At this hour, the night was already deep. The cool evening breeze of the capital brushed against her face as Che Xiayun, fiddling with the car keys in her hand, strolled leisurely toward the garage.
The spacious, brightly lit garage housed several luxury cars. After wandering around for a moment, she found the corresponding vehicle, and her eyelids twitched it was a flamboyant and flashy pink two-seater supercar.
Driving out of the villa area, she followed the route she remembered and circled the surrounding streets until she found a dessert shop still open Hotplay Dessert.
For a birthday, a cake seemed like the most practical gift.
Che Xiayun parked the sports car by the roadside and strode into the shop. The milky aroma of freshly baked cakes wafted toward her, and the warm yellow light spilled over her, dispelling the last trace of chill from the night.
The shop assistant was a girl with a sweet, obedient appearance, her face adorned with a gentle smile that perfectly matched the shop’s ambiance. “Welcome,” she greeted.
Che Xiayun nodded faintly and scanned the interior. The glass display cases were almost entirely empty, with only a few non-sale sample birthday cakes left.
It really is too late, she thought, feeling a pang of disappointment.
Noticing her expression, the shop assistant tentatively asked, “Hello, may I ask what you’re looking for?”
Without much hope, Che Xiayun replied, “A birthday cake. Do you have any left?”
Seeing that although her attire was casual, it was made of high-quality, custom-tailored fabric, the shop assistant retrieved an exquisitely crafted ice cream cake from the freezer. “We only have this one birthday cake left. Our boss made it by hand today. It costs 13,141.7.”
So expensive?! Che Xiayun inwardly gasped, though her expression remained unchanged. Fortunately, she was now a rich second-generation heiress and didn’t mind spending a little extra.
The ice cream cake was not large, but its design was intricate and unique.
The overall structure resembled a circular stage draped with a red velvet carpet. At the center stood a girl dancing gracefully on one foot, surrounded by clusters of thorny roses spiraling upward from her calves. Strangely, the rose petals were all dark red, creating a stark contrast with the girl’s pure white dance costume.
A layer of mist had formed on the cake just taken out of the freezer, enhancing its already breathtaking design. Che Xiayun’s eyes lit up, and she murmured, “One life, one world, together?”
In reality, having read many novels, what crossed her mind was that this design seemed like it was meant to imprison a canary especially since the dancing girl’s face was pale, giving it a rather morbid and captivating vibe.
The shop assistant smiled and said, “Yes, our boss started making this cake first thing this morning. She skipped both lunch and dinner and just finished it.”
Che Xiayun nodded slightly. “I’ll take it.”
The shop assistant quickly boxed the cake, tied it with a red ribbon, and brought out a set of cutlery. Smiling, she said, “That will be thirteen thousand, one hundred forty-one yuan and seventy cents. Will you be paying by card or scanning the code?”
“Scanning the code,” Che Xiayun replied instinctively, reaching for her phone, only to find her pockets empty. She had left in such a hurry that aside from the car keys, she hadn’t brought anything. Her expression stiffened. “Sorry, I forgot my phone.”
The shop assistant’s eyes held a hint of strangeness, but her professionalism kept her smile intact. “No problem.”
Che Xiayun looked somewhat awkward as she glanced toward the door, wondering how to explain the situation to the shop assistant. Just then, a shadow guard entered, pulled a black card from his pocket, and respectfully presented it with both hands. “Young Master.”
“Mm.” Che Xiayun took the card and handed it to the shop assistant, feeling quite pleased. The life of the wealthy was truly wonderful. “Charge it.”
“Of course.” The shop assistant accepted the black card, silently grumbling to herself, Is this some new way of showing off?
After settling the bill, Che Xiayun carefully placed the cake on the passenger seat and drove her pink sports car back to the villa. The clock in the hall clearly showed that it was already 11:55 PM.
Carrying the cake, she rushed upstairs without even bothering to change her shoes. Standing outside Ma Qingyu’s bedroom door, she took a deep breath, clenched her fist, and aggressively pounded on the redwood door, shouting loudly, “Hey, come out for a second!”
Che Xiayun was quite satisfied with her flawless acting this was exactly the kind of behavior a spoiled, rich second-generation heir would indulge in.
Inside the room, Ma Qingyu was soaking in the bathtub, the warm water soothing her exhaustion from the day. The sudden knocking no, more like banging on the door made her frown. The rude shouting was even more outrageous, loud enough to penetrate the bathroom walls clearly.
Ma Qingyu slowly rose, holding onto the edge of the bathtub, wrapped herself in a large towel, and stepped out barefoot. Her damp hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her long, upturned eyelashes were slightly misted.
She resembled a lotus flower lightly dampened by rain ethereal and captivating, yet evoking no desire to pluck her.
Che Xiayun grew impatient as she counted the seconds. Why isn’t she coming out? It’s almost midnight. Just as she raised her hand to bang on the door again, it suddenly opened.
Ma Qingyu stood there, one hand holding the towel at her chest, the other gripping the doorknob as she opened it halfway. Her expression was somewhat lazy but carried an air of nobility. “What is it?”
Che Xiayun’s ears flushed at the sight of her just out of the bath her slightly rosy cheeks, slender swan-like neck, pale and rounded shoulders, and collarbones dotted with droplets of water. It was utterly captivating.
Hastily, Che Xiayun shoved the cake into Ma Qingyu’s arms, averting her gaze and crossing her arms in an irritatingly smug manner. “Forgot to tell you earlier happy 19th birthday.”
