Chapter 59
At 4 AM.
Jian Yunlan arrived at the entrance of the Long Teng Summer Camp on his tricycle, right on time.
Last night, Jian Yunlan caught dozens of students sneaking out by climbing over the walls on his first day of selling. The results were excellent, and the principal encouraged him to continue, suggesting he change his vending location several times and find the students’ weak spots.
As for the students caught yesterday, they were naturally under strict supervision today, so they probably wouldn’t be able to sneak out.
However, in addition to praise, Jian Yunlan also received a complaint from the dormitory supervisor.
The complaint was that his fried chicken smelled too good. Not only the students but even the teachers on duty were distracted by the aroma, which affected their work and sleep. So today, Jian Yunlan decided to change the recipe a bit and present the fragrance in a different way.
Outside Long Teng Summer Camp, Jian Yunlan found a spot by the wall, parked, and began heating up the oil.
In the quiet night, the warm yellow lights from the food stall were particularly eye-catching. As the oil temperature rose, the sound of sizzling could be heard from the frying pan, and small bubbles began to appear. Gradually, almost imperceptible white smoke started to rise.
So, would there be any customers today?
Jian Yunlan thought a little anxiously.
——”Boss, I’ll have a serving of fried chicken!”
A voice of excitement rang in Jian Yunlan’s ears.
It was a high school-aged boy, tall and strong, with a dark tan. He stared at the frying pan, his eyes shining.
Liu Qin was excited.
Thinking about the rich aroma from last night, the thought that such delicious, fragrant fried chicken could be eaten by him… Liu Qin could hardly restrain himself, almost wanting to climb up to the edge of Jian Yunlan’s pan.
“Boss, this fried chicken is too fragrant. Last night, it kept half of our dormitory awake.”
Liu Qin swallowed his saliva, moving closer and closer. Even though Jian Yunlan hadn’t started frying the chicken wings yet, his stomach was already growling.
Jian Yunlan didn’t expect that within just five minutes of opening his stall, his first customer would show up.
“Okay, today’s special is yogurt fried chicken, ten yuan per serving, with three chicken legs in each.”
Jian Yunlan replied with a smile, as he picked up three chicken wings and coated them in the prepared flour mixture. After the first coat of flour, he dipped them in water, then coated them again with flour.
—This is the key to making the fried chicken crispy and golden.
Then, Jian Yunlan used a slotted spoon to lift the chicken and placed it into the frying oil.
“Yogurt Fried Chicken?”
Hearing those four words, Liu Qin was momentarily stunned.
Yogurt paired with fried chicken… it sounded a bit strange.
But thinking about the rich aroma from yesterday, Liu Qin decided to trust the boss.
Fu Changfeng, however, was different.
Standing a little further away, tall and straight, he quietly read a book, but upon hearing those four words, he suddenly smiled, shook his head, turned a page, and his gaze became mocking.
“Brother Fu, why are you laughing?” Liu Qin couldn’t help but nudge him and asked softly.
Fu Changfeng’s gaze remained fixed on the page of the book, clearly unwilling to say much.
After Liu Qin asked several times, Fu Changfeng finally spoke in a gentle tone, “The less skilled the chef, the more likely they are to use gimmicks to attract attention.”
Fu Changfeng firmly believed that a truly skilled chef didn’t need to make yogurt fried chicken or cola fried chicken. The simplest, most ordinary fried chicken could be turned into an extraordinary delicacy by such chefs.
Food stalls like this, always coming up with new tricks every day, might look interesting and flashy, but in reality, they didn’t have much else to offer.
Fu Changfeng’s voice wasn’t deliberately quiet, and clearly, Jian Yunlan also heard him.
He heard it, but Jian Yunlan just smiled faintly and didn’t say anything.
…For Jian Yunlan, what he worried about most when running a food stall was not having enough customers around. If he set up his stall in a completely deserted area, even if he made a banquet fit for an emperor, there would be no customers. A clever cook can’t make a meal without ingredients.
But when someone stood in front of him, Jian Yunlan never worried about his food going unsold.
The food stall wasn’t his comfort zone; it was his domain!
For customers like this, who were already acting tough before the fried chicken was even cooked, after a few pieces of fried chicken, they’d become more humble.
Jian Yunlan wasn’t in a hurry at all.
On the other hand, Liu Qin was left stunned by Fu Changfeng’s words, and he began to waver.
