A Mortifying Awakening

“Mmm~”

Feiluo slowly stirred awake, rubbing her eyes and wiping away the tears that had welled in their corners.

“Where am I…?”

Glancing around, she found herself seated at the dining table.

Before her, the table was laden with an array of rich, delicious dishes, all still steaming, clearly having been prepared only moments ago.

‘How did I get here? I remember being in my room…’

Suddenly, the scene that had unfolded in her room earlier flashed through Feiluo’s mind.

She clapped her hands over her cheeks in embarrassment, a deep blush spreading across her entire face, even staining her ears crimson.

‘Ugh, ugh, ugh~’

‘Master saw me in that outfit!’

‘It’s too humiliating!’

‘How am I ever going to face Master again?’

‘I’m exhausted. Let the world end.’

‘No, wait. Even if the world does end, I need to change out of this nightdress first!’

“My nightdress… huh?”

Feiluo quickly looked down to check her attire, only to find that the nightdress she distinctly remembered wearing had vanished without a trace.

In its place was a red hooded pajama set.

The hood was adorned with a pair of three-dimensional cat ears, while the fabric on the chest was embroidered with adorable cat paw prints.

Its cuffs featured paw pad patterns, and a fluffy short tail dangled from the back, giving the whole ensemble a warm, soft, and utterly charming appearance.

This was the pajama set Moxi had specially commissioned the sect’s master tailor to custom-make for her.

It was, without a doubt, her absolute favorite.

“How could this be? I clearly remember wearing that nightdress. How did it turn into this cat pajama set?”

Feiluo was not only bewildered but utterly perplexed, scratching her head as the two cat ears atop it swayed gently with her movements.

“Awake already? Dinner’s just ready, so you can start eating.”

Just then, a voice drifted over.

Following the sound, she saw Moxi approaching, her hands enveloped in spiritual energy, carrying an earthenware pot from which steam continuously escaped through the lid’s gaps.

Observing Feiluo’s bewildered expression, Moxi chuckled lightly, “What’s wrong? Did you sleep so much you’ve gone silly? You’re usually so eager and happy when it’s time to eat.”

Seeing Moxi acting completely normal, just as she always was, Feiluo froze, bewildered.

‘Eh?!’

‘Why is Master reacting like this?’

‘I remember she already saw me in that outfit, didn’t she?’

‘Why is she acting as if nothing happened?’

Feiluo watched blankly as Moxi placed the earthenware pot on the dining table and lifted its lid.

Instantly, a plume of steam, several times larger than before, erupted, accompanied by an enticing aroma that filled the air.

Feiluo’s delicate nose twitched slightly, her attention completely drawn by the fragrance.

Identifying the scent, her eyes lit up—it was her favorite Bright Jade Glazed Porridge!

Well, her favorite among all porridges, that is.

Moxi picked up a porcelain bowl and ladled a serving of Bright Jade Glazed Porridge, placing it before Feiluo.

Feiluo gazed at the steaming porridge before her, yet she didn’t immediately begin to eat.

If it weren’t for the lingering confusion about how her clothes had been changed and how she had ended up here, she would have likely already eagerly scooped a large bowl of porridge and devoured it.

Moxi settled into a chair, ladled a bowl for herself, and took a sip.

Noticing Feiluo wasn’t digging in with her usual gusto, Moxi asked with a smile, “What’s wrong? Are you still half-asleep from a dream?”

‘A dream?’

Feiluo felt the fog that enveloped her mind suddenly part, allowing a ray of sunshine to pierce through.

A wave of enlightenment washed over her.

‘That’s right!’

‘It was a dream!’

‘Everything that happened earlier must have been a dream!’

‘I never actually put on that nightdress!’

‘After I threw the nightdress away, I simply drifted off to sleep.’

‘Master seeing me in that Qīngqú nightdress must have been part of the dream.’

‘I didn’t actually do any of those things!’

‘After all, how could I wear something so shameless?’

‘It’s perfectly logical, isn’t it?’

