Everyone, Don't Rush!

Jiang Yao's words struck Bailu's heart like a sledgehammer.

Oh, right.

Hadn't he made loads of them?

Then what was I fighting over?

The adorably clueless little High Elder came to her senses and immediately grew embarrassed.

She revealed two little canine teeth... er, dragon fangs.

Jiang Yao's words also made Gao Tang and Auntie Gao focus intently.

Wait, you've still got more tricks up your sleeve?

The answer, of course, was yes.

Just like a chef tasting a dish before serving it to decide whether it needed more seasoning.

This was Jiang Yao's first attempt at an improved Pulled-Sugar Qiongshi Bird Skewer.

Naturally, he had to taste it first.

The flavor passed muster.

Then it was ready to serve!

And upon hearing Jiang Yao's words...

In an instant...

The crowd that had gathered out of curiosity fell unusually quiet.

Everyone stared at the stall with wide eyes.

They even held their breath.

Afraid of missing a single detail.

Then...

Jiang Yao began showing off his skills.

The delicious food had put him in a wonderful mood, so he certainly didn't mind giving them a demonstration.

Fine food was fine food.

It wasn't merely a treat for the taste buds.

It was a feast for the eyes, too!

Otherwise, why would people call it "feasting your eyes"?

He scooped up the remaining fried Qiongshi Bird Fruit.

The large skimmer was filled to the brim with fruit, bright red outside and golden within.

With his other hand, he swirled a large ladle through the syrup.

Then raised it high.

Positioning it above the Qiongshi Bird Fruit piled in the skimmer.

With his hand movements working at maximum output...

The syrup trembled slightly, looking ready to spill at any moment.

Finally...

Drops of crystal-clear syrup...

Syrup giving off a lovely, sweet fragrance...

Slowly, ever so slowly...

Fell onto the Qiongshi Bird Fruit.

Countless eager drops of syrup seemed to hear some sort of rallying horn.

They broke through their restraints.

And came pouring down.

The translucent syrup stretched into gleaming threads in midair.

Continually falling onto the fruit in the skimmer below.

And what was more!

Since Jiang Yao was controlling the skimmer...

The fruit piled inside was tossed until the syrup falling from above coated it inch by inch.

Not even a single drop spilled through the bottom and went to waste!

As the falling syrup came into contact with the air...

And with the fruit...

It rapidly cooled and solidified.

And so...

Once the dazzling display of tossing finally ended...

The Qiongshi Bird Fruit was wrapped in cocoons of spun sugar resembling birds' nests.

Its red exterior looked even more vivid amid the translucent white.

Its golden interior shone even more brilliantly amid the translucent white.

Had they not seen it with their own eyes...

They would never have believed that the Qiongshi Bird Fruit was completely covered in a sugar coating!

A full 360 degrees, without a single gap!

What came next was simple.

String your heart and mine together~

Before long...

A total of ten newly improved Pulled-Sugar Qiongshi Bird Skewers were ready.

Once these exquisite snacks were finished...

The entire crowd was surprisingly quiet.

Everyone stared unblinkingly at those ten Qiongshi Bird Skewers.

Never mind the taste.

Their appearance alone...

Was enough to earn them a place at an official Luofu banquet for honored guests!

But who could have imagined...

That they had been made by a handsome young man at a roadside stall in the run-down Aurum Alley?

Off to the side...

Bailu stared longingly at the Qiongshi Bird Skewers in Jiang Yao's hands.

Her mouth opened and closed as she swallowed her saliva.

Well, despite looking like a lovestruck little girl, she really was the High Elder.

She was both happy and nervous now.

Happy because she was certain this was exactly the dessert she wanted!

Nervous because she feared she would miss out again!

Jiang Yao...

He wouldn't really refuse to feed me, would he?

Or...

Would he want money?

Money's no problem!

In short, the anxious Bailu didn't dare make a sound. She could only gaze timidly at Jiang Yao, trying to slay him with her cuteness and inherit his Qiongshi Bird Skewers.

"Here, try one."

