Yuehai Pavilion.
Once again, Xu Zheng tagged along with Ganyu to the office bright and early.
As a dedicated liver-busting player, Xu Zheng couldn't afford to skip a single daily quest.
[Daily Quest 1: Take three photos]
[Daily Quest 2: Help Xiangling process chilis]
[Daily Quest 3: Interact with Snezhnayan nationals on the street]
[Daily Quest 4: Prove the 'Snezhnayans' are not actually Snezhnayans]
The first quest seemed like the easiest one, so Xu Zheng planned to knock that out first.
He had already sneakily taken a sleepy-faced shot of Ganyu earlier this morning, so two more would do the trick.
He casually pulled out his Kamera, aiming lazily at the bamboo in the courtyard—when the system chimed in:
[Quest Triggered]
[Objective: Capture scenic beauty]
[Description: Liyue is full of breathtaking sights. Document them properly.]
[Requirements: Take four scenic photos. The first three must feature different landscapes. The fourth must include all three.]
[Reward: 20 Primogems]
The Liver King rejoiced!
A surprise side quest!
…but this one was a bit tricky.
He didn't have any system guides or Google to fall back on, and Liyue was big as hell. Where the hell was he supposed to find three distinct landscapes that also lined up neatly in a fourth shot?
Whatever. He'd figure that out later.
Once the three-photo daily was done, Xu Zheng moved on to Quest #2: chili duty.
Honestly, he was curious how this one even worked.
[Daily Quest 2: Help Xiangling with chili processing]
Did the time of day change the outcome? Like, if he went early in the morning vs. late at night, would it still count?
This wasn't a turn-based game. Time didn't freeze just because the protagonist wasn't watching.
If Xiangling finished the chili prep before he arrived, could he still "help"?
He shook his head to clear the overthinking. No point standing here philosophizing about virtual logistics.
Best to show up early and secure that Primogem bag.
He peeked his head into Ganyu's office.
She was laser-focused on her work, oblivious to the little gremlin sneaking around.
Perfect time to strike.
He whipped out the Kamera and snap—another Ganyu candid added to his collection. For scientific purposes.
"Ahem. Master, I have something to report."
Ganyu paused her pen and looked up, eyes shimmering with that gentle, clueless brilliance.
"What's the matter, Little Xu Zheng?"
"I want to go hang out with Xiangling today."
"Right now?" she asked.
Xu Zheng nodded with all the innocence of a criminal about to commit a felony.
Ganyu paused to mentally go through her own task list.
But Xu Zheng quickly added, "I'll go by myself, Master. No need to trouble you."
He was already thinking of teleporting via the system to skip the walking.
"Eh!?"
Ganyu gasped so hard her pen dropped—and she didn't even notice.
"No way. Absolutely not. Denied."
The usually soft-spoken Ganyu had suddenly become full Mama Goose mode, waving her arms like she was guarding a treasure hoard.
Xu Zheng was too cute. Way too cute.
What if someone kidnapped him?! He'd fetch a high price on the black market! Or worse… someone might adopt him without a permit!
She immediately thought of how she'd been secretly pinching his cheeks every night while he slept.
(No regrets. She was only flesh and blood.)
Xu Zheng didn't know she was spiraling into imaginary kidnapping scenarios. He just shrugged and said, "Okay, I'll go at noon then. For now, I'll go practice my flute."
"No, no—wait! I'll walk you over!"
"Master, really, I can go by myself, I'm not a—"
But Ganyu wasn't having it. She insisted.
And so, defeated by maternal anxiety, Xu Zheng reluctantly agreed.
Neither of them noticed the lonely little pen lying on the floor.
It had once been Ganyu's favorite. She used to polish it like a precious artifact.
Now? Replaced by a new favorite.
They reached Wanmin Restaurant.
No sign of Xiangling in the front hall, so Xu Zheng wandered into the back kitchen.
Ganyu scurried back to handle work—hopefully not realizing she'd been gone for an hour.
As Xu Zheng opened the kitchen door, a fiery wave of peppery pain punched him in the sinuses.
It was like walking into a hot sauce factory explosion.
Inside, piles of Jueyun Chilis filled the table, floor, and even some open pots.
"Xiangling-jie, what are you doing?" he asked, holding his nose.
"Little Xu Zheng! You're early! I was gonna surprise you at lunch!"
"…Surprise?"
Xu Zheng eyed the suspicious chili mountain and the pitcher of fresh milk beside it.
He suddenly felt… afraid.
Xiangling was famous for her culinary chaos.
Legend said that after hearing dragons existed in Mondstadt, she seriously considered the ideal spice rub for dragon meat.
Looking at the scene before him, Xu Zheng formed a terrible guess.
"…Are you trying to mix chilis with milk tea?"
"Yup! Great minds think alike!" Xiangling beamed.
"You were thinking the same thing too, right?"
"Uh… s-sure," Xu Zheng replied with the smile of a man walking toward his own funeral. "Need any help?"
Task first. Taste buds later.
To her credit, Xiangling had done a ton of R&D on this "Chili Milk Tea" concept.
Grind sun-dried Jueyun Chilis into powder, mix into the tea.
Stir-fry the chilis first, then throw them into the milk tea like some deranged soup.
Hollow out large chili peppers and pour the milk tea inside like edible mugs.
Xu Zheng couldn't deny—she was creative. Unhinged, but creative.
"Ta-da! It's done!" she chirped, eyes sparkling like she'd just invented the cure for world hunger.
"Here. You get the honor of the first sip."
Xu Zheng looked at the cup.
Bright red.
Steaming.
There was a suspicious sizzling sound coming from inside it.
He accepted it with trembling hands.
And took the sip.