With this realization, Feiluo felt a huge weight lift from her heart, making her feel considerably lighter.

‘As for why I’m at the dining table, that’s just a minor detail!’

‘Maybe I was sleepwalking!’

Having forcefully convinced herself, Feiluo eagerly picked up the Bright Jade Glazed Porridge and, with a series of gulps, directly consumed more than half the bowl.

She paid no mind whatsoever to the scalding temperature of the porridge.

‘Are you kidding? I’m a phoenix!’

‘What phoenix would ever be scalded by high temperatures?’

“Hah~”

Feiluo let out a sigh of contentment, setting down the bowl she held.

The porridge in the bowl was completely gone, with only a thin layer remaining at the bottom.

She picked up the ladle, served herself another bowl, and began slurping it down once more.

Moxi said helplessly, “Don’t eat so fast; there’s plenty of porridge, more than enough for you.”

Feiluo flashed a silly, innocent smile.

After dinner, Feiluo sat on the sofa, rubbing her full belly, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu.

It seemed she had also overeaten at noon.

Oddly enough, her appetite had been growing steadily lately.

Despite having consumed such a huge amount of food at lunchtime, she found herself feeling intensely hungry again by evening.

‘Hmm…’

‘Could I have contracted some illness?’

‘But I’m a Nascent Soul cultivator. What terrifying ailment could possibly afflict me?’

If such a disease existed that could even affect Nascent Soul cultivators, then surely all lower-level cultivators in the world would have already succumbed.

Moxi, having finished washing the dishes, sat beside Feiluo. Her expression and tone were solemn as she spoke:

“My dear disciple, you’ve grown up. By rights, I shouldn’t interfere with your interests or hobbies.”

Feiluo blinked, tilting her head, completely failing to grasp what her Master was suddenly getting at.

Then, her bewildered expression transformed into one of utter mortification, as shame and embarrassment crept across her cheeks.

For Moxi was holding a white, somewhat transparent nightdress, made of very little fabric.

It was precisely that nightdress, the one Hua Yingyue had given Feiluo!

Moxi said earnestly, “Master knows you’ve reached an age where you might be interested in romance, but something like this…”

She paused to choose her words carefully: “This… skimpy nightdress is still too soon for you. It’s not something you should be exposed to right now.”

She then paused again, adding, “I’ll hold onto this nightdress for you for now. When you find a girl you truly like, I’ll give it back to you, alright?”

Feiluo wasn’t truly listening to Moxi’s words; by then, her face was completely flushed, wisps of steam seemed to rise from her head, and her mind was utterly consumed by shame.

‘So it wasn’t a dream after all!’

‘Wuwuwuwu, just as I thought, waking up and hoping all embarrassing things were just dreams is utterly delusional.’

‘I’m truly mortified beyond belief!’

In response to Moxi’s question, Feiluo merely let out a faint, subconscious “Mhm,” and then sank back into her state of utter social demise.

Seeing Feiluo was on the verge of fainting from embarrassment again, Moxi decided not to tease her disciple any further. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be good if she actually fainted.

Indeed, everything that had happened earlier—from helping Feiluo change her clothes to moving her to the chair in the dining room—had been part of Moxi’s careful plan.

Her sole purpose was to witness her disciple’s current shy and adorable appearance.

‘Isn’t she just utterly adorable?’

It was a pity her dear disciple was already on the verge of fainting from shame, or Moxi could have admired her cute appearance a little longer.

Moxi gazed at Feiluo’s expression with a hint of lingering reluctance for a few more moments.

Seeing her eyes had turned into spiraling “mosquito coils,” indicating she was about to pass out, Moxi finally decided to change the subject.

“Alright, now that the serious talk is done,” she gently ruffled Feiluo’s hair and said, “Didn’t you say you wanted to bathe with me? What? Not planning to go anymore?”

‘Bathe?’

The suggestion instantly captured her attention. Feiluo’s muddled thoughts cleared, and she nodded vigorously, exclaiming, “I want to go! I want to go!”

“Then let’s go,” Moxi said with a smile.