Pig Cravings, Bird Stomach

Shen Rui'an had no objections to any of these, but he was still cautious, adding only chopped scallions at first. After hesitating, he added another spoonful of diced white radish. He had heard that this was a signature side dish for luosifen and helped cut through the richness.

Shen Rui'an picked up a piece of diced radish and brought it close to smell it. Once he confirmed there was no strange odor, he took a bite. The peculiar sweet-and-sour flavor stimulated his taste buds and whetted his appetite.

He picked up another piece of tofu skin, softened by the broth, opened his mouth, and ate it in one go. The moment it entered his mouth, an intense flavor burst across his palate. Combined with the texture of the tofu skin, it was utterly irresistible. He could not help picking up another piece, but this one had not been soaked in the broth and was crisp instead, carrying a fragrant soybean flavor.

Delicious! Each had its own flavor!

Shen Rui'an picked up a bundle of luosifen noodles, lifting them high and blowing on them. Then he carefully fed small mouthfuls into his mouth, slurping the noodles cautiously. He was afraid that if he used too much force, he would choke.

The salty, fragrant, mildly spicy noodles entered his mouth. The rice noodles were pleasantly chewy and coated in broth, making them incredibly addictive.

Shen Rui'an picked up another bundle. He thought the noodles soaked in the broth were too hot, so he lifted them high to let them cool before slowly eating them. When he reached the end, he bit off the portion that had been submerged in the broth, which was just enough for one mouthful. This way, he would not burn his mouth or choke on the broth, while still getting to taste the luosifen soup.

Shen Rui'an thought he was simply too clever!

With that thought, he ate even more happily. Before he knew it, he had finished two-thirds of it. By then, he was starting to feel full, so he finally began eating the braised egg that had been soaking in the soup all along.

The braised egg, thoroughly infused with the braising liquid, was rich and fragrant. He liked braised eggs. They were not as bland as boiled eggs, nor were they as dry and choking.

He took a bite, then used the remaining half of the braised egg to scoop up a little broth. Eating it this way ensured that the flavors of the egg and luosifen blended perfectly, while also making the yolk less likely to stick in his throat. In his mouth, the yolk had a sandy texture and melted at once, filling his mouth with savory fragrance.

He picked up a braised quail egg that Su Tingbai had placed on the side plate and ate it in one bite. Perhaps because quail eggs were smaller and absorbed the flavor more easily, they were even more satisfying than braised chicken eggs.

After finishing it, he took a sip of chilled soy milk to soothe his throat, then looked at the braised chicken feet and duck webs with shining eyes.

These two things appeared especially often in those mukbang videos. He was dying of curiosity!

Without another word, he picked up a piece and stuffed it into his mouth.

Su Tingbai rested his face against one hand, watching him like an innocent little kitten cautiously extending one paw to test the cat food offered by a human.

Shen Rui'an ate with complete absorption, his face full of enjoyment. Yet his table manners were excellent, without the slightest messiness, making anyone who watched him feel their appetite stir.

There were many people in the mukbang scene, with all kinds of eating styles. Everyone had their own flair. As a food blogger, Su Tingbai also watched mukbangs sometimes. Little Zhu from his team also made food look especially appetizing when he ate. For that reason, Su Tingbai would give him a close-up in the final shot of his food videos, conveying how deliciously he was eating and making viewers more likely to crave the food. It was also one of the distinctive features of his account. Only with a memorable hook could people remember it.

Watching Shen Rui'an, Su Tingbai felt that if others saw him on camera, they would definitely feel like eating too. He gave people the feeling of watching a kitten eat—elegant and adorable. Not only did it not diminish one's appetite, it even made him look delicious. If Shen Rui'an became a mukbang streamer, he would probably make a name for himself as well.

But with Shen Xiaoyao's family background, even if he never went out to work for the rest of his life, he would have enough money to support himself for several lifetimes.

Su Tingbai watched Shen Rui'an eat until he became hungry himself, so engrossed that he lost track of time.

"Woof, woof!"

Baisui snuffled as he finished the minced-meat porridge in his bowl, then happily ran over and circled around his owner's feet.

Shen Rui'an chewed slowly and carefully, and before he knew it, he had eaten more than half the luosifen. He had finished nearly all the toppings, leaving only a few peanuts and pickled bamboo shoots.

Bamboo shoots were considered inflammatory food. Shen Rui'an was frail, so he did not eat much of them. Though they were refreshing and crisp, he thought he had shown considerable restraint.

He had also eaten more than half the noodles. As for the other toppings, most had a little left. Although Su Tingbai had considered that Shen Rui'an might not be able to eat much due to his poor appetite and had prepared only small portions—just one or two pieces each—Shen Rui'an had still finished them.

Only the pig trotter remained untouched, because he was too full.

Shen Rui'an reluctantly shifted his gaze away from the pig trotter. "Can I save it for lunch?"

He pointed at the untouched pig trotter. There was only one, but it was huge.

He had eaten the braised egg, quail eggs, chicken feet, and duck webs. He had also finished all the toppings in the luosifen—tofu skin, water spinach, and wood ear mushrooms. There was still some broth and other things left uneaten, but he was already very full.

Shen Rui'an only regretted having just one stomach. Still, he had eaten far more than usual today, so it was inevitable that he felt stuffed.

It was a little uncomfortable.

He frowned slightly.

Su Tingbai put away the pig trotter. When he turned around and saw Shen Rui'an rubbing his stomach, he asked, "Uncomfortable?"

Su Tingbai calculated Shen Rui'an's food intake and found it pitifully small. This bowl of luosifen was not a large portion, less than four ounces. Even with all the other toppings, Shen Rui'an had not finished it. It was clear how little he normally ate.

He had not eaten much barbecue yesterday either. No wonder he was so thin.

Still, he had quite the appetite for food—classic pig cravings, bird stomach.