Chapter 38: Floss Cake – Who Exactly Is It For?

A moonless, rainy night. The air felt heavy and damp.

Everything around was soaked, making it hard to feel comfortable.

Finally, Liu Hexiao’s fever subsided. He lounged lazily on a reclining chair, engrossed in a book.

Cheng Lingwei knocked gently on the door from outside. “Shizi, the secondary consort has sent something over.”

Without lifting his head, Liu Hexiao replied, “Come in.”

Cheng Lingwei entered with a maidservant from Lingxiu Pavilion.

The maidservant carried a food box, bowing demurely with her eyes lowered. “Greetings, Shizi. The secondary consort heard of your illness and was deeply concerned. She specially prepared some food and hopes for your swift recovery.”

Liu Hexiao’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Thank the secondary consort for me.”

The maid nodded, her movements disciplined. Without raising her gaze, she placed the food box down and quietly exited.

Cheng Lingwei placed the box on the table and asked, “Shizi … should I open it now?”

Liu Hexiao chuckled softly. “You can take it and share it among yourselves.”

Cheng Lingwei hesitated. “But this… doesn’t seem appropriate. After all, it’s from the secondary consort.”

Closing his book, Liu Hexiao replied coolly, “What’s the point of insincere gestures? Shall we light incense and worship it instead?”

Cheng Lingwei: “…”

Liu Hexiao casually grabbed a piece of hawthorn jelly and popped it into his mouth. The sweet and sour flavor revived his spirit somewhat.

Returning to his book, he resumed reading as if nothing had happened.

Cheng Lingwei noticed the book title: On Military Strategies. His feelings grew complicated.

Silently, he picked up the food box and walked out with a heavy heart.

Outside, Cheng Lingyun, standing guard at the door, noticed his brother’s mood and asked, “Brother, what’s wrong?”

Cheng Lingwei shook his head. “Everyone says our Shizi idles away his days… but every night, he reads military texts, draws maps, and works on sand tables. I don’t understand. If he’s so committed to this, why doesn’t he show it to others? Every time the prince returns, he only sees the Shizi’s worst behavior.”

Looking at Cheng Lingyun, he asked, “You’re the clever one—can you tell me why?”

Cheng Lingyun glanced toward the room, where Liu Hexiao’s silhouette was faintly visible against the window, its contours indistinct.

“I think…” Cheng Lingyun replied softly, “perhaps the Shizi is just too disheartened by it all.”

Cheng Lingwei’s eyes widened. “You mean because of the First Young Master’s death?”

Cheng Lingyun murmured, “The First Young Master’s death has always been a rift between the shizi and the prince—a knot that can’t be untied. The more the prince pressures him to do something, the less inclined he is to comply… I think, on one hand, he’s venting his anger. On the other, maybe he doesn’t want to follow the First Young Master’s path.”

Cheng Lingwei’s mouth tightened, his expression growing heavy.

Seeing his brother’s somber look, Cheng Lingyun decided not to delve further. Instead, he glanced at the food box from the secondary consort and remarked, “Still, you’ll notice the Young Master never makes things difficult for people who don’t matter to him. At least we have snacks to enjoy tonight—that’s something to celebrate.”

Cheng Lingwei couldn’t help but laugh. “You and your appetite!”

The two brothers exchanged a smile.

Opening the food box, they found osmanthus cake, pastries, and a small bowl of ginseng black chicken soup.

Cheng Lingwei frowned. “The Shizi can’t handle such supplements in his current state. Ginseng isn’t suitable.”

Cheng Lingyun grinned. “All the more reason for us to enjoy it!”

The secondary consort Lu, was well-practiced in appearances.

When the princess consort was alive, she had been a marginal figure, barely noticed. It was only under pressure from the Lu family that the prince occasionally gave her attention.

Clever and tactful, the secondary consort had maintained a respectful and low-key demeanor while the princess consort lived. After giving birth to the third young master, Liu Heran, her presence grew slightly more significant as the prince visited them more often.

Yet when the princess consort passed away, the prince, devastated, never remarried.

Recognizing the situation, the secondary consort redirected her efforts, focusing on currying favor with the two legitimate sons, Liu Hehao and Liu Hexiao.

