Ch. 72 - Tan Han's First Day in The Bakery Club

I'd been racking my brain for an icebreaker with this aloof genius when I noticed Han wandering off on her own.

It wasn't the browsing that threw me off; it was her target. Not the regular sweets, not the finished display stuff.

That was Tang Yihan's "special treat" left out for Ying Shiqian—a lab experiment gone wrong!

Anything from Tang Yihan's test batch was a flavor bomb waiting to explode. I could already picture Han's face twisting in horror.

"Hm? What's up?" Han shot me a surprised look, pausing mid-reach. "Didn't the manager say I could take any samples freely?"

"Yeah, but that cake... It's Senior Shiqian's experiment. Let's just say it's not exactly tasty..."

"So, it’s worth a try?" Clearly missing my warning, she scooped a tiny dab of frosting with her fork and popped it in.

"Uh... sure, I guess... ha, forget I said anything." I exhaled in relief—she'd only gone for the top layer. Dodged a bullet.

"The frosting's got a nice texture," she said after savoring it, nodding in approval like she'd reviewed it online.

Then, in a blur, she dug in deeper—a full spoonful of cake and filling, gone before I could blink. I'd figured she'd stop there, but nope.

By the time it hit me, it was too late. Han's deadpan expression cracked.

She fought it hard, but the grimace slipped through anyway.

"Whoa—sorry! I thought you'd quit while you were ahead. Spit it out! Don't force it!" I snatched tissues from nearby and thrust them over. "Water? I can grab you some."

"Mm... yeah..."

After the initial shock, she took the tissues on reflex but swallowed anyway. I swear I spotted a glimmer in the corner of her eye.

"Sorry... water, please."

She caved in the end.

"Right away."

I hustled to fill a paper cup and handed it over. The rinse helped, and color crept back into her face.

"Thanks."

"No problem. My bad for not stopping you sooner... really."

This apology was genuine. Han was basically a customer, and here she was, suffering on day one. If the manager found out, would I get docked pay?

"No need to apologize—I didn't expect... Senior Yihan's experiment to be that... unique." Han set down the cup and pulled out a few more tissues to dab at her mouth.

"Sorry again. She’s always tinkering with new recipes, and the last few haven't quite landed. This one's probably what got left after she had Shiqian taste-test it," I rushed to explain, hoping she'd chalk it up to bad luck rather than anything else.

She let out a breath, "Whatever. Yuehan... mind if I call you that?"

"Yeah, of course." I nodded quickly.

"Then you can call me Xiao Tan. That's what most people go with. The manager calling me Han? Still feels off."

"Got it."

I nodded again, whether it was true or not. Better to keep our names straight—nothing worse than both of us turning at the same call.

With our status gap, one slip-up and I'd look like a fool. I had my pride, too.

"Yuehan, could I get a slice of the red velvet? Coming to the Witch School... it all started with that cake. Never got a chance to try it."

"Uh... sure."

I stared, caught off guard that she'd bring it up. I'd been dodging any mention of the academy on purpose—didn't want to poke at how she'd been roped in.

She seemed steady now, like she'd made peace with it. But her words hinted she was even more at ease than I'd guessed.

How had the place smoothed things over? A genius like her should've been all sharp edges and pride.

Even the quiet type shouldn't fold this easily.

Still, red velvet it was—our bestseller. Every delivery senior who swung by grabbed one.

The reason behind it? Heartwarming: that's the only thing we sold online.

For Han's sake, I pulled out a full, uncut cake without a second thought.

A layer of glossy crimson frosting sheathed the deep-red sponge inside. Taste-wise, nothing fancy—but our manager had layered it with real meaning.

"The whole thing?" Han eyed the full cake I'd carried over, her point clear: way too much for one person.

"I'll cut it for you."

As I said it, I grabbed the dedicated cake knife. Slicing these? Pure satisfaction—the blade gliding through without resistance, that perfect give. Too bad we didn't have that many customers, so I didn't get this practice often.

In no time, I slid a plate with a neat portion her way. Then I wiped the knife clean of the vivid red smears, half-feeling like I was scrubbing down a crime scene tool.

"Enjoy."

I handed over a little fork with a smile, then got back to work—like clearing away that disastrous cake from earlier. No clue if Senior Yihan still wanted it. If not, trash bin it went.

Another dark creation on her tab, though up close, it didn't even smell off.

As for the taste? Han could vouch for that. But I wasn't about to ask—too risky. She'd probably deck me.

Once I'd stashed it in the back, I returned to find her red velvet slice abandoned after just a few bites, sitting there on the counter like she'd lost interest.

"Something wrong? Not to your liking?" I picked up the now-sliced cake; no way it was display-worthy anymore. Better to portion it out.

"It's nothing. Just... blander than I pictured."

"Yeah, pretty standard stuff." I nodded along, though even I wouldn't ditch half a cake over that. I wasn't picky.

Guess guys and girls really do think differently. Or maybe Han was watching her figure, cutting back on sweets?

Most girls loved desserts, right? And she didn't strike me as someone who needed to.

Not that this scrap can be compared to the mountains Tang Yihan wasted on her recipe trials anyway.

Translator's note: In China, people sometimes say "Xiao" (which means "little" or "young") before a friend's last name, like "Xiao Li" for someone named Li. It's like calling them "Little Li" to be super friendly and show you like them, especially if they're younger or you're close friends. It makes things feel warm and fun.

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