"Her?" Zhan Xuehan's expression showed her disapproval. "Don't you usually prefer to spend time with Xie Hanzhu? How about I bring Xie Hanzhu over instead?"
"No," Su Luowei shook her head.
"Xie Hanzhu was pampered and spoiled growing up. If she came over, I'd probably end up having to take care of her instead. In my opinion, Meng Shuying is the most suitable choice. She's steady and doesn't talk much."
Su Luowei suspected that Zhan Xuehan's reluctance stemmed from lingering concerns about the incident when Meng Shuying tried to harm her by tampering with the lamp. Unable to reveal the truth just yet, Su Luowei had to continue imitating the original Su Luowei's demeanor. She pleaded with Zhan Xuehan, "Auntie, please just agree this once. If she handles the chores, I can devote all my energy to cultivation."
"You…" Zhan Xuehan shook her head, tapping Su Luowei's forehead with her finger. Su Luowei didn't flinch or dodge, just smiling as she let Zhan Xuehan tap her.
"Alright, since you're so set on her, I'll allow it."
She then called out to the disciple waiting outside the door, "Bring Meng Shuying here."
It didn't take long before a disciple returned with Meng Shuying. When she saw Zhan Xuehan, Meng Shuying respectfully bowed, "Sect Master."
Then she stood silently by the side.
Zhan Xuehan only ever showed her gentle side to Su Luowei. In front of others, including Meng Shuying, she was stern and serious once more.
"During this mission, Luowei was injured. From today on, you will move in and take care of her."
Meng Shuying replied, "Yes."
Zhan Xuehan added, "Since you're being given this responsibility, you must serve her diligently and avoid causing any trouble."
Meng Shuying lowered her gaze, her eyes fixed on the green bricks beneath her feet, and repeated softly, "Yes."
And so, Meng Shuying moved in.
She was given a side room, just a few steps away from Su Luowei's quarters.
Unlike the cluttered courtyard she had been living in before, this place was clean and orderly, with all the necessary furniture and even a faint fragrance of incense in the air.
Meng Shuying put away her few belongings, carefully placing her clothes in the cabinet. She walked over to the bed and, with a gentle hand, brushed away the nonexistent dust on the bed.
Su Luowei stood at the door, arms crossed, watching Meng Shuying stare blankly at the bed. Unable to help herself, she coughed to get her attention and asked, "Have you finished settling in?"
Meng Shuying snapped out of her daze, clutching the bed sheet nervously as she looked over at Su Luowei.
Her face was slightly pale, her eyelids thin, and the most prominent feature on her face was her pair of deep, dark eyes.
When she looked over, Su Luowei felt a strange sense of unease, as if she was about to do something wrong.
But remembering the role she had to play and the immature plan forming in her mind, she steeled herself.
Yes, she was going to do something bad.
She put on an impatient expression and said to Meng Shuying, "If you're done, come with me."
She led Meng Shuying around the house, showing her both the inside and the outside, before finally bringing her to the kitchen. Pointing to a bag of spirit rice in the corner, she asked, "Can you cook?"
Without waiting for an answer, she continued, "I need two meals a day, and from today on, you'll be responsible for making them. Ingredients will be delivered weekly."
Normally, a Foundation Establishment cultivator would have already begun fasting and wouldn't need food.
But Su Luowei, having come from another world, found it difficult to give up the pleasures of taste.
The Qingxu Sect had many disciples, and both the servant disciples and the outer disciples who had yet to reach Foundation Establishment needed food to survive, so a kitchen was maintained.
But the food that came out of that kitchen was so bad it wasn't even worth eating.
"I can cook a little, though I'm not very good at it."
The kitchen had a typical stove, much like the one she had used at home. Though she had grown taller since then, she could now reach it without needing to stand on a stool.
Su Luowei, looking at the shorter Meng Shuying, tried to ignore the discomfort in her heart.
Meng Shuying looked like a child, and ordering her to work made Su Luowei feel like she was exploiting child labor.
But the food from the main kitchen was so terrible that she was willing to suppress her conscience to exploit her.
Besides, in her current role, she needed a reason to take care of Meng Shuying openly.
Bringing her out of that rundown courtyard was just the first step. Next, she would give her more.
Thinking this way, Su Luowei's conscience eased a little.
She waved her hand dismissively and said, "It can't be worse than the food from the main kitchen."
She then showed Meng Shuying where the other ingredients and seasonings were stored in the kitchen. After explaining these things, she left Meng Shuying to prepare the meal while she returned to her room to freshen up.
Meng Shuying worked quickly. Su Luowei had just finished washing up when the aroma wafting from the kitchen reached her.
She didn't even bother to dry her hair properly, quickly throwing on a robe before hurrying to the kitchen.
Inside, Meng Shuying was cooking something on the stove. The combined scent of rice and meat was incredibly enticing.
Su Luowei stood by the stove, peeking into the pot. She saw a thick, bubbling rice porridge.
"Is it ready to eat?" Su Luowei asked.
Not waiting for Meng Shuying to respond, she grabbed the finely chopped scallions from the cutting board and sprinkled them into the pot.
It was already boiling, so it was definitely ready.
Meng Shuying stirred the pot with a long spoon, mixing the scallions into the porridge. The bright green flecks against the translucent white rice looked incredibly appetizing.
She then took out a white porcelain bowl from the cabinet, ladled a generous portion of porridge into it, and uncovered a dish of freshly stir-fried vegetables.
She placed the porridge and side dish on the table, then respectfully handed Su Luowei a pair of chopsticks and a spoon. "I haven't cooked in a long time. I hope it suits your taste."
Su Luowei stirred the porridge with her spoon. The spirit rice was cooked to a glistening translucence, with fine shreds of meat mixed in.
She took a spoonful and tasted it. It was perfect—soft and flavorful.
She tried the stir-fried vegetables, too—crisp, fresh, and perfectly seasoned.
It was so delicious that Su Luowei nearly cried.
After all this time, she had finally tasted food that a normal person would eat.
Despite her excitement, she maintained her usual cold demeanor, lightly nodding and saying, "It's decent."
But—
She looked at the food in front of her, then at Meng Shuying standing by the side, and asked, "Aren't you going to eat?"
Meng Shuying folded her hands into her sleeves, startled by the question. She looked up at Su Luowei, who was watching her intently, and then slowly lowered her head, replying softly, "I can eat the food from the main kitchen."
The ingredients in Su Luowei's kitchen were rare and provided exclusively to the inner disciples of the Qingxu Sect, beneficial for cultivation.
As a mere servant disciple, Meng Shuying felt she had no right to eat such things.