After washing up, Bai Sinan changed into the clothes Lingyun had prepared for her.
The white dress was clean and elegant, adorned only with a few embroidered auspicious cloud patterns at the waist, with no excessive decoration. The fabric was of excellent quality—soft, delicate, and clearly very expensive.
*They all love white clothes, don't they?* Bai Sinan grumbled silently to herself. *It’s such a pain to wash when they get dirty.*
Although the little girl in the bronze mirror was thin, one could still discern the makings of an peerless beauty. Her palm-sized face featured a pair of peach-blossom eyes that were exceptionally alluring, accentuated by a tear mole beneath her right eye, and her cherry-red lips were so pouty and soft they looked good enough to bite.
Bai Sinan was deeply moved. *Heaven has its eyes open, letting me become a great beauty. Thank you, seriously, thank you so much, arigato, I bow down to you.*
When she pushed open the door, she saw Lingyun waiting outside. "Little Highness, I shall take you to Fusheng Palace."
"You can just call me Xiaonan, Lingyun-jiejie," Bai Sinan said sweetly.
"That wouldn't do; it is against the rules. And, Little Highness, you may simply call me Lingyun," she replied, her eyes searching Bai Sinan’s with complete sincerity.
"Alright, but I’m still going to call you Lingyun-jiejie!"
Lingyun looked troubled. "Little Highness..."
Bai Sinan interrupted her directly. "That’s settled! Let’s go!"
In the courtyard of Fusheng Palace, apart from the main hall, there was virtually nothing—no flowers, no grass, no trees. The stark, bare hall stood there, feeling rather desolate.
Bai Sinan offered a polite smile. "Well, it’s certainly clean. There’s nothing here at all."
"Little Highness, if you need anything, please tell me," Lingyun said, her tone unchanged, remaining flat and tranquil.
Bai Sinan nodded obediently. "I know, thank you, Lingyun-jiejie." She looked around; everything essential was there, and the wardrobe was even stocked with several sets of clothes, though... they were all white.
After Lingyun left, Bai Sinan wandered around Fusheng Palace by herself.
The palace was quite large, with several rooms and a spacious courtyard. As this was likely where she would spend the rest of her life, she felt she needed to figure out how to decorate it; otherwise, she couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't a place for a living person.
She muttered to herself, "It feels like the entire Qingxian Palace is just as cold and lifeless as this."
*Gurgle~*
*Hmm... I'm hungry.*
In a place as vast as Qingxian Palace, where was she supposed to find food? Immortals... they probably don't eat, right? So what was she supposed to do?
Bai Sinan sighed. Life is hard; this child is socially withdrawn, and at only five years old, she already had to fend for herself.
"Master!!!" Bai Sinan let out a piercing cry that tore through the clouds.
"What is it?"
Luochen stood there, his white robes as pristine as snow, his cool, indifferent eyes devoid of any warmth.
Bai Sinan shivered under Luochen's gaze and spoke weakly, "Master, your disciple is hungry..."
"There is no food in Qingxian Palace," Luochen said coolly.
*? So I’m just supposed to starve to death?*
Luochen added, "I will have Lingyun go and purchase some."
Bai Sinan looked at him with sparkling eyes. "May I go with her?"
"You may."
***
Lingyun and Bai Sinan went to the nearest city to shop. At first, Bai Sinan was cautious, not daring to buy too much. Seeing her hesitation, Lingyun said, "Little Highness, please buy whatever you need; there is no need for such concerns."
Bai Sinan blushed, caught in the act. The truth was that Qingxian Palace really had nothing, and she needed quite a lot, even if it was her master's money—it still felt a bit wrong.
She swore to herself that once she grew up, she would definitely earn a lot of money for her master!
Without those worries, Bai Sinan bought a great deal.
And she really did buy a lot—firewood, rice, oil, salt, pots, pans, daily necessities, and even vegetable seeds, fruit tree saplings, flower seedlings, and fish fry...
She had been worried about how to carry it all back, but once Lingyun produced a storage ring and tucked everything away, she finally relaxed.
Bai Sinan returned to Qingxian Palace feeling like she had hit the jackpot, completely satisfied.
Upon returning, she quickly ate something and began studying the kitchen. As a modern working woman, her cooking skills were decent; after all, ordering takeout was expensive, and it was much more cost-effective to cook for herself.
The only problem was... she didn't really know how to use this primitive stove...
But she believed in her own clever brain!
Finally, when night fell and she grew hungry again, she managed to produce a fragrant meal.
"Oh, modern technology, I miss you so much," Bai Sinan sighed, taking a tentative bite. *Hmm, not bad. As expected of me, it’s delicious.*
Completing a task through one's own hard work is always exciting, and she really wanted to share the fruits of her labor. So, she did.
Bai Sinan carried the dishes and trotted off to find Luochen.
Her sense of direction had always been excellent—she could memorize a path after walking it once—so she quickly found the Qingchen Palace where Luochen resided.
Bai Sinan peeked through the palace door. "Master, are you there?"
"Yes." Luochen’s cool voice came from behind her, giving Bai Sinan a start.
She rubbed her nose sheepishly, feeling a bit guilty. "Um, Master, I just made some food. Would you like to try some?"
"I have already achieved inedia," Luochen said calmly. "I do not eat mortal food."
"Oh... is it harmful if you eat it?"
Bai Sinan regretted the question the moment it left her lips. *What kind of nonsense am I spouting?* After reading so many cultivation novels, how could she not know that immortals eating mortal food would be tainted by the mundane, hindering their cultivation?
"It is not harmful," Luochen replied. "But it is useless."
"Oh?"
*Not harmful? That actually seems reasonable...*
"Since it’s not harmful, why don't you have some with me, Master? I made too much and can't finish it. Just think of it as keeping me company, please?" Bai Sinan tugged on his sleeve, swaying it back and forth, blinking her eyes pitifully at Luochen.
Luochen coughed lightly, feeling unable to parry her request.
He had never been close to anyone, accustomed to being alone; he had only taken this disciple on because of the karmic ties between them. Yet, her enthusiasm reminded him of someone else... someone from long ago.
"Master?"
Snapping back to the present, Luochen gave an involuntary nod.
Bai Sinan beamed. "Does that mean you agree, Master? Can you keep me company every day from now on? It’s just too lonely to eat by myself every day."
He preferred the quiet and hadn't wanted to agree, but seeing her excited, jubilant expression, Luochen found he couldn't bring himself to refuse. In the end, he simply said, "Very well."
Bai Sinan ate most of the meal while Luochen only had a few sips of the soup, but she was still overjoyed.
*Heh heh, an immortal eating with me. I can brag about this for the rest of my life.*
After the meal, Luochen said coolly, "Come to Qingchen Palace tomorrow morning."
Bai Sinan nodded quickly. "Yes, Master."