Chapter 18: “Osmanthus Coconut Layer Cake—Do You Think I’m a Three-Year-Old?”
Under the roof of another, one must bow their head.
Yihuan sighed inwardly, then reluctantly pushed open the door to the bedroom.
As soon as she entered, she froze in shock.
Liu Hexiao was standing beside the bed, his back turned to her, shirtless.
His back was straight and muscular, the kind of figure that exuded natural strength. Around him; hung loose, unraveled bandages, like mist entwining a tall pine tree. It was unclear whether the bandages were being taken off or put on.
The smooth, marble-like skin of his back was streaked with blood-red wounds, stark and shocking to see. Yet, there was also something inexplicably alluring about the sight.
Liu Hexiao turned around impatiently. When he saw it was Yihuan, he paused in surprise.
A flicker of awkwardness passed over his face. “Why is it you?”
Earlier, Bai Li had been helping him re-bandage his wounds, but her overly concerned and sorrowful expression had irritated him. He’d sent her out, preferring solitude.
Yihuan replied with exasperation. “I said it would be me…”
The bandages clung to his wounds, partially due to the medicine on them. He couldn’t pull them off without risking his injuries reopening, leaving him in an awkward and embarrassing state.
Yihuan stood frozen, staring at him. Liu Hexiao glared back. “Can’t you see I’m struggling? Can’t you come and help?”
After a moment of hesitation, Yihuan approached, unsure how to begin unraveling the bandages.
Up close, she noticed how fresh the wounds were. The angry, crimson gashes filled his back, each one new and prominent.
Silently, she began unwinding the bandages with care.
Liu Hexiao glanced over his shoulder. “Aren’t you curious about how I got these injuries?”
Yihuan, in a neutral tone, said, “I am curious.”
He blinked. “Then why don’t you ask?”
Yihuan answered with a calm demeanor. “I was afraid asking might upset Your Highness.”
Liu Hexiao sneered. “It’s your silence that irritates me.”
Resigned, Yihuan asked, “How did Your Highness get injured?”
He raised an eyebrow and smirked. “I won’t tell you.”
Yihuan: “…”
Inwardly, she thought: What an insufferable child!
But, oddly enough, teasing Yihuan seemed to improve Liu Hexiao’s mood. His voice lightened. “What are you planning to make today?”
As she continued unraveling the bandages, Yihuan replied, “I haven’t decided yet. Does Your Highness know what the Old Madam enjoys eating?”
Without a second thought, Liu Hexiao replied, “Grandmother likes soft, sticky pastries that don’t strain the teeth. She also enjoys fried foods, but they tend to cause her to overheat, so she can’t eat much of them.”
Yihuan nodded thoughtfully, mentally noting his words.
Finally, she smoothed out the bandages. “These are dirty now and need to be replaced entirely.”
Liu Hexiao hummed in acknowledgment.
Gently, Yihuan began removing the old bandages. She tugged lightly at parts stuck to his wounds. “Is this pressure okay?”
She looked up at him as she worked, her gaze clear and unassuming, like a tranquil spring.
Liu Hexiao turned his head toward her, and their faces suddenly grew close. The moment felt a little too intimate.
Both froze momentarily, their cheeks faintly tinged with red.
Liu Hexiao coughed lightly. “It’s fine.”
Yihuan bent her head again and resumed her task, carefully peeling away the bandages. When she was done, she pointed to his wounds. “This spot needs a fresh application of medicine.”
At that moment, Cheng Lingwei strode briskly into the room. “Your Highness, Bai Li said—”
His words trailed off when he took in the scene before him.
There stood Yihuan, leaning close to Liu Hexiao’s bare back, her hand lightly… touching him?!
Cheng Lingwei froze in place, unsure whether to advance or retreat.
Yihuan quickly withdrew her hand. “Brother Cheng, you’ve come just in time. His Highness needs someone to help apply medicine.”
Liu Hexiao raised an eyebrow. Brother Cheng?
Cheng Lingwei stammered, “Ah… yes, of course! Your Highness, how are you feeling?”
Liu Hexiao shot him a withering look. “You’re always late when it matters.”
Cheng Lingwei blinked, bewildered. “…”
Yihuan interjected, “Brother Cheng, may I go to the kitchen now to prepare food for the Old Madam? I need to return soon to prepare for tomorrow’s market.”
