The next day.
The normally deserted, dim, and dilapidated mountaintop orphanage was bustling with activity today.
Several luxury cars were parked in the courtyard.
A female stepped out of one of the luxury cars. She had a pair of relatively short rabbit ears on her head, with a fluffy ring of fur at the base, looking like the Lion Rabbit breed.
Following closely behind her was a wolf-eared male.
The moment he stepped out, the atmosphere grew tense. The accompanying staff hastily lowered their heads, not daring to breathe too loudly.
He wore a military uniform and an imposing black and gold service cap, the center of which bore the military insignia symbolizing the Federation's armed forces.
In the shadow of the cap's visor, his sharp, fierce, almond-shaped eyes were long and piercing, but his narrow face was a sickly pale.
Almost everyone was intimidated by this major general in his uniform and military cape, except for the female beside him, Bai Xue.
Bai Xue glanced at Lu Tingyan, a hint of covetous desire for his handsome face in her eyes, which she quickly suppressed. "Major General Lu, this is the place. I didn't want to air our dirty laundry in public, which is why I asked you to make a personal trip."
"You know that my older sister committed a grave mistake before and was exiled by the family. Who knew she would open an orphanage here and even abuse..."
At this point, Bai Xue bit her lip again, looking at Lu Tingyan as if she wanted to say more but was holding back. "I hope you can keep this a secret for our family. After all, this is quite the scandal."
Lu Tingyan recalled Bai Su, and a flicker of profound disgust crossed his gloomy eyes. "If the crimes you speak of are real, I will bring her back to the Federation and let the law punish her."
Bai Xue smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Major General Lu, for being willing to help me with this!"
The two of them slowly walked into the dilapidated orphanage's main hall.
Outside the door, the Bai family's bodyguards couldn't help but whisper among themselves, "Why is the young miss being so polite to him?"
"Isn't Lu Tingyan rumored to have had his spiritual power destroyed? A good-for-nothing now?"
"He used to be the strongest male in the Federation, but ever since he came back injured from the battlefield, his leadership position was snatched away by someone else."
"I really don't get it. The young miss used to look down on people like him the most."
"Here's a little gossip I heard. Last month, the young miss suddenly had a high fever. After she woke up, her personality completely changed. Not only does she not hate Major General Lu anymore, she's always running over to his place."
Bai Su had just finished making lunch and was setting it on the table when she saw two uninvited guests walk in.
In the original owner's memories, the web of grievances and affections involving these two was quite deep.
Seeing her, Bai Xue was the first to speak. "Sis? How did you get so fat?"
After the original Bai Su was cast out and ended up at the orphanage, she had given up on herself. Her body grew fatter and fatter due to her emotional state. Though not tall, she weighed nearly 220 pounds.
As if realizing her words were rude, Bai Xue quickly covered her mouth and said sheepishly, "I brought Major General Lu to see you. We just dropped by. You're not angry, are you?"
Bai Su rolled her eyes. "If you were afraid of making me angry, you could have messaged me before you came. No need to pretend you're worried about upsetting me now. Your whole 'green tea' act is nauseating."
Bai Xue's expression darkened. "You!"
It wasn't surprising that Bai Su was so aggressive. She had spent almost her entire previous life living in her younger sister's shadow. She had a natural aversion and repulsion toward the very concept of a "younger sister."
However, she already knew the two of them were coming today, so she had prepared a table full of delicacies ahead of time: five-grain rice, chicken in lotus leaf, radish and yam cakes, stir-fried seasonal vegetables with mushrooms, and also a Szechuan boiled fatty beef. There were lightly flavored dishes suitable for the children, and heavily flavored ones for an adult like herself.
There were coarse and fine grains, a balance of meat and vegetables, and a mix of dry and soup-based dishes.
Bai Xue stared blankly at the dishes on the table. "What are these?"
Lu Tingyan's eyes swept over the fresh, delicious, and vibrantly colored dishes. He smelled the steaming, delicate fragrance of the food and, against his will, his mouth began to water.
