The buns were ready

Strange.

It really was strange.

March 7th, Stelle, and Dan Heng realized something was wrong.

Normally, both Himeko and Welt were very prompt about replying to messages.

Not only did they usually reply in a flash, they would also chat for a bit and ask how everyone was doing.

But today, they hadn't replied to any messages or answered their calls!

Coupled with last night's odd behavior, this made March 7th, Stelle, and Dan Heng think something had happened.

But they couldn't imagine what it could be.

They didn't have a single clue!

They had just dealt with the Stellaron on Jarilo-VI and arrived at Herta Space Station.

What could possibly have happened?

Besides, was there anything they needed to hide from them?

It wasn't as if they had anything shameful to conceal.

"Wait!"

"The Drifter!"

Stelle suddenly slapped her forehead.

"What Drifter? His name is Jiang Yao. Doesn't constantly calling him the Drifter feel a little... you know?"

March 7th put her hands on her hips and corrected Stelle.

"Oh, right."

Stelle nodded to show she understood, then continued speculating. "Could something have happened to Jiang Yao, and Himeko and Uncle Yang went to find him?"

Last night, Himeko and Welt had only said that Jiang Yao was fine and had gone to rest.

But what might have happened afterward?

What might have happened this morning?

Nobody knew.

So Stelle was certain it had something to do with Jiang Yao.

It was the most plausible explanation she could come up with.

To be fair, most of her reasoning was wrong, but her conclusion was right.

That's right.

The reason Himeko and Welt hadn't come was that, after going hungry last night, they had rushed to the kitchen first thing in the morning to find Jiang Yao!

Asta was there too, naturally.

But someone had arrived even earlier than them.

Jiang Yao, of course.

Xiaolongbao, or rather, soup dumplings.

They still required proper technique.

There was a whole systematic set of standards for everything from preparing the flour to kneading the dough.

More precisely, it came down to technique and timing.

Aside from that, preparing the filling and broth was also crucial.

True Sting meat was excellent, but its fat had to be handled properly to make it even more fragrant.

As for how to prepare True Stings...

With his belly full of the blood and tears of True Stings, Jiang Yao already knew the process by heart.

But no matter how familiar he was with it, preparing everything took time.

There was no rushing it.

So by the time Jiang Yao finished preparing the True Sting meat, Asta, Peppy, Himeko, and Welt were already in position.

Their gazes were fixed firmly on the meat.

They didn't even blink.

That was because the meat had already begun giving off its aroma.

A rich fragrance filled the entire kitchen.

Jiang Yao began kneading the dough.

He had prepared the flour in advance by breaking basic ingredients back down into their components.

He added warm water.

Or rather, heated ice.

In Honkai: Star Rail terminology, that would be heated solid water.

Then he added beaten egg.

Only then did he slowly begin kneading.

Kneading dough took strength, but it also required precision.

Jiang Yao had plenty of experience, and he wouldn't make any mistakes.

He soon finished working the dough, covered it with a damp cloth, and set it aside to rest.

Next came preparing the filling.

This was the soul of any bun.

The meat was already ready.

All he needed to do now was mince it.

Thud, thud, thud!

The kitchen knife diced the large chunks of meat on the cutting board, then chopped them into mince.

At once, the aroma locked inside the prepared meat grew even richer.

Peppy's drool was already dripping onto the floor.

Never before had the dog resented having such a keen sense of smell so much.

Being able to smell it but not eat it was pure torture.

Asta's little face was flushed, and she swallowed involuntarily.

She hadn't been particularly fond of meat before.

Especially fatty meat. While she hadn't hated it with a passion, it had rarely appeared on her menu.

Today, however, Jiang Yao had updated her menu!

Himeko and Welt were also utterly captivated by the aroma of the meat.

Their mouths watered.

Their stomachs actually began to growl.

They sounded just like cuckoo clocks.

But neither Asta nor Peppy paid any attention.

After all, once someone had tasted Jiang Yao's cooking, any amount of craving was perfectly understandable.

Never mind them.

Jiang Yao was craving it himself.

But he thoroughly enjoyed the process.

After a brief spell of anticipation came the sheer pleasure of indulging.

The thrill of that delayed gratification was addictive.

Since the True Sting meat had already been prepared...

All he needed to do now was mince it.

So after finishing with the meat, Jiang Yao began preparing the bun wrappers.

He rolled the rested dough into a long strip, divided it into small portions, and began rolling out the wrappers.

Whether he was making xiaolongbao or soup dumplings, the wrappers had to meet exacting standards.

For the best texture, with every bite filling the mouth with meat juices and filling, the wrappers couldn't be too thick.

Jiang Yao still vaguely remembered those unscrupulous xiaolongbao vendors from his previous life.

One bite was nothing but dough. Who were they trying to disgust with that tiny scrap of filling?

Jiang Yao was making these for himself too.

Of course he would choose the method that tasted best.

He rolled the wrappers light and thin, translucent yet resilient.

That gave them the best texture.

And made eating them as satisfying as possible.

Xiaolongbao needed pleats on top, with thirty-six being ideal.

Just how nimble were Jiang Yao's hands?

Put it this way.

During the Swarm Disaster, when he was starving, he had eaten True Sting Emanators in a single bite each.

True Stings flew fast enough, didn't they?

And that went double for Emanators.

Yet none of them could escape Jiang Yao's grasp.

He could even ensure that he didn't touch anything else while pursuing them.

So this was easy for him.

He rolled out one wrapper and folded one bun.

Jiang Yao worked quickly.

It was a pleasure to watch.

But it didn't astonish Asta, Welt, or Himeko.

First, all three of them were utterly captivated by the aroma.

Second, any accomplished chef could manage this sort of thing.

They had all seen plenty of the world.

Why act shocked over nothing?

He hadn't planned to make many.

Mostly because there was only so much meat from the choicest parts of the True Sting.

Jiang Yao stopped after making eighty buns, enough for ten baskets.

He had also used up exactly all the ingredients he had prepared.

This wasn't a coincidence, but the result of meticulous calculations.

Did they understand just what the Aeon of Voracity was capable of?

Jiang Yao hated waste. No matter how awful something tasted, once it was made, it had to be finished.

That was also a way of respecting food.

With the buns folded...

He placed them in the steamer to cook.

One thing was worth mentioning.

Jiang Yao had only mentioned the steamer to Asta that morning.

To his surprise, she had obtained this special steamer in less than two hours.

Both the bamboo slats holding the buns and the lids were made from a special kind of bamboo.

Unlike the lush green bamboo of his previous life...

This bamboo had a glassy hue throughout.

It was also called emperor bamboo.

Up close, its fresh bamboo fragrance was easy to smell, as though one had stepped into a bamboo grove, surrounded by the scent of nature.

It was excellent for soothing both body and mind.

Soon, the xiaolongbao—or rather, soup dumplings—were cooked.

Jiang Yao first adjusted the temperature, ensuring that prolonged steaming wouldn't rupture the wrappers and let the juices spill out.

Then he brought over five baskets, one each for the four people and the dog.

Of course, he didn't forget to prepare the chili vinegar.

A delicious chili vinegar dipping sauce was the very soul of eating buns and dumplings!