"Um, are you going to finish this dish? If not, Paimon will help you eat it. Wasting food is a very shameful thing to do."
"This... Judge Lumine, is your little pet really okay after eating so much? I'm worried that..."
This preliminary round judge recognized Lumine as someone favored by Ningguang. After watching Paimon put away over a dozen dishes, he didn't dare let her eat any more. If something happened to Paimon on his watch, he wouldn't be able to show his face in Liyue again.
"Lumine, I think I can still eat. Let me have a few more plates."
"No, Paimon, you can't eat any more. If you keep going, you might not even be able to fly."
Lumine looked at Paimon's bulging stomach, feeling a bit embarrassed. She had never skimped on food for Paimon, yet here she was, still acting like she hadn't had enough. It was embarrassing.
A flicker of disappointment crossed Paimon's face. She patted her round belly. Finally finding a place with free food, and Lumine wouldn't let her eat to her heart's content. How frustrating.
"Lumine, I've made it through the preliminaries. Let's go back and work on new dishes. I had some inspiration while cooking."
Xiangling, having successfully advanced to the next round, eagerly called for Lumine to join her. Though Lumine, as one of the four semifinal judges, was allowed to wander the venue, she saw no reason to stay now that Xiangling had advanced. She had sampled quite a few dishes, but none of them came close to Xiangling's cooking.
"Xiangling's going to develop new dishes? Let me help you taste them! Paimon knows a lot about food."
"Great! Let's head back to Wanmin Restaurant. Father just got a batch of fresh ingredients today. Cooking with fresh ingredients always makes the flavors better."
Lumine quietly followed behind Paimon and Xiangling. One loved to eat, the other loved to cook. Put together, they never had a dull moment. She could barely get a word in.
In contrast to the packed cooking competition venue, Liyue Harbor's docks were nearly empty. Aside from a few dockworkers unloading cargo, there was hardly anyone around. Even the usual fishermen had packed up early to join the festivities at the competition.
"I didn't expect to run into Mr. Zhongli here. Why aren't you at the cooking competition? Instead, you're watching the sea at this empty dock. Are you thinking of fishing? If so, I'll give you my spot."
Zhiyi held a fishing rod in one hand and a book in the other, reading carefully. Hearing steady footsteps behind him, he turned to find Zhongli standing there.
"You're too kind, Zhiyi. I'm just taking a stroll. Though I must say, you have quite the refined hobby—fishing on a festival day to cultivate your spirit."
Zhiyi raised an eyebrow. For some reason, he felt that this consultant from Wangsheng was implying something. But when he looked into Zhongli's golden eyes, he saw nothing unusual. Could it have been his imagination?
"Just catching some fish to supplement the household income. I don't have Mr. Zhongli's vast knowledge or Director Hu's trust. I have to rely on myself."
"That's a fair point. But I believe that no matter how poor a person is, if they lose their principles, they are bound to fail."
"That's a wise saying, Mr. Zhongli. I'll take it to heart."
Though Zhiyi pretended to be enlightened, Zhongli, having lived for millennia, saw through his act at a glance. What a pity. He had been a promising young man.
Zhongli shook his head and walked back toward Liyue Harbor. He had said his piece. Whether Zhiyi took it to heart was up to him. There was no point wasting more words when he could be spending time with Azhdaha instead. At least walking with her brought him some joy.
"Boss, pack up an extra-large order of stir-fried meat slices, extra spicy, and some dried Jueyun Chili on the side."
"Coming right up. Please have a seat."
Chef Mao called out and began bustling around the stove. Judging by her order, this woman was clearly no stranger to Wanmin Restaurant.
"Hey, you little one flying around over there. Didn't your owner teach you that it's rude to stare at people?"
"Ah, sorry, sorry. I was just curious—I've never seen anyone order so many chilis before."
Paimon, caught red-handed, quickly apologized. The woman glanced at Lumine, then at Paimon, and said nothing more. It wasn't until she left Wanmin Restaurant that Paimon let out a relieved breath.
"Wow, Lumine, that woman's presence was terrifying. It felt like she was about to eat Paimon."
Lumine nodded in agreement. The white coat draped over the woman's shoulders looked expensive. Combined with her imposing aura, that woman was definitely no ordinary person.
Liyue truly was a place where dragons and tigers lay hidden. Lumine made a mental note: if she ever picked a fight she couldn't win in another nation, she'd come back to Liyue to lie low. Hiding out at Wangsheng, she doubted anyone could touch her with Zhongli—the Geo Archon—around. And if someone really pushed things too far, they might just end up experiencing Wangsheng's services firsthand.
The more she thought about it, the more brilliant her plan seemed. Paimon, who had no idea what Lumine was thinking, saw her flash a sly grin and couldn't help but shrink back. Even though she knew the grin wasn't aimed at her, she still felt a chill run down her spine.
"Lumine, Paimon, my new dish is ready! Come try it. I'm not sure how it turned out."
"Already? That fast?"
Paimon grabbed a piece of meat with her little hand and popped it into her mouth. As expected of Xiangling's cooking, it was amazing. This dish must have been a new creation. In all her meals in Liyue, Paimon had never seen it before.
Lumine picked up a piece with her chopsticks. The moment the sauce-soaked meat burst in her mouth, it nearly scalded her tongue. Damn it, she hadn't expected freshly cooked food to be so aggressive.
Seeing Lumine panting and blowing on her tongue, Xiangling suddenly remembered—since she had used premium wild boar meat, the slices had absorbed a lot of the broth.
"Guoba, quick! Get some juice!"
"Lulu lulu~"
"You idiot, Guoba! That's chili oil!"
Having learned from last time, Xiangling made sure to check what Guoba was carrying. Sure enough, the fool had grabbed chili oil instead of juice. Good thing she caught it before giving it to Lumine, or she might have literally breathed fire.
"Channel Qi, transform spirit!"
A wave of Cryo energy enveloped Lumine. The sudden drop in temperature soothed her burning tongue. In that moment, she felt like she could breathe again.