Bai Xue quickly snapped back to her senses and looked at Bai Su. "You made this? Impossible, I don't believe it!"
In the Federation's current society, who even knows how to cook anymore?
'How could Bai Su possibly make things she had never even seen before?'
"Who cares if you believe me?" Bai Su rolled her eyes, then turned her head and shouted upstairs, "Time to eat."
Her voice wasn't loud, but the children upstairs quickly started to stir.
Little Wolf came trotting down with three other children. Nearly all of them had injuries on their faces. They were wearing short sleeves in the middle of summer, and the bruises on their arms were glaringly obvious.
Little Wolf's right cheek was even swollen into a large lump, looking particularly horrifying.
Bai Su pretended not to see, simply calling out, "Wash your hands, time to eat. We have guests today, so I'll add two more dishes."
She turned to the nearby stove and skillfully began to prepare some fish and shrimp, making Shrimp-Wrapped Eggs and Fish with Pickled Greens in Golden Broth.
Her movements were as smooth as flowing water. Though the ingredients were simple, after she prepared and cooked them, they released an incredibly rich aroma!
It was a fragrance they had never smelled before.
Bai Xue watched her movements in shock. 'How is this possible? How could food possibly give off such a tantalizing scent?'
'This isn't the smell of food at all!'
Lu Tingyan's inquisitive gaze fell upon her movements.
'Her technique for slicing the fish fillets is extremely practiced. This is definitely not a skill that can be learned overnight.'
The children, for their part, showed no surprise, seeming unsurprised by the fact that Bai Su could cook.
Lu Tingyan withdrew his gaze. 'It seems this isn't the first time Bai Su has cooked for these children.'
In the Federation, no family would cook with such fanfare. They either settled their three meals a day with nutrient solutions or just boiled whatever meat they got, sprinkled some salt on it, and called it a day.
Little Wolf keenly sensed Lu Tingyan's mood. Fearing he would be deceived by Bai Su, the boy quickly put on a terrified expression and looked at Bai Su. "I'm sorry, Matron! Just hit us. We have to get beaten every time to get food. We're used to it."
Bai Xue was inwardly delighted, but her face showed shock. "Sis, you abuse them?"
Bai Su's mouth twitched. She glanced at the little cubs, placed the dish on the table, and said to Lu Tingyan, who was standing nearby, "Major General, if you don't mind, please sit down and eat with us. Otherwise, my sister here, who's bursting with a sense of justice, might accuse me of being a poor host."
Bai Xue rolled her eyes and said disdainfully, "Major General Lu is a person of noble status. How could he possibly eat your..."
Lu Tingyan's sharp gaze lingered on the brightly colored dishes for a moment.
'I should,' he thought, 'personally confirm whether this woman is just putting on a show or if she can actually cook.'
Lu Tingyan slowly sat down. "Alright, thank you."
Bai Xue's eyes widened as she stared at Lu Tingyan in disbelief. "Major General Lu!"
Bai Su glanced at the little cubs beside her. "Hm?"
Little Wolf put on a frightened expression. "Yes, Matron! We'll be good, we'll eat... Please don't hit us!"
He led the way to the table. The other children couldn't hold back any longer, their faces beaming with joy as they scrambled to their seats.
The food was fresh and delicious. They couldn't resist any longer and began to eat with gusto.
Only Bai Xue was left standing awkwardly. Embarrassed, she had no choice but to sit down as well, unhappily picking up her bowl of rice.
'It's not like I'm sitting because this stupid food smells better than anything I've ever had, making me drool like crazy!'
Bai Su shot her a cold glance. "Did I say you could eat?"
Bai Xue's face instantly burned with shame. She slammed her bowl down. "Fine, I won't eat! Who cares?"
Beside them, Lu Tingyan had taken a few bites. His pupils suddenly contracted.
'What's happening?!'
'In that brief moment, did I just feel a sliver of spiritual power regenerating in my Spirit Sea?'