Next Time for Sure

A month later, Lin Mo returned to this street, carrying a large bag of strawberries.

The dessert shop that once bore the "Cabulas" sign had now been replaced with a new storefront—Sweetheart.

The name had changed, and the inside and out had been completely revamped.

A row of exquisite pure white tables and chairs had been added to the entrance, next to which stood a trendy street sign. The words on it were simple yet carried an indescribable sense of ambiguity: "I miss you at Sweetheart."

At eleven in the morning, far from peak hours, several girls with delicate makeup were already gathered under the street sign, holding up their phones to take pictures of each other with crisp laughter.

Lin Mo glanced at it. It seemed that Yue Yiqing had really taken his words to heart and executed them quite thoroughly.

He pushed open the glass door, the wind chimes jingling.

The scene inside the shop was even livelier than outside.

The newly added coffee machine was grinding beans, and the rich aroma mixed with the creamy scent of desserts, making one's appetite surge.

After the counter was expanded, the space more than doubled. Even so, customers selecting desserts still formed a short line.

A young waitress in a new uniform saw him come in and immediately greeted him with a standard professional smile.

"Welcome, how can I help you?"

Lin Mo's divine sense had already swept through the shop, but he didn't find Yue Yiqing's figure.

He asked casually, "Where is your boss? Is Yue Yiqing not here?"

The new waitress was visibly stunned.

She didn't know Lin Mo, but hearing him call the boss by her full name in such a casual tone, she didn't know how to respond for a moment.

Just then, a busy figure behind the counter suddenly looked up. After seeing Lin Mo's face clearly, her eyes instantly lit up.

"Mr. Lin! You're here!"

As expected of a veteran employee, she recognized him at a glance.

Lin Mo nodded at her, strolled over to the counter, rested his arm on the glass cabinet, and teased, "It seems your boss has finally figured it out. Business is good."

The veteran employee was so excited that her cheeks flushed slightly, nodding vigorously. "Yes! After adjusting the flavors, customers all say it tastes much better than before! Especially the cheese roll you mentioned last time, it's our signature now and sells out every afternoon!"

The gratitude and admiration in her tone were undisguised. The way she looked at Lin Mo was like looking at a god who could turn stone into gold.

"Mr. Lin, what brings you here this time?"

"The usual, borrowing the kitchen." Lin Mo said it as a matter of course. "Yue Yiqing shouldn't mind, right?"

"Of course not! Before the boss left, she specifically instructed that if you came, you could use the kitchen as you please, and she also hoped you could give more advice."

"Skip the advice."

Lin Mo waved his hand. "Crossing the river by feeling the stones—the river has already been crossed, so everything left is a smooth path."

With that, he familiarly bypassed the counter, preparing to head straight into the back kitchen.

Several new employees in the shop were dumbfounded, especially the one who had just greeted him. Her mouth was slightly agape, wondering who this person was and how he could act like he was entering his own home.

Seeing Lin Mo's hand already on the kitchen door handle, the veteran employee from earlier suddenly mustered her courage and called out with a bit of embarrassment, "Mr. Lin!"

Lin Mo paused and looked back at her.

"Um... this time, could you also leave some of the desserts for us to try?" Behind her, the other employees also cast curious glances.

Lin Mo looked at her sparkling eyes, found it a bit amusing, and waved his hand.

"Sure, I'll make an extra one for you guys."

With those words, he pushed the door and entered.

Stepping into the spacious and clean kitchen, Lin Mo stretched his back and loosened his joints.

The air was filled with the aroma of butter and flour, making him relax completely.

Today was Jiang Yunlu's birthday.

He had promised to celebrate it with her.

Baking a cake was something he had planned long ago.

After all, one must be fair and keep things balanced.

Because there were many customers now, and the kitchen had transparent glass, Lin Mo thought carefully, put on an apron, and even a hat.

Then he also had to wear a mask.

He couldn't let his presence cause a disruption to the shop's business.

After doing all this, Lin Mo finally began to mix the flour and knead the dough.

Meanwhile, outside the dessert shop.

A black sedan parked by the road, and a man in a sharp suit stepped out. He adjusted his tie, his gaze pausing on the "Sweetheart" sign, a self-proclaimed perfect smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"Sweetheart, nice name. Miss Yue, business is quite good at your little shop." Wu Hao walked up to Yue Yiqing, his eyes sweeping back and forth between her and the shop door, as if evaluating a commodity.

The satisfaction in his eyes was less about appreciation and more about being pleased with his blind date's financial background.

A senior pastry chef, a background of studying abroad, beautiful, and owning a shop that looked quite profitable.

Very perfect.

The smile on Yue Yiqing's face was a bit stiff; she had been forcefully dragged out of the back kitchen today.

"Mr. Wu flatters me, it's just a small business."

"Don't be modest. It's not easy for a girl to independently support such a shop," Wu Hao said self-importantly, his tone carrying an elder's approval. "Aunt Chen said you are very independent, and I really appreciate that."

Yue Yiqing lowered her eyes, too lazy to reply.

Independent?

If she were truly independent, how could she be forced into a blind date by a single phone call from her mother?

The startup capital for this shop was provided by her mother, which became the biggest bargaining chip her mother used to control her.

She had been back in the country for less than half a year, and her ears were full of nagging about marriage. Today was even more outrageous; her mother first called her out, and then had this man escort her back.

She had to put down her work to entertain this Mr. Wu.

As soon as they entered the shop, Wu Hao's eyes started wandering.

Under the warm yellow lights of the shop sat many young girls. His gaze slid over the legs of a girl in a short skirt by the window, and paused for two seconds on the face of an elegantly made-up customer at the bar.

Yue Yiqing took all of this in, and the disgust in her heart grew a few degrees.

Wu Hao quickly withdrew his gaze, pretending to inspect the shop's decor, and finally his eyes landed on the price menu.

He walked to the counter, putting on the airs of a regular: "An espresso, no sugar, no milk."

After speaking, he pulled a crisp hundred-yuan bill from his wallet, slapped it onto the counter, and pushed it forward with his fingers.

"Keep the change."

This attitude left the waitress behind the counter somewhat at a loss.

Yue Yiqing walked over expressionlessly, pressed two fingers against the bill, and pushed it back in front of Wu Hao.

"Mr. Wu, it's just a cup of coffee. It's on me today." Her voice was flat, yet it carried an unquestionable sense of distance.

Wu Hao's fingers stiffened on the bill. He looked up to meet Yue Yiqing's cold eyes, and finally slowly withdrew his hand.

"How could I? Next time, when I visit again, you absolutely can't give it to me for free."

"Alright, definitely next time."

Yue Yiqing couldn't be bothered to argue with him anymore. She signaled the barista to make the coffee, while she led Wu Hao to an empty seat nearby.