Chapter 3: Xiangling's Cooking
While they are going for a walk, and suddenly a girl pulls Lumine's and Boboiboy's hands down the bush and gestures for them to be quiet, then points towards a group of boars and drools
Lumine and Boboiboy look at her surprise, The girl wipes her drool and then looks at the group
"Shh! Keep it down, I'm hunting... I've always heard about the wide range of ingredients you can find in Mondstadt, and it looks like it's true!" the girl said in excitement
"Are you... a hunter?" Boboiboy looked at her appearance
"Or you are an adventurer?" Lumine said
"No — I'm a chef! A chef on a mission to find rare and exotic ingredients from all corners of the world! My name's Xiangling, I'm from Liyue Harbor. And you?" Xiangling introduced herself
"Hi. I'm Boboiboy. And this is my friends Lumine and Paimon." Boboiboy is introduced as Lumine nods and Paimon waves her hand "Hello!"
"Paimon!" Xiangling yelled as she looked at Paimon with a hungry look
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Paimon looked at her confused
"What an exotic creature, is it edible?" Xiangling asked the two
Boboiboy was about to say no but
"Dig in." Lumine said which made Paimon angry
"No! For the last time, Paimon is NOT EMERGENCY FOOD!" Paimon yelled at her angrily while Boboiboy was trying to hold his laugh "Don't laugh at me!"
"You seem like good friends. I have a good friend too, called Guoba." Xiangling said then pointed at the badge
"Guoba?" 'Isn't that the name of Chinese food' Boboiboy questioned to himself
"Isn't that the name of a Liyue snack?" Paimon asked her
"Hee-hee... Both the snack and my friend have a special place in my heart. Anyway — can you do some hunting for me?" Xiangling asked them
"There's lots of game around here that would be amazing to cook with. I can't catch anything to save my life and I don't want to miss out!" Xiangling added
"Sounds like a bit of an ordeal..." Paimon sighed
"Don't be like that... C'mon, I'll whip you up a tasty snack later!" Xiangling offered them, which made Paimon make up her mind
"Ooh, you had me at tasty snack! Don't worry, we're the bestest hunters ever!" Paimon said confidently, which made Lumine facepalm "Whose side are you on!?"
"Hehe. That's awesome." Boboiboy gave them a thumb-up
"Hee-hee, don't worry about it, your friend has already given me a response. I don't care how it's done, so long as you bring me back some raw meat." Xiangling told them
"Alright, let me handle this." Lumine answered
"Great, then I'll leave you to it!" Xiangling said
So Lumine decided to help Xiangling by hunting down the boars to get some raw meat. After hunting down some boars, Lumine gives three chunks of Raw Meat to Xiangling
"Wowee! This is great! Some of it I'll shallow fry, some of it I'll deep fry with mushrooms— ooh, and I wonder how well it goes with Slime Condensate..." Xiangling decided to think
"I want to try Slime Condensate!"
"Yay! Lumine has finally come around to my food preferences." Paimon said excitedly
"Hehe." Bobobiboy sweatdropped
"Uh, sorry! I got all excited thinking about new recipes." Xiangling apologized and then gave them snacks "As promised, a tasty snack! Go on, try it! And tell me what you think."
"Are we your food testers now?" Paimon said as they started tasting the food. Their eyes widened
"Oh gosh, this is... delicious! Can you tell us how to make it?" Paimon asked
"Hee-hee, sure! The only thing is I haven't written down the recipe yet, hmm..." Xiangling said then thinking "I got it! I'll make another one now so you can watch. I'm sure you'll pick it up straight away."
"This seems pretty hard to make, it'll take more than that to learn how to make it. And we don't have a frying pan or any condiments." Paimon stated
"Come on, it's simple! We can fry on a slab of stone and cook using some boar fat. Build a stove from rocks, use dry grass for kindling, twigs for firewood... Sweet flowers will do for sugar. As for salt, I found a load of rock salt in a cave the other day, there's still plenty left." Xiangling listed all her cooking skill
"Seems like she's done this a million times before..." Lumine deadpanned
"She's good at these." Boboiboy impressed at her skill
"Hee-hee, I just can't help myself when there's a chance to try something new. But I can't exactly bring my whole kitchen with me every time I leave the house either." Xiangling felt embarrassed then said "Give me a second while I get everything ready."
Until someone interrupted them. A hunter named Allan
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Allan ran up to them
"This is the boars' natural habitat, you can't hunt them here! You'll send them all running. We hunters know better than to kill the chicken to get at the egg." Allan told them
"Oh! I get it. The freshest, best-quality meat comes from free-range boars that grow up in the environment nature intended for them! If they all ran off... ...It would be a major blow to gastronomy— no, to all mankind!" Xiangling said which made Lumine facepalmed
"That's, uh, one way of understanding it. That's not even close to what he meant..."
