A Star Reborn: The Queen’s Return

Pei Yan immediately understood what she meant. The top floor was a membership-based dessert shop. It was low-key and mysterious. She didn’t know what the shop owner was thinking, but the conditions for issuing membership cards were very strict. If there was no membership card, she would not be let in no matter how much money she had. The ladies in this city were proud to have a membership card for this store, and even Pei Yan hadn’t gotten it. Gu Jinxiu was one of the few people who were qualified to enter the store, and it was expected that those two country bumpkins would not have the card.

“Haha, let’s go.” Pei Yan smiled smugly. She’d let the two girls follow, and when they reached the dessert shop door, they would be stopped and humiliated… That scene was really exciting.

Gu Jinxiu smiled and walked upstairs with Pei Yan.

When Jin Ling’er saw them smiling with ill intentions, she pulled on Xia Yingluo’s sleeve doubtfully. “Yingluo, why do I think they’re planning something bad?”

Xia Yingluo said, “I’m here, what are you afraid of? Just follow me.”

The two kept up.

On the top floor, deep in the beautiful sky garden, was a chic dessert shop. The thick sweet fragrance floated in the air, making people feel refreshed and even improving their mood. At the door stood two waiters in white uniforms and bow ties. After verifying Gu Jinxiu’s membership card, he politely invited her and her peer Pei Yan inside.

After the two entered the door, they did not go far. They stood at the door and smiled at the Xia Yingluo outside the door.

Pei Yan challenged her. “Come in if you have the ability.”

“Humph, it’s just going in, what’s so great about it.” Jin Ling’er was about to walk in.

But she was stopped by the waiter at the door. “Sorry, lady, please show me your membership card.”

Jin Ling’er then realized why Pei Yan smiled so proudly, but she was not afraid and said to the waiter, “We don’t have a membership card, what should we do? We will do it now.”

Wasn’t it just money? Yingluo had a card in her hand and was rich now.

Unexpectedly, the waiter said, “Sorry, this card is open for new members to apply for a limited time. There is no open application channel now. You can leave your contact information and we will contact you when the new member application is opened.”

So troublesome?

Jin Ling’er’s face collapsed.

Pei Yan covered her mouth and smiled. “Country bumpkin.”

Gu Jinxiu also chuckled. Although she was dignified and temperamental, she still had a bit of temper. The scene of Wei Lingnan embracing Xia Yingluo at the engagement banquet last time still lingered in her mind. She also knew with her toes that the card Xia Yingluo had used was her fiancee’s. If she didn’t ruin Xia Yingluo’s reputation today, she wouldn’t be surnamed Gu. She was picking on her today? It was just a trivial thing.

Jin Ling’er was angry and helpless. She turned to look at Xia Yingluo.

Did they have to leave just like this? She was not reconciled!

Xia Yingluo naturally understood the mind of her friend. She also smiled like Gu Jinxiu and Pei Yan and said calmly to the waiter, “I understand the rules, but I also remember there’s one more rule. If anyone gives suggestions for improvements for your desserts, or come up with a new dessert recipe, they can also get the membership card, right?”

The two waiters looked at each other. It was true that there was such a rule in the store, but because a formula was too fussy, no one had tried it in recent years. No one in their branch had used a formula to exchange for a membership card yet.

“There is such a rule,” said one of the waiters.

Gu Jinxiu was surprised. What? Was there such a rule?

How did Xia Yingluo know about something even she didn’t know?

She heard Xia Yingluo laugh lightly. “What a coincidence, I just happen to have a good recipe with me.”

In fact, when she followed Gu Jinxiu to the top floor and saw them walk into this dessert shop, she was elated—wasn’t this shop opened by her dear mother? Her mother, Xia Ling, was so sweet that she believed that sweets were the best food in the world and wanted to share them with others, so she had selected several shops around the world to open dessert shops.

The sweetness here was very high. It was a recipe specially developed by her father to pamper his wife. It was so delicious that she usually had to snatch it from her brothers when she was at home like several little leopards fighting over it.

As for her mother?

Who dared to snatch the one that Father had made for Mother?

With a bit of nostalgia for her family, Xia Yingluo’s smile softened. “I will give you an exclusive recipe.” Among the siblings, her elder brother Li Shaohui wanted to inherit the family business, and the second brother Li Rui was determined to be a puppet. She was the only one who her father passed down his cooking skills to, especially the desserts he made.

The waiter did not know this and said politely to her, “Miss, you are welcomed to exchange your recipe for a card, but we have high requirements on the recipe. You must be mentally prepared.”

After listening, Pei Yan laughed. “Oh, Xia Yingluo, what kind of shop did you think this was? A shop selling fried twisted doughnuts in your village? Who gave you the face to dare to come here to sell your craftsmanship? If you have a recipe that was comparable to this shop’s desserts, do you know how many Michelin restaurants in the world would be eager to hire you? Would you still have to depend on men for a living?”

“Why do you care what I rely on for a living?” Xia Yingluo said mockingly.

Jin Ling’er said to the waiter, “Let Yingluo try it.” In fact, her heart was thumping fiercely. This shop was quite high-end at first glance. Yingluo was just an ordinary girl, how could she possibly have a dessert recipe? But no matter what, she saw how calm Xia Yingluo was and knew she had to stand up for her good friend.

The two waiters looked at each other again, and one of them said to them, “Please follow me.”

The two were led into the back kitchen.

Pei Yan originally wanted to watch the show, but another waiter stopped her and said, “The chef is very serious, please don’t enter at will. Miss, please sit there for a while and have some dessert.”

Pei Yan had to follow Gu Jinxiu in a trance.

The two wanted to see Xia Yingluo embarrass herself, so they specially picked a seat where they could see the door. The music in the store was soft. Before long, their desserts were brought up, and the creamy ice cream in the crystal tray was dotted with chocolate almonds and mango flakes. It was colorful and made people excited to dig in.

The two elegantly picked up the small silver spoons and enjoyed them bit by bit.

Pei Yan was here for the first time and ate the first bite of ice cream. She was deeply shocked by the deliciousness. “It is so delicious, Jinxiu. This dessert is the city’s, no, the best in the world!”

“Right?” Gu Jinxiu smiled, and calmly enjoyed her share. “Wait and see, Xia Yingluo will be kicked out.”