Song Xi heard this and was startled, "What's wrong with you?" He lowered his head to look at Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao heard his words, immediately withdrew her 'mocking' expression, cleared her throat and said, "Nothing, I just wanted to tell you the truth, I don't know if you can accept it." As she spoke, she glanced at the teacup.
Song Xi looked bewildered, "What truth?"
In the kitchen, the hearing of the first and second chefs was already drowned out by the sounds of chopping and stir-frying. They did not hear the voices outside.
Mu Anxiao smiled, "This cup of tea," she pointed to the teacup Song Xi had emptied, and chuckled dryly, "wasn't made by me."
"Oh, it tastes quite good," Song Xi chuckled awkwardly to cover his embarrassment.
Mu Anxiao continued, "This teacup you're using, it wasn't placed here by me either. As for who exactly," she saw Song Xi's face freeze, "I really don't know."
"Ah?" Song Xi had always been a germaphobe. After hearing Mu Anxiao's words, he was completely beside himself.
Mu Anxiao smiled… and remained silent.
Then, Song Xi stood up, "I think I'll go out alone to clear my head and, by the way… may I rinse my mouth?"
"Yes, go ahead," Mu Anxiao gestured towards the courtyard gate, thinking, 'Finally, this fellow is leaving.'
"Then I'll… be going," Song Xi said. Just as he turned, he seemed to remember something and quickly turned back, saying, "Oh right, you said you knew Mu Anxiao, right?"
"Yes," Mu Anxiao nodded.
After hearing Mu Anxiao's words, Song Xi’s mouth remained slightly ajar as he said, "Uh, could you tell her that I can’t make the other meal, I…."
"Leave this to me, you can go," Mu Anxiao eagerly interrupted Song Xi and stood up.
"Thank you," Song Xi said, and ran off.
After Song Xi had completely left the courtyard gate, Mu Anxiao couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and muttered, "Finally gone. If he stayed, how could I find out what I want to know?" Saying this, she tidied her clothes and walked towards the kitchen.
A quarter of an hour later.
Mu Anxiao sat at the stone table, holding a steamed bun in one hand and chopsticks in the other, looking up at the first and second chefs who were smiling foolishly at her. "Your cooking skills are quite good."
The first chef smiled, "You haven't even tasted it yet."
"I can tell it's delicious just by looking," Mu Anxiao said, took a bite of the bun, and pointed to the other two stone stools, "Sit down."
"After you finish eating…"
"I told you to sit down, so sit down. Don't talk so much nonsense," Mu Anxiao intentionally interrupted the second chef and became serious.
Following this, after hearing Mu Anxiao's words, the two hurriedly took their seats.
Mu Anxiao said while eating, "Later, you two pack the leftovers I haven't finished into the food containers," she said, her cheeks bulging, and glanced at each of them, "I need to send them to the prison."
"The prison? Is that for the future…"
"It's Mu Anxiao," Mu Anxiao said, not wanting to hear the first chef say something she disliked, she interrupted.
Upon hearing this, the first chef chuckled dryly, "This is not appropriate, you know." She glanced at the dishes Mu Anxiao had picked at, looking awkward.
Mu Anxiao looked indifferent, "What's the big deal? That Mu Anxiao has been a beggar since childhood. It's good enough to have a meal in prison. Just a casual meal will do." After saying this, she finished her first steamed bun.
The second chef was surprised upon hearing Mu Anxiao's words, "She was a beggar in the mortal realm?" she said, looking touched, "Then, it seems our master is truly kind to take in a beggar. He truly is our good master." She said with emotion.
Mu Anxiao looked disgusted, "Save it. I was talking about the past, not the present. Anyway," she pointed at them with her chopsticks, "listen to me, and you'll have your rewards."
"You're going into the palace soon," the first chef suddenly recalled the recent conversation between Song Xi and Mu Anxiao.
Mu Anxiao nodded, "Yes, I'm going to the palace, but I think I'll still come back." As she spoke, she picked up the second steamed bun and began to eat it.
The first chef frowned, "Can't you come out after entering the palace? Why would you come back? Could it be," she looked surprised, "you are only temporarily trusted?"
"What are you talking about? Mu Anxiao hasn't become a demon yet, so she has to come back to continue cultivating. As for entering the palace," Mu Anxiao said, swallowing the broken bits of steamed bun, and continued, "I think the master just wants her to get familiar with the environment." She deliberately didn't reveal what she knew.
Immediately, the second chef frowned slightly and whispered, "No, I heard they're going to get engaged."
Upon hearing this, both Mu Anxiao and the first chef turned their gaze to the second chef's face, "Engaged? What engagement?" Mu Anxiao feigned ignorance.
The first chef also asked, "Yes, how come we don't know? If you know, why didn't you tell me? Am I not your good sister?"
"I heard this news through gossip. I was afraid it would spread if I said it. Since it's you two," the second chef lowered her voice, "I'll tell you then."
Listening to the second chef's words, Mu Anxiao understood… they had already treated her as one of their own. Since that was the case, she put aside her extra considerations and said while eating, "Oh, speaking of which, you said there were immortals here before, but I remember our master hates immortals the most. Why would he let immortals work here, especially in the kitchen? This… is too unusual, isn't it?"
"Those are culinary immortals. They were responsible for cooking for immortals in the Celestial Realm, so the master arranged them here. But for what specific reason," the second chef said, shaking her head, "we don't know."
"Do you know where they are being held now?" Mu Anxiao got to the point. (Although she already knew their exact location of detention, she wanted to hear what they had to say to be more precise in finding them.)
"This, we don't know," the second chef shook her head.
Conversely, the first chef was silent for a few seconds and said excitedly, "It seems to be in the Glorious Hall. I heard," she looked around, and continued, "that it's also a kitchen."
"A kitchen… so it seems they've been assigned to cook," Mu Anxiao said calmly.
The first chef nodded, "It's possible."
"This master is truly strange. He clearly doesn't trust immortals but still makes them cook for him," Mu Anxiao said, sighing, "I really can't understand what he's thinking."
"You can say such things to us, but you must not say them outside," the first chef reminded her.
The second chef also said, "Yes, you're lucky you met us two here. If you had met someone with a loose tongue, look what you'd do."
"What else can I do? Whoever has a loose tongue," Mu Anxiao knew she couldn't fully trust them, and said while eating, "I'll cut out their tongue." After saying this, she continued eating.
Immediately, the two of them were "choked."