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Chapter 81 - 081: Lumine, just offer yourself to Ken? Xiangling’s excitement

Realizing her slip, Paimon hurriedly covered her mouth and glanced around.

Confirming the wilderness was empty, she sighed in relief.

Ever since watching Liyue's "plot" at Ken's place, Paimon had been itching to see the spectacle there, and the habit affected her speech.

In Mondstadt it was fine, but once in Liyue, she needed to be careful.

After all,

on the Mondstadt side of Stone Gate, the understaffed Knights couldn't control things; Treasure Hoarders ran rampant.

But on Liyue's side, the Millelith patrolled.

The map even showed a market further in.

"If we're not resting on Blue Star, can we rest at the market? I'm starving."

Paimon clutched her belly.

They'd been slogging through wind and rain, mountains and streams. Where did Lumine get this energy?

"You ate so many snacks and meat cans and you're still hungry?"

Lumine rolled her eyes.

Most of the food Ken packed for them went into Paimon's stomach. For such a small body, how could she eat so much?

"Hmph… Of course I eat if I'm hungry… But you—if you want to help your brother, you could ask Mr. Ken for help. He seems really strong. Why travel the Seven Nations by yourself?"

Paimon complained.

Not that she didn't want to be a guide—it's just that after the indulgent life on Blue Star, she'd grown a bit lazy; add Lumine's relentless pace, and gripes were inevitable.

"This is too important. I don't want to drag Mr. Ken into it."

Lumine gripped her sword.

"Huh? But you're going to marry him. Once you do, he'll definitely help you face it together, right?"

Lumine blushed. "Who said I'm marrying Mr. Ken? Don't spout nonsense!"

Paimon argued righteously: "Even if you don't marry… you could, um, offer yourself a little. Sacrificing yourself for the greater cause—Blue Star's storybooks all say so. You could try."

"You—why don't you try?!" Lumine's face darkened.

She might have special feelings for Ken, but as a girl experiencing love for the first time, she felt both nervous and a bit lost.

How could it be as casual as Paimon said?

"Me?"

Paimon looked herself up and down, then said seriously, "I can't. I'm too small. I don't match Mr. Ken."

Lumine: "???"

Seeing Paimon gesturing earnestly, Lumine wanted to bonk her.

It was just banter—she'd snapped back in anger.

Who knew Paimon would seriously measure herself?

What, if she matched, would Paimon actually fancy Ken?

Lumine's expression went black; she suddenly felt like grinding her teeth.

"Ahem… I'm kidding. Let's hurry. By the map, we'll reach the Stone Gate market by nightfall. Then we can hire a carriage to Liyue Harbor."

Paimon coughed and changed the subject.

It's not that Paimon wasn't human—it's that Ken was exceptional in every way.

Even if he's a bit of a flirt, that flaw shrinks before his many strengths.

For men… strength and looks last a lifetime.

And Ken has both.

Noon.

After lunch, Ken took Xiangling and Hu Tao back to the villa.

Once she stowed the noodles they'd bought, Xiangling eagerly learned to use the computer, wanting to study Blue Star cuisines.

Hu Tao, meanwhile, carefully read Qiqi's file.

She'd wanted to read it last night, but being new to Blue Star made her curious about everything, so she hadn't focused.

Reading it today, she felt a lot.

"I didn't expect Qiqi to have suffered so much."

After rereading the file, Hu Tao felt torn.

No wonder Qiqi's desire to live is so strong.

She had thought Qiqi lacked reason after zombification and refused burial because of that; now it seemed reason wasn't the issue—Qiqi truly wanted to live.

In that case, she couldn't force a burial.

"In that case… I'll treat her as a once-in-a-millennium exception."

Hu Tao folded her arms, thoughtful.

Thinking back on how she'd treated Qiqi, she felt a bit guilty and decided to apologize once she got back.

"If you can bring her here, I might have a way."

Ken mused.

Qiqi's memory loss and stiffness stem from bodily rigor mortis. In a sense, zombies fall under curses—perhaps the [Siren's Aria] could be tried.

"Can't we just tie Qiqi up and force her to visit?"

Hu Tao thought of being forcibly "invited" herself and asked.

"My invitations are random," Ken explained.

"So that's how it is… When I get back I'll visit Bubu Pharmacy, apologize to Qiqi first—hehe."

Hu Tao decided.

She wasn't unreasonable. Since she'd made Qiqi an exception, she'd apologize for her past actions.

Besides, Qiqi's background was truly pitiful.

Ken didn't add more, but he, too, was curious to test.

Having just obtained the [Siren's Aria], he wanted a chance to try it; perhaps the big fish in Liyue's sea would give him a proper purification trial.

Since both Xiangling and Hu Tao were around, Ken didn't invite more guests.

While Xiangling absorbed Blue Star cooking knowledge, Guoba, bored, scampered into the living room and curiously eyed the TV.

Finding it interesting, he circled it again and again.

"La la la la la ... Le le le ... Lu lu lu~?"

Hearing the sound Guoba made, Ken suddenly thought of Diluc.

