Chapter 7 Don’t Be Picky About Food

This aura…

There was no mistake—it was the treasure of his heart, his child from the mountains!

Yan Zhen gazed greedily at the other, feeling both relief and emotion.

So many years had passed. Dan Zai had finally emerged from the stone egg, his transformation a success, and he had grown so big.

Look! What a handsome face, what a tall stature!

But when Yan Zhen’s eyes fell on the wheelchair, his heart suddenly ached.

During the years Dan Zai had been stolen away, he must have suffered greatly. Dan Zai was so weak now, unable to move on his own—how pitiful. Yan Zhen recognized the wheelchair; it was something only the disabled used. Had someone bullied Dan Zai and broken his legs?!

Yan Zhen blamed himself. It was all his fault. If he had been more vigilant, Dan Zai could have continued sleeping peacefully in the Mountain Nest, waking up together with him. Even if he had hatched later, he wouldn’t have been this frail… What was the term people used nowadays? Ah, yes—malnourished. If Yan Zhen had raised him, Dan Zai would surely have grown up strong and healthy…

Lost in these thoughts, Yan Zhen’s eyes reddened, tears glistening as they threatened to spill. He pursed his lips, holding back with great effort, and couldn’t resist stepping forward. This time, he was too eager and forgot to restrain himself. With every step, dense cracks spiderwebbed beneath his feet.

Yan Zhen casually rubbed his foot, and the ground instantly repaired itself. But his steps didn’t stop as he walked forward until he stood before the wheelchair. Then, he crouched down and gently reached out to touch the young man’s knee—as if afraid of hurting him. Softly, he asked, “Does it hurt? Whoever harmed your legs, I’ll make them pay double.”

·

With his captain’s backing, Fang Zhenbang’s courage surged. When he came to confront the strange shop owner, Yan Zhen—the monster in his mind—he was on high alert, harboring no goodwill. Deep down, he wanted to reclaim the dignity he’d lost earlier. But he never expected things to unfold like this.

He watched in horror as Yan Zhen nearly shattered the entire street underfoot, only to casually restore it moments later. But the most terrifying part was that Yan Zhen dared to touch their captain’s knee! This monster had some nerve! The last person who tried to get chummy with the captain now wet his pants reflexively at the mere mention of the captain’s name…

The next moment, something even more unbelievable happened.

Fang Zhenbang’s eyes widened as he saw his mighty, ruthless, and ferocious captain’s wheelchair suddenly slide backward, avoiding Yan Zhen’s touch. Yan Zhen shuffled forward a couple of steps and reached out again, only for the wheelchair to slide back once more, evading him. Yan Zhen stretched out his hand again, and the wheelchair retreated again.

After several rounds of this, the two—one seated in the wheelchair and the other crouched before it—had moved back over a dozen meters, nearly exiting the alley.

Fang Zhenbang swallowed hard. What the hell was going on?! Recalling the blazing intensity in Yan Zhen’s gaze as he looked at their captain, he felt his scalp tingle with shock.

The young man in the wheelchair—Lin Yangfeng—wore an intimidating expression by default as he warily eyed the slender, pale finger attempting to poke his knee, his heart racing inexplicably. Logically, anyone daring to get this close should have sent him into a furious rage, regardless of whether they were attractive or not. Yet, he couldn’t understand himself—why didn’t he feel violated when this person encroached on his personal space? Instead, he only felt uneasy. Perhaps… there was a strange sense of being teased?

In the end, as Lin Yangfeng nearly backed onto the road, he was inevitably touched on the knee.

The contact was as light as a feather drifting down—so faint yet impossible to ignore. In that instant, a tingling sensation spread from the point of contact, quickly coursing through his entire body.

This feeling was far too peculiar.

Lin Yangfeng stared at the strikingly handsome young man before him, whose eyes brimmed with concern, utterly baffled by his intentions. A fleeting thought crossed his mind—had they met before? But he hadn’t suffered any memory loss, and he had no recollection of this person.

The next moment, the young man stood up and, seemingly out of nowhere, produced a large handful of fruits, piling them onto Lin Yangfeng’s lap. His voice was soft yet urgent, “You must be starving, right? Eat, eat quickly.” When Lin Yangfeng didn’t move, he grew even more anxious, urging, “Hurry up and eat! There’s plenty more—have as much as you want!”

Lin Yangfeng lowered his gaze to the fruits and fell into deep silence.

They were plump and vividly red, exuding a sweet fragrance. He recognized them—Cinnabar Wood Fruit, harvested from Mount Mi Cinnabar Wood. He remembered their taste—intensely sweet, like malt sugar, and highly filling. A single fruit could satiate an ordinary person. Even for him, it was something that could stave off hunger… After millennia of starvation, the mere whiff of sweetness made his stomach growl ravenously.

·

Yan Zhen had handed Lin Yangfeng a pile of Cinnabar Wood Fruit, only to find that no matter how much he coaxed, the other refused to eat. Did he dislike them? Growing anxious, Yan Zhen fretted—was Dan Zai really this picky? He hurriedly pulled out several *gui* wood fruits, each as large as a papaya, and placed them all into Lin Yangfeng’s arms.

Yet, Lin Yangfeng merely glanced at them.

Yan Zhen quickly produced another type of fruit, resembling peaches, and offered a small heap to Lin Yangfeng.

Still, Lin Yangfeng showed no reaction.

Yan Zhen pressed his lips together and coaxed softly, “Do you not like eating fruit? There’s no helping it—everything else is raw, and raw food isn’t good for you. Can you just snack on these for now? Come back to my shop with me, and I’ll cook you a proper meal. There’s lots of delicious food—all for you, okay?” His brows furrowed slightly. “Ah, don’t be mad at me. I’ll apologize, so be good, alright?”

Lin Yangfeng seemed to finally snap out of it, replying irritably, “Who are you? I’m not going.”

Yan Zhen sighed quietly. Dan Zai was clearly furious—just like the protagonists in TV dramas, pretending to have amnesia. What should he do? Dan Zai wouldn’t even go back with him. He’d have to coax him more, but how could he let Dan Zai go hungry? He needed to feed him first before trying to win him over. Ah, Dan Zai was so picky—he’d have to carefully plan the menu.

After some deliberation, Yan Zhen stood up and walked behind the wheelchair.

The next moment, he lifted the entire wheelchair—along with its occupant—into his arms.

Lin Yangfeng only felt his body lose weight as he was suddenly lifted into the air, the energy around him instantly turning violent.  

Yet Yan Zhen walked with light steps, carrying the wheelchair as he headed straight for Jade Accumulation Studio.  

Lin Yangfeng: “…”  

Fang Zhenbang: Is it too late to claim I’ve gone blind?  

Qiu Xiaoling: The shop owner’s strength is so—so impressive!