CHAPTER 32: CHAPTER 32: THE MORE YOU EAT, THE HUNGRIER YOU GET—PICKLED CABBAGE BUNS

Peak Media.

Chen Xuanxuan kept watching the time.

At 11:55, she looked around, bent down, and sneaked away from her workstation, heading straight for the pantry.

Too many people at the company, without grabbing a spot early for heating up food, you’d have to wait a long time.

Taking steamed buns from the fridge to put into a glass bowl, Chen Xuanxuan was surprised to find that aside from being a bit cooler, the buns still felt almost the same.

Even the mini steamed buns from her hometown, if left out for a bit, the skin would turn hard.

Remembering the extremely delicious buns from the morning, Chen Xuanxuan couldn’t help but swallow her saliva, hastily opened the microwave, and slid the buns inside.

As the temperature of the buns rose, a rich aroma began to wantonly fill the pantry.

Chen Xuanxuan greedily inhaled the fragrance, unlike the morning streets where various smells mingled, now the pantry had just a bit of coffee aroma along with her bun.

The wheat fragrance mixed with the scent of meat and sauce, and a faint hint of sourness teased her, making the food craving bugs in her belly bump into her stomach, making a "gurgle gurgle" sound.

"Ding..."

As the time ended, the microwave emitted a crisp beep.

Upon hearing the sound, Chen Xuanxuan couldn’t wait to open the microwave door.

An even richer aroma poured out, creating a flood-like sensation in Chen Xuanxuan’s mouth.

"Oh? Xuanxuan, you’re early, what are you eating for lunch?"

Zhang Yue greeted Chen Xuanxuan, carrying her lunch bowl, and walked towards Chen Xuanxuan.

"The guys in my department are brutal, by 50 minutes there’s already a long queue, I had to come over here to heat my food. Wow, it smells amazing, what are you eating?"

Zhang Yue felt a rich aroma drilling into her nose, which made her even hungrier than before.

Curiously, she glanced into the microwave and found chubby white mini steamed buns.

"Wow, where did you get these little buns? They look fantastic. The aroma is unbeatable, how much science and hard work did this take?"

Chen Xuanxuan touched the glass bowl and found it wasn’t hot, so she lifted it out.

She rolled her eyes at Zhang Yue and said, "Stop reading so much online news each day, creating food anxiety isn’t good for your health."

Then she eagerly picked up a bun and stuffed it into her mouth.

This time she ate a pickled vegetable pork bun, the translucent soft bun skin was just like freshly steamed, making Chen Xuanxuan extremely satisfied.

With one bite, the sour and salty taste was refreshing, the tender minced meat, crispy pickled vegetables blended together, conjuring the ultimate weapon to awaken human appetite.

Watching Chen Xuanxuan’s blissful expression while eating the buns, Zhang Yue couldn’t resist teasing, "I know you’re from Yuhang, but you don’t have to react like this over a bun, want some of the boiled shrimp I made today?"

Chen Xuanxuan chewed the pickled vegetables in large bites, making crunching sounds along with the unique sour aroma, which made Zhang Yue’s stomach whimper in protest.

"Though the shrimp is nice, it can’t compare to the buns I bought today. I’m telling you, these buns are absolutely heavenly, once you eat one you’ll fall in love with them."

Zhang Yue looked at the plate of buns again, each plump and soft, indeed looking quite appetizing.

Inside seemed to be some buns with a hint of brown marks, appearing even more tempting.

"How about... I trade some shrimp for a few buns?"

It smells too good!

Compared to this aroma, the shrimp’s fragrance is nothing, Zhang Yue looked at the shrimp in her hand, and suddenly felt it was less appealing.

Reluctantly, Chen Xuanxuan took out a sauce meat bun and a pickled vegetable bun from the glass bowl, handing them to Zhang Yue while saying, "This is just for you, anyone else I definitely wouldn’t give! You’re digging my heart here."

"Pfft..."

Zhang Yue laughed out loud at Chen Xuanxuan’s expression, "Is it necessary for you to exaggerate so much over a bun, how about I take you to a hundred-year-old shop this weekend?"

Chen Xuanxuan sneered, "Been there long ago, apart from the fame it’s nothing special, can’t compare at all to this."

Zhang Yue accepted the buns, "I truly have to taste them, what kind of deliciousness can get a Yuhang girl to praise so much."

Chen Xuanxuan proudly said, "Enjoy, careful not to eat your tongue into your stomach."

Zhang Yue’s slender fingers pinched the bun, the slightly greasy feel didn’t repel her, but rather increased her anticipation.

Pinching the bun to her lips, the contrast between red lips and white bun skin was striking.

She took a bite.

"boom!"

Zhang Yue felt like she was not eating a bun, but biting into a water-filled balloon.

At the moment of breaking through the bun skin, the savory juice almost splashed her face!

"Click click..."

The sound of phone camera shutters going off, followed by Chen Xuanxuan’s mischievous laugh:

"Hehehe, how is it, Goddess Zhang? Is the bun tasty? Still think my reaction was exaggerated?"

"..."

Zhang Yue looked a bit speechless and slightly dazed at Chen Xuanxuan, the exquisite meat filling in her mouth left her at a loss for words.

The most direct feeling was—amazing!

Although she had eaten many delicacies, none had left her with such a strong desire to continue eating after finishing.

Each chew felt like it ignited more hunger, each bite tasted fresher.

After trying the sauce meat bun, Zhang Yue praised, "Oh my, this taste is truly unbeatable, how much are these buns? They certainly are better than that hundred-year-old shop, did you find the legendary thousand-year-old shop?"

Chen Xuanxuan laughed and held up two fingers.

Zhang Yue confidently said, "20 yuan per bun isn’t expensive for such taste, and they must use the finest ingredients."

Chen Xuanxuan shook her head, "20 yuan buys 10 of them, 2 yuan each, the boss just sells them at a stall in our community’s food street."

Zhang Yue nodded and intently watched Chen Xuanxuan.

Chen Xuanxuan was puzzled, feeling uneasy under Zhang Yue’s gaze.

Was there some juice sticking to her mouth?

Just as she was about to discreetly wipe it, Zhang Yue suddenly grabbed Chen Xuanxuan’s buns and ran away without looking back: "Xuanxuan, I really want to eat buns today so let’s trade, these are just over ten, at most 40 yuan, my lunch has shrimp and abalone, you’re not losing out."

Before Chen Xuanxuan realized, she saw Zhang Yue already running off with her lunch box.

This made her furious—such blatant robbery!

Is there any law? Any justice left?

"Hey! Zhang, put down my buns, dare touch my buns, I’ll fight you!"

With that, Chen Xuanxuan grabbed Zhang Yue’s lunch box and chased in the direction Zhang Yue ran.

At this point, work hours had ended, and the company was already noisy, so not many people noticed them.