Chapter 10: Delicious Hot Spring Eggs
Gu Xiaoshuang spoke cautiously. “You seem a little brighter.”
“Touch me! Go on, touch me!”
Li Qian came rushing over with excited yelps, completely forgetting about maintaining any dignity. She slid several meters across the shore on her knees, stretched her neck out as far as she could, and eagerly thrust her face forward for inspection.
“Are you asking for a beating?” Gu Xiaoshuang’s mouth twitched. Patiently setting down the egg, she leaned in for a closer look. “It does seem brighter. Did some of your acne clear up?”
“Then touch it!”
Without waiting for an answer, Li Qian grabbed Gu Xiaoshuang’s hand and pressed it against her face.
Smooth. Soft.
Her fingertips were met with a full, supple texture. A light press revealed lively elasticity that bounced right back.
Li Qian used to stay up late constantly and lived on takeout food. Her face had always been covered with acne and looked dull and sallow, making people forget that this college-aged woman was actually in the prime of her youth.
It was still the same face as before, but now it seemed almost magnetic. Gu Xiaoshuang rubbed it a couple more times, turning it left and right to examine it, increasingly reluctant to let go. The more she looked, the more horrified her expression became.
“It’s real. Your whole face looks clearer and more radiant… I’ve heard beauty salons sometimes put tone-up cream on customers so they think their skin looks better when they leave.”
“Are you an idiot?”
Li Qian was equally shocked.
“I washed my face myself just now. If I wanted tone-up cream, I’d have had to put it on myself.”
Gu Xiaoshuang sucked in a sharp breath. “Then how do you feel right now?”
Li Qian looked like she was about to cry.
“It feels amazing… seriously amazing. Have you ever watched those stress-relief videos where people extract blackheads or peel off face masks? I feel like my face used to be covered by a layer of dry, greasy film, and that mud just pulled all of it off. Now it feels like every pore on my face is breathing. Looking back, what kind of miserable life was I making them endure before…?”
“Never watched those,” Gu Xiaoshuang replied, “but I have seen Cooking Master Boy. You know those scenes where someone lifts the lid off a pot and everything starts glowing?”
“That’s exactly what you look like right now.”
Gu Xiaoshuang’s hand slid across her face like she was trying to “take advantage” of her, rubbing it over and over as she evaluated it.
“It’s like you’ve put on foundation—no, actually not. Foundation has a powdery feel and can cake. Yours just feels washed clean. Not oily, not dull, and your complexion is really healthy and full of vitality.”
“So refreshing,” Li Qian said a little dazedly. “When I was applying it, it felt really dry and tight, but after washing it off it became super moisturized. My skin feels so soft and hydrated right now, like velvet.”
It was like she was starting to fall in love with her own face…
The two of them looked at each other. Gu Xiaoshuang was the first to look away, turning her gaze to the wooden bowl that had already been scraped completely empty.
“We really got a bargain without realizing it.”
Li Qian chuckled. She suddenly remembered there was still a clump of mud on her arm and, right in front of Gu Xiaoshuang, scraped it off.
“Look at my arm.”
It was still the same arm, but she rubbed it a few times. “It feels softer. It probably has some kind of keratin-regulating effect.”
“I feel like your face is tighter too,” Gu Xiaoshuang said, unable to take her eyes off her. Her expression was full of amazement.
“Those pimples near your nose—you usually don’t dare to squeeze them, right? I feel like they’ve gone down. Even your smile lines are lighter. You’re not all wrinkly anymore. It feels like you’ve turned into…”
She slammed her fist into her palm as if remembering something. “Huba!”
Smooth, like a giant white radish.
“What are you even saying?! That’s basically changing species! Is that even scientific?!”
“This volcanic mud isn’t scientific either,” Gu Xiaoshuang said, still in disbelief, picking up the instruction sheet under the tray.
“It enhances skin elasticity and radiance, absorbs dirt and oil, cleans pores… removes aged keratin… keeps the skin hydrated and glowing?”
Wait. It actually works?
But since skincare products are usually expected to exaggerate their claims, the fact that none of this was false advertising was almost its own kind of scam.
The two girls exchanged a look, both clearly seeing the same thought in each other’s eyes:
“I need to buy a whole bucket of this.”
Gu Xiaoshuang hadn’t used any of it, and at this point she could still stubbornly insist on something:
“Maybe this is just a shady small workshop dumping heavy ingredients. Does this count as an unlicensed product?”
