"Are you that...that Russian princess?"
Sonoko's voice was full of surprise. She blinked and tried hard to remember the name of the sweet girl who had suddenly appeared.
Kosaka Natsumi responded softly, bowing slightly: "Ms. Sonoko, it's been a long time. Just call me Natsumi."
She looked up, her gray eyes, a rare sight in Japan, gleaming gently in the sunlight. Her gaze, however, passed over the garden and landed directly on Yuzuru, her expression filled with barely concealed joy.
Yu Shengnan noticed the intense gaze, raised an eyebrow slightly, somewhat surprised that he would meet her here.
Natsumi Kosaka is a stunningly beautiful mixed-race woman.
Today she was wearing a light beige dress with a thin pearl belt around her waist, which accentuated her slender figure.
Since the incident in Osaka when they were searching for the Egg of Memories, the two had not seen each other for a long time. The reason why Sonoko blurted out "Princess" was because the other party's great-grandmother Maria was the third daughter of Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia, and a genuine member of the royal family.
"Ah! It's Miss Natsumi!" Ran's eyes lit up, and she excitedly grabbed Sonoko's hand. "It's been so long!"
Sonoko slapped her forehead, making a "smack" sound, and exclaimed in sudden realization, "Right, right! It's Natsumi! I saw her in Osaka last time!"
"I didn't expect to meet you here." Xia Mei smiled slightly, but her gaze never left Yu Sheng Nan's face. "Especially Mr. Yu Sheng, I haven't had a chance to properly thank you for helping me get my great-grandmother's ring back last time."
With his hands in his pockets, Yuzuru said with a faint smile, "It's nothing, don't worry about it."
“No, it might be a small favor for Mr. Yuzuru, but it means a lot to me.” Xia Mei shook her head, her tone earnest. “That ring is a keepsake from my great-grandmother. If I lose it, I really…”
The atmosphere was gradually developing in the direction of heartfelt gratitude—
"Ahem!" Fujino Yasuo, who had been left standing there, finally couldn't help but ask, "Um... are we still making the cake?"
"Yes, of course we'll do it!"
Sonoko readily agreed.
Natsumi Kosaka also looked at Yasuo Fujino: "Hello, how about I finish this cake for Mr. Hanyu?"
Fujino Yasuo was taken aback, not expecting things to develop this way.
"Well... of course!" He forced a smile. "However, making cakes requires some skill. Is this young lady sure she wants to try?"
Upon hearing this, Natsumi Kosaka turned her gaze to the half-finished cake in Yasuo Fujino's hand, a professional smile curving her lips: "Ah, is it a chocolate wood cake? Nice idea, but the syrup seems a bit too hot, the bubbles are a little too big."
Fujino Yasuo looked down at his work, his expression instantly changing: "You... how did you know?"
Natsumi Kosaka smiled gently, took out a gold-embossed business card from her handbag and handed it over: "Natsumi Kosaka, I used to teach at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, and I would occasionally participate in some dessert judging."
The business card prominently displayed—
Natsumi Kosaka | Pastry Chef & Dessert Consultant
Le Cordon Bleu Paris | World Pastry Championship Judge
Fujino Yasuo was dumbfounded after taking the business card.
Oh no, he's trying to show off to the big shots.
Originally, I just wanted to find a witness after I killed the old witch at noon and also to suppress the young man who stole my thunder, but who knew that a real shark would jump out of the lake.
Ignoring his reaction, Natsumi Kosaka looked at Nanami Hanyu playfully, "Actually, I came to this store today because I heard their summer limited edition is quite unique, and I wanted to secretly learn from them~"
"I just never expected to meet you here, Mr. Yuzuru."
It was as if fate had ordained it, that she met Yuzuru Hanyu again at this unexpected moment.
Next, unsurprisingly, as a renowned pastry chef in Paris, Natsumi Kosaka gave the so-called "Prince of Cakes" a good lesson. The entire process of carving patterns onto the wooden cake in the second half was so smooth and natural that it resembled an art performance.
The surrounding customers were amazed.
Even someone with poor judgment can see the difference between the two.
"The idea is good, but the basic skills are too poor." Xia Mei pushed the finished product towards Fujino Yasuo, whose face was stiff. Her voice was sweet but every word was piercing. "The worst thing for a pastry chef is to be impatient and impetuous. Didn't your teacher teach you that?"
She had just figured out what the other party was planning.
Since Fujino Yasuo wants to use his expertise to bully Mr. Yuzuru, she doesn't mind launching a devastating attack.
Sonoko excitedly pulled out her phone and started snapping photos: "Miss Natsumi! You're amazing! With this level of skill, your dessert shop would be a huge hit!"
“Actually, I have a small shop in Paris,” Xia Mei smiled sheepishly, “but I came back to Japan this time because…”
Her gaze drifted almost imperceptibly towards Yuzuru Hanyu, but she changed her words at the last minute: "It's to investigate the market."
Meanwhile, he added in his mind: "Let's settle down here while we're at it."
.........
.........
Outdoor seating.
Hanyu Nana and Kosaka Natsumi sat facing each other.
"Here you go! I took a little of everything!" Sonoko rushed over in a flurry, her tray piled high with all sorts of desserts, almost overflowing.
Ran followed cautiously behind, carrying another equally extravagant tray: "Sonoko said... it's a rare half-price offer..."
"That's right! Why not take advantage of a good deal!" Sonoko casually placed the tray on the table, the plastic plate making a crisp sound as it hit the wooden surface.
Xia Mei quickly caught the macaron tower that was about to tip over, and said with a light laugh, "Be careful, it would be a shame to break such a delicate dessert."
“Miss Natsumi is so gentle!” Sonoko stuck her tongue out at Yuzuru. “Unlike someone else, who only knows how to insult me.”
Her gaze suddenly stopped on the coffee cup next to Yuzuru Hanyu: "Wait! Why does your iced Americano have an extra shot of espresso compared to ours? That's not fair!"
Yuzuru picked up his cup and took a small sip. The sound of ice cubes clinking mingled with the bitterness of the coffee as it spread between his teeth: "The clerk probably made a mistake."
"It's definitely because you're handsome, Nan, that you're getting special treatment!" Sonoko stood up angrily. "I'm going to argue with them right now!"
Watching Sonoko rush back into the store, Natsumi couldn't help but chuckle, "Miss Sonoko is really...full of energy."
She recalled how this young lady had casually gifted her the "Egg of Memories," worth 800 million yen, during their last meeting, but now she was haggling over the amount of espresso in a cup of coffee—a contrast that made her chuckle.
“She’s always been like this.” Yuzuru’s lips curled up slightly. “You’ll get used to it.”
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