Suddenly coming back to himself, Liang Xiao whispered to the butler: “Please don’t tell President Huo—he gets jealous easily.”
The butler, determined to tell President Huo that very night, clutched his voice recorder and nodded: “Alright.”
Realizing he had digressed too far, Liang Xiao remembered his original plan and circled back: “I’ve wanted to be a cake maker since I was little.”
“…” The butler quietly turned off the voice recorder: “So—”
Making a quick decision, Liang Xiao straightened his clothes as he stood up: “So… I can’t help but want to participate in President Huo’s work.”
The butler was stunned and instinctively wanted to stop him, but Liang Xiao had already nimbly crossed the living room and opened the door to the master bedroom.
—
When the manager rushed over after hearing the news, Mr. Liang had already been in the master bedroom for half an hour.
“What’s the situation now?”
Duan Ming was extremely worried: “Is he frozen? How far has it thawed—has it reached his legs yet—”
“No, no,” the butler hurriedly reassured him. “Mr. Liang is fine.”
Duan Ming sighed in relief and put down the thermos of hot water he had carried over.
Although a few snowflakes did drift out when Mr. Liang opened the door, according to the two master chefs who came out later, President Huo’s pheromones were mainly used to cool the freshly baked cake base.
The butler was just worried that one person ruining the cake base had now turned into two people doing so. He handed Duan Ming a bag of packaged cake crumbs: “Everyone should try to eat some…”
Duan Ming: “…”
The assistant, happy just to have cake regardless of its shape, eagerly tried a piece: “Delicious!”
The butler sighed in relief, nodding with a warm smile: “At least the taste is still good.”
After all, President Huo had mastered the cake’s ingredient proportions and baking techniques through a five-page academic paper.
The problem was that “cutting the cake into a perfect circle” was a practical skill that couldn’t be completely solved through knowledge alone.
President Huo, being strict and perfectionist, had already spent three hours attempting to get it right.
The butler quietly asked the manager: “Is Mr. Liang good at drawing circles?”
Duan Ming considered this: “Average. He can’t even make round pancakes.”
This made the butler even more anxious. He pressed his forehead and sighed, preparing to ask the staff to get more eggs, milk, and cake flour.
“But he should be fine with the later steps,” Duan Ming added. “Liang Xiao has done renovation work before and is skilled at plastering walls, so spreading cream should be similar.”
The butler found this somewhat comforting and reasoned: “After pouring the chocolate, President Huo can use his pheromones to quickly solidify and shape it.”
Duan Ming nodded: “Liang Xiao can help place fruits and do the decorative piping.”
It was now completely dark. The two of them had been discussing this matter with utmost seriousness for quite some time, seeing some hope of finishing the cake before tomorrow morning’s flight. They quietly peeked through the hidden door.
…
Duan Ming rubbed his eyes in confusion, looked back at the butler, and moved away from the crack in the door.
The butler was stunned and leaned in to look.
The scene inside the bedroom was far from methodical.
Liang Xiao had taken control, haphazardly cutting a cake base into what appeared to be a 28-sided shape. It stood precariously on the table as he quickly spread cream over it.
Huo Lan assisted by handing him tools, melting chocolate with one hand, and occasionally having to steady the wobbling cake.
Since the master bedroom wasn’t a kitchen, they lacked proper space, making their collaboration somewhat chaotic. Mr. Liang had cream smudged across his face but didn’t seem to care as he confidently directed Huo Lan in decorating the cake.
President Huo, clearly new to this kind of delicate handiwork, hesitated briefly before being pulled to the table without room for objection.
The butler had never seen their President Huo being so imprecise. He rubbed his eyes vigorously and looked more carefully.
Huo Lan, who had always lacked artistic talent, struggled with the piping bag. After much effort, he frowned at the unidentifiable blob of cream he had created.
Liang Xiao quickly grabbed Huo Lan’s hand and scooped some chocolate sauce to pour over it: “Quick, make it snow—”
Huo Lan: “…”
The flowing chocolate rapidly solidified in the low temperature as small snowflakes drifted down, swirling on the cake’s surface.
Liang Xiao remarked with genuine appreciation: “Perfect.”
Huo Lan lowered his gaze to look at the dreadful-looking cake and clenched his fist: “I—”
“It’s impressionist,” Liang Xiao said, turning the cake to a different angle. “Stream of consciousness. Can you see it from this perspective?”
Huo Lan shifted position and hesitantly nodded: “I can see… something.”
Liang Xiao was quite satisfied and nodded: “It looks good.”
Huo Lan instinctively trusted his judgment and carefully studied it for a while before asking softly: “Do you like it?”
“I love it. Let’s make one every year,” Liang Xiao nodded. “This is the most successful cake I’ve ever made.”
Duan Ming, crouching by the door crack, couldn’t help silently critiquing: “It’s the only cake he’s ever made…”
The butler, engrossed in watching a crucial moment, quickly gestured to him and covered the manager’s mouth.
Liang Xiao pulled out his phone and diligently photographed the cake from various angles. He also insistently pulled Huo Lan to stand beside the cake for a selfie as its creators.
The bedroom was bathed in warm light as Mr. Liang busily fussed about under the glow of the lamps. Just as he was looking for someone to help flip the cake mold for a memento, Huo Lan gently pulled him close and kissed the cream smudged on his face.
Mr. Liang seemed to forget how to walk, tripping over his own feet and bumping into President Huo’s shoulder.
Huo Lan securely wrapped his arms around him, drawing him closer.
Still concerned about the cake, Liang Xiao shakily reached out to steady it, moving it toward the center of the table.
Huo Lan took his hand and, together, they cut a small piece.
Liang Xiao was shocked: “We’re eating it already?!”
Unable to hide his reluctance to see it consumed, Liang Xiao swiftly reached for a plastic knife and plate, ready to claim the second piece.
Huo Lan offered him his own slice.
Finding a piece of cake suddenly presented to him, Liang Xiao hesitated briefly before meeting Huo Lan’s gaze.
After a moment’s hesitation, he bent down and took a bite.
Afraid Huo Lan might change his mind, Liang Xiao took a substantial mouthful, his cheeks puffed out as he looked up: “It’s really delicious, you should taste—”
He stopped mid-sentence, meeting Huo Lan’s eyes before reaching up to pat his head.
Huo Lan’s eyes were calm as he lowered his head, allowing Liang Xiao to ruffle his hair. He tried to lift the corners of his mouth, gradually forming a genuine smile.
Liang Xiao’s heart raced as he persisted in finishing his sentence: “…taste it, it’s good.”
Huo Lan nodded slightly, tightened his arms around Liang Xiao, and leaned down to kiss him.
In the warm light, Huo Lan closed his eyes and gently kissed him. The youthful spirit within him seemed to transcend time, revealing itself vividly under the gentle glow.
Young Huo Lan tightly embraced the little con artist who had willingly walked into his arms. Together, they finally shared this long-overdue cake that had been years in the making.
The butler’s eyes grew warm as he firmly closed the door and pulled the manager back to the living room.
(advanced chapters available on kofi)
