Chapter 24 Wang Dong'er: Am I starving?
Wang Dong'er snorted heavily in her heart.
She wished she would never run into Dai Huabin again; seeing that guy's confident and arrogant demeanor made her furious.
But for some reason, the more I thought about it, the faster I walked.
In the middle of the snack street, Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu were weaving through the crowd.
Suddenly, a very peculiar and unique fragrance wafted over.
The aroma is a blend of the refreshing scent of perilla, the strong flavor of cumin, and the smoky aroma of the fish cooked over charcoal.
These flavors blend together perfectly, filling your nostrils and instantly overpowering the smells of other snacks around you.
"It smells so good." Zhu Lu took a deep breath, feeling a little hungry.
"It's up ahead," Dai Huabin pointed in the direction the aroma was coming from.
The two weaved through the crowded streets and found the source of the fragrance in a corner.
It was a very simple barbecue grill, with glowing red charcoal burning under the wire mesh.
A dozen or so students dressed in Shrek Academy uniforms had already gathered around.
Behind the grill, sweating profusely, was Huo Yuhao.
Tang Ya was standing at the front of the stall, holding two freshly grilled, golden-brown fish, and eating them with great relish, completely disregarding her image.
While eating, she didn't forget to shout out loud:
"Come and try it! Our exclusive secret recipe grilled fish, only five copper soul coins per fish! If you don't like it, you don't have to pay!"
Dai Huabin led Zhu Lu forward, preparing to pay for two to try.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from behind, followed by Wang Dong'er's highly recognizable clear voice.
"Wow! It smells so good! Xiao Xiao, Ya Jie, smell it! Is that the fragrance coming from over there?"
Dai Huabin turned around.
He bumped right into Wang Dong'er, who was squeezing out of the crowd.
Wang Dong'er's excitement froze instantly. She instinctively took half a step back, then suddenly puffed out her chest and, trying to appear calm, shouted loudly:
"What are you looking at! Haven't you ever seen me out for a late-night snack before?!"
Cui Yajie walked up from behind and very naturally took Zhu Lu's arm:
"Lulu, what a coincidence! You were also attracted here by this fragrance?"
Looking at Wang Donger's smug, yet secretly proud, expression, Dai Huabin deliberately drawled out his teasing tone:
"Shrek City is so big, even getting a late-night snack can be done with precision tracking. Wang Dong'er, you still need to practice your tracking skills."
"Who's following you! Don't flatter yourself!"
Wang Dong'er stomped her feet in anger, pointing at Huo Yuhao's stall and saying...
"I'm here to buy grilled fish!"
Huo Yuhao, who was behind the stall, looked up when he heard the arguing.
When he saw Dai Huabin standing at the front, his hand, which was turning the grill, suddenly stopped.
He recalled the humiliating days in the Duke's mansion and the tragic death of his mother.
The suppressed hatred in his heart surged up instantly, making his breathing become heavy.
But he knew he couldn't afford to offend Dai Huabin right now, so he could only bite his lip and force himself to keep turning the grilled fish in his hands.
Just then, Tang Ya spotted Dai Huabin walking towards them.
"Hey! Junior, you're here too!" Tang Ya waved excitedly and walked over in a few steps.
She moved closer to Dai Huabin and looked him up and down.
"What a coincidence, you were also drawn here by this fragrance, weren't you?" Tang Ya greeted her with a smile.
Dai Huabin looked at the senior student in front of him, who was eating with her mouth full of oil, and handed her a clean handkerchief.
"Senior Tang Ya, it's been a long time. The grilled fish smells really unique; I could smell it from far away."
Dai Huabin spoke in a familiar tone.
He had helped Tang Ya and Bei Bei in the Star Dou Great Forest, and their relationship was fairly good.
Tang Ya took the handkerchief, wiped her mouth, and turned to shout at the grilled fish stall:
"Yuhao, hurry up and grill two more skewers! It's on me, I'll pay!"
After saying that, she generously pulled out a few copper coins and slapped them on the wooden table next to the stall.
Huo Yuhao, who was behind the grill, paused slightly.
He put down the spice jar in his hand and took two more strings of cleaned grass carp from the side and placed them on the wire mesh.
"Um."
Huo Yuhao kept his voice very low.
Aside from sprinkling an extra handful of cumin, he didn't react in any other way.
Dai Huabin pulled Zhu Lu's hand over.
"You've gone to so much trouble, senior."
Dai Huabin introduced her generously, "This is my fiancée, Zhu Lu. We're just about to take a stroll down this street."
Zhu Lu bowed slightly: "Hello, Senior Tang Ya."
Tang Ya looked at Zhu Lu and clicked her tongue in admiration.
"Junior, you're really lucky with your fiancée. She's so beautiful and has such a great figure."
Tang Ya praised him without any reservation.
Zhu Lu rarely received such straightforward praise from outsiders, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she leaned gently against Dai Huabin.
Wang Dong'er couldn't stand it anymore.
She was already holding her breath because of the argument earlier, and now seeing Dai Huabin pretending to be a gentleman made her even angrier.
"Hey! You damn golden retriever!" Wang Dong'er protested loudly, hands on her hips.