Jiang Yao offered Bailu a skewer without being asked.

He had done the math.

One more for himself.

One each for his friends aboard the train.

Two for Asta.

That left exactly one for Bailu~

Bailu's eyes instantly lit up.

"Yes, yes! Thank you!"

She nodded like a chick pecking at grain, thanking him adorably.

She quickly took the Qiongshi Bird Skewer.

Yet now that she had it, she became rather cautious.

Bailu licked her lips.

She was just about to gulp it down in one bite.

"A friendly tip: this one stretches into sugar threads~"

Jiang Yao gave her another reminder.

Sugar threads?

Bailu was curious.

So Qiongshi Bird Skewers could stretch into sugar threads?

Why had everyone she'd seen eating them before just bitten straight into them?

Bailu blinked and thought for a moment.

Then, to Jiang Yao's surprise, she gently pinched one piece of Qiongshi Bird Fruit.

Very gently, afraid of squashing it and spoiling its looks.

Then she gave it a slight tug.

At once, as the two pieces of fruit separated...

Strands of syrup gleamed especially brightly.

Bailu's already wide eyes grew rounder still.

As round as copper bells, one might say!

Even Bailu's breathing quickened.

She was terrified of snapping the sugar threads.

Who knew why she was worried about that~

And so...

The little girl was not only cute, but also wore a slightly silly look of intense concentration.

It made her particularly adorable and endearing.

Bailu couldn't hold back any longer.

She stuffed the stringy Qiongshi Bird Skewer into her mouth in one bite.

Instantly, a dreamlike wave of sweet delight...

Raged through her mind and rushed straight to the crown of her head.

The sweet yet never cloying syrup flowed slowly over her lips and teeth.

The sweet, fragrant fruit...

Paired with syrup bursting with sweetness...

Created layers of flavor from two distinct kinds of sweetness.

The crisp texture was just right, leaving her utterly enchanted. It was even more wonderful than the Dream Tapir Roll she had eaten earlier.

Soft and chewy, yet it didn't stick to her teeth.

Who would believe this was a snack coated in syrup?

"Mmmmmm! It's so delicious!"

Bailu jumped up happily.

That sugary sweetness...

Made her body tremble slightly, and even the dragon horns on her head bobbed with delight.

The sweetness reached all the way into her heart!

It let her forget her worries for a little while.

The Luofu had been anything but peaceful lately, and the number of injured had increased.

Had things not calmed down a little over the past two days...

She would never have been able to sneak out.

Nor would she have had the good fortune to taste such a delicious snack.

So why had things calmed down a little over the past two days?

Well, because Phantylia wasn't around~

Jiang Yao had inadvertently kept her occupied all by himself!

Meanwhile, among the onlookers, a few clever customers...

Quickly rushed forward, saying, "Hey, young man, one Qiongshi Bird Skewer, please!"

Everyone had noticed that Jiang Yao had only made ten skewers.

Every single person watching wanted one.

So how were they supposed to divide them?

There was no way to share them out!

It was first come, first served!

Gao Tang finally snapped out of his daze, only to find that he had already been squeezed aside. He hurriedly raised his hand high and called, "Young man! Sell me one! I'll cook a whole table of dishes just for you!"

"Get lost! With skills like his, you think this guy cares about you buying him a meal?"

"Stop pushing, stop pushing!"

"Hey, I'll pay five times the price! You have to save me a skewer!"

"..."

The scene descended into chaos in an instant.

"Don't rush, everyone!"

Just then.

Jiang Yao called out.

At once, the rowdy, chaotic line fell silent.

Expectant smiles appeared on their faces, though.

Clearly, they thought Jiang Yao telling them not to rush meant there would be enough for everyone.

They had all noticed.

There was still plenty of Qiongshi Bird Fruit at this little stall!

Whether or not we click to verify today.

Here are four chapters. Ahem, could I get a little "Power of Love" gift?

This poor little author is crying and throwing a tantrum because he hasn't received any "Power of Love" gifts. Boo-hoo-hoo, so pitiful!