Leisurely Stroll Through the Mortal Realm

"Hey, can I add you on WeChat?"

"Huh?"

"The other guy said Zhongli's cosplayer didn't bring a phone or wallet. Can you send me his WeChat?"

Spring Rain Pavilion's architecture resembled Tang dynasty decor, though it also incorporated some Song dynasty elements.

The long corridors made it feel like they had stepped into the residence of an ancient wealthy family.

"I'm afraid not."

"Okay, what a shame."

The young waitress in Tang-style attire did not press the matter. After trying once, she gave up.

Getting complained about would not be worth it. This job had little work, decent pay, and full benefits.

It was considered one of the better jobs in the service industry.

Between a rare flutter of attraction and her livelihood, her livelihood was more important.

But he was really so handsome, and the cosplay was so accurate.

"Your friend looks exactly like Zhongli stepped into reality. He's really so handsome. It's my first time seeing such an accurate cosplay," the waitress praised.

"Haha, indeed. Everyone says that," Su Lin agreed.

Miss, how could he not look accurate? That was Zhongli Ben himself. It was not that he would not give her his WeChat; Zhongli genuinely did not have such a thing.

Before long, the two arrived outside a private room in the courtyard. The words "Grain Rain" were written on the door in calligraphic brushstrokes.

"Try this one too."

Before they even entered, they heard a weathered yet vigorous voice.

"The skin is crisp and the meat tender. The skin carries the fragrance of fruitwood, and it wasn't smoked for too long, probably less than three minutes."

"The meat is soft and glutinous, with the juices firmly sealed inside. It should have first..."

Su Lin pushed open the door and saw that, aside from Zhongli and Klein, a middle-aged chef in a tall white hat was seated beside Zhongli.

Before the three of them was a long table formed by joining two large square tables together, with over a dozen dishes spread across it.

Zhongli was chatting animatedly with the middle-aged chef, while Klein was some distance away, eating with bowl and chopsticks in hand.

"Excuse me, sir, could you please make way?" a server said from behind Su Lin.

"Sure."

The server carried a thirty-centimeter clay pot inside.

"Chef Zhou, the Mountain Delicacies you prepared earlier are ready," the server said, gently setting down the clay pot.

At that moment, Klein, who had been busy eating, noticed that Su Lin had arrived and called him over.

The waitress who had led Su Lin here stared blankly ahead and murmured:

"They're so alike. Even their behavior is so accurate..."

Su Lin sat down beside Klein. Without interrupting the exchange between Zhongli and the chef, he waited for the server to bring him a set of bowl and chopsticks before joining Klein in eating.

What else could he do? The money had already been spent.

Might as well eat.

While eating, Su Lin sent Klein several messages.

Su Lin: "Didn't this place require reservations? How did you two get a table?"

Klein: "A table happened to have canceled."

After arriving in Rong City, Klein and Zhongli had first been surrounded by passersby asking to take pictures with them. Naturally, they had all come for photos with Zhongli.

As an Earth native, Klein became Zhongli's guide.

"If you wish to understand a place's culture, its cuisine is a good place to start."

Klein: "That's what he said, so I found this place on Dianping."

Klein: "But has he always been this bold when ordering food?"

Su Lin: "More or less..."

The meal cost 62,800 yuan, and that was after Chef Zhou had personally given them a discount.

Other than a few ingredients that required advance reservations and had not been stocked, Zhongli had essentially ordered every dish on the menu.

When the kitchen received the order, they thought a large group of customers had arrived. They had not expected there to be only two people.

After confirming there were no cameras and that this was not some influencer visiting to review the restaurant, the head chef assumed fellow professionals had arrived. That was why Su Lin had witnessed that scene upon entering.

"My restaurant is in De Rong, in the new district. Add me on WeChat after you get back, and send me a message next time you come." Chef Zhou enthusiastically shook Zhongli's hand, looking as though he deeply regretted not meeting him sooner. "My master happened to have something to do these past few days, so he asked me to fill in for him for two days. It's a pity he isn't here. Otherwise, the old man would definitely have wanted to discuss these culinary ideas with you properly."

"No matter. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. In a few days, I shall return to sample the old gentleman's cooking." Zhongli wore a faint smile.

"That would be wonderful!"

Just like that, Su Lin inexplicably gained a master chef's WeChat contact. He would forward it to Zhongli once Zhongli had WeChat.

Klein and Su Lin each carried two large bags of packed food as they left. That amount of weight was nothing to either of them.

After finding an unoccupied corner, Su Lin stored all the food in the system space.

"Old Su, is that some kind of storage ring, or a spatial ability?" Klein asked curiously. He normally used a sacrificial ritual, sacrificing items to himself and storing them atop Sefirah Castle.

"It's somewhat similar to the kind of spatial technology the Traveler has mastered." Zhongli looked curious. He had once seen the young man named Aether use Wanmin Restaurant's stove to cook several large pots of food. At the time, the youth had said it was food for the coming week.

Its principles were more or less the same as the storage techniques used by the adepti.

"It's basically that kind of spatial backpack." After putting away the food, Su Lin asked the two of them, "Do either of you have any plans for what comes next?"

"Let us find somewhere to drink tea. I am also quite interested in this world's tea-drinking culture."

"What about you, Old Zhou?"

"I'm good with anything." Klein shrugged. Being able to temporarily escape that oppressive atmosphere of his era had already left him completely satisfied.

With no Primordial, no Outer Deities, and no loss of control, Klein felt that he could wander the streets in this parallel world for months without getting tired of it.

Simply staying on Earth in this parallel world made him feel as though his mental state had stabilized considerably.

It was just that he could no longer return home.

After learning that the era he lived in was Earth's future, Klein had actually been quite despondent.

But what could he do? Life had to go on.

He was doing slightly better than the version of himself in the story after receiving that devastating news.

Only slightly better.

The existence of the chat group gave him a glimmer of hope.

The myriad worlds were so vast. Perhaps someday, he would find a way home.

Before then, when he had nothing to do, strolling around an ordinary Earth like this was more effective than going to Miss Audrey for therapy.

Come to think of it, should he bring something back for the Evernight Goddess? After all, that fellow countryman had looked after him for quite a long time.

The three spent the entire day leisurely wandering around Rong City before returning to Water Mirror Peak late at night.

"The cultivation method is at the summit, correct?"

"That's right."

Zhongli took out a brand-new phone, tapped it a few times, and added Su Lin and Klein as friends.

"For the next few days, I wish to devote myself to studying cultivation methods and make up for my shortcomings."

"Thank you both for accompanying me today. If you have the time in the future, you are welcome to visit Liyue. I shall treat you then."

"You're welcome," Su Lin said.

Not long after Zhongli left, Su Lin looked at Klein and asked, "Interested in making some money together?"

End of Ben Chapter.