Ma Qingyu was taken aback for a moment. Looking down at the cake in her arms, she pressed her lips together and said, “Thank you.”
Right on cue, the clock in the living room began to chime midnight, dong, dong, dong.
Che Xiayun brazenly pressed a hand against Ma Qingyu’s shoulder, pushing her back into the room. “Hurry up and get dressed.”
With that, she closed the door from the outside, leaving Ma Qingyu alone inside, still holding the cake. A faint smile gradually tugged at Ma Qingyu’s lips, this girl.
Che Xiayun dashed back to her own room, flopped onto the bed, and placed a hand over her chest, feeling the wild thumping of her heart. Whew, what a vibrant little life.
By giving Ma Qingyu a birthday cake and currying favor with the original novel’s female lead, Che Xiayun figured she could extend her own lifespan. She found her logic flawless and even somewhat considerate.
After calming her emotions, she went downstairs to change her shoes, then picked up her phone from the coffee table and unlocked it. Her expression turned somewhat complicated as she glanced at the screen.
As a distinguished researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a highly educated intellectual, she Che Xiayun was actually going to attend high school tomorrow, and not just any grade, but the simplest level: freshman year!
Che Xiayun reluctantly comforted herself, thinking that at least there would be biology class to listen to. As for the other subjects, she would just slack off, and when it came to exams, she wouldn’t stand out just scribble whatever came to mind.
Once she got her phone, Che Xiayun instinctively opened Douyin her favorite short video app for leisure time.
Strolling leisurely up to the second floor, engrossed in watching compilations of baffling behaviors by attractive men and women while giggling foolishly, Che Xiayun walked straight into the gold-trimmed doorframe.
A dull thud echoed between Che Xiayun’s precious forehead and the expensive custom-made doorframe, accompanied by a suppressed chuckle.
“Pfft!”
Ma Qingyu, now dressed in a lightweight beige nightgown and holding an unpackaged cake with two sets of utensils, happened to be standing in the second-floor hallway, witnessing the entire scene.
Che Xiayun was so dazed from the impact that she reached out a hand, patting her head in a daze. A large bump had swollen on her forehead, and Ma Qingyu’s laughter still echoed in her ears. Tears welled up uncontrollably, and she quickly wiped them away, glaring fiercely at Ma Qingyu. “What are you laughing at?!”
Ma Qingyu stifled her laughter, her expression returning to calm. “Sorry.”
Che Xiayun sniffled and touched the bump on her forehead again, feeling utterly wronged. She opened her phone’s front camera and saw her stunning face, but her heart sank. Right below the widow’s peak on the left side of her forehead was a large bruise purplish-blue in the center, surrounded by redness standing out starkly against her glowing fair skin.
Ma Qingyu approached with the cake. “Put some ice on it; it’ll help a lot.”
Che Xiayun turned her head and shot her a glare, perfectly embodying the spoiled young master archetype. “I know. Mind your own business.”
Ma Qingyu raised a slender eyebrow but didn’t respond.
Che Xiayun put away her phone and stomped back downstairs, this time careful not to walk while looking at her phone.
Watching her retreating figure, Ma Qingyu held the cake and gracefully descended the stairs, making even the ordinary steps seem like a red carpet.
Che Xiayun sat on the sofa, pressing an ice pack wrapped in a towel against her forehead, contemplating her life. How could she run into a doorframe just by walking? It was downright bizarre. It seemed that forcibly altering the plot came with side effects. She had no idea how long this would last, but from now on, she needed to be extra careful and protect her life.
Ma Qingyu placed the cake on the coffee table, picked up a plastic cake knife, and sliced a small piece from the dark rose at the dancer’s feet. She placed it on a plain white plate. The ice cream filling inside the cake had started to melt slightly, with bits of yellow peach fruit mixed into the milky-white center, it looked absolutely delicious.
For someone like her, who strictly monitored her figure, having dessert in the middle of the night was nothing short of a luxury.
She scooped a portion of the cake with a spoon, taking both the ice cream cake and the spoon into her mouth. The fresh cream flavor and slightly bitter dark chocolate filled her palate. With a gentle chew, the burst of yellow peach juice perfectly balanced the previously rich texture.
Extremely delicious Ma Qingyu gave it the highest praise in her heart. She closed her eyes, savoring the cake with pure enjoyment.
The spoon went into her mouth full and came out empty, its surface glistening with a trace of saliva.
Che Xiayun sat beside her, inhaling the sweet aroma of the ice cream cake while watching her alluring way of eating. She swallowed quietly, her throat moving with unspoken desire.
“Hey, cut me a slice too,” Young Master Che finally couldn’t hold back. Staring at the melting ice cream cake on the coffee table, she shifted her posture, crossing her left leg over her right in a casual yet impatient manner. “Make sure there’s plenty of ice cream.”
Ma Qingyu remained as calm as if she hadn’t heard a word, scooping another heaping spoonful of cake into her mouth. Her pink tongue darted out to curl around the ice cream before she closed her lips around the spoon, savoring it slowly.
Young Master Che pouted and muttered under her breath, “So stingy. Can’t even spare a piece of cake.”
“This young master will cut it herself.” With that, she reached for the cake knife on the coffee table.
But in the blink of an eye, a warm palm covered the junction of her hand and forearm, Ma Qingyu had grasped her wrist. A faint, mesmerizing smile curled at the corners of Ma Qingyu’s lips, captivating enough to steal one’s breath. “Eating my cake comes with conditions.”