Chapter Forty-Nine

The car smoothly entered the Parisian night. Mo Wansheng leaned back in her seat, a smile still lingering on her face.

"It seems Mrs. Huo is having a lot of fun."

"Yes! I'm quite happy! Where are you planning to take me now, Mr. Huo?"

"Of course, it's tutoring."

Mo Wansheng looked puzzled and pouted.

What kind of tutoring are you referring to?

"The first lesson: make a dessert with Mrs. Huo that is just for us."

Mo Wansheng chuckled, "Mr. Huo, do you want me to be your pastry chef?"

"That won't do, you'll have to pay tuition."

"Tuition fees?" Huo Yuzheng chuckled. "I've completely handed myself over to Mrs. Huo, why would I need to pay tuition fees?"

Mo Wansheng turned her face away to look out the window, but the corners of her mouth curled up. "I don't teach stupid students. That depends on Mr. Huo's attitude towards learning."

Twenty minutes later, the car finally stopped at a quiet and elegant private baking studio.

Huo Yuzheng led her inside, but the place was empty.

The only thing on the worktable was a dazzling array of ingredients.

Mo Wansheng looked around in surprise, "Here?"

"I rented it temporarily."

Mr. Huo took off his suit jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeves. "Teacher, may we begin?"

He called her "teacher" softly and slowly, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe.

Mo Wansheng's heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to remain calm and tied on her apron.

"Mr. Huo is very well prepared to be a good student."

She tried to suppress the upturned corners of her mouth as she glanced at the ingredients. "The tools are quite good, but I wonder how talented the students are."

Huo Yuzheng had already walked to the control panel and was looking at her.

His deep eyes looked exceptionally focused under the light; at this moment, there was only one thing left in his world: to be a good student to her.

"Whether someone has talent or not still needs to be personally examined by the teacher."

He extended his hand to her, palm up, "Teacher, please give me your guidance."

Mo Wansheng placed her hand in his palm, her slightly cool fingertips enveloped by Huo Yuzheng's warm hand.

With a gentle pull, he led her to the control panel.

His chest was almost pressed against her back, encircling her between him and the kitchen counter in a near-hug position.

Huo Yuzheng's voice was right behind her ear, his deep voice sending a slight shiver down her spine, "Teacher, what are we doing today?"

Mo Wansheng cleared her throat, trying to concentrate.

"Since Mr. Huo is making such a grand gesture, how about we do something a bit more challenging? A soufflé cheesecake, how about that?"

"Listen to the teacher."

Huo Yuzheng's arm went around Mo Wansheng's side and rested on the table, completely enveloping her in his aura.

"Teacher, what's the first step?"

The air became hot and dry.

Mo Wansheng felt her cheeks burning. "First... first deal with the biscuit base."

She pointed to the digestive biscuits next to her, "They need to be crushed."

Huo Yuzheng picked up the rolling pin as instructed, but did not leave her side.

He began to crush the cookies, his movements elegant and skillful.

During their movements, his shirt sleeve would occasionally brush against her arm, creating a subtle friction.

The digestive biscuits were crushed into something like sand.

“That’s enough,” she said, her voice slightly hoarse, as she continued to instruct him to mix the cookie crumbs with the melted butter.

"Place it at the bottom of the mold and press it down."

He did as instructed, his slender fingers becoming covered in golden cookie crumbs.

His movements were slow and deliberate, without any sign of urgency.

Next, we'll make the cheese mixture.

Separate the eggs, whip the cream cheese, mix in the sugar...

Despite the complicated steps, Huo Yuzheng followed Mo Wansheng's instructions perfectly, completing each step flawlessly.

However, the process of "learning" is far too ambiguous.

The whisk whirred in his hands.

As Mo Wansheng was demonstrating how to whip egg whites to soft peaks, he naturally stood behind her, placed his large hand over hers holding the whisk, and stirred together.

"Is that so, teacher?" His breath brushed against her neck.

Mo Wansheng already had a fondness for his inexplicable baking scent, which, when mixed with the sweet aroma of cream, created a dizzying allure.

Through his thin shirt, she could feel the heartbeat emanating from his chest, overlapping and intertwining with her own suddenly accelerating heartbeat.

The egg white in the porcelain bowl gradually became fluffy, white, and shimmered with a delicate luster.

"That's about it." Mo Wansheng tried to pull her hand back, but he tightened his grip slightly until he finished the last few stirs before letting go.

Next, start mixing the cheese mixture.

Mo Wansheng accidentally got a little bit of cheese paste on her fingertip.

Just as she was about to wipe it off, Huo Yuzheng gently grasped her wrist.

Huo Yuzheng said in a low voice, "Don't waste it."

He then bent down and his warm tongue naturally licked away the bit of white milk paste from her fingertip.

The sensation of that instant.

Moist and warm.

A subtle, indescribable provocation sent a shiver down Mo Wansheng's spine.

She abruptly pulled her hand back, her cheeks flushed red as if they were burning.

She glared at him, embarrassed and annoyed. "Huo Yuzheng! You're interfering with the teaching!"

Huo Yuzheng chuckled softly, his gaze fixed firmly on her.

“I’m just carefully appreciating the teacher’s ‘guidance’.” He emphasized the word “guidance”.

Because Huo Yuzheng proceeded smoothly at every step, the cheese mixture was quickly poured into the mold with the biscuit base in place, and the air bubbles were released by tapping it.

