Chapter 52

Cedrian looked at the piece of lychee pork held between his chopsticks. It was coated in a vibrant, crimson sauce, obscuring its true form, yet a sweet and sour aroma wafted toward his nose. The food on the table was all excellent, but he always felt something was missing. Now, smelling the lychee pork, he suddenly recalled the crystal dumplings he had tried earlier. The sweet red bean paste had swept across his entire mouth, leaving a sugary sweetness in its wake, paired with the chewy, soft, and springy dumpling skin—a grand satisfaction for the taste buds on his tongue. He opened his mouth, and the first thing he touched was the dark red sauce. Just as he had imagined, it was sweet and sour; when savored carefully, the sweetness stood out, with only a hint of acidity hidden beneath the surface after closer chewing. The exterior was crispy, though the shell softened slightly from the sauce, losing its initial charred crunch, while the meat inside was conversely smooth and tender. It had not lost too much moisture, and if one chewed slowly, a trace of juices could still be detected.