Chapter 134: Smiling As She Eats The Sweets

Chapter 134: Chapter 134: Smiling As She Eats The Sweets

Qiao Meixia quietly wondered which customised box contained her specific order.

Noticing Qiao Meixia’s subtle, expectant gaze, Shen Huiling let out a soft chuckle. She already knew exactly what the young girl was searching for.

"Looking for your special order, aren’t you?" Shen Huiling asked.

Qiao Meixia gave an honest nod.

Shen Huiling’s smile widened as she retrieved a neat, ribbon-tied box from behind her counter and presented it to Qiao Meixia.

"Here you go, dear! Fresh out of the oven, made just for you." Shen Huiling said cheerfully.

Qiao Meixia’s eyes brightened with a faint, rare spark of excitement as she reached out to accept the box. Eager to settle the transaction immediately so she could dive into her morning routine, she pulled out her phone. She did not want to waste precious time standing around when she had an important task to enjoy.

Shen Huiling quoted the total price, and Qiao Meixia quickly scanned the payment code to complete the digital transfer.

Once the payment confirmation flashed on her screen, she carried the precious dessert box over to her favourite wooden bench nearby and sat down. She unboxed the pastry set and gazed inside.

The main slice of cake looked utterly divine, its rich layers glistening under the soft morning light. Surrounding it, the delicate pastries looked equally fantastic. Just looking at the beautiful assortment brought a genuine wave of quiet joy to her heart. She retrieved the small wooden spoon packaged inside the box and took her first bite of the cake.

A subtle, delicate curve touched the corners of her lips. She was thoroughly, deeply enjoying the dessert. Even though her facial expression remained relatively reserved, anyone who paid close attention to her softened aura could tell that she was genuinely, blissfully happy in this moment.

Shen Huiling, who was still busy arranging fresh cakes inside the vending machine, happened to glance over and caught that fleeting, sweet smile on Qiao Meixia’s face.

An instant surge of warmth filled her heart. She tapped her husband’s arm excitedly and pointed discreetly over toward the bench.

"Husband, look at that sweet girl over there! She is genuinely enjoying every bite. That exact look of pure happiness is precisely why I want us to open our own proper dessert shop." Shen Huiling whispered with delight. "She usually looks so cold and expressionless, but look at her now, she is actually smiling!"

"Hmmm..." Xu Chanping nodded, turning his eyes toward Qiao Meixia as well.

The quiet young girl sat peacefully on the wooden bench, entirely immersed in savouring the sweet creations they had spent hours crafting. Watching her enjoy their work brought an appreciative, warm smile to his weathered face.

"It seems she has truly taken a liking to our pastries." Xu Chanping remarked softly.

"Of course she has! Just look at how content she looks eating them." Shen Huiling beamed with pride. "This is why I put my heart into baking. I want people to experience genuine happiness when they taste what we make."

"Then you had better make sure our quality control remains this exceptional every single day." Xu Chanping nodded in full agreement.

"Naturally!" Shen Huiling agreed without a second thought, immensely passionate about her baking craft.

After finishing the restocking process and securing the vending machine panel, Shen Huiling wiped her hands and walked over to where Qiao Meixia was sitting.

Qiao Meixia was still steadily enjoying her slice of cake. Feeling someone approach, she paused and looked up into Shen Huiling’s warm eyes.

"Is it as delicious as you hoped?" Shen Huiling asked gently, her smile radiant.

"Hmm..." Qiao Meixia nodded without hesitation.

"I am so glad to hear that! I was honestly a little nervous that it might not live up to your expectations." Shen Huiling’s expression brightened even further.

"I really like it." Qiao Meixia stated plainly and truthfully.

Shen Huiling blinked in brief surprise. This was likely the very first time Qiao Meixia had directly, explicitly expressed her love for their culinary creations out loud.

"What part of it do you enjoy the most?" Shen Huiling asked.

Qiao Meixia looked down at the rich, glossy layers of her half-eaten slice. "The dark chocolate."

