Genshin Impact: Villain Life Sim

"I choose [Master Chef]," Lucas said without hesitation. "With this talent, I'll finally conquer Cloud Retainer's... stomach!"

[You have obtained the innate talent Master Chef.]

[Master Chef (Blue): You possess extraordinary culinary talent.]

The simulation this time hadn't been particularly long.

Rather than feeling like Genshin Impact, the entire experience resembled a spinoff of Cooking Master Boy also known as Chūka Ichiban.

Still, the food in the simulation tasted undeniably exquisite—especially "Xiangling Sashimi," which left Lucas with lingering thoughts of its unforgettable flavor.

At that moment, Lucas felt a sudden heat in his chest.

It was already the middle of the night, and he turned his head slightly to see Ganyu sleeping soundly beside him. Her breathing was soft and even, her delicate face peaceful and serene.

Ganyu looked breathtakingly beautiful in her sleep. Lucas' thoughts began to spiral, and a certain wickedness bubbled up in his chest.

He recalled the game lore that described Ganyu's tendency for deep slumber—she was so deeply asleep that even a storm wouldn't wake her.

That meant… even if he did something "inappropriate", she wouldn't wake up, right?

The pink hue of the Ring of Manipulation was glowing brighter and brighter, and Lucas's breathing grew heavier.

If this continued, he feared he would lose control and do something unforgivable.

Even if Ganyu was in deep slumber, pain would surely wake her—and if that happened, he'd likely be shattered into ice shards on the spot.

Humans, after all, often lose control of their "lower heads" when their "upper heads" fail to keep them in check.

"Ganyu…"

Lucas gently nudged her shoulder and whispered, "Are you awake?"

If it were anyone else, such a gentle push would've stirred them awake immediately. But Ganyu simply muttered in her sleep, "Mmm... so much tasty food… yum..."

"Forgive me, Ganyu," Lucas murmured as he turned over and sat up. His gaze fell on her soft, delicate lips as he muttered in a low voice, "Don't worry. Proper protein intake won't make you gain weight…"

Thirty minutes later.

Lucas lay back down, his expression a mix of exhilaration and guilt.

If Ganyu had woken up earlier, he would've been turned to ice and scattered across the floor.

Yet the poor Adeptus remained blissfully unaware of what had happened. She licked her lips in her sleep and murmured, "Milkshake… so tasty…"

Hours later, in the back room of Wanmin Restaurant.

"Ah!"

Xiangling suddenly awoke from a vivid dream, leapt out of bed, and hurried to the kitchen. Without hesitation, she lit the stove and began washing rice.

"Yawn…"

Before long, Chef Mao, Xiangling's father and head chef of Wanmin Restaurant, entered the kitchen rubbing his sleepy eyes. "Xiangling, it's not even dawn yet. Why are you up preparing food so early?"

The restaurant business required diligence. To serve customers fresh meals in the morning, Wanmin Restaurant usually began preparations at the first light of dawn.

Even so, Xiangling seemed to have gotten up far too early today.

"No time to explain, Dad!" Xiangling beamed as she stirred the rice. "I just had an amazing dream! In the dream, I learned so many incredible dishes!"

"Xiangling, I've told you countless times," Chef Mao said with a sigh. "Becoming a great chef requires hard work and practice. This 'learning in a dream' nonsense is just a ridiculous tale from lazy novelists who dream of success without effort. You can't seriously—"

"Dad, just taste this!"

Interrupting him, Xiangling proudly handed her father a bowl of golden, glistening Golden Fried Rice. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "I promise you've never tasted this version before!"

Chef Mao frowned skeptically, but he still scooped up a spoonful and popped it into his mouth.

The next moment, his expression froze, his eyes widening in disbelief. "This… How is this possible? How did you do this?"

For chefs, simple dishes like fried rice were often the greatest tests of skill. Cooking rare delicacies was easier by comparison, but elevating ordinary ingredients into something exquisite required true mastery.

Yet this seemingly ordinary fried rice—something Chef Mao himself had made countless times—humbled him. Though he knew his daughter was a culinary genius, her skill improving so dramatically overnight seemed impossible.

"I told you already!" Xiangling said smugly. "I learned it in my dream! And that's just the beginning. I can make even more amazing dishes!"

"Is that so?" Chef Mao stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Then go ahead and make another dish for me to try."

"Sure!" Xiangling grabbed her spatula confidently—only for her expression to falter moments later. "Uh-oh… I can't seem to remember how to make the others."

"I knew it…" Chef Mao chuckled, shaking his head. "What nonsense."

"No, really! I had this incredible teacher in my dream!" Xiangling puffed out her cheeks indignantly. "If I could see that man again, I'm sure I'd remember how to cook those dishes!"

"Hahaha! Is that so?" Chef Mao ruffled her hair with a laugh. "Well then, if that chef is so incredible, I'll have no choice but to hire him as my son-in-law and bring him here to Wanmin!"

Hearing Master Mao say that, Xiangling's expression suddenly turned a little shy.

After all, in that ridiculously long dream, she hadn't just married that man—she had done many things so bold that she could hardly even think about them in waking life.

"Xiangling, what's wrong?" Master Mao tilted his head in concern. "Your face is all red. Are you feeling unwell?"