"I'm sorry. I got excited and didn't think of the impact we'd have." Xiangling felt sorry
"*sigh* You should apologize to Draff. As our leader, he always stresses the importance of respecting the rules of the hunt. I'm afraid he is very upset right now." Allan told them
"What are we going to do?" Lumine asked their opinion
"I made a mistake, and I should go and apologize." Xiangling told them
"Let us come with you." Boboiboy said
"Hee-hee, thanks guys. I'll cook up some more tasty snacks for you once this is over." Xiangling said
"Okay. Don't worry, Paimon'll remember even if you forget." Paimon said confidently, which made Lumine look at her deadpan and Boboiboy laugh nervously
"Draff ought to be in Springvale. Let's go!" Paimon said then they started going to Springvale to meet Draff
Then they apologize to Draff
"You must be Xiangling." The head of the hunters is named Draff. He seems unhappy
"Sorry Mr. Draff, this was all my fault." Xiangling apologised
"I heard the whole story. And now that you're here in person..." Draff said
"Ooh, he's gonna let her have it!" Paimon said
"Violence is not the answer!" Lumine told them
"Sir, we know what Xiangling did but please do not-" Boboiboy defended her but something unexpected
"...Please help me promote my meat!" Draff clapped his hands to beg
"...Eh?" Xiangling was confused along with the group
"Sorry if I was a little brash. Let me explain. Springvale has built its reputation on top-quality meat products, but this reputation is so far limited to Mondstadt. When I heard that the great maestro Xiangling herself was in Mondstadt, I asked Allan to send you over." Draff explained
"Maestro?" Paimon asked
"Haven't you heard? She's the one behind Wanmin Restaurant, that one-of-a-kind folk cuisine restaurant in Liyue Harbor. Her unique take on cooking ingredients is behind some of the best-loved dishes in all of Liyue. They are very highly rated by travelers, too." Draff told them
"Hee-hee, you're too kind. I just try to cook things that are cheap and cheerful." Xiangling said
"With a top-notch chef cooking top-notch cuisine with top-notch meat from Springvale... Our reputation would spread far and wide." Draff told her
Xiangling then waved her hands "Hmm... I don't know... I only ever think about how to make tasty dishes... I never limit myself to specific ingredients, and I don't know the first thing about promoting anything."
"You use boar meat all the time anyway, surely? I can't see what the issue is." Draff said
"The issue is... What would you think if I added a bit of Slime Condensate?" Xiangling told him
"That's... I mean, couldn't you add something a bit more normal?" Draff asked her
"There's no such thing as "normal" ingredients to me! You can turn anything into a delicacy if you cook it in the right way. I will not stand for having my creativity shackled by what ingredients I can and can't use! Food cooked like that is destined to be boring, period!" Xiangling said in an upset tone
"That escalated quickly..." Lumine commented
"I sense some Gordon Ramsay vibe from her..." Boboiboy added 'I wonder what happen If Xiangling meets Gordon?'
"*sigh* Well, since you feel so strongly about it, forget it. But it really is a pity..." Draff held his head
After they apologized to Draff, they started walking away
"You know, we did come to apologize... Couldn't you be a little more flexible?" Paimon asked
"It's one thing to apologize, but it's another thing entirely to change the way I approach cooking." Xiangling told them then she smelled something "Mmm, what's that smell? It's gorgeous!"
Then she walks towards the woman, who's cooking
"Hello, may I have a taste of your delicious cooking?" Xiangling asked her
"Sorry, I've taken all the orders I can for the next few days. The earliest I could put you down for is seven days from now, is that okay?" the chef named Brook told her
"Wow, it must be delicious if it's that popular." Paimon commented
"Odd... This woman is clearly a very popular chef..." Lumine looked at Brook
"Yeah, good point. Why does Draff want Xiangling to help when Springvale already has this lady?" Paimon confused
"Hmm... Maybe he feels that Mondstadt cuisine can't compete with that of Teyvat's biggest business hub, Liyue Harbor. But I disagree! I don't think my cooking is at all inferior to anyone else's." Brook said, which makes Xiangling doubt
"Well then... Show me what you got! Maybe I can give you some feedback." Xiangling told her
"Sorry, but customer feedback like "Oh, that tasted good" is no use to me. If I wanted feedback I would ask a professional chef— Hang on, are you... Xiangling!?" Brook realized who is she talking to
Xiangling: That's me!
