Chapter 55 Extra

Chapter 55 Extra

1

On Huichun Road, there's a super popular dessert shop where Xiaoxiao would get in line every day after school.

As soon as she entered, the aroma of pastries wafted over, a light, lingering sweetness, that made you feel like you'd fallen into a soft cloud.

The shop was small, yet fresh, bright, and spotlessly clean.

Every time she came, Xiaoxiao liked to sit in the shop.

Clearly, most people felt the same way; after looking around, she couldn't find an empty seat.

Besides the delicious desserts and pastries, the two owners were also a treat to look at.

Looking ahead, the guy making cakes behind the counter was the boss—tall, with long legs and a really striking figure.

The boss was a quiet, reserved guy.

He always wore gloves, a mask, and a hat, tied on an apron, and stayed behind the counter, never talking to anyone or stepping out from behind it.

Rumor has it no one's ever seen what the boss looks like.

The boss was also super cool, with long, snow-white hair, sometimes in a low ponytail, sometimes in a long braid.

Every time she saw him, he looked like a character straight out of a manga.

The boss seemed to really hate the cold; even in the scorching summer, he always wore long sleeves and pants.

Whether it was a collared shirt or a mandarin-collar button-up, it was modest and straight-laced, covering his neck completely.

Occasionally, a hint of a gorgeous mark would peek out from the side of his neck, and the boss lady would smile and say it was a tattoo.

“You don’t have a seat? You can sit here,” a girl said, waving Xiaoxiao over.

Xiaoxiao walked over, a little embarrassed: “Thanks.”

“No problem,” the other girl replied with a warm smile.

Soon, a cool cup of tea was set in front of Xiaoxiao. Her eyes lit up, and she turned to say, “Thanks, boss lady!”

“You’re welcome.”

The warm, generous, and beautiful woman in front of her was the boss lady.

She remembered every regular customer and what they liked. Her eyes, always bright when looking at customers, made her really charismatic.

Once, a male customer was harassing a female customer in the shop. The boss lady came over, tapped the table, and calmly said two words.

“Get out.”

Her eyelashes drooped slightly, her gaze dark and steady, and her composed demeanor instantly stunned everyone.

Xiaoxiao noticed that the moment the boss lady spoke, the boss stopped what he was doing and silently watched.

“You actually got to drink the tea from this shop,” the girl who had waved Xiaoxiao over said enviously.

Xiaoxiao blushed a little: “I come here a lot, so the boss lady remembers me.”

Then, Xiaoxiao looked at the girl enviously and said, “You actually managed to order the shop’s limited-edition pastries.”

The girl laughed: “I eat a lot.”

“If you don’t mind, would you like to try some?”

“If you don’t mind, would you like to try some?”

They looked at each other and laughed at the same time.

The shop had both traditional pastries and Western-style desserts.

The traditional pastries were made by the boss lady.

One particular mochi was very popular, but it was limited daily, only available to customers who spent a certain amount that day.

Strangely, even though it was just ordinary mochi, it tasted exceptionally good in the boss lady’s hands.

The funniest part was that even if you managed to order it, it was like opening a mystery box.

Xiaoxiao had opened a few before; common fillings were red bean paste, black sesame, and peanut butter.

She had heard that someone once got a salted egg yolk filling—salty, sweet, and soft—and wondered what it tasted like.

Just thinking about it made Xiaoxiao’s mouth water.

Traditional pastries were the shop’s specialty, but the Western-style desserts were good too, mainly handled by the boss, who also took limited orders for custom birthday cakes each day.

But the most popular item was the tea drink made by the boss himself, which was free and only available to regular customers.

The tea was refreshing and thirst-quenching, with a lingering sweetness that left a fragrant aftertaste, even more refreshing than store-bought fruit teas.

“Sister!”

“Big brother, sister-in-law.”

A slim young man walked in, holding the hands of two little kids.

“Sister Xiaoxiao.”

A slightly thin little girl handed her a piece of candy, and Xiaoxiao took it with a smile.

The two little kids were the boss lady’s younger twin siblings, who would start first grade in September and were currently studying ahead.

The tall, thin young man next to them was the boss’s younger brother.

He wasn’t in good health—his face always pale—and he was very thin.

But he had a good personality, gentle and polite.

He would be taking the college entrance exam soon and had taken a long leave from school. Every day, he picked up the two little kids from kindergarten and then came here to study.

When Xiaoxiao found out that the boss lady was a top student from H University, she almost wanted to kneel down on the spot and beg her to tutor her own hopeless sister.

At that moment, the three of them—one big and two small—sat side by side at their usual table by the counter, all three faces focused intently on the books in front of them, everyone in the shop instinctively lowered their voices, smiling warmly at the heartwarming scene.

—

A cup of tea was placed by the young master's hand, he snapped back to reality, looked at the retreating hand, and said softly, “Thanks, big brother.”

The sun was setting, casting a tapestry of brilliant clouds across the table. Before they knew it, dusk had already arrived, and the shop closed its doors early.

Lin Chenxin pointed at a problem in the book. "This one is wrong."

