Chapter 32: Padisarah Pudding

Breathing in the damp air, which carried a faint scent of soil, through the hole he had specifically left for ventilation, Lin Feng controlled the roots of the surrounding vegetation to slowly bury himself.

Holding Little White and lying in the wooden container he had just fashioned by hand, Lin Feng suddenly felt like a "zongzi" from Uncle Ying’s films, secretly siphoning the spiritual energy of the ley lines. As he pondered what he was about to do, it occurred to him, with a touch of belated realization, that the comparison was actually quite apt.

As to why he had the sudden whim to bury himself, it all stemmed back to his identity. From the very beginning, Lin Feng knew he was definitely not a native of Teyvat. Whether it was the garbled code in the "Race" column of his system or the entry he gained upon his first contact with a Statue of the Seven—"Elemental Mastery: Dendro"—the truth was clear. This unremarkable-sounding entry, put another way, was a fragment of the Seven Authorities of Teyvat: the sovereign power over vegetation. Though he lacked a flashy title like "Lord of All Vegetation," that was merely a form of authentication from the world itself; the core of his power was precisely that simple entry on his interface, representing the authority over an element.

Four thousand years ago, in order to facilitate the birth of the elemental authorities, the Heavenly Principles ordered the gods to slaughter one another, using the lives of many deities as sacrifices to condense the thrones representing the purest elemental power. For him to obtain such power just by touching a statue? Lin Feng felt there was a significant, perhaps monumental, issue here.

Since he currently needed to borrow the Statue of the Seven to connect to the ley lines and gain sufficient power to confront the Withering Avatar, this was a perfect opportunity to verify his suspicions regarding the origins of this body.

Although he was impatient, there was one final thing to attend to. After confirming that the specially made 15% sugar Padisarah Pudding in his storage space remained intact, Lin Feng stirred his dream energy and slowly closed his eyes.

...

The emerald-green space overflowed with the breath of life, with flowers and lush trees scattered throughout. The petite Nahida sat at a table laden with snacks, looking expectantly toward the figure gradually emerging in the corner of the dream. The shadow slowly solidified, revealing the face of a youth. Lin Feng, now a frequent visitor, had entered Nahida’s dream of his own accord.

Sitting familiarly in his favorite chair, Lin Feng intended to handle the business that brought him here: bidding a temporary farewell to the Lesser Lord Kusanali. Because of Nahida’s unique circumstances, the phrase "living in a dream" was unprecedentedly apt for her. Furthermore, since Nahida had granted him permission to enter her dreams freely, Lin Feng had taken to stopping by almost every night to share her food and drink. Knowing he wouldn't be able to visit for a short while, he worried that the sensitive Nahida might feel lonely or let her mind wander to dark places.

To prevent this, Lin Feng had come to say goodbye before falling into his deep sleep and to explain why he wouldn't be able to visit. As usual, while affectionately stroking Nahida’s silky white hair, he shared what he had seen and heard recently. Halfway through, however, he suddenly pulled his hand away.

"Is something wrong?" Nahida, absorbed in the story, tilted her head slightly and looked at him in confusion.

"I brought you something. Want to guess what it is?" Lin Feng teased.

"But this is a dream, isn't it? How could you bring anything inside?" Nahida looked at him, puzzled by the nature of the dream world.

"You're right. By conventional logic, you can't bring physical objects into a fictional dream," Lin Feng conceded. "But the problem is, I’ve suddenly discovered that I don't seem to be bound by conventional logic."

As he spoke, a pale purple Padisarah Pudding appeared on the white table, and he gently pushed it toward the Lesser Lord. "Try it. I specifically asked the chef in Gandharva Ville to add extra sugar. I'm not sure if it suits your taste."

Looking at the delicate dessert pushed before her, Nahida sighed. "Sigh... you know that because of my authority, I can't eat or drink in dreams without it feeling out of place like you do... but thank you anyway."

Not wishing to disappoint him, she took the dessert. Gazing at the beautiful pale purple surface of the pudding, she used a spoon to carefully scoop a small piece into her mouth. *It’ll be flavorless again, anyway,* she thought. Although he could freely create items in this dreamscape, his level of dream manipulation was far from sufficient to deceive her. As the master of dream authority, Nahida never ate in her dreams—her high level of insight would subconsciously see through the facade of any dream-constructed creation. No matter how delicious the food, the moment it hit her tongue, she would naturally perceive its true essence. And once a dreamer realizes they are in a dream, the experience is diminished.

As she thought this, a flicker of worry crossed her heart. *In any case, I should try to appear happy. Otherwise... I won't pull away when he reaches out to touch my hair later...* she thought, struggling slightly. Yet, her expression remained as calm as ever.

...

Sitting opposite her, Lin Feng watched her reaction with some tension. He was well aware that Nahida couldn't taste food in the dream. In truth, he had little confidence that what he brought in would be an exception.

"How is it? Is it good?" he asked, tilting his head curiously.

"It's good," Nahida replied, head bowed, eating the pudding spoonful by spoonful, appearing no different than usual.

"Really? You aren't just saying that to make me feel better, are you?"

Feeling a bit uncertain, Lin Feng moved along the table to her side and noticed that her small frame was trembling slightly.

"Lin Feng, do you know why I like Candied Ajilenakh Nuts?" Nahida didn't answer him directly, instead posing a question she had never mentioned before.

Feeling the springy texture and rich milky fragrance in her mouth—having not tasted real food for centuries—Nahida lowered her head, not wanting him to see her face. "It's because that was the only real food I had ever eaten, before the day I was sent to the Akademiya 500 years ago."

Nahida lifted her head slightly, and Lin Feng finally saw her expression. The usually calm, optimistic, and cheerful Nahida now wore an expression that could only be described as "hollow." With the surface-level decorations stripped away, what remained was a pallor and stillness akin to a doll.

...

...

*Oh no, I accidentally triggered the 'big' emotional response with a casual move.*

Although he had vaguely sensed that Nahida’s inner world wasn't as naive and optimistic as she appeared, seeing her like this left Lin Feng in a momentary silence. Even though he knew that being imprisoned in reality could lead to severe problems like depression, anxiety, and psychosis, Nahida’s consistent display of cheerfulness had made him feel at ease. He had subconsciously assumed that gods were naturally more resilient than ordinary people.

But in reality, it was simply because Nahida had long since realized that even if she showed her vulnerability, no one would care. It was easier to just rely on her inner sense of duty to numb herself.