As Fen Ling had pointed out, Ning Ze had gone to bathe and change his clothes as he couldn't bear to smell like a kitchen on fire. He had to change water three times before he could finally wash the greasy smell of the kitchen off his body from top to bottom.
Upon exiting the bath, he asked, "Where's Fen Ling?"
The servant, genuinely impressed, reported what he had learned to Ning Ze, "Young Master Fen Ling is currently in the pavilion, sharing a pot of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall with Duanhua Princess and Lady Su Qi. He's eating merrily, without leaving you a bit, and all the while he's slandering you, saying you didn't help at all in the kitchen, that you were like a pillar standing there, taking up space and getting in the way. He also called you clumsy."
Ning Ze's face darkened with anger, "Did he really say that?"
"Yes, I wouldn't dare to lie." He then repeated Fen Ling's exact words he had heard in the pavilion.
