"Is he going to try and kiss me? Wh-What should I do!"
Xiangling might have been exaggerating a bit, but to give Raiden Ei some confidence, she boasted that she was the most skilled little chef in all of Liyue.
With such a title, Raiden Ei would surely trust her!
Sure enough, Ei calmed down significantly upon hearing this. She hadn't expected Xiangling to have such a wonderful personality. Back when she was watching Xiangling and Ye Xi on their date at the beach from within the Plane of Euthymia, she had felt a pang of envy.
But now she understood. Xiangling's most attractive trait was her infectious, warm personality. No wonder Ye Xi was so close to her; the girl was like a ray of sunshine!
"Alright, I will study hard, Master Xiangling!" Ei declared with newfound determination.
Ye Xi nodded with satisfaction. "I'll leave Ei in your hands then, Xiangling!"
"Leave it to me!" Xiangling chirped, full of energy. Then, she looked around, puzzled. "I'd love to start, but there isn't even a stove here."
Ye Xi simply pointed a finger. Using his power, a stove made of a Geo Construct materialized instantly. He then reached into his Inventory and pulled out a variety of fresh ingredients.
Pots, pans, ladles, and all sorts of kitchen utensils were laid out. Ye Xi had come prepared.
Xiangling nodded happily. "Perfect! For the first dish, we'll start with something simple: Stir-Fried Tomato and Eggs!"
"As an introductory dish, it's not only simple, but it's delicious!"
Just then, Ye Xi's inner thoughts drifted out.
[As expected of Xiangling, she knows my tastes perfectly!]
[Stir-Fried Tomato and Eggs really is a classic.]
[If I marry Xiangling and bring her home, wouldn't every meal for the rest of my life be exactly how I like it?]
Xiangling's face instantly flushed crimson, and she nearly dropped the egg she was holding. Ei, meanwhile, felt a sudden surge of intense jealousy toward Xiangling.
I have to learn how to cook! If I do, Ye Xi will definitely like me just as much!
Watching the "master and apprentice" begin their discussion, Ye Xi pulled Yae Miko aside. "You stay here and supervise them. Ganyu and I are going to go gather some fresh Sea Ganoderma."
Yae Miko pouted playfully, her voice dripping with mock bitterness. "Aww, I have to stay here and work while you two go off on a date? I might just get jealous!"
Ganyu's cheeks turned pink at the word "date." Though it was true they would be alone, she was purely interested in trying the fresh delicacies.
Ye Xi smiled and whispered, "I'll make it up to you tonight, alright?"
"Then you'd better not plan on getting any sleep tonight~" Yae Miko chuckled, covering her mouth with her hand, her eyes shimmering with a seductive tenderness.
[Sigh, who could possibly withstand that?]
[With Yae as a wife, even goji berries can't save you...]
Hearing Ye Xi's thoughts, the two women discussing the recipe became completely distracted, stealing glances over at him. Even Yae Miko, as much as she loved teasing Ye Xi, couldn't help but feel a bit shy!
If Ye Xi stayed any longer and started reminiscing about certain details of the previous night, she might actually die of embarrassment right there.
She quickly urged them, "Fine, fine, go and come back quickly. I'll wait for you here."
Ye Xi let out a breath of relief and led Ganyu out of the Plane of Euthymia.
Outside, the Raiden Shogun was fuming. Seeing Ye Xi and Ganyu emerge, she huffed coldly. "Ye Xi, you are the architect of the destruction of Inazuma's Eternity! Hey! Come back here! You!"
Ye Xi didn't pay her the slightest bit of attention, which only infuriated her further. However, she couldn't attack him. Ye Xi was too important to Raiden Ei.
This forced her to remain there, gnashing her teeth in frustration as she watched his retreating back, stamping her feet in rage!
...
Sea Ganoderma could be found near Konda Village and Araumi, but the supply there was limited. To find them in abundance, one had to go to the shores of Tatarasuna.
Coincidentally, Ye Xi's daily commission for the day involved fishing. Catching a few fish while they were there would be a nice bonus.
"Ye Xi, where are we going to find the Sea Ganoderma?"
Ganyu was craving them, but she rarely visited Inazuma and wasn't familiar with the area. If she had to find them on her own, she wouldn't know where to start.