"It's really you! Well, I guess you do know what you're doing when it comes to cooking meat then. As it happens, I have one of today's prime cuts remaining. So tell me, how would you cook this?" Brook asked her
"That depends on the ratio of fat to meat. With this cut, I would probably roast it over a hot stone with a little salt, some Jueyun Chili, and Qingxin flower." Xiangling told her
"Qingxin flower!? But the melted fat would make the flavor of the flowers ten times stronger than when eaten raw... It would overpower everything!" Brook felt unpleasant about this
"I know, that's why it's a garnish — I would never marinate the meat in it!
I've tried it before. If you baste the petals in oil and then cook them with the right heat and duration, it gets rid of the bitterness completely and leaves you with a lovely crispy topping.
Then throw in some Jueyun Chilis grown at a high altitude, where the low humidity and varying temperature lends them a unique dry heat.
The petals absorb the saltiness from the sea salt, the chili spice, and the umami of the tender, freshly grilled steak, while also adding a floral aftertaste."
Xiangling told Brook her how to cook basic
"That's pure overkill! You're going all out on the trimmings and doing no justice to the meat whatsoever." Brook disagreed her idea "Who wants to eat a roast when you can taste everything except the roast?"
"Whoa whoa whoa, stop arguing!" Paimon tried to stop them
"I don't think they can hear anyone but themselves..." Lumine said as Boboiboy walked between to stop the arguing
"Please both of you calm down."
"Hmph. Well, there's only one sure-fire way out of a cooking dispute... I declare a cook-off!" Xiangling challenged her with determined looks
"Suits me! If you can't beat my cooking, it'll show that Draff was clearly wrong about you." Brook said confidently
"Alright — but if I win, you have to use my winning dish to promote Springvale!" Xiangling told
"And if you lose, you have to add my winning dish to the Wanmin menu! With a caption saying "This special addition to the Wanmin menu is generously provided by Chef Brook of Springvale, meat expert." Hmph!" Brook replied back
"You have a deal!" Xiangling accepted without thinking then she started leaving "I'm off to get ingredients — I will see you all in Liyue!"
"Wait! Waaait!" Paimon tried to call her out but she already left
"Lumine, Boboiboy, let's try and catch up." Paimon told them as they started chasing after her
-Timeskip to Windwail Highland brought to you by Chibi Thunderstorm and Chibi Ei in racing-
They keep running to catch up and they find her near the river
"I think we're getting close..." Xiangling is thinking
"Have you decided what you're looking for yet?" Paimon asked
"Of course not!" Xiangling answered
"Then how are you so sure of yourself?" Paimon confused
"That's just my style. If I decided in advance exactly how I was going to cook something, there'd be no element of surprise to the dish. In the same way, if I knew what I was looking for before I found it, it wouldn't be a surprise." Xiangling told them
"But that's so risky..." Paimon pointed out
"Relax, this is how I came up with all the signature dishes at Wanmin Restaurant. Let's look around here, I'll let you know when I find something I like." Xiangling said then they started walking to find some ingredients
They continue walking until they find the small lake
"Check out those Lotus Heads — look how fresh they are! Boar steak with lotus seeds... This could work! Okay, let's gather them." Xiangling told them as they picked up three Lotus Heads
"Hee-hee, this should be enough. It's not every day you come to Liyue. Let's keep looking and see what else we can find." Xiangling told them
As they continue looking for the right ingredients. They walk past Hilichurl's camp and keep going through between the mountains until Xiangling sees something on the edge of the mountain
"Wow, Jueyun Chilis!" Xiangling looked up with excited looks
"Aw, that's such a cute name." Paimon said in awe
"Maybe so, but those little fellas pack quite a punch. From what I've observed spicy food is a rarity in Mondstadt. So this will be perfect." Xiangling said
"Go and pick some! Get a good handful." Xiangling told them as they climbed up to collect
They collect three Jueyun Chilis
"I still feel like we're lacking something..." Xiangling is thinking
"What do you mean?" Lumine asked
"It's missing a little boom shaka-laka!" Xiangling told them, which made two of them confused
"Yeah, now that you mention it, it is a little boom shaka-laka-lacking." Paimon said along with Xiangling
"A shaka-laka-loada what now?" Boboiboy confused
"Paimon, you understand this?" Lumine asked her
"Hehehe..." Paimon laughed
"Brook may be a stickler for convention, but she is a talented chef nonetheless. There's no doubt she will source the fanciest-quality ingredients. To win this will take a truly mind-blowing dish... Something like sea-serpent salad, stir-fried Qingxin flower, or wild mushrooms in a rich slime jus." Xiangling told them her idea
"Urgh... a slime jus!?" Paimon said in disgust
"Haha, I know how weird it sounds but I guarantee you it tastes incredible. I'll make some for you next time!" Xiangling said
"Can't wait to try it." Lumine accepted
"I want to try too." Bobobiboy added
"Hee-hee, you won't be disappointed when you taste it, although it looks a teensy bit gross. Never mind that, I've just remembered there's somewhere I never checked out last time. My gut tells me that's where we'll hit the jackpot. Let's take a look!" Xiangling said as they followed her
They go to the place Xiangling mentioned until they find someone near the cave
Paimon: Wh—What's that!?
