ABFMV Chapter 5 Part 1

Xu Linlang wondered why the little cat had such a dramatic reaction, finally deciding it must not be used to human affection yet.

“Alright, Snowball, I won’t kiss you anymore. I’ll step out to get you something to eat. Be good and wait for me in the bedroom.”

That coaxing, childlike tone only made the already embarrassed kitten feel even more humiliated.

The poor thing wanted nothing more than to crawl into the farthest corner of the bed and disappear.

Xu Linlang found the sight amusing, but this time she held back her laughter, worried about bruising the kitten’s oversized pride.

She pushed open the bedroom door and, relying on the original host’s memories, headed toward the kitchen.

Xu Linlang swore she had never resented the wealthy before, but after taking in the Marshal’s residence up close, only one thought filled her mind:

Damn rich people.

From the outside, it just looked like a massive, towering villa. But inside, this was practically a castle.

Sheer drapes floated in the air, murals and reliefs covered every wall, and the floors were spread with handwoven cashmere rugs scattered with fresh rose petals.

Gold and crimson filled the space, sacred and romantic all at once.

If someone told her this was a medieval emperor’s palace, she would have believed it.

The moment her foot touched the plush carpet, a middle-aged man in uniform with gold-rimmed glasses approached.

“Young Miss, is there anything you need?”

His smile was purely professional, lacking any warmth—clearly just part of his duty.

Xu Linlang recognized him as the Marshal’s long-serving butler, who had worked for the family most of his life. She responded politely, “I’d like to go to the kitchen to find some food for my cat.”

The butler gave her a discreet once-over before stepping ahead to lead the way.

Inside the kitchen, a cook was humming a tune while watching an intelligent robot knead dough at the counter. But the moment Xu Linlang walked in, the woman froze.

Why has the Young Miss come to the kitchen? Was she dissatisfied with the recent meals?

The cook’s heart sank. She greeted Xu Linlang in a trembling voice, her entire body tense with fear.

Everyone knew the Young Miss had a terrible temper. At the slightest displeasure, she would punish the servants.

It wasn’t life-threatening, but the humiliation she dealt out was enough to make people wish they were dead.

She was like a living nightmare.

And right now was the worst possible time.

Not long ago, General Lu’s son, Lu Xiao, had rejected the Young Miss’s confession outright. He had even said, in front of everyone, that he would never like someone so arrogant and domineering—that he would rather marry the low-born Yao Mo than a spoiled heiress born with a golden spoon in her mouth.

Yao Mo’s name was no stranger to anyone. This year, she had been admitted to Lilan Military Academy’s Mecha Division with the top score, setting a record as the highest-ranking civilian candidate in the school’s history.

She was hailed as the pride of the common folk. Even many nobles had begun to court her, extending olive branches.

Countless people sighed over her humble birth, lamenting that if only she were the Marshal’s daughter instead of Xu Linlang.

With Xu Linlang’s notorious personality, no one could really blame Lu Xiao for looking down on her.

The Young Miss had been furious, but because of her feelings for Lu Xiao, she hadn’t dared retaliate against him.

Since then, the entire household staff had been living in fear, terrified she might take out her anger on them.

The cook, desperate not to make a mistake, bowed quickly—but in her haste, her left foot tripped over her right.

Crash!

She fell hard, knocking over the serving cart beside her. Dishes spilled everywhere, staining the luxurious carpet.

It was over. Everything was over.

The cook squeezed her eyes shut in despair, bracing for the Young Miss’s furious scolding and punishment.

The sudden noise startled Xu Linlang. She lowered her gaze to see the cook trembling on the floor.

Before she could say anything, the woman dropped to her knees, pressing her forehead close to the ground. Her fingers shook as she pleaded, “Young Miss, I didn’t mean to! Please forgive me!”

Xu Linlang stared, bewildered. It was just a spill. Couldn’t they just clean it up?

Why was she acting as if it were a catastrophe?

What had this poor cook gone through to be so terrified over such a small mistake?

Xu Linlang silently reflected. The original Young Miss must have been truly cruel to leave the servants this frightened.

No, she couldn’t let that continue. It was time to change this “villainess” image, to rewrite how people saw her.

Otherwise, if she kept playing the arrogant tyrant, she’d be digging her own grave.

With a gentle tone, she said, “Get up first.”

The cook flinched, wide-eyed, wondering if she had misheard.

She pinched her leg hard, just to be sure this wasn’t a dream.

The Young Miss… wasn’t angry?

Scrambling up, the cook bowed again. “Thank you, Young Miss, for your mercy.”

“I’d like some cooked beef and shrimp,” Xu Linlang said.

The cook, still dazed, answered repeatedly while pressing buttons on the machine. A chubby little robot pulled a cut of meat from the freezer, sliced it into neat pieces, and slid it into the oven.

It removed the odor, brushed on layer after layer of heavy sauce, then sprinkled the top with roasted cumin seeds.