Genshin Impact, I, a mere mortal, cannot accompany you to the very end.

She had the same exquisite face as Balzeb, the only difference being her eyes. Ying's eyes were clear and serious, like the most transparent purple lake, while Zhen's eyes were enchanting and gentle, like melting snow under the warm sun of early spring.

“I’m brainstorming recipes.” Kiyono Raimei looked thoughtful. “Barzebu… that is, Her Majesty Raimei, seems to dislike food. I want to come up with a dish that she can enjoy.”

"Oh." Zhen gently twirled the paper umbrella. "The boy's goal is to make her fall in love?"

"...Please don't say things that are so easily misunderstood," Kiyono Raimei immediately denied.

"Hooho."

Zhen tilted her head again, her beautiful long purple hair falling over one shoulder. "So she didn't cherish it after all?"

“...That’s how it is.” Kiyono Raimei sighed. “Her Majesty Raimei seems to have no interest in human food...To be honest, she has always disliked me.”

"Do you need my help?" Zhen blinked her beautiful eyes. "To study food."

"you?"

Kiyono Raimei was quite surprised, or rather, terrified. "But you are Narukami... You also have political affairs to attend to, you also have to manage the entire Inazuma..."

"I'm actually quite free."

Raiden Shin put down her paper umbrella and sat down next to Kiyono Raimei. She sat very elegantly, took off her wooden clogs, and put her feet together in white traditional tabi socks. "Let me find something to do."

"Is Inazuma really this peaceful?" Kiyono Raimei was shocked by Narukami's blatant slacking off.

Are all the gods these days so idle?

"That's a good thing." Zhen turned her head to look at him, the thin, warm sunlight illuminating her profile. "So what are you planning to do?"

"I'm quite confident in my cooking skills."

This esteemed ruler rolled up his sleeves, revealing his smooth, fair wrists, looking ready to make a big splash.

"I don't know," Kiyono Raimei readily admitted.

"Let me think... um."

Zhen looked thoughtful. "How about some sweets... Make some qingtuan (green rice dumplings), that would definitely be delicious. I... um, Ying likes qingtuan. Yes, and milk too, use milk to flavor it, Ying would definitely love it... Let's use that."

"Yes, that's right. I know Ying well; she loves sweets."

As she described the food, her gentle, languid eyes shone with sunlight, a faint smile played on her lips, and she lightly licked her lips, like a cat imagining how delicious the dried fish would be under the sun.

This guy doesn't look like someone who governs the mortal world at all!

"Your Majesty Raiden," Kiyono Raimei said with a serious expression, "Green rice dumplings and milk, these are probably just foods you like to eat...?"

"Huh?" Zhen opened her eyes wide. "You've been found out."

"You wouldn't be thinking of eating it yourself, would you?"

"Yes."

Shin nodded, looked at Kiyono Raimei, and frankly stated his intention, "Young man, you are a genius in cooking. You created 'Kiyono Tofu'. I'm curious what kind of dessert you can create with milk and dumplings...

"Interested in switching jobs?" Raiden asked seriously. "Instead of following Shadow as a bodyguard for the rest of your life, why not become my cook?"

Kiyono Raimei gave a helpless, bitter laugh.

“I can teach you.” Zhen nodded confidently, then smiled, the pure white cherry blossoms reflecting her gentle and beautiful smile. “Let’s study together.”

I can teach you.

"Would Ying like milk and dumplings?"

"Anyway, I like green rice dumplings, and Ying doesn't dislike milk."

Raiden Shin rested his cheek on his hand, the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves. Kiyono Raimei listened to her words, "Young man, let's make a dessert that you'll like."

...

And so half of spring passed by.

Every day is simple: during the day, she practices swordsmanship with Ying, and after dusk, she finishes work and experiments with recipes with Zhen, mixing milk and green rice dumplings—it sounds like a great idea, but when it comes to actually doing it, it is very difficult. Whether it is the ratio of sugar or the steaming time, she has to try it little by little.

“It’s burnt,” Shinichi said. “Kage won’t like it.”

"Okay, I'll try again tomorrow."

...

"It's too cloying. Ying will hate it."

"I'll improve it right away."

...

"How does it taste this time? Really?"

"...It's greasy and burnt. Ying won't like it."

...

What about this time?

"...Why don't you try it?"

"I won't go," Qing Nuoyan quickly waved his hand.

“This is Narukami’s order, ah—” Shinso’s soft, white hand held the small ball of pastry and fed it to Kiyono Raimei’s lips. She smiled, her smile as beautiful as cherry blossoms. “Open your mouth, open your mouth, ah!”

"Is it tasty?"