Paimon: Somebody's injured!
As they ran up to him. The hunter named Olaf
"Brr... So, so c—cold..." Olaf is shivering
"He's shivering! We need to warm him up, quick!" Xiangling told them as they came with an idea
"Make a fire!" Paimon told the two
"Hot soup would be even better. Lumine; Boboiboy, how about I look after him while you two make him a nice warm bowl of soup? We passed a hilichurl camp on the way here. There'll almost certainly be a campfire there to cook on." Xiangling said as they nodded
"Sure."
"Great. Be as quick as you can!" Xiangling said as they left
-A few minutes later-
They knocked all hilichurls and then prepared the soup. So they brought back and gave the hunter the soup they prepared
"Mmm... That is better... That is better... Thank you. That soup really did the trick." Olaf thanked them
Boboiboy then noticed the ears similar to Draff's ears 'Huh? His ears look similar to Draff. Are they related?'
"What happened, did you get frozen?" Lumine asked
"Yes. I was chasing a boar, and after chasing him all this way he slipped into those underground ruins over there. I followed him inside, but ran into a Cryo Regisvine. It froze me instantly. When I woke up I ran straight outside, but... I only made it this far before my strength failed me." Olaf explained
'Wait, he got frozen? Does that mean he has been frozen there for years? And what is Cryo Regisvine?' Boboiboy thought
"Cryo Regisvine? Vines... attack people?" Xiangling asked
"They do now! I'd heard of them before from others, but this was the first time seeing one with my own eyes." Olaf told them
"Yikes, we should definitely keep our distance from the ruins... It sounds dangerous." Paimon told them but Xiangling seemed unfazed about the warning
"It sounds delicious!" Xiangling said, which made them gasped
"...Seriously?" Lumine deadpanned
And Xiangling just got an idea "That's it! The missing ingredient! The icing on the cake!"
"Calm down. Can we really eat a tree that's that aggressive?" Paimon said
"Only one way to find out — let's go!" Xiangling said then left for the ruin
"Wait Xiangling! Don't go! It's dangerous!" Boboiboy tried to stop her but it was too late
"*sigh* Off she goes again..." Paimon sighed
"We need to go." Lumine told them then turned to Olaf "You should get back to Springvale."
"Do not worry about me, I'll be fine. But you must stop her, she is putting herself in grave danger." Olaf told them as they followed her to the ruin
-In the ruin-
"Slow down! It's dangerous in here." Paimon tried to stop her but it didn't work
"Ingredients don't stay fresh for long! We need to get going before they expire!" Xiangling said then left again
"Yeesh, she's quite the fighter... Seems foraging for ingredients takes more than just luck." Paimon said as they followed her
Until they see the Elemental Monument which has the Pyro logo on it
"Hey isn't this Elemental Monument?" Paimon said
"It is. Looks like we need to open the door by this." Lumine said
"Let me handle this. Go Guoba!" Xiangling summoned Guoba as Guoba ate the chili pepper and then breathed out the fire
The monument starts activating as the door opens but suddenly the door shuts along with the monument deactivating
"Woah, the door just shut immediately right after activating the monument." Paimon said
"Should we leave Guoba here?" Lumine suggested
"No! I cannot leave my best friend here!" Xiangling disagreed
"Then what should we do?" Lumine is thinking
"Ehem." Boboiboy coughed to catch their attention
Lumine and Paimon realize what he is up to but Xiangling doesn't know
So the group takes Xiangling and Guoba to the door
"Huh? Do you guys figure it out how?" Xiangling asked
"Of course, we do. Boboiboy." Lumine said as Boboiboy started using elements
"Elemental Power! Boboiboy Fire!" His clothes changed to red
"Ehh!? You can change clothes!?" Xiangling is confused
"Heh. Not just clothes. Fire Ball!" Fire summoned a fireball, which made Xiangling's eyes widened
Fire then threw it at the monument
The group walked inside and saw many hilichurls along with cryo slimes and a shield mitachurl
"Ahh! There are so many hilichurls along with slimes! Get them guys!" Paimon said in fear
"Get ready!" Lumine pulled her sword and Xiangling pulled out her polearm
Fire got into fight stance
The group of hilichurls charged towards them as the group also charged too
"Fire balls!" Fire summoned multiple fireballs and then threw them at hilichurls along Mitachurl's shield. Makes them unconscious and causes the shield on fire
Lumine ran up to the other hilichurls and then swang her sword to knock them out cold
Xiangling summoned Guoba to breathe fire toward cryo slimes
Xiangling swang her polearm at cryo slime then she lunged through it to attack others
"Have this! Flaming Punch!" Fire released fire fist at Mitachurl, knocking it out unconscious
After being knocked out unconscious, the group kept walking
"Boboiboy. What was that earlier? How can you use Pyro without a vision? How can you change clothes?" Xiangling asked in curious
"Oh Uh. It's complicated." Boboiboy said nervous
"Oh, I see. You can tell me later when you're ready. No need to push yourself." Xianngling said while they were walking
Until they saw the monument with the Pyro logo
"Look. It's one of those monuments. But it's down with spikes. We should be careful." Paimon advised them
"Boboiboy." Lumine called as he nodded then turned to Fire to activate it
The group walked in and then met another Cryo Slimes so they decided to take them out
After defeating Cryo Slimes, the group kept walking, and suddenly the icicles dropped right in front of them
"Yikes! Look over there, Lumine! Boboiboy! The icicles up ahead are falling!" Paimon pointed at the icicles, which are close to falling "Uh, let's be careful not to get hit... It will definitely hurt."
