“You, where did you get this?”
Lu Yunze thought he must be seeing things and rubbed his eyes.
Jiang Sui simply brought the cake closer to him. The aroma was irresistible, and the brand on the packaging was clearly visible—it was from his favorite shop.
“Where else could it be from? Of course I bought it. Did you think the owner would give it to me just because I’m good-looking?”
“You went out of your way to buy it?”
“Mm.”
“For me?”
“Who else? Other than the Young Master, who else is worth me spending money on?”
Silence fell over the balcony until Jiang Sui set the cake on the table. Only then did Lu Yunze snap out of it and ask his next question:
“Why did you buy it for me?”
It seemed she hadn’t expected him to ask that. Jiang Sui let out a heavy sigh, as if disappointed in him.
“Young Master, didn’t you speak up for me in front of Officer Wang earlier? If it weren’t for your help, I would’ve been dragged to the Police Station for some inhuman interrogation.”
“Is the Police Station really that terrifying?” Lu Yunze was amused by her words. His laughter lightened the atmosphere on the balcony considerably.
He suddenly remembered—after Officer Wang left, Jiang Sui had run off right away. At the time, he felt a bit hurt. Even if she didn’t owe him gratitude, she could’ve at least said thank you.
Now he had his answer. Jiang Sui hadn’t run away; she had rushed to buy him a cake to thank him.
“I remember this isn’t cheap, right? Isn’t your financial situation…”
“Young Master, don’t worry. Even after repaying my debts, my salary still covers a month’s living expenses. A small indulgence like this is nothing.”
Jiang Sui smiled.
“Besides, the Young Master will reimburse me, won’t you?”
As soon as she said that, Lu Yunze’s hand, which was reaching for his phone, froze. An obvious awkwardness appeared on his face.
After delivering the cake, Jiang Sui urged him to eat quickly, or else it would soon be dinnertime. As for herself, not wanting to be caught slacking off, she quickly grabbed her cleaning tools and left the balcony.
Watching the girl’s retreating figure, her ponytail swaying as she ran, Lu Yunze’s hand rested on the cake’s packaging. The cardboard felt as if it still held the warmth of her palm.
Thinking back on his earlier suspicions about her, he couldn’t help but laugh at himself.
If she really was deliberately getting close to him and currying favor, wasn’t her effort a bit too much?
Her words could be sharp at times, but thinking carefully, every time Jiang Sui showed him kindness, she always had a legitimate reason.
Most of the time, it was because Lu Yunze had saved her at a crucial moment—like at the Police Station, or today when he stepped in to shield her from Wang Xu.
It was just that her way of repaying favors was so uniquely her own that Lu Yunze found it hard to accept.
During all this, Lu Yunze kept staring at the cake on the table, his mind replaying everything he’d heard from people today.
Xiao Lin had told him to cherish Jiang Sui.
Luo Yao had told him to consider the family’s reputation and not indulge his own desires.
But the voice that echoed loudest was still Jiang Sui’s: “It’s best if you make your own decisions about your life.” Her words lingered in his mind.
“Young Master? Young Master?”
When Lu Yunze came back to himself, he found Jiang Sui had returned at some point and was waving her hand in front of his face.
“Ah, what is it?”
“Good, good. I thought the Young Master got too emotional after receiving my gift and broke his brain.”
“I’m not that fragile.”
Lu Yunze had no idea how long he’d been out of it, but now the sun was nearly set. The orange sunlight shone on Jiang Sui’s smile, and in her pale violet eyes, flecks of gold danced, dazzling and beautiful.
“Better eat quickly, or it’ll go bad if you leave it out too long. Besides, if Miss sees it, that wouldn’t be good. After all, this is a secret just between me and the Young Master.”
“From that expression, you sure don’t look afraid of Luo Yao.”
Jiang Sui just smiled, not answering.
Since she was here, Lu Yunze let her sit down and rest for a while. She’d gone out to buy him cake and then hurried back to work—she must be exhausted.
As for the cake, she was right. He should finish it early, since dinner was coming up.
If Luo Yao really caught them, not only would Lu Yunze get a lecture, but even Jiang Sui would be dragged into it. Lu Yunze knew Miss Luo’s temperament well—she wouldn’t make things difficult for him, but she definitely wouldn’t go easy on Jiang Sui.
Opening the box, he saw a palm-sized white cream cake, its surface sprinkled with a generous layer of chocolate shavings, and topped with a single strawberry.
