As Mei's voice echoed from the speaker, the fragile peace Fu Lin didn't want to disturb instantly shattered. It was as if the serene scene had been nothing more than a fleeting illusion.
And the culprit was none other than the protagonist—Elysia.
Moments later, Mei's voice rang out in an exasperated growl.
"Elysia…!!"
Elysia, tears still in her eyes, broke into laughter. She hugged Mei and said, "Haha… Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing you. Look who's back—there's a surprise for you~!"
--------------------------
Mei turned around and looked at Fu Lin in the distance. The emotions of being teased by Elysia instantly disappeared, and a blush rose on her face,
"Um… Fu Lin, when did you come back?"
Fu Lin nodded in response, naturally leaning against the railing and gazing at the mist-shrouded island in the distance. "I just got back from a walk. How are things progressing on your end?"
Elysia cast her gaze toward the distant island, her face full of confusion, and murmured to herself, "That's strange… I was fully prepared, so why is it still shrouded in the 'mist'?"
Mei was startled upon hearing this. She looked at the island covered in mystical mist and asked, "That island… so it's the 'destination'?"
Elysia squinted her eyes slightly as she looked at the distant island, then smiled faintly,
"Yes, everything Mei wants to know about that 'banquet' and the mysterious man's information is stored there."
"I'm quite curious about what exactly happened, too."
Hearing that it involved the mysterious man, Mei's expression became conflicted. "You don't know either?"
Elysia placed her hands on her hips, looking helpless,
"Forgotten? I'm just a memory entity. I only know what I 'want to do,' but not what 'actually happened.'"
Mei glanced at Fu Lin's desolate silhouette, and her gaze darkened imperceptibly. For some reason, a vague thought surfaced in her mind—the mysterious man might be Fu Lin.
If that were the case, then Elysia…
With that thought, Mei walked up to Fu Lin, took a deep breath, and said firmly, "Fu Lin, will you accompany me to explore this Eternal Paradise?"
Since that's the case, it's better to take the initiative.
Fu Lin, gazing at the evening glow in the distance, suddenly felt a bit drowsy. Upon hearing Mei's voice, he patted his face to wake himself up,
"Haa~ Mei, it's getting late. Let's explore tomorrow. Speaking of which, I haven't had Mei's cooking in a long time… Just thinking about it makes me hungry."
"Alright."
Mei's eyes lit up, suppressing her excitement. Now, it's my turn to shine. I remember Fu Lin likes to eat… Uh, does he have any particular favorites?
Mei patted her cheeks, her face turning pale and weak. A sense of frustration welled up,
'So I don't even know what Fu Lin likes to eat… No, I need to think carefully, Mei. I can't give up just like this!'
At that moment, Elysia suddenly wrapped her arms around Mei's neck from behind and poked her cheek,
"Me! And me! Mei mustn't forget about me~"
Mei snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Elysia's face, blinking with slightly misty eyes. "No problem, but do you have anything you'd like to eat, Elysia?"
Elysia, seeing Mei's pitiful expression, let a mischievous glint flash in her eyes. She glanced meaningfully at Fu Lin, who stood like a block of wood, and consoled Mei, "Oh my, Mei, why are you pouting? Who bullied you? I'll teach them a lesson."
Fu Lin, "..."
Mei swatted away the hand pinching her cheek and said in annoyance, "I'm not! Just tell me what you want to eat. Otherwise, I won't make yours."
"Let me think… I want to eat a lot of things~" Elysia immediately sobered up, rubbing her chin thoughtfully before clapping her hands. "I've decided—Basque cheesecake!"
Hearing the name of the cake, Mei frowned slightly before suddenly recalling something. She grabbed Elysia's hand in excitement and thanked her sincerely,
"Basque cheesecake… I think I remember now! Right, how could I forget!"
"Thank you, Elysia."
"Eh? Why is Mei thanking me? I should be the one thanking Mei, since you're going to make my favorite Basque cheesecake~"
Elysia smiled shyly at Mei. Seeing that Mei was no longer troubled, she silently gave herself a mental thumbs-up.
Meanwhile, Mei felt a mix of emotions. 'Come to think of it, Fu Lin and Elysia have surprisingly similar tastes… Maybe it's just a coincidence. I'm probably overthinking it.'
Elysia wiped the corner of her mouth, swallowed her saliva, and looked at Mei expectantly,
"A Basque cheesecake with a caramelized crust and a soft, pudding-like interior… I wonder how Mei's version will taste. Just imagining it makes me want to eat it already~"
'Basque cheesecake sounds really delicious…' Fu Lin, just hearing Elysia's description, swallowed his saliva in curiosity (???.???).