A boomerang? Don't say you weren't warned~

"Wow, did you make these?!"

March 7th stared at Jiang Yao in amazement.

She had thought Asta had invited the patient over for a meal, not that the patient had turned the tables and cooked for everyone.

"Huh, wait, wait, you're awake! How are you feeling? Himeko and Uncle Yang are seriously out of line!"

"Making you cook!"

"But your food smells so good!"

Only then did March 7th remember to ask how Jiang Yao was doing.

"I'm fine. I love good food, so I also love making it myself."

Jiang Yao answered with a cheerful smile.

"People with perpetually squinty eyes are all monsters."

Stelle suddenly muttered.

Even she had no idea why she had suddenly felt compelled to say that.

"All right, dig in. Once they cool down even a little, the flavor won't be at its peak anymore~"

Jiang Yao urged the trio to taste them.

Good food, like people, had its own prime.

If time was what affected the latter...

Then temperature was what affected the former.

Steamed buns were best eaten hot.

Once they cooled, both their texture and flavor suffered greatly.

"Yay~ Thanks~"

March 7th said happily.

"Then don't mind if I do!"

Stelle was drooling over them too.

Only Dan Heng hesitated, unsure whether he should take a bite.

When they had first entered the kitchen...

The trio had only noticed Himeko, Welt, and Asta.

They had almost overlooked Jiang Yao.

Yet this overlooked man...

Was apparently the "culprit" behind the current situation.

Honestly, setting Asta aside...

Himeko and Welt really were being rather irresponsible.

You're supposed to be the Express's guardians.

Is this how you handle things?

If March 7th and Stelle had been fooling around, that would have been perfectly reasonable, even normal.

But Himeko and Welt...

This clearly defied common sense!

No, it went beyond defying common sense.

This was downright abnormal!

I, Dan Heng, admit these buns smell delicious.

Just smelling them made him itch to try one, whetting his appetite.

Dan Heng even felt that the meat inside held some inexplicable attraction for him.

That was terrifying!

So much so that some unpleasant suspicions occurred to him.

For instance: had Jiang Yao drugged them?

He had heard that, in certain countries on certain planets, some cooks added substances that would never pass censorship to their barbecue and other food just to boost sales.

Had Jiang Yao... done the same?

But I've never heard of anything like that existing in Honkai: Star Rail!

"Mmm, sho yummy."

"Dan Heng, why are you eating? Get staring!"

"I shwear on my charac'er, theshe're sho good." (I stake my character on it. These are seriously delicious.)

"If ya won't eat 'em, gimme!" (If you're not eating, give them to me!)

Seeing that Dan Heng was still hesitating...

Stelle spoke indistinctly, despite having a mouth crammed full of bun and broth.

Dan Heng grew even more hesitant.

The way Stelle was eating right now was simply too frightening.

Her cheeks were stuffed to bursting, yet both her hands were still reaching for the buns in the steamer.

It was hard to believe she had just eaten a huge breakfast.

They were only steamed buns. Could they really taste that good?

Were they really not drugged?

Dan Heng glanced at Asta, then at Himeko and Welt.

Their expressions were every bit as blissful as March 7th's and Stelle's.

But given those three's vigilance—or rather, their abilities...

Surely they wouldn't fall victim to some drifter they had picked up in space?

He remembered that Jiang Yao had undergone an examination too...

Am I overthinking this?

Could it really just be that the buns taste that good?

Breathing in their aroma, Dan Heng gradually made up his mind.

Eat!

There was no other reason. The smell was simply too tempting!

The instant the bun entered his mouth...

Dan Heng's eyes lit up.

He almost transformed into his dragon form on the spot, revealing his tail and horns.

Broth rich with the fragrance of True Sting burst across his tongue.

It completely redefined his understanding of delicious food.

He genuinely felt as if he had ascended to become an Aeon, invincible beneath the heavens.

That was no exaggeration.

Though, admittedly, it was an exaggeration.

The main reason was that True Sting followed the Path of [Propagation].

While the Vidyadhara followed the Path of [Permanence].

The former had originally been a fragment torn from the latter's Path.

Now the two had been physically reunited.

How could Dan Heng not feel an illusion of invincibility?

Dan Heng completely understood Himeko and Welt now.

He completely understood Asta, March 7th, and Stelle.

Flour. Meat.

How had such ordinary ingredients come together to make buns this delicious?

He had eaten steamed buns on the Xianzhou Luofu before.

But not a single one had ever compared to these.

The fragrances of the meat and dough blended so perfectly.

Yet each retained its own distinctive qualities.

This was no longer mere skill, but a gift.

A feat of craftsmanship that rivaled nature itself!

Words could no longer describe how delicious these buns were.

Of course, the experience wasn't entirely perfect.

But that was absolutely not the buns' fault.

It was theirs!

They had already eaten before coming here, and they had eaten plenty!

Tragic!!!

March 7th, Stelle, and Dan Heng all glanced at Himeko and Welt in unspoken agreement.

They were beginning to understand why Himeko and Welt hadn't answered their messages or calls.

And why they hadn't had much appetite last night!

Seriously.

Now this is real cuisine!

What had we been eating before? Animal feed!

It kept them from starving.

But that was all it did.

What they had eaten last night and this morning had been a little better, but not by much.

No wonder Himeko and Welt had simply given up on it.

Because that was merely food.

If they truly wanted to improve their quality of life, Jiang Yao was the one to turn to.

Little by little...

Stelle began crying as she ate.

March 7th's lips also drooped, unhappiness written all over her face.

Was it so delicious that it had brought them to tears?

Not quite.

But that wasn't entirely wrong either.

They really had eaten far too much earlier.

Right now, no matter how much they wanted more...

Their bodies simply wouldn't allow it!

...Why is she crying now?

Jiang Yao looked at Stelle, who was making quite a spectacle of herself, then at the few buns remaining in front of him.

He sank into thought.

A moment later...

He picked up a bun and sniffed it.

It smells exactly right!

Then he watched Stelle stuffing another bun into her mouth.

He sank into thought again.

So it probably isn't because the buns taste bad, right?

But even if they're good, surely they aren't good enough to make her cry?

We're only just getting started!

Jiang Yao shook his head and took a bite of his bun.

Sure enough, the Stellaron is my lifelong nemesis.

Before long...

Not a single bun remained in the ten steamers.

They had all ended up in everyone's stomachs.

Everyone sat contentedly in their seats, unwilling to move a muscle, as though basking in post-coital clarity.

Someone was even licking their lips, savoring the lingering flavor.

Who was it?

It turned out to be Peppy.

Then that was perfectly fine~

Oh, right. Not everyone was entirely satisfied.

At the very least, Stelle and March 7th wore miserable expressions, their two pairs of wide eyes brimming with grievance.

Seriously.

Why did we eat so much earlier?

Breakfast is breakfast. A little something would've been enough.

Why did we have to gorge ourselves?

Stelle even recalled what Himeko had said last night.

Overeating is bad for you...

Well, is this the legendary boomerang coming back to hit me?

Oh, no. Is this the legendary "don't say you weren't warned"?

Stelle wanted to cry, but had no tears left.