Gourmet: Twins' Father and Chef of the Kindergarten-Chapter 160 - 153: "Where Are My Peony Pastries? Where Did All My Peony Pastries Go?

Chapter 160: Chapter 153: "Where Are My Peony Pastries? Where Did All My Peony Pastries Go?

Building 16, 16th Floor, Haoting Garden District.

Yoga room.

As soon as Yang Yuxi returned home, she casually tied her long hair into a ponytail, looking both energetic and refreshing.

She changed out of her dress and put on a set of tight-fitting sports gear.

The snug sports tank top was cut just right, fitting closely to her form, perfectly outlining her graceful curves and highlighting her firm and full bust and slender, strong waist.

Although her figure might not compare to that of a cold and beautiful woman with a remarkable 36D asset, compared to ordinary people, her figure was definitely noteworthy.

Absolutely impressive!

She wore a pair of fitted yoga pants, perfectly outlining the elegant lines of her legs.

Once ready, Yang Yuxi took a deep breath and began performing burpees.

Exactly.

She was going to use the most calorie-burning burpees to work off the food she had consumed at noon today to maintain her good figure.

In short, since she couldn’t control her mouth, she had to move her legs.

Just then.

The elevator outside the apartment made a "ding" sound, slowly opening its doors to reveal two familiar figures — Yang Yuxi’s parents, Yang Deyi and Shu Meiling.

They happened to be passing through and decided to stop by.

Yang Deyi had a helpless smile on his face as he said, "Today isn’t a holiday, how could Xiaoxi be at home..."

Shu Meiling smiled and reminded him, "You forgot, today is Teacher’s Day, the kindergarten usually has a half-day off every year!"

Yang Deyi slapped his forehead, suddenly remembering, "Oh dear, how did I forget about this..."

Shu Meiling shook her head with a smile, "Your mind is only on making money, you wouldn’t remember such trivial things..."

The two chatted as they walked to Yang Yuxi’s door.

Shu Meiling skillfully entered the password on the smart lock, and the door opened in response.

As soon as they entered the house, they vaguely heard gentle bouncing sounds and soft panting coming from the yoga room.

Shu Meiling cast a triumphant glance at Yang Deyi, as if to say, "See, I was right, our daughter is home," and while changing shoes by the shoe cabinet, she called out loudly into the house, "Xiaoxi, you’re home..."

This call reached the ears of Yang Yuxi, who was engrossed in her workout in the yoga room, making her feel a bit surprised.

Hmm?

Is Mom here?

With that thought, she immediately stopped what she was doing, quickly took a towel to wipe the sweat off her forehead, caught her breath, and walked out of the yoga room.

Upon seeing her parents, her face instantly beamed with a mix of surprise and delight, "Dad, Mom, what brings you here? Why didn’t you tell me in advance?"

Saying this, she quickly stepped forward, opened her arms, and gave her mother Shu Meiling a tight hug.

So affectionate!

As for Yang Deyi, he didn’t get such treatment.

Watching the affectionate interaction between his daughter and wife, although he felt a little left out, he had a doting smile on his face, jokingly saying, "Why tell you in advance? Could you prepare a full Manchu-Han feast to welcome us?"

Hearing this, Yang Yuxi playfully blinked her eyes, "Want a full Manchu-Han feast? No problem! As long as you don’t mind my cooking skills, Dad, I can go shop for groceries and make you a full feast right now."

"Forget it, forget it, I don’t have the courage to praise your cooking skills." Yang Deyi waved his hands repeatedly.

He wanted to live a few more years!

Cute!

Trying to prank me!

Yang Yuxi laughed triumphantly, revealing a row of white, neat teeth, looking especially playful and adorable.

Watching the usual banter between the father and daughter, Shu Meiling felt a warmth in her heart. She then gently pulled her daughter’s hand and asked with concern, "Xiaoxi, how long have you been exercising? Are you tired?"

Yang Yuxi turned her head towards her mother, smiling as she replied, "Mom, I’m not tired, I still have a few more sets to finish. Why don’t you two sit for a bit while I finish up, feel free to make yourselves at home..."

"Alright, you go ahead..."

Shu Meiling nodded with understanding, not forgetting to remind her, "But exercise in moderation, don’t overstrain yourself..."

"Got it..."

Yang Yuxi peeked her head out from the yoga room door, playfully made an OK gesture.

Shu Meiling watched as Yang Yuxi returned to the yoga room, then turned to look at Yang Deyi, who had plopped down on the sofa, and asked, "Honey, would you like some coffee?"

Yang Deyi grinned at her, "If you make it, I’ll drink it. If you don’t, I won’t..."

Silly guy!

Shu Meiling couldn’t help but laugh.

She turned and headed to the kitchen, planning to brew a pot of aromatic coffee.

As she was about to take out the coffee beans and start the coffee machine, a faint aroma drifted into her nostrils.

"Hmm?"

Shu Meiling slightly furrowed her brows, curiously taking a deep breath, trying to identify this unexpected aroma.

This scent... seemed to have a sweetness reminiscent of desserts.

"Ah, this child, so worrisome." She muttered softly, her face involuntarily breaking into an indulgent yet helpless smile, "How many times have I said that desserts are the easiest way to gain weight, how come she just can’t control herself? Isn’t all that exercise wasted?!"

Despite this, her curiosity was fully piqued by the scent.

She sniffed again, more intently. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Then confirmed without a doubt that the aroma was coming from a black plastic bag on the stove.

She reached out her hand and opened the black plastic bag.

An exquisite gift box immediately caught her eyes.

"Where did these desserts come from?" she mused curiously, carefully opening the box.

Then...

An even more intense, sweet aroma wafted from the box, directly hitting her nose, causing her throat to involuntarily swallow.