In the beginning, her attentiveness to them seemed genuine. The prince, impressed by her diligence and her prominent family background, entrusted her with managing the household affairs.

But over time, as Liu Hehao passed away and Liu Hexiao fell out of favor with the prince, the secondary consort’s care dwindled into mere formalities.

Liu Hexiao had long since stopped caring about her. Too indifferent to confront her, he simply maintained a distant peace—neither interfering nor engaging.

Cheng Lingyun sighed. “The Shizi is surrounded by all kinds of people… How many of them truly care for him?”

Cheng Lingwei chuckled. “Don’t we?”

Cheng Lingyun paused before breaking into a smile. “True enough.”

*****

Shengjing Dessert Shop

On a small kitchen table, two oil lamps flickered as a breeze caused the flames to sway momentarily.

Yihuan lifted the lamp cover and used a wick trimmer to adjust the flame gently.

How troublesome it is to work at night in ancient times, she thought, longing for the bright, well-lit modern world she had left behind.

Lowering her head slightly, Yihuan continued sketching something on a sheet of white paper.

“Miss, it’s so late—aren’t you going to rest?” Ah-miao, freshly washed and ready for bed, noticed Yihuan still at her desk and approached.

Yihuan smiled. “You go ahead. I still have something on my mind.”

Ah-miao widened her eyes in surprise. “What could it be that even you can’t figure out?”

Since the collapse of the Prime Minister’s residence, Ah-miao had followed Yihuan closely. To her, Yihuan was the wisest person she knew, always coming up with solutions to every problem.

Yihuan chuckled. “I’m not superhuman, you know.”

Curious, Ah-miao glanced at the paper. “Miss, what are you drawing?”

On the sheet, Yihuan had sketched a pyramid model.

“I’m analyzing our customers,” Yihuan explained. She pointed to the base of the pyramid. “At the bottom, we have the common folk—our largest group. This includes laborers, farmers, and others we interact with daily. For them, desserts are a luxury they can’t afford often.”

She paused before continuing. “In the middle, we have customers like Madam Wang and the Street Administration Bureau, Director Wang. They live comfortably and can afford our products when they wish, but they need a reason or occasion to spend.”

Finally, she gestured toward the top. “And then, there are customers like the Liu Shizi. For them, money isn’t a concern…”

Yihuan carefully explained, “They can stir the clouds with one hand and summon rain with the other. These upper-class customers are like a double-edged sword. They’re not the type of customers we can serve properly at this stage.”

Ah-miao tilted her head, partially understanding. “Miss, what about the ladies at Qianjiao Pavilion? They seem wealthier than ordinary folk.”

Yihuan pondered. “While the ladies at Qianjiao Pavilion do have strong spending power, their low social status means they can contribute revenue, but they don’t help us expand into the upper-tier customer circle. In fact, they might even become an obstacle.”

“An obstacle? How?”

Yihuan chuckled. “If you were a noblewoman from a prestigious family, would you want to buy the same treats as a courtesan?”

Ah-miao’s eyes lit up with understanding.

Yihuan nodded. “This is where the concept of a sub-brand comes in…”

“A sub-brand?” Ah-miao repeated, puzzled.

Yihuan paused and smiled. “It’s hard to explain in one go. For now, just know that in business, we need to advance step by step.”

Ah-miao nodded eagerly. Whatever her mistress said was always right.

Yihuan continued, “We’ve basically secured Qianjiao Pavilion. Our next goal is to capture Tianshui Alley.”

“How do we capture Tianshui Alley?” Ah-miao asked curiously.

Yihuan smiled knowingly. “We need to find a key person who can help us push things forward.”

Ah-miao’s curiosity grew. “Who is this person?”

Yihuan grinned. “Naturally, it’s the smartest person in Tianshui Alley.”

*****

The next morning, as dawn broke, Yihuan was already awake.

She planned to find this key figure in Tianshui Alley. It’s often said that meeting someone in person builds goodwill, and bringing some delicious snacks could only help.

Yihuan had spent the night considering her approach. To win over someone important, ordinary snacks wouldn’t do. She needed to create something completely new.

