Chapter 2

"Sit down and have one—yesterday's was just a quick fix; today's is my real specialty," Karl Jess said, pulling off his flour-stained apron, guiding LenXiao Merrill to the table, and handing her a plate of specially prepared bread. "Try it; if you like it, make it our signature dish—I guarantee it'll sell like hotcakes."

Instead of looking at the bread, Lensoe Merrill fixed his gaze on Karl Jess's face and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Carl Jass was utterly baffled by her smile and reached out to touch his face: "What's the funny business? Is there flour on my face?"

Lenso Merrill shook his head, took out a small mirror from his bag, and handed it to her. In the mirror, Karl Jass's cheeks and forehead were spotless, except for two circles of flour around his eyes—like those of a panda with white eye patches, looking both comical and endearing.

Carl Jess looked at his reflection in the mirror and couldn't help but laugh. He casually wiped himself with the towel around his neck and handed the bread back to her: "Stop laughing—try it!"

Lensoe Merrill picked up a sunflower-shaped loaf of bread and took a gentle bite—her eyes lit up instantly. The bread was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a subtle hint of spiciness mingled with a refreshing sweetness, offering a richly layered texture unlike any she had ever tasted before.

"What ingredients did you use? How can it be both spicy and sweet, yet so delicious?" She looked down at the bread—it was completely clean, with no filling whatsoever, only a faint yellow hue.

"Secret," Karl Jess said, blinking mysteriously as he picked up a square piece of bread and began eating it in large bites. "Once I reveal it, there'll be no more food left—after all, you just need to know it's delicious. By the way, why did you specifically choose sunflowers?"

"Sunflowers face the sun; I love sunlight," said LenXiao·Merrill as he ate slowly, a faint smile playing on his lips. "In the past, I always stayed indoors and rarely basked in the sun." Seeing sunflowers fills me with warmth.

Carl Jies' movements paused briefly; a glimmer of concern flashed across his eyes, but he quickly concealed it and said with a smile, "This is the secret to making bread: different shapes impart distinct flavors and evoke different moods. The moon-shaped loaf is refreshingly cool, the round one is soft and chewy, while the square one offers the best texture.

Lensoe Merrill nodded, growing increasingly convinced that Carl Jass was no ordinary man. Though he appeared carefree, his bread-making skills were so refined as to defy expectations for a young man.

"How about it—do you think I'm qualified to stay? If you don't want me, I'll apply for another job instead. Don't regret that later," Karl Jess said, patting the flour off his apron with a playful air of pride.

Lensoe Merrill couldn't help but smile, extending his left hand: "Welcome to Bread Tree, Master Carl Jess."

Carl Jass paused for a moment, then extended his left hand and took hers. Her hand was soft and warm, while his carried the warmth of freshly baked bread. As their fingertips met, both could not help but pause briefly before exchanging a smile.

As Karl Jess had predicted, the afternoon saw a steady stream of customers—mostly women, some drawn by the charming breads, others captivated by Karl Jess's smile. Standing at the checkout counter and observing the busy Karl Jess, Len Xiao Merrill experienced something entirely new for the first time: running a bakery wasn't as dull as he'd imagined.

In less than two hours, over a hundred loaves of bread were sold out completely. Many female customers returned to purchase more, praising the extraordinary taste and expressing their desire to take them home as an evening snack.ランス Merrill had initially planned to donate any remaining bread to the orphanage; however, it now appears he will have to make another visit next time.

After seeing off the last guest, LenXiao Merrill breathed a sigh of relief and turned to find Karl Jess leaning against the kitchen door, already dressed.

"Thank you for your hard work today—every piece of bread has been sold out, so you don't have anything left to eat. Let me treat you to a meal as a welcome," said Lunsio Merrill with a smile.

"Alright, you decide." Karl Jess agreed readily.

The two visited a nearby Western restaurant, where LenXiao Merrill was enjoying pizza when he couldn't help asking about the bread's secret: "Can't you reveal even a little bit? What exactly goes into it that makes it so special?"

Carl Jess put down his knife and fork, deliberately putting on a stern expression as he said in measured tones, "No, ma'am. May I return to the bakery? "As he spoke, he picked up the towel from the table and gently patted it; the scent of sweat wafted in the air.

Lensoe Merrill frowned at the fumigation and quickly waved his hand, saying, "No problem, no problem—go ahead, don't expose me to this."

Carl Jess stood up with a smile, turned around, and walked out of the Western restaurant. Watching his retreating figure, LenXiao Merrill couldn't help but laugh, thinking to herself that this summer might prove far more interesting than she had imagined.

What she didn't know was that as soon as Karl Jess stepped out of the Western restaurant, his smile vanished instantly. He pulled out his phone and made a call in a low voice: "I've successfully stayed at Bread Tree, LenXiao·Merrill... it's not what I imagined."

Unbeknownst to him, someone had said something on the other end of the line. Karl Jess fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly: "I know—I'll proceed as planned; nothing unexpected will happen."

After hanging up the phone, Carl Jess looked up toward the Bread Tree, his eyes filled with struggle. He had never come here to apply for a job as a baker; he had come with a secret purpose. Yet during that day spent with LenXiao Merrill, his resolve began to waver.