Nourishing the Body and Stir-Fried Crab

Not far from the pier stood Binhai’s old waterfront district.

Night had fallen, and the damp sea breeze came rushing over, carrying the salty tang of the ocean mixed with the smoky aroma of cooking fires.

Yu Ou led the way with practiced ease. After passing through two narrow lanes paved with bluestone, she brought the three of them to a large seafood stall built right beside the sea.

Simple neon lights glowed on the red plastic sign. Inside, more than a dozen folding round tables filled the dining hall, nearly every seat occupied.

The air was thick with the rich fragrance of seafood sizzling in hot oil, minced garlic, and spicy sauce. The din of conversation mingled with the clatter of woks, creating a lively, unmistakably down-to-earth atmosphere.

Three tiers of large water tanks stood neatly arranged outside the restaurant.

Aeration pumps bubbled noisily, filling the tanks with dense clusters of bubbles. Inside swam all kinds of live seafood: grouper, green crabs waving their large claws, palm-sized tiger prawns, and plump abalone and oysters clinging to the glass walls.

“Boss Su, this is the place.”

Yu Ou pointed at the tanks outside and introduced the restaurant with a smile.

“Don’t let the modest storefront fool you. All their seafood comes straight off the fishing boats every afternoon, so it’s incredibly fresh. The master chef’s skills are also among the best on this street.”

“It certainly looks authentic.”

Su Bai glanced at the lively seafood swimming in the tanks.

“Pick whatever you want. Let’s eat to our hearts’ content tonight.”

The owner was a dark-skinned, middle-aged man. Seeing that Su Bai had an extraordinary air about him and that three stunning women accompanied him, the man’s smile grew especially enthusiastic. Holding a menu, he hurried over to greet them.

“Handsome, take a look and see what you’d like. We just brought in some tiger prawns today—every one of them is full of roe!”

Su Bai did not stand on ceremony. Pointing at the seafood in the tanks, he rattled off a long list.

“Two pounds of tiger prawns. Just blanch them.”

“Two pounds of razor clams, stir-fried with fermented black beans and peppers.”

“That coral grouper, the one a little over two pounds—prepare it homestyle.”

“And a plate of spicy sea snails, plus a serving of scallion-oil swan-egg clams.”

Su Bai ordered enough to cover most of the table, his manner brisk and decisive.

Zhou Jialu walked over to the shellfish tank in her high heels.

She extended a delicate, fair finger and lightly tapped the glass, where oysters as large as her palm sat beside fresh, plump purple sea urchins.

Zhou Jialu turned around. Her limpid, peach-blossom eyes glimmered, and a mischievous smile played at the corners of her lips.

“Boss, how big are those oysters?”

“The large ones weigh four or five ounces each. They’re practically all meat, and they’re wonderfully plump!” The owner quickly thumped his chest in assurance.

Zhou Jialu’s eyes lit up. She turned to Su Bai, her voice soft and teasing.

“Junior, being out and about takes a lot of energy. Let’s get another half-dozen oysters for sashimi, half a dozen grilled with garlic, and a few fresh sea urchins steamed as well.”

As she spoke, she gave Su Bai a playful wink, her voice brimming with mischief.

“Let’s get plenty of things to replenish your strength and properly reward our hero.”

Su Bai stood to one side with his hands in his pockets, looking at her with an amused smile.

“Replenish my strength?”

He slowly raised an eyebrow, his tone teasing.

“What if you overdo it and none of you can handle tonight?”

The implication in his words was blatant.

Zhou Jialu, however, showed not the slightest embarrassment. Instead, she giggled and leaned softly against Ke Yujia, slipping an arm around the petite girl’s slender, delicate shoulders.

“What am I afraid of?”

Zhou Jialu boldly thrust out her full chest and teased him with a bright smile.

“Besides, even if I can’t handle it, we still have Yujia. Little Yujia is young and in excellent shape, and she practices dance, so she has a wonderfully solid foundation.”

Ke Yujia was dragged into the conversation without warning.

The little girl had already been left weak all over after being thoroughly ravished in the yacht’s master bedroom that afternoon. Now that Sister Jialu had brought the subject up again, two hot blushes instantly spread from her cheeks to the tips of her ears.

“Sister Jialu… stop talking nonsense…”

Ke Yujia was so shy that even her earlobes had turned an alluring pink.

She lowered her head firmly against her chest, clutching the hem of her pink hoodie with both hands. The toes of her little feet, clad in white stockings, unconsciously twisted against the floor, and she let out a soft, shy whimper.

She was so bashful that she wished she could find a crack in the ground and disappear into it.

