Chapter One: Spicy Enough to Hear the World Speak

In Su Li's earpiece, her producer Xu Tang dissolved into coughing laughter. The channel's numbers had fallen for two straight months, and their sponsor wanted something “genuinely exciting.” Half the old street had already been demolished. Rain ran between dark bricks, and this was the only restaurant with its lights on. The fragrance from the kitchen was so fierce it hardly seemed like food. It felt like a hook lodged in her stomach. Before she could bargain again, a blot of darkness slipped from beneath the kitchen curtain and pushed out a porcelain bowl. Wen Jiu's expression changed. “Mo Tuan!” The shadow darted away. Red broth churned inside the bowl. Fine noodles coiled like a flower around one charred chili.