“Ah—hey, you’re not wrong. It could really have anti-inflammatory drugs or retinol or something mixed in,” Li Qian replied.
Since she’d already benefited from it, she didn’t argue with her friend. Instead, she bent over with her backside sticking up, helping Gu Xiaoshuang peel the egg.
“But honestly, my face right now feels just as soft and tender as this egg.”
“Is it really that good? No discomfort at all?”
“No, I don’t think so. If I had to say something, the cleansing effect might be a bit too strong. Maybe I should bring a mask and moisturizer to rehydrate afterward?”
The two of them were fully absorbed in discussing the miraculous effects of the volcanic mud.
While they talked, the hot spring egg was finally peeled. Fresh out of its shell, it was springy and jiggly, bouncing slightly like a craft object—duang duang.
Li Qian held it up toward the ceiling light and admired it.
“I think I get what opal is now. Under the light it looks like a gemstone.”
Compared to a firm hard-boiled egg, a slow-cooked hot spring egg had a faint translucence. It existed in a delicate in-between state—anyone experienced would know the yolk inside was perfectly soft and slightly runny at this level of doneness.
Finding it visually appealing, Li Qian didn’t hold back and took a bite.
Psst.
When her teeth broke through the yolk, she heard a faint sound, and a warm “spring” of liquid gently spilled out from the opening.
A rich, warm aroma slowly flowed into her mouth. The silky, sweet liquid melted on her tongue, carrying a strangely familiar sensation…
Right—it was familiarity. It was egg. Li Qian narrowed her eyes, tasting the trembling, tender egg white and the rich, full-bodied yolk, and suddenly found herself unsure how to even categorize it anymore.
Compared to the usual eggy smell, the texture was closer to dense, creamy cheese.
So what was the thing she usually ate then?
The kind of egg where, when peeling it, the egg white would get stuffed under every fingernail; the yolk would turn a greenish hue on the outer layer after being overboiled; the stubborn white film that clung to the mouth and refused to come off—
Good heavens. Was that even an egg? Or was it only what she was eating right now that deserved to be called an egg?
No, that was an overcooked egg. But Li Qian had also eaten raw eggs in Japanese restaurants—mixed into rice or poured over beef. She still remembered that thin, mucus-like texture and the lingering raw egg smell clinging to the meat.
Even though many food bloggers claimed that “uncooked eggs are sweet and fresh,” for ordinary people, anything half-raw—whether green beans or eggs—was basically a ticket straight to a bathroom ordeal.
This was the first time she realized that a soft-boiled egg truly could be sweet and fresh, with absolutely no fishy smell—only the warm, rich aroma unique to egg fat.
Eggs were a great food. Back in high school biology class, teachers had told them that eggs had a perfect biological value rating.
That meant eggs could almost fully supply all essential proteins the human body needed. And the soft-boiled “runny yolk” state—where the white is set and the yolk remains semi-liquid—was the most optimal form of consumption. At that point, protein denaturation was sufficient for enzymatic digestion, ensuring good absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.
As the teacher spoke, he even reminisced about his childhood—when food was scarce, and a single egg laid by a hen at home could bring great joy. He said it was natural that students living in better times couldn’t understand that feeling; it was simply progress over time.
The students didn’t understand. At the time, Li Qian didn’t understand either.
But if they had tasted this egg, they would understand what the greatest food in the world truly was. Their biology teacher would have been one step away from godhood if only he had used a hot spring egg as teaching material.
Reluctantly, Li Qian took out the remaining half of the egg.
It was truly a perfect soft-boiled egg: the egg white was tender yet still resilient, perfectly supporting the yolk. Inside the porcelain-white “walls” lay a pool of honey-glossy, golden liquid.
The edge of the slightly runny yolk was pale yellow, deepening in color toward the center. This layered richness, lit by the ceiling lamp, formed a glossy sheen so tempting it looked ready to drip.
Too perfect.
She felt a little light-headed again…
She had already felt that way many times today. Floating when she stepped into the hot spring, floating again after using the volcanic mud, and now even an egg had somehow been so delicious it gave her the feeling of drifting beyond the mortal world—like the next second she might ascend and become immortal…
“You ****.” Gu Xiaoshuang, hands on her hips, swore for the first time in her life in a very ungentle manner. “Didn’t you agree I get to eat all the eggs?”
—
“Why did you come out so quickly?”