Standing beside them, Yu Ou took everything in.

She watched Zhou Jialu’s bold teasing and the springlike allure in her eyes, then looked at Ke Yujia’s shy, helpless reaction—she barely had the strength to protest.

Yu Ou’s heart stirred faintly.

As an adult, how could she fail to understand the deeper meaning behind those remarks?

Zhou Jialu and Ke Yujia—one voluptuous and alluring, the other petite and supple—were both women of exceptional beauty.

Yet when they faced Su Bai, the obedience and dependence revealed in their expressions were almost impossible to conceal.

They could even joke so naturally about intimate matters right in front of him.

Then Yu Ou recalled the terrifying explosive strength Su Bai had displayed that afternoon when he hauled up a deep-sea creature weighing more than sixty pounds with one hand, as well as the faint sounds that had drifted out after the master-bedroom door closed…

Her gaze unconsciously settled on Su Bai’s broad, upright back.

Just how formidable was this man… when it came to that sort of thing?

He had taken on two women at once without even seeming short of breath. Instead, he had left both of them thoroughly subdued, their legs unsteady when they walked.

The sea breeze brushed against Yu Ou’s wheat-colored neck, bringing with it a faint coolness.

Yet in her heart, it was as though a pebble had been tossed into still water, stirring ripples of an unfamiliar desire.

To any woman who admired strength and vitality, a young man filled with primal power—strong yet restrained—possessed a dangerously irresistible appeal.

Yu Ou inhaled softly and quickly suppressed the inexplicable heat rising within her. Then she turned to the owner and smoothed things over.

“Boss, just serve whatever Boss Su and Miss Zhou ordered. Pick the plumpest oysters and get them opened. And make it quick.”

“Coming right up! Please head upstairs to the private room!”

The group followed a server to a semi-open private room on the second floor overlooking the sea.

When the windows were pushed open, the sound of waves striking the rocks reached them clearly. The night breeze brushed their faces, cool and refreshing.

The food arrived remarkably quickly.

In less than twenty minutes, dish after dish of steaming seafood had been brought out and arranged across the large round table.

The homestyle-braised coral grouper gleamed red, its flesh falling away in garlic-like flakes and coated in a rich, savory house sauce. Each bite was tender, smooth, and sweet.

The razor clams stir-fried with fermented black beans and peppers glistened with oil. Their meat was thick and crisp, infused with the intense wok hei of the pan.

The blanched tiger prawns were arranged in neat rows on a platter. Their shells were thin and faintly red; once peeled, the meat was firm and springy. Dipped in only the tiniest amount of specially prepared seafood soy sauce, their pure, natural sweetness spread across the tongue.

The garlic-topped oysters, sizzling with oil from the grill, arrived alongside the freshly opened raw oysters.

Every oyster was plump and juicy. With a few drops of lemon juice, they slipped smoothly into the mouth, cool and sweet, without the slightest trace of fishiness.

Spicy, blanched, homestyle-braised, charcoal-grilled.

The simple preparation brought out the ultimate freshness of the ingredients to the fullest extent. Each dish had its own distinctive flavor, and everyone ate to their heart’s content.

The four of them chatted as they ate, creating a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

Zhou Jialu thoughtfully peeled shrimp for Su Bai, while Ke Yujia obediently helped serve soup and hand out napkins.

With her cheerful personality, Yu Ou shared plenty of amusing stories from her days training with the sailing team, making the two girls laugh again and again.

The seafood dishes on the table gradually began to empty.

Zhou Jialu and Ke Yujia didn’t eat much. After they were half full, they began taking small sips of freshly squeezed fruit juice.

Although Yu Ou had once been an athlete, she had also nearly finished her dinner.

Only Su Bai continued eating with an utterly composed expression, finishing the mountain of shrimp shells and clam shells piled up in front of him.

With a physique of 170 points, his metabolism was far faster than an ordinary person’s. After an intense workout and a day out at sea, all the food on the table amounted to little more than a light snack to him.

The seafood was indeed fresh and delicious, but after finishing such a huge spread, Su Bai still felt that his stomach was missing something substantial. He wasn’t completely satisfied yet.

Su Bai pulled out a napkin and wiped his hands. Then he turned toward the doorway, where a server carrying a tray was passing by, and raised a hand to beckon him over.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes, handsome. How may I help you?” The server quickly stopped and came over.

“Those two large green crabs weighing a little over two pounds each in your tank—bring me two of them.”

“Don’t steam them. Prepare them Typhoon Shelter-style.”

“Use plenty of crispy fried garlic and dried chilies, and stir-fry them until they’re nice and dry and fragrant.”