Thinking carefully, it seemed to make sense. But…
“I believe in the boss,” Liu Qin said with firm determination, “It smelled so good yesterday, so it must taste great, right?”
Actually, Liu Qin had a little secret plan.
He had two steamed buns hidden in his pocket, secretly taken from today’s dinner.
—To put it another way, even if the fried chicken didn’t taste good, or was even terrible, as long as it had that aroma from yesterday, he could still eat two big steamed buns with that fragrance!
No matter what, he wouldn’t lose out.
At the food stall, the boiling oil in the pot made sizzling sounds, and the chicken legs in the slotted spoon were covered in tiny bubbles. Just like yesterday, the fried chicken had to be fried twice; the key to the deliciousness was the second deep fry.
Time passed second by second.
The flour-coated chicken quickly took shape in the hot oil, its surface gradually turning a dazzling golden color. Soon, the first round of frying was over, and Jian Yunlan took the chicken legs out to cool on the side.
The chicken legs looked delicious on the outside, hot, and with a tempting color.
But…
Where was the fragrance?
Liu Qin froze.
Yesterday, the fried chicken’s aroma was so intense it seemed to sweep through a dozen miles, even crossing high walls and making the students in the dormitory restless and unable to sleep.
But now, after the first fry, standing so close, Liu Qin didn’t smell anything particularly fragrant.
He inhaled deeply, but all he could smell was the scent of the oil.
Liu Qin’s heart sank.
And Fu Changfeng, who was reading with his eyes lowered, curled the corners of his lips.
—Yesterday, Liu Qin had said that his sense of smell was suppressed because he had taken an allergy shot, so he couldn’t smell the fragrance.
Now looking at it, where was the fragrance?
It seemed like Liu Qin and the others had been tormented by the camp’s food so much that they had begun to hallucinate; they could probably be charmed by the smell of any street food.
Liu Qin became even more confused.
What’s going on? Where’s the aroma?
Unable to stop himself, Liu Qin began to scrutinize Jian Yunlan.
Jian Yunlan was wearing a mask, only revealing his exquisite and beautiful eyebrows and eyes. Those eyes were even more beautiful than a star’s, yet he didn’t look like someone who would run a food stall.
…Could it be that the boss in front of him wasn’t the same one who was selling fried chicken last night?
After all, they had only smelled the fried chicken yesterday but hadn’t seen the actual stall. Now, when they climbed over the wall and came out, it was natural to think the stall they saw tonight was the same one from last night.
Combined with the rich aroma from yesterday and the fried chicken in front of them, which looked tempting but almost had no scent…
“Maybe we mistook the boss,” Liu Qin couldn’t help but tug at Fu Changfeng’s sleeve, whispering, “Brother Fu, let’s walk around and look for the real fried chicken boss…”
As for this yogurt fried chicken, Liu Qin decided to take it back to share with his other roommates.
He needed to save room in his stomach for the real, delicious fried chicken. If he filled up on this one that didn’t taste great, he wouldn’t have space for the tasty fried chicken later. Wouldn’t that be a huge waste?
Fu Changfeng didn’t say anything.
At that moment, the food stall owner suddenly spoke.
“Your yogurt fried chicken is ready,” Jian Yunlan said with a smile, “Be careful, it’s hot.”
The second deep fry finished, and Jian Yunlan lifted the slotted spoon, placing the fried chicken into an open takeaway box and handed it to Liu Qin.
Liu Qin instinctively took the box, unable to resist holding his breath.
—The chicken legs, just freshly fried, emitted a mist of steam. The golden, crispy skin was so delicate that it crumbled when shaken, and a sprinkle of parsley flakes covered the surface. Under the warm yellow lights, one could almost glimpse the tender, juicy chicken meat beneath the golden batter…
Even though there was no obvious aroma, the appearance of this fried chicken was simply too beautiful!
In this cold night, holding such a hot piece of fried chicken, Liu Qin instantly tossed aside the thought of bringing it back for his roommates.
Liu Qin swallowed.
With such delicious-looking fried chicken in his hands, not eating it would be a crime!
Not only Liu Qin, even Fu Changfeng, who was reading nearby, couldn’t help but glance over, pretending to be indifferent while looking at the fried chicken several times.
“This… this fried chicken looks really good,” Liu Qin said, struggling, “I’ll just try a small bite, just to see…”
Although he said that, he almost couldn’t wait to grab a chicken leg, not even bothering to let it cool, and took a huge bite!