She looked down...

The box was neatly arranged with ten peony pastries.

Each one was crafted with exquisite care, every petal lifelike, as if blooming into a full peony flower.

"Wow... this peony’s design is so lifelike... it’s so beautiful..."

Shu Meiling was immediately captivated by the peony pastry’s design. While admiring its delicacy, she muttered to herself, guessing its origin.

With years of shopping experience, she quickly determined that this peony pastry was not made by any of the well-known old shops in the city.

Although the peony pastries from those shops were well received, none could compare to the ones in the box in terms of appearance and aroma.

She held the box, inadvertently swallowing.

The aroma was so tempting, and the presentation so appealing.

Tasting it...

The taste must be excellent, right?

Given her daughter’s personality, if it wasn’t delicious, she would have shared it with them by now, instead of not mentioning the pastries at all when they arrived.

At noon, Yang Deyi took her to have vegetarian food, which, while healthy, was somewhat bland. So, upon smelling the sweet scent of the peony pastry, she couldn’t resist wanting to try a bite.

"There are ten peony pastries in the box. How could Xiaoxi possibly finish them all by herself? Besides, sweets lose their taste if left too long and spoil easily, which would be a shame..."

"After all, it’s me who paid for this house. What’s wrong with eating a few of my daughter’s sweets? Moreover, she just said that I could have anything..."

Thinking this, she carefully picked up a peony pastry, tore open the outer wrapping, and brought it to her mouth, just about to take a bite when...

Suddenly.

A familiar and strong voice sounded at the kitchen door: "Honey, need any help?"

Ah!

Busted...

Shu Meiling was so startled that she almost bit her tongue.

She quickly turned her head and saw Yang Deyi standing at the kitchen door. She sighed in relief, yet couldn’t help but complain: "Why do you walk without making any sound? Do you know you almost scared me to death by speaking out of nowhere?"

Yang Deyi: "..."

Seeing her still frightened expression, Yang Deyi shook his head helplessly, a doting smile appearing on his lips: "Alright, alright, I’ll be more careful next time..."

Saying so, he walked over, intending to comfort his startled wife’s heart, but upon seeing the peony pastry in her hand, he paused, then immediately brightened up: "Oh, my wife is so considerate, even prepared afternoon tea for me! But where did these pastries come from? I don’t remember you buying them!"

"Who said I prepared it for you!" Shu Meiling shot him a "don’t flatter yourself" look and explained softly: "Of course, I didn’t buy these pastries; Xiaoxi bought them. But it seems she didn’t plan on sharing with us. I just stumbled upon them and was about to taste one when you came in."

"Then I’ll have one too. I’m a bit hungry anyway!"

Yang Deyi also reached for a peony pastry from the gift box.

The couple, with mutual understanding, didn’t mention the high sugar and calorie content of the pastries and each began tasting.

A gentle bite...

The wafer-thin, petal-like pastry crackled softly in their mouths, breaking into a fine powder that released a mesmerizing aroma...

They couldn’t help but close their eyes, savoring it slowly.

The soft, delicate red bean paste melted on their tongues, blending with the pastry for a unique texture experience...

"Wow, this peony pastry is incredible! The crispy crust paired with the soft, sweet filling is a perfect match," he exclaimed.

Shu Meiling, immersed in the delightful texture and taste, felt everything from the sweetness to the texture was absolutely superb.

She nodded in agreement: "It’s truly delicious! Xiaoxi made an excellent choice this time. The peony pastry not only looks exquisite and smells delightful but tastes amazing too! It’s even better and more authentic than those from the old famous shops I’ve bought from before!"

After finishing one.

The couple tacitly glanced at the remaining peony pastries in the box.

Yang Deyi suggested: "There are still so many left, Xiaoxi definitely can’t finish them all by herself. Let’s help her out a bit more, shall we?"

Shu Meiling laughed and nodded: "Sure, let’s have another one!"

"Great!"

With that cheerful agreement, the couple decided to continue enjoying the remaining peony pastries.

Though the peony pastries were fried, they weren’t greasy at all; the more you ate, the more you wanted...

Half an hour passed...

The couple looked at the now empty packaging box in front of them, somewhat stunned.

They had agreed to eat just one more, but accidentally, they finished them all.

What were they going to do now?

If their daughter found out, she would surely have a fit!

She looked to Yang Deyi for help: "Honey, what do we do now?"

Yang Deyi, though a bit panicked inside, maintained a calm exterior: "What else can we do? The best plan now is a strategic retreat..."

"Right, right, let’s go..."

The couple, after a quick discussion, decided to leave the scene first.

"Xiaoxi, we have some things to take care of, so we’ll be off now. You continue with your workout," Yang Deyi called out toward the yoga room as he and Shu Meiling hastily left.

On their way out, they thoughtfully restored the scene, making sure to take the trash bag from the garbage bin with them for a thorough "cover-up."

"Huh?"

Yang Yuxi, hearing the call, walked to the yoga room door, puzzled, and watched her parents’ hurried departure, momentarily confused: "Leaving already?"

The only reply she got was the sound of the closing door with a "bang."

Still, she didn’t think much of it and turned back to the yoga room to continue her exercise.

Half an hour later...

She emerged from the yoga room with a tired body but a bright smile, feeling relieved: "Finally, I can enjoy the peony pastries Huang Jun made for me without any guilt..."

"Peony pastries, here I come!"

She dashed excitedly to the kitchen.

Untied the black bag and opened the gift box.

The next second...

Completely stunned!

"Huh?"

With wide eyes, she looked at the empty gift box, murmuring in disbelief: "Where are my peony pastries? How did all my peony pastries disappear???"