Chapter 21: Tender Tofu is Best Eaten Hot

Chapter 21: Chapter 21: Tender Tofu is Best Eaten Hot

"It wasn’t just that he couldn’t perform—he had no reaction at all."

"You all have no idea. A few days ago, that Sect Master came to our establishment with a different face, looking for one of my sisters to... attend to him. But once he got into bed, he was a total softy. All show and no go."

"What’s even funnier is that this Sect Master has a birthmark on his ass. He changed his face, but the birthmark was still there, so my sister recognized him right away."

"I had to work so hard to pretend that night."

"I had to rack my brain just to get through it. The money I earned wasn’t even enough to cover my emotional damages."

As she spoke, the girl dabbed the corner of her eye, as if her heart ached for her "sister."

But the shift in pronouns from "my sister" to "I" made it clear who the real protagonist of the story was.

Being a Flower Lady really wasn’t easy sometimes.

CRUNCH, CRUNCH.

Lu Wu, thoroughly enjoying the gossip, happily munched on the sunflower seeds Miss Furong had given her.

’Spill the tea. Spill more of it.’

"You... you’ve all gone too far!"

Lying on the ground, Elder Huang’s old face flushed red with shame as he heard his own Sect Master’s secrets being exposed so publicly.

He shakily raised a hand, about to start cursing, when some kind-hearted soul just happened to pass by and stomp on it.

Lu Wu thought she heard the crack of bone.

"The Yellow Fist Sect won’t let you get away with this!"

Spitting out a mouthful of blood, the enraged Elder Huang threatened them.

His bloodshot eyes glared coldly at the crowd, a clear sign that he wasn’t about to give up.

A jet of Spiritual Power shot out and slammed into Elder Huang’s head with a THWACK, knocking him out cold.

"Boss Lu, rest assured. Within the borders of Xiaohe Town, I will absolutely not allow anyone to throw their weight around and bully others."

Lou Batian declared, pounding his chest, terrified that Lu Wu would abandon Xiaohe Town over this incident.

Without these delicious buns, there would be no peace in his household.

"I trust you, Town Lord."

Lu Wu nodded emphatically.

With her buns sold out and the gossip over, Lu Wu packed up and headed home.

It was still early, so Lu Wu lay on her bed and scrolled through One World Communication. She came across some amusing posts and laughed so hard she was rolling around.

She clicked on a post titled, "Why Would a Sect Master Resort to Force?" and saw it was about the Yellow Fist Sect fiasco from earlier that evening. Beneath the post, a crowd of people had left comments, mocking them mercilessly.

Lu Wu joined in the fun and typed out a few "hahaha"s. When she refreshed the page, the comments were gone. ’Well, I’ll be.’

’So the Green Origin Realm has comment moderation too, huh?’

Feeling like she was seeing through the matrix, Lu Wu spotted another, very domineering post title.

"I, an elder of the Bun Sect, hereby declare: Those who offend our Bun Sect shall be hunted down, no matter how far they run!"

The sheer cringiness of the post sent a shiver down Lu Wu’s spine, and she quickly scrolled past it.

She remembered the Bun Sect was a new Evil Cult that had been popping up in the news a lot lately. They were the type to wipe out their enemies, root and stem, at the slightest provocation. ’Best not to get involved.’ 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

Leisurely time always flies by. An hour later, Lu Wu started to feel drowsy and reluctantly put down her One World Communication to go to sleep.

Ever since word of her bun stall had spread, a crowd of customers was always waiting for Lu Wu to arrive.

The mission was completed smoothly, and Lu Wu made a nice little profit.

It was the final day of the seven days stipulated by the system.

Lu Wu, who had woken up when the sun was already high in the sky, was diligently preparing her ingredients.

Since it was the last day, Lu Wu decided to prepare a wider variety of buns as a thank you to her new and regular customers.

