It's just a toy, why would you care if it breaks?

[Thanks for the generous donations, here's an extra chapter!]

The following morning, the ovens at the "Senmu" bakery hummed, filling the air with the aroma of butter and wheat flour.

Nan Yan stood in front of the workbench, stirring the batter with a spatula in her hand, but her eyes were somewhat unfocused, clearly distracted.

The scenes from last night kept replaying in my mind: the softness of the cat ears, the crisp sound of the bells, and Wei Xun's gentle yet passionate tone.

The gentleman liked that kind of attire, and he liked his obedient and compliant manner.

But what exactly is this feeling of liking?

Nan Yan's fingertips slowed down.

At the beginning, Wei Xun clearly told him not to treat him like a plaything.

But later, Wei Xun himself treated him like a toy. He couldn't understand Wei Xun's intentions.

He was in love with Wei Xun.

Wei Xun gave him warmth he had never experienced before, and even took him out to eat and shop.

When he was intimate with Wei Xun, it was all voluntary, and he was moved by Wei Xun's words "the only one".

But gradually, he became dissatisfied.

He began to yearn for Wei Xun to love him equally, not as a pet or a toy, but as a truly important person.

He knew he shouldn't ask for too much; being able to stay by Wei Xun's side was already an immense stroke of luck.

But the thoughts in my mind grew wildly like weeds, and I couldn't stop wanting more.

Nan Yan's fingers tightened slightly, and the scraper made a soft sound as it scraped against the bowl.

He lacks a sense of security, is sensitive and fragile, and can only swallow all his grievances and anxieties.

He dared not ask Wei Xun, fearing that the answer he would receive would disappoint him.

"Nan Yan? What are you daydreaming about?" Zhang Qiang took the bowl of batter from his hand and pointed to the odds and ends on the counter, saying, "Tidy these things up and throw them away."

Nan Yan snapped out of her daze and looked at the remaining ingredients: an empty butter box that hadn't been scraped clean, a jar with honey residue at the bottom, some broken almonds, and some black sesame seeds scattered on the table.

He hesitated for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Brother Zhang, can I use these ingredients to make cookies?"

Zhang Qiang laughed: "Of course you can, since you're going to throw it away anyway, so feel free to do whatever you want with it."

Nan Yan thanked them and moved the raw materials to her work area.

He wanted to put his feelings into the cookies—a little bitter, but full of sweetness.

He first put the butter in a bowl, without using powdered sugar, only adding a little bit of fine salt and half a spoonful of honey, and slowly mixed it with a spatula.

After mixing, he sifted in the low-gluten flour, then added crushed almond pieces and roasted black sesame seeds, and gently kneaded it into a smooth dough.

After the dough was refrigerated for twenty minutes, it was shaped into cookies.

He placed the cookie dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and put it into a preheated oven at 170 degrees Celsius for twelve minutes.

The freshly baked cookies have a rich aroma of wheat and butter, as well as the nutty scent of almonds and black sesame seeds, which fills the kitchen.

After Nan Yan waited for it to cool completely, she picked up a piece and handed it to Zhang Qiang: "Brother Zhang, have a taste."

Zhang Qiang took the biscuit, squeezed it, and felt that it was very crispy.

He took a bite, and his eyes lit up instantly.

"Wow, Nan Yan, these cookies are amazing!" Zhang Qiang exclaimed in surprise. "They're so delicious!"

He turned to Li Zhuang, who was kneading dough on the other side, and shouted, "Come and try these, they're absolutely the best cookies ever!"

Li Zhuang put down his work, walked over, picked up a cookie, tasted it, and asked incredulously, "Did you make this?"

Nan Yan nodded, a little embarrassed: "Yes, it was made with leftover materials."

"Amazing." Li Zhuang gave a thumbs up. "I've been baking for ten years and I've never thought of combining honey and salt. This flavor is so unique, the more you eat, the more you want to eat."

As Li Zhuang spoke, he picked up a few biscuits, walked to the front hall, and handed them to Su He and Yao Fu, who were at the cashier: "Try these, they're made by Nan Yan, they taste amazing."

