Under the night sky, the first phase of the Moonchase Festival event for players on parallel Earth came to an end.
Two days later, the second half of the event began.
Moonlight Merriment · Part II
—[Six Emotions, Seven Adepti, Eight Aromas, Nine Heavens, Tenfold Perfection]
—[A Lost Little Scholar in the Mortal World]
—[More Poetic Than I Expected]
Lumine and Mu Yang spent two days playing on Mt. Aocang, enjoying an unforgettable Moonchase Festival.
Afterward, they returned to Liyue Harbor.
With the finals approaching, they still needed to help Xiangling.
And, incidentally, they wanted to see what was inside that Stove God statue.
Early in the morning, Mu Yang, Lumine, and Paimon arrived at Wanmin Restaurant.
"Xiangling, we're back!"
"Good morning, everyone!" Xiangling greeted them warmly. "You came at just the right time—I actually need your help with something today."
Paimon giggled. "Hehe, is this what they call 'great minds think alike'?"
Lumine told Xiangling to just say what she needed—they were here to help.
Xiangling explained, "I've been experimenting with some dishes for the competition. I was hoping you could try them and give me some feedback."
"Who wants to take the first bite?"
Normally, Paimon would've jumped at the chance, but this time was different.
She exchanged a glance with Lumine, looking awkward.
Mu Yang spoke up, saying the three of them had already eaten before coming, so they might not be much help right now.
If they tried the dishes on a full stomach, it would definitely affect their judgment.
And if their feedback wasn't accurate, it wouldn't be meaningful.
Mu Yang continued, "Besides, we eat your cooking at Wanmin Restaurant all the time—our opinions might not be the most objective."
"It'd be better to get more friends to taste-test instead."
Lumine and Paimon both agreed.
Xiangling thought it over and decided Mu Yang had a point.
"Good idea! Let me think... Hmm, how about we start with Big Sister Beidou?"
Paimon, ever the hype-woman, chimed in, "Beidou does give off that reliable vibe! Let's hurry over!"
Lumine told her not to rush—they didn't even know where Beidou was right now.
Xiangling said that at this hour, Beidou was probably at the docks.
She turned back toward Wanmin Restaurant. "I'll pack the dishes into a lunchbox, and we'll head to the docks."
The team regrouped and set off for Liyue Harbor's wharf.
When they arrived, they found not only Beidou but also Xinyan there.
Perfect—the more taste-testers, the better!
Xiangling approached them. "Big Sister Beidou, Xinyan, are we interrupting?"
The two turned around. "Xiangling? Perfect timing—we were just talking about you."
Xinyan added, "Big Sister Beidou was saying we should visit the ship together sometime. The crew misses us."
After some small talk, Xiangling introduced Mu Yang to Xinyan.
"Pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise! Xiangling talks about you all the time—once she starts, she just can't stop."
Xinyan grinned brightly, teasing her good friend in the process.
Xiangling flushed slightly. "It's not that often..."
"You guys have such a great friendship!" Paimon remarked.
Xiangling quickly refocused. "Yeah! Big Sister Beidou and Xinyan are both regulars at my place."
"Sometimes I help out in the kitchen on Beidou's ship, and Xinyan's been talking about performing there recently too."
Xinyan crossed her arms. "Good music is meant to be shared! You should all come along sometime!"
Mu Yang subtly signaled to Xiangling with his eyes—don't get so caught up in chatting that you forget the main point.
Xiangling snapped back to reality—she really had almost gotten carried away.
She pulled out the lunchbox and said to Beidou and Xinyan,
"I made it to the finals of this year's Masterful Chefs competition. I've prepared some potential entries—could you try them and give me your thoughts?"
The two were more than happy to oblige.
"Sure, perfect with drinks."
"Just in time—I'm starving. Let me try!"
Beidou and Xinyan sampled Xiangling's dishes...
Judging by Xinyan's expression, she was thoroughly enjoying it.
Especially the Furong Chicken Slices—she practically devoured them without pause.
Since these were competition-level dishes, Xiangling had put in extra care.
Considering all the... unusual experimental dishes Xinyan had endured in the past, this meal was practically her reward. (Not really.)
Beidou took a big swig of liquor. "Such fine dishes to pair with drinks—I'm truly blessed, hahaha!"
[Classic imaginary food acting]
[Props to Beidou and Xinyan for their service]
[Just imagine your favorite dish—MiHoYo's playing 4D chess here]
[How do you even explain this? Go work for MiHoYo tomorrow]
Both women were straightforward in their feedback.
Beidou's take: "Three dishes—Furong Chicken Slices, Lailai Veggies, Crystal Shrimp—all light and refreshing overall."
Paimon was confused. "Refreshing? Since when do you describe food like that?"
Would Xiangling even understand?
Beidou explained to the little one, "When you're out at sea as much as we are, you don't get many options. On long voyages, you have to ration supplies."
"So when we're back on land, we crave heavy, oily, salty hot dishes."
Mu Yang added that dockworkers were the same—when doing heavy labor, light meals just wouldn't cut it.
"Take Keqing, for example. When she's working on-site, she also prefers greasier, stronger-flavored food."
"Keqing eats like that? Hard to imagine..."
Paimon pondered. "Light flavors... seem more like Ningguang's preference."
"Ningguang—ugh, don't even mention that woman."
The moment Ningguang's name came up, Beidou's complaints flowed endlessly.
"Our tastes are too different—we could never share a meal."
[Big Sis Beidou sounds like she's avoiding something]
[Is that you, Kazuha? Using a burner account?]
[Shipping goggles on, huh?]
[I ship everything—it keeps me healthy and balanced]
Xinyan facepalmed, Xiangling stifled a laugh...
Both wore expressions of those who know, know.
Only Paimon continued, oblivious. "But last time I saw you two talking, you seemed really close!"
"Call it a balance of power. Though I've got nothing to say about her 'Boiled Cabbage'."
Xinyan wholeheartedly agreed.
Boiled Cabbage was undeniably haute cuisine, but for all its elegance, it was boring.
People like Xinyan and Beidou preferred dishes that exploded with flavor the moment they hit the tongue.
Xiangling listened to their feedback and asked, "Xinyan, do you also think these dishes are too light?"
Xinyan chose her words carefully. "Not so much 'light' as... lacking rhythm."
Beidou nodded. "Exactly. These dishes are beautiful, but for a competition, they might lack impact."
Paimon scratched her head. "Uh... rhythm? Impact? Since when does cooking need those?"
[Most relatable Paimon moment ever]
[The art of subtle criticism]
[Me, illiterate, nodding along like I get it]
Xinyan clarified that she was no chef like Xiangling, so her opinion might not mean much.
But Xiangling seemed to have an epiphany.
"Rhythm... impact..."
"I kept feeling like, even with the new combinations, something was missing—a finishing touch."
"...That decisive final flourish!"
Paimon turned to Lumine for help. "She looks inspired, but do cooking and music really have that much in common?"
Lumine smirked. "About as much as you and me."
Paimon stomped her feet in frustration. Every time Lumine wore that expression, she was up to no good.
"Ugh—! I don't get it at all! Feels like you're just teasing me again!"
Paimon might not have understood, but it didn't matter—Xiangling did.
She already had a new direction for improvement.
Xinyan and Beidou both expressed full confidence in Xiangling's skills and wished her victory.
Then, they bid the group farewell and headed back to the ship.
Before leaving, Beidou even invited Mu Yang for drinks sometime.
Truly staying true to her roots.