"Is it really okay to mix this in?"
Durandal was starting to doubt what Xiangling had just said. Was she really a chef? Why were the ingredients she used so... strange?
It wasn't surprising that Durandal thought this, because Xiangling had just added Slime Condensate. Would that sticky stuff really taste good? Even Durandal couldn't help but feel skeptical.
"Hehe~ Cooking is about daring to innovate. So many rich and varied delicacies today were created by our predecessors through countless innovations. Don't let Slime Condensate look strange; when paired with other ingredients, it will create different flavors."
"Disgusting flavors?"
"No way! As a chef, the dishes I make naturally have to be delicious! The dishes I want to make are naturally delicious ones that everyone praises; how could there be disgusting flavors?"
"But... this combination of yours gives a very peculiar feeling."
"That's because you haven't tried it. When people face unfamiliar ingredients, they always have prejudices. Once you taste it, you'll understand its deliciousness."
Was she really not lying? Durandal suspected whether this human named Xiangling was deceiving her, but someone who could have a former God follow her around shouldn't have such bad character.
Durandal looked at Guoba. He was pacing back and forth nearby, occasionally making movements that didn't suit his size. Anyway, she wouldn't get food poisoning, so she might as well try her cooking.
During the cooking process, Xiangling occasionally added various seasonings to the pot. The indescribable scene in the pot gradually changed, and it seemed... not bad?
At least it looked quite pretty. The Fish, as the main ingredient, wasn't affected by the addition of Slime Condensate; instead... it was surprisingly appetizing?
"Hehe~ How is it? The purpose of Slime Condensate isn't for eating. Its purpose is to allow the Fish to fully absorb other seasonings. I also know that most people can't eat this stuff."
Even if she had the idea of creating new delicacies, Xiangling wouldn't do anything strange to someone she met for the first time.
She would only add Slime Condensate when she was highly confident.
"Try it. This dish should be different from the ones you've eaten before. If you have any suggestions, you can tell me so I can improve it."
Xiangling served Durandal a bowl of soup, with a small piece of Fish floating in it.
This bowl of soup contained the Slime Condensate Xiangling had added. Most people, knowing this, would lose their appetite, but Durandal wouldn't have that problem.
She took a small sip of the Fish soup, and an unprecedented sensation came over her, making her blink and look at the soup in the bowl with confusion.
"This taste... it should be considered delicious."
Durandal didn't know how to describe it, but this slightly reddish soup was more flavorful than the soups she had boiled before, and she quite liked it.
The Fish was the same; because of the Slime Condensate, the Fish successfully absorbed the essence of the soup. If an ordinary person tasted it, they would definitely jump up in delight, and some might even have their clothes explode from the exaggeration.
Durandal nodded and, under Xiangling's expectant gaze, said, "It's delicious."
"That's great! I was a little worried you might not like the spiciness of jueyun chili. It seems you're quite good with spicy food."
"jueyun chili?"
"They are these red things. They are a type of seasoning used to add spiciness to food. Most jueyun chili are very spicy. Besides those who can eat spicy food, others usually ask for reduced spiciness when ordering."
You just need to pick out some of the chili seeds from the jueyun chili, but even so, jueyun chili are incomparable to other ordinary chilies.
But if you can get used to this level of spiciness, you'll find it very satisfying. The more you eat, the more you want to eat, and even if tears fall, you won't stop.
"So, you can't deny something just because of its appearance. Slime Condensate sounds terrible, and eating it plainly is strange. But if used well, it can also create delicious food. The problem is that no one dares to try. Only by striving for change can you reap rewards."
"Dare to try, strive for change... hmm."
She was talking about cooking, but why did this statement feel like it could be applied elsewhere? This sentence... seemed quite reasonable.
Durandal fell into contemplation, while Xiangling and Guoba began to eat. Their movements were quick; although they had just come out, they had almost finished the meal in no time.
Durandal hadn't eaten anything other than that first bowl of soup and Fish, and she just watched them, which made Xiangling feel a bit embarrassed.
"Hehe~ I'm sorry, Guoba and I didn't eat much this morning, and we accidentally ate everything."
"It's fine, I have a small appetite. That little bit was already enough."
