Hu Tao x Reader: Side Story: Shadow of Sumeru

Chapter 8: Doctor meets Patient

* THE NEXT MORNING *

Collei: "Mmm! Something smells really good in here!"

Y/N: "Hmm? Oh, good morning Collei! How'd you sleep, well I hope?"

Collei: "Yep! I was super tired after all that running around I guess! But I feel great now! I bet I could climb up the biggest tree in the Avidya Forest and I wouldn't be tired!"

Y/N: "Ahaha! Glad to hear it! I was actually just about to fetch you, as I'm just about done with cooking up breakfast! Do you want to take a seat?"

Collei: "Oh? You... You made breakfast for me again? You really don't have to... I'd be happy to make some meals for you too, it's the least I can do... considering, you know..."

Y/N: "It's fine! Please, you don't have to worry about anything of the sort! I'm used to waking up early and making a morning meal for my partner, so this is perfectly fine with me!"

Collei: "Oh, I see! But, well, even still... I'd like to do my part, if you'd let me?"

Y/N: "Well, I guess we could set up a rota, if you'd like? And then we can take turns with the cooking? That way we can both introduce each other to different meals from our own nations, so that I can show you some of the dishes of Liyue, and you can show me some of what Sumeru has to offer!"

Collei: "Okay! That sounds fair to me!"

Y/N: "Great! I suppose we'll have to plan out that rota then. But for now, I've already made a little something for us to start the day with. So please, help yourself!"

Collei seemed content with this compromise we had now made, and she accepted my offer to come and sit down at the dining table that was now filled with various breakfast foods that I had prepared for the two of us to share.

Thanks to our grocery shopping that we did yesterday after our trip to the café together, Collei and I managed to get a large repository of ingredients for us to cook most anything we wanted now. The only thing missing were, of course, things that were difficult to come by in Sumeru. But we managed to find a trader who handled some rarer imports of things, so we were able to get a hold of some seeds for plants that you'd normally only find in Mondstadt. So in a couple of days time we should be good to harvest those for us to make some of those Mondstadt recipes that I learnt from my time there.

But for now... I have one main thing on my mind... 

FLASHBACK: "Now, I would like to say I'd get right on with examining this corrupted device, but unfortunately my attention tonight will be needed... elsewhere. Hmmm, return to this spot in three days. I will have an update for you by then."

That was what that Dottore guy had told me. And today is the third day since my meeting him and handing over that corrupted Akasha Terminal to him. So I suppose that today should be spent in that area, until he comes to speak with me. And hopefully he has a lead for me to work with... because, well, if he doesn't... I... I don't know what I'll do...

Collei: "Hey... Y/N? Are you okay? You've got a kind of sad look on your face?"

Y/N: "Hm? Oh! Sorry, sorry! I was just... thinking. Today is the day I'm going to meet that scholar again, the guy that your Master Tighnari recommended me to find. And hopefully it'll give me the lead I need to figure out what happened, and to make sure it never happens again to anybody else."

Collei: "Oh, I see! So that would mean that today's a pretty big day then, right? Is there anything I can do to help out?"

Y/N: "Thanks for the offer, Collei. But nothing really comes to mind, no. Thank you for the offer though! But honestly? It might be best for you to spend some time here in the teapot, just to make sure you're definitely feeling at your best — we don't want to push our luck after all, I was really lucky that Faruzan was there with me the last time."