12 – Volume 3 Sea Salt Mousse
He seemed to just glance over casually.
Wen Ruosui wasn’t entirely sure if he had recognized her.
After all, her attire today was vastly different from the drenched appearance she had in the bar’s private room that night. At the very least, she looked much tidier, more presentable, and more pleasant to the eye.
And as for his cool gaze just now at the table—
Perhaps he was simply in a bad mood.
Or, as Zhou Wensen had speculated, the coffee didn’t suit his taste.
She explained it to herself this way as she walked toward the counter.
But regardless, whether he recognized her or not, she wanted to express her gratitude.
After all, his unintentional gesture had been a great help to her.
Only—
Today was Zhou Wensen’s occasion to entertain guests, and it didn’t seem quite appropriate.
Moreover, Zhou Wensen had said he was a major client of the company. Judging by his attire and demeanor, he was likely either wealthy or influential.
If she were to bring up the matter casually in a face-to-face conversation, it might come across as somewhat abrupt.
Or even as if she were trying to curry favor.
Wen Ruosui didn’t want to do that.
If she couldn’t say it directly, how could she convey her thanks?
Lowering her gaze, Wen Ruosui pondered, her mind racing. Suddenly, after a few seconds, an idea came to her.
She turned around, first taking out the sea salt gradient mousse cake that had been chilling in the refrigerator. Carefully, she cut two slices and placed them on pure white bone china plates adorned with delicate floral patterns.
The mousse cake was a gradient of pale blue.
It had a gentle, oceanic feel, a hue achieved with butterfly pea flower powder.
Like the blue waters in the breeze of March.
Just looking at it was soothing.
Wen Ruosui had put a lot of thought into making this cake.
She wanted it to be artistic while also having a unique flavor.
After much consideration, she had chosen sea salt mousse. This way, the cake wouldn’t be overly sweet but would instead have a subtle salty note. The base was a chiffon cake, with a bit of cheese added, making it refreshing to eat in the summer.
Would he… like such a cake?
With this hope in mind, Wen Ruosui placed the two slices of cake on a tray, then took out a few napkins, neatly folding them and placing them to the side.
On one of the napkins, she planned to leave a small mark.
She took out some melted hot chocolate from beside the cabinet, placed it in a piping bag, then bent down and carefully piped a faint “Thank you” and the English name of the bar in a corner of the napkin.
Once the chocolate had partially dried, she hid the napkin with the writing discreetly beside one of the cake plates, trying to ensure no one else would notice.
Since she couldn’t say it openly, she would thank him in writing.
The method might be a bit old-fashioned, but it would work.
After Wen Ruosui finished, Xiao Hui noticed what she was doing and was quite surprised.
With wide eyes and an open mouth, she said:
“Suisui, why are you bringing out this sea salt cake too? Didn’t we agree to keep it?”
The sea salt cake was a new creation she had recently tried. When she made it, she hadn’t intended to sell it but had planned to keep it for herself, so it wasn’t displayed in the dessert case.
Wen Ruosui said, “Zhou Wensen has a major client here, so I thought I’d help him entertain properly. We can’t let him lose face.”
“Zhou Wensen’s major client isn’t your major client,” Xiao Hui replied.Wen Ruosui retorted, “A guest’s guest is also my guest.”
“Alright, when it comes to serving customers, you’re still the most thorough.” Xiao Hui had nothing more to say and could only ask, “So, Suisui, are you planning not to charge for these two cakes?”
“Mhm, no charge. Consider it as asking them to help me taste-test.” Wen Ruosui said seriously.
As for those little thoughts of hers, she concealed them in her heart.
After preparing the pastries, Wen Ruosui picked up the coffee pot again, poured it into a freshly prepared porcelain cup, and brewed a new cup of Mandheling coffee.
Xiao Hui leaned on the counter, tilting her face to watch Wen Ruosui’s focused movements.
Suddenly struck by a whim, the young girl asked curiously, “Suisui, do you think that incredibly handsome man is very impressive?”
Wen Ruosui replied while brewing the coffee, “Judging by Zhou Wensen’s tone, he probably is.”
After pouring the coffee, she casually set the coffee pot aside.
Xiao Hui nodded thoughtfully, “That makes sense. A man who can make even Zhou Wensen bow and scrape must be truly extraordinary.”
With nothing else to do, Xiao Hui started chatting again:
“But from his appearance, that man looks like one of those powerful figures at the peak of authority in TV dramas. Look, the two men who came in with him don’t even dare to sit at the same table as him.”
Xiao Hui even rested her chin dreamily in her hand, gazing at the man by the window from afar, her eyes sparkling:
“Honestly, this is the first time I’ve ever seen such a good-looking man. I used to think Zhou Wensen and his little boyfriends were handsome enough, but I never imagined there could be someone even more handsome and captivating. Haha, I’ve really broadened my horizons…”
Listening to her rambling, Wen Ruosui frowned and said helplessly:
“Why are you still daydreaming?”
Xiao Hui retorted, “Everyone appreciates beauty. What, is that not allowed?”
“Of course it’s allowed. Then keep looking.” Wen Ruosui placed the coffee on the tray as well, ready to take it over.
As she passed by Xiao Hui, she suddenly remembered the two men Xiao Hui had mentioned and softly instructed, “I’ll take these over. Could you help attend to the two people at the other table? Guests are guests, after all.”
“Okay.”
Wen Ruosui carried the coffee and cake to the table by the window. “Sir, your Mandheling coffee. Please enjoy.”
Pei Zhixiu had already finished his phone call and returned to his seat.
As she brought the coffee over again, a hint of puzzled confusion seemed to flicker in his dark eyes.
He probably didn’t understand why she had brought something new.
At that moment, Zhou Wensen scratched his head and explained, “Mr. Pei, I noticed you hadn’t taken more than a few sips of your coffee earlier. Then I suddenly remembered my colleagues mentioning that you don’t like coffee with milk, so I specifically asked Suisui to help replace it. Please give it a try.”
After hearing the explanation, Pei Zhixiu pursed his lips.
He lowered his head, glanced at the coffee, then looked up again, his dark gaze meeting hers.
In his deep eyes, he gave a slight nod and said softly, “Thank you.”
Somehow, Wen Ruosui felt that at this moment, there seemed to be a little less of that inexplicable coldness in his eyes.
As if the gloominess she had seen earlier was just a momentary illusion.
Wen Ruosui paused for a moment before replying, “You’re welcome.”
With that, she took another bone china plate from the tray and said somewhat sheepishly:
“Also, this is a new cake from the shop. I’d like to invite Zhou Wensen and this important guest to try it.”After a pause, she added, “This is the first time I’ve made this one, so it’s on the house.”
Zhou Wensen, who was listening nearby, immediately chimed in, “A new product? And it’s free? Suisui, you’re really too generous.”
As he spoke, he even stood up and leaned over to take a look. “What kind of cake is this? The color is so pretty!”
Wen Ruosui placed the two pieces of cake in front of them and explained gently, “This is a sea salt gradient mousse I just made today. It was just taken out of the fridge. The sea salt flavor is a bit salty, so it shouldn’t be too heavy. You two can try it and see if it suits your taste.”
Her tone was gentle and soothing, like a refreshing breeze on a scorching summer day, making it hard to refuse.
Zhou Wensen then teased, “Wow, Mr. Pei, you really have the face. Suisui brought out her best skills for you. I don’t usually get such good treatment…”
Although such words were just playful banter, Wen Ruosui felt as if her little secret had been exposed.