Chu Xi's other eye was normal, unlike her mechanical one. This eye brimmed with rich emotions: fatigue, regret, anger...
As the dosage steadily increased, a clear tear streamed from the corner of her eye.
Her lips parted slightly as she wearily spoke:
"...Doctor... you... lied to me..."
The image cut to black, leaving only the Doctor's voice:
"No, no, no! I gave you the power of revenge. You're serving my purposes—that was our agreement from the start. Suppressing your consciousness is only temporary..."
-
Player World.
[Is that... Chu Xi?!]
[Holy shit, Doctor! What the hell did that bastard do to Chu Xi?!]
[Human experiments, human modifications—no, not my Chu Xi!]
[Damn it! Why did they show me this?! I can't take it anymore! Doctor, show me your health bar! I'm going to kill you!]
[The Doctor gave Chu Xi the power of revenge. Revenge against whom? The Abyss?]
-
Chu Xi's final reveal completely shattered the once-calm player base, sending them into a frenzy.
The Doctor's reputation plummeted to absolute zero.
Chu Xi had accompanied Lumine for a long time, and her time with Lumine was also the players' time with her.
Many players were devoted fans of Chu Xi, and seeing their beloved character treated like this caused their fury to explode.
Unfortunately, the story ended there, leaving the players no choice but to vent their rage on the forums.
Oh, and the Genshin Impact development team! They needed to be cursed out again!
-
Fontaine.
With about a month remaining before the Traveler's arrival in Fontaine, Jiang Mumu's group did not participate in the Lantern Rite festivities. This allowed Lumine and Paimon to fully enjoy the festival and relax.
Meanwhile, Fidelle had an important matter to attend to.
Escoffier, the head chef of Hotel Debord and Fidelle's mentor, would rush to Fidelle whenever she had free time, determined to uncover the secret behind Fidelle's exceptionally delicious dishes.
Despite using the same ingredients, seasonings, and cooking methods, why was the difference in taste so vast?!
It wasn't that Escoffier's dishes were unpalatable; in fact, they were near perfection. The problem lay in Fidelle's dishes, which simply surpassed all others in taste.
Anyone who sampled the delicacies prepared by both chefs could immediately tell which was better.
Today, Escoffier had once again sought out Fidelle, eager for another culinary match.
Furina gleefully became the judge, crossing her legs and eagerly awaiting the delicious food to come.
"Fidelle, let's begin!" For cooking, Escoffier was serious.
Determined to unravel the mystery behind Fidelle's exceptional dishes, Escoffier had even considered the influence of her body fragrance, only to realize that this factor played no role at all.
Could there truly be such a thing as natural talent? Are some people just born to be chefs?!
Fidelle felt helpless. She knew her situation well; no matter how many times they competed, Escoffier stood no chance against her.
She didn't know how to explain it, so she decided to play dumb.
Soon, the two cakes were presented on Furina's dining table.
Furina's eyes sparkled like glittering stars as she picked up a spoon and eagerly scooped a bite of Fidelle's miniature cake. She closed her eyes, savoring the flavor.
Just as she was about to take another bite...
"Ahem..."
Fidelle cleared her throat, reminding Furina.
Furina snapped back to her senses and reached for Escoffier's cake.
She repeated the process, scooping a bite, closing her eyes, and carefully savoring the taste.
Escoffier watched anxiously, awaiting Furina's verdict. This was her latest creation, refined through hundreds of failures. The texture was even better than her signature Gateau Debord: Magnifique!
Furina nodded repeatedly:
"Mm-hmm, not bad, not bad at all! Both are delicious! Escoffier, you've made remarkable progress—this miniature cake is even better than the Gateau Debord: Magnifique! But if I had to choose, Fidelle's cake is still the most exquisite!"
As soon as Furina finished speaking, she immediately reached for one of Fidelle's miniature cakes with her spoon.
Fidelle maintained strict control over her own consumption of the miniature cakes, so Furina had to seize the opportunity to eat as many as possible before Fidelle could react.
Escoffier also took a spoon and sampled one of Fidelle's miniature cakes. After swallowing, she fell silent...
Glancing at Fidelle, Escoffier sighed.
Having a rival is good, Escoffier thought, but this gap... it's hard to maintain confidence!
Fidelle decided to make a miniature cake for Escoffier to take home, hoping it would inspire her to develop new creations.
Escoffier had been steadily improving lately, her culinary skills now far surpassing her abilities in the original game, all thanks to Fidelle's presence pushing her forward.
Once I step down from the stage, Furina thought, she'll only be able to eat Escoffier's cakes. I need to help Escoffier improve even further.
As she handed over the cake, Escoffier scratched her head.
"I still don't understand why your cooking tastes so good," she admitted, "but I'll keep working hard. I'll come back whenever you have something new."
"You're always welcome here," Fidelle replied warmly.
Escoffier carefully carried the miniature cake away, her tail wagging rapidly.
Although Escoffier was tired lately, she felt deeply fulfilled. She could sense her culinary skills slowly improving, and her heart overflowed with joy.
Each time she tried Fidelle's dishes, Escoffier gained new insights.
If Fidelle didn't have her "cheat," she would never stand a chance against Escoffier—not even once!
Fidelle possessed unparalleled culinary techniques, and with her unique "cheat," it was almost impossible for her creations to taste bad.
Just look at Furina, who devoured an entire mini-cake in one go!
Hmm... wait, something's not right...
Fidelle's expression suddenly changed. She rushed to Furina's side and sternly said, "Lady Furina, you can't eat so many mini-cakes at once!"
Furina lifted her cream-smeared mouth, hastily swallowed the cake, and mumbled incoherently, "Mmph, just one more..."
Fidelle couldn't bear to scold Furina in her adorable state. She simply smiled, sighed softly, and gently wiped the cream from the corners of Furina's mouth with a napkin.
"Lady Furina, no more of this next time. Tonight, I'll make you some delicious Liyue dishes to balance things out."
Hearing that Liyue cuisine was on the menu, Furina's face lit up even brighter.
"Mm-hmm, let's invite Neuvillette and Clorinde."
Fidelle: "I think Monsieur Neuvillette mentioned that Resident Head Nurse Sigewinne would be joining us as well. I'll make extra and bring some to the Duke."
After finishing the small cakes, Furina decided to take a walk to digest her meal. Tonight, she'd be having Liyue cuisine!
"Lady Furina, may I ask you a question?"
"Oh? Is there anything between us that you can't ask about?"
Fidelle took a few steps forward, aligning herself beside Furina:
"While I was away from Fontaine, did anything significant happen?"
Furina: "Eh? Why do you ask?"
Fidelle: "The guards outside your room mentioned that you returned crying thirteen days ago. And that day, you didn't even touch your favorite small cakes."