247: The charm of delicious food is always irresistible

In the office, colleagues who had been guessing and observing were all stunned.

They watched Luo Li and Xu Ying, completely losing their composure, utterly immersed, as if the whole world was just that box of fried rice; they saw the blissful, almost fainting expressions of ecstasy on their faces, and heard their occasional, unconscious sighs of satisfaction... The entire office was silent, with only the faint sounds of the two rapidly shoveling rice, and the increasingly loud, rising and falling sounds of people swallowing their saliva all around.

Just how delicious must this fried rice be?! To make two people who usually cared about their image act like this?!

When Luo Li and Xu Ying finally recovered a little from that extreme culinary ecstasy, they were shocked to find that the large box of fried rice, which they would never normally finish, had been completely eaten, not a single grain of rice left.

The two looked at the empty lunchbox, and at the same time, expressions of lingering satisfaction and a hint of unbelievable bewilderment appeared on their faces.

Then, they belatedly realized that almost everyone in the office was staring at them, their eyes filled with curiosity, scrutiny, and... longing.

The two's faces instantly flushed crimson, so embarrassed they wished they could find a hole to crawl into.

“Luo… Luo Li…”

Zeng Yu, a male colleague with whom they usually had a good relationship, finally couldn't resist and was the first to come over, his eyes still glancing at the empty lunchbox, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

“You… your fried rice… where did you buy it? Is it… is it really that delicious?”

With the first person speaking up, others immediately gathered around, asking in a flurry of questions:

“Yes, yes! Hurry and tell us! Where did you buy it?”

“You two ate it so deliciously! You’ve made me hungry!”

“The smell is too exaggerated, it’s incredibly fragrant even from far away!”

Luo Li and Xu Ying, blushing, exchanged glances and answered softly, embarrassed:

“Just… just in the plaza downstairs… that fried rice stall…”

“The stall right at the entrance of the plaza?”

“Really? Is it that egg fried rice that costs eighty-eight a portion?!”

“My goodness! I thought he was ripping people off! Is it really that delicious?!”

Everyone in the office was shocked, their faces filled with disbelief.

That stall owner, whom they had privately discussed endlessly, actually possessed such divine culinary skills?

Just then, Zeng Yu, the male colleague who had first inquired, suddenly stood up and rushed out of the office with quick steps.

When he rushed to the plaza entrance at top speed, he was surprised to find that there was already a queue in front of the fried rice stall.

The people in line were all wearing property security uniforms, and each of them had expressions of anticipation and eagerness.

Zeng Yu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly understood.

It seemed the security guards had already tasted the fried rice from this stall.

Indeed, the allure of delicious food is always irresistible.

Even the security guards, whose income was modest, just enough to support their families, were now willing to pay and queue.

He checked the time, then quickly jogged over and took his place at the end of the line.

Finally, he rushed back to the office just as the whistle for the end of lunch break blew.

Zeng Yu carefully placed the heavy, still hot fried rice into an insulated bag containing a lunchbox.

But even through the insulated bag, the enticing aroma still wafted out in wisps, causing nearby colleagues to frequently turn their heads and swallow.

Zeng Yu felt the resentment from his colleagues and could only pretend not to notice, burying himself in his work.

Finally, when it was time to leave work, Zeng Yu was the first to shut down his computer, grab the insulated bag, and rush out of the office like a shot.

His rented place was in a city village in the suburbs, in an old residential building.

Hurrying up the stairs, pulling out his key to open the door, Zeng Yu immediately saw a sight that made his heart clench.

His younger sister, Zeng Yue, whose leg was broken in a car accident and who should have been resting in bed, was struggling on the floor, holding a rag, somewhat laboriously wiping the tables and chairs in the living room.

Her injured leg, encased in a thick cast, dragged on the ground, each movement extremely slow, which made Zeng Yu’s heart ache.

“Xiaoyue! What are you doing?!”

Zeng Yu quickly changed his shoes and rushed in, his voice filled with both tenderness and reproach, immediately supporting his sister’s arm and helping her sit on a nearby chair.

“Didn’t the doctor tell you to lie down and rest? I can do these chores when I get back!”

His voice was a little stern due to his urgency.

Zeng Yue was startled to see her brother return, then offered a somewhat apologetic smile, trying to show she was fine, with a little fine sweat on her forehead from the effort.

“Brother, you’re back. I’m fine, just wiping some dust. It’s too boring just lying around all day… And you work so hard, then have to cook and clean when you get back. I… I also want to do what I can…”

The girl’s voice was soft, with a hint of imperceptible stubbornness.

Zeng Yu looked at his sister, enduring pain and inconvenience, yet still wanting to share his burden, and his nose involuntarily tingled.

Then, recalling that since her accident, she had hardly ever complained of pain or shed a tear in front of him, always trying to smile and say it didn’t hurt, it was fine… his eyes instantly felt a little warm.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed the sourness, and softened his tone a little.

“Be good, don’t worry about these things. Your most important task now is to heal your injury and recover quickly, understand? Now, sit properly.”

He helped his sister sit firmly on the most stable chair by the dining table.

Just then, Zeng Yue’s small nose suddenly twitched twice, and a puzzled expression appeared on her face.

“Brother, what is that delicious smell?”

She tilted her head, trying hard to distinguish the faint yet unusually enticing aroma in the air.

Zeng Yu paused, then suddenly remembered, and quickly held up the bag he had been carrying.

“Oh! That’s right! Brother brought you some fried rice.”

He said, taking the box of fried rice from the bag.

“Hmm, it’s a bit cold, but it’ll be ready to eat after heating.”

He had been so worried about his sister just now that he almost forgot about this.

The aroma of this fried rice was too strong; it could even waft out from inside the insulated bag.

Zeng Yue looked curiously at the sturdy-looking lunchbox.

“Fried rice? This smell is so special.”

“Wait, brother will heat it up for you, it’ll be ready in a moment.”

Zeng Yu took the lunchbox into the small but tidy kitchen, opened the microwave, and set the time.

“Ding—”

Dozens of seconds later, the microwave stopped working.

The moment Zeng Yu opened the oven door—

A burst of extreme aroma, even richer, more unrestrained, and as potent as if it had just come out of the wok, suddenly gushed out of the microwave, instantly engulfing the small kitchen and rapidly filling the entire living room.