Days passed.
Leng Shuang confided in Lin Mo. She quickly took leave, came to comfort him—shared a tender night, whispered sweet words—and slowly, his emotions steadied. The shadow in his heart lifted. A trace of light returned to his eyes.
Around the same time, Shanghai formed an investigation team. They made occasional on-site visits to local companies, quietly tightening the city’s safety net.
A few more days drifted by. The gloom in Leng Shuang’s heart fully cleared. He stood tall again.
Yet… a face would sometimes flicker in his mind. Someone he’d met only once.
Reinvigorated, Leng Shuang soon landed a new job: cashier at “Liu Luo Xiang,” a freshly opened luosifen shop in Shanghai.
The boss shared her story: she’d spent ten years working abroad, eating this very noodle dish daily. To others, it smelled odd—sour, faintly pungent—but to her, deeply fragrant.
After apprenticing for months to master the recipe, she rushed back to Japan and opened this shop.
Bold to a fault, she skipped small-town trials entirely. She poured her decade’s savings into renting a tiny hole-in-the-wall eatery right in Shanghai.
Maybe her courage sparked something in Leng Shuang. On a whim, he applied—and got the job.
The pay was far worse than before: 6k a month, no meals or lodging. But luosifen was free, and commission came from pure profit per bowl sold. Sounded promising… though Leng Shuang doubted it’d amount to much.
“Step right up! Grand opening special—150g bowl of luosifen for just 10 yuan! Come taste the magic!”
Leng Shuang called out with fresh energy. Lin Mo’s whispered encouragement from bed still warmed his chest.
“Luosifen? What’s that?”
“This smell… sour, kinda stinky, but not *bad*? So weird.”
“Handsome guy promoting it? Even if it stinks, I’m trying it!”
“Wait… he looks familiar.”
“Isn’t he that TikTok heartthrob? Tsk tsk, so cute~”
Drawn by his clear voice and familiar face, passersby paused. Some stepped inside.
“Thank you!” Leng Shuang smiled, handing tickets at the register.
The boss, nearly dozing moments ago, sprang up. Tools in hand, she prepped orders with fiery zeal.
“One 150g luosifen—spicy or mild?”
“Add-ons?”
“Haha! Smells strange now—just wait till you taste it!”
Her passion matched her boldness. She moved like a whirlwind, sweat gleaming, joy uncontainable.
More hesitated outside… then stepped in.
“Ten yuan? What’ve I got to lose?”
In Shanghai, even bubble tea cost more. Why not try?
Leng Shuang watched closely as the first customer lifted her bowl.
*Slurp… slurp slurp~*
She chewed. Eyebrows lifted.
“Weird… but actually… fragrant?”
Another slurp.
“Hm?”
Then another—
Soon, *slurp slurp slurp* filled the room. Hesitant diners joined the feast, chopsticks flying, foreheads beaded with sweat.
Leng Shuang exhaled. Shoulders relaxed.
He belonged here now. He’d worried—would people accept luosifen? But seeing their eager faces, he knew: they already had.
He remembered his own first bite: doubt, then curiosity, then *one more strand*, and another… unstoppable.
“Try it! Smells amazing!”
Passersby, lured by the aroma and the bustling scene, followed suit.
Within an hour, every seat was taken. The boss scrambled between pots. Leng Shuang cleared tables, sweat tracing his temples—but his smile never faded.
“It’s packed!”
Yu Mo and his two friends arrived right then, hoping to try Leng Shuang’s recommendation. No seats left.
“Haha, you made it!” Leng Shuang wiped his brow, grinning at the lively chaos.
“This smell… really good?” Xiao Qian pinched her nose, skeptical.
“Of course! Friends of Leng Shuang? Free bowls for all~” the boss waved warmly.
They accepted bowls—but no seats.
Leng Shuang quickly set stools outside. Cashier bowl in hand, he squatted beside them.
Four handsome guys slurping luosifen on the sidewalk drew puzzled glances.
“Must be *that* good… people eating on the curb?”
More curious souls stepped in. And soon—
They too squatted outside, bowls on stools, chopsticks dancing.
Someone filmed it. Posted online.
“How? A 10-yuan bowl has people *squatting* to eat? What’s the magic?”
The clip went viral.
Curiosity bloomed. Locals trickled in.
And quietly, the tiny hole-in-the-wall began its rise.
