After that, I went with Willow Ran to a family restaurant near my home.

Unlike Yao Staryan, I’m a normal person who only feels hungry at mealtimes. Willow Ran seemed the same. Earlier at my place, she’d said, “No eating until you write something.” But at the restaurant, her ravenous hunger instantly showed.

Just as I worried her appetite might match Yao Staryan’s, Willow Ran only ordered a small seafood pasta. She muttered, “Will I even finish this?” Her appetite seemed surprisingly tiny.

But this suited Willow Ran’s petite frame. I couldn’t fathom where Yao Staryan stored all her food. Maybe her stomach was like Doraemon’s fourth-dimensional pocket.

Pushing that aside, I ordered a steak and small pasta, then handed the menu back.

After I did, Willow Ran looked at me. “Hey, Gale Splendor, what do you usually eat? With your parents?”

“Hmm… My parents are busy with work. I handle my own meals.”

“Always here?”

“No way. This meal costs at least 100 bucks. Even with royalties, eating here daily would leave me broke.”

While waiting for food, we chatted. Willow Ran’s thoughts jumped oddly—she hadn’t asked about my parents earlier.

“Don’t tell me you cook yourself, Gale Splendor?” Her reaction was exaggerated.

“Weird? In shoujo novels, heroines cook all the time. How could a shoujo writer not cook?”

“So mystery writers are all criminals?”

“Not quite. Cooking isn’t a crime. Writing what you know feels real. You can’t murder people, so you imagine it. But cooking—you can do it. That way, you write without overthinking. Why not?”

“So you clean and do laundry too?” She looked skeptical.

When I nodded matter-of-factly, her eyes widened. “Your girl power is off the charts!”

Objectively, I couldn’t deny it. Skilled in chores, a best-selling author, stunningly beautiful—this character would trigger a reverse harem route in any novel. Writing firsthand experiences beats hearsay.

I sipped water and noticed Willow Ran looked uneasy. “What’s wrong, Willow Ran?” It was rare to see her like this.

“N-nothing…” That didn’t look like nothing.

“U-um… Gale Splendor, if you can’t do anything, can you write good novels?”

Though confused, I replied simply: “Not necessarily. Imagination matters most. Skills add realism. Xianxia authors aren’t actual cultivators, right?”

Willow Ran let out a slight sigh of relief. That reaction—

“Willow Ran, are you planning to write a novel too?”

“Eh?!” Startled, she squeaked adorably.

She buried her face, but her cheeks blazed red like a boiler. She glanced around frantically, seeking escape.

For the first time! I’d never seen “that” Willow Ran revert to timid animal mode. Ah, nostalgic. It made me want to tease her.

“Is it because you admire me so much you imitate me?”

“Mmm…”

“That’s why you care about my writing setup?”

“…Mmm-hmm…” Her flushed face looked like a ripe apple, ready to burst.

Oops, this superiority feeling—why couldn’t I stop?

“Admiring me this much—you must like me, right?”

“Mmm… Huh?!” Pushing my luck, I missed the chilling atmosphere.

“No wonder. Who wouldn’t, with my looks and talent? I’ve woken up from my own handsomeness before. Right, Willow Ran?” I swelled with pride, nose in the air.

Yet even I sensed it. The timid animal before me had become an Asura, exhaling dark aura.

“Gale Splendor, which cheek do you want swollen more—left or right?”

…

Willow Ran hadn’t ordered much. After eating, she propped her elbows on the table, cupping her cheeks. “Gale Splendor, thank you… Lunch was great. And thanks for the writer talk.”

“It’s nothing…” My cheeks bore handprints, but I kept eating steak. “You’ll understand once you write more.”

“Is that so… Still, thank you. Maybe I’ll love writing novels… From reader to author, all thanks to you.”

Hahaha, if another cute girl said that, I’d be moved. But since it’s Willow Ran, I’ll ignore it.

“By the way, Gale Splendor, with new writing inspiration, are things better with Yao Staryan?”

I paused my fork. “…I don’t know.”

Willow Ran glanced at me, muttering “dumb as a pig.” I didn’t know if she meant my brain or eating habits. Couldn’t be bothered.

As I ate, I noticed Willow Ran stand up. “What’s up?”

“Bathroom!”

Whoa—why’s she flaring up again? No idea what I did wrong. Shaking my head, I returned to my steak.

“Start me off with a cheese-baked shrimp pasta.” A familiar voice came from the next table. I wiped my mouth and glanced over.

“Huh?!” Yao Staryan here? It shocked me.

Three seconds later, I greeted her brightly. “Ah—what a coincidence.”

Yao Staryan frowned like she’d seen ginger, then smoothed it out. “Gale Splendor, perfect. I was just about to look for you!”