Drawing on her knowledge, Yihuan reasoned that the human brain craves serotonin, dopamine, or adrenaline during times of low mood. Sweet or starchy foods can quickly fulfill this need.

If the target enjoyed the food, it would be the perfect time to discuss business.

After much deliberation, Yihuan decided to make seaweed floss cake. Just the thought of its spongy texture and molten center filled her with excitement!

She cracked several eggs into a bowl, expertly separating the yolks from the whites. The bright yellow yolks gleamed together in the bowl.

Next, she sprinkled in fine sugar.

The sugar fell like snowflakes, dusting the yolks and clinging to their surface.

Picking up a whisk, Yihuan began stirring in circles.

The unified yolks quickly broke apart, and after many strokes, they transformed into a smooth yellow mixture.

She added milk and corn oil, both precious ingredients from Qingmu Zhai. As she stirred, the pale yellow oil floated on the milk, creating delicate ripples before merging into a creamy liquid.

Pouring this liquid into the yolk mixture, Yihuan used the whisk again to combine them. The pale yellow and deep yellow blended seamlessly, the volume gradually increasing as she patiently stirred. When the batter became velvety smooth without large bubbles, she stopped.

Sifting low-gluten flour into the bowl, she let the soft powder fall and cover the batter. This was a crucial step—perfectly integrating all the ingredients was key to achieving the best flavor.

Though her arm grew tired, the scent of corn and milk wafting from the batter spurred her on.

Next came the egg whites, which had been set aside earlier.

She added fine sugar to the egg whites and began whisking vigorously. In modern times, an electric mixer would make quick work of this, but here in the past, she had to rely entirely on manual effort.

Sighing, Yihuan stretched her wrist, set a small hourglass timer, and began again.

After a minute of steady whisking, she had completed 40 strokes, but the egg whites remained stubbornly liquid.

Determined, she switched to a smaller bowl, allowing for faster movement. This time, she completed 60 rapid strokes in a minute.

Still, the foam was nowhere near the consistency of a modern electric whisk’s results. After two rounds, her wrist was aching, and she needed to rest.

Just then, Ah-miao poked her head into the kitchen. “Miss, do you need help?”

Yihuan shook her head. “Whisking egg whites hurts your wrist. Better not try. I’ll rest a bit and go again.”

Alarmed, Ah-miao rushed over. “Miss, is your wrist alright?”

“It’s just a little sore. I’ll be fine after a break,” Yihuan reassured her, silently lamenting how weak her current body was.

Ah-miao frowned. “Why didn’t you let me handle such strenuous tasks?”

With that, she rolled up her sleeves, grabbed the whisk, and started whisking the egg whites herself.

Despite being a girl, Ah-miao was surprisingly strong. Her strokes were fast, steady, and even, quickly whipping the egg whites into frothy peaks.

Yihuan watched in astonishment. “Ah-miao… you’re amazing!”

Blushing slightly, Ah-miao kept whisking, her face red and her forehead glistening with sweat.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Yihuan said, worried about her. “Don’t strain your wrist.”

“I’m fine!” Ah-miao insisted, whisking with renewed determination.

She worked tirelessly until the egg whites formed stiff peaks, holding their shape like fluffy white hooks.

The bowl was filled with snowy foam, indistinguishable from what an electric mixer could produce. Yihuan was stunned.

“Ah-miao… what did you eat growing up?”

Ah-miao paused, thinking. “Sweet potatoes, corn, vegetable roots…”

Her humble childhood in poverty, before being sold into the Prime Minister’s household, meant she rarely ate her fill.

Yihuan felt a pang of sympathy. She patted Ah-miao’s shoulder. “When we make more money, I’ll make sure you eat well every day!”

Ah-miao grinned. “Miss, our meals are already so much better than before. I’m grateful for that.”

Her smile was warm and sincere, radiating contentment.

Yihuan smiled but remained focused. “For now, we’re just getting by. To cover the shop’s expenses and send Yiran to school, we’ll need to work even harder. That’s why these seaweed floss cakes are so important!”

Ah-miao blinked curiously. “Miss, who exactly are the seaweed floss cakes for?”

*****

Translators Note:- seaweed floss cake:-