{Chapter: 144 Wanxi, clean the cream on my face!}
"Ahh?! Young Master, you want to make a cake?"
Qiu Wanxi's eyes widened in shock, her delicate hands frozen in mid-air as she hesitated.
Then, as if realizing the potential consequences, she quickly shook her head, her silky black hair swaying with the motion. "No, no, no! That won't do!" she protested, her voice carrying a mix of worry and nervousness. "Making a cake might stain the young master's clothes. And... your clothes are so expensive!"
She lowered her head slightly, glancing at Lin Yuan's pristine outfit. Even the thought of a tiny smudge on his luxurious fabric made her heart race with anxiety.
Lin Yuan, however, was completely unfazed. He waved his hand dismissively, his expression relaxed. "Come on, just teach me. If my clothes get dirty, I'll throw them away and buy new ones. They're only a few hundred thousand—cheap stuff."
His words made Qiu Wanxi freeze for a moment before she looked up at him again. Then, as if the weight of her worries suddenly lifted, a soft giggle escaped her lips. She squinted slightly, her cheeks dimpling as she smiled brightly. "If the young master insists... okay! I'm very happy to make cakes with you!"
Her joy was evident, and Lin Yuan couldn't help but smile as well. But before they could begin, two familiar voices chimed in.
Xiao Lian raised an eyebrow and smirked. "If our clothes get dirty, should we throw them away too?"
Xiao He scoffed and crossed her arms. "Hah! Only a few hundred thousand? How generous!"
Xiao Lian shook her head in amusement. "Rich young master, huh?"
Xiao He chuckled. "Yeah, must be nice to be that rich."
Before they could continue their teasing, however—
Bang! Bang!
Two light knocks landed on their heads.
"Ow!"
"Hey!"
Both girls turned to glare at Lin Yuan, but he simply smirked at them. Without missing a beat, they lunged at him, determined to get their revenge.
What started as a simple baking lesson quickly turned into a playful scuffle.
Despite his confidence, Lin Yuan quickly discovered that he had no talent for baking. No matter how closely he followed Qiu Wanxi's instructions, his cake turned out lumpy, uneven, and—frankly—hideous.
As for making cakes, Lin Yuan really has no talent.
And since he is really not very interested, he won't use his counterattack points in order to improve his skills in baking.
So, his coming to the store wanting to help does not make the workload any lighter at all.
Qiu Wanxi, however, still smiled brightly, as if it were the most beautiful cake in the world.
As long as Lin Yuan can be by her side, she can't help but feel happy.
As if she had a clockwork representing joy, Lin Yuan would automatically fuel the clockwork whenever he came.
"As long as the young master is with me, I'm happy," she said softly, watching him with admiration in her eyes.
Her words made Lin Yuan pause for a moment before a faint chuckle escaped his lips.
On the other side of the table, Xiao Lian and Xiao He were barely holding back their laughter.
"Young master… what is that supposed to be?" Xiao Lian teased, pointing at the misshapen cake.
"It looks like a collapsed castle!" Xiao He snickered.
Even Qiu Wanxi couldn't hold back a giggle.
Lin Yuan, however, had already lost interest. He stared at his own work with mild disgust before casually tossing it into the trash. "I can't let you eat something this awful," he said, shaking his head.
Qiu Wanxi wanted to eat it happily.
But Lin Yuan could not stand the scorched cake and didn't want Qiu Wanxi to eat it. And so, Lin Yuan threw the cake away.
Qiu Wanxi pouted slightly but didn't argue. She was simply happy that he had spent time with her.
Accompanying Qiu Wanxi to make cakes for more than an hour, Qiu Wanxi wasn't bothered at all.
In fact, she is very satisfied to look at Lin Yuan's face.
But the lively Xiao Lian and Xiao He were a little impatient.
They were jumping around all over the place, a sudden splatter echoed through the room.
"Ahh! My face!"
It was not known who did it first. A puddle of cream suddenly appeared on Xiao Lian's face.
Before anyone could react—
Splatter!
"Ah! My face!"
A puddle of cream also appeared on Xiao He's face.
Gasps turned into laughter, and in an instant, chaos erupted.
Cream flew across the room like tiny white projectiles. Qiu Wanxi, despite her initial attempts to stay out of the battle, soon found herself covered as well.
Then the muffled noises continued.
For Lin Yuan who barely survived the battle, Qiu Wanxi was willing to protect his face at all costs.
But Xiao Lian and Xiao He are unrestrained.
Lin Yuan's face quickly turned into white.
Seeing Lin Yuan's face buried in the deep cream.
The two girls froze, their expressions shifting from triumphant to panicked.
"Uh-oh," Xiao He whispered.
"Run!" Xiao Lian yelped.
And just like that, the two troublemakers bolted from the kitchen before Lin Yuan could retaliate. Both Xiao Lian and Xiao He slipped away fearing that Lin Yuan would get angry at them and knock their heads off again.
