34: The Pre-Hunt Feast

Saphir had no way of knowing what Lin Yi was thinking—she was still bemoaning the fact that she couldn't get access to those ridiculously convenient system abilities.

That was when Lumine came running up, blinking in confusion as she noticed Saphir's slightly depressed look.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Saphir shook her head, saying nothing. Lin Yi chuckled and replied in her place,

"Oh, nothing much. Just lost a hundred million."

"Lost what now?"

Lumine's golden eyes widened. "Is the Fatui really that rich? You can just lose that much like it's spare change?"

Saphir gave a sharp snort and pulled Lumine away by the hand.

Lumine had originally come over to tell them lunch prep was done, but seeing Saphir's reaction, she understood without needing to explain further. Ignoring Lin Yi completely, she dragged Lumine off ahead.

Lin Yi shook his head, a bitter smile on his face.

Convincing this woman… it's going to be a long road.

But he had to do it.

When he successfully formed a bond with Keqing, he'd gained access to Electro.

Now, with the Anemo affinity he'd started with, he could already control two elements—something that would be impossible for a normal human.

And the benefits didn't stop there.

He could feel it—Keqing's affection created a subtle but significant feedback loop, strengthening him in real and tangible ways.

If just Keqing could offer that much… then what kind of boost would come from Saphir?

It wasn't even about romance anymore. From a tactical standpoint, she was a strategic-level power, and forming a bond with her was simply the smart move.

"Hey, stop zoning out. We're all hungry, and you're the only one who can cook.

You planning to starve us or what?" Saphir barked.

She was still sore about the system's absurd restriction.

A "gold-tier skill" locked behind romance flags? What kind of broken gacha design was that?

She'd been planning to free-ride a reward and dip, but now she'd have to put herself on the line?

That's highway robbery!

"Um, Saphir-sama, I can cook too!"

Noelle perked up and raised her hand eagerly.

"Please allow me to help!"

"Much appreciated, Noelle!" Lin Yi smiled warmly.

"Then I'll leave it to you."

"Of course! Leave everything to me!"

But Lumine was not happy.

She didn't know exactly why Saphir was angry, but she was pretty sure it was Lin Yi's fault.

So she immediately stopped Noelle from stepping in.

Noelle blinked in confusion, looked at Lumine, then at Barbara, who subtly shook her head.

Seeing this, she hesitated… then gave a small nod. "I suppose… I'll leave it to Lin Yi."

Paimon, having missed all the unspoken glances, scratched her head and finally asked what really mattered:

"Hey! I'm starving! Have you guys decided who's cooking yet?"

"Lin Yi!"

"Saphir!"

Two voices rang out at the same time.

Then came the inevitable stare-down.

Noelle looked between the two, completely lost.

She wanted to help but was now clearly caught in the middle.

The air turned... tense.

Eventually, Lin Yi sighed and gave in.

He pulled a massive bundle of ingredients from his storage and asked,

"Anything in particular you want? Any allergies or things you can't eat?"

That last part was clearly directed at Saphir.

He already knew Barbara and Noelle's preferences.

As for Lumine and Paimon—they'd eat anything.

"I want Fisherman's Toast! And Honey Carrot Meat Pie! And Mondstadt Hash Browns! Oh, and Piled-Up Dishes too!" Paimon shouted, her little hands raised high in excitement.

Lumine rolled her eyes.

"If you eat that much, you're going to get too fat to fly."

"I don't gain weight, okay!? I can eat all the delicious food and still stay light as a feather!"

Paimon proudly did a mid-air spin to prove her point.

Barbara, meanwhile, remembered the Mapo Tofu from that morning.

Her gaze subtly shifted toward Saphir, whose version of the dish had used genuine Jueyun Chilis—a rare ingredient in Mondstadt.

Noelle didn't say anything—she was too shy.

The idea of sitting back while someone else cooked made her feel… embarrassed.