"N-no!" Xiangling shook her head so vigorously it looked like a drumstick spinning on a rotisserie. "I—I'm going outside to open up the shop! You should go take care of Mom first!"

Watching his daughter run off, Master Mao sighed quietly. "Sigh… That girl… She's becoming harder and harder to figure out."

His eyes betrayed a hint of sorrow. Xiangling's talent for cooking far surpassed his own. At her age, she should be fully devoted to perfecting her craft, improving her skills.

Yet because of her sense of duty to care for her sick mother, Xiangling had taken on heavy responsibilities far too young. Day in and day out, she worked tirelessly—too busy to focus on advancing her skills, and with little time even for rest.

....

"Stop thinking about it!"

Xiangling patted her cheeks gently, muttering to herself, "Dad's right. Dreams aren't real. The food I made in the dream wasn't real, and the person in that dream… wasn't real either."

"Morning, Xiangling!"

A cheerful voice suddenly called out from behind her. Turning around, she saw a young man in light clothing walking up to her with a bright smile. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Didn't expect Wanmin to open so early today. Perfect timing—I'm starving after my morning run. I'll have breakfast here!"

It was Lucas.

After resolving his "issues" with the sleeping Ganyu the night before, Lucas had found it impossible to fall back asleep.

Perhaps it was because of Ganyu's Qilin bloodline—far too nourishing—that instead of feeling drained, Lucas had been left bursting with energy. To work off the excess vigor, he went for a morning run. Whether by coincidence or fate, he found himself standing at the entrance of Wanmin Restaurant.

Seeing the man before her, Xiangling froze, as though in a daze.

Because he was the man she had formed a connection with in her dream—Lucas!

In truth, Lucas had eaten at Wanmin a few times before, and Xiangling had briefly met him. But as the restaurant's chef and server, she interacted with hundreds of people daily. It wasn't surprising that she hadn't linked him to the man in her dream.

More importantly, Lucas's appearance in the dream had always been a little blurry. Now that she was seeing him in reality, however, the dream's scenes flooded vividly back into her mind.

"What's wrong?" Lucas waved his hand in front of her face with a teasing smile. "You're not ready yet, are you?"

"N-no!" Xiangling quickly shook her head. "What… what do you want to eat?"

But Xiangling wasn't the only one feeling conflicted. Seeing her now, Lucas also found his emotions somewhat complicated.

After all, the Xiangling in the simulation had been a few years older—her appearance, physique, and temperament all more mature. The younger, more innocent Xiangling before him now made Lucas feel an urge to tease her even more.

"I want to eat…" Lucas spun his finger dramatically in the air before pointing it directly at Xiangling. "…you."

"M-me?"

Xiangling, a naive girl with no experience in such matters, had never been teased like this before. Combined with Lucas's naturally handsome features—now enhanced by the lingering impressions of her dream—her heart began to race wildly.

For a moment, she felt completely flustered, unable to come up with a response.

"Yep," Lucas nodded with a playful grin. "I mean… I want to eat the food you cook."

"Then just say it all at once!" Xiangling huffed, realizing she'd been tricked. Her face turned beet red as she muttered, "Lucas… You're awful!"

With that, she stormed back into the restaurant, clearly flustered. After taking a few steps, she glanced back to see Lucas still standing outside. Awkwardly stomping her foot, she said shyly, "Are you coming in or not? Do you want to stand out there in the cold? I-I'll bring you some tea first."

Seeing her pouty expression, Lucas quickly followed her inside and took a seat near the door.

Just as he sat down, however, the front door was suddenly pushed open. A tall man with blond hair and sharp blue eyes walked in, his expression distinctly unfriendly. Coughing lightly, he said, "Master Mao, I'm here to collect the debt."

The man was Andrei, an agent of the Northland Bank. He was well-dressed in the bank's uniform, his features sharp and foreign—clearly a native of Snezhnaya.

Hearing his voice, Chef Mao hurriedly came out with an apologetic smile. "Manager Andrei, could you give me just a few more days? I've been spending everything I have on medicine for my wife. My funds are really tight right now."

"That's your problem," Andrei replied coldly. "If you can't repay today, the Northland Bank has the right to claim this restaurant as collateral—per the contract."

Lucas, sitting nearby, furrowed his brows. "What's going on, Master Mao? You owe money to the Northland Bank?"

"Yes…" Chef Mao sighed deeply. "When my wife fell ill, I had to borrow money from wherever I could. The Northland Bank had high interest, but they approved the loan quickly. I had no choice but to mortgage Wanmin and sign a 'Nine-Return Thirteen-Due' contract…"

The Nine-Return Thirteen-Due system meant that borrowers could only receive 90% of their asset's value as a loan but had to repay 130% of it, including interest.

"Master Mao, you can't say that," Andrei sneered as he pulled out the contract. "You willingly signed the deal. And besides, 'Nine-Return Thirteen-Due' is a Liyue tradition."

"Liyue's laws haven't recognized 'Nine-Return Thirteen-Due' for centuries," Lucas retorted with a cold smile. "Are you still living in the past? Rex Lapis only honors fair contracts. That document in your hand? It's nothing more than scrap paper."

Hearing this, Andrei's expression darkened, and his tone grew threatening. "Stranger, I advise you not to meddle in matters that don't concern you. The Northland Bank is owned by Lord Pantalone himself. If you offend him… you won't like the consequences."

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