The Goddess Is Interested

"Do you know that Nuwa exists under heaven? From Thunder Marsh came the emperor's daughter; from the ultimate yin, all things were born."

"Nuwa was a goddess who became an emperor, with a human face and snake's body, changing seventy times in a single day. Her womb transformed into this deity."

Many years later, when faced with a grand and beautiful night of dating, Wa Lord would recall that afternoon in the Zhou Family's closed academy, when she had been taught the family's history.

The Zhou Family had always maintained strict discipline, and its upbringing was no different. Born into the Nuwa Clan, Wa Lord had been raised as a prospective heir since childhood. From the most basic accumulation of knowledge to her posture while standing, sitting, walking, and lying down, as well as obedience toward the family elders, she had to strive for perfection in everything.

Of course, formidable strength was also a necessary quality for becoming the next family head. One of the key tests of strength was using the Dragon Severing Platform and accepting the trial of the living spirit.

If she had died because of that back then, the title of Wa Lord would never have fallen to her.

That afternoon, the clan teacher at the academy spoke of Xiangyang's local legend, the "Han River Goddess." He said that Zhuang Chuo's Chicken Ribs from the Song Dynasty recorded how Zheng Jiaofu, an ancient man from the previous dynasty, encountered a goddess and fell in love with her while traveling along the Han River, leaving behind local mythic love stories such as "the goddess playing with pearls" and "using stones to pledge love."

The teacher said that Zhuang Chuo did not know the full story and had spread many false accounts. The Han River Goddess had originally been the Nuwa Clan head of the Zhou Family at the time. The Nuwa Clan had always been skilled in water, and when people saw the Nuwa Clan head traveling, rumors spread until she was mistakenly identified as the Han River Goddess.

Zheng Jiaofu, meanwhile, had also been an outstanding mixed-blood descendant of the Zheng Family. His talent had been exceptional; he passed the Dragon Severing Platform's trial and married into the Zhou Family, thus creating a fine tale that went down in history.

Wa Lord had inadvertently objected, saying that if the Nuwa Clan head a thousand years ago could go out and have fun, why couldn't she?

The old gentleman had blown his beard and glared. It was precisely because that family head had carelessly been seen by ordinary people a thousand years ago that there was now a Han River Goddess. Since then, the Zhou Family had strictly guarded against such incidents.

Then he changed the subject and began repeating the same old tune, talking again about the Zhou Family's ancient lineage, the incomparable nobility of the family head's status, and how strictly following the old rules left by their ancestors was for her own good and could not be wrong... The same stale rhetoric repeated over and over was infuriating. Wa Lord had stopped listening after that; she had only noticed the love story.

The Han River Goddess was known to everyone in Xiangyang, and the local folk festival known as the Sky-Piercing Festival was a celebration held in her honor.

Whenever it came around, Wa Lord knew that beyond the Zhou Family, ordinary people would pour out in crowds, boating and enjoying spring outings, gathering stones from the Han River, worshipping the goddess, praying for children and blessings, and seeking romance... The endless stream of people made for a bustling spectacle.

Unfortunately, that liveliness belonged outside. Wa Lord herself could not touch even a little of it. Having gained the right to inherit the family head's position, she was a "body worth ten thousand gold," destined to sit alone in Tang City's palace for the rest of her life.

Other than gazing at the lights of countless homes and imagining herself among them, laughing and celebrating with the people of the world, she had no other choice.

Only the Han River love legend mentioned that day left Wa Lord with an unearned longing, or perhaps a beautiful dream: If only I could experience such a fine tale myself...

"What is it?"

Wa Lord finally emerged from her memories and heard Shirou Emiya ask softly from across the dining table.

"Hehe, it's nothing." Wa Lord mischievously stuck out her small pointed tongue, revealing a bewitching smile. Tonight's makeup had made her look like a youthful young girl, though the expressions she occasionally revealed still made her seem like an adorably innocent child.

The restaurant where the two of them were currently dining was called LIANGSHE Restaurant. It was a Chinese restaurant modeled after the luxurious Shanghai Bund establishment Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet, famed for immersive dining that combined sound, light, form, and color.

Its emphasis on that was not mere advertising; it was the truth. Shirou looked around. The restaurant occupied an enormous area, yet within this entire thousand-square-meter space, only the two of them were dining. The vast surroundings were filled with lavish gold and crimson.