Saphir, after briefly surveying Lin Yi's ingredient pile—beast meat, poultry, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, white radish, carrots…

eventually said,

"Got any rice?

I'd like a bowl of rice and some tomato and egg stir-fry."

She almost asked for sautéed eggplant too, but she realized Mondstadt didn't really have eggplant. So she let it go.

Lin Yi gave her a casual thumbs-up and started prepping.

He decided to make Paimon's request first—Fisherman's Toast—since it was the simplest.

He sliced onions and lightly grilled them to remove the sharpness, layered them over toasted bread, added a generous coating of cheese and tomato sauce, and handed it to Paimon, who nearly exploded with joy.

"Yay! Lin Yi's the best!"

It wasn't sentiment—he just wanted her quiet while the rice steamed.

He'd placed a bowl over the steaming rice to cook an egg custard at the same time.

Meanwhile, he was also marinating meat, prepping tomatoes, and keeping multiple pots going at once.

Noelle had meant to help but ended up standing mesmerized, watching his fluid, practiced movements.

Saphir, too, watched silently.

There was something about a man focused on cooking that was… irresistibly attractive. Especially one as good-looking and fit as Lin Yi.

"Caught staring?" Lin Yi teased suddenly.

The others were jolted out of their thoughts.

The food was already done!

Noelle blushed bright red and scrambled to help set the table.

Barbara lit up when she saw the Mapo Tofu—the same dish Saphir had made that morning, now cooked by Lin Yi.

"He even used Jueyun Chilis…" she thought with delight.

Lin Yi had indeed gotten them—at the cost of 100,000 Mora each, courtesy of Saphir.

No negotiations. No discounts. She bled him dry.

And yet, seeing Barbara so happy, she found herself… annoyed?

He's making spicy food to win her over?

Ugh, scumbag. Pervert. Two-faced bastard pig.

She grumbled to herself but said nothing, shoveling down her food with surprising speed.

To be fair, Lin Yi was an amazing cook.

Even a simple tomato-and-egg stir-fry had an elegance to it—so good that even the others kept stealing bites from Saphir's plate.

That only made her angrier.

She shot Lin Yi a side-eye so venomous he could practically feel it on his skin.

"What did I do this time!?"

Lin Yi nearly wanted to cry. "I even gave you your favorite dish!"

But the meal as a whole was a success.

Paimon rubbed her stuffed little belly, floated halfway into the air, then plopped back down with a thud.

"Ugh, I'm so full. Lumine, I can't fly…"

Lumine sighed and massaged her temples.

"I told you not to eat so much."

"But it was sooo good…"

Noelle and Barbara chuckled at their antics.

After cleaning up and dousing the campfire, Lin Yi declared it was time to move out.

Soon, they arrived in Windrise Highlands, and the altar-like platform marking their destination came into view.

Lin Yi finally turned and said,

"Our first target—Anemo Hypostasis.

I'll explain the mechanics later, but first, let's make something clear:

Lumine, you're sitting this one out at the start.

Saphir—you don't get to intervene."

"Huh? Why not?" Lumine asked, confused.

She'd already proven her strength earlier—surely she could help?

Before Lin Yi could explain, Saphir answered for him.

"The Anemo Hypostasis is a pure elemental being—it's immune to Anemo damage.

You're Anemo-aligned, so your attacks will do nothing."

Paimon immediately caught on.

"Ohhh! Just like those Wind Slimes!"

Lumine got it.

Unlike Wind Slimes, she couldn't just whittle it down with normal attacks—the Hypostasis would need elemental counters, and she didn't have any yet.

Lin Yi nodded.

"Exactly. Elemental beings are usually immune to their own element.

So for this fight, Lumine, you're on standby.

But don't relax—you'll be needed at the end. I'll call you in."

Lumine nodded seriously, then glanced at Saphir again.

She understood why she couldn't fight. But Saphir?

Simple—she was level 90.

If she so much as blinked at the Hypostasis, it'd probably die on the spot.

"So this is what it means to be strong…

Terrifying."

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