“Hiss—”
This fried chicken truly perfected the phrase “crispy on the outside, tender on the inside.”
With one bite, the incredibly crispy, golden crust cracked loudly between his teeth.
After breaking through the fried coating, steaming juice poured out immediately, and the savory, crispy flavor of the chicken itself was taken to the extreme, with a hint of saltiness and crunch. As he chewed, he could even taste a slight tangy freshness from the yogurt, with its smooth creamy flavor balancing the greasy exterior of the chicken.
The chicken meat was tender and juicy, the texture crispy and chewy. Liu Qin continued to eat large bites while exhaling warm breath, unable to stop:
“Ha, ha, it’s hot, but so, so good! The outer skin is so crispy, and the chicken is so tender and fresh… It’s delicious, so delicious!!!”
Yes, the most surprising thing for Liu Qin was—
When the fried chicken was first made, he hadn’t smelled anything, but now, with each chew, that intense aroma slowly spread throughout his mouth, growing stronger and stronger with every bite—layer after layer, the fresh fragrance of the chicken, the refreshing yogurt, and the most irresistible fried food aroma…
At that moment, Liu Qin realized that the overwhelming fragrance from last night hadn’t disappeared—it had been wrapped up in the exquisite cooking technique.
—Imagine that rich aroma that had drifted for miles last night, luring students from the dormitories, now filling Liu Qin’s mouth.
As he chewed, the sizzling hot juices from the chicken flowed out from the crispy outer shell, and the fragrance spread in layers, filling his entire mouth!
It was just so, so fragrant…
Liu Qin even saw a flash of white light in front of his eyes.
Under the dual impact of the fragrance and the delicious taste, Liu Qin almost couldn’t stand anymore. A slightly chubby, 1.8-meter-tall Alpha, his eyes moist with tears, swayed weakly a few times, unable to resist holding onto Fu Changfeng’s arm.
Fu Changfeng: “…”
“You… are you acting?” Fu Changfeng asked skeptically, his dark eyes narrowing.
The fried chicken looked great, but it didn’t smell like anything when it came out of the pot. How could it taste so good?
This made Fu Changfeng suspect that Liu Qin was pretending, possibly as part of their bet from yesterday. To avoid losing, Liu Qin might be faking it, acting like it tasted great even if it didn’t, just to fool him.
…But the next second, Fu Changfeng changed his mind.
Because Liu Qin opened his mouth to speak.
Seeing Liu Qin’s exaggerated expression, Fu Changfeng was very skeptical that he was acting, or that he had teamed up with the fried chicken vendor to prank him—
Until Liu Qin looked at Fu Changfeng through teary eyes and opened his mouth to speak.
“Brother Fu, this fried chicken… %?#@#@ (…”
Liu Qin’s mouth moved as though he were saying something.
But Fu Changfeng couldn’t hear anything anymore.
His ears were buzzing.
Fu Changfeng stared at Liu Qin’s mouth.
Liu Qin was a bit chubbier than most Alphas because he loved food. His skin was tanned and he was tall and stocky. At this moment, after eating the fried chicken, his mouth was greasy. Normally, this would be off-putting, but—
From that mouth, a very rich aroma floated out.
The aroma of the fried chicken.
Fu Changfeng, after taking an allergy shot yesterday, had his sense of smell dulled for most of the day. It wasn’t until this afternoon that it gradually came back, but it still hadn’t fully recovered.
For Fu Changfeng, his sense of smell wasn’t that important. He didn’t like perfumes, and he didn’t really notice the various scents or pheromones praised by other Alphas either.
Because Fu Changfeng only wanted to smell Yu Ming’s pheromones. Since Yu Ming wasn’t here, whether or not he had a sense of smell didn’t make much of a difference.
So, Fu Changfeng hadn’t really paid much attention to his reduced sense of smell until just a second ago.
But now, Fu Changfeng suddenly felt irritated and thought, why couldn’t his sense of smell be more sensitive?
He even wondered why he had to get that desensitization shot yesterday.
Fu Changfeng thought, if his sense of smell were a bit more sensitive, he could capture every detail of that fragrance, inhaling every bit of it without missing a single note…
As Liu Qin spoke, the aroma of the fried chicken leaked out with every movement of his mouth.
How to describe that fragrance?
Fu Changfeng half-closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to savor the smell.