Like a splendid mirage, the sounds of flowing water and cranes echoed without end. Ancient-style temples, red pillars, and painted glazed roofs stood tall beneath the sky. This grand, three-dimensional scene had been created by the restaurant's designer in imitation of The Night Revels of Han Xizai, one of the ten great paintings of China.

Su Enxi from the nanny group had been rushing about busily, yet she had not forgotten to reserve a table here specifically. She had even specially negotiated with the restaurant to replace the lighting and color performance in the background with the scene from Legend of the White Snake where the lovers met on the Broken Bridge at West Lake, striving to raise the atmosphere to the max so the two could "be moved by the scene."

While Shirou and Wa Lord chatted, the restaurant quietly served dish after dish. The head chef here was said to have worked at NOMA, "the world's best restaurant," and was a disciple of the top star chef Simon Wright. In the industry, he was known by the nickname "Kitchen Prodigy."

It was probably like refined literary titles such as "Poetry Immortal" and "Poetry Ghost," nothing more than industry praise inflated by everyone's mutual flattery.

Shirou chatted with Wa Lord based on the information he had looked up beforehand. Wa Lord smiled—her frequency of laughter seemed to have risen steadily whenever she was with Shirou—and said those were all things learned from foreigners. True national cuisine did not fuss over star chefs.

The Zhou Family, to which Wa Lord belonged, was ancient. Even its culinary heritage followed the northern style of traditional Chu Cuisine. If they were to compare them seriously, their dishes were even more authentic than those made by the government's state banquet chefs.

This time, coming out to try this place had not been particularly stunning, but its blend of Chinese and Western styles, along with its sensual sights and sounds, earned full marks for creativity. It was novel enough.

Though she said that, a faint blush spread across Wa Lord's face and her smile bloomed. Clearly, she actually liked it very much.

Shirou did not care that much. Although it was just an imitation of foreign tricks, being able to taste new dishes was still nice.

When Shirou had lived alone in the past, he had often cooked for himself. He considered himself fairly skilled in the kitchen, so he enjoyed cooking. He was proficient in both Chinese cuisine and Japanese food, though he had never deeply studied dishes on this scale.

Who would have thought that Wa Lord's eyes would light up at once? She said, "I didn't expect you to know the culinary arts too. Next time, you cook for me yourself. I want to try your food!"

"Sure, sure. Just give the order, young lady. As long as I have time, I'll cook for you."

This request was no pressure at all for Shirou, so he agreed readily this time. Showing off a little in front of someone he knew—especially if he could easily win over the young lady's stomach—was quite a wonderful thing.

"Hey, Shirou."

As time passed, the two clinked glasses again and again. Shirou remained fairly composed, while Wa Lord swirled her wineglass, her face gradually flushing. Her eyes lowered, her words started to slur, and it seemed she had drunk quite a lot.

That was hardly surprising. Wa Lord was truly happy today. After all, it was the first time in her life that she had fulfilled her wish to leave home, and she could experience all this with Shirou... the regret, or perhaps beautiful dream, she had held when she was still young.

No, this was not a dream.

"Mm!" Taking courage from the alcohol, Wa Lord encouraged herself. She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. Amid the dazzling lights and extravagant splendor, Shirou Emiya's face was always filled with earnestness.

Her request to go out had clearly put him in a difficult position, yet he had not voiced the slightest complaint. He could easily have refused to share the secret of his master-level alchemical creation, the Magic Circuit, but he had chosen to stand by her side voluntarily and guide the Zhou Family's descendants without reservation.

You really are an excessively good person!

Wa Lord remembered how she had forcibly pulled Shirou Emiya along that day, boldly wrapping her arms around his neck and putting on a show for the family elders. Yet today, she herself seemed to be turning the fake into something real, with even more shyness in her expression.

Shirou has treated me with the righteousness due a national scholar. How can I, Wa Lord, hesitate and shrink back?

"Shirou, Shirou," Wa Lord lowered her eyes. "Come here. Lower your head."

She brought her lips close.

Thanks to @System's Mysterious Cutie, @Life Is Full of Impermanence, and @The Righteous Dirty Old Man of the Heaven-Exploding Gang for the monthly votes!