Chapter Three: The New Manager's First Midnight Meal

Another insisted it had been a pearl in a former life. A third demanded private seating. Pain beat behind her eyes. “Don't hear everything,” Xie Chenzhou said behind her. “Find the quietest one.” “Why?” “The loudest true voice isn't always right. The things in greatest pain often don't shout.” Su Li closed her eyes and let the noise flow past as she did with thousands of livestream comments. At last she heard one grain at the bottom whispering, “I remember the wind in the field.” She scooped up that handful. When it entered the pot, the stove flame rose an inch. Zhou cut three drops from his shadow. His face paled as it shortened, but he did not hesitate. For the willingly forgotten worry, everyone looked at Mo Tuan.