The young master quickly lowered his head to correct it.

"Where have you been staying lately?"

The young master replied, "With my mom, but I'll go home for the holidays."

Lin Chenxin nodded and didn't ask further.

Then, remembering something, the young master took a box out of his backpack.

"This is a gift from my sister to my sister-in-law."

Lin Chenxin raised an eyebrow and opened the box, revealing a deep blue glass bottle inside.

She eagerly opened it, only to find it empty.

Picking up the note inside the box, she read:

— [Sending you some air from Country X.]

Lin Chenxin was speechless.

She turned around and buried her face in Chen Gujun's chest.

Chen Gujun stroked her hair and gently kissed the top of her head.

The young master shyly lowered his eyes.

Just then, a car horn sounded from outside.

The young master stood up and said, "Big bro, sis-in-law, I'm heading out now."

Two little heads popped out from the kitchen, looking at him. "Brother Xiaozhi, will you pick us up from school tomorrow?"

He smiled and nodded. "I will."

The two little ones hugged each other happily.

As he left, the young master glanced at Chen Gujun.

Chen Gujun gave him a faint glance, and he quickly looked away.

Even now, he still didn't dare meet Chen Gujun's eyes directly.

Besides instinctive fear, there was an indescribable feeling that left him unsure how to react.

Sitting in the car, Ms. Liang, wearing sunglasses, said, "Buckle up."

"Mm."

He turned to look out the window. Inside the shop, Lin Chenxin was scolding the two little ones for stealing food.

The two little ones hid behind Chen Gujun, one on each side, tightly clinging to his legs.

Lin Chenxin shot him a glare, and Chen Gujun sighed helplessly, then turned to stand by her side.

At this, a smile spread across the young master's face.

He loved watching these ordinary scenes—to him, they felt foreign and distant, with a hint of unspoken envy.

Suddenly, Chen Gujun turned his head to look at him.

He quickly ducked his head, hiding his face below the window.

After a moment, he peeked out again, his eyes bright and sparkling.

He thought, if happiness means being ordinary, then being ordinary isn't so bad.

At least the colors are so vibrant.

"Mom, I want to learn to paint."

"Okay."

Ms. Liang adjusted her sunglasses and hit the gas.

"Where do you want to spend New Year's this year?"

He said, "I need to think about it."

Ms. Liang said softly, "Okay."

—

Morning sunlight streamed through the cracks in the window, spreading across the bed.

Lin Chenxin pulled the covers over her head, rolled over, leaving only the dark top of her head exposed.

A hand touched her hair, and she quickly ducked her head completely under the blanket.

The bed creaked slightly as a pair of feet hit the floor.

Standing in front of the wardrobe, Chen Gujun put on his clothes, the hem of his shirt covering the runes on his waist.

He buttoned up one by one, his long, snow-white hair flowing down his back.

"I'm leaving," he said, turning around.

The lump on the bed wriggled in response.

The door opened and then clicked shut.

A bare hand emerged from under the thin blanket, its wrist wrapped in gauze, with a few faint teeth marks on the pale forearm.

—

Two little ones in little yellow hats walked through the kindergarten gate, turning back to wave their small hands at Chen Gujun.

He nodded slightly.

The teacher at the door had gotten used to this parent with flowing white hair and fully covered clothes.

She smiled and said, "Tomorrow, the kids are going on a field trip. Please make sure to pack their essentials tonight, parents."

"Okay, thank you, Teacher."

"You're welcome."

The morning sun wasn't scorching yet, and the chirping of birds hidden in the branches added a touch of freshness and coolness.

Chen Gujun didn't go home immediately; instead, he headed to the supermarket.

"Oh, Mr. Chen, making pork rib and lotus root soup again today?" an older woman nearby said with a local accent.

Chen Gujun nodded and said softly, "Yeah, my wife likes it."

"That's nice. When's your shop opening? My daughter went to school this morning and wanted to buy something, but couldn't get any."

"It opens in two days. We're closed today and tomorrow."

"Alright."

Chen Gujun turned to pay, and behind him, two older women started talking.

"Oh, is that premature gray hair?"

"How could gray hair be that long? He's a cosplayer, you old fuddy-duddy."

He opened the courtyard gate, put the groceries in the kitchen fridge, and took off his mask, hat, and gloves.

When he came out, he was carrying a watering can and went to the yard to water the flowers.

The Madagascar periwinkles were in full bloom, delicate and pretty, spread across the ground like a soft pink carpet.

After watering, the sun had climbed high into the sky, and Lin Chenxin still wasn't awake.

Chen Gujun opened the bedroom door and saw that Lin Chenxin had shifted from lying on her side to lying on her stomach.

He bent down, his long hair falling over his shoulder, the snowy white tips brushing against Lin Chenxin's face.

Lin Chenxin wrinkled her nose, and the next moment, a kiss landed on the tip of her nose, then on her lips.

The blanket was lifted, and Chen Gujun lay down on the bed.

The slightly ajar door clicked softly as it gently closed.

Shh...