Cheng Lingwei nodded and was about to escort her to the main kitchen when Liu Hexiao interjected. “The small kitchen here in Shuiyue Courtyard is sufficient. If what you make turns out inedible, it won’t be worth troubling my grandmother.”
Yihuan held her frustration in check, forcing a smile for the sake of the silver she’d earn. “Understood, Your Highness.”
—
The small kitchen attached to Shuiyue Courtyard seemed to be rarely used. Dust covered many of the surfaces.
Yihuan frowned. “Does no one use this kitchen?”
Cheng Lingwei replied quietly, “His Highness is so particular about his food that he has scared off several cooks. No one dares apply for the position anymore.”
Yihuan nodded, silently sympathizing with the difficulty of serving such a master.
She glanced at Cheng Lingwei and couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.
Cheng Lingwei helped bring in her supplies, including the clay jar of sour plum soup. “Do you need any additional ingredients, Miss Yihuan?”
Yihuan shook her head politely. “Thank you, Brother Cheng, but I’ve brought everything I need.”
Then, she got to work.
—
Yihuan began by cleaning the kitchen utensils and arranging the ingredients she had brought from her supply chest. She set out several jars and containers, many of which Cheng Lingwei had never seen before.
Curious, Cheng Lingwei asked, “Miss Yihuan, what are you planning to make?”
Yihuan replied, “Osmanthus Coconut Milk Thousand-Layer Cake.”
Cheng Lingwei paused, then smiled. “That sounds quite impressive.”
Yihuan chuckled lightly. “I just hope the Old Madam will enjoy the flavor.”
As she busied herself, Liu Hexiao, lying idly in the adjacent room, grew bored. Feeling restless, he propped himself up and slowly made his way to the small kitchen.
The small kitchen, located at the rear of Shuiyue Courtyard, wasn’t far from the main quarters. Liu Hexiao wandered over, arriving at the doorway after a short stroll.
At that moment, Yihuan was stirring a pot of simmering coconut milk and sugar with a wooden spoon. The aroma of sweet, creamy coconut began wafting through the kitchen, filling the air.
Liu Hexiao stood at the doorway and sniffed lightly.
It smells… amazing.
Yihuan looked up and caught sight of him leaning lazily against the doorframe. His arms were crossed, and he radiated an air of indolent elegance.
“Your Highness,” she said, raising an eyebrow, “shouldn’t you be resting and recovering?”
Truthfully, she preferred not to share space with him. Liu Hexiao’s unpredictable temperament and sharp wit were unnerving to deal with.
Liu Hexiao smirked. “I came to check whether you’ve poisoned the food.”
Yihuan: “…”
Cheng Lingwei, sensing the brewing tension, quietly excused himself and fetched a chair for Liu Hexiao. The young lord settled himself comfortably in the doorway, basking in the sunlight, while keeping a watchful eye on Yihuan.
Cheng Lingwei found himself watching the scene with mild amusement. He couldn’t recall a time when His Highness had taken such an interest in anyone, let alone a cook. Of course, Yihuan wasn’t just any cook—her beauty made her presence all the more compelling.
This realization left Cheng Lingwei nodding to himself in understanding.
Yihuan, ignoring the exchange, pulled out a small package of gelatin sheets (commonly referred to as “gelatin leaves”) from her supplies. She soaked the sheets in cool water to soften them before stirring them into the warm coconut milk mixture. The gelatin was essential for solidifying the cake layers.
Having completed the coconut milk base, she moved on to the osmanthus layer.
Fresh osmanthus flowers weren’t available, so Yihuan had brought her own jar of preserved osmanthus jam, which she had prepared earlier. The golden-yellow jam shimmered brightly when she opened the jar, immediately releasing a rich, floral fragrance.
Liu Hexiao sniffed the air again, intrigued. “What’s that?”
“Osmanthus jam,” Yihuan replied.
He raised an eyebrow. “Osmanthus jam? It smells… rather good.”
Yihuan smiled faintly. “Does Your Highness enjoy the fragrance of osmanthus? I noticed your courtyard is filled with osmanthus trees.”
Liu Hexiao was momentarily taken aback before responding, “My mother liked osmanthus flowers. The estate had many planted for her.”
