!

After drinking half a cup, he set it down and began tasting the final Assorted Albizia Cup with great anticipation. He had no idea how Jing Yi had come up with that name. It sounded a little strange, yet upon pondering it, he found it rather evocative.

Unlike the Begonia Crisp, this one had a soft outer skin with remarkable elasticity. A press of the finger would leave a dent, but once he released it, the dent would slowly spring back. It was incredibly fascinating. He took a bite, and his entire tongue seemed to be instantly enveloped by three mixed fillings. Fan Qiao had no talent for food criticism. He was merely a pitiful, "uncultured" Mi Star person. How could he have the focus to distinguish the flavors of all three fillings right now? He hurriedly chewed a few times and swallowed. Fortunately, it had been out of the oven for a while and was no longer hot, or he would certainly have suffered for it.

It was said that nearly all men preferred savory flavors over sweet ones.