"I knew it! That rich chocolate recipe happens to be one of my husband’s absolute specialities!" Shen Huiling burst into a delighted laugh.

"Why are you giving me all the credit, wife?" Xu Chanping, who was packing up their supply crates nearby, immediately looked over with a raised brow.

"Because you were the one who perfected the chocolate sponge and ganache!" Shen Huiling stated.

"I only assisted with the ganache while you did the prep work."

"You did the vast majority of the technical work, dear!"

"That is entirely different from taking full credit."

The middle-aged couple began bickering back and forth in a fond, playful manner.

Qiao Meixia quietly watched their easy banter while continuing to enjoy her cake piece by piece. For reasons she could not fully articulate, the simple, lively scene before her felt incredibly tranquil. She truly loved this little corner of the campus.

It was completely free from the toxic atmosphere of the Jiang Family residence. There were no complicated, manipulative family dynamics here. No one was trying to undermine her position or force her into awkward social boxes. No one was constantly picking at her or comparing her to Jiang Yanna.

They simply talked about the art of making delicious desserts. And for Qiao Meixia, that pure, unpretentious simplicity was more than enough.

"Oh, that reminds me! You ordered the fresh cannoli and chocolate-filled éclairs as well, didn’t you?" Shen Huiling suddenly paused her playful argument with her husband as a thought struck her.

"Hmm." Qiao Meixia responded.

"I packaged them together in the lower compartment of the box so they would not get crushed. You can save them for later today!" Shen Huiling reminded her.

"Okay." Qiao Meixia nodded.

"In the future, if there is ever a specific dessert or special flavour you crave, just let me know a day in advance. I will custom-make it exclusively for you!" Shen Huiling smiled warmly at her.

"Okay." Qiao Meixia gave a small, appreciative nod.

She resumed eating her cake in peaceful silence.

Shen Huiling watched the serene young girl for another quiet moment before her smile deepened. She had a strong, undeniable feeling that this quiet, misunderstood student was destined to become one of their most cherished regular patrons. Both of them left after that.

Qiao Meixia made her way toward her classroom. As she walked down the corridor, she unexpectedly crossed paths with Jiang Yanna. She was alone. A rare moment when she was not putting on her usual show to display a gentle, delicate persona to the public. However, this time around, she did not even bother to conceal her blatant, malicious intentions toward Qiao Meixia.

​"Qiao Meixia, don’t go thinking you have already won just because you are back. Dad and Mom love me the most. You are absolute trash to them." Jiang Yanna leaned over and hissed in a venomous whisper.

​She did not dare say something so vile out loud, terrified that a passing student or staff member might overhear her true, ugly thoughts.

​"Oh... Is that so? Sure. You can keep them." Qiao Meixia replied in a lazy, unbothered tone.

​Without giving her another glance, she casually stepped aside and brushed past Jiang Yanna.

​Jiang Yanna, however, was far from finished. ​She had not expected Qiao Meixia to react with such utter indifference. She had fully intended to provoke her and push her into a blind rage, yet Qiao Meixia did not look bothered in the slightest by her spiteful words.

​Driven by frustration and desperate to stop Qiao Meixia from walking away, Jiang Yanna reached out and forcefully grabbed Qiao Meixia’s hand. ​Just then, Jiang Yanna caught sight of her circle of friends walking down the hallway toward them.

​A sudden, scheming thought immediately flashed through her mind. ​She tightened her grip on Qiao Meixia’s hand and deliberately threw her own body backward, staging the scene to make it look as though Qiao Meixia had violently shoved her.

​"AH!" Jiang Yanna shrieked dramatically as she let go and collapsed backward onto the hard floor.

​Qiao Meixia immediately turned around and saw Jiang Yanna sitting on the floor, tears already welling up in her eyes as she looked up at her with a helpless, pitiful expression.

​Before Qiao Meixia could react, a group of girls rushed over and aggressively pushed Qiao Meixia out of the way.

​Qiao Meixia quickly adjusted her stance to catch her balance before she could stumble. She looked back at the people who had shoved her, her expression remaining totally unreadable and silent.

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