The Chasm, Main Mining Area.
Next to the warehouse storing explosives, there stood a small rest pavilion built of straw.
Once, it was a place where miners took breaks, but now it served as a temporary camp for Shao Yun and Yelan.
Because flammable gases often leaked in the main mining area, they couldn't just rest wherever they pleased.
This abandoned rest stop happened to be the best option for them to set up camp.
After all, if the place was truly that dangerous, the miners wouldn't have built a resting spot here in the first place.
Inside the camp, the fire crackled and popped, while vegetables and meat rolled about in the bubbling broth, sending waves of rich aroma into the air.
Yelan sat on a wooden bench, her hands pressed tightly against her stomach as low groans and sighs kept escaping her lips.
Shao Yun, seated a short distance away on another bench, listened to her groans. After finishing his daily notes, he closed his journal.
Watching Yelan clutching her stomach, Shao Yun grew impatient and finally asked, "Didn't I already give you the potion? Your stomach shouldn't still be hurting."
Yelan shook her head faintly, her face pale, keeping one hand pressed firmly on her abdomen. She said nothing.
Seeing this, Shao Yun furrowed his brow. "What is it? Still uncomfortable? Or… are you just hungry?"
Yelan turned her head aside, her eyes flashing with faint grievance. She drew in a long breath, trying to ease the discomfort.
Since she remained silent, Shao Yun guessed aloud, "What's the real reason then? Don't tell me it's the food's smell that's bothering you."
Yelan rolled her eyes at that, though still not speaking. The fragrance wafting from the pot only made her stomach churn even more.
At last, she broke the silence, clutching her belly and changing the subject. "It's not that. Let me ask you—what have we eaten for the past ten days?"
Shao Yun scratched his head, trying to recall. "Uh… mostly stews, right? I thought they tasted fine though."
Yelan sighed helplessly. "Yes, they taste fine, but I…"
'But I want stir-fried food! Something spicy!'
Shao Yun looked at her innocently. "What do you mean? Are you saying my cooking isn't to your liking? If you're not satisfied, you can cook yourself."
Rubbing her forehead with one free hand, Yelan groaned. "I would cook myself, but you only brought a stew pot, big guy… If I had a wok, I'd have cooked something I actually like long ago!"
Shao Yun smirked dismissively. "So what? Does stew really taste that bad? I remember you were enjoying it just fine at the beginning."
With a long sigh, Yelan shook her head and admitted frankly, "Your stews are indeed flavorful, and your roasted meat smells divine… but the problem is you keep repeating the same two dishes."
She had plenty more complaints she left unspoken.
Shao Yun only knew how to make Mondstadt-style thick vegetable meat stew and roasted ribs—nothing else.
Breakfast was stew, lunch was roasted meat, dinner was stew with roasted meat.
Thankfully there was bread and biscuits as staple food. If it had only been meat, Yelan would've given up by the fifth day.
Such a diet simply wasn't for her… yet she had little choice.
Thinking of the dreary food paired with the damp, dark living conditions, Yelan finally asked the question she'd been holding back.
"Don't tell me it's always your girlfriend who cooks, and you and Paimon just sit and wait to be fed."
Shao Yun thought about Lumine's cooking, then chuckled bitterly. "Well… let's just say, if Paimon's around, I'm lucky to even get one mouthful of hot soup."
It was true—Lumine rarely cooked for him, and even when she did, Paimon usually beat him to it.
Yelan sighed again, rubbing her stomach. "Eating meat every day, I feel like my digestion's about to collapse."
Shao Yun rolled his eyes. "You were in that state yesterday, and you're worried about constipation now?"
Her cheeks instantly flushed crimson. She glared at him and shouted in embarrassment, "That's different! And you promised not to bring that up again!"
Seeing her bristle like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Shao Yun quickly waved his hands. "Alright, alright, I won't mention it."
Pointing to the stew pot, he added, "But remember, I did throw in cabbage and tomatoes. Vegetables help digestion too, you know."
Yelan gradually calmed, but still looked dejected, murmuring, "It's still mostly meat though… When can we finally have a change in taste…"
Shao Yun frowned, puzzled. In another timeline, she'd explored the Chasm on her own—how had she managed her meals then?
Did she just chew on Jueyun Chilis the whole time?
…
Still, since he needed her alive to keep her end of their deal, he decided to give her something new to satisfy her palate.
"Fine then. A little special treatment for you…"
He wasn't thrilled about it, honestly.
If she hadn't just reminded him of that forbidden topic, he wouldn't have been so quick to part with canned goods.
From his Legend of the East satchel, Shao Yun pulled out a can of fruit. After checking the label, he tossed it to Yelan.
"Peach preserves, sweet and tangy. Should help freshen you up."
He also handed her his dagger to open it.
The can dated back to 1899—long before easy-open lids existed. Without a can opener, a dagger would have to do.
