Genshin Impact: Villain Impact

Lucas wasn't a professional chef, but making noodles was child's play for him. With practiced ease, he boiled water, added some scallion oil, and cracked an egg. Before long, a simple bowl of clear broth noodles was ready and placed in front of Shenhe.

As for Lucas, he opted to eat straight from the pot.

Famished and in no mood for formalities, he simply said, "Eat quickly, or it won't taste as good when it gets soggy."

Then, holding the pot, he began devouring the noodles ravenously.

Shenhe, on the other hand, looked at the simple bowl of noodles before her with a mixture of hesitation and wonder. She cautiously used her chopsticks to prod the poached egg resting atop the noodles. As she pierced it, golden yolk oozed out.

When Lucas finished his entire pot of noodles, he glanced at Shenhe's bowl and noticed that, uncharacteristically for her, she had barely eaten half. Puzzled, he asked, "What's wrong? Don't you like it?"

"No, it's too good," Shenhe replied, shaking her head. "It's precisely because it's so delicious that I can't eat too much. Otherwise, if I can't have it again later, the longing will only become more painful."

"It's just a bowl of noodles," Lucas said with a laugh. "It's not like it's dragon liver or phoenix marrow. Why wouldn't you be able to have it again?"

"My memories of childhood are mostly gone," Shenhe said softly, "but I do remember one thing clearly. At home, I once had a bowl of noodles just like this—clear broth, a runny egg yolk. The taste is something I could never forget, no matter how hard I tried." She sipped the broth delicately from her chopsticks. "But perhaps… it's better not to remember."

Shenhe had never shared her past with Lucas, but as a transmigrator, Lucas already knew the tragic story of her childhood.

Her mother had died early, and her grief-stricken father, consumed by despair, turned to dark arts. He tried to sacrifice his own daughter to a demon in exchange for his wife's resurrection.

Though simple to recount, this tale held immeasurable pain for Shenhe. That bowl of noodles shared with her family was likely the sole bright spot in an otherwise harrowing memory.

"It's okay to remember," Lucas said earnestly. "From now on, whenever you want noodles, I'll make them for you! As much as you want, for as long as you want!"

Shenhe fell into a daze as she looked at the man before her. Was this the same boy who had once shamelessly used Chongyun to threaten her? The same Gluttony descendant who had tempted her toward the demonic path? Or was he just a fool willing to cook her noodles for a lifetime?

But then she remembered the intimate photo she had seen of him with Ganyu. A pang of bitterness rose in her chest.

After all, she couldn't steal her senior sister's man…

Wait a minute.

Why not?

In the idyllic paradise of her dream, didn't she and Ganyu "share" Lucas? And it wasn't just the two of them.

If life could mirror that dream—living in seclusion with Lucas, Ganyu, and perhaps even Master—it wouldn't be a bad way to spend her days.

With that thought, Shenhe suddenly spoke. "Actually, I just had a strange dream. In it, you, Ganyu, and I… experienced a lot of things together."

Hearing this, Lucas tensed up but tried to maintain his composure. "Dreams are just dreams. It's normal to have them."

Lucas already knew that the so-called "simulator" reflected events in parallel worlds. Sometimes, these events manifested as dreams for the people involved.

Characters like Keqing or Jean had experienced similar dreams, but they rarely mentioned them. However, Shenhe's straightforward and sincere nature—similar to Klee's in some ways—meant she had no reservations about bringing up her recurring dreams.

"No, this dream was different," Shenhe said, shaking her head. "In it, you did some… rather inappropriate things to me."

Cold sweat beaded on Lucas's forehead as he stammered, "A dream is a dream, and reality is reality. The two shouldn't be confused."

"But the scent on you," Shenhe murmured, her tone low and deliberate, "is exactly the same as in the dream…" With feline grace, she climbed onto the table, leaning close to Lucas and inhaling near his neck. "If I taste your blood, I'll know whether it's a dream… or reality."

Gluttony blood.

This was indeed the most direct way to discern the truth. Lies could deceive people, but the blood of a demon could not fool Shenhe's keen senses.

Unfortunately, the trait Lucas had chosen—Extraordinary Bloodline—meant her method would work.

Before Lucas could react, Shenhe lunged for his shoulder, intending to bite down. Though human, her years of training under Adepti had elevated her strength beyond that of ordinary Vision bearers.

Had this been two weeks ago—or even one week ago—Lucas might not have been able to avoid her attack.

But now, his reflexes had improved significantly. He kicked the table leg, propelling himself backward several meters just in time. Shenhe's strike missed, and she fell face-first onto the floor with a resounding thud.

"Are you okay?" Lucas rushed to help her up, only for Shenhe to suddenly lift her head. With a flick of her wrists, several red ropes shot out, wrapping tightly around Lucas's body.

These ropes, imbued with celestial energy, were far stronger than ordinary restraints. Even Lucas struggled to break free.

It seemed the ropes, originally meant to suppress Shenhe's violent tendencies, had become a formidable weapon in her hands.

"Red String Bind!"

At Shenhe's command, the ropes tightened further, leaving Lucas completely immobilized.

"This is too much!" Lucas protested, wriggling against his bonds. "I was worried about you, and this is how you repay me?"

"My master once said, 'All's fair in war,'" Shenhe replied coolly, showing no hint of guilt. She lifted Lucas's chin with a finger, her eyes narrowing. "I'll get to the bottom of this… Hmm? What's this?"

The pressure from the ropes had dislodged a small booklet from Lucas's clothes. Shenhe snatched it up.

Oh no…

Lucas realized with dismay that the booklet was his latest simulator reward—"Thousand Calamities Dual Cultivation Technique."

"Just as I thought…" Shenhe said, her lips curving into a rare smile as she flipped through the book. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"I…" Lucas sighed in defeat. "Fine. Your dreams are related to me. But I want you to know that no matter what I did in the dream, or who I was there, in reality… I just want to be a good person."

"Whether you're good or bad doesn't matter to me," Shenhe said, pressing the booklet onto Lucas's face. "What I want to know is whether this so-called 'dual cultivation' technique actually works in real life."

"Wait, you're not thinking of—"

Before Lucas could finish, Shenhe was already making her move.

Faced with a choice between reason and desire, Lucas ultimately chose the latter.

This isn't my fault, he justified to himself. After all, tied up like this, I don't even have the ability to resist.

"I suggest you cooperate," Shenhe said, employing skills she had seemingly perfected in her dreams. "Unless you want your precious Ganyu Mama to find out what's happening between us…"

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