Deep in the dense forest, the Doctor—Dottore—stood motionless. Despite the sweltering heat, he remained wrapped in heavy clothing, yet cold sweat trickled down his back.
A crushing sense of oppression weighed down on him, an overwhelming pressure unlike anything he had felt in a long time.
Then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the sensation vanished.
Behind him, several Fatui soldiers glanced at each other in confusion, unsure of what had just transpired.
"Lord Doctor, is something wrong?"
"I don't know... He suddenly stopped talking."
Two of the agents exchanged puzzled looks. With Dottore's mask concealing his face, they had no way of discerning his expression.
Nearby, a Mirror Maiden let out an irritated sigh as she observed the clueless recruits.
"You two fools, can you be quiet?"
Without hesitation, she slapped both of them across the face.
"Ow, ow! Fine, we'll be quiet!"
"What was that for?!"
The two recruits clutched their swollen cheeks, looking at her with wounded expressions.
Did she realize how much psychological damage a slap could do to a trained soldier of Snezhnaya?
"I feel like eating some berries..."
A Cryo Fatui Brute started to speak but, seeing the recruits' pained expressions, quickly swallowed his words.
"This feeling… I've only ever experienced it in Her Majesty's presence."
"But whoever it was… they didn't actually intend to attack me, did they?"
Dottore muttered under his breath, recalling the brief moment of terror.
For an instant, he had truly believed this particular segment of himself was about to be erased.
Was a god watching this place?
"But even if this fragment is destroyed..."
"I must obtain that thing."
A twisted, maniacal grin crept onto his lips. There wasn't the slightest trace of fear in his expression.
After all, his true body—and his strongest segments—weren't in Liyue.
Glancing back at the group of Fatui soldiers, Dottore's smile twitched before he quickly concealed it.
Then, without a word, he strode forward. The Fatui agents hesitated before scrambling to follow...
...
Meanwhile, on the other side of the mountain, Qiu Bai had no interest in Dottore's affairs. Carrying a container of water, he made his way back toward Xiangling's campfire.
When he arrived, the warm glow of the flames flickered in the night, casting dancing shadows across Xiangling and Guoba's faces. Wisps of smoke curled lazily into the air.
"Mr. Qiu Bai, you're back!"
Xiangling stood up, flashing him a bright smile.
"Yeah, here's the water you needed."
Qiu Bai chuckled as he handed her the container.
"Alright then, let's get cooking! Time to test out some new recipes!"
Xiangling said excitedly.
She added two different ingredients along with a chunk of Hydro Slime into the pot. Once the first dish was complete, she immediately moved on to the next one.
After a series of bizarre cooking techniques, several sticky, gooey-looking dishes were laid out.
"Mr. Qiu Bai, try them!"
Xiangling beamed as she served each dish to him one by one, introducing them with enthusiasm:
"This is Hydro Slime-Braised Penglai Tofu!"
"This one is Pyro Slime Stir-Fried Jueyun Peppers!"
"And here we have Electro Slime Dry-Fried Fish!"
"Oh, and this is Cryo Slime Salad!"
"And there's more..."
Qiu Bai's mouth twitched slightly at the names.
Aside from the Cryo Slime Salad, which at least looked somewhat normal,
the rest of the dishes... just hearing their names made him hesitate.
"Sigh... Fine. If I don't do it, who will?"
With tears threatening to well up at the corners of his eyes, Qiu Bai braced himself and took a bite.
Xiangling tilted her head, puzzled by why Mr. Qiu Bai looked so distressed while eating.
Still, she watched him expectantly, her large eyes fixed on him, waiting for his verdict.
"This... is actually good?"
Qiu Bai thought to himself in disbelief.
Somehow, despite the absurdity of the ingredients, Xiangling had managed to make them taste delicious.
He smacked his lips, savoring the flavors. Just as he was about to give his verdict, he suddenly felt a strange sensation in his stomach. The elemental energies within the dishes were reacting against each other, creating a turbulent conflict inside him.
For someone like Qiu Bai, however, this was a minor issue. With a small adjustment, he easily suppressed the unstable elemental forces.
Then, seeing Xiangling's expectant gaze, he finally spoke:
"Hmm..."
"Hmm?!" Xiangling leaned in, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"They're quite tasty, especially the Cryo Slime Salad—it's cold and refreshing, kind of like jelly."
"But, Xiangling, for these dishes, don't let guests eat more than three at the same time."
"If the elemental energies clash too much, it could cause... problems."
Qiu Bai said, choosing his words carefully as he met Xiangling's eager gaze.
Qiu Bai also made sure to emphasize that these dishes should never be eaten all at once or even consecutively.
"I see, thank you, Mr. Qiu Bai!"
"I'll remember that... Hmm, so you can't eat more than three at the same time?"
Xiangling lifted two of the dishes and took a bite herself. She pursed her lips—surprisingly, the taste exceeded her expectations.
Then, she seemed to be deep in thought.
After a moment, as if coming to a realization, she suddenly grinned and turned to look at Guoba.
"Lu!" Σ(ﾟДﾟ|||)
Guoba flinched under her gaze, his face showing sheer panic.
Seeing this reaction, Qiu Bai's mouth twitched. It seemed Guoba had been fed quite a few strange things before...
"These dishes still need some refinement. It wouldn't be good if they ended up harming customers…"
"Thanks again, Mr. Qiu Bai!"
"If you're ever hungry, come to Wanmin Restaurant—I'll treat you to a meal!"
Xiangling beamed at him, full of gratitude.
Logically speaking, Qiu Bai never truly got hungry, but who could turn down a free meal?
"Well then, I appreciate it, Xiangling."
"It's getting late. We should head back to Liyue Harbor."
Qiu Bai suggested thoughtfully. After all, a young girl wandering alone in the wilderness wasn't exactly safe.
"Hehe, no need, Mr. Qiu Bai."
"I'm used to being out here on my own."
Xiangling smiled sheepishly. She often disappeared for days at a time just to perfect new recipes, so this was nothing unusual for her.
"Xiangling, remember—don't go in the direction of that mountain."
"It's dangerous."
Qiu Bai pointed to a distant peak, his voice steady as he turned to her.
The reason was simple—that was where the Fatui Executive, Dottore, was.
Xiangling found his sudden seriousness a bit strange, but seeing the firm expression on his face, she nodded.
"Got it, Mr. Qiu Bai. I won't go there."
It wasn't her intended destination anyway.
After saying their goodbyes, Qiu Bai turned to leave, while Xiangling's thoughts drifted elsewhere.
She was still thinking about the Pyro Regisvine.
It reminded her of Mondstadt's Cryo Regisvine, and if that one had edible parts, then maybe... just maybe... its leaves could be used for cooking!
Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and she nearly started drooling.
If it weren't for Mr. Qiu Bai dragging her away earlier, she might have already plucked a few leaves for testing.
Guoba waved cheerfully, bouncing as he bid Qiu Bai farewell.
Still a bit uneasy, Qiu Bai handed Xiangling a small object, glowing faintly like a Taiji symbol.
"If you run into trouble, crush this."
With that, Qiu Bai turned and walked away, leaving Xiangling staring at the mysterious trinket in her hand.
She watched his retreating figure, reflecting on their time together that afternoon.
Mr. Qiu Bai was easy to talk to—he even reminded her of her master, always there to offer guidance when trouble arose.
But instead of returning to Liyue Harbor, Qiu Bai set off in a completely different direction...