Qiu Wanxi, despite having cream all over her, ignored herself and immediately reached out to help Lin Yuan. She carefully wiped the cream from his face, her gentle touch filled with concern.
Lin Yuan smiled as he reached out and did the same for her.
However, the cream was made from butter and was too thick to be cleaned with just their hands.
"Master, I'll get a basin of warm water to clean your face properly," Qiu Wanxi said sweetly.
Lin Yuan nodded but suddenly had an idea. His gaze turned playful.
"Wanxi," he called.
"Hmm?" She turned back, tilting her head slightly.
"Do you like cream?" he asked with a knowing smile.
Qiu Wanxi blinked in confusion. "I do… why?"
Qiu Wanxi likes cakes, so naturally, she does not hate cream as well.
She got curious because she doesn't know why Lin Yuan asked such a question.
Then Lin Yuan's response, Qiu Wanxi did not expect it at all. "If you like cream, then you don't need to get a basin of water anymore. Just help me clean the cream on my face." Lin Yuan smiled.
This is the idea Lin Yuan just came up with.
Hearing what Lin Yuan said, and seeing the smile on Lin Yuan's face, Qiu Wanxi's face which was covered in white cream blushed.
But Qiu Wanxi did not even refuse. Instead, she walked shyly over to Lin Yuan and sat beside him.
Qiu Wanxi's face instantly turned red.
Her breath hitched, and she stood frozen for a few seconds, her brain struggling to catch up.
But then, without arguing, she shyly walked over and sat beside him. Her fingers curled slightly as she whispered, "Can you close your eyes?" Qiu Wanxi said while blushing.
Although they had kissed many times before, she was still incredibly shy.
Lin Yuan chuckled but obeyed. "Alright. But don't lick my eyes, okay?"
Qiu Wanxi swallowed nervously as she slowly leaned in.
Then—
Her warm, soft tongue brushed against his cheek, gently licking away the cream.
A strange yet pleasant sensation spread across Lin Yuan's skin. It felt as if a small, delicate animal was grooming him.
The atmosphere in the bakery changed. Qiu Wanxi's heartbeat raced as her lips moved closer, savoring the sweet taste of the cream—and of Lin Yuan's skin.
But after half a minute, Lin Yuan grew impatient.
Unable to hold back anymore, he pulled her into his arms and captured her lips in a deep kiss.
Qiu Wanxi tensed in surprise before slowly melting into his embrace.
The kiss deepened, filled with warmth and lingering sweetness.
"Is the store manager here at the moment?" A sudden voice can be heard.
A cold, detached voice suddenly interrupted.
Lin Yuan and Qiu Wanxi turned in unison, their lips still slightly touching, as they looked toward the voice.
It wasn't Xiao Lian. It wasn't Xiao He.
It was Chen Yu, the assassin bodyguard Lin Yuan had assigned to protect Qiu Wanxi.
The usually stoic woman stood frozen in place, her eyes wide in shock. Her pale cheeks slowly turned pink as she processed the very intimate scene in front of her.
Chen Yu who had been living for revenge ever since she was a child has never seen such a scene up close.
She had seen many things in her life—betrayal, bloodshed, and death—but this?
This was new.
And she knew these people.
Seeing the two licking the cream greedily on each other's faces.
She stared at them for a few more seconds before, without another word, she spun around and bolted out of the room, her ears burning.
Qiu Wanxi, embarrassed beyond belief, attempted to escape as well. But Lin Yuan caught her wrist and pulled her back.
"Where do you think you're going?" he whispered with a smirk.
And just like that, their little moment resumed.
---
An hour later, both Lin Yuan and Qiu Wanxi emerged freshly bathed, wearing new clothes.
Qiu Wanxi's face remained flushed, the memories of what had just happened replaying in her mind.
Looking at Qiu Wanxi, who was currently wearing a white dress and as beautiful as an immortal in a painting, Lin Yuan nodded in satisfaction.
"Let's go," he said, taking her soft hand in his. "I'll take you to eat hot pot."
Qiu Wanxi, still dazed, murmured, "Hot pot…?"
Lin Yuan chuckled. "Yeah. The weather's getting cold. It's perfect."
Feeling the warmth of Lin Yuan's palm, Qiu Wanxi smiled sweetly.
Chen Yu followed them from behind as a bodyguard.
Lin Yuan didn't stop her.
At this time, Chen Yu's face flushed frequently.
She must still remember the scene between Lin Yuan and Qiu Wanxi earlier.
Behind them, Chen Yu followed silently, her face still flushed as she stole a glance at them.
For some reason, she felt… conflicted.
She pouted.
'What's so great about this man…?'
'What's so good about this man for the store manager to be so happy like that?' Chen Yu pouted. She was a little disdainful of Qiu Wanxi. She felt a strange feeling in her heart.