Yun Manman shook her head regretfully, "No more, I only baked one box of apple pies this time, and the others were quickly ordered away."
The current oven could only fit eight palm-sized apple pies in one box.
Today, she had received a box of super fresh, crisp, and sweet apples. Since Yun Manman couldn't finish them alone, she decided to make apple pies.
Xiuneng was instantly disappointed to hear that the apple pies were gone, even his butterfly-like ears drooped.
He looked like a bedraggled little panda that had been caught in the rain.
After thinking for a moment, he looked at Yun Manman with anticipation, "Do you still have light cheesecake? And pork floss buns? Can I have one of each of these?"
Yun Manman nodded quickly, "Of course."
"Please wait a moment."
No one could refuse a kind elderly person's request, especially not an elderly little panda.
Yuan Qing burst through the door impetuously, shouting before she even sat down, "Manman, I want a cup of jasmine green tea and a light cheesecake!"
She was already familiar with the Perfect Sweets Shop, coming every few days for afternoon tea.
Yun Manman replied without looking up, "Alright, just a moment!"
While preparing the drinks, another customer came in to place an order, so Yun Manman put the jasmine green tea and cake on a tray, gesturing for Yin Qian to take it over.
The weather outside was scorching hot, and Yuan Qing, having walked in the sun, was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, her cheeks flushed.
She was dressed for the heat, wearing a loose, cropped short-sleeve top that revealed a glimpse of her tanned, slender waist, with hints of abdominal muscles visible upon closer inspection. Her high-waisted jeans accentuated her long, toned legs.
She had recently cut her short hair even shorter, making her pointed face look even cooler and more striking.
As Yin Qian approached with the tray, Yuan Qing was wiping away her sweat. Noticing the young man carefully placing the food on her table, she raised an eyebrow.
"Is it hard work here?"
Yuan Qing knew that the Perfect Sweets Shop had hired new staff, including Yin Qian, whom she had met briefly before.
He was even considered a talented individual.
Like Yun Manman, Yuan Qing couldn't quite understand why he was willing to come here as an apprentice, but apart from the reason Yin Qian gave, they couldn't figure it out no matter how hard they tried.
So Yuan Qing could only observe this young man whenever she came, to see if there was anything unusual about him.
As it turned out, she found this little bird quite interesting. Although he worked very diligently, he always had a stern expression and seemed rather inflexible in his personality.
It made her want to tease him.
Hearing her question, Yin Qian answered seriously, "It's not tiring."
This was the truth.
The workload here was nowhere near the intensity of military training.
After finishing work here each day, he even had enough energy left to do four hours of weight training at his place of residence.
Yuan Qing chuckled, thinking the little bird was putting on a brave face.
She had seen how busy it could get at Yun Manman's shop when it was crowded.
She pulled out a 100-yuan bill from her bag, leaned closer to Yin Qian, and brushed the bill across his cheek with her slender fingers.
"Big sister just got some money today. Want a little tip?"
Yin Qian was caught off guard by her sudden closeness, not having noticed her approach.
She was so close that her mint fragrance, amplified by the heat, instantly enveloped him. With his excellent eyesight, he could even see a glistening bead of sweat sliding down Yuan Qing's long neck and disappearing into her clothing.
"Hm? Do you want it?"
Yin Qian abruptly stepped back, putting a safe distance between himself and Yuan Qing.
He muttered, "I don't accept tips," before hurrying back behind the counter with the tray.
Only his usually steady gait seemed somewhat unsteady.
Seeing his flustered state, Yuan Qing burst into laughter, "Hahaha!"
Teasing kids was so much fun!
Yun Manman, having finished her work, came over and sat down, handing Yuan Qing some blueberries, "Stop bullying Yin Qian."
She had noticed that even the ears beneath Yin Qian's ash-gray short hair had turned bright red.
Poor kid, hahaha.
Yuan Qing's elegant, upturned cat-like eyes couldn't hide her amusement, "Don't you think he's interesting? Hahaha..."
Yin Qian, tidying up behind the counter, felt his ears grow even hotter. His handsome face remained expressionless, but his lips were pressed tightly together.
No wonder General Lu disliked Feline Beastmen, they were so mischievous!
Lu Qi, coiled in a basket, yawned.
He had warned about staying away from Feline Beastmen, hadn't he? Poor little bird, teased again by the black-hearted cat.
The little white snake, whose tail had been tied in knots by Yun Manman just that morning, felt utterly dejected as he sensed the fluctuations in the spiritual sea. He was calculating when he could leave this place full of Feline Beastmen.
Sitting at the next table, watching their playful banter, the elderly panda grandfather smiled benevolently, slowly savoring his delicious afternoon tea, inwardly marveling at how wonderful youth was.
The atmosphere in the sweet shop was relaxed and cozy, making even the simple act of whiling away time here feel blissful.
Xiuneng contentedly narrowed his eyes, thinking about when he could bring his busy, energetic old wife here.
It would be good for her to relax a bit too.
Unfortunately, this peaceful atmosphere was soon disrupted.
Just as Yun Manman and Yuan Qing were discussing plans to go shopping together, the wind chimes at the door tinkled.
Someone had entered.
Yun Manman instinctively looked up, "Hello, what would you like to eat?"
But she noticed that the male and female Beastmen who had entered didn't acknowledge her words. They just glanced around the shop, as if searching for something.
Then Yun Manman saw the male Beastman, whose looks were barely passable as decent, fix his gaze on Yuan Qing. His eyes lit up, and he walked straight towards them.
Yuan Qing, sitting with her back to the door, noticed Yun Manman's confusion and silence. She turned her head quizzically, "What's wrong..."
As soon as she recognized the newcomers, the smile on Yuan Qing's face froze.
She abruptly stood up, her chair scraping loudly against the floor.
"Han Chao? How did a scumbag like you find this place?!"
Then, seeing the female Beastman hiding behind Han Chao, she grew even angrier. The golden-brown spotted tail behind her bristled slightly, stiffening in mid-air.
"Well, well, you even brought that shameless cat Bai Cha with you!"