“I didn’t know what flavor the Young Master liked, so I just picked at random. I hope you don’t mind.”
Jiang Sui scratched her cheek, and under the table, her restless foot kept brushing his pant leg with the tip of her little shoe.
“It’s fine. I’m not picky when it comes to taste.”
Lu Yunze said, scooping up a piece of cake with the included spoon and putting it in his mouth.
He chewed slowly, his brows sometimes furrowing, sometimes relaxing, until he swallowed and his expression finally settled.
“How is it?”
“I have to say, that shop’s reputation is well-deserved. It tastes just as great as always.”
Even though the cake had both cream and chocolate and looked like it would be cloyingly sweet, in reality it was nothing of the sort. The fruit pieces embedded inside were fresh and added a pleasant texture.
“It really didn’t let me down.” Lu Yunze savored the cake’s deliciousness, taking a deep breath.
No matter how expensive something was, what mattered most was that it suited your own taste.
Seeing his expression, Jiang Sui smiled in satisfaction, her eyes glinting with a trace of mischief.
“Young Master, I have a request. Will you grant it?”
“Hmm?”
While he was enjoying his second bite, Lu Yunze realized she had somehow moved her chair right next to his.
She leaned in, her hair falling forward, the ends brushing the back of his hand holding the spoon, sending a ticklish shiver up his nerves. Her doll-like face was so close, her lashes trembling with each blink, a faint smile on her lips.
Lu Yunze didn’t say anything, just swallowed the cake.
“To be honest, I want to eat it too, but I could only choose between the Young Master and myself.” Jiang Sui’s tone turned helpless and a little bitter. “So, since I’ve been so obedient, Young Master, could you feed me a bite?”
Lu Yunze nodded slightly, thinking it was just a bite—he wasn’t the type to hog food.
Wait, did she just say: feed her a bite?!
He was about to push the cake toward her when Jiang Sui tilted her head up, closed her eyes, and opened her mouth like a baby bird waiting to be fed.
“Ah~”
“Jiang Sui, don’t you have hands?”
“Ah~”
“Hey, Jiang Sui…”
“Ah~”
She was actually acting cute—too unfair.
He scooped up another piece of cake and, turning to Jiang Sui who was once again waiting to be fed, gently placed it in her mouth. Once her lips closed, he pulled the spoon out.
“Mmm… delicious. As expected of the flavor I chose.”
After swallowing, Jiang Sui even licked away the stray bit of cream at the corner of her mouth with her little pink tongue, the movement so alluring that Lu Yunze didn’t dare look any longer.
One bite was supposed to be enough. As Lu Yunze prepared to enjoy the rest of the cake, Jiang Sui spoke up again:
“Now for the second half of my request.”
“There’s more?”
“Now it’s my turn to feed the Young Master.”
“I have hands. I don’t need you to feed me.”
Jiang Sui didn’t get upset at his refusal. Instead, she leaned in even closer, practically pressing her big white rabbit against him.
“Young Master, you don’t want Miss to find out you snuck cake, do you?”
“You—damn it…”
Lu Yunze realized he couldn’t win against her, so he had no choice but to agree.
Jiang Sui scooped up some cake and held it out to him.
“Come on, ah~”
“I still think…”
“Hey!”
Taking advantage of his talking, Jiang Sui stuffed the cake right into his mouth.
“They say food fed by mom always tastes better than what you eat yourself.”
You’re not my mom.
Lu Yunze nearly choked, but luckily it wasn’t a big bite.
“Happy now?”
“Mm.”
“There isn’t a third part, is there?”
“Nope. Unless the Young Master wants me to keep feeding you?”
“No, not at all!”
Jiang Sui had just stood up when she suddenly noticed something and reached out toward him.
By the time Lu Yunze realized what she was doing, it was too late—the cream at the corner of his mouth had already been wiped away by her finger.
And of course, her next move was to pop the cream into her mouth—after all, she never wasted food.
“As long as the Young Master wants to eat something, just tell me and I’ll buy it for you. If there’s a decision you can’t make, let me make it for you.”
Listening to her gentle words, Lu Yunze opened his mouth, closed it, and finally managed a heartfelt:
“Thank you.”
I should be the one thanking you.
The girl just smiled without a word.
Just one cake and all your doubts are gone. You really are simple, Lu Yunze.
Played like a 🎻