Guoba seemed to sense his emotions and rubbed his head against his palm: "rua rua~"
Xiangling hugged Guoba tightly, burying his face in his fluffy shoulder, and said muffledly, "Guoba, this book... is written so well! Although it's a bit exaggerated, it feels... it feels like it's expressed that inexplicable connection between us, and your protection of the kitchen and everyone!"
He looked up, his eyes sparkling with admiration for the author. "This Lovia is truly a genius! How could he know so much? Has he been secretly observing us for a long time? Or... is he actually some adeptus who knows the inside story?"
But then, a practical problem arose: this book seemed quite popular now? What if everyone read it, believed the unofficial history inside, and came running to see Guoba, the "real God of cookery"?
During the previous Moonchase Festival, Granny Ping had revealed Guoba's identity to them, but... no one else knew!
So now... everyone knows? Will they believe it?
In an instant, a scene flashed through Xiangling's mind of Wanmin Restaurant being surrounded by curious diners in layer upon layer, where people no longer focused on tasting the food but instead held up the book, pointing at Guoba, and some might even want to touch or hug the "Lord of the Stove"... Thinking of that image, Xiangling shuddered.
"No, no!" He shook his head vigorously. "Guoba would be scared! And we're a restaurant; people come here to eat, not to see some strange 'deity'... the quiet cooking environment would be gone!"
He didn't want Guoba's peaceful life to be disturbed.
Guoba staying in the kitchen carefree like this, occasionally "helping out" and dozing off, was the best state.
But... Xiangling glanced at the book again, feeling a bit conflicted.
Putting aside the potential trouble, as a creator (albeit in the culinary arts), he felt a secret sense of joy and comfort deep down that someone could "understand" him and Guoba so well and express it in such an interesting way.
Moreover, from the book's descriptions, the author was full of goodwill toward Guoba and Wanmin Restaurant, with a warm sense of teasing and deep respect permeating the lines.
"Hmm..." Xiangling pinched his chin, lost in thought. "Maybe... it's not as serious as I think? People might just see it as an interesting story and laugh it off? After all, the idea that 'Guoba is the God of Stove' sounds too much like a fairy tale!"
"And even if everyone really believes it, I'm sure they would be very respectful of our Liyue's Earth Lord and God of Stove! The things I'm worried about won't happen!"
Xiangling tried to convince himself, then suddenly remembered something.
"Wait, Sister said the book has been in print for several days already. No wonder the foot traffic at Wanmin Restaurant has increased lately, and so many customers are peeking at Guoba. So that's why!"
"If it's just peeking, it's not a big problem! Since it won't have an impact, I won't think about it anymore!" Xiangling had a cheerful personality and quickly cast his worries aside. He patted the book and said to Guoba, "Anyway, this book is quite fun! If I ever get the chance to meet this Lovia, I must thank him in person and tell him how well he wrote it! And by the way... ask him how he thought of all this!"
As for whether Wanmin Restaurant would explode in popularity?
Xiangling looked at the bustling street outside the window, then at his own little shop filled with the aroma of cooking, and smiled freely.
"As long as our food tastes good, there will always be customers who truly come to eat! Right, Guoba?"
"Rua!" Guoba seemed to understand partially, but his response was very loud.
Xiangling laughed, carefully put the book away, and turned back to dive into the afternoon's preparations with full energy.
Regardless, the warmth in the story was real, and the bond between him and Guoba was real.
That was enough.
————————————————————————————
Everything was as usual, yet it seemed somewhat different.
The afternoon sun still shone warmly on the threshold of Wanmin Restaurant. Diners came and went, the familiar sound of spatulas clashing with iron woks mixed into the bustle.
The gazes directed at Guoba had indeed increased.
In those gazes, there was less of the pure curiosity of the past and a bit more inquiry and reverence.
Regular customers would point at the chibi Guoba on the cover and joke, "Xiangling, hurry up and let our real God of cookery show us a few tricks!"
Or after ordering, they would ask half-jokingly, "Is it you at the stove today, or is Master Chef Guoba providing 'divine aid' with the heat?"
At first, Xiangling's heart was a bit uneasy, fearing some reckless customer would treat Guoba as a curiosity and disturb his peace. But he soon found that most of his worries were unnecessary.
Liyue people have a natural respect for tradition and deities in their bones.
Even if the stories in the book were bizarre and interesting, most people just saw them as an engaging tale, a beautiful imagination of the "divine power" that might exist behind Wanmin Restaurant's delicious food.
They were happy to have an extra bit of fun after tea or during meals; very few would actually harass a bear-like creature that looked so naive and cute. After all, Guoba was still the same Guoba who would doze in the corner of the kitchen and occasionally sneeze from the chili peppers.
More importantly, the widespread circulation of the book had invisibly added a layer of warmth to Wanmin Restaurant.
Diners came not only for the food but were also touched by the feelings of protection and inheritance spanning thousands of years depicted in the book.
As they tasted the spicy freshness of the boiled black-back bass, they might think of the "blessing of the God of Stove," and watching Xiangling's busy figure at the stove, they would more deeply appreciate the continuation of cooking and intention.
The atmosphere of Wanmin Restaurant seemed to have a faint touch of divinity blended into it, making it even more desirable.
Xiangling gradually felt relieved and even began to welcome this change, since Guoba himself wasn't troubled by it.
He would still proudly stick out his little belly and "rua rua" when customers praised the deliciousness of the dishes. He would still come over and nuzzle him with his nose when Xiangling hit a bottleneck while testing new recipes.
Perhaps in Guoba's simple world, all he felt was more kindness and love from his surroundings.
Sometimes, Xiangling would even take the initiative to joke with Guoba about the plots in the book.
"Master Chef Guoba, guoba the god of cookery, today's heat for the Slime Sauteed Mushrooms is all up to you!" He handed the spatula to Guoba with mock seriousness.
Guoba would tilt his head, push the spatula back with his paw, pat his belly, and then point at Xiangling, clearly meaning: "You do it, I'll just wait to eat."
This scene always made the surrounding diners burst into laughter.
One day after closing, Xiangling sat in the backyard holding Guoba, watching the moon.
"Guoba, look, everyone seems to like us even more," he said softly. "Even though Lovia wrote it a bit exaggeratedly and revealed your identity—though not everyone fully believes it—it seems Lovia has... let more people feel your warmth."
Guoba seemed to understand partially. Under the gentle moonlight, he made a comfortable purring sound and nuzzled Xiangling's cheek with his head.
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