Chapter 3#
Encountering a Troublesome Person#
“You know, wasting is shameful, so all of these need to be packed up and taken home to finish.”
“But I’m actually trying to lose weight! Summer’s almost here, and if I gain weight it’ll be a huge hassle trying to pick out clothes to go out in!”
Song Yaya stared at the table full of desserts, unable to help furrowing her brows and complaining in a serious tone. The light fell on the delicate sweets, the cream glistening with a soft sheen that made one’s mouth water—and also caused some worry.
The two of them had basically tasted every flavor the shop had to offer. The new store had just opened, so the selection wasn’t too extensive—roughly twenty-something varieties. The table was packed full, little cakes, tarts, and mousses stacked layer upon layer, with a light but not cloying sweet fragrance drifting through the air.
It was just that He Xu’s expression while eating desserts was especially striking—his narrow phoenix eyes behind the silver-framed glasses slightly squinted, filled with genuine delight. Song Yaya had started out intending to only sample a few kinds, but in the end couldn’t resist ordering one of everything.
Desserts were already high in sugar to begin with, and even though the pastry chef’s skill was exquisite, balancing texture and flavor perfectly, Song Yaya’s mouth was already cloyingly sweet. Whether eating more or packing them up, just looking at them was uncomfortable.
The sweet, rich taste clung to her tongue, her throat feeling sticky and unpleasant, and even her stomach felt a bit heavy.
He Xu was in a good mood, and playing off Song Yaya’s remark, he only took a single bite of each before having them packed up.
Only one chocolate parfait remained on the table, which he ate slowly, nearly finishing it.
Song Yaya had long lost any interest in tasting more, and pointed at the corner: “Those ones over there I never touched.”
She wasn’t fond of sweets to begin with—even if this shop’s flavors were superb, she simply couldn’t eat any more.
He Xu could tell she was forcing herself: “Pack those up for me. No need to push yourself on the rest.”
At least she wouldn’t have to choke them down. Song Yaya breathed a sigh of relief, but looking at the final dessert, she was still at a loss: “It’s not that I can’t finish it…”
It was just that this last one had a truly unique flavor that she couldn’t appreciate. Unfortunately, it happened to be the dessert He Xu had chosen first and finished completely, so she’d scooped up a big spoonful at the start—it would be awkward to pack it up now.
Finish it…?
She couldn’t finish it!!
Song Yaya: QWQ
He Xu’s gaze landed on the lemon tart on the table, and amusement unconsciously leaked into his eyes.
This lemon tart had a distinctive flavor—it was made extremely sour. Compared to the standard of the other desserts, it was clearly intentional on the pastry chef’s part.
It just so happened that He Xu loved sour things, and instead found the slight sweetness within the sourness quite unique. He couldn’t restrain himself, his self-control completely collapsing as he polished off the entire plate.
For Song Yaya, who didn’t even like sweets, this was probably on the level of dark cuisine.
“What’s this? I hear someone’s not satisfied with my new creation?”
The sudden uninvited guest startled them both.
The newcomer was very tall, his long-sleeved baker’s uniform accentuating an upright, graceful figure—broad shoulders, narrow waist, clean body lines, clearly in excellent shape.
Not just his figure was outstanding; his voice was also low and deep, quite pleasant to the ear.
He Xu could hear several short gasps from those around them, accompanied by murmured chatter.
“The lemon tart is only open to regular customers. You didn’t order coffee, but you ordered two plates.”
The pastry chef casually picked up the order slip, his voice low and languid, casually brushing past their ears—it was hard to feel annoyed at him.
Song Yaya belatedly noticed the two characters “CAUTION” marked beside the lemon tart on the menu, and was so embarrassed she couldn’t say a word. She wished she could scarf down that bubblingly sour lemon tart in one go, and regretted her earlier complaints deeply.
He Xu wanted to comfort her a little, but facing the pastry chef’s burning gaze, he could only extend a hand in a slightly protective gesture to block him.
“Sorry, it was my suggestion to try everything.”
The pastry chef’s features were aggressively striking—slashing sword-like brows, a high nose, and thin lips—highly assertive, impossible to forget at first glance.
He Xu vaguely felt his face looked a bit familiar, but didn’t think much of it.
“If you can’t handle the taste, then forget it.”
The pastry chef suddenly reached out, unceremoniously brushing aside He Xu’s hand, and directly took away the remaining lemon tart on the table.
“What about the other one? Didn’t you two order two portions?”
His gaze shifted, landing on that uniquely shaped little fox plate. A red-furred little fox curled its fluffy tail, looking endearingly naive—it was the dedicated tableware for the lemon tart.
Small crumbs of pastry still remained on the plate, but they were extremely fine—proof that the diner had been highly satisfied with the dish.
Pastry chef: “…”
He Xu watched the tall, imposing pastry chef warily, his heart skipping a beat at the gaze abruptly cast his way.