He put the semi-finished product into the preheated oven and set the temperature and time.

The dessert shop fell silent instantly, with only the faint sound of the oven working and a silent, ambiguous atmosphere remaining.

While waiting, Mo Wansheng walked to the window and looked at the quiet Parisian night view outside, trying to let the night breeze dispel the heat on her face.

Huo Yuzheng poured two glasses of water, walked over to her, and handed her one.

He leaned against the window, looking at her sideways, and said, "Thank you for your hard work, teacher."

Mo Wansheng took the water glass and gave a soft hum.

She took a sip of water, trying to regain the initiative. "Mr. Huo's attitude towards learning is quite good, but he's a bit unruly."

Huo Yuzheng took a step forward, trapping her in the narrow space between the window and him.

"The rules were set by the teacher, but what about them?"

"The teacher said tuition fees were due, but the students wanted to pay in their own way."

His gaze was so intense it seemed to melt her.

Mo Wansheng looked up at him and saw her own reflection in his eyes.

Clear.

She had just opened her mouth when she said, "You..."

Huo Yuzheng lowered his head and kissed her lips.

Mo Wansheng almost dropped the water glass in her hand, but he caught it steadily and placed it on the table next to her.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss.

Inside the oven, their cheesecakes were slowly rising, emitting an enticing aroma.

After what seemed like an eternity, he slowly released her.

His forehead pressed against hers, his breathing slightly disordered.

Mo Wansheng leaned against him, listening to his equally rapid heartbeat.

With a "ding," the oven timer went off.

The cake is baked.

Huo Yuzheng didn't go to get it immediately. Instead, he cupped her face and gently stroked her slightly swollen lips with his thumb.

"Teacher, has the tuition been paid in full?"

Mo Wansheng looked at him, her eyes glistening with tears.

She gently pushed him away, walked to the oven, put on oven mitts, and said coquettishly, "You're still far from good enough, Huo. Let's see if your 'homework' is up to standard first."

The oven door was opened, and a rich aroma of cheese immediately wafted out.

The golden-yellow cake was fluffy and perfect, without a single crack.

Huo Yuzheng walked behind her and watched as Mo Wansheng carefully took out the cake.

“It seems,” he hugged her from behind, his chin gently brushing against the top of her head, “that I’ll need to hire a tutor more often.”

Mo Wansheng turned around and glared at him reproachfully.

That look was so soft it had no power whatsoever; it was like an invitation.

As soon as Mo Wansheng placed the scalding hot mold on the counter, Huo Yuzheng tightened his arms around her waist.

She turned to face him. "Tutoring is fine, but Mr. Huo has to pass the assessment first."

Before she finished speaking, she suddenly tiptoed and placed a light kiss on his lips, which lasted only briefly.

There was cunning in his eyes, and also a hint of probing.

"Of course, we have to taste it first to see if the cake made by the students is sweet."

However, this kiss became the trigger.

Huo Yuzheng reached out and gently touched her lips with his fingertip.

He accidentally got a little cake crumb on his fingertip, and then slowly put it into his mouth.

His gaze remained fixed on her, as if he were savoring her, not the cake.

"It's sweet," he said hoarsely, "but not as sweet as here..."

He leaned down, this time targeting her earlobe. His warm lips brushed lightly against her sensitive skin, causing her to tremble slightly.

Mo Wansheng's breath hitched, and the next second, her earlobe was enveloped in a warm, moist sensation.

He took the small earlobe into his mouth and gently rubbed it with the tip of his teeth.

"The teacher has put so much effort into teaching, so the students should at least submit a satisfactory assignment."

Mo Wansheng's legs went weak, and she subconsciously grabbed the front of his shirt.

The chest beneath his fingertips vibrated, and a muffled laugh escaped his lips.

"You can't even stand up straight now?" Huo Yuzheng's lips lingered on her neck. "Where did your courage to flirt with me go?"

Mo Wansheng wanted to refute, but her words turned into a short exclamation.

Huo Yuzheng lifted her up onto the kitchen counter, supporting her by her hips.

Behind him was the mold that hadn't completely cooled down, and in front of him was his tall, imposing body pressing down on him.

Mo Wansheng: "Huo Yuzheng!"

"Teacher, you've called me by the wrong name."

"They should be punished."

The last syllable was swallowed up by the sudden, deep kiss.

"The assessment isn't over yet, and I haven't even tasted your cake." Mo Wansheng struggled to speak during a moment of breath, her fingers running through his thick black hair.

"The teacher graded my newly submitted homework first."

Huo Yuzheng untied the ribbon of her apron with one hand, and the soft fabric draped between the two of them.

"Is the teacher not satisfied?"

Two piping bags rolled out of the apron pocket, and cream spread out on the table in a sweet, white smear.

Huo Yuzheng dabbed a little and applied it to her slightly swollen lower lip.

His fingertips repeatedly rubbed that soft petal, with just the right amount of pressure.

The cream melted at body temperature and seeped into the lip lines.

A sweet fragrance lingered around her nose, making it hard to distinguish whether it was the sweetness of cream or the scent of her skin itself.

"No..." she began, but his thumb slipped in slightly, pressing against the tip of her tongue.

Huo Yuzheng stared intently at those two bright red, luscious lips. "This is sweeter than cake."