Genshin Impact: A Guide to the Unofficial History of Teyvat — Chapter 76

Chapter 76: That’s Wonderful!

Lovia sat quietly at the counter, her small head bobbing up and down beneath the oversized brim of her hat as she listened to the young chef chatter. A deep sense of kinship welled up inside her, the unmistakable feeling of having stumbled across a true kindred spirit in the vast harbor city.

Hu Tao might have been a whirlwind of eccentric energy whenever she shed her formal parlor director persona, but Xiangling possessed an equally terrifying level of focus when it came to her craft. The ambient clatter of spatulas against iron woks and the hiss of frying oil served as the perfect background music to her passionate culinary sermons.

Listening to Xiangling detail her bizarre ingredient combinations gave Lovia a much deeper understanding of her own unique Melusine palate. She became absolutely certain that Wanmin Restaurant was destined to become her personal dining hall in Liyue.

Despite belonging to entirely different species, the two of them shared a frighteningly perfect wavelength when it came to exploring unconventional delicacies. Xiangling approached the cutting board from the perspective of boundless creativity and fusion, while Lovia’s insights were driven purely by the instinctual cravings of her Melusine bloodline.

Xiangling leaned over the counter, gesturing wildly with a pair of wooden chopsticks. She complained about her recent attempts to use Cryo Slime Condensate in a cold appetizer, lamenting how she always felt something was missing because she could never perfectly lock the chill into the dish.

Lovia spoke up almost without thinking. “Sister, does the condensate… melt too easily, making the flavor all watery?”

Xiangling abruptly stopped mid-gesture. Her amber eyes widened to the size of saucers. “Exactly! How did you know that, little one? The texture completely falls apart the second it touches a warm plate or sits out for too long!”

Receiving such enthusiastic confirmation bolstered Lovia’s confidence. This kind of dietary knowledge was practically engraved into her DNA. She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice as if sharing a state secret. “I think it might be because the elemental power inside the slime is too dispersed. Maybe… you could try adding something equally cold, but a lot more solid?”

Xiangling tilted her head, her chopsticks pausing in the air as she unconsciously twirled a dark strand of hair around her finger. “Something equally cold, but more solid… Mint? Qingxin? Hmm… no, that doesn’t feel like enough to really trap the chill inside the broth…”

Seeing the chef take her absurd suggestion so seriously, Lovia grew bolder. “Not a plant. Maybe a rock? The kind that gets buried deep in a very, very cold place, so it never melts. A shiny rock?”

She tried her hardest to filter the concept through the vocabulary of a human child. What she was actually picturing were specific mineral fragments saturated with stable Cryo elemental energy. To a Melusine capable of digesting raw elements and hard ores, they were top-tier seasonings.

For a fragile human stomach, however, eating rocks was highly unadvisable.

Xiangling wouldn’t actually serve crushed rocks to her regular customers, right?

“A shiny rock that won’t melt…” Xiangling muttered, staring blankly at the ceiling before a spark of pure enlightenment flashed across her face. “You’re right! Why didn’t I think of that! What if I shave down a tiny bit of a Hoarfrost Core into a fine powder? Or… wait, no, the elemental energy in a Regisvine core is way too aggressive, it would freeze the customers’ teeth straight to their gums. But the core concept is flawless! I just need a catalyst to stabilize the Cryo energy!”

She clapped her hands together with a sharp smack, looking at Lovia as if she had just unearthed a chest of Mora in her kitchen. “Little one, your ideas are incredible! You are practically a culinary prodigy! This entire line of thinking is brilliant!”

Lovia felt a rush of heat warm her cheeks beneath the heavy fabric of her hood, thoroughly embarrassed by the glowing praise. She quickly ducked her head, pretending to be entirely focused on chewing a mouthful of steaming food. ‘I… I was really just guessing…’

She genuinely never expected Xiangling to actually follow her chaotic train of thought. Who in their right mind would seriously consider sprinkling Hoarfrost Core powder over a dinner salad?

“If you can guess that accurately, it just proves you have a natural talent for the kitchen!” Xiangling’s creative fires were fully stoked now. She dragged a wooden stool around the counter, planting herself directly across from her new little confidante.

“Okay, what do you think about this? If we use Geo Slime Condensate as a thickening agent for a stew, would it give the broth a richer, heavier mouthfeel while leaving a nice earthy mineral aftertaste?”

Lovia nodded vigorously. “Mhm! It would make the soup very thick and satisfying.”