Surely they wouldn’t get into a fight over a dessert?
But unexpectedly, the pastry chef who had just been cold-faced suddenly set the plate back on the table, his brow relaxing into a smile. He turned to look at the serving window, where a group of staff were nervously watching, and said, “Add a coffee for this table, on my tab.”
As he spoke, he paused in thought for a moment, turned his gaze to He Xu, and added, “Also, one more lemon tart and a coffee, to go. On my tab as well.”
“Enjoy.”
His tone was relaxed and careless, as if he couldn’t be bothered—until he’d taken two steps and then came back to stand before them again.
“Coffee pairs with the lemon tart—the flavor is very special. You’ll definitely like it. Best eaten while hot; packing it up won’t affect the taste either.”
Song Yaya nodded hurriedly.
He Xu, however, frowned deeply.
The man hadn’t looked at Song Yaya even once the entire time. His gaze was glued to He Xu—far from anticipating feedback, he was clearly a beast eyeing its prey, carrying a domineering refusal to be denied.
As if saying, if you don’t taste it, you’re dead.
He Xu disliked the feeling of being threatened, especially while enjoying good food.
He even wanted to take Song Yaya and leave immediately, but she had already obediently sat down, sometimes looking expectantly toward the serving window, sometimes looking at the lemon tart on the table with a pained expression.
As the pastry chef had said, if paired with some coffee as a counterbalance, perhaps that was the proper way to enjoy this dessert…
He had no choice but to sit back down.
This time the serving was extremely fast. Before long, two coffees were brought to the table, along with a fresh lemon tart.
The man had said it was to go, yet what was brought out was still an artfully plated dish.
The one delivering wasn’t the pastry chef himself, but he still stood by the serving window not far away, gazing intently at He Xu’s table—his presence so strong it was impossible to ignore.
The staff member quietly set everything down and gave He Xu an apologetic look: “The lemon tart is a special item at our shop. Every time it’s served, fifteen minutes later the boss comes out to ask customers about the taste…”
No wonder they’d been caught red-handed the moment they tried to waste it.
“He’s just like that. I hope you won’t take it to heart and will give it an honest taste. And if this lady really can’t eat it, that’s fine too.”
After saying this, he was called back from afar by the pastry chef.
He Xu only had time to nod; instead it was Song Yaya who let out an exclamation of surprise.
“It really is much better this way!”
Hm?
He Xu took a bite as well, and the irritation in his eyes dispersed somewhat, replaced by surprise.
Rather than saying the coffee served as a counterbalance, it was more accurate to say the two complemented each other—the tartness and bitterness neutralizing one another, making the sweet fragrance even softer and more mellow, while the coffee’s aroma was also preserved.
For Song Yaya, who had just eaten a whole stretch of cloyingly sweet desserts, this coffee was perfectly timed. Even the residual tartness of the lemon tart fell within an acceptable range.
She polished it off in one go, without much further appreciation—she just felt as though a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders in an instant.
He Xu, on the other hand, calmed down and savored it slowly. The more he ate, the more he found the flavor exquisite.
He ate elegantly, and his very temperament seemed to fit this shop perfectly. Combined with the little incident just now, everyone’s gaze unconsciously fell upon him.
But He Xu was completely immersed in the enjoyment of the dessert.
It wasn’t until the soft clink of knife and fork resting gently on the plate broke the silence that Song Yaya snapped back to reality, swallowing the drool that had nearly escaped.
If she’d known watching Deputy General He eat dessert would be this appetizing, she wouldn’t have finished hers so fast!
As for ordering another one…?
Song Yaya glanced at the pastry chef in the distance, who had returned to the kitchen with satisfaction, and shook her head frantically inside.
Better not!
The two finally managed to escape the dessert shop.
Thanks to the little lemon tart incident, this shop that absolutely did not support takeout had actually proactively offered delivery—they noted down He Xu’s address and promised to send it to his residence by a dedicated courier.
They’d even unexpectedly gotten a delivery card, and only then did the shadows over their hearts finally disperse.
“That guy is so fierce. I don’t dare come back here again anyway!”
In truth, he hadn’t actually said anything harsh, but some people just carried an aura that naturally exuded pressure.
He Xu sighed, raising a hand to ruffle her hair, but then remembered this female lead was already a grown young lady and it wouldn’t be appropriate, so he withdrew it.
“You’re the customer; you don’t have to keep backing down either. Taste is subjective—it’s normal not to like something.”
He Xu offered a word of reassurance, saw Song Yaya’s deeply self-blaming expression, and didn’t say more, only sighing inwardly.
With the relaxation over, the two didn’t forget their real business.
The play was almost over, too. He Xu sent a text message about Song Yaya’s purpose in coming to Yin Feiyang, and not long after received the male lead’s reply.
He Xu: “He wants us to go to the military headquarters and report to him in detail.”
Song Yaya: “His leave ended early?”
