Chapter 51: Desserts

Bi Qiao’an ordered a plethora of desserts from Manager Bai, stating she needed them to treat guests and give gifts for her upcoming wedding.

“I want a lot, like a hundred servings of each type,” she told him. “I can pay a deposit upfront, but you have to guarantee the quality.”

With so many different types and no exact numbers, they couldn’t figure out the total cost right then and there.

Manager Bai told her he’d put together a list for her to check out. Once she made sure it was all good, she could send the payment online, and the store would get started on making them.

They exchanged contact information and saved the details.

As Manager Bai headed out, Bi Qiao’an and Shen Yanming turned their attention to the tasty treats in front of them, ready to dig in and enjoy the flavors.

“The skill that goes into making these desserts is incredible,” she said, savoring a bite of cake that melted in her mouth. “Too bad I don’t know much about making them myself,” she said, shaking her head with a tinge of disappointment.

He swallowed a mouthful of creamy milk tea, the sweetness lingering on his tongue. “If you like ’em, let’s buy more. We can grab a few extra when we pay later,” he suggested, his eyes warm and loving. “I’ll head out tomorrow to buy an oven. That way, we can try our hand at making desserts at home.”

She remembered the mobile villa they bought in Europe had an oven. “Don’t we already have one?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.

Knowing what she meant, he clarified, “We don’t have one at our place here yet. We definitely need one. I’ll grab a couple of bikes tomorrow too.”

She nodded. “You can handle getting what we need.”

After polishing off the last bites of their meal, they carefully picked out a few of the store’s signature desserts to take home, the smell of freshly baked goodies surrounding them as they paid the bill. 

Shen Yanming held an umbrella, his arm wrapped around Bi Qiao’an as they walked back to the car, driving through the rainy streets to Qingyu Community.

At home, she gathered up the new clothes and headed to the small balcony. She took off the tags and tossed the clothes in the washing machine, starting the cycle. As for the stuff that couldn’t be washed with water or thrown in the machine, she didn’t bother with them. With the apocalypse coming, worrying about those little things seemed pointless.

He put the packaged desserts in the storage space, ensuring they’d stay fresh and tasty. He then organized the new shoes in the cabinet, his movements precise and neat. Getting up, he turned to her. “What do you wanna eat for dinner?”

She shook her head, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “I don’t want to eat anything. I ate too much today so I’m not hungry yet.”

“Then let’s just have some fruit. We can eat dinner when you get hungry.”

As she finished hanging the freshly washed clothes on the balcony, her phone pinged with a message from Manager Bai, lighting up the screen.

Manager Bai: “Miss Bi, Sweet Dessert House has over a hundred different types of desserts. Do you want all of them? If you’re asking for over a hundred servings of each type, isn’t that a bit too much?”

Bi Qiao’an: “I’m gonna send them out, so a big quantity is fine. Use them all. As long as you can make sure the quality is good, I’d like the freshest ones.”

Manager Bai: “Got it. In that case, I’ll figure out the price on my end. To show we mean business, your order will get a 20% discount.”

A few moments later, Manager Bai sent a detailed list with the names, quantities, prices per unit, and total prices of the desserts. She scanned the info, seeing nearly two hundred types, many similar while others she’d never seen at Sweet Dessert House before. Her eyebrows raised, wondering if he was trying to take advantage of her willingness to spend big.

Despite all being cake rolls, Manager Bai deliberately categorized them into little bunny, giraffe, panda, matcha red bean, chocolate cream, and other varieties. Even so, what did it matter? She liked it!

Bi Qiao’an checked the total at the bottom of the list and sent the payment to Manager Bai without hesitation, feeling a wave of happiness. The fact that Manager Bai understood and was willing to fulfill her desire to stock up on desserts brought a big smile to her face.

Meanwhile, Manager Bai’s excitement grew when he got the payment. With business being slow lately, he had strategically categorized the store’s cake types to try and boost sales.

Although he expected Miss Bi to reduce some options, he was pleasantly surprised when she enthusiastically accepted the entire order.

This substantial order had the potential to generate a month’s worth of revenue for the store, a realization that left him brimming with excitement.

Keeping his excitement in check, he responded, “Miss Bi, given the big quantity you want, I can guarantee the quality, but it might take more time to get the order done. Making all the desserts in one day just isn’t possible.”

Bi Qiao’an: “You can sort out the production however works best, making some each day. When they’re ready, just hit me up to pick them up. As long as the whole order is finished within half a month, that’d be great.”

Manager Bai: “Won’t this hold up your wedding plans?”

Bi Qiao’an: “No, I’m planning to send them out in batches as well. When your team finishes making them, I’d appreciate it if you could package them into gift boxes for me.”

Manager Bai: “For sure, we’ll make sure to handle your order with the utmost care and attention to detail!”

Putting her phone down, she turned to Shen Yanming, who asked, “Is everything all set?”

“Yeah, I originally wanted them to deliver, but then I thought it would be easier for us to pick them up ourselves,” she said, lying on the armrest of the single sofa.

“Mhm, we can pick up the goods and make a round outside. Sending some out shouldn’t be much of a problem then.” He reached out his left hand and rubbed her head. “Seems like your hair has gotten smoother.”

She sat up and stared at him with glowing eyes. “Really?”

He pulled her into a tight hug, his right hand continuously stroking her long hair hanging behind her. “Mm, black and straight, it feels like silk to the touch, so smooth and comfortable.”

Hearing his compliment, she smiled with her eyes narrowed. She raised her hand to touch his cheek. “I feel like your face has gotten more handsome too. Look, your skin is so white and smooth, without a single pimple. It’s really enviable!”

She sighed dramatically, then added with a laugh, “You’re so beautiful, you’re really not giving us girls a chance!” Her laughter filled the room.

After enjoying a playful moment filled with laughter, the two nestled close together and began watching the movie “Interstellar.”

“I’ve read so many novels. Basically, the apocalypse in novels is usually caused by lab viruses leaking out, comets hitting the earth, aliens releasing toxins, or similar catastrophic events. As for how the apocalypse ends in novels, some are about killing zombies and setting up a new order, some are about traveling to the stars and starting over on a new planet, and some, well, end with everything being destroyed.”

She sighed while watching the movie. “I don’t know what caused the apocalypse on our planet and what kind of ending it will lead to.”

He hugged her tightly. “It could be due to the depletion of resources in the past or perhaps excessive pollution. However, this apocalypse seems to be relatively lenient on humans. It’s possible that our planet is attempting to heal itself.”

When the movie ended, it was already almost eleven o’clock.

Bi Qiao’an rubbed her belly and puffed out her cheeks. “I’m a bit hungry.”

Shen Yanming retrieved a serving of vegetable congee from the storage space. “Eat up,” he said. “Once you’re done, we need to head out and face the rain again.”