They kept walking while avoiding the icicles. Upon reaching the end they encountered Cryo Regisvine
"Ah, this must be it!" Xiangling said with star eyes while the others were gasping at the size of Cryo Regisvine
"What the!?" Boboiboy looked in shock
"It's huge!" Paimon shaken in fear
"Hee-hee, this is perfect! Come to me, my little treasure!" Xiangling ran up to it
"Whoa! My ingredients are attacking me!" Xiangling dodged its attack
"Guys, help me put him in his place!" Xiangling asked for help as they ran up to help her
"Elemental Power! Boboiboy Fire!" his clothes changed to red
Cryo Regisvine roars loudly then slams its head on the ground to create shockwaves
But the group dodged it away
"Take this! Multiple Fire Balls!" Fire summoned multiple fireballs and then threw them at Regisvine
Many fireballs hit at different spots and one fire hit the core. It started cracking
"Huh?" Lumine saw the core was cracking and then got an idea
"Boboiboy! Xiangling! Burn the core! It's the weak point!" Lumine told them
"Got it!"
"Go Guoba! I choose you!" Xiangling summoned Guoba as he walked other side of Regisvine to get to the core while they distracted it
"Hey, you big ugly vine!" Fire caught its attention "Why don't you try to hit us!?"
Regisvine roars loudly and then shoots the ice beam from its eye toward the group
"Dodge!" Lumine yelled as they dodged the beam
Guoba is near the core and then starts melting with fire-breathing. The core is destroyed as the Regisvine gets weak and lays down
"The Regisvine is weakening! Now our chance!" Lumine said as they ran up to Regisvine
"Multiple Fire Balls!" Fire summoned more fireballs and threw them at the left side of Regisvine while the others dealt at the right side
"WindBlade!" Lumine summoned a wind sphere from her palm and then released it
Xiangling performs consecutive spear strikes and Guoba keeps breathing fire
The Regisvine got recovered and started roaring loudly. Regisvine starts shooting multiple beams at them but they dodged
"This is intense! I need more help! Boboiboy Triple Split!" the yellow circle appeared with three logos (Fire, Leaf, Lightning)
"Ehh!?" Xiangling got surprised
Three of them including Lumine ran up to Regisvine
"Take this! Multiple Fire Balls!" Fire threw more fireballs at it. Many fireballs hit Regisvine but it seems the core is not there
"Huh?" Fire noticed Regisvine was still standing but only got small injured "The core is already gone! How is still as strong as before!?"
"There must be another core!" Lumine told them
"But where!?" Leaf asked
Lightning looked at Regisvine carefully until he noticed the eye "Guys! The eye! It must be the core! Because it looks the same as the other core!"
"Then I will melt it! Multiple Fire Balls!" Fire threw another fireball but Regisvine dodged them
"What!? It dodged my attacks!"
"Creeping Vine!" Leaf summoned some vines to tie Regisvine around "Ennnghh. Do it, Fire!"
"Take this! Flaming Punch!" Fire released fire fist toward the eye
And Regisvine got weakening again, now it's lying down
"Now our chance! Go all out!" Lightning told them as they released everything
"Lightning Cleave!"
"Rapid Fiery Punches!"
"Leaf Shuriken!"
"Let the wind!"
"You're toast!"
Cryo Regisvine is getting destroyed. After defeating the Cryo Regisvine, Xiangling got her ingredients
"Got myself a Cryo Regisvine, cook it up for dinner time..." Xiangling looked at the ingredients then put them in her inventory
"Even better if it's paired with a bit of swine..." Paimon sang
"Wash 'em down with a glass of wine..." Lumine added
"Hehehe. That's awesome." Boboiboy gave them a thumb-up
"Hee-hee... Your version just ruins it." Xiangling giggled then noticed the frozen boar "Wait, there's something else here too!"
