“Some egg yolk got mixed in with the egg whites. That won’t do, I need to start over. The flour is too much, add a little more milk.”
“You can add the sugar in several portions.”
In the coffee shop’s kitchen, Bai Yun was teaching Lu Weizhu how to make a cake, guiding her hand by hand.
Following Bai Yun’s instructions, Lu Weizhu fumbled along, and after failing and restarting a few times, she finally managed to get the cake batter into the oven.
She set the timer, let out a breath, and lightly moved her fingers to tidy her bangs.
Baking a cake with Bai Yun made the tension in her heart loosen, and she felt much more relaxed overall.
“Sorry, I’m a bit clumsy.”
Because of the injury on her hand, Lu Weizhu’s movements looked awkward at times.
Fortunately, she had put on gloves as soon as she entered the kitchen, so Bai Yun didn’t notice her surgery wound.
Bai Yun’s comforting words made her realize she might not be as shameful as she thought.
That’s right, she hadn’t broken any laws, had she?
If it’s not forbidden by law, then it’s allowed.
To make herself feel better, Lu Weizhu lied to herself in her heart.
In truth, Lu Weizhu’s pain didn’t come from her body.
She knew that compared to the money she received, the physical pain was nothing.
What really hurt was her self-esteem and her moral conscience.
“It’s fine, it’s your first time. That’s perfectly normal. You’ll get used to it.”
Bai Yun shook her head.
She glanced at the kitchen clock.
Unknowingly, it was already five in the afternoon, so Bai Yun went out to take down the “Open for Business” sign.
While Bai Yun was gone, Lu Weizhu obediently sat on a chair.
“Yun-jie, because of me, you must have lost a lot of business today.”
Touching the check in her pocket, Lu Weizhu felt a bit more at ease.
“Can you deduct the lost sales from my wages?”
Even though life ahead would be tough, with Bai Lu joining in, Lu Weizhu would have a little more financial breathing room.
Based on experience, the money Bai Lu gave was just enough to cover Lu Weiyu’s medical bills.
That way, she could save the money from Ning Wan’s side.
Looking on the bright side, maybe after saving for a while, she could take her sister to another city for treatment?
Bai Lu couldn’t possibly reach that far, right?
She herself wasn’t that special—
Bai Lu wouldn’t go to such lengths for her.
Thinking this, Lu Weizhu pressed her lips together.
She despised those two, but for now, she still had to rely on their money to survive.
“No need. There aren’t many customers in the afternoon anyway, it’s not really a loss.”
Returning to the kitchen, Bai Yun ruffled Lu Weizhu’s hair.
“Our little catgirl Lu is just too kind. Always thinking of others—you’ll get taken advantage of, you know.”
With that, Bai Yun sat down beside Lu Weizhu.
The two sat in silence.
Time ticked by slowly.
Lu Weizhu watched as the cake inside the oven slowly rose.
A faint aroma of cake began to fill the air.
When the baking was done, Bai Yun opened the oven.
The scent and heat rushed out.
Lu Weizhu squinted her eyes.
She put on oven mitts and took out the freshly baked cake.
The color was beautiful, though since it was her first time, the surface had a few cracks.
“You did great! Looks like our little Lu is a genius.”
Bai Yun leaned in close to Lu Weizhu, smiling playfully.
Lu Weizhu didn’t say anything, just gazed at the Chiffon Cake in her hands.
A sense of accomplishment welled up inside her.
“I…I did it?!”
She couldn’t believe she succeeded on her first try.
Her lips curled up uncontrollably as she and Bai Yun unmolded the cake and cut it into four pieces.
It didn’t look that great, and there was no time to frost it with cream, but Lu Weizhu picked up a piece and took a small bite.
A rich aroma spread through her mouth, the soft cake melted easily, and the faint sweetness was just right—the taste was surprisingly good.
Lu Weizhu had thought she had no talent for this and that anything she baked would taste terrible.
“Yun-jie, it actually tastes pretty good. Want to try?”
Lu Weizhu handed another piece of cake to Bai Yun.
“It’s delicious, little Lu. You’re really amazing.”
Bai Yun took a bite and then gave Lu Weizhu a thumbs up.
Putting in effort, getting the result you wanted, and being recognized by others—
Lu Weizhu’s smile finally appeared.
It looked a bit out of place on her tear-streaked face, but it was still a beautiful sight.
“I think you really enjoy baking. If there’s no one in the shop, feel free to use the oven to make yourself something.”
Having healed her employee, Bai Yun was in a good mood.
She quickly finished her cake, then helped Lu Weizhu pack up the remaining two pieces.
“Little Lu, it’s getting late. You should go check on your sister.”
Bai Yun handed the bag with the cake to Lu Weizhu.
“Okay, Yun-jie, I’ll head back now.”
Taking the bag, Lu Weizhu said goodbye to Bai Yun.
Unlike the confusion and helplessness she felt when she arrived, Lu Weizhu now had a bit of hope for her life as she left the coffee shop.
“Maybe I can rent a place nearby?”
Her sister’s words from before floated through her mind.
She wanted to eat her big sister’s cooking.
Thinking about it, always eating takeout really wasn’t ideal.
“After surgery, there’ll probably be a lot of things she can’t eat anymore.”
Muttering to herself, Lu Weizhu touched the check in her pocket again.
By the time she got back to the hospital, it was already late.
“Weiyu.”
Lu Weizhu knocked on the door, then pushed it open.
“Welcome back, sis.”
On the hospital bed, the girl’s face seemed even paler.
The smell of disinfectant lingered at her nose, and Lu Weizhu could see the fine sweat on her sister’s forehead.
Her voice was trembling slightly, making Lu Weizhu’s heart ache.
She’d heard that people still felt pain after surgery.
“Weiyu, does it still hurt after the surgery?”
She placed the cake by the bed, asking gently.
“It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt much, sis.”
The girl smiled, though it was a bit forced.
Lu Weizhu’s heart ached even more.
The moment she was back at the hospital, her world started revolving around Lu Weiyu again.
“I brought you some cake, Weiyu. I made it myself. Want to try some?”
“Yes, feed me, sis.”
The girl on the bed nodded.
She didn’t ask why Lu Weizhu wasn’t there when she went into surgery—she knew her sister was always busy for her sake.
“Okay.”
Lu Weizhu took out a piece of cake, tore it into small pieces, and fed them to Lu Weiyu bit by bit.
“Mmm, it’s delicious. Sis, you’re amazing.”
Even while enduring pain, Lu Weiyu still tried to make Lu Weizhu happy.
Lu Weizhu simply stayed quiet.
“Weiyu, didn’t you say before that you wanted to eat my cooking? I’m thinking of renting a place nearby.”
Lu Weizhu brought up the idea of renting a place.
“Sis? The rent around here is really expensive. Takeout is fine, you don’t need to work harder for me.”
Lu Weiyu grabbed Lu Weizhu’s wrist.
Her hand was small, her fingers not long, and the coldness of her fingertips made Lu Weizhu feel a pang of sadness.
Her little sister was just too considerate.
“It’s okay, Weiyu. You know what? I bought a Lottery Ticket today and won a lot of money. So please don’t worry about money anymore.”
Lu Weizhu leaned over the hospital bed.
She fed Lu Weiyu some cake, then coaxed her to sleep.
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