Hobby is Baking

Back in the classroom, just as he set his things down, a soft tapping sound came from behind—someone was patting his shoulder.

Lin Mo turned around.

It was Chu Miaomiao, who seemed to have been waiting for a while, her face lit up with an expectant smile.

"Hmm? What's up?"

Chu Miaomiao carefully pulled something out from under her desk and handed it over.

It was a transparent bag, meticulously wrapped and tied with a pink ribbon into a bow. Inside were a few golden-brown cookies, perfectly baked.

"I made these yesterday. Even my mom said they were delicious."

Her voice was soft, her gaze fixed on the tips of her shoes, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush.

Lin Mo accepted the gift.

He did remember that Chu Miaomiao’s kitchen was quite professional, equipped with a built-in oven and a whole shelf of baking books.

He had initially assumed Chu Lintian bought them to learn pastry-making.

Lin Mo weighed the bag in his hand, studying Chu Miaomiao’s hopeful eyes. "Mind if I open it and try one now?"

Chu Miaomiao immediately nodded eagerly, like a little chick pecking at rice.

She watched intently as Lin Mo untied the ribbon and opened the package, her breath seemingly held the entire time.

Lin Mo didn’t take a bite right away. Instead, he picked up a cookie and gently broke it in half with his fingers.

The cookie snapped crisply, the break clean and even, revealing a tightly structured interior.

He brought it to his nose and inhaled—a rich, buttery aroma instantly filled his senses.

Lin Mo took a bite and gave a slight nod.

"The butter ratio is high, so the texture is crisp. But to keep the cookies from crumbling too easily, you only used egg whites, no yolks, right?"

Chu Miaomiao’s eyes widened instantly, filled not just with surprise but also admiration and delight at being completely understood.

She instinctively leaned closer, her voice rising slightly:

"How did you know? The recipe specifically said using only egg whites makes the dough sturdier!"

Before Lin Mo could respond, another head popped up beside them.

"Something tasty? Share a bite!"

Fang Jun had somehow snuck over, already reaching unceremoniously for the bag of cookies in Lin Mo’s hand.

Lin Mo didn’t stop him, letting Fang Jun take one.

There weren’t many in the bag—just nine in total.

But Lin Mo didn’t mind. If he wanted more, Chu Miaomiao could easily stuff him full.

Seeing this, Chu Miaomiao quickly pulled out another bag from under her desk and handed it over. "Here, I’ve got more."

Fang Jun waved it off. "Nah, just wanted a taste."

He took a big bite, chewing enthusiastically.

Then, he slapped his thigh dramatically.

"Man, I gotta say—this is the real deal!"

Lin Mo rolled his eyes at his theatrics.

"What, you’ve been playing Beijing local these days?"

"Pfft," Fang Jun gave him a look that said you just don’t get it. "I’ve been listening to crosstalk—Guo Degang’s stuff. Hilarious!"

Lin Mo almost quipped back that he didn’t eat beef because he was "kind."

Then, Chu Miaomiao handed Lin Mo a small tin.

"I’ve got another type of cookie here. Try this one too."

Lin Mo raised an eyebrow. Cookies might seem simple, but making them well wasn’t that easy.

Still, he didn’t refuse. When he opened the tin, an even richer buttery scent wafted out, stronger than before.

Lin Mo recognized this style of cookie.

Made with a high butter ratio and slow-baked at low heat, these were the kind that would later sell for hundreds per tin—like those famous bear-shaped cookies.

Delicious, but cloyingly rich.

Thanks to the generous amount of butter, the texture was incredibly tender, practically melting in your mouth.

Lin Mo picked one up and let it dissolve slowly on his tongue.

Unsalted butter had a melting point slightly lower than body temperature.

That’s what gave it that melt-in-your-mouth quality. If you used beef tallow instead, it wouldn’t work the same way—its melting point was higher than other animal fats.

Lin Mo tasted one—definitely on the sweeter side.

Clearly, this recipe had to be from France or Britain.

After all, their definition of dessert was basically "must be sickeningly sweet."

Just then, another hand reached over, picking up one of the fragile butter cookies.

Jiang Yunlu placed it on her tongue, and it practically dissolved instantly.

"So good," she murmured, her eyes closing in delight.

Chu Miaomiao beamed at the praise. She’d been worried others might not like them.

She’d made plenty yesterday but only brought the best to school.

She’d wanted Lin Mo to try them first.

If Lin Mo said they were good, then they were good.

If others didn’t like them? Well, their taste just wasn’t as refined as Lin Mo’s.

She handed the tin to Lin Mo, then pulled out individual cookie bags from her desk to distribute to the class.

All fifty-something students received a little gift from Chu Miaomiao.

Lin Mo arched a brow.

"Did you teach her to do this?" Jiang Yunlu asked, glancing at him.

Lin Mo shook his head. "Could’ve been her mom. Or Xie Yuling."

Hearing that, Jiang Yunlu felt a tiny spark of satisfaction.

Because Lin Mo had referred to Xie Yuling by her full name.

Girls seemed to love these little details.

During break.

Lin Mo sat munching on cookies from the tin.

Jiang Yunlu had eaten two or three and already felt stuffed.

But Lin Mo? He could keep going.

Chu Miaomiao, sitting behind him, watched him chew away, feeling a joy even greater than when she wrote her stories.

Maybe feeding people was just another source of human happiness.

Just as Lin Mo was enjoying his cookies, Chen Xiaoya suddenly appeared at the classroom door.

The room fell silent for a second.

When they saw her heading toward Lin Mo, everyone relaxed and went back to their business.

Chen Xiaoya acted like she didn’t notice Lin Mo snacking, walking straight up to him.

"The provincial competition prize money will take a while, but the school’s separate bonus is ready. Come with me to collect it."

The "you" clearly included Xue Zigui.

Xue Zigui, caught off guard, stood up awkwardly.

Lin Mo turned to Chen Xiaoya.

"Teacher, what’s this bonus for...?"

Chen Xiaoya didn’t beat around the bush. "An alumnus heard about our school’s competition winners and sponsored rewards for all of you. But to be fair, even provincial second and third placers are included."

Lin Mo’s spiritual sense had already scanned the banner hung in the teachers’ meeting room upstairs.

Basically, the alumnus wanted the prestige, and the school wanted benefits for the students.

A perfect match.