"This must be the boar the hunter was chasing. But Paimon's never seen one with this pattern before." Paimon confused
"Where have I seen this before? Hmm... Aha! It was in the "Historia Naturalis Liyue"! This pattern is unmistakable. It belongs to a breed of boar that went extinct 300 years ago!" Xiangling told them
'Huh!? This boar has been frozen for 300 years so that means the man earlier is from the past?' Boboiboy shocked
"Wow! How is this one still alive after so long!?" Paimon confused
"Accidental cryopreservation?" Lumine guessed
"Could be..." Paimon shrugged
"I read that this boar was hunted to extinction because its meat was so highly prized. Cryo Regisvine and extinct boar. Not one, but two priceless treasures!" Xiangling felt happy
"This'll be our winning ticket." Lumine smirked
"Right. Now let's get back to Springvale!" Xiangling said as they took the boar and left
-Timeskip brought to you by Chibi Boboiboy Jungle and Chibi Nahida on the swing together-
They return to Springvale for the cooking showdown. When they returned, they saw two hunters talking
"Uh... Are you sure this is Springvale?" Olaf asked while looking around at some unfamiliar to him
"Yes. For the millionth time, yes! But I don't know any of the people you're looking for." Draff felt annoyed
"That is not possible, they all live in Springvale. They are my neighbors and friends." Olaf told him
"This is strange, what is going on?" Draff confused
"I think I see what's going on here." Lumine understood the situation even Boboiboy too
"What is it?" Paimon asked
"This hunter is also a survivor from 300 years ago." Lumine answered, which made them gasp except Boboiboy
"Whaaaat!? Can humans really live that long?" Paimon shocked
"Er... Does that really make sense?" Xiangling confused
"It does. Once you get frozen inside the ice, your whole body will stop aging." Boboiboy(Light) told them
"The ice kept him fresh all this time, like with your ingredients." Lumine added
"Hee-hee, it all makes sense now that you're speaking my language!" Xiangling giggled
"Still, it's hard to believe..." Draff is lost for the words
"But it doesn't seem like there's any other sensible explanation." Paimon confused
"Okay so... What's your name?" Draff asked
Olaf: Olaf.
"Olaf? I'm sure I've seen that on my family tree!" Draff was surprised and then tried to remember his family generation "I can't remember which generation it was from... but it was definitely on there."
"So, a great-great-great-great grandfather, but with a whole load more greats?" Xiangling said
"They don't look so distantly related." Lumine commented
"What an unusual turn of events!" Paimon said
"Hee-hee, reunited at long last! Isn't that just amazing!?" Xiangling asked them then turned to Olaf "Olaf, do you want to come and watch a cooking competition?"
"Ah yes, that reminds me — Brook told me about the competition, and I've set everything up at the venue." Draff told them then turned to Olaf "You should come with me."
So they walked towards cooking showdown
"We're ready to cook. Are you?" Xiangling asked Brook
"I was born ready. Oh, and Siegfria will be my assistant for the competition." Brook said confidently
"Then let the cooking commence! I will be your judge today. And don't worry, I may have known Brook for longer, but I will remain entirely impartial." Draff announced
"Much appreciated. Well then, Lumine, Boboiboy, Paimon — prepare!" Xiangling told them
"Wait, we're taking part in this too?" Paimon asked
"Of course! If Brook has an assistant, you guys will have to be mine. I'll need you by my side when the going gets tough!" Xiangling told them
"*sigh* Paimon doesn't remember applying for that job..." Paimon said
"Well, I'm going to see this through." Lumine said
"Okay. Paimon'll do it for the sake of the food." Paimon said which made Lumine deadpan at her
"Hehehe." Boboiboy sweatdropped
So they decided to help Xiangling during the cooking showdown
"Thank you guys for volunteering. I really need you guys to help me in this cooking showdown." Xiangling said
"No worries. At least, we can help you. Do you need more assistants to help you faster?" Boboiboy asked
"Need more assistants? But we don't have any- Oh wait, I get it." Xiangling realized what he meant
"Boboiboy Triple Split!" The yellow circle appeared with three logos (Earth, Lightning, Leaf) as he jumped out with three of himself
"OK Xiangling, tell us what we should do." Earth told her
"Right. Brown, you with Lumine and Paimon to help me give me some ingredients. Yellow, you watch over the pan. Green, you help me to cut some vegetables." Xiangling commanded them
"Understood!" Three of them nodded and then started working
First, Lumine and Earth get some Radishes Xiangling asks for. Secondly, Lightning watches over the pan carefully so as not to catch on fire. Next, Xiangling asks Lumine to cook her a Perfect Chicken-Mushroom Skewer so she and Leaf give Lumine ingredients. After cooking Chicken-Mushroom Skewer, Xiangling asks Lumine to catch a few insects for her to add to the food.
