"Sure, no problem," Ryou said.
"R-Really?" Xiangling was genuinely surprised.
A single plate of the dish might not mean much, but the recipe itself could be priceless.
That was exactly why places like Liuli Pavilion and Xinyue Kiosk had managed to secure their footing in Liyue Harbor and build such huge reputations. Their signature dishes were what set them apart, and some of those recipes were never passed on to outsiders.
So for Ryou to agree that easily?
Xiangling could hardly believe it.
Keqing glanced at him too. He was being far too casual about this. Was he really just going to hand over a recipe like that?
Then she thought back to the way Xiangling had been looking at him earlier.
Something about it had definitely felt off.
Don't tell me Xiangling likes my husband too.
The more Keqing thought about all the women they had run into lately, the more her head started to ache.
Shenhe was the clearest case. Keqing could tell at a glance that Shenhe absolutely had feelings for Ryou, and she hardly even bothered to hide it.
Lumine and Xiangling weren't as obvious, but the signs were there too. They just hadn't made any real move yet.
And while Keqing had managed to block things so far, she knew perfectly well she wouldn't be able to keep it up forever.
She looked at Ryou with a little more grievance in her eyes.
He was her husband, and yet all these women kept inching closer and closer to him.
Thankfully, Ryou had never crossed any line with anyone. At least in that regard, his character was beyond question.
Keqing had always wanted him and Ganyu to end up together, but despite all the time they had spent around each other, nothing had ever happened.
At this point, she almost regretted not bringing Ganyu along too.
If Ganyu were here to help, things would be much easier for her.
Honestly, Ganyu was the one person who really could help.
And Ganyu was an adeptus. In terms of stamina, she far surpassed ordinary humans. If Ganyu joined her, the two of them would have more than enough to keep Ryou in check.
Maybe if they teamed up, they could even make him admit defeat.
Ryou glanced at Xiangling and said, "It's just one dish. I'll teach you the recipe later."
"Ah… thank you!" Xiangling thanked him seriously.
"It's nothing," Ryou said.
The aroma of the fish stew slowly spread out.
Soon, the smell had drifted across the whole area around Starfell Lake. It was so rich that only covering the pot could keep it contained.
After a while, Ryou brought over some plates and portioned everything out one by one. Then he made a few simple home-style side dishes and several bowls of white rice.
Before long, the entire table was full—beautiful to look at, fragrant, and completely irresistible.
Ryou, Keqing, Xiangling, Hu Tao, and Klee all sat down around the table. After putting out the fire, Ryou said, "Come on, try the fish stew first. Tell me how it tastes."
"Alright!" Xiangling nodded.
She picked up a piece of fish, spooned some broth over it, and took a bite.
The scent of ginger, garlic, and pickled mustard greens hit first, followed immediately by the flavor.
It was incredible.
The fish was unbelievably tender, soaked through with the broth, and so soft it nearly melted in her mouth. The taste was rich, bright, and perfectly balanced.
Xiangling didn't say a single word.
She just lowered her head and kept eating.
After tasting it, Hu Tao also gave Ryou a big thumbs-up.
Keqing laughed when she saw the two of them react that way.
Honestly, she didn't even need them to say anything. Their expressions already said it all.
"Ryou, you should eat too." Keqing picked up a piece of fish for him. "You worked hard."
"It's fine. If Keqing wants to eat it, I'll make it for you any time. Right… and Klee too. How could I forget our little Klee? Come on, open up. I'll feed you."
Ryou noticed Klee looking unhappy and laughed.
He picked up a piece of fish for her.
"Ah!" Klee took the bite, and the moment the flavor hit her, her eyes lit up. "Daddy, it's so good!"
"If it's good, then eat more." Ryou rubbed her head and fed her a few more bites.
The fish stew leaned pleasantly sour, but with all the buffs stacked on it, its quality had reached +5. In terms of taste, it was no worse than Xiangling's cooking.
In some ways, it even surpassed hers.
The other home-style dishes were a little weaker by comparison, but with the buffs taking them to +3, they still tasted excellent and went down very easily.
Ryou ate along with the girls, and before long, the dishes on the table had all been wiped clean.
By the end, everyone was sitting on the stone platform, one hand on their stomach, too full to move.
Each of them held a cup of spiritual fruit juice, sipping slowly, their faces full of satisfaction.
By afternoon, Ryou had stopped fishing.
After packing everything up, he brought Xiangling and Hu Tao along and headed toward Springvale.
He planned to continue all the way to Stormterror's Lair.
Once they passed through Springvale, the number of people on the road dropped sharply. The farther they went, the fewer signs of life they saw around them.
By the time evening approached, Ryou and the others had reached Stormterror's Lair.
Standing at the entrance, Ryou looked ahead and said, "This is Stormterror's Lair. Dvalin, one of the Four Winds, lives in there."
"Over there?" Keqing looked toward the ruined tower in the distance.
