The Goddess is Willing

"Do you know that there is a Nuwa in the world? Thunder Marsh gave birth to the Emperor's daughter, and from the yin pole, all things arise."

"Nuwa, a goddess who became an emperor, with a human face and a serpent's body, changing seventy times in a single day. This belly transformed into this deity."

Years later, when facing a grand, perfect night of a date, the Wa Lord would recall that afternoon in the Zhou Family's closed-door schoolhouse, where she was taught family history.

The Zhou Family had always been strict in their rules, and their home education was no different. Born into the Nuwa Clan, the Wa Lord was raised from childhood as a designated heir. From the most basic accumulation of knowledge to the posture of walking, sitting, and lying down, to obedience toward the Family Elders, everything had to strive for perfection.

Of course, formidable strength was also a necessary quality for assuming the position of family head. One must know that a key item in the strength assessment was using the Dragon Severing Platform to undergo the trial of living spirits.

If she had died from that back then, then the title of Wa Lord would not have fallen to her to inherit.

That afternoon, the clan teacher in the schoolhouse spoke of the local Xiangyang legend, the "Han River Goddess," saying that the Song Dynasty's Zhuang Chuo recorded in Chicken Ribs how the ancient Zheng Jiaofu met and fell in love with the goddess while wandering on the Han River, leaving behind the mythical love tale of "the goddess playing with pearls" and "pledging love with a stone" in the area.

The teacher said that Zhuang Chuo, unaware of the truth, had spread many errors. The Han River Goddess was actually the Nuwa Clan family head of the Zhou Family at that time. The Nuwa Clan had always been adept in water, and when the world saw the Nuwa Clan head out on an excursion, rumors twisted it into the Han River Goddess.

As for Zheng Jiaofu, he was an outstanding mixed-blood son of the Zheng Family. This man was exceptionally talented, passed the Dragon Severing Platform trial, and married into the Zhou Family, thus creating a beautiful story that left its mark in history.

The Wa Lord inadvertently retorted, "A thousand years ago, the Nuwa Clan head could go out and play, so why can't I?"

The old teacher, in response, bristled with anger and widened his eyes. "It was precisely because the family head went out carelessly a thousand years ago and was gawked at by commoners that we ended up with an extra Han River Goddess. Since then, the Zhou Family has strictly guarded against such situations."

Then he shifted the topic and began his usual refrain, droning on about how the Zhou Family's lineage was ancient, the family head's status was inestimably noble, and that strictly following the ancestors' old rules was for her own good, and so on and so forth... The same old clichés, repeated over and over, were quite annoying. At that time, the Wa Lord didn't listen to the rest. She only paid attention to the love story.

Because the name of the Han River Goddess was known to everyone in Xiangyang, the local folk festival, the "Sky-Piercing Festival," was a grand occasion to honor her.

Every time this came around, the Wa Lord could see that beyond the Zhou Family, ordinary people would turn out in droves, boating on the river, stepping on the green grass, gathering stones from the Han River, offering sacrifices to the goddess, praying for children and blessings, seeking romantic matches... The bustling crowds were endless and lively.

Unfortunately, that liveliness was outside. The Wa Lord couldn't touch any of it. Having obtained the right of succession as family head, she was a "body worth ten thousand gold," destined to sit idly in the Tang City palace for her entire life.

Aside from gazing at the myriad lights of the city from afar, imagining herself among them, sharing laughter and joy with the world, she had no other recourse.

Only the love legend of the Han River, mentioned that day, left the Wa Lord with some lingering regrets, or perhaps a beautiful dream: if only she could experience such a tale...

"What's wrong?"

The Wa Lord finally broke free from her memories, hearing Shirou Emiya's soft question from across the dining table.

Hehe, nothing much. The Wa Lord playfully stuck out her small, pointed tongue, revealing a charming smile. The evening's makeup had transformed her into a youthful girl, but the occasional expression still made her look like an adorable child.

The restaurant they were now in was called LIANGSHE Restaurant. It was a Chinese restaurant that mimicked the form of the Shanghai Bund's luxury eatery, Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet, known for its immersive dining experience that emphasized the combination of sound, light, form, and color.

