II. Cooking
Friendship level: 2
On their way back to the currently rebuilding Jade Palace, Keqing and the traveller decided to spend the night camping after their exhausting journey from duhua marsh.
After they passed by Guili plains and were currently camped at a site somewhere near Mt. Hulao, they had recently completed the task of securing the path for the other construction supplies for the ongoing restoration of the floating palace.
Right now they were currently going to have dinner, a peaceful silence set the mood as the traveler prepped the ingredients, the pot and the fire.
She liked the quiet as it gives a cozy feel to their peaceful campsite free of any hilichurls.
Her daily life was already filled with constant noise filled with arguements and disagreements, toxicity that either comes from the idiots who don't know anything other than to swim in mora or the common townspeople who can't seem to be independent even if their life depended on it, so a peaceful and calm dinner in the wilderness, under the bright stars along with the amicable and soft-spoken traveler was a nice refreshing change for once.
And of course the royal qixing gets to taste the cooking of Liyue's Saviour, which his small companion raved that "It's cooked by the best chef in all of teyvat!" with so much passion.
After she had finished setting up the camp, the traveler was now cooking their meals while his small friend giddily floated around him.
She watched the process of his cooking, and couldn't be helped but be amazed herself at how he handled the entire process with so much precision and speed, and the way he handled them showed that he was no slouch when it comes to being meticulous with the ingredients.
She was no chef nor a verified food analyst as she could only grill fish and nothing else, but even she could agree that he was a very good cook, not just overly swooned over like the small fairy currently was.
His cooking skills were way above average, it's on par with what she saw reputable chefs do whenever she dines in the most luxurious open kitchen restaurants during one of her many business trips, heck she'd go far to say that he'll eventually give them a run for their money if he ever decides to seriously pursue a cooking career.
Only difference is that the way he cooks has a homely kind of vibe to it, compared to the professional sophistication of the chefs in expensive restaurants she ate in, he showed signs of clumsiness but cooked with so much care and effort that most would overlook the glaring flaws in his showmanship and only at the finished product.
When he was done cooking, he then gave equal portions for all of them.
The wafting aroma tickled her nose, and it nearly made her lick her lips in anticipation.
His little companion who was seated right beside her immediately started gorging down her portion the moment he gave it to her. She laughed at the sight of the small fairy devouring her food like there was no tomorrow, before giving her own thanks to the traveler.
The traveler on the other hand sat opposite of her near the open fire, and silently began eating his own share.
Picking up her own utensils, once she took a forkful of his favoured Golden Crab dish, she was immediately hit with flavours that made her taste buds jump in excitement and satisfaction.
She could feel the tender meat of the perfectly cooked crab practically melt in her mouth, the seasoning was very well balanced and not overpowering everything else, the common mistake for most self proclaimed cooks, the texture of the crab was superb and it surprised her that he achieved it in such a short time, there was just a right amount of saltiness and savory sweet, she felt she could eat only the same dish for a straight week without getting tired of it.
It was one of the best dish she had in such a long while.
Fortunately and unfortunately he was only a traveler who just happens to have some passion for cooking, he was a very skilled one at that so it was also a shame that he could never fully realize his talent for it.
She wouldn't mind if he cooked for her everyday, dropping by her office delivering lunch.
And if it was possible, she also wouldn't mind if he became her personal chef at home-
"Ack!"
Choking on a piece of crab meat, she pounded her chest as the food she was chewing suddenly went down the wrong windpipe.
It startled the fairy sized companion beside her, who had already finished eating within a minute after sucking the food like a black hole.
"Are you okay?! Should Paimon get you water?!"
The small fairy was immediately floating near her, concern etched on her face.
The traveler also looked at her worriedly before offering her his water jug.
She didn't hesitate taking the jug and relieved her lodged throat in one huge gulp, realising that she may have made a fool out of herself, she politely gave her thanks as she immediately returned it to him.
The two still looked worried so she gave them a reassuring smile.
"I-It's fine, I just remembered some paperwork I forgot to file, that's all."
The explanation seemed to satisfy the two as they shrugged before resuming their meals.
Straightening herself up, the food nearly spilt during her choking episode, it was fortunate that she placed it beside her lap onto the wooden stool or else it would've already fallen to the ground, it would be such a waste of perfectly high class cuisine if it did.
She sighed in relief before she continued eating the scrumptious meal, the flavours still giving her delight even when her initial reaction fizzled out.
Her thoughts entered into dangerous territory uust then, and feeling her face flush a bit, she didn't know what came over her when she thought about the traveler, garbed in an apron as he greeted her from a tiring day from work, offering her the fanciest dinner he could make.
She rapidly shook her head, which made the pair look at her weirdly once again.
It was on this day that the Yuheng vowed to make sure the traveler would prepare her food, through indirect means of course.
She had already plotted for one of her colleagues to post a commission everyday, and she would make sure that the traveler will make it homemade and deliver it fresh.
With that in mind, she took another savoring bite of the delicious Golden Crab and thought of more ways for her to get the traveler to cook for her.
Dinner ended, and as she helped clean up the residues of their meal and began preparations for retiring for the night, she only had one thing in mind.
It was about time Xiangling took a backseat, she didn't mind her food, but she preferred if what she ate on a daily basis didn't contain weird ingredients.
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She felt out of place.
The almost grand feast that was right in front of her as people from different nations had come together in celebration of their victory in the centuries long war, which finally came to an end.
People who are now close with each other, even former enemies who held grudges, whom now they treat one another as comrades, brothers in arms, and family.
Not her though, she had been all but left behind in order for her to build a city she painstakingly worked hard for to prosper, it wasn't until the fateful final battle that she managed to even have some semblance of an interaction with them.
Yet, with a plate being offered to her, and by none other than the traveler himself, she couldn't help but feel that what she believed up to this very moment was wrong.
The inviting smile he gave her as he offered one of his signature dish, the golden crab to her, the not so subtle teasing from his small faithful companion, his closest friends offering their own grins and gestured for her to accept the meal, it was then she finally felt like she belonged.
Next: Cold
Friendship level: 2