Chapter 99 The scene was crowded with people.

Chapter 99 The scene was crowded with people.

He Qianyu's heart suddenly raced. He took a deep breath and pushed through the crowd. From afar, he could smell that familiar aroma—the richness of mutton fat, the savory flavor of mutton, and the toasty fragrance of sesame seeds blended perfectly, forming an invisible net in the air.

"This is it! This is the taste!" He Qianyu's eyes lit up, and she quickened her pace.

However, when he pushed through the crowd and finally saw that familiar figure, he froze on the spot.

A long queue had formed in front of Su Yingxue's stall, where she was skillfully flipping the flatbreads on the griddle, her profile appearing particularly gentle in the morning light. Today, she wore a simple ponytail, with a few strands of hair damp with sweat and clinging to her forehead, but this did not affect her focused expression in the slightest.

He Rongrong took on a temporary job today and wasn't at her stall. She was quite busy yesterday after the promotion.

What surprised He Qianyu even more was that there were several familiar faces in the group—wasn't he the food blogger she met on set yesterday? And the host who often does food shows on TV!

"Brother Qianyu, it's that stall." The assistant pointed ahead.

He Qianyu then came to his senses. He subconsciously touched the mask in his pocket, hesitating whether to go up and say hello directly.

Just then, he heard someone in the line exclaim:

"Look! It's He Qianyu!"

Even with a mask on, He Qianyu's figure couldn't be concealed, and she was quickly recognized by fans.

Instantly, the entire team erupted in cheers. He Qianyu felt countless phone cameras pointed at him, and he stood awkwardly in place, caught between a rock and a hard place.

"He Qianyu? It really is you!" a girl in the line shouted excitedly. "Can we get your autographs?"

He Qianyu gave a stiff smile, about to explain that he had only come to eat pancakes, when he saw Su Yingxue turn her head—she seemed to sense something, her gaze passing through the crowd and looking straight at him.

The moment their eyes met, Su Yingxue paused for a moment, then gave a knowing smile.

"He Qianyu! Long time no see." She actually called him by his name!

The queue erupted in chaos. He Qianyu felt his face burn. He took off his mask and, forcing himself to speak, walked to the stall: "Um... I'd like to buy a mutton flatbread..."

Su Yingxue deftly packed a steaming hot flatbread, winked as she handed it to him, and said, "Same as always, an extra spoonful of mutton filling."

"You...you even know I like to eat meat?" He Qianyu asked in surprise as she took the flatbread.

“Of course I remember,” Su Yingxue smiled and pointed to her system panel, “After all, you were my first ‘fainted guest.’”

He Qianyu instantly understood. He took a bite of the flatbread, the crispy crust crackling between his teeth, and the delicious flavor of the mutton bursting in his mouth. The taste was incredibly fresh and appealing.

"It tastes just like before." He closed his eyes contentedly. "This snack is much better than the boxed lunches on set."

Su Yingxue couldn't help but chuckle: "So you're here for tourism in March Mountain?"

“No,” He Qianyu shook his head seriously, “I came here… to chase after delicious food.” He paused, then added, “and to see some old friends.”

In the distance, Zhou You was frantically trying to maintain order, afraid that this group of suddenly appearing "fans" would disrupt the normal operation of the food festival.

Meanwhile, at Su Yingxue's stall, He Qianyu was patiently waiting with the people in line for the next batch of steamed buns to come out of the oven.

He Qianyu wasn't satisfied with one bite and prepared to queue for the next one, but it took her a long time to get to the front of the line.

He Qianyu took a bite of the kangmo (a type of flatbread), the crispy outer layer crackling between his teeth, the savory flavor of mutton exploding in his mouth with the aroma of sesame. He squinted his eyes in satisfaction, as if trying to etch this taste into his memory.

"Is it good?" Su Yingxue asked him with a smile as she skillfully flipped the flatbread on the griddle.

"Mmm!" He Qianyu nodded vigorously, a sesame seed still clinging to the corner of his mouth. "It's much better than what those Michelin-starred chefs on set make." He paused, then lowered his voice, "Actually... besides wanting to eat your kangmo (a type of flatbread), there's something else I wanted to do this time."

Su Yingxue continued working with her hands, only raising an eyebrow.

He Qianyu looked around and, seeing that the people in line were all patiently waiting for their steamed buns, said mysteriously, "You know what? Ever since you delivered lunchboxes to the film crew last time, a lot of people have been asking about you."

"Ask me about me?" Su Yingxue asked, somewhat puzzled.

“That’s right!” He Qianyu counted on her fingers, “First, Shen Yu said your boxed lunches were even better than those from high-end restaurants; then Old Hou insisted on inviting you to cook at his company; even our former assistant kept asking me when you would deliver boxed lunches again…”

Su Yingxue paused for a moment while picking up the steamed bun, then resumed her composure: "I never thought about becoming famous."

“I know.” He Qianyu smiled. “That’s why I told them you probably just came to March Mountain to have some fun and make some food you like.” He pointed to the long line in front of the stall. “I didn’t expect your trip to cause such a stir.”

Su Yingxue glanced at the expectant faces in the group and gently shook her head: "I just want to travel around and cook some food I like. Fame and all that is too much trouble."

Just then, a commotion broke out in the queue. He Qianyu turned around and saw an internet celebrity holding a selfie stick pushing her way to the front, shouting at Su Yingxue's stall, "Family members! This is the stall where He Qianyu is queuing to buy pancakes! I'm right here!"

Instantly, the entire team erupted in cheers. He Qianyu felt countless phone cameras pointed at him, and he stood awkwardly in place, caught between a rock and a hard place.

"Brother Qianyu, let's keep a low profile," the assistant whispered.

Su Yingxue suddenly had a bright idea. She picked up a freshly baked flatbread and walked to the front of the line: "This is the last free sample for today! For this friend who helped promote it!"

The online celebrity excitedly accepted the baked bun and showered it with praise for the camera. Taking the opportunity, Su Yingxue told the people in line, "Don't worry, everyone, I'll be back tomorrow, and I promise everyone will get some!"

He Qianyu stood to the side, watching Su Yingxue calmly handle the sudden attention, and a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips. He suddenly understood that some people are like this mutton flatbread—seemingly ordinary, yet always able to give people the warmest surprises unexpectedly.

“Then I’ll come again tomorrow,” He Qianyu said softly, as if speaking to Su Yingxue, but also as if speaking to herself.

Su Yingxue was packing steamed buns for a new customer when she heard this. She looked up and winked at him, saying, "Remember to make an appointment in advance, or you won't get any."

"Make an appointment? How do I make an appointment?" He Qianyu asked, but before he could finish speaking, Su Yingxue took out a notepad from her apron pocket, quickly wrote down a number, and a few strands of her hair fell as her fingertips brushed across the paper.

"This is my temporary phone number. I'm letting you know in advance so I can save you the hottest batch."