Su He and Yao Fu took the cookies, tasted them, and couldn't help but praise them.

At this moment, the store manager, Wang Caidan, walked in and saw everyone discussing the cookies. Curious, she also ate one.

She has worked in the baking industry for many years and has a very keen palate, able to tell that the ingredients and processes used in the cookies are of high quality.

The amount of honey was just right, the saltiness enhanced the flavor, and the addition of almonds and black sesame seeds added more layers of texture, resulting in a well-balanced overall taste.

"Not bad, the taste is amazing." Wang Caidan looked at Nan Yan with admiration in her eyes: "Nan Yan, make another batch, and I'll take you to see General Manager Xu."

Nan Yan asked, somewhat puzzled, "Sister Dan, who is this Mr. Xu...?"

"You'll see when we get there. You go ahead and do yours," Wang Caidan said with a smile.

Nan Yan obediently prepared the ingredients again and made another batch of cookies following the previous steps.

This time he was more careful, trying to keep the size and thickness of the cookies consistent.

After the cookies cooled, Wang Caidan packed them into an elegant white box, then left the bakery with Nanyan and drove towards the city center.

The car stopped in front of an office building. Wang Caidan led Nan Yan into the building and took the elevator to the fifteenth floor.

As soon as you step out of the elevator, the "Senmu Bakery" logo comes into view.

Nan Yan then realized that this was the headquarters of the "Senmu Bakery" chain store.

Wang Caidan led Nan Yan into a spacious office, where a middle-aged man sat, dressed in a casual suit, with a gentle demeanor.

Nan Yan recognized him at a glance as Mr. Xu Lin, who lived in room 503 of Huayao Mansion.

"Mr. Xu, this is Nan Yan." Wang Caidan placed the cookies on Xu Lin's desk. "He made these cookies; they have a very unique flavor. I brought them here for you to try."

Xu Lin looked up, saw Nan Yan, and smiled: "So it's you, little neighbor."

Nan Yan was somewhat surprised, not expecting that President Xu would still remember him.

Xu Lin picked up a cookie, took a bite, and showed an expression of appreciation on his face.

He then handed the cookies to several employees nearby: "You should all try some."

The employees took the cookies, tasted them, and praised them highly.

"This flavor is so unique; it's more distinctive than any of our existing products."

"It's not too sweet or greasy, and it has a slightly bitter taste, which is very pleasant and suits the tastes of young people today."

Xu Lin nodded in satisfaction and looked at Nan Yan, saying, "Nan Yan, you have a lot of talent. These cookies taste great; we can make them a bestseller."

Upon hearing this, Nan Yan was both surprised and delighted, her cheeks flushing slightly: "Thank you, Mr. Xu."

"I plan to promote this cookie with a new strategy," Xu Lin said. "Starting tomorrow, we will exclusively sell this cookie at the Huayao store, while also giving away samples at our other stores. We will tell customers that this cookie is only available at the Huayao store."

This strategy is ingenious, as it can attract customers with sample packs and increase foot traffic at the Huayao store through "exclusive sales".

Nan Yan listened attentively, filled with admiration for Xu Lin.

"By the way, these cookies don't have a name yet." Xu Lin looked at Nan Yan: "Since you made them, you should name them."

Nan Yan lowered her head and began to think seriously.

He finished reading "The Little Prince" yesterday. He remembered the little fox in the book saying that when he saw the wheat field, he would think of the little prince's golden hair, because they had formed a bond.

Nan Yan raised her head, her eyes clear: "Mr. Xu, is the name 'Wheat Ear Bond' acceptable?"

"Wheat Bonds?" Xu Lin repeated, savoring the name, and nodded. "A good name, very poetic, and it fits the wheat theme of the cookies. Let's call it that."

Nan Yan felt very happy to receive recognition.

This is the first time he has been genuinely recognized by so many people, and it's because of his own abilities.

This feeling was completely different from when he was favored by Wei Xun; it made him feel very grounded and accomplished.

Wang Caidan was also very happy and patted Nan Yan on the shoulder: "Nan Yan, work hard, you have a bright future ahead of you."