Liang Yufeng might have overestimated her; for birthdays, she could at best boil a bowl of longevity noodles. Baking, however, was a more advanced skill she couldn't conquer.
"I can teach you," Liang Yufeng said.
Lan Lan couldn't believe it. "You know how to do this?" He was a big boss, after all. It was one thing for him to cook for himself, but to also have the time to research baking? Was his work that unbusy?
Liang Yufeng's tone was casual. "I learned it before."
"Oh," that explained it. "You learned it while studying abroad?"
"No." Liang Yufeng denied it. "You learned it after you started working? Mr. Liang, you capitalists truly have..."
Before Lan Lan could finish, Liang Yufeng interrupted, "I learned it in my first year of university."
Lan Lan froze. First year of university? That was when they were dating. Had he learned to make cakes back then? She had no recollection.
Seeing Lan Lan's expression, Liang Yufeng knew what she was wondering. "I learned it secretly, planning to surprise you on your birthday next year."
When they first got together, they had celebrated one birthday, and he hadn't given her a particularly thoughtful gift. He had always felt regret about it, so he secretly learned to make cakes behind her back. When he worked odd jobs, he chose to apprentice at a bakery. His original plan was to surprise her on her second year's birthday, but before the first year ended, she had dumped him.
Lan Lan fell silent. She knew what happened after that, so she couldn't say a word.
Hearing about such things now, her feelings were complex. But if it had been back then, she certainly wouldn't have been moved. Back then, when Liang Yufeng learned this and that for her, she just thought he was aimless, wasting his time on trivial matters.
She was young and ignorant then, believing that one's ideals and ambitions should be noble. She was immersed in the narrative of elitism, thinking that only career was worth pursuing. Therefore, when Liang Yufeng told her that his dream was "to have a home of his own," it sounded like a childish joke to her, and she thought he lacked ambition and drive.
Thinking back to those days now, she realized her own shallowness. Some people in this world chase fame and fortune, while others yearn for authenticity. Life itself has no inherent hierarchy. She had been severely brainwashed back then, to the point where she thought Liang Yufeng was mentally ill.
"It's a shame it wasn't used later," Lan Lan said with a smile after a long silence.
Liang Yufeng remained silent. The unpleasant memories of that period must have been too many for him to know what to say. Lan Lan then said to him, "Then I'll learn from you. I'll make you a cake for your birthday this year too."
Next month was Liang Yufeng's birthday again.
Liang Yufeng seemed not to have expected Lan Lan to say that. He showed a surprised expression. He looked a little stunned, much like when he was a student. Lan Lan smiled and asked, "What's with that expression?"
Liang Yufeng quickly composed himself. "Let's see if you can learn it first."
"Okay, I'll learn now." Lan Lan was like a gust of wind, pulling Liang Yufeng to a nearby supermarket to buy ingredients.
She had slept all day today and happened to have excess energy to expend.
Liang Yufeng was very patient in teaching. He explained the process of making cakes to Lan Lan, demonstrated it himself, and then guided Lan Lan through it a few times. The two of them spent over an hour and baked four or five cake bases.
"I'm this good?" Lan Lan looked at the cake bases on the rack, surprised. She thought she would have messed up a few times, but she hadn't expected to succeed so well after only three attempts!
Lan Lan couldn't help but feel proud. "I guess I have a pretty high talent for cooking. If I hadn't gone into finance, I might have become a baking master."
Liang Yufeng: "..." He wanted to say something but stopped himself, ultimately not having the heart to dampen her spirits.
Lan Lan was immersed for a moment, then went on to learn how to whip cream and frost the cakes. This was much more difficult than before. Liang Yufeng demonstrated first again. Lan Lan was amazed by his skill and the beautiful piping he produced. For the first time in her life, she saw charm in a man who was cooking.
At this moment, Liang Yufeng, wearing an apron and holding a piping bag, was intently focused on the cake in front of him. The lines on his forearm were distinct, with veins subtly protruding, making him look very sexy. His serious gaze was captivating.
Liang Yufeng noticed Lan Lan's state from the corner of his eye and asked, "Did you understand?"
Lan Lan then regained her focus. How could she admit that she hadn't been looking at the cake at all, but rather at him, his hands, and his arms?
Liang Yufeng demonstrated once, and then Lan Lan took the plunge.
The piping bag was obedient in Liang Yufeng's hands, but it was a different story with her.
As soon as Lan Lan grasped it, she accidentally squeezed too hard, and a large amount of cream gushed out. The shape was indescribable.
Lan Lan was extremely disgusted. Even though she had squeezed it herself, she couldn't help but be disgusted.
Seeing this, Liang Yufeng also laughed. He said, "This doesn't look like something your aesthetic taste would produce."
"Don't think I don't know you're mocking me," Lan Lan glared at him and threw down a harsh statement, "It's just piping, with my intelligence and talent, I'll learn it in..."
Before she could finish, she applied more pressure with her hand and squeezed out an even more exaggerated blob.
Liang Yufeng laughed even more heartily because of this. Lan Lan was so angry she wanted to fling cream at his face. After he finished laughing, he walked over and embraced her from behind.
The man's warm body pressed against her. Lan Lan, wearing flat shoes, seemed even more petite in front of him. She was thus held in his arms. The man raised his arms, took her right hand, and his palms tightly enclosed hers.
"I'll teach you hand-in-hand," he said. "To pipe well, you need to control your strength. The key is to apply even pressure, ensuring that each stroke is the same size."
He guided her patiently, demonstrating as he spoke.
With Liang Yufeng's help, Lan Lan indeed gained a good grasp of the force. Several flowers were piped beautifully in succession.
Liang Yufeng's instructions continued. "When you finish, pull away decisively. This will make the piping look neat. Yes, apply a bit more force."
As he spoke, the warm air he exhaled brushed against her ear. Lan Lan's ear tips turned red, and she felt dizzy. After he let go, she could still hear her own racing heart.
Lan Lan took off her gloves and touched her ear. It was surprisingly hot.
It was unbelievable. She had been dating since high school and had extensive experience in romance. No matter how flirtatious others were with her, she never had such a strong reaction. Today, Liang Yufeng had merely held her hand to teach her piping, and she was already this flustered.
"Something's wrong with me," Lan Lan patted her face, unable to accept that she was actually getting her heart racing and ears burning because of Liang Yufeng.
"What's wrong?" Liang Yufeng, unaware of her inner turmoil, instinctively thought she was scolding him.