Today’s batch was her largest yet. Lu Wu was so busy prepping the ingredients and fillings that she didn’t even have time to taste-test the new flavors.

When she finally rushed over to her usual spot, she found the entire alley packed so tightly you couldn’t get through.

The moment she appeared, she naturally became the center of attention.

Under the countless stares, Lu Wu was now able to walk through calmly.

"Buns for sale!"

Lu Wu called out to her customers and hung up her menu.

"Spicy Kidney Buns... Sinfully Sweet Sugar and Sesame Buns, Best-Eaten-Hot Tofu Buns... Wow, all the old ones are here, and there are two new kinds!"

"A ’Bun Family Platter’? Boss Lu is so generous!"

"She’s generous, but Boss Lu has a purchase limit! There are so many kinds I still haven’t tried... WAHHH... I can’t choose!"

Someone was biting a small handkerchief, their eyes welling up with tears as they stared at the full menu, pleading.

"Boss Lu, could you maybe lift the purchase limit just for today?"

He had heard that today was Boss Lu’s last day at this location.

"Yeah, Boss Lu, don’t set a limit today! We’re all regulars here, do us a favor!"

Once one person started, many others began pleading with Lu Wu to give in.

"Boss Lu, I want to eat this one, and this one, and this one... Please, be a dear."

Miss Furong pressed up against Lu Wu, her delicate, slender fingers tapping Lu Wu’s shoulder. Her enchanting voice was enough to make one’s bones melt.

Her fragrant breath tickled Lu Wu’s ear, making it almost unbearable.

If word got out that Furong, the top lady of Yanliu Street, was using her masterful Charm Technique on another woman just to get a few extra buns, no one would believe it.

"Ahem!"

Lu Wu, on the receiving end of those coquettish glances, nearly choked.

She caught her breath, looked at the pitiful faces of the customers, and after a moment’s thought, said...

"I know everyone is very supportive. How about this: today, the limit is four per person. No more than that."

’I have to make sure more people get to eat. Lifting the limit completely is out of the question.’

"Furong thanks you, Boss Lu."

From two to four—it had doubled. She was content.

Feeling as if pink, heart-shaped bubbles were starting to fill the air, Lu Wu quickly pulled away with a look of utter rejection.

’I’m really not into women.’

’Seriously!’

"Alright, alright, open for business!"

"Make way, make way! I’m first! I’ll have a Sinfully Sweet Bun, a Best-Eaten-Hot Tofu Bun, an Innocent Little Meat Bun, and a Soup-Filled Bun."

This was a regular customer.

He had tried all the previous flavors, so of course he had to get one of the new ones.

Once the hot buns were in his hands, the regular walked over to the people still waiting in line, and amid a sea of envious stares, he broke open a sugar and sesame bun with an incredibly punchable expression.

Lu Wu used fine white sugar. After being steamed at a high temperature, it melted into a crystalline syrup, with plump black sesame seeds suspended within, making it exceptionally eye-catching.

Unlike the light sweetness of a red bean bun, the sweetness of the sugar and sesame bun went straight to the heart.

Such a high concentration of sweetness might be cloying for many, but there was no need to worry about that with these buns. During the melting process, some of the sweetness was absorbed by the fluffy white dough.

What remained was perfectly balanced.

The regular customer smelled the aroma, and his throat bobbed.

GULP, GULP.

Many people around him did the same.

Amidst those wolfish glares, the regular customer grinned smugly, then used his Spiritual Power to fan the air, spreading the sweet fragrance even further.

"Damn it, you old coot! That’s just cruel! Get out of here!"

The customers already worried they wouldn’t get to eat since they were at the back of the line were now so tempted they wanted to rush over and grind the old man’s face into the dirt.

He was just asking for it.

"Hee hee."

The regular winked and waggled his eyebrows, showing off his prize.

Under their jealous and desperate gazes, he slowly stuffed the bun into his mouth and began to eat. Every single one of his movements screamed ’punch me’.