And Shao Yun did not own a can opener.
Yelan caught the can and dagger, licked her lips, and smiled gratefully. "Thanks. Finally, something different."
She pried the lid open and revealed the golden peach slices inside.
Taking a hasty bite, she let the sweet-sour flavor burst across her tongue. The juicy fruit lifted her spirits instantly.
A satisfied smile played at her lips as she savored it.
"Ah… even though I usually prefer spicy, in a place like the Chasm, tasting something sweet like this is heavenly."
Shao Yun tilted his head. "But didn't we pass miner living quarters and Treasure Hoarder camps? They had woks. Why didn't you cook there?"
Swallowing another bite, Yelan dabbed her lips before answering patiently. "I was too busy searching for clues. No time for cooking. Besides…"
She paused, then continued, "Honestly, when I saw your girlfriend and Paimon during their travels, they always carried little things they thought useful. I assumed you were the same."
What she meant, of course, was treasure-chest looting.
Lumine and Paimon would scour every corner, hoarding even the simplest items—cabbages, bird eggs, anything found in a chest.
Shao Yun gave a weary look. "I'm not like them. They're fascinated by everything inside a chest."
"But me? I only care about Mora. Nothing else catches my eye."
That was true—aside from Mora and herbs only he could see, nothing ever tempted him.
People only chased wealth within their grasp, after all.
Lumine picked up things she couldn't use, thinking they might help someday. Shao Yun kicked useless junk aside without a second thought.
He added bluntly, "Next time, just tell me what you want me to pick up. Don't expect me to read your mind. I'm easy enough to get along with."
Yelan nodded, conceding. "Alright, that's my fault. I thought we'd develop some unspoken understanding by now."
Shao Yun's eyes went cold. "Don't flatter yourself. I'd rather imagine what Lumine and Paimon are doing right now than bother understanding you."
Finishing the last peach slice, Yelan rolled her eyes but quickly suggested, "Then… next time you make stew or roast meat, add more Jueyun Chilis, alright? I like it spicy."
Shao Yun nodded. If she wanted spice, she could've said so earlier. He knew, but since she hadn't mentioned it, he saw no need to change the recipe.
Not that stew had much of a recipe anyway—it was just throwing whatever together.
"Fine, Jueyun Chilis it is. But stir-fry…"
He gave her a look. "If you want that, figure it out yourself. I don't know how."
At the mention of stir-fry, Yelan hurriedly agreed. "That's fine. Don't worry about it."
Shao Yun shrugged, then asked something he'd been wondering about.
"By the way, why do we waste so much time in areas where miners clearly worked? And what's with that measuring tool you sometimes sneak out—what are you measuring?"
Yelan answered without hesitation.
"Part of it is clue-hunting, of course. Since our ancestors' incidents happened so long ago, we need a thorough search."
She paused, then added, "The other part is gathering important intel."
"You know the Chasm is Liyue's economic lifeline. The Huishan Hall and Shenglu Hall are always arguing before Ningguang over what to do with it."
At the words Shenglu Hall, Shao Yun frowned, muttering, "Shenglu Hall? I remember seeing a notice once… someone named Ruoyu wanted to discuss something with Ningguang. Something about the glaze ceramics industry, wasn't it?"
Yelan thought for a moment before answering carefully.
"Simply put, Huishan Hall insists the Chasm is still too dangerous, and opposes reopening it."
"Meanwhile, Shenglu Hall argues that without ore, the glaze ceramics industry suffers, costing many their livelihoods. They're pushing hard to resume mining."
"And with Beisht's incident, Shenglu Hall has raised the issue again…"
As she spoke Beisht's name, Yelan rubbed her forehead instinctively.
In a nation ruled by mortals, having Adepti intervene in crises, along with Keqing's Millelith elites, had left many uneasy.
With a sigh, Yelan muttered, "The details are messy. Not worth explaining—you wouldn't care anyway."
She frowned slightly, clearly weary of the politics.
"Bottom line, Ningguang asked me to inspect the Chasm, see if Huishan Hall's reopening proposal could actually work."
"What you saw—that was the proposal." Her tone carried thinly veiled annoyance; she hated tedious matters like this.
Shao Yun just shrugged. "Sounds like you've got your hands full."
Yelan nodded with a wry smile. "Of course. That's the misery of a wage slave. I love slacking off, but the work won't do itself."
She chuckled softly, weighed down by the burden of her tasks.
Taking a deep breath, she inhaled the thick aroma wafting from the pot and remarked, "The smell's growing stronger. I bet the stew's almost done."
Shao Yun pulled out his pocket watch, checked the time, and raised a brow.
"Wow, perfect timing. Should I be paying you for culinary guidance?"
Yelan's lips curved into a sly smile. "Save it for when we get out of the Chasm in one piece… and back to the surface world."