Of course, Yun Manman agreed.
Even without Molly's Grandma's last sentence, Yun Manman would have fulfilled her small wish.
Who could bear to disappoint an adorable red panda (exclamation)!
And she's letting me touch her tail and ears!
Yun Manman couldn't possibly miss such an opportunity.
So she happily and carefully drew cute cartoon images of red pandas on the cupcakes with cream. She even made two - one in the image of Xiuneng's Grandpa and one of Molly's Grandma.
Yun Manman brought out the cupcakes and placed them in front of Molly: "Molly's Grandma, here are your cupcakes."
The orange-red round face, big white butterfly ears, round eyes, short white eyebrows - no matter how you looked at it, it was an adorably chubby cartoon image of a red panda.
Molly's stone-hard heart melted. She quickly took out her communication device and snapped photos of the little cupcakes, then posted them to the family group chat, making the young red pandas in the group envious.
Yun Manman knew red pandas liked to eat apples, so she had specially added apple sauce to the cake batter.
While the two red pandas were happily eating, nodding and swaying their heads, Yun Manman crouched behind Molly and gently stroked her tail.
Before touching, Yun Manman had worriedly asked if it would be offensive, but Molly didn't mind at all. She looked at Yun Manman with loving eyes, as if looking at the younger generation in her family.
"It's actually fine between females, as long as you don't touch the base of the tail."
The fur was smooth and soft, with each hair tip seemingly gleaming, and there was a faint fragrance. It was obviously very well-groomed.
It was a tiny bit prickly, but super thick, with an unbeatable feel, somewhat like a dog's fur.
It was also like fluffy felt, and when touched at the tip of the tail, it would sway left and right.
After petting the red panda, Yun Manman reluctantly returned to the preparation area to make cakes, feeling unsatisfied.
She didn't even want to go to work anymore.
By the time Yun Manman came out with the red panda cupcakes, quite a few beast people were already waiting in the shop, and naturally saw these unique custom cupcakes.
Now, seeing Yun Manman go back to work, they all looked at her expectantly.
"Boss, can you make a cupcake with a hedgehog design?"
"Aww, boss, I want one with a rabbit..."
Rabbits! Rabbits are so cute too.
Yun Manman's figure hesitated as she entered the preparation area, but ultimately, reason defeated impulse.
Never mind, if she did more custom orders, she wouldn't have time to make today's desserts!
So she smiled and wagged her tail: "No more custom orders today. But we have new cake rolls today, everyone can try them, they're very delicious too!"
The rejected beast people drooped their ears.
What a heartless boss, boo-hoo!
But some beast people noticed Yun Manman's preference.
The dessert shop owner seems to particularly like fluffy beast people, could it be...
A quick-witted beast person immediately sent a message to their fluffy female friend: "Quick! Your tail is about to come in handy!"
Friend: ?
Yun Manman worked hard making cakes, while wondering if she should start offering a custom cake service.
The beast people all seemed to really like unique, custom-made things.
And what about birthday cakes full of blessings and memories, could those be offered too?
Having finished his cupcake and now waiting for the mango cake roll, Xiuneng twitched his ears and turned his head towards the counter.
Next to the counter was a pot of tulips, and behind the pink flowers was hiding a tiny figure.
The transparent wings unique to the elven race were flickering with light.
Alice was quietly observing the table with the red pandas.
This was her first time in Kashida, and in these few days, she had seen more beast people than in her previous twenty-nine years combined.
She was very curious whether the beast people really looked like what was recorded in the "Species Records of the Lingyi Continent": "Beast form as large as mountains, their roars cause the heaven and earth to change color, fierce and brutal."
Except when needing to achieve a goal, elves were usually very shy and introverted, a rather slow-to-warm-up race.
Alice only dared to hide and observe secretly.
Just as she was wondering why the red pandas didn't seem fierce, she saw her observation subject, Xiuneng, wave at her.
Alice: !
After repeatedly confirming that he was indeed calling her, the elf lady carefully flew out from behind the tulips, her violet eyes full of nervousness and curiosity.
What does the red panda want me for?
Will I be caught and eaten?
Or will I be caught and played with like a little butterfly?
She still remembered her elven teacher's serious warning during class: "When encountering beast people, be sure to beware of their sharp claws and teeth, which can tear our wings to shreds!"
Alice fluttered her wings and flew to Xiuneng's table. Just as she was feeling anxious, she suddenly felt a weight on her head - a small triangular paper hat had been placed there.
Xiuneng looked at the elf lady's previously empty head, now adorned with a pink hat, with satisfaction: "It really suits you. Here's a little hat for you, Miss Elf."
His voice was kind and gentle, as if soothing her vigilant and uneasy heart.
The little hat was folded by Xiuneng using small pieces of paper on the table.
These small pieces of paper were placed on the table by Yun Manman. Beast people could write anything on them, suggestions for the dessert shop or their own wishes, then fold them into paper cranes or stars and put them in a basket.
Yun Manman would check the messages inside regularly, and if the wishes weren't excessive, like "want to eat mango-flavored cake" and such, she would fulfill them.
The little cat ceremoniously called this activity "Sweet Wishes."
Although they were small expectations and wishes, when suddenly realized one day, the joy and satisfaction in one's heart would explode like fireworks, instantly filling the heart with brilliance and beauty.
The dessert shop existed for these small moments of joy.
Alice looked at Xiuneng a bit dazedly, then felt her head lighten as another complaining voice came from beside her ear.
"Your hat is too ugly."
Molly broke off a jasmine flower she had bought on the way, removed the simple paper hat from the elf's head, and tucked the fresh jasmine flower behind her ear.
Warm, rough fingers lightly brushed the elf's cheek: "Flowers suit young girls best."
Xiuneng chuckled: "They both look good..."
Molly asked with a smile: "Do you like it?"
The pure white jasmine flower made Alice look even more delicate and beautiful. She raised her pink cheeks and nodded vigorously: "Mm-hmm!"
On the way back to Gaofu Town Medical Center that evening, the rain had stopped, and everything around was damp.
Hearing Alice's excited recounting, Yun Manman couldn't help but smile too.
She had never seen the elf lady so excited before; she was always dignified and elegant.
Now the light on her wings was especially bright, like a guiding lamp in the moonless night.
"Is that so? I really like Xiuneng's Grandpa and Molly's Grandma too, they're so gentle."
Alice nodded: "It seems the content in textbooks still differs from reality. Indeed, practice is the source of true knowledge."
"The books also say that beast people are all like huge mountains, and fierce and difficult to get along with. So far, only General Lu Qi seems to fit that description..."
Yun Manman: "Are your textbooks published by Lanqi Country?"
Alice affirmed: "Of course, our textbooks are definitely compiled by elves."
Yun Manman: As expected.
Compared to your small elf frames, aren't beast people's beast forms just like huge mountains!
Suddenly, Yun Manman stopped in her tracks, her light orange ears on top of her head twitching.
Alice asked in confusion: "What's wrong?"
Yun Manman tilted her head to listen to the surrounding sounds: "Alice, do you hear the sound of many wings flapping..."