"Oh, that's good then. By the way, you're also interested in cooking, aren't you? Could you make your most specialty dish?"
Meeting is fate. Xiangling felt that Durandal's so-called small appetite was probably just a euphemism to avoid embarrassing her too much.
She wasn't going to speak, so she would compensate Durandal in other ways, starting with her most specialty dish, to give her a little guidance and help her improve her cooking skills.
Durandal didn't refuse. Under Xiangling's gaze, she easily got a lively Fish. After cleaning it, she skewered it on a wooden stick and placed it over the fire to grill.
Hmm~ How should I put it? It's a really simple dish. Unless an Adventurer's cooking skills are exceptionally bad, most can make this, and make it taste very good.
She didn't know what to say and just watched Durandal slowly prepare the grilled fish.
"Here you go."
"Ah, okay. I'll help myself."
Xiangling, already a bit resigned, casually took a bite of the grilled fish. With just one bite, her brows furrowed.
"This taste... it's so peculiar."
It wasn't that it tasted bad; on the contrary, the grilled fish tasted very good. It was clear that Durandal had put effort into it.
But... besides the original taste of grilled fish, Xiangling seemed to detect another flavor within it.
"It's so strange. You didn't add any special seasonings, so why is it completely different from the grilled fish I make?"
Xiangling looked at Durandal, puzzled. What magic had she cast inside? Or had she done something to the grilled fish through her Vision's power?
"I didn't do anything. I just cooked it like I normally do. It's just... when I was making it, I hoped that Children would like my grilled fish, and that when he ate it, he would smile and say to me, 'That's really delicious.'"
Every time Durandal grilled fish, Klee's image would appear in her mind. She would always imagine Klee's smiling face thanking her when he ate the grilled fish she made.
Whenever she thought of this, Durandal's mood would become exceptionally happy.
Durandal didn't feel like she had done anything special, but Xiangling somewhat understood why this grilled fish carried a unique flavor.
"Intention" – a chef can infuse their "intention" for someone into their cooking, making the dish taste better.
But... isn't that just a joke? Xiangling had read similar content in some books, but most of it was just deceptive, because how could something as elusive as "intention" be added to a dish?
Not just her, but most of the great chefs in Liyue Harbor didn't believe it was real, thinking it was just a fabrication, a narrative created to make characters in books seem more powerful.
But it truly appeared, contained within the grilled fish in her hand, forcing Xiangling to acknowledge it.
As long as there was enough "intention," it could be incorporated into a dish, but how much was needed? No one had ever known, nor had a precise amount been given.
Yet Durandal could achieve this subconsciously; just how strong was her desire to make that person smile? It had actually merged into the dish.
"You're truly amazing."
Facing Xiangling's praise, Durandal looked at her in confusion. She had only simply made a grilled fish; what was with this heartfelt compliment?
Seeing Durandal's bewildered expression, Xiangling shook her head. She wasn't a professional chef, so it was better not to discuss this with her.
Some things are better left unsaid. If she told Durandal, would Durandal excessively pursue that feeling the next time she cooked, causing her to lose the ability to do it again?
The art of cooking is not as simple as imagined. Xiangling felt that besides innovation in cooking, she might need to add another topic: finding a way to infuse "intention" into her dishes.
What an interesting person, Xiangling thought, looking at Durandal. She had initially thought Durandal was a Demoiselle from a wealthy family, but she turned out to be quite intriguing.
"Here, take this. These are my insights on cooking. I hope they help you."
Xiangling gave her notebook to Durandal. It contained many of her cooking epiphanies, and she believed Durandal could learn something from it.
Durandal took the notebook and nodded, "Thank you."
"Don't mention it. You also showed me something very important. I should be thanking you instead."
Just like that, through a meal, the two became friends.
Xiangling wanted to chat more with Durandal, but she seemed to have something to do, so they regretfully parted ways here. She made a pact with Durandal that if she ever came to Liyue, she should visit her at the Wanmin Restaurant, and Xiangling would treat Durandal well.
Before they parted, Durandal gave Guoba one last pat on the head. Regarding Xiangling's invitation, she felt it was highly unlikely she would be able to fulfill it.
However, was she from Liyue? A nation that could raise such a Damselette, she was quite interested, to be honest.
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