"...Shadow won't like it."

...

So half of spring passed by in tasting and making improvements. 'I don't like it,' 'It's too mushy,' 'It's too tough to chew'... As the early cherry blossoms slowly turned crimson, the days began to shorten, and the autumn light, like water, covered the courtyard of the castle tower.

Kiyono Raimei slowly exhaled. He had never been so nervous before, his purple eyes fixed on the person in front of him.

After countless attempts, he finally produced the final product.

When truly savoring the dessert, the long collar of the kimono slightly covers the cheeks, and the person takes small bites of the food, chewing carefully, with their eyes slightly narrowed, as if savoring the memory.

"How does it feel?" Kiyono Raimei asked. "Will Kage like it?"

"Ah."

Shin raised her eyes, tilted her head, and stared at Kiyono Raimei. "I don't know... if Kage will like it."

Is that so?

“But I like it very much.” Zhen looked at the boy. “I think it’s great.”

"Then I'll give it to Ying to try." Kiyono Raiming picked up the food box with some excitement, but as soon as he turned around, he found that his collar was being gently grabbed.

He lowered his eyes and looked at Zhen.

"If Ying likes it too," she asked earnestly in the desolate autumn sunlight that fell upon Zhen's face, "would you still make it for me?"

"Or perhaps Ying doesn't like it. In any case, she won't be happy with food." Zhen tilted her head, her eyes reflecting the autumn water. "Would you be my chef? Milk or dumplings, which do you prefer?"

“No matter what the situation,” Kiyono Raimei paused, then answered seriously, “I will always cook for real people, and I will always be a real cook.”

"Is it agreed upon?"

"It's a date—by the way, what's the name of this dessert?"

"Let's call it Milk Dumplings. Ying likes milk, and I love eating green rice dumplings, so milk and dumplings will both be there."

"Milk dumplings... Okay, let's call them Milk Dumplings."

-

When Qing Nuoyan woke up from his dream, he felt a cold pain in his internal organs. The mixed images and dream still lingered deep in his mind. He loosened his grip on Shenqie, which he had been holding tightly, and those dreams and illusions disappeared.

Huff...huff.

He slowly exhaled.

The story is engraved in the Divine Cut. It was not noticed when Liyue was in Mondstadt, but it began to act strangely from the moment it stepped onto Inazuma.

However, this unusual change was not entirely a bad thing. At least Qing Nuoyan experienced an amazing improvement in both his skills and physical condition after this divine baptism.

Qing Nuoyan stared at the system panel in front of him:

【Qingnuo Rock】

[Second Stage of Ascension to Godhood]

[Level: lv50]

After unleashing that strike, his body broke through, leaping more than ten levels in succession, directly reaching level 50.

His eyes widened slightly, drawn to another line of words that had appeared:

[Promise Twelve: Please Head Towards Dream Heart]

[Reward: One seed]

...This agreement actually comes with a reward...And what is "Dream Together"?

Kiyono Raimei felt very confused.

He struggled to sit up, his whole body aching, but the lacerations had healed, and after moving his wrists, he felt much better.

He didn't know how long he had been unconscious, a day or two?

Qing Nuoyan patted his cheeks, trying to clear his head. He stood up slightly unsteadily, pushed open the wooden door, and was immediately met with the dazzling sunlight. He squinted slightly to avoid the scorching light.

He paused, then suddenly realized that he was being hugged from behind. The girl's body was soft and warm, but her strength was strangely frightening. Qing Nuoyan felt his face turn ashen from being hugged so tightly that he could hardly breathe.

"Chiyo?" Qing Nuoyan turned his head with difficulty, revealing a pleading expression, "...I'm going to die."

Miyuki Chiyo raised her eyes and stared at Kiyono Iwa with a stubborn look. She twitched her nostrils and sniffed his scent. After a long while, she finally let go of his hand.

After undergoing one round of Nuoyou, Chiyo's symptoms have lessened considerably. After a few more courses of treatment, she should be able to regain her rationality.

"Where is this?" Qing Nuoyan asked her first, then shook his head as if denying his own answer—that idiot Chiyo definitely wouldn't know the answer.

The buildings here are ancient and old-fashioned, with a huge pine tree in front of the courtyard. Its branches are densely woven into the sky, and the autumn colors in the afternoon make the water in the courtyard clear.

"The Pillar of State Mansion," someone answered.

Qingnuoyan turned around and saw the spirited Miss Qingye Sara walking towards him.

"This is the residence of the Pillar of State, the safest place in all of Inazuma," she said earnestly and proudly. "Even the Fools can't get in—they dare not set foot here, so please rest assured."