The Spirit of Gourmet

Chapter 369 The Peculiar Night Orchid
"Idol! Over here!"

A loud shout came from the exit of Lanqiu City Railway Station, drawing everyone's attention to a smiling young man waving his arms vigorously in the crowd of people waiting to pick up passengers. Following his gaze, they looked at Qin Lang and his group of five, who were carrying large bags and small packages as they stepped off the train.

Qin Lang's face was tense, and he quickened his pace. After walking up to Di You, he grabbed him and left the station as if they were escaping.

"Hey, hey, hey, idol, why are you running away!"

"Just call me Qin Lang," Qin Lang said, half-laughing and half-crying. "I doubt anyone in Lanqiu City knows me."

"Alright then, I'll call you Qin Lang." Di You nodded readily, glancing at the four people following closely behind Qin Lang.

"You must have had a long journey. Have you decided on your accommodation?"

"I've already booked the Tianzhou Hotel in Lanqiu City," Cao Dongdong chuckled. "I'm quite reliable when it comes to this!"

“Okay.” Di You shrugged. “I was going to say that if you don’t have a place to stay, you can stay at my house temporarily.”

"That would be too much of a disturbance." Qin Lang quickly shook his head.

"Never mind that, my parents are very happy to know that you are coming to Lanqiu City, and they have already started preparing to entertain you all." Di You smiled. "So please don't refuse the welcome banquet later."

"Then we won't stand on ceremony," Zhao Qian giggled. "Please thank your uncle and aunt for us. I'm really looking forward to trying their cooking!"

“It’s all home-style cooking.” Di You scratched his head. “I’ll help you with your luggage. Let’s go to the hotel to drop off our luggage first.”

As he spoke, he helped Qin Lang, who was carrying large and small bags, to carry some of the load.

The group quickly hailed a taxi and headed straight for the hotel.

"Qin Lang, are there any attractions you'd like to see in Lanqiu City?" Di You asked casually in the car. "We agreed that I would be your tour guide, so please don't refuse."

"There's no place in Lanqiu City that I don't know!"

"Thank you." Qin Lang nodded with a smile. "Speaking of places I want to go, I do have one: Lan Jin Garden."

“Lanjin Garden,” Di You smiled. “It is indeed a landmark scenic spot in Lanqiu City, and every tourist who comes to Lanqiu City should not miss it.”

"When talking about Lanjin Garden, we must mention the most famous night-blooming jasmine in our Lanqiu City, which can only be found locally."

"This night-blooming jasmine has a very special feature."

At this point, Di You paused, and only after everyone else cast curious glances at him did he smile and say, "It will show completely different colors during the day and at night, and even the fragrance will be different."

"Really?" Cao Dongdong looked surprised. "I've heard of flowers that are different colors during the day and at night."

"But this is the first time I've heard of a flower whose scent can change."

“Of course it’s true.” Di You nodded. “If you don’t believe me, open the car windows now.”

Upon hearing this, everyone opened their car windows, and a faint yet refreshing fragrance wafted into their nostrils along with the breeze blowing into the car.

"This is the fragrance of night-blooming cereus," Di You explained with a smile. "This is the season when night-blooming cereus blooms."

"Night-blooming orchids can be found in every street and alley of Lanqiu City."

"So the whole city is filled with the fragrance of flowers."

Under Di You's guidance, Qin Lang and the others looked towards the roadside and indeed saw small square flower beds with white orchids growing inside.

In other cities, the roadsides are lined with trees, but in Lanqiu City, the unique night-blooming jasmine replaces them, filling every road with its fragrance. "Tonight, when you walk on the street, you'll smell a different fragrance than you do now," Di You paused slightly. "The night-blooming jasmine's fragrance at night is not only different from that during the day, but it also has a unique sleep-inducing effect."

"So you can open the window a little when you go to sleep at night to let the fragrance of night-blooming jasmine into the room, which can help you have a good dream."

"Hearing you say that, Lanqiu City really sounds like a great place to live," Zhao Qian said with a look of longing. "It's practically a godsend for insomniacs!"

"Haha, many people say that." Di You nodded with a smile. "Lan Jin Garden is famous because of the night-blooming jasmine."

"Legend has it that the first night-blooming jasmine in Lanqiu City came from Lanjin Garden, so that is where the most night-blooming jasmine is."

"Is this rumor true?" Zuoqiu asked with interest.

“It should be true.” Di You nodded. “Because there is a night-blooming jasmine king in Lan Jin Garden, which is said to be over a thousand years old.”

A night-blooming jasmine that has grown for over a thousand years?!
Everyone couldn't help but widen their eyes.

Even trees rarely live for more than a thousand years, let alone herbaceous plants like orchids.

“If a night-blooming jasmine can grow to this extent, it is most likely a rare treasure,” Fatima said calmly, adjusting her glasses.

A rare and exquisite night-blooming jasmine?

Qin Lang and the others' eyes lit up.

Does this mean that this night-blooming jasmine has a companion spirit?
“You guessed right.” Di You nodded. “This night-blooming jasmine is indeed a rare specimen, and it also has a rare spirit attached to it.”

"Its companion spirit is also in Lanjin Garden, but tourists cannot see it; it has long been under strict protection."

At this point, Di You paused, "You should know that the precious spirit can spawn other members of its kind within a nearby area, thus improving the quality of those members."

"Therefore, the night-blooming cereus in Lanjin Garden is different from the night-blooming cereus that can be seen in the streets and alleys of Lanqiu City."

"If it weren't for this, why would tourists make a special trip to Lanjin Garden to see the night-blooming jasmine that can be seen everywhere in Lanqiu City?"

Hearing this, everyone couldn't help but smile.

"In that case, what are we waiting for!"

Cao Dongdong's eyes lit up with anticipation. "After we have dinner at Di You's house, let's head straight to Lan Jinyuan!"

"Don't rush!" Di You waved his hand and took out his phone. "In order to ensure the viewing experience of tourists and to facilitate the maintenance of order in Lanjin Garden, Lanjin Garden implements a reservation system."

"Only a certain number of tourists can enter each day; if that number is exceeded, you can only choose a later time."

"So the first thing we need to do to get in is make an appointment." Di You paused here, "Fortunately, even if you hadn't mentioned it, Lan Jin Garden is a place I would definitely have taken you to."

"So, as soon as I heard you were coming, I made a reservation for you immediately!"

At this point, Di You waved his phone and smiled.

"Tomorrow, we can enter Lanjinyuan!"

Qin Lang and the others were silent for a moment, then gave Di You a thumbs up.

"Reliable!"

(End of this chapter)