Chapter 196: The Aura of Main Heroine, Meng Wange!

Early morning. Thin rays of light began to peek through the sky as a few unknown birds gathered on the branches of a large parasol tree within the Su Residence, chirping and flapping their wings in the crisp air.

In her room, Meng Wange gently rubbed her eyes and sat up in bed. She turned to look at the black-and-white flip clock on her desk.

It was 5:16 AM. She was running a bit late, perhaps because last night’s banquet had drained too much of her energy…

Meng Wange shook her head, immediately stood up, and pulled a school shirt from the hanger to put it on.

‘I’ve run out of time to make excuses for myself. Better get moving. First, I’ll start the soup that takes longer to simmer. Also, if I remember correctly, Su Wanli said yesterday that her breakfast plate should be simpler, and the mashed potatoes need to be creamier. There isn’t enough time for the tomato braised beef, so I’ll change the recipe this time. I’ll choose some smaller but more exquisite French-style dishes instead.’

As she passed the dressing table in her room, Meng Wange caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

‘My hair is too messy, and my eyes look a bit puffy. Worst of all is this white shirt. Even though I tried to wash it after getting home, the drying time was too short. It still smells faintly of alcohol, and it wrinkles so easily—I’ll have to deal with it later.’

She exhaled softly and reached out to push open her bedroom door. However, just as Meng Wange’s fingertips touched the handle, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over her.

*Thud.*

“Oh, goodness! Sorry, Miss Su, I bumped into you…”

Seeing someone suddenly stumble out of the room, the kind, middle-aged housekeeper immediately raised her hands, waving the white rag in her grip.

“Oh, it’s Wange. You scared me. I thought I’d woken Miss Su from her sleep.”

Meng Wange steadied herself against the corridor wall and gave Zhang Ma a small, apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry, Zhang Ma. I didn’t mean it. I just didn’t rest well last night.”

“Oh? Then go sleep a bit longer! Making breakfast for the eldest miss is my job anyway. If President Su knew I was making you do this and that every day, he’d be furious.”

“He won’t, Zhang Ma. I’ll explain it to Uncle Su later. Please, don’t worry.”

Meng Wange waved a hand with a smile and headed toward the kitchen on the first floor.

‘Not bad. The ingredients are well-prepared. Zhang Ma even got some extra garnishes and herbs; I can use most of them.’

As for the items on the counter, it was the insulated lunch box she had asked Zhang Ma to prepare yesterday. With this, Su Wanli wouldn’t have to go to the cafeteria for lunch; she could enjoy home-cooked food in the classroom.

‘However, I still need to think carefully about the menu. I can’t let the flavor diminish over time…’

Meng Wange picked up a potato that had already been washed and was preparing to peel it. But before she could lift the peeler, her grip suddenly loosened, and the potato fell to the floor.

She bit her lip and tested the temperature of her forehead with her fingertips.

‘This cold… it doesn’t seem like something I can just ignore.’

‘It’s fine. I’ll handle the ingredients first. Su Wanli couldn’t finish all of her breakfast yesterday, so I’ll make fewer dishes this time but increase the portions. I’ll try to save steps where I can.’

Meng Wange shook her head and rubbed her temples to force herself to focus, beginning her plan for the day.

—

“Oh? Wange, are you finished with the kitchen?”

“Yes, breakfast is ready. I’ll have to trouble you to keep an eye on the stove for me. I’m going to wash up quickly and then go wake the young lady.”

“You’ve worked hard. Not only do you make the meals, but you even have to wake Miss Su. In the future, how about…”

“It’s no trouble, Zhang Ma. Thank you for your concern.”

Meng Wange untied her apron, gave Zhang Ma a polite nod, and turned to walk toward the spiral staircase of the Su Residence.

‘Next, I need to go to the bathroom to fix my hair. I absolutely cannot let Su Wanli see me looking this disheveled.’

‘Also, I need to plan what kind of makeup to do for her today. Since there are no special events, I’ll treat today as an extension of last night’s banquet. I’ll design a high-end, elegant look she likes, with an extra touch of an “ice queen” aura.’

‘The eyeshadow should be swept upward, with hints of red and glitter at the corners. For the hair, an elegant European court style, and for the lip color…’

Before she knew it, Meng Wange had arrived in the bathroom. Staring at the reflection in the mirror, she sighed inwardly.

‘After moving around for a while, the puffiness around my eyes has mostly faded, but my hair is still a mess.’

Furthermore, whether it was from exhaustion or the fever, a thin layer of sweat coated her face, making her look quite haggard.

‘An unmotivated person isn’t trustworthy, let alone capable of making Su Wanli feel like she can rely on me.’

‘Think hard, Meng Wange. Think of a way to perk yourself up.’

‘I can find a solution for my image, but as for my energy… Miss Su usually doesn’t focus much during class. I can use that time to take a quick nap. Hopefully, she won’t notice anything is wrong.’

After neatly arranging her hair into a bright, high ponytail, Meng Wange pressed a cool, damp towel to her face, forcing her forehead temperature down to a somewhat normal level.

‘Alright, I look fine on the outside. Next is my clothes…’

*Beep. Beep—*

Hearing the alarm from her pocket, Meng Wange’s heart skipped a beat.

It was 6:55 AM, the critical time when Su Wanli could wake up at any moment.

Her school uniform wasn’t perfectly neat yet, but she didn’t have time to fix every detail. She had to deal with the smell she hated most first.

Meng Wange sprayed two quick bursts of perfume onto her shirt, which still carried a faint scent of wine, and then hurried out of the bathroom to Su Wanli’s door.

‘Calm down. My movements need to be as gentle as possible. If I make too much noise and startle Su Wanli awake, her favorability of me might drop significantly.’

Meng Wange took a soft breath and slowly pushed open Su Wanli’s door.

The room was decorated in its usual luxurious, relaxed style, with the curtains drawn tight… and…

‘Wait. This time, Su Wanli’s clothes aren’t scattered everywhere. Instead, they’ve been folded and placed near her nightstand. Though they aren’t folded perfectly, it’s certainly more decent than before.’

‘Is it because of what I did yesterday? Did Su Wanli realize that I’ve been the one tidying her clothes lately?’

‘Honestly… she actually changed her habits. She could have just left everything to me.’

Meng Wange shook her head helplessly, set the clothes on the nightstand aside, and refolded them in her usual precise manner. Finally, she pulled the chair from the desk and sat quietly by Su Wanli’s bed.

Thankfully, just like the past few days, Su Wanli remained fast asleep before 7:00 AM, waiting for the first ray of morning sun to pierce through the curtains.

Gazing at Su Wanli’s peaceful face, Meng Wange’s lips quirked up slightly, and she leaned forward.

‘This face… it is so delicate and flawless, as if it has never been tainted by anything in this world.’

‘Does looking at her like this count as a form of blasphemy?’

*Rustle.*

As if sensing Meng Wange’s thoughts, the petite, black-haired girl frowned slightly in her sleep and rolled over. She turned her back toward the other side, but she remained within Meng Wange’s line of sight.

‘Well, since your wake-up time is so much later than mine, don’t blame me for watching.’

Meng Wange smiled faintly and rested her chin on her hands.

‘I’m sorry, Miss Su. Until you wake up, this little bit of time belongs entirely to me.’

‘I’ll consider it my only break for the day.’