Yu Tanqi wanted to help clean the osmanthus flowers, but Jiang Shi looked at her slender white fingers and didn't let her help.

"You're the birthday girl today, so how can I let you do anything yourself? Just stay here and talk to me."

Yu Tanqi was also afraid that her clumsiness would affect his pastry making, so she had to stand aside and watch him busy.

To make osmanthus cake, you need a steamer, which needs to be heated with firewood. Yu Tanqi wanted to help add firewood, but Jiang Shiwen stopped him in a gentle voice: "Your fingers are delicate, be careful not to get scratched by the dry firewood."

He didn't let her do anything. She knew it wasn't because he thought she was in the way, but because he was really afraid that she would hurt herself.

But she couldn't bear to just watch him busying himself.

Her eyes fell quietly on him.

The weather in September was already as chilly as autumn. A fire was burning brightly in the kitchen. Jiang Shi rolled up his sleeves, revealing his wrists as white as jade. His slender fingers grabbed the various ingredients needed to make osmanthus cake and put them into a bowl to stir. His movements were neat and familiar. If you didn't know him, you would think he had been doing this to make a living since he was a child.

A thin layer of crystal sweat appeared on the young man's white and plump forehead. He looked at the ingredients in the bowl carefully and attentively, stirring them slowly. At the same time, he did not forget to take care of Yu Tanqi beside him and started talking to her.

"Let's make some osmanthus cakes first. After lunch, we'll go pick osmanthus flowers to make wine. What do you think?"

Yu Tanqi nodded quickly: "Okay."

She looked at the sweat beads sliding down Jiang Shi's cheeks, hesitated for a moment, took out a white handkerchief, and walked forward to wipe it for him.

"You're sweating, let me wipe it for you." she whispered.

"Okay." Jiang Shi curled his lips, bent down and lowered his head to cooperate, allowing her to help him wipe the sweat better.

When they got closer, they could smell each other's unique scent, which was mixed with the rich fragrance of osmanthus and had a unique sweetness.

Yu Tanqi pursed her lips and carefully wiped the sweat from his face.

The method of making osmanthus cake is simple and can be made in about half an hour.

When Jiang Shi was making it, he thought of Yu Tanqi and specially pinched the pastry into a cute rabbit shape and then put it into the steamer.

Considering that Yu Tanqi had a weak spleen and should not eat too much sweets, he only made ten osmanthus cakes, each of which was in the shape of a white and cute rabbit.

After seeing the finished product, Yu Tanqi was reluctant to eat it, "So cute and beautiful." The rabbit is so cute, how can you bear to eat it.

Jiang Shi picked up a piece of osmanthus cake with his slender white fingers and looked at her with a gentle smile, "Try it quickly."

He naturally reached out and raised it to her mouth.

Yu Tanqi hesitated for a moment, but still opened her mouth, took a light bite of his finger, and put the white rabbit's head into her mouth.

"It's delicious, soft, glutinous and fluffy, and it smells delicious." She smiled and praised sincerely.

"Really? Let me try it too." He put the osmanthus cake that she had taken a bite of into his mouth.

Yu Tanqi widened his eyes slightly.

"Well, it is indeed fragrant and very soft." He curved his eyes and looked at her eyes with a gentle smile, but inexplicably made her have other thoughts.

Her face turned red and she lowered her head in panic.

Help, how can he be so good at teasing...

She felt dizzy and the kitchen space was too small, making it difficult for her to breathe.

Jiang Shi smiled gently and didn't dare to tease her anymore, for fear of scaring the little girl, who would then not dare to see him for three days.

"There are nine pieces of osmanthus cake left. I'll pack them up for you. It's almost lunchtime, and it's not advisable to eat too much sweets before a meal."

"good."

The two came out of the kitchen with osmanthus cakes, and Chef Li and Chef Sun, who were waiting outside, quickly said a lot of nice words to compliment them.

"We could smell the sweet-scented osmanthus cake made by the prince even through the door. The fragrance was so sweet and refreshing. I'm sure it must be very soft and delicious."

Today they are again responsible for the meals of the entire Wu'an Marquis Mansion.

It is an honor to be responsible for the meals on the master's birthday. If you do a good job and make the master happy, you will definitely be rewarded.

Cook Li looked at Yu Tanqi eagerly and asked, "Miss, is there anything you would like to eat for lunch today?"

Yu Tanqi said nonchalantly, "Just make some of your specialties."

"Okay."

That being said, Chef Li had already thought of what delicious dishes to prepare.

She had been with the young lady for many years, so she naturally knew her food preferences and what she liked to eat on her birthday every year.

After Yu Tanqi and Jiang Shi left the kitchen, they soon ran into Yu Lan.

The woman was dressed in simple plain clothes, and her eyes were a little dazed. When she saw them, she quickly bowed and greeted them: "Prince, Miss Yu."

Jiang Shi glanced at Yu Lan and frowned slightly.

Yu Lan looked at Yu Tanqi, the corners of her lips curved slightly, revealing a smile: "Today is Miss Yu's birthday, I come to wish you a happy birthday."

She paused, holding a beautifully embroidered sachet in her hands. "This is one I embroidered myself. I put some spices made from Chinese herbs and sandalwood in it. I don't have anything special to show off, but my embroidery is pretty good. I hope you don't mind, young lady."

Yu Tanqi took it and after a careful inspection, she smiled and thanked him: "The sachet is beautifully embroidered. I like it very much. Thank you."

The sachet that Yu Lan gave was different from an ordinary purse. It had two concentric rings connected to a hemispherical incense bowl.

The front is embroidered with a slowly blooming lotus, and the back is engraved with scriptures, representing blessings and piety.

Yu Lan looked at the sachet, her fingers unconsciously clenched. "As long as the young lady likes it, I won't disturb you and the prince. I'll take my leave first."

After she left, Jiang Shi lowered his eyes to look at the sachet in Yu Tanqi's hand and whispered, "Tanqi, can you show me the sachet she gave you?"

Yu Tanqi didn't think much about it and gave him the sachet directly.

After carefully examining it, Jiang Shi casually said, "A sachet made this way is worth at least a hundred taels. She must have spent all her monthly allowance she's saved up over the past few months to give you this birthday gift."

After being reminded by him, Yu Tanqi realized that the material for such an exquisitely crafted golden sachet must be gold. Yu Lan was not rich, and it was estimated that such a sachet would have cost her all her savings.

Yu Tanqi was a little embarrassed: "This is her gift, I can't return it to her."

Jiang Shi said softly, "It's okay. She's in the Marquis' Mansion. We'll just take good care of her in the future. I just hope she won't let you down."

Yu Tanqi felt that Jiang Shi's words had a deeper meaning.

She looked thoughtfully at the sachet in his hand and sniffed it carefully.

It seems to be the scent of spices and sandalwood. Is there something else added to it?

Yu Tanqi blinked, recalled that Yu Lan's look just now was obviously not right, and sighed secretly.

If possible, she really didn't want Yu Lan to be deceived by the unfaithful man again.

Jiang Shi asked, "Although this is a birthday gift from Miss Yu Lan, the sachet is something you keep close to your body. The fragrance can be both beneficial and harmful. Tan Qi, you're not feeling well. Could you please let me take it back and inspect it carefully to make sure it's safe before returning it to you?"