The dating reality show host just wanted to give up, but the rich girl fell for him.

The courtyard, which had been somewhat noisy due to various whispers, fell completely silent in that instant.

It was as if an invisible hand had instantly severed all the vocal cords.

All the noise, discussion, and even chewing sounds came to an abrupt halt.

Dozens of gazes were like iron filings firmly attracted by a powerful magnet.

They swept across the dim night and clung to Lin Mo's emerging figure.

More accurately, it stuck to the small tray he was holding steadily.

It was a simple and elegant celadon tray.

The glaze is warm and lustrous like jade, and under the warm yellow incandescent lights in the courtyard, it gleams with a faint, cool light.

In the center of this cool, elegant blue, an object sits quietly.

It was an orange cup that resembled a masterpiece of art.

After being slowly steamed over high heat, the orange peel lost some of its original raw and bright appearance.

It then presents a warm, golden hue, refined over time, exuding a profound sense of history.

The orange cap was slightly offset by a tiny gap.

Wisps of white steam rose gently from the crack.

The heat swirled and lingered in the air before finally dissipating into the cool autumn night.

But what it brought out has remained stubbornly.

That's a fragrance.

A complex and unique fragrance that cannot be defined by a single word.

The rich and mellow flavor of Shaoxing wine, the delicate fragrance of rose liqueur, and the slightly acidic and stimulating aroma of aged vinegar.

In addition, there's the incredibly sweet and unreasonably delicious taste of the lake crabs in late autumn.

All the flavors are sealed inside a tiny orange shell, violently catalyzed by high temperatures.

Ultimately, they merged into an invisible, incredibly sharp hook.

This hook forcefully tore through the blockade of the early autumn cold air.

With an unstoppable force, it pierced straight into the nasal cavity of the old man sitting in the main seat.

Jiang Jianguo's body stiffened completely the moment he smelled the fragrance.

He still held the old-fashioned enamel mug in both hands.

But those withered hands were trembling slightly, uncontrollably.

The hot water in the teacup rippled in circles, reflecting his shocked eyes hidden under the brim of his tattered hat.

The fragrance, transformed into a hook, not only captivated his sense of smell.

It completely captivated the heart and soul of this billionaire.

He felt as if his very soul was trembling in the fragrance.

Stomach acid begins to be secreted frantically, and the stomach and intestines spasm in protest.

That stems from humanity's most primal and irresistible instinctual appetite.

Lin Mo's pace remained unhurried.

He didn't look at the comical sight of the diners around him, swallowing their saliva and their eyes gleaming with greed.

His gaze was calm as still water, falling directly on the figure in front of him wearing a worn-out military overcoat.

The short distance felt like an eternity to Jiang Jianguo.

Lin Mo stood in front of the main table.

He didn't rush to put down what he was holding, but instead lowered his eyes slightly.

His gaze fell on the table.

There, lying all alone, was a crumpled 100-yuan bill.

That was something Jiang Jianguo had slammed on the table not long ago to show the "misery of a lonely old man".

Lin Mo freed his well-proportioned left hand.

His slender fingers gently picked up the slightly worn banknote.

He slightly rotated his wrist and casually smoothed it out with his fingertips.

Then, he bent down and placed the celadon tray in his right hand steadily in the center of the wooden table.

The tray made a crisp "click" sound the moment its bottom touched the table.

Lin Mo then gently pressed the hundred-yuan bill under the edge of the celadon plate.

Only a corner of faint red was visible.

After doing all this, Lin Mo slowly straightened up.

The light shone on Jiang Jianguo's face.

That face, which should have been filled with the marks of time, was now flushed red.

It was as red as a boiled shrimp, with an abnormal blood-red hue even at the base of its neck.

His breathing became extremely heavy, and his chest heaved violently.

The collar of his military overcoat opened and closed with his breathing, letting out a wisp of heat.

What's most striking is his wildly bobbing Adam's apple.

"Gulp."

"Gulp."

The sound of swallowing saliva was unusually loud in the small space between the two.

Jiang Jianguo clenched his teeth, desperately trying to suppress this embarrassing physical reaction.

But that overwhelming, savory aroma, so close yet so close, felt like countless tiny tentacles.

It penetrated his pores, reaching the deepest parts of his body.

"Old sir."

Lin Mo spoke, his voice clear and resonant, carrying a hint of unpretentious ease.

"Crab-stuffed orange, eat it while it's hot."

A few simple words, without any unnecessary pleasantries or self-praise of the dish.

After giving his explanation, Lin Mo didn't even bother to see the old man's reaction.

He casually tugged at the apron strap around his waist.

He turned and strode off, heading straight for the kitchen without a second thought.

There was still broth simmering in the pot, and he didn't have time to stay here and watch an old man who was faking an accident to eat.

Lin Mo's figure quickly disappeared behind the coarse cloth curtain.

Jiang Jianguo was left alone, facing the golden fruit on the table that exuded a deadly allure.

The autumn wind blew again, bringing a chilly, desolate feeling.

But the coolness couldn't dispel the heat lingering around Jiang Jianguo's nose.

He remained in that stiff sitting posture, staring intently at the orange cup in front of him.

The hands hidden in the sleeves had involuntarily clenched into fists.

Her fingernails dug deep into her palms, trying to use the pain to maintain the last shred of clarity.