It had the oily scent of the fried chicken skin, not just ordinary vegetable oil, but a hint of rich lard, becoming more fragrant the more he inhaled. Along with that, the extreme freshness of the chicken itself, juicy and marinated with various spices, and a delicate, refreshing milk fragrance from the yogurt, all steaming hot.
Just smelling it, one could imagine the sensation of that fried chicken in the mouth—crunchy exterior, juicy interior, the tender chicken meat being chewed, and the savory oils flowing…
The fragrance was so intense it almost seemed tangible, like a pair of large hands pulling Fu Changfeng’s mind out and tying it into a tight knot.
His mind had stopped thinking.
Fu Changfeng, lost in confusion, couldn’t help but lean closer, wanting to smell more of that fragrance.
…From an outsider’s perspective, Liu Qin was just talking normally, but Fu Changfeng was gazing at his mouth with those gentle eyes, leaning in closer and closer.
Liu Qin: a tall, sturdy, and somewhat rough Alpha.
Fu Changfeng: an outwardly flawless, gentle, and handsome protagonist Alpha.
As they got closer, the atmosphere grew more ambiguous.
The scene was too beautiful.
Liu Qin: “???”
The audience in the live broadcast: “???????”
The viewers were losing their minds.
…
To others, Fu Changfeng might appear to be looking at Liu Qin with a “loving” gaze.
But only Liu Qin, the one being stared at, knew that Fu Changfeng wasn’t looking at him with gentle eyes at all. Those were eyes full of lust and hunger, like a predator!
In the original story of Dark River, Bright Light, Fu Changfeng had gentle phoenix eyes, but the author often described how, when “moved,” those gentle eyes would flash with a cold, greedy look, like that of a serpent.
Of course, in the original story, such eyes would only be fixed on Yu Ming.
On the surface, Fu Changfeng was the gentle older brother, but in reality, he was a possessive predator who wanted to keep Yu Ming all to himself.
But right now, Fu Changfeng was using those same hungry, greedy eyes to look at Liu Qin…
And the fried chicken in his hands.
Liu Qin had no doubt that in the next second, Fu Changfeng would suddenly lash out, kill him, and steal the fried chicken!
Liu Qin stepped back two steps, clutching the fried chicken warily.
Fu Changfeng, naturally, took two steps forward.
Liu Qin understood that danger was near. One more second and he’d be in trouble.
While backing away, Liu Qin shoved the whole chicken leg into his mouth and started chewing.
“Ah, so good…”
As he chewed, the corners of his eyes slowly filled with tears.
The fried chicken in his mouth was bursting with flavor, the crispy skin falling off in crumbs, while the juicy interior was hot, savory, and smooth with a touch of milk fragrance. Every inch of the chicken was soaked in juice, making him want to eat more and more…
After starving for seven whole days at summer camp, eating this fried chicken at this late hour made it all worth it.
Indeed, the safest place for the chicken was in his stomach. Staying outside for another second would be dangerous.
What if someone else snatched it? He’d lose out big time.
Liu Qin held onto the chicken leg bone, savoring it reluctantly, even licking the bone, enjoying the fragrant remnants, including the translucent tendons!
As Liu Qin continued to retreat, the fragrance gradually faded away.
And with that, Fu Changfeng’s self-awareness began to return.
He furrowed his brows, looking at his own fingers.
Wait.
What just happened?
How could he…?
“Brother Fu, stop bothering me. The boss is still over there. If you want fried chicken, go buy it yourself!” Liu Qin waved his hand.
As soon as Liu Qin opened his mouth, the fragrance surged back, and Fu Changfeng’s mind was once again tied up in knots.
This time, Fu Changfeng clearly caught the words “fried chicken.”
Fried chicken.
Fu Changfeng’s passionate phoenix eyes, now filled with confusion and greed, locked onto the brightly lit fried chicken stall nearby.
*
Meanwhile, on the other side of the wall.
“Three, two, one—jump!”
Cui Hu tightly closed his eyes and leaped down, landing safely in the arms of Jiang Wolong and Lin Feng.
“Good brothers, let’s go eat fried chicken together,” Cui Hu said, emotionally throwing his arms around the two of them.
After yesterday, they knew that the fried chicken vendor set up his stall randomly along the camp’s wall, so if they walked around the perimeter, they’d always find him.