He Xu nodded, and his expression turned serious upon reading the message: “Secretly accessing classified information, taking unauthorized action with a team—he’s worried they might run into danger.”
The two looked at each other, both seeing the gravity in the other’s eyes.
…
Not long after the two left, the dessert shop’s door was pushed open again.
Ruan Mian, who had hurried back, went straight into the rest room next to the back kitchen to change out of her casual clothes.
Someone asked her right away: “Have fun going out?”
Ruan Mian was just about to respond when she saw the staff all wearing expressions of someone about to speak but hesitating. She raised an eyebrow at her troublesome younger brother: “Ruan Jin, in the little time I was out, what trouble did you stir up again?”
Ruan Jin took her clothes, waving his hands repeatedly: “I didn’t cause trouble, really.”
If He Xu and Song Yaya were still here, they would have realized this person was the pastry chef from earlier.
In front of his sister, his temper was extremely docile. He smoothly took the jacket and bag she handed over, and even proactively helped tidy things up.
Ruan Mian naturally wouldn’t be fooled by her younger brother’s superficial act, nor did she intend to listen to his nonsense. She looked at the staff.
Ruan Jin: “I really didn’t do anything! Originally I thought one customer looked a bit unpleasant, but her companion had decent taste, so I let it go.”
Ruan Mian glared at him: “What ‘unpleasant’—you clearly saw someone easy to push around! Do you think I don’t know your temperament? When you go out to greet customers, you must smile at people. If you dare throw a tantrum, I’ll deduct a day’s pay!!”
Ruan Jin tried to argue, but Ruan Mian had already opened the wardrobe and taken out her uniform: “There’s something at work and I need to rush back. When I return, I’d better see you standing obediently at the door smiling as you greet customers.”
“Not going yet? Waiting for me to escort you?”
Ruan Jin wisely shut his mouth, carefully putting the things away before leaving.
With his outstanding looks, even if his smile was somewhat perfunctory, it still drew a sharp surge in customer traffic.
Mindful of his sister’s instructions, he suppressed his impatience and dealt with the customers who crowded around him and their greetings.
Especially certain customers who blushed and stopped hesitantly in front of him.
Their little intentions were crystal clear to Ruan Jin.
For some reason, he suddenly recalled the two customers from that unpleasant incident earlier.
Calling it unpleasant—it had actually been him picking a fight from start to finish.
From the moment the two had walked in, he’d noticed that man in military uniform, his whole body tense. If not for accompanying a female companion, he would never have set foot in a dessert shop.
And yet the young woman was completely oblivious, easily believing the man’s reassurance.
A girl raised in a comfortable environment—kind to the point of being naive, easily fooled by her companion’s soothing words, and easily shamed by his preemptive questioning.
Too easy to bully, which stirred up the mischievous side of Ruan Jin’s heart, and he kept baiting them—the result unfolding exactly as he’d predicted.
But what he hadn’t expected was that the man would eat his specially made lemon tart completely clean.
Ruan Jin had seen plenty of girls trying to get close to him, forcing themselves to praise the food as delicious just to please him.
Only that man looked at the lemon tart with more tenderness than he’d ever looked at Ruan Jin.
He appeared gentle and good-natured, yet his eyes carried a cool detachment. Only when looking at his companion did warmth seep into those dark eyes, and with the silver-framed glasses accentuating it all, he truly had an air of a jade-like refined gentleman.
Later, Ruan Jin discovered the man had that same look in his eyes when looking at desserts.
Ruan Jin couldn’t say whether his mood improved because his skill was recognized, or because he’d discovered that the man wasn’t a hypocrite who only spoke empty flattery.
“What a pity it got so messy—not really appropriate to ask his name then.”
The thought of a kindred spirit hard to find flickered past and was quickly cast aside by Ruan Jin. Still, his mood was considerably better, and even his smile turned more sincere, earnestly carrying out his sister’s assigned task.
On the other side.
Back at the military headquarters, after organizing the materials, He Xu had just breathed a sigh of relief and brewed a cup of coffee when he suddenly remembered that earlier sense of familiarity.
Wasn’t the dessert shop Ruan Mian had recommended her own family’s shop?!
In the original novel, Ruan Mian also had a younger brother named Ruan Jin.
It was exactly when the female lead was feeling down and went out to clear her head that Ruan Jin, seeing her soft and easy to push around, deliberately provoked her. The two of them became friends through their quarrel—an enemies-to-lovers pairing.
The pastry chef Ruan Jin he’d encountered today was obviously Song Yaya’s destined match. Because of his accidental involvement, the two hadn’t managed to exchange contact information.
He wondered if the plot would be affected.
He Xu worried for a moment, then thought of that aggressively striking face and sneered inwardly.
After all, this was a girl he’d watched grow up. Better for her to stay far away from a childish and domineering brat like that.
Where couldn’t she find someone better?