"Don't you know any rules? Aren't you going to introduce this senior to us?"
Xiao Xiao tugged at Wang Dong'er's sleeve from behind, signaling her to keep her voice down.
Cui Yajie, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy the spectacle more, covering her mouth and secretly amused herself.
Dai Huabin turned to the side and pointed at Wang Dong'er.
"These are my classmates."
Dai Huabin's tone became somewhat perfunctory.
"The one in white with the worst temper is called Wang Dong'er."
"You're the one who's short-tempered!" Wang Dong'er immediately retorted.
Dai Huabin ignored her and continued pointing at the other two people.
"The pink-haired girl is named Cui Yajie, and her spirit is the Nine-Tailed Fox."
"The little green-haired girl next to me is called Xiao Xiao. She is a hidden genius with twin spirit souls."
Tang Ya shuddered when she heard the words "twin spirit souls".
She turned her head sharply, staring at the three girls with an expression as if she were looking at some priceless treasure.
These three girls are not only beautiful, but they are also quite talented to be able to know Dai Huabin.
If we can bring them into the Tang Clan, the Tang Clan's revival will be just around the corner.
Tang Ya quickly calculated in her mind how to fool people.
Dai Huabin ignored Tang Ya's plans and walked to the grill.
As the distance closes, the aroma, a blend of perilla and cumin, becomes even more intense.
He took out fifteen copper soul coins from his pocket and gently arranged them on the wooden table.
"Excuse me, could you please grill three more strips for me?" Dai Huabin said in a very calm tone.
Huo Yuhao kept his head down.
He stared at the charcoal fire, skillfully flipping the grilled fish and brushing it with a thin layer of oil.
Hearing Dai Huabin's calm tone, Huo Yuhao felt a strong sense of absurdity.
Is this the second young master who runs rampant in the Duke's mansion and treats the servants like dirt?
Is this the person who tolerated his subordinates bullying him and indirectly caused his mother's tragic death?
Why would I speak to a street vendor in such a polite tone now?
The concept of class is so well packaged on the outside.
Huo Yuhao gripped the bamboo skewer too tightly, causing the wooden skewer to deform slightly.
"Just a moment," he replied briefly.
Dai Huabin stared at Huo Yuhao for a while.
As a transmigrator, he was well aware of the hatred churning in Huo Yuhao's heart. But he insisted on pretending he knew nothing.
Dai Huabin leaned forward, his tone carrying just the right amount of doubt: "Excuse me, haven't we met somewhere before?"
Huo Yuhao suddenly stopped using the brush in his hand.
A drop of oil fell into the charcoal fire, sizzling and producing a puff of white smoke.
He clenched his teeth and suppressed all his emotions.
Don't act impulsively, and absolutely don't expose yourself here.
The Duke's power is too great; he is now less than an ant.
"No," Huo Yuhao replied in a low voice, "You've mistaken me for someone else."
Dai Huabin nodded thoughtfully.
"Maybe. There are just too many people in this world who look alike." Dai Huabin straightened up and didn't ask any more questions.
He was just testing the waters casually, trying to upset Huo Yuhao a little.
Dai Huabin turned his head and looked at the empty space next to him.
Tang Ya is now completely in the zone.
She pulled out several crumpled flyers from somewhere and forcefully stuffed them into Wang Dong'er and Xiao Xiao's hands.
"Come, come, junior sisters, let's learn about our Tang Clan!" Tang Ya was as enthusiastic as a salesperson, "The former number one hidden weapon sect on the continent!"
Cui Yajie held the corner of the flyer between two fingers, her face full of disgust.
"Senior, your promotional flyer is way too hasty."
Cui Yajie didn't hold back in her criticism.
Tang Ya blushed and tried to save face:
"That's called being low-key! Look at that young man grilling fish over there, he's a disciple we just accepted into the Tang Clan! Impressive, right!"
Xiao Xiao peeked out and glanced at the busy Huo Yuhao.
"So, Tang Clan disciples... have to sell grilled fish to supplement their income? Doesn't your top sect provide meals?"
This probing question left Tang Ya speechless.
Several freshmen in line nearby couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Wang Dong'er held the rough flyer, but unlike Cui Yajie, she didn't throw it away immediately.
She did have an inexplicable sense of affinity for the Tang Clan. Back in the Clear Sky Sect, her eldest and second fathers often mentioned the Tang Clan.
She looked up, her gaze passing over Tang Ya and landing on Huo Yuhao behind the grill.
The temperature in front of the grill is very high.
Huo Yuhao was wearing a faded gray coarse cloth shirt, the collar of which was completely soaked with sweat.
He moved very quickly.
Cut open the fish's belly, sprinkle in the seasoning, flip it over—the movements are all done in one smooth motion.
There are no unnecessary frills.
Wang Dong'er involuntarily took two steps forward.
strangeness.
That's really strange.
The guy selling grilled fish looks very ordinary, the kind you wouldn't notice in a crowd.
But why can't I keep looking in his direction?
It was as if there was an invisible force pulling at her attention from this person.
"Am I going crazy from hunger?" Wang Dong'er raised her hand and tapped her forehead.
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