Letting Diluc and Guoba meet someday could be fun.

"Want to watch TV, Guoba?"

Seeing the little fellow, Ken guessed he was curious about the shows.

He picked up the remote and turned on the TV.

It was playing We Bare Bears.

"!!!"

Seeing the sudden images, Guoba's eyes went wide.

But recalling similar images on Xiangling's screen, he calmed down and watched intently, increasingly engrossed.

Ken's brow twitched.

This guy likes cartoons? The mighty God of the Stove enjoying We Bare Bears?

Then again, Guoba had given all his power and wisdom to Liyue—Ken felt a twinge of emotion.

Parents love their children and plan far ahead.

So do gods for their people.

He raised the volume two notches, then opened his laptop to start a video meeting with his staff.

With Genshin growing ever more popular, he had more to handle.

But if he got things in order now, he could head to Liyue to enjoy the spectacle. Attending your own funeral—now that's rare.

Afternoon.

After lunch at Ken's, Xiangling and Hu Tao returned to Liyue, brimming with enthusiasm.

Especially Xiangling:

with armfuls of noodles from Ken, she couldn't wait to cook. If it worked, Wanmin would gain a new signature offering.

Back at Wanmin, Xiangling didn't even change clothes before rushing straight to the kitchen.

"Xiangling, your outfit looks a bit odd?"

Her father, Chef Mao, eyed her haste with puzzlement.

The clothes weren't in Liyue style.

"Dad, no time to explain. I brought super convenient quick-cook noodles—ready in a few minutes and keep well for ages. This could really uplift Wanmin!"

Xiangling hurried through, donned an apron, and called Guoba.

"Guoba, fire!"

She planned to try tomato-egg noodles like on Blue Star.

Liyue has tomatoes, but they're rarely used with noodles. Inspired, Xiangling chose this simple test for feel.

"Very convenient noodles? To make good noodles, kneading is key. You can't skip that."

Chef Mao, a noodle expert, was skeptical.

But seeing Xiangling's confidence, he didn't throw cold water on her.

His daughter's passion for cooking deserved support.

Besides,

Xiangling had surpassed him in culinary skill—aside from her odd experiments, her reputation among Liyue's diners was excellent.

Some even traveled from Stone Gate just to eat her food.

Proof of her skill.

Watching her deftly dice tomatoes, Chef Mao felt a twinge of anticipation.

Had she really developed a new noodle approach on this trip?

"Sizzle…"

After sweating scallions till fragrant, Xiangling tossed in the tomatoes; the oil crackled loudly.

Once the tomatoes softened and released juice, she poured in beaten eggs to scramble, added seasonings, then scooped out the tomato egg mixture with its sauce.

She refilled the pot with water and covered it, then mysteriously pulled out a bag of noodles.

"This is?"

Chef Mao took a strand, inspecting it. "These go mushy fast and turn to paste."

He'd once asked people to develop dried noodles.

Wanmin often got too busy; if dried noodles stored well, it would save him time on hand-making dough.

But dried noodles, while storable, didn't hold up—

they went limp and pasty after boiling, with awful texture.

"Dad, these are different. Just four to five minutes and you get springy hand-pulled-style noodles."

Xiangling said excitedly.

When the water boiled, she dropped the noodles in.

The stiff strands relaxed and softened in the rolling water.

Timing it, Xiangling lifted them out, then poured the tomato-egg with sauce over the top.

"Dad, try it!"

She mixed and handed him the bowl.

Her first attempt at tomato-egg on dried ramen—she wasn't sure how it would taste.

Under her expectant gaze, Chef Mao took a bite.

"Hm?"

"These noodles… are interesting!"

What struck him wasn't the topping, but the springy texture of the noodles.

Five minutes to achieve this bite—

so convenient.

"And there's more—Tantanmen noodles, flat noodles, thick, thin…"

Xiangling pulled out various types from her pack, eyes shining.

Getting her father's approval meant the idea worked.

Ken hadn't lied to her.

"We can prep a few toppings in advance. When customers order, we drop these noodles to cook, then ladle on the chosen topping."

"With this texture and efficiency, Wanmin's reputation will only grow!"

The more she spoke, the more excited she became—

and thankful she'd gone to see Hu Tao and met Ken to strike a deal.

"Where did you get these noodles?"

Chef Mao finished a bowl before asking.

If other shops had them, Wanmin's edge would vanish.

"Mr. Ken! You know him, right? The great hero the caravans talk about—the one who saved Mondstadt! These are from his Blue Star. I've signed a contract with him—we'll cooperate. It's an exclusive supply!"

Xiangling beamed, imagining a bright future.

Noodles aren't grand cuisine, but they're a staple in Liyue.

If they're easy to make, they save tons of work.

"So it's that gentleman. I must thank him in person when I can."

Chef Mao was moved. "In that case, let's launch them tomorrow and see how new and old customers react."

"Okay!" Xiangling turned to finish the leftovers—only to see Guoba slurping the noodles from a bowl.

Xiangling: "..."

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