Chapter 97 - Lots And Lots Of Flour

It had been days of peace in the Qing's family, but in Feng Xuan's head, everything was in chaos. Gretel's was opening. After months of laying it all on the ground, making plans, and making it all come true, she was finally at the end of that line. 

"You're going to do great," Qing Chen told her while she she was getting ready that morning. She pulled out the rollers off her head and let her hair fall down.

"I'm so nervous," she laughed. Qing Chen was wearing his usual suit. For today, he used a pink tie and pocketsquare. "I like your tie." 

He winked at her. "Thank you." His eyes softened. "You look really beautiful."

"Ha-ha!" she said. Qing Chen had zipped her up in a white tight tube and a pink tulle skirt. "I feel so jittery."

"You're just excited."

"What if they hate it?" she asked herself in the mirror.

"Your cake shop looks amazing. How could anybody hate it?"

She pouted as she finished applying lipstick. "We can never really know."

"Oh, I know," he said with a nod.

Once they were in the car, Feng Xuan was just thinking of every possible worst case scenario. Qing Chen was reading the paper beside her and took notice. "You have nothing to be afraid of, my new secretary was already there. People are already waiting for you."

That was good news, but it only sent her to spiraling even more. She hid behind her husband's shoulder. "I'm so scared, Qing Chen. I don't think I'd be able to take it if they wouldn't like it."

"Well," he answered, squeezing on her thigh reassuringly. "You really can't please everybody. It's just a matter of preference."

"I know the celebrities won't say much if they don't like the cakes. I'm more worried about the food bloggers."

"They will love it," he said and pressed a kiss on top of her head. "Hey, I have something for you." He twisted in his seat and took out a small box from his coat pocket. He flipped it open and it showed a thin strand of square diamonds.

Feng Xuan felt like she could suddenly cry. "Oh my God. I don't deserve it. Not yet."

"Yeah, you do," he answered and took it out. "Opening your store is something we should celebrate. It's an accomplishment." He clasped the bracelet on her wrist and let it catch the light the way Feng Xuan did whenever she got diamonds. "You're going to shine brighter than that today."

Feng Xuan gave him a quick kiss and ran her thumb on his lips. "My lipstick smudged."

Qing Chen only smiled. "It's going to be alright."

**

The next hour had been a flurry. Feng Xuan's nervousness seemed to triple when she saw that people were already waiting outside Gretel's. The grand opening was scheduled 2 hours after the mall opened. They hired an emcee that would facilitate the opening remarks and the ribbon cutting ceremony.

When she held those giant scissors, she felt like she was going to burst into tears. But she swallowed it all, smiling at the camera with Qing Chen and her father beside her.

"You've done well, Xuanxuan," her father beamed at him after the pictures. "I'm proud of you."

"Thank you, Father," she said gave him a hug.

"But I think you need to start baking. A lot of people showed up."

Her face scrunched as she was on her first day but she was already encountering a problem. The strategy was that, on the first day, they invited celebrities and food bloggers at certain hours of the day. To let people know that this place was worthy of celebrity taste. Surely, they would flock. However, a lot of people were already lining up in a line that should not exist in the first place. "Yeah," she answered. "I don't think I can turn them away."

"I'll go find my seat inside. I'll see you later."

When her father left, Feng Xuan instructed the emcee that the people lining up could only get things for take out as they were already fully booked until tomorrow. While she was walking to the kitchen, she heard someone call her.

"Sister."

She turned and saw Liu Meilien at one table with two other long-legged beauties. She smiled. "Sister, I'm glad you made it."

"It's quite a place you have."

Feng Xuan felt the ground shifted because of the genuineness of her smile. "Thank you, I hope you enjoy your food. I'll send non-fat drinks here. Would you like that?"

"Oh, yes," the three nodded at her. "Thank you, sister."

"No worries," she smiled back.

Liu Meilien's smile faltered when Feng Xuan left. Yeah, it was a quite a milestone what her step-sister achieved. She had to say, she was kind of really jealous of this life she had built for herself. She was just thinking of her own future plans when she heard the other two girls talking.

"Didn't her husband cheat on her?" asked one.

"Yeah, they were not married long but—"

"Hey!" Liu Meilien said and glared at the two girls. "Those rumors had long been extinguished. Do you really have to bring that up? That woman who claimed to be my brother-in-law's mistress was crazy, she's in a mental institution now. Learn your facts." A server placed their orders on the table. "Take your drinks and get lost."

The other two grumbled under their breaths and left. Liu Meilien huffed out a breath. That was why she hadn't been able to make a lot of friends in the modeling industry. Most of the girls she met were airheads and she just couldn't stand them.

It hadn't been a whole minute before a person occupied the seat. When she raised her head from the drink, her lips immediately quirked up. "Qing Lok!"

"It seems like you're the one who's quite a company," he said, recalling their last conversation back at Feng Xuan's wedding.

Liu Meilien laughed. "Are you ready to suffer?"

Qing Lok adorably scrunched his nose at her and whispered, "I'd be your willing victim for today."

**

On her way to the kitchen, Feng Xuan grabbed Wang Yimin from the table of their family and dragged her to the kitchen. "Please help me, we're going to accomodate take-out orders. Help me bake."

Wang Yimin quickly nodded and finished the cupcake she was eating. They put their hair ups in nets and wore aprons. Feng Xuan's kitchen was full with five people but the orders kept on pouring in. She and her staff only made enough cupcakes for today and tomorrow but even then, it looked like they were going to run out. She was going to have a busy night ahead of her baking at home.

She was preparing a plate when the another came in through the small window. She instantly knew whose voice was that. "What are you doing?" she asked Qing Chen.

"You've made your first mistake today, Feng Xuan. How was it that you're short-handed even though your staff is complete for this day?"

"I didn't expect this much turnout."

Qing Chen smiled at her. "It's really great, to be honest. It meant your plan worked."

She beamed back. "I'm so great, aren't I?"

Qing Chen laughed. "Yeah, you really are." Then he turned away and took the order of the next person in line. 

"He's manning the cashier?" Wang Yimin popped up next to her, sounding as confused as she was. They looked at each other and laughed.

There he was, the CEO of the hotel, playing cashier to this cake shop.

"Ah," Feng Xuan sighed as she took another glance at Qing Chen through the slit, wondering how he knew how to use a cashier. "I think I'm falling in love with him."

Wang Yimin gasped and hugged her as she laughed. "I'm so happy for you, cousin. You realize that in the most unusual situations, right? But these cupcakes need to be in the oven. We're gonna need more flour."

"Yes," Feng Xuan answered. "Lots and lots of flour."