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Old Zhang hurriedly brought over two warmed stuffed flatbreads and a plate of soy-braised beef, which Lu Ao quickly finished as well.

As Old Zhang watched him eat, he said, "The police came by these past two days. After you got back, go to the police station and let them know. Don't worry, all those little punks have been caught. The ringleader's crimes are enough to get him executed."

Lu Ao nodded.

Old Zhang went on, "That Liao Hekang who borrowed loan-shark money scammed other people out of their cash. The police are after him, but he ran away. He's a fugitive now."

Old Zhang knew what Lu Ao cared about and told him everything one by one.

Lu Ao nodded at it all.

Old Zhang's wife, Zhao Xuelan, came out carrying dumplings. She wrung her fingertips, reddened from the heat, looking deeply guilty. "This is all Auntie's fault. I introduced you to such a rotten person. Auntie really let you down. Let me apologize to you."

Lu Ao shook his head. "It's not your fault. You can know a person's face but not their heart. You meant well."

Zhao Xuelan's eyes immediately reddened. She lifted her apron and wiped her eyes with the inside of it.

After what happened to Lu Ao, she had been unable to sleep for several nights in a row and had lost several pounds.

Lu Ao was already twenty-four this year. Most people their age around here had either started a family or were preparing to do so.

He was different. He did not like women; he only liked men.

He had no family or friends here, and he had not hidden it.

Once the neighbors found out, aside from a small number who truly could not stand it, most people felt it was a private matter and did not let it affect their dealings with Lu Ao.

Zhao Xuelan was warmhearted too. Seeing Lu Ao all alone and lonely, watching over his little convenience store every day without much in the way of friends, she had specially asked around everywhere. After much effort, she found a young man who liked men too, who was good-looking and from a decent family, and introduced him to Lu Ao.

Who could have known the man was a gambling addict who owed a great deal in loan-shark debt and had even dragged Lu Ao into it?

Zhao Xuelan had been so guilty these past two days that it was hard to put into words.

Old Zhang patted his wife. "Lu Ao's hungry. Go cook some more."

Zhao Xuelan wiped her eyes again and answered nasally, "Okay. Lu Ao, do you eat egg pancakes? I'll make you a few while I'm at it, with some pickled cabbage and garlic chili sauce on top."

Without hesitation, Lu Ao said, "Yes!"

Afraid Lu Ao would go hungry, Old Zhang and Zhao Xuelan deliberately brought him a great deal of food.

From the initial plate of cold appetizers to the two stuffed flatbreads and plate of soy-braised beef, then five plates of dumplings as the main course, followed by a huge plate of egg pancakes, it all added up to at least five or six pounds. That was not even counting the half bottle of beer Lu Ao had drunk.

Seeing Lu Ao clear away all that food while his wife was still in the kitchen cooking more dumplings, Old Zhang glanced worriedly at Lu Ao's lean, muscular chest and abdomen. "You're full now, right?"

Lu Ao paused and said uncertainly, "I should be full?"

Old Zhang hurriedly lowered his voice and leaned closer. "It's not that I won't let you eat. You might have been hungry for too long and can't feel whether you're full or hungry yet. Don't overstuff yourself and get sick."

Lu Ao understood. He casually picked up the last two thin-skinned, generously filled dumplings from the plate, dipped them in red chili oil sauce and vinegar, stuffed them into his mouth, and nodded. "I'm full."

Old Zhang happily called toward the kitchen, "Honey, Lu Ao's full."

Zhao Xuelan called back, "If you're full, watch some TV and wait a bit. I'll cook two pots of dumplings for you to take home and eat tonight—"

Lu Ao had not brought any money with him and declined. "No, thank you, Auntie. It wouldn't be right for me to eat here and take food away too."

"What's wrong with that? Haven't you brought us plenty of things before?" Zhao Xuelan ran out and insisted, "I've already cooked the dumplings. If you don't eat them, they'll get soggy and I won't be able to sell them. What a waste."

Old Zhang chimed in from the side. "Exactly. Take them. We made these dumplings ourselves, so they didn't cost much."

So Lu Ao sat back down.

He was not actually very full. Taking a few more portions of dumplings home would be good; he could repay this favor later.

Zhao Xuelan happily went back to cook the dumplings.

She used large food containers to cook four big boxes of dumplings for Lu Ao, then added chili sauce, vinegar, pickles, and other sides on top. Carrying them out, she stuffed them into his hands and instructed, "Put them in the fridge when you get home. Take them out and heat them up tonight, and they'll be ready to eat."

Lu Ao carried the bags. The two bags of dumplings were heavy, at least seven or eight pounds.

"Okay, thank you, Auntie. I'll head back now."

"Alright, get plenty of rest."

Lu Ao's home was right next door. It was a detached building, with a small convenience store on the first floor. He used the second and third floors for daily living. The store entrance and the entrance to his home did not face the same direction, so he had to turn into the alley to get home.

He went up the stairs beside the building to the second floor, retrieved a spare key from an abandoned bird's nest in a tree outside, and opened the door.

The house looked exactly the same as it had before he left that day, without the slightest change. Only a faint musty smell lingered in the air, the scent of a home whose owner had been gone for a long time.

Lu Ao let out a sigh of relief. He put the dumplings on the table, made sure the door was locked, then immediately went to the bathroom to look at what he looked like now.

The person in the mirror had extremely pale skin. Because he was rather thin, the lines of his face were exceptionally smooth. He had handsome brows and a high nose, his gaze carrying a hint of scrutiny.

Lu Ao stared into the mirror. He did not know if it was an illusion, but he felt as though a flash of green had passed through his pupils.

A very deep, dark green.

When he looked more carefully, the green was gone again.

It was not just his eyes. His teeth seemed slightly sharper too, especially his canines. When he bared them a little, they looked somewhat strange, but when he focused and looked again, it seemed like another illusion.

He licked the tips of his teeth.

Other than the slight changes to his eyes and teeth, the rest of his body was as usual. Even the faint red mole at his wrist joint was still there.

Lu Ao stared into the mirror for a long time, then took off his clothes and examined his body.

His body did not seem to have changed either. Even after eating so much food just now, there was no sign of it on his body at all. His six-pack remained tight and defined.

However, after showering, drying himself, and getting dressed again, he realized that he had grown taller.

Not by much, only about two or three centimeters.

Lu Ao looked at the mirror and paused, his feelings complicated.