Saying they emphasized this wasn't just marketing talk—it was real. Shirou looked around. The restaurant occupied a vast area, but the entire thousand square meters nearby was just for the two of them dining. The enormous space around them was filled with luxurious gold and red.

A dazzling scene like a mirage, with the sound of flowing water and crane calls echoing endlessly. Ancient-style temples with red pillars and colored glazes stood towering, supporting heaven and earth. Such a three-dimensional and grand atmosphere was crafted by the restaurant's designer, inspired by one of the top ten famous Chinese paintings, The Night Revels of Han Xizai.

Su Enxi from the nanny team had been bustling about, running here and there, and had specially booked this table. She had even communicated with the restaurant to change the background lighting and color performance to the segment from Legend of the White Snake where the lovers meet on the Broken Bridge at West Lake, aiming to maximize the atmosphere so the two could "be moved by the scene."

As Shirou and the Wa Lord chatted, the restaurant silently served the dishes. The head chef here was said to have worked at the "world's number one restaurant," NOMA, and was a disciple of the top star chef, Simon Wright, earning the nickname "Kitchen Prodigy" in the industry.

It was probably something like the literary titles "Poetry Immortal" or "Poetry Ghost"—a kind of mutual flattery and industry hype.

Shirou, relying on the information he had looked up beforehand, chatted with the Wa Lord. The Wa Lord smiled—her frequency of smiling seemed to increase when she was with Shirou—and said that these were all things learned from foreigners. True national cuisine didn't care about star chefs.

The Zhou Family, to which the Wa Lord belonged, was ancient, and even their culinary heritage was traditional Chu Cuisine with a northern flavor. If it came down to it, it was more authentic than the dishes served by the government's state banquet chefs.

This time out, tasting this place wasn't exactly stunning, but the blend of Chinese and Western elements, along with the indulgent sound and color, was creative enough to offer something novel.

That said, a faint blush spread across the Wa Lord's face, and her smile widened, showing that she actually liked it.

Shirou, on the other hand, didn't care much. Even if it was imitation foreign stuff, being able to try new dishes was still nice.

Back when Shirou lived alone and cooked for himself, he thought he had some skill in the kitchen, so he enjoyed making his own food. He was proficient in both Chinese and Japanese cuisine, but he hadn't delved deeply into dishes of this scale.

To his surprise, the Wa Lord's eyes lit up instantly. She said, "I didn't expect you to know the art of cooking. Next time, you cook for me yourself. I want to taste your dishes!"

"Sure, sure. Miss, just give the order, and I'll cook for you whenever I'm free."

This request was no pressure for Shirou, so he agreed lightly. Showing off in front of acquaintances, especially if he could easily win over the young lady's stomach, would be a wonderful thing.

"Hey, Shirou."

As time passed and they toasted each other, Shirou remained fairly composed, while the Wa Lord swirled her wine glass, her face gradually flushing red. She lowered her eyes, and her speech began to slur, clearly having drunk quite a bit.

That was no surprise. The Wa Lord was genuinely happy today. After all, it was the first time in her life she had realized the idea of stepping out of the house, and she could experience this with Shirou... It was the regret, or rather the beautiful dream, of her younger years.

No, this isn't a dream.

Mm! The Wa Lord used the alcohol to bolster her courage. She moved her head, squinting as she looked. Amidst the dazzling, flashy sights of lights and wine, Shirou Emiya's face was always full of seriousness.

Even though her request to go out was already somewhat difficult for him, he hadn't complained at all. He could have easily refused to share the secret of his master-level alchemical creation, the "Magic Circuit," but he chose to stand on her side and guide the Zhou Family's younger generation without any hesitation.

'You really are a goody-two-shoes who goes too far!'

The Wa Lord recalled that day when she had boldly wrapped her arms around Shirou Emiya's neck and put on a show for the Family Elders. Now, looking back, she seemed to have turned a bit of that pretense into reality, with a stronger hint of shyness in her expression.

Since Shirou has treated me with such loyalty and honor, how can I, the Wa Lord, hesitate and shrink back?

"Shirou, Shirou," the Wa Lord lowered her gaze, "come here, bend down."

She brought her lips close.

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