Chapter 7: Refreshments

As soon as it struck five-thirty in the afternoon, An Songyu immediately joined another front desk colleague to be among the first to head to the staff canteen.

Taking advantage of her proximity, Yu Yingying, who had arrived early, kept her eyes fixed on the entrance of the dining hall.

The moment she spotted An Songyu’s figure, she quickly stood up and waved.

An Songyu, already scanning her surroundings upon entering, immediately returned the wave upon seeing her friend.

A nearby colleague, clearly envious, remarked, “Lucky you, your friend must have brought some snacks again, right?”

An Songyu smiled faintly, but didn’t answer directly.

At the Xianquan Hotel, service was paramount. Initially, the culinary department was simply divided into “red kitchen” and “white kitchen.” Over time, Western-style pastries within the white kitchen gained considerable prominence. Yet, amid the rich dim sum culture of the southern province, no matter how robust this new Western pastry trend was, it remained just one among many in the white kitchen.

Yu Yingying and An Songyu had been university classmates and roommates. However, Yu Yingying had come from another province to study here.

During this year’s pre-graduation internship season, Yu Yingying’s family had arranged a hotel internship back in her hometown. Yet, when faced with the choice between assisting in Western pastry at Xianquan Hotel or working as a front desk receptionist at her hometown hotel, she did not hesitate to join her friend here.

After all, it was thanks to An Songyu, who had already joined the hotel and noticed the recruitment, that Yu Yingying had this internship opportunity in the first place.

As a student majoring in hotel management, Yu Yingying knew well that missing this chance would likely mean losing any opportunity to work so closely with Western pastries.

It was something she loved deeply in her heart.

After queuing to get her meal, An Songyu told her colleagues she was stepping away, then quickly sat down opposite her friend.

Yu Yingying was already gripping her chopsticks tightly, eyes fixed greedily on the box of pastries in front of her, unable to look away.

Before An Songyu was fully seated, Yu Yingying eagerly opened the box.

Inside was a full box of savory cream layer cakes.

Three layers of cake slices alternated with snow-white cream, exuding the unique aroma of Western pastries.

A generous sprinkling of fresh fruit and anti-moisture powdered sugar adorned the top.

At a glance, An Songyu felt the delicious memories awaken deep within her.

Yes, even after more than twenty years, seeing this pastry instantly brought back the taste she remembered.

Without waiting for her friend’s prompt, An Songyu picked up her fork and took a large bite.

The exquisite blend of fruit and creamy cake instantly captivated An Songyu.

Only after they had devoured the entire box of savory cream layer cake did they exchange a smile.

“The cake seems especially soft today,” An Songyu said, savoring the flavor while leisurely eating her main meal.

“Yeah, A-Yu, your taste buds have really gotten sharper!” Yu Yingying widened her eyes, barely able to believe it.

An Songyu smiled awkwardly, hesitating slightly.

She had forgotten what she was like twenty years ago, even after returning to her own body.

Fortunately, Yu Yingying’s remark was just casual.

She was more interested in the technical details her friend mentioned.

“A-Yu, today’s cake is chiffon; the previous ones were sponge cake.”

“Chiffon cake is softer, while sponge cake is bouncier.”

“But honestly, I like both a lot!”

“By the way, A-Yu, do you know who made today’s pastries?”

An Songyu was momentarily stunned, instinctively looking at her proudly beaming friend.

Her heart stirred: Could it be... you?

Could her friend’s path as a pastry chef be starting right now?

Thinking this, An Songyu squinted slightly at her friend who nodded firmly.

After completing a three-month internship, An Songyu and Yu Yingying had returned to school to finish their graduation requirements.

However, upon receiving their diplomas, they realized there were no hotel management positions waiting for them at home.

Choosing hotel management as a major offered the hope of entering the hotel’s management ranks after graduation, gradually applying what they had learned.

But for many, like themselves, after twenty years working from the bottom, the best they could hope for was a minor managerial role overseeing hotel operations.

While not unrelated to their studies, it was difficult to fully apply their knowledge.

Hence, many of An Songyu’s classmates later changed careers or used their hotel experience as a springboard to seek other opportunities.

Yu Yingying’s life had been even more remarkable.

After finishing her internship at Xianquan Hotel, she temporarily bid farewell to Western pastries.

Returning home, she could only start from the bottom in hotel management.

For five years, even after marriage and childbirth, her career stagnated.

When handcrafted Western pastries began to gain popularity, she decisively launched her own business.

Though twenty years later, her venture hadn’t been very successful.

Even the traditional pastry skills she had painstakingly learned struggled to shine amid competition from large chain bakeries.

Yet, whether in her own eyes or in An Songyu’s, Yu Yingying was no failure.

An Songyu’s thoughts drifted as Yu Yingying enthusiastically recounted the pastry techniques she had learned that morning, updates about their dorm mates, and news from their school.

In just one lunch break, An Songyu gained a clearer understanding of her old school connections and the dynamics of their workplace relationships.

After finishing their meal and noticing they had some time left, neither was in a hurry to leave.

“Xiao Yu, was the hotel busy today?” Yu Yingying asked, recalling how An Songyu had barely spoken while eating.

“You seemed like you didn’t even want to talk.”

An Songyu instinctively wanted to say no.

But recalling the work she had done that afternoon, she reluctantly nodded.

Though the hotel wasn’t bustling with guests, it was far from lively.

February 2nd in the southern province wasn’t a major festival, but many places still held celebrations.

Despite An Songyu’s future twenty years of work experience, she still needed to quickly familiarize herself with the current job’s details, including the old computer operating systems.

Sometimes, the advanced skills or convenient office methods she was used to from the future made adapting even harder.

Thus, she had almost no free time that half day.

Yu Yingying nodded understandingly.

She worked in the pastry kitchen, where holidays meant even more busyness with the Chinese restaurant, Western restaurant, dim sum hall, bakery, and various entertainment areas all bustling.

Seeing their lunch break come to an end, the two quickly cleared their trays and hurried back to their respective posts.