"But... Young Miss..." Xiao Li attempted to protest one last time, her voice trembling with the weight of years of ingrained etiquette.
"Xiao Li, follow my order. Don't make me repeat myself," Bai Xifeng said, narrowing her eyes slightly to show she meant business.
"Yes, Young Miss. This servant understands," Xiao Li replied, finally yielding to Bai Xifeng's firm command.
Even so, the habits of a lifetime were hard to break. Xiao Li remained perfectly still, waiting for her Young Miss to take the first bite of the meal before she dared to lift her own chopsticks. Once Xifeng began, Xiao Li tentatively started to eat as well.
"Hmm... this food is actually incredibly delicious. Is it because there aren't any chemicals or preservatives in this world?" Bai Xifeng mused aloud, her chopsticks moving with practiced speed as she sampled the various dishes.
"What was that, Young Miss? Che...micals? What is that supposed to mean?" Xiao Li asked, her brow furrowing in confusion. It was another one of those strange, nonsensical words her mistress had started using lately.
"Never mind that. Don't hurt your brain thinking about it. Just eat," Bai Xifeng said with a wave of her hand. She grabbed a succulent slice of braised meat and dropped it directly into Xiao Li's bowl.
"Thank you, Young Miss! You are too kind," Xiao Li whispered, touched by the gesture.
"And make sure you actually eat the meat, too. Don't just pick at the vegetables," Bai Xifeng added, noticing that her maid had been timidly sticking to the greens since they sat down. "You need the protein if you're going to keep up with me."
"My, my... look at this. You are actually sitting and eating with a common servant."
The mocking, high-pitched voice sliced through the peaceful atmosphere of the courtyard. Both Bai Xifeng and Xiao Li turned toward the source of the interruption.
Xiao Li's face went pale. She scrambled to her feet instantly, bowing her head in a deep, submissive greeting. "Greetings to the Fourth Miss."
"Bai Xifeng, I can't believe my eyes. You are actually sharing a table with a lowly servant," Bai Huiling sneered, her eyes full of disdain as she looked at the scene.
Xiao Li bit her lower lip so hard she nearly drew blood. She felt a wave of crushing guilt, she was the reason her Young Miss was being mocked and ridiculed yet again.
"So what if I am? Are you really that bored?" Bai Xifeng asked, remaining perfectly seated. She continued to chew her meat with an unbothered expression, her internal monologue humming with satisfaction. 'Mmm... so tender. The kitchen staff really outdid themselves this time.' She swallowed and looked up. "Have you already healed from that beating I gave you yesterday? You seem remarkably talkative for someone who was face-down in the dirt twenty-four hours ago."
The mention of her humiliating defeat sent Bai Huiling into an immediate, white-hot rage. Her face contorted, turning a mottled shade of red.
"You bitch! How dare you mention that! How dare you beat me!" Bai Huiling screamed, her voice reaching a shrill, hysterical pitch.
"Fire Blast!" Bai Huiling shrieked, thrusting her hand toward Bai Xifeng as she channeled her spiritual energy.
"Young Miss, look out!" Xiao Li screamed in a desperate panic.
Bai Xifeng's combat instincts, honed over a lifetime in her previous world, kicked in instantly. She blurred into motion, throwing herself to the side a split second before a burst of flames scorched the very spot where she had been sitting. While it wasn't a massive inferno that would have incinerated her, it was certainly enough to have caused agonizing second-degree burns across her body had she been a second slower.
"Fire Blast?" Bai Xifeng repeated, her voice trembling, not with fear, but with the effort of holding back a sudden burst of laughter.
"That's right! Fire Blast! Not that a talentless trash like you would understand the intricacies of a high-level technique. You can't even cultivate," Bai Huiling spat, an arrogant, smug look returning to her face. She waited for the familiar sight of Bai Xifeng looking devastated or tearful over her status as a "cripple."
Instead, a strange sound erupted from Xifeng.
"Pft... Pft... Hahaha! Hahahahaha!"
Bai Xifeng bent over, clutching her stomach as she erupted into peals of genuine, unrestrained laughter.
Bai Huiling stood frozen, her jaw dropping. The servants standing nearby were equally stunned. They exchanged confused glances, wondering if the Third Miss had finally lost her mind under the pressure. There was absolutely nothing funny about nearly being set on fire, yet Xifeng was laughing so hard she looked like she might cry.
"That is just... that is so chuunibyou!" Bai Xifeng wheezed, wiping a tear from her eye.
The scene had triggered a memory of a specific anime she had watched back in her high school days in the 21st century. The protagonist of that show had been just like this, shouting out the names of "attacks" and striking dramatic poses as if they were in a fantasy world. It had been cringe-inducing then, and seeing it performed in real life by a spoiled teenager was almost too much to handle.
Bai Xifeng continued to laugh, her mirth acting like a physical slap to Bai Huiling's ego.
"Why are you laughing?! What is so funny?!" Bai Huiling screamed, her frustration boiling over as she realized she was being mocked. "Answer me, you crazy bitch!"
***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. It breaks my heart when someone steals my hard work. Can you consider reading it on the original website for those who read my novel on another website besides w e b n o v e l .c o m, as your support to me? Thank you, from, your shameless author, ZerahNeko***
Proofreader: haibara9369