Yihuan’s hands paused briefly. She recalled hearing that the princess consort had passed away many years ago. She glanced at Liu Hexiao, but his expression was unreadable, still tinged with that usual air of detachment.
Without commenting further, she returned to her task.
Yihuan added water to a pot and brought it to a gentle boil. She then spooned a portion of the osmanthus jam into the bubbling water, creating a fragrant, golden broth.
The kitchen quickly filled with the delicate aroma of simmering osmanthus flowers.
Once the jam had dissolved into the water, Yihuan stirred in softened gelatin sheets, just as she had done with the coconut milk earlier. This step ensured the osmanthus layer would set properly.
The key to a good Osmanthus Coconut Milk Thousand-Layer Cake lay in patience. Each layer needed to be carefully poured, set, and chilled before the next layer was added.
With the bases prepared, Yihuan retrieved a rectangular mold and began assembling the cake. She poured a thin layer of coconut milk mixture into the mold, about the thickness of a coin.
“Your Highness,” she asked, “is there an ice cellar nearby?”
Liu Hexiao considered this before replying, “The ice cellar would take too long to access. I’ll have someone bring ice to you instead.”
Moments later, Cheng Lingwei returned with several large chunks of ice, which Yihuan arranged inside a wooden box to create a makeshift “ice chamber.” She placed the mold on the ice to help the first layer set.
Liu Hexiao frowned slightly. “What are you doing now? Surely you’re not going to serve me a single layer of jelly?”
Yihuan replied evenly, “No, this is just the first layer. Once it sets, I’ll add the next.”
As the seconds ticked by, Liu Hexiao’s gaze narrowed. “Wait… you’re making me eat this?”
Yihuan’s heart skipped a beat. She knew that if her dish didn’t meet his notoriously high standards, she might lose her new job altogether.
“Yes,” she said with feigned confidence, “if Your Highness dares to try it.”
—
Yihuan alternated between pouring the creamy coconut milk and golden osmanthus layers, carefully chilling each before adding the next. The process was slow but methodical, requiring precision and care.
Eventually, six layers formed within the mold: three layers of pristine white coconut milk, separated by three layers of vibrant golden osmanthus jelly.
Each layer resembled a snapshot of a peaceful countryside—fields of golden flowers blanketed by soft snow.
Liu Hexiao found himself strangely captivated, watching her work without growing bored.
At last, Yihuan declared, “Once this final layer sets, it will be ready to eat.”
Liu Hexiao nodded nonchalantly, though anticipation flickered faintly in his expression.
—
As the cake chilled, Liu Hexiao leaned back in his chair, watching Yihuan. “How do you know how to make all these novel things?”
“Novel?” Yihuan echoed.
“Yes,” he replied. “Coffee, sour plum soup, this… thousand-layer cake. These aren’t things ordinary people would know how to make. Where did you learn them?”
Yihuan hesitated briefly, then said, “It’s a talent.”
She added with a straight face, “I often dream of myself cooking, and when I wake up, I simply replicate what I saw in the dream.”
Liu Hexiao gave her a hard look. “Do you take me for a three-year-old?”
Inwardly, Yihuan thought: Aren’t you just like one?
Outwardly, she offered an ingratiating smile. “It’s the truth, Your Highness. You must believe me!”
Liu Hexiao frowned, appearing deep in thought.
Finally, the cake was ready. Yihuan carefully removed it from the mold, cutting it into neat, bite-sized squares. She plated a piece and set it before Liu Hexiao.
With a bright smile, she asked, “Would Your Highness like to try it?”
****
Translator’s Note:- Osmanthus coconut milk thousand layer cake
https://youtube.com/shorts/HJ4Bf1Ro8IE?si=yzSqETy7Yz5JsS2G
https://youtu.be/RxwznDBPaGc?si=8oz_YDqLdPniGQ-O
Translator’s Note:- Hey guys, as a Christmas Gift I have decided to do mass release (10 chapters) of the novel which gets most votes in the poll posted on my Ko-fi page.
If you want mass release for this novel then vote for this novel in the poll.
This is the link to the poll: https://ko-fi.com/polls/Which-Novel-Mass-Release-do-you-want-V7V217M3GX