Ye Xi briefly outlined the plan. "We need to leave this island and go to the opposite shore. The Sea Ganoderma there are the freshest!"
"Eh? Do we need to take a boat? Where do Sea Ganoderma grow?" Ganyu asked somewhat blankly.
[Huh? Ganyu has been eating Sea Ganoderma for years and she doesn't know where they grow?]
[I guess it makes sense. Back at Yuehai Pavilion, she went as far as to black out the sections in books about how to plant Qingxin just to control her appetite.]
[She probably avoided learning about ingredients on purpose so she wouldn't think about food...]
[It's basically the definition of burying one's head in the sand.]
He smiled and asked knowingly, "Sea Ganoderma grow by the shore, didn't you know?"
Ganyu turned her head away, her face burning.
How does Ye Xi know all my embarrassing secrets?!
She really couldn't understand why Ye Xi knew her so well. It was as if he had been watching her every move for the past few thousand years. But Ye Xi clearly wasn't an Adeptus!
To be honest, she had always assumed Sea Ganoderma grew on mountains. If Ye Xi hadn't been there, she probably would have headed straight for the deep forests to search for them.
Thank goodness for Ye Xi!
Outside Tenshukaku stood the Raiden Shogun's loyal followersthe Okuzumeshu. Ye Xi remembered that the guard at the gate was named "Yi," so he tapped the man on the shoulder.
"Yi, do you know where I can find a boat?"
The guard looked up in shock and immediately knelt before Ye Xi. "Aah! You... you actually remember my name! Yes, sir! I will prepare a boat for you immediately!"
The guard was ecstatic, while the other two guards cast envious looks his way. In their hearts, Ye Xi was the next Raiden Shogun! To have the future Electro Archon remember one's name was an incredible honor.
Ye Xi was a bit surprised. He hadn't expected them to be this respectful.
Ganyu sighed in admiration. "Ye Xi, your status in Inazuma is exactly as Miko said. You have the power to sway the Raiden Shogun's will, and you are recognized by the entire nation!"
"At the time, I thought Miko was just flattering you."
When she had spoken with Yae Miko at Yuehai Pavilion about lifting the Sakoku Decree, Miko had said that Ye Xi's status in Inazuma was second only to the current Raiden Shogun. If one wanted to end the lockdown, it was better to talk to Ye Xi than to Ei. If Ye Xi agreed, Ei would surely follow suit.
At first, neither she nor Ningguang had truly believed it, but now she was seeing it with her own eyes! The Okuzumeshu were the Shogun's most loyal followers. If even they were this subservient to Ye Xi, there was nothing left to say!
Ye Xi looked stunned. "Sway the Shogun's will? Recognized by the people? Me? How could that be! I'm just an outsider."
[If I could actually sway Ei's will, I would have had her lift the Sakoku Decree a long time ago!]
[Kokomi's side is currently in the middle of a heated crisis.]
[To solve the situation at Sangonomiya, ending the decree is the only way.]
[I need to help Ei step out of the shadow of her past trauma as soon as possible.]
Hearing Ye Xi's thoughts, Ganyu felt a sense of realization. She believed that Ye Xi was simply being considerate of Ei's feelings, wanting her to find her own way out of her grief. As for the girl waiting for him at Sangonomiya...
Why is this guy so popular with girls?
If a woman was the jealous type, she'd be living in a vinegar jar for the rest of her life.
Ganyu couldn't help but sigh internally.
Just then, the guard returned. "Lord Ye Xi, I have prepared a vessel for you! Please follow me to the docks!"
...
After leaving Inazuma City, Ye Xi and Ganyu followed the guard to the shore. A small boat was waiting, with several samurai standing guard nearby.
"Lord Ye Xi, please board! We will guard you with our lives!"
Seeing the elaborate display, Ye Xi felt helpless. "We can handle the boat ourselves. You all don't need to come along."
The samurai's expressions changed instantly. "But, your safety!"
"My Lord, the island has been restless lately. Many Ronin are wandering the area, you"
"Wait a minute, Lord Ye Xi is the next Raiden Shogun. How could he not be skilled in martial arts?"
"Good point."
"Exactly, Lord Ye Xi must be incredibly powerful. He doesn't need us!"
"..."
As they bickered back and forth, Ye Xi was left utterly confused.
