Xiao Xun took out his wallet from the car and pulled out a wad of money. "Here's half a month's salary to start. Make your parents happy too."
Guan Jiawen hesitated to take it. Xiao Xun directly stuffed it into her arms. "Take it! Keep some for yourself, don't give it all to your family."
"Then when do I leave?"
Xiao Xun hadn't quite figured it out yet; he needed to clarify things about the ring. "I'll contact you by phone later. Wait for me at the designated spot then."
Guan Jiawen nodded solemnly, then quietly said thank you and got out of the car, wrapping the money in her clothes.
Xiao Xun drove back to the villa. As soon as he entered, he smelled a rich aroma.
Sister Mei truly lived up to her professional housekeeper title, preparing dishes that were a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate, rivaling the private kitchens of the Michelin three-star restaurants.
"With this skill, being a housekeeper is a waste of your talent."
Sister Mei waved her hand. "You're too kind. I'm just cooking casually. People are used to rich and elaborate dishes outside. Eating my home-style cooking occasionally makes it seem flavorful. If you ate it constantly, it would just be ordinary."
Sister Mei was being modest, but Xiao Xun wasn't exaggerating. Sister Mei could cook bird's nest, abalone, and lobster. These skills weren't just stated; they were the mark of a top chef.
Apart from the presentation, the taste, color, and cooking time surpassed those of many great chefs. Even the simple dipping sauce was a mystery to Xiao Xun; he couldn't figure out all the ingredients or how they were combined.
Mu Jiahe simply ate with her head down, not saying a word.
After dinner, back in the bedroom, Xiao Xun savored the taste of the meal and commented, "Sister Mei is no ordinary person. She must be someone special."
Mu Jiahe dismissed it, "Just because she cooks well?"
"No, definitely not just that. When Yun Mei was here, did you ever eat abalone, lobster, or bird's nest that she made?"
Mu Jiahe thought for a moment. "Who remembers that?"
"Never. That's because Yun Mei had never even seen those things. So, she wouldn't know whether to boil or fry those ingredients. But Sister Mei is different. Her cooking methods and skills are undoubtedly those of a top chef, better than those of an average five-star hotel chef. Someone like that, why would she be a housekeeper?"
Hearing Xiao Xun's words, Mu Jiahe asked, "What do you mean? You want to investigate her background?"
Xiao Xun caught the slight edge in Mu Jiahe's voice and quickly waved his hands. "No need for that, I'm just curious."
"Everyone has their own story. There's no need to pry too much. If you think Sister Mei should stay, let her stay. If you think she shouldn't, let her go. Why go to such lengths to find out? Her story might not be something you want to hear, and she might not want to tell it."
After listening to Mu Jiahe's lecture, Xiao Xun responded with an "Oh." Different perspectives lead to different ways of viewing and handling things.
Xiao Xun had indeed initially wanted to explore Sister Mei's true identity out of curiosity. Hearing Mu Jiahe's words, he felt at ease. Everyone has their own burdens; why dig into someone's past and uncover secrets they prefer to keep hidden?
Upon returning to the other world, as dawn was just breaking, Empress Sailerpes had someone drive Xiao Xun and herself to the royal mausoleum.
It was already cold in winter, and the royal mausoleum, with its sparse atmosphere, felt chillingly bleak when the wind blew, sending shivers down one's spine.
In the center of the mausoleum stood a castle-like structure. With the help of the tomb guards, the special chamber for coffins was opened.
Sailerpes led Xiao Xun to a coffin and, without looking back, said to Xiao Xun in a cold tone, "This is my father's coffin. He's been dead for nine years. Are you sure you want to see it?"
Xiao Xun, having returned from battle, was not afraid of dead bodies, so he nodded. "Yes."
Sailerpes stepped back and said to the tomb guards, "Open the coffin!"
The tomb guards, one in front and one behind, simultaneously exerted force and opened the coffin lid. Inside, there were no bones as expected, only a King's Sword.
Xiao Xun glanced at it and then said to Sailerpes, "Your father is not inside."
To his surprise, Sailerpes didn't even lift her eyelids. "He is resting peacefully inside."
Xiao Xun rubbed his eyes, confirming he wasn't seeing things and there was no illusion. He even felt an urge to pick up the sword.
Sailerpes turned to two of the tomb guards and said, "Tell Duke Svein whether my father is inside or not."
The two tomb guards resolutely replied, "He is." From the moment they came down to the opening of the coffin, they had never looked up, let alone glanced inside the coffin.
Whatever was inside might have been visible for a moment when the coffin was opened, but they would never speak of it.
Facing this scene, Xiao Xun instantly understood the Empress's meaning and nodded. "Your Majesty is right. Close it."
He knew there was no need to dwell on this issue any longer. Regardless of whether Gatliodor had become a member of the blood race, he could only be a dead body lying in the mausoleum. Anyone outside claiming to be Gatliodor would be a fake, with no exceptions, and no exceptions would be allowed.
On the way back to the city, neither of them spoke. Sailerpes believed Xiao Xun understood her intentions. Xiao Xun knew that an emperor is an emperor, regardless of gender or status. Even though their positions were extraordinary, and even though she showed him endless care and affection, she was the emperor. She represented the country and could not tolerate any blemish, at least not during her lifetime.
Although he now knew that the spatial ring had side effects, Xiao Xun could only grit his teeth and use it, then have the accompanying priest heal him and mend his damaged internal organs.
Bai Yang was curious about Xiao Xun's ability to achieve spatial movement through a magical artifact, but he never dared to ask Xiao Xun directly.
However, Xiao Xun was not foolish; he had the ability to read people's expressions. After all, Bai Yang had stared at it so many times that it was stuck in his eyes, so how could Xiao Xun not understand what he meant?
He took off the spatial ring and handed it to Bai Yang. "Could you take a look for me? Is there anything wrong with this ring?"
Bai Yang extended his hands, carefully took the ring, and examined it closely. Then he put on the ring, disappeared from his spot, and reappeared instantly.
After doing all this, Bai Yang took off the ring and returned it to Xiao Xun with both hands.
Xiao Xun picked up the ring and put it on. "Did you find anything wrong?"
Bai Yang nodded. "This ring is a very good magical artifact, but..."
Xiao Xun was very curious. "But what?"
"It's missing a part. This ring was originally not like this. Because something is missing, the wormhole is unstable after use. If the distance is too great, the temporary wormhole created could cause spatial distortion, easily injuring the organs within the body."
Xiao Xun suddenly understood. So that's why he was injured.
"Can you tell what's missing?"
Bai Yang shook his head gently. "I can't tell. I haven't encountered this type of magical artifact before. However, judging by its appearance, either there were auxiliary gems on the setting, or there were inscriptions or golden threads within the band that have been worn away."
Xiao Xun understood clearly; it turned out he was wearing a defective product.