CFSMS -Chapter 254 Truth or Truth

Jiang Yunhe’s thoughts raced. He had intended to brush off the question with some casual answer, but to his surprise, his mouth proved far more honest than his brain.

“I, Jiang, have not harbored romantic feelings for anyone in all these decades.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Jiang Yunhe’s expression turned strange.

He was certain that was not what he had intended to say.

Recalling Lu Wu’s subtle smile earlier, a realization dawned on him.

There was something wrong with this food.

It made people tell the truth.

In an instant, countless possibilities flashed through his mind. This food could be used to pry answers out of that stubborn old man who never cooperated. It could also help deal with those patients who never uttered a single honest word.

While his thoughts were spinning, he looked up and immediately saw Qin Zhan’s lecherous grin.

“Brother, you—”

Before he could finish speaking, Qin Zhan saw a murderous gleam bloom in Jiang Yunhe’s eyes.

“Qin Zhan, think carefully before you ask. After all, you’ll be eating this too.”

The threat was unmistakable.

If Qin Zhan embarrassed him, then Jiang Yunhe wouldn’t show any mercy later.

“Ahem, I just wanted to ask whether you had breakfast today.”

Qin Zhan hit the brakes immediately.

“No.”

Jiang Yunhe was quite satisfied with Qin Zhan’s good sense.

“I want to know whether you took the miraculous tonic pill I gave you last time.”

But then Qin Zhan abruptly changed direction and asked an overly personal question.

The so-called tonic pill was specially developed for men. Qin Zhan’s intentions were obvious.

He stared eagerly at Jiang Yunhe, hoping for some juicy gossip.

Yet Jiang Yunhe merely showed a flash of surprise and remained silent.

That was because he had discovered he could control his mouth again.

The food could force people to tell the truth, but the effect was limited—either by time or by the number of questions.

As it turned out, Jiang Yunhe had guessed correctly.

The special effect attached to this dish was something Lu Wu called “Truth Game.”

After eating the bugs, if someone asked the eater a question, they would answer honestly.

Naturally, there were restrictions.

The questions had to be asked within one minute of eating, and only three questions could be asked. The effect could only work once per day on the same person.

Any extra questions or delayed questions would have no effect.

Furthermore, if a question touched upon an especially important secret, the food’s effect would weaken. In that case, the person’s willpower could overcome the influence entirely.

Jiang Yunhe understood.

“Qin Zhan, this one’s yours.”

At that moment, Lu Wu handed over a jade bowl. A bug skewered on a bamboo stick wobbled precariously atop it, looking remarkably similar to Qin Zhan’s current state of mind.

“Well… I’m not hungry right now. I’ll eat it later.”

Qin Zhan spoke stiffly, trying to avoid Jiang Yunhe’s death-ray stare.

That wasn’t a smile.

That was a barrage of flying knives.

But how could Jiang Yunhe let him escape?

His hand moved even faster than Qin Zhan’s reaction.

A silver needle shot out and pierced Qin Zhan before he could defend himself.

“You’re serious?!”

Instantly, Qin Zhan found himself unable to move. He shouted while trying to force spiritual energy through his sealed acupoints.

Jiang Yunhe hadn’t gone all out, but the brief paralysis was more than enough.

Appearing beside Qin Zhan in a flash, he used the bamboo skewer to hold the bug near Qin Zhan’s mouth.

“Be good. Are you going to eat it yourself, or shall I personally stuff it into your mouth?”

The word “personally” carried heavy emphasis.

Jiang Yunhe looked eager to try.

Qin Zhan’s face darkened.

He had once again proven a fundamental truth:

If you don’t court death, death won’t come looking for you.

Swallowing his humiliation, he reluctantly opened his mouth and bit down on the selected bee pupa.

He planned to secretly use spiritual energy to destroy it once Jiang Yunhe wasn’t paying attention.

Unfortunately, the two had known each other since childhood. Jiang Yunhe knew every little trick Qin Zhan had.

He raised a hand and smacked Qin Zhan under the jaw, forcing his head back. Then his thumb pressed a certain spot beneath Qin Zhan’s chin.

Gulp!

The sound of swallowing echoed out.

The bee pupa was swallowed whole.

Qin Zhan hadn’t even had the chance to taste it.

Had he known this would happen, he wouldn’t have resisted.

Realizing there was no escaping the torment, he slumped his shoulders and wore a miserable expression.

“Go ahead and ask.”

“Show a little mercy.”

The second sentence was barely above a whisper, sounding almost like a plea.

Jiang Yunhe ignored it completely.

Every cause has its effect.

And I am yours.

“How many girls did you spy on bathing when you were little?”

“After stealing your master’s hidden wine last time, who did you frame for it?”

“I heard a girl confessed her feelings to you before and left crying afterward. What exactly did you do to her?”

Three questions fired off in rapid succession, giving Qin Zhan no opportunity to stall.

Under the food’s influence, his mouth became painfully honest.

“Once. But it wasn’t spying. I was practicing on a rooftop and accidentally fell in. I swear it wasn’t on purpose.”

“I framed Senior Brother. He’s tough and can take a beating.”

“I didn’t do anything. I just told her she wasn’t my type. Then she asked what kind of girl I liked. I said I liked girls whose cooking could rival Boss Lu’s. For some reason she got angry, called me an idiot, told me not to compete with her for Boss Lu, slapped me, and ran away crying.”

Love?

Qin Zhan would never fall into the trap of romance when there was food to think about.

Of course, if someone really could cook as well as Boss Lu, he might consider it.

Gender wasn’t even an issue.

At worst, they could just be lifelong brothers.

Lu Wu never expected to make an appearance in this story.

That girl was seriously down bad.

“Excellent. I recorded everything.”

Jiang Yunhe held up his communication device and neatly dodged Qin Zhan’s grab before putting it away.

He was absolutely going to find the perfect opportunity to release it to the public.

The people nearby laughed so hard they could barely straighten their backs.

Qin Zhan opened his mouth several times, wanting to curse.

But then he noticed a little girl with wide eyes staring at him.

Decorum!

Forcefully swallowing the profanity, Qin Zhan simmered in frustration.

Unable to do anything else, he skewered another bug and viciously stuffed it into his mouth to vent his anger.

The texture resembled fried small yellow croaker.

Crunchy.

The spices coating the pupa launched a full-scale invasion across his taste buds.

Salty, savory, with a slight bitterness.

An unusual flavor.

The first bite felt a little uncomfortable, but after swallowing it, the lingering aroma at the back of his tongue became strangely addictive.

Qin Zhan paused, then speared a grasshopper and ate that as well.

Once he overcame the psychological hurdle, he discovered these bugs were genuinely delicious.

Each variety offered a slightly different texture.

The combination of meaty richness and fried fragrance formed an aromatic storm that even the spectators couldn’t ignore.

“Is it really that good?”

Some people still refused to believe it.

But they soon noticed more and more people gathering around the stall.

Some were genuinely tempted.

Others were simply following the crowd.

Watching the scene unfold, Jiang Yunhe stared at the remaining bugs in his bowl with the solemn expression of a physician studying a critical illness.

Unfortunately, his love for patients could not overcome his desire for food.

He thoroughly cleaned out the last scraps in the bowl.

Of course, patients still needed treatment.

He walked to the back of the line and joined the queue once more.

The next bowl—

No, the bowl after that—

He would definitely, absolutely save it to “interrogate” patients.

As for now…

Please allow him to eat a little more first.

He officially declared that fried little bugs would be the love of his life for the next few days.