At this moment, an unprecedented storm was raging in his mind.

Two completely different voices were waging a brutal internal battle at the nerve endings of his body.

A voice roared wildly, a primal call originating from the stomach.

"Eat it! Eat it now!"

"This taste is absolutely amazing, it's practically something from another world!"

"Forget about saving face, let's eat first, even if we have to swallow the plate!"

The desire was so intense that his hands began to tremble slightly.

That was a muscle spasm caused by extreme excitement and restraint.

However, another voice, like a cold, towering mountain, relentlessly suppressed this desire.

That was his absolute dignity as the richest man in Beijing and the head of the Jiang family.

"Jiang Jianguo! Wake up!"

"Who are you? You're a business tycoon who's dined at the world's top restaurants!"

"Are you really going to bow down to a poor kid who runs a run-down restaurant?"

"If you're won over by this dish today, how will you ever have the nerve to stop your daughter from being with him?"

The clash between dignity and appetite distorted Jiang Jianguo's expression.

He felt like he was being roasted over a fire, every second was torture.

The fragrance seemed to possess some kind of magic, constantly eroding his will.

He could clearly smell the rich, unique aroma of autumn crab roe.

That incredibly rich flavor kept stirring up the softest corners of his memory.

That was decades ago, in front of that simple stove, the busy figure of my mother.

That was the familiar taste he had been searching for most of his life, but could never find again.

"No...this isn't real..."

Jiang Jianguo shook his head frantically in his mind, trying to drive away this terrible illusion.

"It's just a coincidence. How could a kid who hasn't even grown up yet possibly understand that kind of timing?"

"It must have been made with a bunch of random flavorings!"

"Yes! That must be it! This kind of attention-seeking stuff is utterly disgraceful!"

He kept mentally preparing himself, trying to suppress his desire with contempt.

He told himself that he wasn't sitting there to enjoy the food.

It was for the purpose of trial.

It was to completely tear off this arrogant brat's hypocritical mask.

To prove that his pickiness was correct, and to maintain the Jiang family's unassailable prestige.

He had to find the flaw in the dish.

Even if he had to nitpick, he would find something to criticize.

With this in mind, Jiang Jianguo's eyes finally refocused.

He looked at the golden orange cup that was quietly emitting heat, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.

"Pretending!"

He roared fiercely in his mind, his voice so loud it seemed to shatter his own eardrums.

"No matter how beautifully it looks or how exquisitely it's plated, it's still just a cook who tosses and turns the wok!"

"Do you really think you can rise to prominence and become a phoenix with just a few trivial skills?"

"Today I must find your bones and expose your true colors!"

He began frantically rehearsing in his mind the vicious words he would use later.

"Seafood with fruit? That's ridiculous! The taste is absolutely too fishy!"

"They definitely put in too much lard; it'll be way too greasy and make you want to vomit!"

"Yes, too fishy! Too greasy! Cooked incorrectly! All show and no substance!"

With this self-deceptive confidence, Jiang Jianguo felt his back straighten up a bit.

He suddenly let out a very soft, yet disdainful sneer from his nose.

On that wrinkled face, he forced out a haughty and critical expression.

He moved.

The spoon handle had a cool, metallic feel to it.

The coolness gave his mind a brief moment of clarity.

His fingers tightened suddenly around the spoon handle, his knuckles turning pale.

It was as if he was holding not a pair of cutlery, but a sharp blade about to end someone's fate.

He took a deep breath.

He exhaled the air, thick with the aroma of crab, forcefully from his lungs.

He silently recited those critical words in his mind, constantly brainwashing himself.

"It tastes awful...it must taste awful..."

He raised the small silver spoon high.

His movements were as stiff as a robot performing a difficult task.

The air around him seemed to freeze.

Although the diners didn't dare to openly approach, countless glances were still fixed on this side.

Everyone was waiting for this mysterious old man to give his first taste review.

Feeling the subtle, yet palpable, gazes around him, Jiang Jianguo felt even more pressured.

He knew that once he took that spoonful, there was no turning back.

He had to play this role well, to portray a gourmet enraged by substandard food.

He clenched his teeth, his facial muscles contorting with rage from the effort.

With a tragic and resolute determination, as if facing execution, they were ready to die.

Jiang Jianguo suddenly closed his eyes.

He dared not look at the alluring color any longer, fearing that his last line of defense would completely collapse.

He suddenly exerted force on his wrist.

The silver spoon tip, with a do-or-die spirit, plunged down fiercely.

"Pfft."

A very faint, yet chilling cracking sound rang out.

The spoon tip roughly pierced through the layer of steamed, soft, golden orange pulp.

It then ventured deep into the heart of the orange cup.

The rich juice instantly overflowed from the tear, staining the silver spoon surface yellow.

He didn't even feel the tactile sensation transmitted back by the spoon.

He simply used brute force to stab upwards.

A whole piece of orange flesh soaked in sweet and sour juice, along with plenty of golden crab roe and snow-white crab meat inside.

He scooped it all out with that haphazard spoonful.

The hot steam tumbled on the tip of the spoon.

Jiang Jianguo did not pause at all.

His eyes were tightly closed, and his brows were furrowed in a knot.

He opened his mouth and ate the spoonful of mixture with a resolute determination.

He stuffed it directly into his mouth!