𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧

7 - sing with me, if it's just for today

As I descended the stairs, the tantalizing aroma of Chinese cuisine greeted me, a welcome respite from my previous state of hunger-induced delirium. It occurred to me that I hadn't eaten in what felt like an eon. The last time I had a proper meal was at an ungodly hour, at three in the morning, pilfered from my fridge back on Earth. But in this fantastical world, time seemed to operate on a different plane altogether.

I slept in the meteorite for thousands of years, how come I'm still alive?

That could just be just a special case though.

The same dining room where Xiao had sat before was now festooned with a banquet of Chinese food. I spied a familiar dish from the game, the jade parcels, and my stomach growled in anticipation. In front of the room stood a giant version of Xiangling's elemental skill.

"Guoba?" I blurted out, barely audible. Guizhong, ever-vigilant, caught my slip and peered at me quizzically.

"You must exercise more caution, Y/n, if you wish to keep your secrets safe," she warned. I chuckled nervously.

I couldn't help myself, Guizhong! After all, it's not every day you encounter a colossal talking bear deity that doubles as a culinary master, capable of belching forth flames!

The oversized bear tilted its head, perhaps bemused by my outburst, but didn't question me any further.

"Ah, you must be Guizhong's esteemed guest! Here, savor these delectable jade parcels and a cup of fragrant chrysanthemum tea," the creature addressed me, revealing its name to be Marchosius. "I am the resident chef here and you shall see me often, whipping up scrumptious delights for all. Excuse me now, as I tend to other duties." With that, Marchosius slid the door shut, leaving me alone with Guizhong once more.

As Guizhong motioned for me to take a seat, I couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. After all, I was sitting across from a god, and I had a feeling she knew a lot more about me than I did about myself. But before the awkward silence could become too overwhelming, Guizhong broke it with a calm voice.

"Morax and Xiao are currently at Jueyun Karst, so they won't be joining us for dinner," she said, delicately picking up a jade parcel with her chopsticks. "But don't worry, your secrets are safe with me. I highly doubt even Morax is aware of your extraterrestrial origins."

I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle as I devoured the delicious food in front of me.

"Sorry, Guizhong, this is just too good to resist."

Guizhong's smile only grew wider in response. "No need to apologize. Now, if you don't mind, I have a few questions for you. How are you holding up, both mentally and physically? I imagine this whole situation must be overwhelming."

"I'm doing fine, thank you," I replied, taking another bite of the jade parcel. "But I have to admit, it's not every day that you wake up in a different world. Guizhong, do you mind telling me what you know? About me and the meteorite, I meant."

Guizhong nodded, understandingly. "I can only imagine. Now, as for what I know about your situation - well, let's just say I've done my fair share of research. According to my hypothesis, the meteorite you arrived in most likely came from another world. I've never heard of a place called [country], and I'm quite familiar with all the civilizations in Teyvat."

She paused for a moment before continuing. "Using adepti arts, I detected an abnormal energy pulsing at the center of the meteorite. It was a type of energy I had never encountered before. I suspected there might be a sentient being inside, and I was right. In fact, I can still sense the abnormal energy mark around your pockets."