"You want to see him?" Ryou stepped closer and asked.
"Mm. I've never seen a dragon before, so…" Keqing hugged his arm. "Later, can you fly me up there to take a look?"
"Of course." Ryou rubbed her head and smiled.
"Then… can you take me too, Ryou?" Hu Tao turned to him and blinked.
Ryou laughed when he saw how cute she looked. "Sure. But first we need to find somewhere to settle down. There's no way we're making it back to Mondstadt tonight."
"Okay." Hu Tao nodded.
"Daddy, I want to see too." Klee pressed herself against Ryou's arm.
"Alright." Ryou picked Klee up and started looking around for a good place.
In the end, he found a high spot close enough to Stormterror's Lair that the tower was practically right in front of them.
But the moment they arrived, Ryou saw an enormous figure flying toward them.
In an instant, the sky darkened.
A gigantic shadow swallowed the light overhead, and a crushing pressure descended from above, so heavy it made it hard to breathe.
Ryou could tell Xiangling, Hu Tao, and the others were struggling. All of them instinctively turned and looked up.
The moment their eyes reached the sky, he saw the fear on their faces.
"S-So that's Dvalin? He's huge…" Xiangling clutched at her chest. For a moment just now, she had almost been unable to breathe.
The pressure was overwhelming.
"Are you alright, Xiangling?" Hu Tao asked.
Ryou took out the materials for a tent and began setting it up. He also placed a table outside and set out some pastries and juice.
Then he walked to the front and looked upward.
The area ahead seemed to be covered by some unseen force.
[ Ding. Eyes entering Darkened Mode! ]
[ Ding. Eyes Darkened Mode active. You can now see all scenes within five hundred meters, and your perception will cover the same range. ]
He saw Dvalin lying atop the platform near the top of the tower.
But almost immediately, the dragon opened his eyes and looked straight at him.
For a brief instant, Ryou and Dvalin locked eyes.
Ryou shut his eyes at once, feeling a sharp ache in them. A wave swept across the whole of Stormterror's Lair like a sudden gust of wind.
But it faded just as quickly.
And mixed in with the wind, beneath its rushing sound, came the soft notes of a lyre.
The melody was distant and lingering, carried toward them on the breeze.
Ryou wasn't surprised when Venti appeared.
He watched Venti walk over to their group in a few easy steps.
"I didn't expect you all to come to Stormterror's Lair," Venti said. "Were you here to see Dvalin?"
"I can take you to him, actually. Though… you did startle him just now."
"Sorry," Ryou said.
"It's fine. Dvalin's a good boy. He won't blame you for it." Venti smiled, sat down, and poured a cup of juice.
"Venti, we meet again," Hu Tao said.
"Hu Tao, I'm surprised it's just you. Where's your consultant?" Venti asked.
Normally, if Hu Tao came somewhere, Zhongli ought to be with her too. So why was she alone this time?
When Venti mentioned Zhongli, Hu Tao said, "He's been busy at the Ministry of Civil Affairs all day. He didn't have time to come."
"I finished what I had to do and came out to have some fun. Still, who would've thought the two of you would actually get along?"
"That's only natural. We're drinking buddies," Venti said.
"Really?" Hu Tao looked doubtful.
"Why would I lie to you?" Venti winked. "You want to see Dvalin, don't you? I can take you."
"No time like the present. Let's go now."
"Follow me."
He raised a hand and summoned a current of wind.
By the time they landed, Ryou found that his long-distance vision had already faded.
The moment they touched down, Dvalin opened his huge dragon eyes and looked at the entire group.
There was obvious confusion in that gaze, as if he didn't understand what Venti was trying to do.
"T-That's Dvalin? He's enormous…" Hu Tao covered her mouth in shock.
"So that's what Stormterror looks like. I was even wondering before whether I'd ever get the chance to eat dragon meat one day… ah!"
Xiangling had only muttered it to herself, but the instant Dvalin turned to look at her, she nearly jumped out of her skin.
She hurried backward and accidentally stumbled straight into Ryou's arms.
"You alright?" Ryou caught her.
"I-I'm fine." Xiangling shook her head quickly.
Venti glanced at her and said, "Xiangling, some things are better left unsaid in front of Dvalin. I won't be able to save you if you keep talking like that."
"S-Sorry!" Xiangling apologized at once.
"Barbatos, why did you bring these people here?" Dvalin's voice was clearly angry, but with Venti present, he held himself back.
"Barbatos… why does that name sound so familiar?" Hu Tao adjusted her hat, puzzled.
Then she turned to Ryou and poked him. "Who's that?"
Ryou rubbed her head and said, "Come on, Hu Tao. That's Mondstadt's Anemo Archon."
"Don't touch my head!" Hu Tao glared at him, her whole face heating up.
Then realization hit her a second later.
"Wait… doesn't that mean Venti is the Anemo Archon?"
"Hiss… I drank with a god? And even bragged about that?"
[End of chapter]
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