Jiang Wolong, Lin Feng, and Cui Hu, the three Alphas, lined up and walked along the wall, grinning foolishly, looking quite impressive.
…That is, if you ignored their ragged clothes and the chicken droppings on their heads.
Yes.
After being caught climbing the wall yesterday, they, like the other students who were caught, were placed on a special watchlist. They were assigned to a dorm with three supervising teachers and were punished with writing the rules a hundred times!
Other students, although eager for fried chicken, were too timid and could only absentmindedly write.
But the three of them were different.
They were the “Flying Tiger Trio”—Longfeng, Cui Hu, and Wolong!
Yesterday, they promised that no matter what, they would get out and eat fried chicken, as that was an arrangement made with the vendor.
Today, they endured hardships unimaginable to others to be able to sneak out at 4 a.m. for the fried chicken. To avoid the patrolling teachers, they were forced to hide in a chicken coop for three hours, getting pecked by chickens, bitten by mosquitoes, and ending up covered in chicken droppings.
But as long as they could eat the fried chicken, all of it was worth it.
“That old man Xu, he’s really something,” Jiang Wolong sighed, “I don’t know who gave him the idea, bringing in the fried chicken vendor as an inside man, working together…”
“If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t have this delicious fried chicken. Let’s just be grateful,” Lin Feng said.
Cui Hu, holding his little heart, said mournfully, “In Old Xu’s eyes, we’ve already become the scum of humanity, the losers of society.”
After being caught yesterday, the three of them were scolded by the principal, Old Xu, who harshly berated them, calling them “undisciplined,” saying, “How could you be tempted by that street vendor selling food loaded with all kinds of spices?” “How shameful…”
“Old Xu doesn’t know anything,” Jiang Wolong muttered, “He probably hasn’t even smelled the vendor’s fried chicken. That’s why he says such degrading things. Otherwise… hmph, maybe his reaction would be even more exaggerated than ours.”
“Such a fake, pretending to be high and mighty.”
“Yeah, just like his proud student, Fu Changfeng.”
Lin Feng casually mentioned “Fu Changfeng,” and it immediately sparked the enthusiasm of the three. They began chatting excitedly.
—Fu Changfeng was a well-known name in the Longteng Summer Camp and even among all the high schools in A City.
First, of course, because he was handsome, and his personality wasn’t the cold, aloof type. Instead, he was gentle with an air of detachment, always distant yet warm, difficult to approach but seeming so kind and passionate on the surface. This contrast had captivated so many Omegas.
But the most praised aspect was his dedication to both academics and training.
Fu Changfeng was terrifyingly disciplined.
Even though he was an Alpha, he seemed to have boundless energy—academics, training, extracurricular activities—he excelled in all.
He finished senior year courses in his first year of high school and took the college entrance exam in his second year, already scoring high enough to enter Qing University. However, he stayed behind for another year to study alongside his younger brother in senior year instead of applying to universities.
At Longteng Summer Camp, Fu Changfeng was the pride of all the teachers and even the principal.
Jiang Wolong clicked his tongue. “They say he wakes up at 4 a.m. to do strength training, and he only eats boiled chicken breast. He never touches fried or grilled food…”
“I saw him once at the gym. Those muscles—tsk, tsk, tsk,” Lin Feng said, with envy mixed with jealousy.
Even though the three of them thought Fu Changfeng was a fake, pretending to be high-minded and gentle, they couldn’t help but admit that when it came to self-discipline, no one could compare to him.
As they turned the corner, sighing, Cui Hu sighed, “At this very moment, while we’re on our way to eat fried chicken, Fu Changfeng is probably already in the gym, lifting dumbbells…”
The next second, Cui Hu’s words caught in his throat.
The three of them froze in place.
Not far ahead, the familiar, warm, and brightly lit fried chicken stall had already been set up, with the familiar handsome vendor swinging his slotted spoon to serve up hot, fragrant fried chicken legs.
But Jiang Wolong and the others didn’t have time to feel excited.
They stared blankly at the figure standing in front of the fried chicken stall.
—That figure was tall and always the center of attention in any crowd. He had the iconic gentle phoenix eyes, always quietly holding a book.
But at this moment, the book, Game Theory, which he always held, had been discarded on the ground, abandoned.
Instead, Fu Changfeng was excitedly and cautiously holding a box of golden, fragrant fried chicken legs, trembling slightly as he cradled it in his palms…
Is chapter 58 missing?