Chapter 454: The City Perfumed by Bloom
Inside Han Shi's dining hall, everyone was frozen in stunned silence.
Qi Han had originally planned to prepare the sole serving of Peony Fish Fillet tonight and share it with his staff— a small reward for their hard work these past days.
But he never imagined that the heavenly phenomenon of a 4 Star dish would be this overwhelming.
The moment the dish was brought out, Heaven and Earth essence surged toward the skies above Han Shi like a raging tornado.
Yes—above Han Shi, not above the dish.
Past heavenly phenomena, while impressive, had never been large in scale. They could stir the surrounding essence to a degree, but the actual consumption was minimal. The heavenly phenomenon would gather in a span of one or two meters above the dish, manifest briefly, then vanish.
More like… a visual special effect.
Though it counted as a "heavenly phenomenon," it was somewhat undeserving of the title.
But the heavenly phenomenon now forming above Han Shi had not even fully manifested, and yet the gathered essence had already turned into a river hundreds of meters long, winding across the heavens.
A heavenly phenomenon of such scale was unprecedented.
In a truer sense, this was a genuine phenomenon of heaven and earth.
Qi Han and the others were inside Han Shi and, logically, should not have been able to see something separated by multiple ceilings. Yet as long as they lifted their heads, it was as though the heavenly phenomenon hung right before their eyes.
"Ru Yi, is this some special feature of Han Shi's construction?" Qi Han asked inwardly, puzzled.
"No. This is a unique trait of the 4 Star heavenly phenomenon: the phenomenon follows the mind. As long as one gazes toward its direction, no object can obstruct the view."
So that was it.
Qi Han's shock deepened. He furrowed his brows and fixed his gaze on the heavenly phenomenon unfolding in the sky.
As the celestial river flowed, a tightly closed peony bud materialized between the heavens and earth, refusing to bloom even an inch.
The river slowly wound around the peony, and fleeting scenes glimmered upon its currents, illusory and dreamlike, appearing and vanishing in an instant before all eyes.
Qi Han's heart trembled violently.
Those scenes—no one was more familiar with them than he.
For they were fragments of the Food Realm, moments he had personally lived!
As the scenes played out, the peony's petals began to quiver as though moved by the story they painted. The bud loosened… then finally bloomed in full.
At that instant, a strange fragrance brushed past Qi Han's nose.
Not just Qi Han, everyone in Shrek City who laid eyes upon the heavenly phenomenon smelled the same scent, disregarding distance altogether.
At last, a 4 Star recipe's heavenly phenomenon no longer limited itself to sight and sound. It had begun to trespass upon more senses, becoming closer to reality itself.
The blooming peony—easily a hundred meters across—did not dissipate. Instead, it gradually broke apart into a rain of delicate pink petals, drifting down from the sky.
In the queue outside, Yue Lengxin gently extended her hand, catching a falling petal. It rested in her palm with the texture of a real flower before dissolving into a cascade of fragrant mist, leaving her with an inexplicable sense of loss.
Such beauty—could something like this… truly be just a dish?
Her clear eyes shifted toward Han Shi's closed doors, her heart surging with emotion.
A phenomenon spanning a hundred meters… normally, only a Spirit Saint at full power could create such a spectacle.
Yet, he had done so with a single dish.
…
In the dining hall, Qi Han lowered his head and watched the petal fade from his palm, his shock only growing.
The texture… was no different from a real flower.
Even separated by several floors, those petals from the phenomenon still drifted down without the slightest obstruction and landed right in their hands—yet their hands could stop the petals from falling further.
Such a miraculous scene clearly couldn't be explained by any physical law.
Fu Ya and the others stared blankly at the falling petals in the air before finally speaking up:
"Boss, is it really okay to treat such a precious dish as our staff meal?"
They only learned from Ye Lingqing that this dish was limited to a single serving per month. Even though no price had been announced, a dish this rare would surely be far more expensive than the Purple Card Dishes.
Now, after witnessing such a grand spectacle, they were utterly shaken. The thought that such a rare treasure was going to be eaten as a work meal left them feeling uneasy.
Qi Han glanced toward the outside, at the customers whose burning gazes seemed ready to pierce through the solid, light-blocking door. He sighed softly.
"…Yeah, that's not very appropriate now."
Originally, he had just planned to do what he did with the 3 Star recipes: cook one serving for the staff to taste, and try it himself as well.
But he never imagined the phenomenon would be so overwhelming. It exposed the dish instantly. If he insisted on letting the employees share it, the diners would feel like he was hoarding it for himself.
Forget it.
"I'll make each of you a serving of Yangzhou Fried Rice instead." Qi Han turned toward the kitchen. "As for this plate of Peony Fish Fillet…"
"Fu Ya, open the door and tell the diners they can each have one petal. Just think of it as thanks for supporting Han Shi these past days. Don't forget to try some yourselves."
"Okay!" The staff nodded quickly. As much as they were dying to eat the Peony Fish Fillet, they knew it really wasn't appropriate under these circumstances.
If it were unlimited, fine. But Peony Fish Fillet was one serving per month, meaning this plate was the only one for the entire month.
The moment Fu Ya opened the door, Tang Qianqiu and Qi Poxiao stepped inside, unable to restrain themselves any longer. A number of diners followed behind them.
"That dish just now was—"
Tang Qianqiu began to ask, but then his gaze froze on the Peony Fish Fillet placed on the staff table.
Resembling a true blooming peony, the dish was breathtaking. A fragrance he could hardly resist drifted toward him—just one whiff turned his mind blank.
Hiss… what kind of dish was this?
He coughed lightly.
"May this old man have a taste?"
"Er… this old man would like a taste as well."
Beside him, Qi Poxiao's face reddened.
Clearly, this was meant for the young staff to enjoy. With their seniority, snatching food from juniors was a bit shameful, yet the dish was simply too tempting.
"Our boss said this dish is a token of thanks for the diners' support. Each guest may try one petal," Fu Ya said with a gentle smile, easing the two seniors' embarrassment.
Tang Qianqiu hesitated after hearing that.
"Perhaps… we should just order one for ourselves later?"
Qi Poxiao nodded in agreement.
Such a gift made them feel guilty. Buying their own portion would at least feel proper—and they could eat more.
"The boss hasn't announced the price yet, but it's limited to one per month," Fu Ya replied with a troubled expression.
"So if the two of you want to order one, you'll have to wait until the boss comes back from his leave."
"In that case, we shall gratefully accept the boss's hospitality."
Tang Qianqiu coughed again, as if he had never said the previous words, and happily reached for the Peony Fish Fillet with his chopsticks.
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