When she was out, Song Miaozhu wanted to check her surveillance feed anytime—which meant the cameras had to be connected to the internet.
But she knew all too well: once something was online, there were no real secrets.
If someone really wanted to see, they'd find a way.
So she only installed surveillance cameras on the outer courtyard walls. Not a single one inside the house. Now that the spirit paper servant could replace surveillance (and do it even better and more securely), she immediately deactivated all the cameras she'd just set up.
Before heading to town that evening, Song Miaozhu left two paper puppets behind to keep the kittens company, taking three with her.
It had been days since she last visited Aunt Chen's Restaurant, and since there was still time, she figured she'd swing by and check in on Chen Shuanghe. Walking into the diner, she greeted the new server, then headed straight for the kitchen.
"Why are you wearing a mask? Got a cold?" Chen Shuanghe heard the beaded curtain rustle and looked up. When she saw who it was, concern softened her voice.
"No. Someone snapped a photo of me and posted it online," Song Miaozhu said, taking off the mask.
She'd brought it just in case and hadn't planned to wear it. But the moment she entered town, she spotted those all-too-familiar stares again, and that was enough to convince her to keep it on.
Chen Shuanghe quickly plated the spicy stir-fried pork from her wok and, during a brief pause, pulled out her phone to check. A second later, she burst into goose-like laughter:
"Pfft—HAHAHA! 'The Beauty Mystic'? That's actually kinda accurate!"
"Accurate, my ass! Keep laughing and I'll order a full table of spicy stir-fried pork, take off my mask, and sit out in the main dining area to eat. You'll be stir-frying until your arms fall off tomorrow!" Song Miaozhu retorted with a glare.
Chen Shuanghe gritted her teeth. "You know how to torture people."
Ever since learning that cooking could draw in spiritual energy, even her mother had gotten restless. First, they hired extra staff so both mother and daughter could focus on cooking.
Then, after Song Miaozhu mentioned that working too close would disrupt each other's energy absorption, her mother rented the shop next door, doubling the kitchen and dining space.
Now, they each had their own kitchen.
Even though her mother was the better cook (and had popularized several new dishes), Chen Shuanghe still only absorbed spiritual energy when making her signature pork-and-peppers.
So, naturally, all pepper-pork orders fell to her. No matter how much spiritual energy (and money) it brought in, Chen Shuanghe still resented it deeply.
If the orders piled up any further, she really would lose her mind.
"Don't be like that! From what I can see, the sickly energy around you is completely gone. Your hepatitis should be fully healed, right? It's working, isn't it?" Song Miaozhu said cheerfully.
"Healed?" Chen Shuanghe placed a hand on her upper right abdomen. "I don't feel anything at all."
"It probably cleared up two days ago," Song Miaozhu said. "You've mastered that spicy stir-fried pork to perfection—it's absorbing spiritual energy on its own now. Seems like all that practice really paid off. I can even see a faint spiritual glow on your hands. Haven't you noticed they've been more agile and stronger lately?"
"Now that you mention it—yeah, a little!" Chen Shuanghe said. "Normally, after swinging a wok around with that much force, my arms would be sore by now. But the past couple days, I've been fine."
In the kitchen next door, Aunt Chen heard the conversation and took advantage of a lull while her stew simmered to peek in.
"Miaozhu! You're here!" she beamed.
"Aunt Chen! You look so much younger!" Song Miaozhu said, surprised.
Aunt Chen laughed, patting her cheek. "All those age spots on my face are gone! People keep asking me if I got some kind of cosmetic procedure!"
"That's probably the spiritual energy at work," Song Miaozhu nodded. "You've got a clear glow around you."
"Really?" Aunt Chen's smile widened. "No wonder I've been feeling better and better these days. Oh, right—has Shuanghe's sickly aura faded?"
"It's completely gone," Song Miaozhu confirmed. "She's most likely fully recovered."
"That's wonderful! Just wonderful!" Aunt Chen was overjoyed. "Miaozhu, what would you like to eat? I'll make it for you!"
"Anything's fine," Song Miaozhu smiled. "Honestly, I don't need much food anymore. Spiritual energy kind of eliminates the need for regular meals."
"Eliminates nothing! Food is the essence of life!" Aunt Chen waved her off. "You sit tight. I'll whip up some of my best dishes for you. I've been feeling like my cooking's leveled up again—I won't let you down!"
Before Song Miaozhu could say anything, she had already bustled back into her own kitchen.
"You'd better just sit there and behave," Chen Shuanghe chuckled. "My mom wants you to taste-test her top-selling dishes lately—to see if they contain more spiritual energy or not."
Well, since she was already here, Song Miaozhu didn't object. After all, abstaining from food and enjoying food weren't the same thing.
"I came today for two reasons," Song Miaozhu said. "First, to check on your sickness qi. Second—to warn you and Auntie Chen."
She lowered her voice.
"The government formed a Spiritual Energy Investigation Units (SEIU) to oversee energy-related matters. The Lingcheng branch is already in our town. Since you both have traces of spiritual light, they might recruit you."
"SEIU? The government knows about all this?" Chen Shuanghe was stunned.
"There's no hiding it anymore," Song Miaozhu said.
"True. All those five-star chefs must be going through obvious changes too," Chen Shuanghe muttered. "Wait… with your viral video, did they already approach you? Did you join?"
"Not yet," Song Miaozhu said. "Their benefits are actually quite good, but I don't like being tied down."
"Wait, so if you join the SEIU, you have to follow orders? What about the diner? Would we still be able to run it?" Chen Shuanghe asked, concerned.
If she could still cook while being part of them, she'd honestly be kind of interested.
Song Miaozhu tilted her head. "Want me to introduce you to Lingcheng's team leader? They're short-handed—joining early has perks."
She leaned in. "More importantly, the SEIU arranges training sites for internal members. Spiritual energy particles are limited and regenerate slowly. I noticed your diner has fewer of them than last time. They also offer masterclasses—courses that can help refine your cooking skills."
Unlike her, Chen Shuanghe and her mother needed these opportunities.
Once the energy in their restaurant ran dry, they'd struggle to find new sources alone.
And as a humble eatery, Auntie Chen's had its limits.
Even if the food was delicious, the rate of energy absorption was relatively slow.
In all this time, neither of them had fully absorbed all the spiritual energy in the restaurant.
Joining the SEIU would accelerate their growth.
"I'll discuss it with Mom first," Chen Shuanghe finally said.