Before being punished, Glek went to see Xia Qingqing and told her that the Marshal and the others already knew about her.

"Well, so be it if they know," Xia Qingqing wasn't particularly concerned; she never even considered that her identity could be kept secret.

She has been flawed from the moment she appeared in this world; it would be strange if the marshal and the others couldn't see the problem.

Glek comforted him, "But you don't need to worry, the Marshal has assured me that he won't hurt you."

These words surprised Xia Qingqing. She could tell that Glek held the Imperial Marshal in high esteem, but she didn't expect him to choose to protect her.

In fact, she could understand even if Glek sided with the Marshal. After all, she was ultimately an outsider, how could she compare to the idol he had admired for over a decade?

"Thank you, Glek," Xia Qingqing said solemnly to Glek.

Glek was a little embarrassed and scratched the back of his head sheepishly: "Don't mention it. Aren't we friends? Besides, I'm the only person you know in the entire intergalactic world. If I don't protect you, who will?"

"I have something very important to do right now, so I'll stop talking to you for now and come see you again tomorrow," Gladley said, preparing to leave. He figured he could probably finish the run before tomorrow if he tried his best.

Xia Qingqing said understandingly, "Okay, then you can go ahead and get busy."

"Then, then I'm leaving," Glek said, his expression as if he were going to his death.

After learning that Morris and Caesar knew her background, Xia Qingqing decided to let loose and refused when Caesar invited her to dinner again.

Xize asked with a smile, "Miss Xia, do you not like the cooking skills of the Marshal's Mansion chef? I'll have someone send you a batch of nutrient solution."

"No need, I have my own food. Wait for me a moment," Xia Qingqing said, then went back to her room and brought out a large food box.

"Xize, these are what I prepared for you and the Marshal. I don't know if they suit your tastes."

Xize looked at Xia Qingqing with some surprise. He didn't expect her to take the things out so openly. He and the marshal thought that she would try to hide it from them.

"I am very grateful to the Marshal for letting me stay at the Marshal's Mansion for the time being. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know. Consider it as my rent payment," Xia Qingqing said playfully.

Rather than engaging in a back-and-forth of probing, she preferred to be upfront from the start, hoping for a positive experience in interstellar travel over the next few months.

Xize smiled and nodded: "I will convey these words to the Marshal. Thank you for the food, Miss Xia. Please feel free to let me know if you need anything."

After saying that, he turned around, picked up the food box, and left.

Morris raised an eyebrow in surprise: "She really said that?"

"Yes, it's quite unexpected, isn't it? But she's a smart person," Xize said with admiration, then eagerly opened the food box on the table.

This food box has four layers. The first layer is rice, and the next three layers are filled with vegetables, two of each.

As soon as the lid was lifted, the aroma of the food filled the entire room.

"Wow, it looks delicious," Caesar swallowed unconsciously and quickly set out a bowl and chopsticks for Morris.

Caesar only started eating after Maurice had started.

"Delicious, so delicious! No wonder Miss Xia doesn't like the chef's food."

"Marshal, please try this, it's so delicious."

"Phew, this is a bit spicy, Marshal, please eat less."

A moment later, the two of them had eaten all six dishes on the table.

Xize was still somewhat unsatisfied: "If only I could eat such delicious food every day. Marshal, do you think Miss Xia would agree if I asked her to teach me how to cook?"

"Give it a try. If you can learn these skills, I'll reward you with a new mech," Morris promised with a smile.

Once Xize learns to cook, he can eat such delicious meals every day.

Xize's eyes lit up with surprise: "I'll go find Miss Xia right away."

Morris called out to him, "No rush, let him rest for a bit first."

"Um, okay, I'll go later then," Xize said, sitting back down in his seat.

......

Xia Qingqing looked at Xize in surprise: "You mean you want to learn to cook with me?"

“Yes, Miss Xia, can you teach me?” Xize asked sincerely.

“Well, it’s not impossible, but do you have the time? Or you could arrange for a chef from the Marshal’s Mansion to come and learn from me,” Xia Qingqing said with a smile.

After all, Caesar was the first adjutant to the Imperial Marshal, a position of considerable importance. He was also very busy with his daily duties, so there was no need for him to waste time cooking.

Xize quickly shook his head: "No need, I'll learn."

How can what the chef learned be the same as what he learned? The chef might quit at any time, and then he and the marshal wouldn't be able to eat each other's cooking anymore.

So he has to learn it himself, so he can make it whenever he wants to eat it in the future.

Hearing him say that, Xia Qingqing didn't object anymore: "Okay, do you have time now? How about I start teaching you now?"

"Yes, yes, yes, what do I need to prepare?" Xize asked excitedly.

Xia Qingqing shook her head: "Let's go check the kitchen first."

Xize immediately took Xia Qingqing to the kitchen, as it was not mealtime and the kitchen was empty.

Xia Qingqing glanced around and found that the kitchen was very clean, without a trace of oil or smoke. If she hadn't been told that this was the kitchen, she would never have guessed.

"Where are the cooking tools, ingredients, and seasonings?" Xia Qingqing asked in confusion.

Xize pressed a few buttons on the wall, and the cabinet embedded in the wall slowly opened, instantly filling the empty kitchen with that aroma.

"Cool!" Xia Qingqing exclaimed softly.

The entire left wall was a food storage area, containing some ingredients that Xia Qingqing was familiar with, and others that she had never seen before.

The vegetables and fruits that Xia Qingqing found familiar were all cultivated from the seeds she provided.

Xia Qingqing found an apron and put it on: "Let's start with simple vegetables. Actually, the cooking methods are all pretty much the same. The key is to control the heat."

She had also eaten vegetables prepared by the Marshal's Mansion chef in the past two days. They were all boiled in water, without any salt or oil, and the taste was really hard to describe.

"Watch carefully, first you need to dry out the water in the pan, then add oil so that it won't splatter everywhere. After the oil is hot, add the vegetables... and finally add some salt," Xia Qingqing explained the key points of stir-frying.

As Xize listened, he took notes on his personal computer. Before he could figure out what was going on, the dish was already cooked.

"Miss Xia, is this all? It doesn't seem difficult."