Genshin Impact: Villain Impact

Shenhe rarely went out for a run so late at night. During her time training under Cloud Retainer on Mt. Aozang, she had maintained a disciplined routine of early to bed and early to rise.

However, earlier that night, she had another dream.

What made the dream unsettling was that its protagonist was once again Lucas!

Just like the earlier dream where she was coerced by him, in this one, she was seduced by Lucas and even fell into the demonic path.

Although she accepted her new identity in the dream, upon waking, Shenhe felt uneasy, as though something was not quite right.

The more she thought about it, the more agitated she became, so she decided to go out for a run to clear her head. She hadn't expected to run into Lucas by sheer coincidence.

What unsettled her more was that Lucas had just repeated a line from her dream. It was identical to what the Gluttony's son had said when tempting her in the dream.

Although Shenhe hadn't initially connected the dream to reality, Lucas' words made her suspicious.

"There have been some ignorant fools looking for trouble, but I've taken care of them with ease," Shenhe said coolly, her face betraying no emotion despite the whirlwind of thoughts in her mind. "What about you? When did you return?"

"I just arrived in Liyue today," Lucas replied honestly. "By the way, it seems you never used the transmission stone I gave you."

Worried that Shenhe might encounter trouble in Liyue Harbor, Lucas had left her a transmission stone so she could contact him in case of an emergency. To his surprise, she had never once used it.

"I did think about trying it," Shenhe said, taking out the transmission stone, which she had kept with her all this time. "But I didn't know what to say, so I decided against it."

"I—"

Just as Lucas was about to respond, his stomach let out another embarrassingly loud growl.

Lucas's face turned red with embarrassment.

"You look hungry," Shenhe said, her expression unchanging. "Come with me. I have plenty of food at home."

Lucas hesitated, feeling a little awkward. "Are you sure it's okay?"

A man and a woman, alone in the middle of the night…

"Why wouldn't it be?" Shenhe asked, puzzled. "Are you afraid I might eat you?"

"Of course not," Lucas chuckled. "But… I might end up eating you, you know."

The comment was meant as a joke.

But Shenhe, ever serious, replied, "Do you really… want to eat me?"

After all, in her dream, Lucas' true form was the Gluttony, a fearsome beast known for devouring everything. If the events of the dream were real, it wasn't impossible for him to swallow her whole.

"Of course not! I was joking!" Lucas said quickly, exasperated. The hunger pangs in his stomach grew sharper, and even the faint glow of the Ring of Manipulation on his wrist began to stir ominously.

The Ring of Manipulation responded to the seven deadly sins, and gluttony was one of them.

"Forget it," Lucas said, gritting his teeth. "Let's go to your place and eat something. If this keeps up, I'll starve."

Fortunately, Shenhe's house in Liyue Harbor wasn't far. Both were quick on their feet, so they arrived in no time.

When they entered the house, Lucas was taken aback.

It wasn't because the house had changed significantly; on the contrary, it looked exactly the same as when Shenhe had first moved in.

Normally, when someone moved into a new house, they would add personal touches—new furniture, decorations, or at least rearrange things. But Shenhe's home looked untouched, with even the chairs and tables in the same positions as when the house was purchased.

If it weren't for the spotless cleanliness indicating regular maintenance, Lucas would have doubted whether anyone actually lived there.

"What's wrong?" Shenhe asked, noticing Lucas's puzzled expression. "Is something off about this place?"

"It's not bad, just… lacks a bit of life," Lucas admitted. "I can tell your daily life must be pretty… uneventful."

He had wanted to use the word "boring," but that felt too rude.

"A home is just a place to eat and sleep," Shenhe said calmly. "I've lived a life of ascetic training since childhood. I'm used to it."

Hearing this, Lucas felt a twinge of discomfort. It seemed he needed to find a way to bring some fun into this dull woman's life.

"Let's not dwell on this," Lucas said, changing the subject. "What food do you have? Bring it out; I'm starving!"

"Here." Shenhe placed a plate of dried noodles in front of Lucas. "Eat."

Yes, they were noodles. Dry, uncooked noodles.

"How am I supposed to eat this?" Lucas said, dumbfounded. "You're joking, right?"

"Just like this." Shenhe picked up a few strands of noodles and began crunching on them. "They don't have much flavor, but they're filling. Human food is quite convenient."

During her time in the mountains, Shenhe had subsisted on herbs—bitter but edible. To her, these flavorless strands of flour were a significant improvement.

"Noodles aren't meant to be eaten this way!" Lucas exclaimed, half-laughing, half-crying. "Have you been eating like this the whole time?"

"I bought vegetables too," Shenhe said with a nod. "But I eat them raw as well."

"Enough! I can't watch this anymore." Lucas stood up. "I'll cook for you."

"Right now?" Shenhe asked, frowning slightly.

"Of course." Lucas rubbed his temples. "I'm not a master chef, but I can make some decent noodles."

"Well, if you insist."

Shenhe knelt before Lucas, looking up at him. "Honestly, I don't think your cooking is that good. It's certainly far from 'delicious.'"

"What kind of 'cooking' are you talking about?" Lucas exclaimed, stepping back in alarm. "And besides… doing something like this—"

"We've done it before, haven't we?" Shenhe said, tilting her head. "If it's you, I don't mind."

Shenhe was still struggling to separate reality from her dreams. After all, in the dream, she had grown accustomed to such things.

"Please, at least pretend to mind!" Lucas sighed. "You're a girl. You can't just casually do things like that."

"I'm not casual about it," Shenhe replied, frowning. "I take it very seriously every time."

Lucas couldn't argue with that. Based on his simulated experiences, Shenhe's earnest personality meant she gave her all to everything she did.

"Anyway, I'm talking about cooking noodles, not… that!" Lucas grabbed Shenhe by the shoulders. "Now sit tight and wait!"

Shenhe took a seat and watched as Lucas entered the kitchen.

Though the house only had dried noodles, some vegetables, and eggs, there were still basic seasonings left from her move.

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