The Seasoner Beneath the Mindscape

In an era when “happiness” can be bought and sold, Heartscape Inc. lights up the world with golden “Joy” crystals, while defining “sorrow” and “fear” as garbage to be eliminated.

Gu Xiaofan, a third-rate restaurant owner tucked away in the city’s grimy alleys, believes every emotion is a unique, top-grade ingredient.

When a heartbroken girl hands him a cracked “Love Crystal,” he uses a pinch of “Regret” salt and three drops of “Nostalgia” oil to cook a soul-warming soup called “Acceptance.”

When an ambitious elite brings him an overheated “Thorn of Ambition,” he pairs it with chilled “Loneliness” and a touch of “Self-Mockery” to mix a special drink called “Composure.”

He is the only “Emotion Chef” in this hypocritical paradise, a man fighting the world with a spatula.

But when Heartscape Inc.’s “Emotion Cleaners” knock on the door of his shabby shop, Gu Xiaofan knows that his peaceful days of slacking off, like his trusty nonstick wok, are about to get him into serious trouble.