A Valiant Life

Youth Arts Magazine Publishing Company.

Zhong Qing Yi held the bag of scallion pancakes and smiled. She bought it for her colleagues even though she was only out for a while. Zhong Qing Yi thought, “I shouldn’t think of it as extra effort. I should treat this walk like a free mini workout!”

“Sigh, why isn’t Qing Yi back yet? I’m starving,” said Sister Meng as she laid motionlessly on the chair at her colorful work counter. She continuously licked her lips as she stared intently at the delicious food displayed on her computer. She was famished.

The action of licking one’s lips is so seductive. If a male was around, he might have forcefully kissed her, savoring the taste of her lips.

Her delicate face was filled with sadness. It was as if she would starve to death if she remained like this for a few more minutes.

This was a magazine publishing firm for female high-fashion. The workers here were all youthful and beautiful.

“Han Han, you’re such a glutton, what if you become a fatty?” said a pretty colleague. She was lying flat on her stomach on the partition between the work desks, with her abdomen raised in a seductive and sexy way.

“Ugh, I would rather eat till I die than starve to death. Why is Qing Yi so slow? Will she only return after I starve to death?” Huo Han lamented lethargically with a slight bitterness on her face. Even though she had eaten a slice of cake ten minutes ago, she was already hungry.

“Look, your saving grace is back,” said the pretty colleague who was lying on her stomach. Then, she pursed up her lips and said, “This glutton would have died if you came back any later.”

“I’m not a glutton… Miss Qing Yi, you’re finally back. If not, I would have really starved to death. Look at the bag of pancakes you’re holding, I love you so much,” Huo Han said as she snatched the bag from Qing Yi.

Just as Huo Han was about to open the bag, she turned to Qing Yi and asked, “Where did you buy this from?”

“At the entrance of the school opposite us. I bought them from the charming man you talked about before who sells hand-made pastries for a living even though he could easily be a model,” Qing Yi replied.

“Ah!” Huo Han exclaimed with a bittersweet expression on her face. “Why did you buy from him? Although I admire the young chap’s looks, I don’t really like the pastries he makes. There goes this bag of pancakes…”

“I noticed his business wasn’t very good and since you admire him so much, I thought I could do a good deed on your behalf by buying pancakes from him,” Qing Yi said as she flipped her hair. “If you don’t want them, just throw them away.”

Huo Han sulked and sighed helplessly, “Fine, fine, I’m famished. Even if it tastes like crap, I would still have to eat it. Otherwise, I’d really starve to death.”

“Babe, is there a chance that you might be the reincarnation of a hungry ghost?” Zhong Qing Yi smiled and asked as she walked towards the work desk.

“Hmph, I’m a beauty from the heavens and I came down to savor delicacies in the mortal world. When I’m done, I will fly back to the heavens,” Huo Han playfully said as she stuck out her tongue.

Everyone in the office laughed after they heard what Huo Han said. With such a mundane job, bickering seemed to be the only thing that could cheer them up.

Huo Han mumbled joyously to herself as she looked at the bag of handmade scallion pancakes.

“These look different. Perhaps he used an improved recipe? Now I’m excited to have one,” Huo Han said as she opened up the bag. Suddenly, the office was filled with the aroma of the pancakes.

It was an indescribable aroma. It was as if those people in the office who smelled it had found a delicacy which they had to try.

*clattering noises*

A series of chair-turning noises could be heard. All the beautiful ladies in the office stood up as they wiggled their noses, inhaling the aroma.

“Where is this aroma coming from?”

“Yeah it smells so good, I have never smelled something as good as this.”

“I’m suddenly so hungry and I feel like eating although I just ate a while ago.”

Just as the charming ladies were trying to locate the source of the aroma, Huo Han forcefully swallowed her saliva as she held onto the bag of pancakes. Her big and brilliant eyes filled with a strong desire.

The pancakes had a golden and crispy outer layer, with each paper-thin layer clearly defined. The aroma filled the air, making everyone crave intensely for them as if the pancakes were the only thing they ever wanted.

“The aroma is coming from this bag of pancakes,” Zhong Qing Yi said as she inhaled the aroma again. When she had been at another stall earlier, she had smelled the same aroma but she didn’t know where it came from. Now that she was smelling the same aroma, there could only be one possibility: it came from the bag of scallion pancakes.

Huo Han impatiently took a bite of the pancake. As she took her first bite, Huo Han had a look of astonishment on her face. Then, she stood up forcefully, as if she got hypnotized by it.

It was as if Huo Han’s soul was awoken by the waves of ecstasy from her first bite. “Delicious. It’s just too delicious.”

At this moment, Huo Han had recovered from the moment of ecstasy; the magical feeling which tantalized her taste buds and left her speechless.

This was the best scallion pancake that she had ever tasted. Even those made by the finest chefs couldn’t compete with these.

“What do you guys want?” Huo Han asked as she involuntarily shielded the bag from her colleagues which surrounded her.

“Han Han, let us try the scallion pancakes please.”

…

“Yeah, the aroma is irresistible.”

“Yeah, my precious Han Han, just one bite please.”

…

The commotion continued.

“No, they’re mine. What do you guys want? Qing Yi, help! They want to snatch my food away.”

Huo Han didn’t want to share this bag of delicious scallion pancakes. She tried her best to protect them. However, even Qing Yi had joined the queue for a taste of them.

“Han Han, I bought them for you, let me have a bite please.”

Zhong Qing Yi was already attracted to the aroma and when she saw how badly Huo Han wanted to protect them, she wanted to taste them even more.

In an instant, Huo Han was drowning in a sea of beautiful ladies.

“Ah, it’s just too delicious. It feels like I’ve just tasted the best thing I have ever had.”

“Give me a bit more, just a bit.”

“There’s none left.”

“You bunch of ruthless b*tches, how could you forcefully snatch the scallion pancakes from me in broad daylight? Don’t you have a guilty conscience?” Huo Han cried out.

“Qing Yi, you said these were bought from the stall opposite, right?”

“Let’s go, what are we waiting for? How could we just buy only one bag of such delicious scallion pancakes?”

“I have decided to eat these scallion pancakes every single day for all of my meals!”

“Let’s charge towards the handsome chap!”

The army of ladies did not even think of consoling Huo Han. They immediately took the lift and charged towards the school.

“Wait for me…” Huo Han said as she was left alone in the office. She then rushed towards them for the school.