Bab 12: Chapter Twelve: Beneath the Surface
Chapter Twelve: Beneath the Surface
"Is that Aaron King? Are they coming here?" Lydia Moore finally came to her senses, accepting the reality of the situation. In her view, the always proud and picky young master would typically frequent upscale, high-class restaurants, not a place like this. Considering her uncle and aunt were busy attending to other guests, Lydia had no choice but to approach him with a smile. Regardless of his reasons for being here, now that he was a customer, she had to do her best to ensure he was satisfied and felt happy here.
"What kind of cake would you like?" Lydia Moore dutifully handed Aaron King a menu listing the freshly baked products.
"Her again?" Aaron King's gaze flickered. It seemed she frequently appeared around him recently, and now even here. If she weren't so ordinary looking, he might think it was fate. Was she a part-time worker here?
"What kind of cake would you like?" Seeing he hadn't responded, Lydia asked again with a smile.
Aaron King gave the menu a cold glance and asked, "What cakes do you have?"
"We have Tiramisu, Chocolate Fortress, Sunny Summer, Melody of Beauty, Sydney Breeze, Pure Winter, Secret of Loch Ness, Bali Love, Graceful Lady, and Green Stream," Lydia Moore replied fluently. These cakes were all invented by her father and were some of the most popular at the "Elfin Cake Shop." She believed there would be something for them to like.
"For women, I'd recommend Sunny Summer or Graceful Lady," Lydia Moore said, looking at Tina to her right, patiently introducing her: "These are fruit mousse-based cakes, not only are they fresh and delicious, but they also have a low-fat content. Even if you eat a few, you don't have to worry about greasiness or weight gain. They are perfect for women to enjoy in the summer."
"Really?" Tina, a model, rarely indulged in cakes due to her profession. She had been worried about gaining weight when she entered the shop, but Lydia's explanation eased her concerns. Plus, she actually liked cakes: "I'll have Sunny Summer then." She recognized Lydia as the girl who had played the violin that day. She was impressed that Lydia not only had excellent violin skills but also knew so much about cakes. Tina couldn't help but look at her with admiration.
Usually, when Tina and Aaron King dined out, the female waitstaff would swarm around him like annoying flies, rarely paying attention to her. But this girl was different… not only did she not fawn over Aaron King, but she also introduced the products to Tina first. Although she had appeared twice around Aaron King and attracted his attention, Tina was fair-minded and actually liked this girl.
"Sunny Summer, okay," Lydia Moore quickly noted. "And you?" She turned to Aaron King, wondering if he also liked cakes.
"Secret of Loch Ness," Aaron King removed his sunglasses and looked at her with his deep, captivating eyes. "It should be a type of cheesecake, right?"
"Yes," Lydia Moore nodded, unable to hide her admiration. "All these cakes are exclusive to our cake shop. I didn't expect you to guess the type of cake just by the name. Impressive." She had overheard that Aaron King's favorite food was cake, and it seemed he actually had some knowledge about it.
As Lydia Moore was about to jot it down, she noticed a note in the corner of the paper board: "Secret of Loch Ness is sold out." She looked up at Aaron King with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, but the Secret of Loch Ness is sold out. It will take 20 minutes to bake a fresh one. Is that okay?" Would he dismiss her and leave immediately? She really hoped to meet every customer's needs.
"Aaron King," Tina called out gloomily. Although missing out on Sunny Summer was a pity, she didn't want to stay in a cake shop with only a few fans on such a hot day. The stifling weather always made people irritable, and she knew Aaron King had little patience. If she didn't arrive on time for a date, he wouldn't wait a second longer.
"Is it okay? 20 minutes is all I need," Lydia Moore pleaded, looking at him with hopeful eyes.
"Sold out?" Aaron King frowned, his eyes inscrutable. He glanced at his watch impatiently, then looked sideways at her. "Then 20 minutes." Normally, he wouldn't agree, but… just like how he had inexplicably walked into this inconspicuous little shop, even he didn't understand why.
Perhaps it was the satisfied smiles on other customers' faces that attracted him, or perhaps he was curious about the taste of the cakes she baked herself. Maybe… he felt that here, he could find something he had been searching for. Watching her hurry to the kitchen, his previously cold eyes suddenly had a hint of intriguing light.
Rushing into the kitchen, Lydia Moore kept mentally replaying the cheesecake recipe her father had taught her years ago. She quickly pulled out the eggs, cheese, fresh milk, cream, and other essential ingredients from the refrigerator. She poured the egg yolks into the melted cheese, added fresh milk and cream, and stirred. The fan above slowly spun, and she wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. She sifted flour and cornstarch into the cheese mixture, added lemon juice, and slowly mixed sugar with the egg whites.
In the afternoon, people often felt particularly weary, as if they had just woken up from sleep, feeling drowsy and unwilling to move. Even the birds in the forest sat with their mouths open on the trees, too lazy to fly out for food. But in the kitchen of "Elfin Cake Shop," one figure worked energetically.
The red light on the baking oven turned green, and the enticing aroma of the cake wafted out, even reaching outside.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
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