Chapter 75 - As Long as You Like to (1/2)
Finally, it was the weekend. Gu Nianbin wanted to sleep late, but his little girl was used to getting up early. She tried to sneak out of bed as soon as she woke up, but was pulled back into Gu Nianbin’s embrace for half an hour before finally getting up.
After breakfast, Du Xiaoxian went to the study to practice painting. With Teacher Li’s encouragement, she became more and more interested in painting. Every day after school, she would have an extra painting class by Teacher Li. But of course, her young master gave her the permission only after thinking long and hard about it.
Sitting in front of the painting board, Du Xiaoxian looked at the snow-white paper and felt her heart was filled with serenity. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then opened them, picked up the brush and drew a rising sun in the upper right corner. Looking at the beautiful color, she found the inspiration to continue painting without thinking much about it. With more and more blazing colors filling up the rest blank space, her heart lit up with pleasure. She thought it was extremely beautiful, so she dropped her brush and ran to the living room, trying to ask Gu Nianbin to come and take a look. But she didn’t find him in the living room and heard some noise from the kitchen. Was her young master preparing lunch so early? Du Xiaoxian walked over curiously.
Wow! Wow! Wow! She shouted happily. Her young master was actually baking cookies! Du Xiaoxian hurriedly rushed into the kitchen, washed her hands and offered to help.
Watching her being so excited, Gu Nianbin was a little worried, “Be careful, don’t ruin my work.” Because she loved sweets, President Gu came up with the idea of making desserts himself one day. He bought an automatic oven, many dessert cookbooks and various ingredients. After studying for several days, he finally started his first practice today.
President Gu studied very hard before, so it was not so hard for him. He had clearly remembered every step and proportions of each ingredient. He poured the concocted ingredients into cute cartoon molds and put them in the oven. When it was half baked, he took it out and decorated it with cream and soft chocolate. President Gu was not creative enough to come up with decorations other than a smiley face. Du Xiaoxian came at a perfect time, he simply let her do the decoration.
Du Xiaoxian looked at the neat rows of biscuits in the mold and asked excitedly, “What should I paint?” She had never painted on a biscuit, so she got all worked up.
“Whatever you want!” Gu Nianbin rested his chin on Du Xiaoxian’s shoulder, waiting to see his little girl’s masterpieces.
With white cream in one hand and black chocolate in the other, she drew eyes and mouths on the animal-shaped biscuits and flowers on the square ones. As for the round ones…she tilted her head, thought for a while before drawing a man with a short beard and a little girl with a braid. She drew very carefully and pursed her lips to chuckle after finishing it.
Gu Nianbin recognized them but still asked, “Who are they?”
Du Xiaoxian pointed at the little girl with a braid and said embarrassedly, “This is me.”
“Is this me?” Gu Nianbin pointed at the man.
Du Xiaoxian nodded.
He said, “Why do I have a beard?”
“When we sleep at night, I can feel that you have a little beard on the chin.” Du Xiaoxian showed him where it was, “It was stubby, making me feel itchy.”
Gu Nianbin was used to shave himself in the morning, so he would have some dark stubble at night. Every time he kissed Du Xiaoxian, she would giggle and dodge.
Gu Nianbin smiled. He didn’t expect her to remember it so clearly. He turned his face and rubbed his chin against her face, “Prickly, huh?”
Du Xiaoxian dodged and giggled in an extremely ringing voice, “No, no…” Gu Nianbin had already shaved this morning, so it was not prickly at all. He rubbed his firm chin against her smooth and soft face, feeling the urge to kiss her again.
The biscuits were put into the oven again and baked for another ten minutes. Gu Nianbin opened the oven with thick cotton gloves and a rich smell pervaded the kitchen right away. Du Xiaoxian impatiently picked up a piece of biscuit to taste, but yelped because it was too hot, yet she was still reluctant to throw it away. She tossed the biscuit back and forth between two hands while grimacing in pain.
“Throw it on the plate, little fool.” Gu Nianbin handed over a clean plate.
Du Xiaoxian put it down and rubbed her ears with her hands.
Gu Nianbin picked up a biscuit, took a bite and nodded, “Not bad.”
Du Xiaoxian looked at the remaining half and cried, “Let me try, let me try…”
Gu Nianbin put it into her mouth, “Is it delicious?”
The freshly baked biscuit was crisp, sweet and extremely delicious. Du Xiaoxian’s eyes narrowed in satisfaction as she nodded her head vigorously, “Yes, yes, so delicious.”
Gu Nianbin held the plate in his hand and told her, “Choose whatever you want.”
Du Xiaoxian picked one for each pattern. She was reluctant to eat the biscuit with the drawing of the little girl with a braid and the man with short beard. It was displayed on a snow-white plate.
Gu Nianbin handed the plate to her, “Alright, take it out to eat. I’ll make some more.”
Du Xiaoxian stuffed a small biscuit into her mouth and muttered, “I’ll help you.”