Xiang Yu looked a little confused at the two girls who suddenly appeared in the lobby. She checked the clock—it had only been two and a half hours.
“Was the water too hot? Did something feel wrong?”
Their hot spring facility actually had quite a lot of offerings: artificial scenic waterfalls, geothermal pine-needle steam baths, volcanic mud masks, and even hot spring eggs. With phones in hand, people could easily spend the whole afternoon inside.
She was just about to ask Xiao Tian to bring tea and snacks in for them when the two customers had already changed clothes.
They rarely had visitors to begin with—finally getting two customers, and now they were leaving already. Her fragile little entrepreneurial heart could not handle such a horror story.
Beside her, Liu Bo—the man who had spent the entire afternoon bragging with her about building a business blueprint—also chimed in.
“Classmates, there’s no time limit for the pools. Feel free to keep enjoying yourselves.”
“It was fun, it was fun,” Li Qian said mournfully, a bump on her head.
“Xiaoshuang isn’t in great health so she can’t soak for long. Do you still have hot spring eggs? We want five more—no, ten more.”
Gu Xiaoshuang leaned against the counter, staring at them with puppy-like eyes and an almost wagging-energy expression.
“Boss, boss, can we buy the set meal separately?”
Xiang Yu immediately understood, smiling.
“Hot spring eggs can be added, but how do you mean ‘buy the set meal separately’? You can take the straw mats with you, and as for the volcanic mud…”
“Volcanic mud, please!”
The two girls spoke in unison.
“Sorry, the volcanic mud is freshly dug on-site. It can’t be taken away.”
Xiang Yu had already expected this. She gestured slightly.
“If you take it back, it’ll dry out.”
“I’ll seal it tightly in a bag—it won’t dry out! Boss, please, I didn’t even get to properly wash it off…” Gu Xiaoshuang pleaded desperately. “I’ll bring a vacuum sealer next time. If it dries, I won’t blame you!”
Xiang Yu looked apologetic.
“This is a local experience product. It isn’t sold separately.”
The volcanic mud face mask was meant to be a cultural/folk experience. If they sold it as a packaged product, it would fall under cosmetic regulations, requiring filings and certifications—just the paperwork alone would take ten or twenty days.
If she were being honest, Xiang Yu did hope to eventually have a signature product that could attract visitors. Right now, more important than making money was simply increasing visitor traffic to survive.
Just earlier, she had been discussing advertising strategies with Liu Bo. He had suggested promotional routes like bus advertisements, taxi rooftop lightboxes, and giant screens in city centers—all of which were absurdly expensive.
Money wasn’t even the biggest problem. After the renovation, she had less than twenty days of “lifespan” left; there wasn’t even enough time to finish contracts and scheduling procedures.
Although Liu Bo didn’t understand why the boss was in such a hurry, as a loyal “worker,” the most important skill was understanding the boss’s intent. Back in college, he had done fitness content creation, and these past two days he had been filming embarrassing short videos—dancing some cringe “window-cleaning” choreography.
When the lights were off, his shirtless physique was vaguely reminiscent of Schwarzenegger. When the lights came on, huge text would appear: “Welcome to Hama Valley Hot Springs”…
It was so embarrassing that Xiang Yu didn’t even want to pay for promotion.
The videos only got a few likes from people like Xiao Du and Mu Zhi in the work group, and the traffic was extremely low.
Meanwhile, upon hearing that the volcanic mud couldn’t be sold separately, Gu Xiaoshuang gritted her teeth.
“Then boss, I’ll just buy another package. The package includes volcanic mud, right? And two hot spring eggs?”
“Yeah, if you want to eat eggs, you can buy them separately for three yuan each. You’ve already bought a general admission ticket, so there’s no need.”
“But I want the volcanic mud…” o(╥﹏╥)o
“Alright,” Xiang Yu calculated for a moment.
“If you only want the volcanic mud, then post a review on your school forum or campus wall with your purchase record, and I’ll give you a bowl for free.”
That wouldn’t violate the rule of only one portion per person.
“What? You get it for writing a review?”
While they were talking, another energetic voice suddenly chimed in. The group turned around—it was the “wealthy auntie” who had just finished her skincare treatment.
Her high heels struck the ground with a crisp clack. She lifted her chin slightly with a dignified air.
“Boss, if I introduce customers for you and post it on my Moments, how many portions can I get?”
<< _ >>