Lumine said it was no problem, as she had only arrived this morning herself.
Not seeing Mu Yang around, she had first gone to Wanmin Restaurant.
Then, Lumine briefly explained their current situation.
As Xiangling's food consultant, she was accompanying her to visit various places around Liyue Harbor, asking others for their opinions on cuisine.
Lumine smiled and said, "So, you should join us too. It'll be a big help to Xiangling."
Mu Yang nodded. "Alright."
Xiangling, standing to the side, was overjoyed. As expected of the ever-popular Traveler—with just a word, everything was settled.
With Mu Yang joining the group, they began making their way toward Yujing Terrace.
Along the way, Xiangling asked Mu Yang for his thoughts on food.
However, most of the answers were given by Lumine on his behalf.
Lumine recounted Mu Yang's usual favorite dishes and some of his small eating habits to Xiangling.
Xiangling gained a lot from this—it was quite different from how Mu Yang usually behaved at Wanmin Restaurant.
It was like seeing a different side of him.
Mu Yang, however, found it a bit strange. What was up with Lumine today? Why was she being so proactive?
But he didn't dwell on it too much. There was no harm in it, after all.
At the very least, it meant he didn't have to speak much himself.
He could just maintain his usual demeanor.
[Wait, how does Lumine remember all this so clearly?]
[So sweet~]
[Probably trying to keep Mu Yang from feeling awkward. He doesn't talk much to others.]
[All these details are usually just black screens with subtitles. Ugh, why won't they show us!]
As they walked and chatted, Mu Yang told Xiangling about the recipe.
Xiangling's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You're saying the mystery recipe reward for the Chef King Competition is… 'mooncakes'?"
"Yes. I handed it over to the Tianquan yesterday."
Though Xiangling was just a chef, she had grown up in this city of commerce.
She knew exactly how much value this recipe could create.
Replicating the "form" of mooncakes wouldn't be difficult, but capturing the authentic taste was another matter entirely.
Not to mention the variety of fillings and their precise ratios.
Even its prototype—"Fine Tea, Full Moon," a relatively simple dish—was hard to replicate to match the taste of the old-established shops in Chenyu Vale.
Mu Yang explained that his goal wasn't to make Mora.
He simply wanted everyone in Liyue to enjoy delicious treats during the Moonchase Festival.
Gifting it to the competition champion was also a way to promote it indirectly.
After Mu Yang finished speaking, Guoba walked over and tugged at his sleeve. "♪!"
It seemed to express approval of Mu Yang's approach.
——————
[Mu Yang's thoughtfulness is on another level.]
[Not for himself, but for the people of Liyue.]
[Mu Yang is just too big (referring to his magnanimity).]
"Big or not, let's not get into that."
Guinaifen bit her straw. "Folks, I've noticed something."
"This event gives Guoba a ton of screen time."
[Hahaha, I noticed too! He's been stealing the spotlight at both Hu Tao's and Baizhu's places.]
[His expression totally looks like he's giving Mu Yang a thumbs-up.]
"Could it be…? Feels like this event is hiding something. Not sure, need to see more."
——————
Xiangling also noticed Guoba's gesture.
It seemed Guoba agreed with Mu Yang's idea.
Then, she suddenly remembered what Mu Yang had said to her before leaving yesterday—
He had encouraged her to do her best in the competition.
Could it be that Mu Yang actually had high expectations for her?!
And now, by revealing the recipe to her, was he hinting that she should aim for the championship?
Xiangling clenched her fists. "Don't worry, Mu Yang! I'll definitely win the competition!"
Mu Yang seemed pleased. "I believe in you."
Paimon giggled. "We believe in you too!"
Lumine: "You can do it, Xiangling."
At that moment, Xiangling was filled with confidence.
Mu Yang's appearance was just a small interlude.
Soon, they arrived at their original destination—Yujing Terrace.
Some particularly picky eaters happened to be gathered outside.
Keqing, sharp-eyed as ever, was the first to notice Lumine's group.
"Hm? Lumine, Paimon, Xiangling, and… Mu Yang? This is quite the lineup."
Ningguang turned to them. "Good afternoon, everyone."
"Hahaha, Lumine, what brings you here? And you even brought Mu Yang along?"
Lumine replied, "Just back for the Moonchase Festival, wandering around."
"But what about you all? What are you discussing? Moonchase Festival preparations?"
Paimon also noticed they were gathered around a large rock. "This is…"
Keqing, ever methodical, didn't rush to answer.
Instead, she first settled the matter with Ningguang and Beidou, saying she would handle it.
Beidou: "Keqing's always swift and decisive. I'll leave it to you with peace of mind."
Ningguang, never one to miss a chance to tease, said, "Oh? So you don't trust my methods?"
Beidou narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips.
"Ha? Keqing's out here rain or shine, unlike you. Besides, you don't even care about this. Why the fuss?"
Ningguang chuckled. "Just a joke. Yet here you are, running with it and even lecturing me in front of Lumine."
[Don't ship Beiguang, or you'll get diabetes.]
[Uh… I'm Albedo. I'm climbing Dragonspine overnight.]
Lumine said with a smirk, "Seems like we came at a bad time?"
"Not at all. If you're curious about the rock, let our great navigator Captain Beidou explain."
Beidou gave a brief rundown.
The rock had been dredged up by fishermen in shallow waters. Unsure what it was, they handed it over to the Qixing.
She suspected there was treasure inside, but no method they tried could crack it open.
Surprisingly, Keqing took a keen interest in the rock, so she entrusted it to her.
Beidou turned to Mu Yang. "Mu Yang, you left too quickly yesterday. I wanted to ask you about this rock."
Mu Yang reached out to examine it, then withdrew his hand after a moment.
"Well? Any ideas?"
The others also looked at Mu Yang with interest. A rock impervious to blades was certainly intriguing.
Mu Yang: "It's likely the work of an old friend, but…"
"It's fine, don't force yourself," Keqing interjected.
After Osial's attack, they were already aware of Mu Yang's memory issues.
[Every time I see Mu Yang like this, it hurts. Mihoyo, what are you doing?!]
[Torture master, slow knife…]
Lumine also stepped closer, telling Mu Yang not to push himself if he couldn't remember.
Keqing changed the subject. "We can talk about this later. Did you come here looking for someone?"
Paimon said they were looking for all of them.
Ningguang crossed her arms. "Oh? Did some world-shattering disaster occur?"
Of course, she knew that wasn't the case. If something like that had happened, Mu Yang would've already dealt with it.
Judging by the group—especially with Xiangling present—it was probably related to the Liyue Chef King Competition.