[Since when did I become the next Raiden Shogun?]
[How did that even happen?]
Ganyu let out a small, amused smile. Dummy.
The samurai eventually bowed. "Very well, then we shall not trouble you with our presence!" With that, they hurried away.
Ye Xi sighed and leaped lightly onto the boat. The hull swayed slightly as he turned and extended a hand toward Ganyu. Ganyu could have easily jumped across herself, but seeing his large hand, a strange sense of dependence welled up within her. It felt as though holding his hand would make her feel safer.
She placed her hand in his. A moment later, a warm, firm strength pulled her up, and before she knew it, she was standing steadily on the boat.
[So light! And she's still worried about getting fat?]
[It's hard to imagine what Ganyu used to look like.]
[Rolling down a mountain like a ball... what a sight that must have been.]
At first, hearing Ye Xi praise her for being light made Ganyu feel a bit proud. But when his thoughts turned to her "rolling down the mountain," her face turned beet red.
Why is he always thinking about that!
The boat was small, enough to fit four people sitting face-to-face. It had oars and a sail, though the sail wasn't particularly large. Most people would have to row a boat like this, but Ye Xi didn't need to. By manipulating his Anemo Elemental Power to catch the sail, the boat began to move forward smoothly.
"Let's go inside and rest for a bit. It'll take a while to reach Tatarasuna from here."
In the game, this stretch of sea didn't seem that large, and a boat could cross it quickly. But now that he was in the real Teyvat, Ye Xi realized how vast the ocean truly was. Even at this speed, it would take about half an hour.
Ganyu nodded and sat down obediently in the cabin, her heart secretly looking forward to the Sea Ganoderma. It had been nearly a year since she last tasted them! The thought of that delicious flavor made her mouth water.
[Ganyu is too thin now. I'd really love to see her back when she was chubby.]
[If she could roll down a mountain, she must have been perfectly round, right?]
[It couldn't have been easy for Cloud Retainer to take a disciple who couldn't fly up and down the peaks.]
Ganyu was still fantasizing about her food, but Ye Xi's thoughts made her want to crawl under a blanket and hide. She curled up on the seat, tucking her face away.
"Ganyu? What's wrong?" Ye Xi asked, confused by her sudden movement.
"Nothing... I... I'm just sleepy. I want to rest for a bit." Ganyu pretended to close her eyes, acting as if she had already fallen asleep.
Ye Xi didn't disturb her further, but his mind drifted back to stories he knew about her.
[Come to think of it, Ganyu really does love her naps.]
[Apparently, once it's nap time, she can fall asleep anywhere, regardless of the occasion, as long as she can curl up.]
[Supposedly, even if a group of Hilichurls started dancing around her, she wouldn't wake up!]
[The story goes that she was once accompanying a previous Tianshu on official business.]
[After lunch, she crawled into a pile of hay by the road for a nap.]
[She didn't realize the hay belonged to a merchant. She was carted all the way to Dihua Marsh.]
[If she hadn't been tossed out during unloading and bumped her head on the ground, she might not have woken up at all.]
[The Tianshu was terrified and nearly reported her as a missing person to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.]
[Hahaha...]
Remembering the story, Ye Xi couldn't help but chuckle. He recalled that Ganyu had been scolded afterward and told she needed to find a safe place for her naps. The girl had pouted and asked if the entirety of Liyue wasn't a safe place.
Everything about Ganyu was just so airheaded and cute.
Ganyu, who was pretending to sleep, was currently so embarrassed she wanted to roll around on the floor.
How does he know that story so clearly too!
It feels like he only remembers my most embarrassing moments!
Uuuu...
Ganyu's face was now a deep shade of crimson.
Ye Xi gradually came out of his reverie and noticed that Ganyu's face was glowing red, as if she had a high fever. He stared at her quietly, and on a whim, he stood up and sat down right next to her.
Ganyu's heart skipped a beat! It felt like a frantic little deer was thrashing around in her chest!
Even with her eyes closed, she could clearly feel Ye Xi sitting beside her, and he was leaning closer and closer!
What is he doing?
Is he... is he going to try and sneak a kiss while I'm sleeping?!
A moment later, she felt his warm breath against her neck.
Eeeh! So close, so close
What do I do!
If I open my eyes now, he'll know I was faking!
He's going to kiss me!
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