Having been exposed to another bitter reality, Ning Lou was feeling remorseful. A depressive cloud continued to loom above her head as she swigged the jug of wine one mouthful at a time. It didn't take long before the wine ran out, and Ning Lou was feeling a little bit tipsy. Ning Lou eventually realized that she was in a new body, and she seemed unable to resist the liquor's taunt. Her lips pressed into a thin line, getting frustrated over this small matter.
Nevertheless, her taste buds only carried the spiciness from the wine; she continued to smack her lips before deciding to start filling her stomach with the dishes in front of her. She only ate a bit of each before drinking from the kettle to wash down everything. It basically wasn't anything fulfilling, but Ning Lou had grown accustomed to this. Her life was extremely bland.
She stood up and made her way to the open window to study the scenery outside; quite a few things caught her attention. There were actually incenses placed outside, and from the smell coming from them, it was very similar to the scent coming from the room she was in. The scent was somehow heavy on the nose, but it was bearable. What an eccentric person, she thought as she continued to observe the landscape. The original Ning Lou likes these kinds of things. Wouldn't it be more awesome to just directly place flowers? This incense also smelled strange.
Ning Lou didn't pay attention to it anymore and began examining the few bamboo trees placed outside. There wasn't anything eye-catching about them, but the location of each was very suitable for hiding; she didn't know if it was intentional. She continued to stare at it until she felt a pair of eyes stare back. Ning Lou withdrew instantly and averted her eyes to the different scenery outside, but her eyes didn't contain her previous probing.
Closing the window as normally as possible, Ning Lou took a long breath before remembering how she felt in those few seconds. Her hair stood out and her heart pumped frantically, having sensed unprecedented danger. Ning Lou couldn't give herself out and pretended to casually put in an act. Hopefully, she wasn't discovered. Or were you only overthinking things? Was it a miscalculation?
Considering this new information, her plan to get out became harder. She didn't want to bet if her intuition was correct, but nothing is wrong with being careful. However, the thing that's bothering her the most is if they were also stationed inside the room. And for what purpose? Is the original soul even aware of this? What exactly is this place? Thinking really isn't my forte. Where are those dudes when you need them? Fuck, they should be the ones in my place.
The thought of being watched was scary as hell, and it's definitely scarier that she didn't have a clue if those eyes held other intentions.
With a heavy load of thoughts pouring in, Ning Lou felt her brain juice running out. What to do?
In the kitchen.
Xiao Qu occupied a part of the kitchen as she busily prepared the congee. It was approximately half an hour already, and the contents inside were almost done. While it certainly isn't the first time she did these kinds of tasks, it was still basically the first time Niang Niang was enthusiastic about eating, and so Xiao Qu was putting in extra effort. Under her hands, she was able to cook the requested dish without a hassle. Even a few of the palace maids passed by and watched with relish.
Afterwards, the pot made a hissing sound; Xiao Qu opened the lid and stirred and stirred. Eventually, a delicious smell came out, tempting Xiao Qu to serve herself a bowl. The results were much more delicious than she expected, and Xiao Qu couldn't help but have another bowl.
Not a moment later, another palace maid approached her station. Xiao Qu blinked as she saw a youthful girl and dazedly looked at her for a few seconds.
"Qumei, is this for Her Highness?" the palace inquired while sniffing the tantalizing scent coming from the pot.
"Yes. Niang Niang wants me to cook for her," Xiao Qu replied, nodding at the palace maid.
"Then, won't it be good to be served while it's still hot? Woah. This soup smells great. Can I have a taste?" The palace maid said, opening the lid of the pot. The aromatic smell became stronger. The palace maid gulped as she caught a whiff of it.
"Alright, Jie. I'll find a clean bowl for you," Xiao Qu replied robotically while searching for the eating utensils for the Empress as well.
The palace maid carefully looked around and made sure no one was looking before tossing something in the pot. She stared for a moment to make sure the thing dissolved before putting back the lid. Xiao Qu just came a second later and grabbed the ladle. She scooped a portion of the soup and poured it into a clean bowl. She poured the rest into a jade pot and carefully placed the other jade utensils on the tray.
"How is it?" Xiao Qu asked the palace maid.
"Qumei, the soup is very delicious. Can you teach me how to cook?" the palace maid replied after sipping a mouthful.
"How about later, when Niang Niang rests?" Xiao Qu replied right away.
"Alright, I'll wait," the palace maid replied, smiling in the middle.
"Okay. Let's meet up here." Xiao Qu nodded.
Xiao Qu lifted the tray and went out of the kitchen. The palace maid also left the place afterwards, slipping her way out of the kitchen unnoticed. Through the back door, she poured the bowl's contents into the ground, kept the bowl to herself, and slipped a pill in her mouth. She also hid herself in a corner before switching into a eunuch uniform and pulling a skin from her face. Pulling a thing from her breast pocket, she checked it considerably before blending into the surroundings.
(A/N: I know I have an old reader here. Hi there! I want to mention Mnqobi_Prince. Thanks for your unwavering support. To all old readers of this story, I know you have knowledge the plot but I'll make some changes so we could follow the trend. Don't spoil it to the new readers. By the way, thanks for sticking around. And if you're an dear old readers of mine from 2018, greet me in the comment section!)