On Nahida's second day at her new home, the sun was shining bright.
With the growing number of people in the house, Lu Chen realized the fridge was running low on food, so breakfast ended up being a quick round of fried eggs for everyone.
As they ate, he paid special attention to the new guest's reaction. Nahida showed no hint of displeasure—in fact, she nodded with delight and said it was delicious. Very delicious.
"I feel like even if Ei cooked breakfast for you, you'd still say it tasted good…"
Lu Chen shook his head helplessly. Nahida was just too easy to please.
"This kid's really easy to take care of!" Venti laughed.
"She's probably been locked away for so long that she can't even tell what tastes good or not anymore," Miko commented as she elegantly ate her egg.
Since he'd talked with Nahida until late the night before, Lu Chen figured he knew her best by now, so he added,
"She just cares too much about other people's feelings. No matter what it tastes like, she'll still say it's good."
To him, the little Dendro Archon clearly lacked confidence—and that was something he wanted to help her fix.
"That doesn't sound right," Miko said, glancing across the table at Nahida. The girl was obedient and polite, sure, but Miko didn't believe for a second she was as innocent as she looked. That mischievous glint in her eyes gave her away—she definitely had tricks up her sleeve.
"I still stand by what I said," Lu Chen insisted.
"Hmph. When it comes to seeing through people's hearts—even if you're an old guy—you should take my advice," Miko said, crossing her arms.
"Who are you calling old?!" Lu Chen glared at her.
"Whoever's lived longer is the old one~" Miko teased.
Everyone turned to look at Zhongli.
Hit by a stray AOE, Zhongli frowned slightly. Without a word, he put down his chopsticks and stood up to go brew himself some tea.
With Zhongli gone, the debate resumed. Venti, enjoying the drama, suddenly suggested a "controlled experiment."
"Let Her Excellency the Electro Archon cook a fried egg for our little Dendro Archon! That way, we'll know if it's a matter of taste—or something psychological!"
"Ei's cooking…" Nahida looked at her uncertainly. "Is it really that different?"
"You'll know once you try it~" Venti said, struggling to hold back his laughter.
"She's still a child! How could you do this to her?! Eating bad food will stunt her growth!" Miko snapped.
"Wait... Ei's expression doesn't look quite right..." Nahida peered at her, concerned.
Lu Chen saw that Ei had gone stiff, her smile fading fast.
She didn't expect to get roped into this and have a sore spot hit out of nowhere. Quietly, she got up and left the table to train in the backyard.
Who would've thought a simple fried egg would spark such a mess so early in the morning? Nahida gave the others a sheepish smile.
Then she hesitantly said,
"Maybe… there's a chance that Lu Chen's fried eggs really are just that good?"
Everyone exchanged glances.
Even Miko had to admit—that actually made sense.
"End of discussion," Lu Chen said flatly.
...
Once the fried egg issue was behind them, Lu Chen suddenly thought he should try making some traditional Sumeru dishes for Nahida. The only problem was… he didn't know how.
As everyone knew, once someone had tasted Lu Chen's cooking, they never had anything bad to say—not picky Zhongli, not even Qiqi with her dulled senses. His dishes pleased everyone. So when it came to cooking, he refused to accept having any weak spots!
You never stop learning. Already a master of Liyue, Inazuma, and Mondstadt cuisine, Lu Chen decided it was time to study Sumeru cooking from scratch.
Let's see…
There were those clean and healthy green juice crisp balls. That seemed doable.
Curry shrimp, pocket flatbread, hand-pulled rice… and the rich, luxurious Tandoori roast chicken…
After mentally drafting a Sumeru-themed recipe list just for Nahida, Lu Chen made up his mind—he'd head down the mountain to buy ingredients.
And he'd take Nahida along. The girl had been cooped up in the Sumeru palace for hundreds of years—she must've been itching to explore.
Plus, her [Challenge Task] required her to go out and experience the world with her own eyes. That was the only way to unlock hidden achievements.
...
After breakfast, Lu Chen called out to her, "Come on! Let's go down the mountain for a bit!"
Nahida's eyes lit up immediately.
"Yay!"
"But—" Lu Chen looked her up and down.
"You should probably disguise yourself before we head out. Ling Shan Bay is pretty quiet, so no one's noticed yet. But once we go into the city… dressed like that..."
Her Sumeru-style outfit wasn't the issue—not even the cute toe-showing socks were a problem. Clothes could be swapped easily.
But what about her elf ears?
Lu Chen rubbed his chin in thought. He did have a mask—Sacrificial Mask—that could change one's appearance, but it came with a time limit.
Then he remembered a certain expert.
"Miko! Come here~!"
"Miko—!"
"Mi—"
"What now?! I'm writing!" came her impatient voice from upstairs.
"It's important! Hurry up!"
After enough nagging, Lu Chen finally dragged Miko away from her love triangle light novel draft.
Miko appeared, lips pursed.
"This better be important."
"It is!" Lu Chen shoved Nahida in front of her. "Teach me how you usually hide your ears so no one notices."
Miko glanced at Nahida's innocent blinking face, which softened her irritation. Then she looked back at Lu Chen and casually brushed her hair aside.
"My hairstyle."
Lu Chen noticed how perfectly her current hairstyle concealed her fox ears. He was amazed.
"Let me touch them!"
"No!" Miko stepped back, glaring.
"Okay, later then—"
"Pervert! What did you just say?"
"Nothing! I won't touch them!"
Lu Chen dropped the joke and explained the issue.
As a beauty expert and the school idol's top stylist, Yae Miko looked down at Nahida and narrowed her eyes.
"Come with me!" she said, dragging Nahida off to her room.
Upstairs, after a series of rustling and clinking sounds, a transformed Nahida stepped back into view.
Lu Chen's eyes widened.
She was now wearing a finely made green dress with suspenders, over a white polka-dot blouse with a dainty collar and puffy sleeves. The look was retro, cute, and—paired with her pointed ears—made her resemble a charming young lady just returned from a magical academy.
"So cute!!" Barbara, passing by, froze in her tracks.
"Not bad, right?" Miko said proudly. The outfit had originally been made for Qiqi, but she didn't like the color. Since Nahida and Qiqi were about the same size, it fit perfectly—and unexpectedly suited her even more.
Nahida blushed slightly, studying her reflection in the mirror.
"Wearing this… is it really okay?"
She didn't seem used to this new look.
"Of course it is!" Miko beamed at her creation.
"Wait a sec, Miko..." Lu Chen suddenly realized something.
"Her ears are still showing. I thought you'd hide them with makeup or accessories?"
"Relax," Miko said, exasperated. "Even if you take her out like this, people will just assume she's cosplaying some anime character. No one will overthink it."
She knew from experience—after all, she'd been mistaken for a cosplayer at a convention more than once.
Seeing Lu Chen still uncertain, Miko chuckled and shook her head.
"Alright, if you're still not convinced, let's add a little more flair!"
"Flair?" Lu Chen blinked. "What good is that gonna do?"
Miko dashed upstairs again and quickly returned. This time, she handed Nahida something directly.
Then she crossed her arms, smiling confidently as everyone stared at the mirror in stunned silence.
Nahida was now holding a magical wand—one of those sparkly ones, like something straight out of Cardcaptor Sakura. The moment she gripped it, her whole vibe changed
"There! Problem solved!" Miko said cheerfully. "No one's gonna say a little witch just popped out of a fantasy world now!"
Lu Chen quietly gave her a thumbs up.
Once things get ridiculous enough... people stop noticing the weird details.