“And what about Electro Slimes? Do you think that sharp, static-shock sensation would work well in an appetizer to wake up the palate? The only tricky part is controlling the voltage so it doesn’t actually electrocute anyone’s tongue…”

Lovia pondered this, silently factoring in her natural Melusine durability. “A tiny little shock might be really refreshing.”

“Oh! What if we slow-roast a Dendro Slime and stuff it with fresh Violetgrass? Would the herbal notes bring out a really crisp fragrance?”

Lovia closed her eyes, imagining the scent. “It would probably taste exactly like a forest right after a heavy rain!”

Xiangling beamed, her enthusiasm practically radiating heat. “Hey, I don’t even know your name yet! I’m Xiangling. What about you?”

“I’m Lovia!”

The two of them fell into a rapid-fire rhythm, completely engrossed in their bizarre recipe crafting.

Lovia entirely forgot that she had only come here to grab a quick bite, and she also forgot that she was supposed to be hiding the fact that she was a Melusine. Her suggestions began veering directly into raw elemental ingredients. Though she kept her phrasing childish and simple, every word seemed to strike Xiangling like a bolt of divine inspiration.

The longer they talked, the more animated Xiangling became. She looked like a woman who had finally found her long-lost partner in culinary crime. She looked ready to drag Lovia by the hand straight into the back kitchen to start boiling slimes that very second.

As for the slight oddity of a child suggesting people eat rocks and raw electricity? Xiangling was far too lost in the sauce of her own excitement to question it.

Down on the floor, Guoba let out a soft, confused rumble. The little bear god waddled back and forth, looking between his hyperactive partner and the mysterious, heavily bundled little guest who kept feeding her dangerous ideas. He scratched his head, his tiny dark eyes filled with absolute bewilderment.

Before Lovia even realized it, she had scraped both plates of Xiangling’s specialty dishes completely clean. Pleasantly stuffed, she finally set down her wooden chopsticks with a contented sigh.

“Are you full?” Xiangling asked warmly, her face still flushed with the thrill of their brainstorming session.

“Mhm, it was so delicious. Thank you, Sister Xiangling,” Lovia said earnestly, unconsciously giving her round little stomach a gentle pat. The childish gesture made Xiangling’s smile soften into something incredibly fond.

“That’s wonderful! You can come by anytime you want something to eat, and I will personally cook it for you!” Xiangling promised, thumping her chest proudly. Then, as if suddenly recalling a top-secret project, she leaned in close and dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “By the way, Lovia… since I know you appreciate the more unique flavor profiles, I am currently researching a brand-new style of dessert. It uses fresh Valberry nectar and crushed Sweet Flowers. How about I treat you to a sample the next time you visit?”

Valberry nectar? Lovia’s hidden antennae twitched eagerly beneath her hood. That sounded exactly like the kind of sugary, fruity explosion her Melusine taste buds would adore.

She fought down the urge to cheer out loud, maintaining her disguise as a polite human child as she nodded. “Okay! I will definitely come back to try it.”

When Lovia tried to pull out her coin pouch to settle the bill, Xiangling flatly refused to take a single Mora. She insisted the meal was on the house, a small token of gratitude for her new little confidante’s brilliant creative input.

Unable to win an argument against the stubborn chef, Lovia thanked her profusely and carefully tucked her money away.

By the time she stepped out of Wanmin Restaurant, the setting sun was casting a warm golden glow over the bustling streets of Liyue Harbor. Lovia walked home with a spring in her step, feeling infinitely lighter than when she had first arrived.

Her manuscript fee was safely secured in her pocket, her stomach was full of incredible food, and she had even scored a VIP tasting invitation from the city’s most famous rising chef.

The outing had been a little risky, but the results were absolutely flawless.

‘It looks like I am going to have to conduct frequent culinary inspections at Wanmin Restaurant from now on,’Lovia thought giddily.’But I need to figure out a safer method. Something that lets me eat her amazing food all the time without making her too suspicious of my weird tastes…’An idea struck her like a bolt of lightning.’Wait! Why don’t I write a brand-new serialized story for her? I can call it A Bite of Liyue! Part One can cover all the normal cuisine of this world, and Part Two can be an exclusive dive into legendary Melusine recipes!’

Giggling to herself at the sheer genius of her plan, Lovia pulled her hood a little tighter against the evening breeze and happily vanished into the evening crowd.

[Elysian’s Note: “A Bite of Liyue” is a playful reference to “A Bite of China” (舌尖上的中国), a highly acclaimed real-world Chinese documentary television series focused on the history and cultural depth of Chinese cuisine.]