So Lumine found some and then gave it to her. Lumine asked her if she was satisfied with the ingredients and Xiangling said okay. The main dish is almost done but she almost forgot the side dish
But Lumine said she would handle it so Xiangling gave her the recipe that she would make them a snack. Well, they used the snack as a side dish
"Mmm! They're so fragrant I could smell them coming a mile away. We're all set! And now to serve the meal — this competition is ours!" Xiangling said then picked up the dishes and brought them to Draff quickly but what she didn't know that is there a carrot on the ground
She walked on it and then tripped
In slow motion, the group's eyes widened
"Xiangling! Creeping Vines!" Leaf summoned vines to catch the dishes and Leaf managed to catch Xiangling in his arm. Luckily, nothing is happening to her, and the dishes
Xiangling opened her eyes to see the dishes were safe and she saw the situation she was in right now
"Xiangling, are you alright? Do not worry. The dishes are fine now." Leaf said as she didn't respond, only blushed
"Uhh... Xiangling, are you ok?" Leaf asked again, She snapped back to reality
"Huh? Oh Uhh I-I'm fine. Thank you for saving the dishes." Xiangling said nervously
"Come on, let's serve these dishes!" Xiangling said as they brought the dishes to Draff and awaited the results
"This was a fine feast. I have dined today like I have never dined before. Both chefs' dishes today were nothing short of exceptional. They were true masterpieces. And that is what makes this an extremely difficult decision.
But, this is a competition and there can only be one winner — and that winner is...
Xiangling!" Draft announced as everyone clapped their hands
"Whoopee! I win!" Xiangling said in victory
"*sigh* I thought I was sure to win with pork chops so fresh they were practically still grunting. But it turns out that's still no match for the taste of extinct boar." Brook said, which made Draff's eyes widened
"Excuse me? Did you say this was cooked from extinct boar!?" Draft asked Xiangling if he had misheard
"Yep, every last bit!" Xiangling confirmed
"My goodness... A single mouthful must be worth a hundred thousand Mora! The amount you'd make if you sold this could support every hunter in town for years to come!" Draft told her
"Hee-hee, the main thing is that you enjoyed eating it. I don't care about the Mora. Anyway, now that our judge has given his verdict, it's time for everyone else to eat too. I made plenty!" Xiangling said
"Meanwhile, I want to try Brook's dish." Xiangling added
"This is absolutely delicious... I'll admit it, I was beaten by the best." Brook compliment
"Losing is no fun, but it was worth it for the chance to eat such superb cooking! Please Xiangling, I want some more!" Siegfria asked her
"This is gorgeous too! Such a perfectly layered texture. Were it not for that exquisite boar and excellent side dish, it's hard to say if I still would have won." Xiangling gave them more dishes
"Paimon's turn to eat!" Paimon said
"I will have a taste too." Olaf tasted the food as his eyes widened "Oh... My oh my... This is... This is the taste of Springvale! ...Or rather... it used to be."
"It tastes so good I want to weep tears of joy." Lumine commented
"*sob* This is the last time I will be able to taste the food of my era..." Olaf cried out
"Hey now... Cheer up, if you like the taste I can always make you some more!" Xiangling cheered him up
Olaf: ...Really? But the boar... it's extinct...
"The boar may be, but the taste isn't! I can simply recreate it using different ingredients. Putting a smile on customers' faces is what we chefs are called to do!" Xiangling said with a smile
"Th—Thank you... *sob*" Olaf thanked her
After tasting Xiangling's dish, everyone is gone. The only ones left are Xiangling, Guoba, and the group
"A good time was had by all. But everyone's gone now, let's go and say goodbye to Xiangling." Paimon said as they walked to Xiangling to say goodbye but
"Oh hey, you guys. Before I go, I wanted to cook something for you guys" Xiangling said
"Huh? Really?" Paimon asked
"Yes. Follow me to Mondstadt City." Xiangling told them as they followed her
-Mini Timeskip brought to you by Chibi Hang Kasa threw the plates to Chibi Barbatos's stomach for being confidence-
In Mondstadt city
At Good Hunt
Boboiboy, Lumine, and Paimon along with Xiangling and Guoba. They are sitting on the chair while Xiangling decides to cook
"Your guys sit here! I will cook some food for our victory" Xiangling said and they nodded
Xiangling gets up then starts cooking
-Meanwhile-
After finished cooking, the table is a full set of foods. They looked in awe
"That's a lot." Boboiboy said
"Yeah, they look delicious." Lumine said
"Oh my. They look pretty good! Paimon wanted to eat all of these! "Paimon said excitedly, which made Lumine deadpan and Boboiboy laugh a little
"But you don't have to make a lot." Boboiboy said
"No. It's alright. It's my treat after all. It was my thanks for helping me get ingredients and helping me with cooking showdown" Xiangling told them
"Let's dig in! For our victory" Xiangling said as they started eating
-A few minutes later-
The group is full. Now, they are resting a little. Oh yeah, Boboiboy told her about his Elemental Power so she decided to keep the secret
After that, Xiangling decides to eat a snack a little. She takes out a small bag and then opens it. She uses the spoon to take some. It was some brown powder, then she ate it
Boboiboy just notices them "Ehh? Aren't those cacao?"
"Yeah. I eat them for a snack. Do you want some?" Xiangling offered him some
"Where did you get those?" Boboiboy asked
"I bought those in a vegetable shop in Liyue. Those cacao are selling in all nations so Mondstadt must have some too." Xiangling answered
"Do you know what those cacao is used for?" Boboiboy asked
"No, I don't know. I have tried using them as ingredients once before but none of them are tasty so I decided to use them as a snack." Xiangling told him
Boboiboy is thinking and then decides to make something "I know."
Boboiboy gets up as Paimon asks "Hey what are you planning?"
"I'm going to make something for you guys. So wait here." Boboiboy said then walked towards the shop to buy some cacao "Ok, I remember there is a candy shop near the entrance."
Boboiboy left for the entrance and then saw the shop
"Excuse me. Do you sell any chocolate?" Boboiboy asked the owner of the candy shop "Ah yes, I do have some. How many do you need?"
"I want a few chocolates please?" Boboiboy asked as he bought a few
After buying the ingredients, Boboiboy went back to the group
"I'm back."
"Whoa. That's a lot." Paimon said
"What are you going to do with these?" Lumine looked at the bags
"You guys are going to like them so wait a bit for me." Boboiboy said as he walked toward the pot
-A few minutes later-
Boboiboy brought five cups of drinks to the tables
"Tada! Behold the best drink in the world! My grandad Tok Aba's Special Hot Chocolate!" Boboiboy introduced them
The group is looking at the drink
"What kind of drink is this? Paimon has never seen them before." Paimon said
"Are you sure these drinks are good? I have used cacao as an ingredient for a dish before. None of them are delicious." Xiangling looked carefully at the drink
"Of course, they are. Just trust me. Take one sip and you guys will love them." Boboiboy said then started drinking his cup
The group looks at him and then at the cups. And they decide to drink it
After a sip, their eyes widened up
"Woaahhhh! This is so good! Paimon loves it!" Paimon kept drinking
"I can't believe! I didn't know cacao could be so delicious as the drink!" Xiangling commented then kept drinking and Guoba made a happy noise
"This is really good." Lumine commented then kept drinking
"Hehehe. That's awesome." Boboiboy gave them a thumb-up
-Sometimes later-
After finished drinking, they decided to say goodbye to Xiangling
"Thanks, you guys. Without your help, I don't know how it would have gone today."
"And without you, Paimon wouldn't have gotten to try so many new tasty snacks! Also wouldn't have gotten so full..." Paimon rubbed her stomach
"Where will you go now?" Boboiboy asked
"Not sure. I'll probably start heading back to Liyue, but I might change my plan on the way. I don't like to plan things too thoroughly. Who knows, maybe you'll bump into me out in the wild again!" Xiangling said
"Must be nice to be so carefree." Paimon commented
"You are a gifted chef, Lumine. You made an amazing batch of Jade Parcels." Xiangling complimented
"Come and visit me at the Wanmin Restaurant some time. I did promise I'd cook for you! And if you want, I'll teach you how to cook some of my latest inventions too." Xiangling told them
"It's a deal!" Lumine smirked
"You have a deal!" Xiangling smirked back then turned to Boboiboy "Oh Uhhh Boboiboy."
"Hmm? What is it, Xiangling?" Boboiboy asked
"I wanna say... Thank you for the drink. It's really tasty. Someday we meet again, could you teach me how to make it?" Xiangling looked away shy
"Oh sure! I don't mind!" Boboiboy smiled
"Thanks! Oh and say hi to others(Elemental Brothers) for me, ok?" Xiangling said as he nodded
"Hee-hee, see you again soon!" Xiangling along with Guoba waved goodbye to them. The group waved them back
Ship: Leaf x Xiangling (Foodsavior)
Note: Hello everyone, so sorry for the delay and not updating anything. I am kinda lazy and busy with many things for getting ready to go to college. I know you guys won't believe what I said and really hate me for not updating. But don't worry, I have already passed high school and got in the college which means I won't be busy a lot like in grade 12th