Chapter 110: Departure (Please Bookmark)

Many handsome men and beautiful women came to this cake shop, all wanting to meet He Zhixing, the master of artistic cakes, and asking to become his apprentices. In the back room, He Zhixing was teaching Zheng Huizhen how to make a new style of artistic cake when he overheard this, finding it somewhat unbelievable—he hadn’t expected that there would come a day when people would seek him out with such admiration.

Sister Lan was outside receiving them. She said, “Well… I can’t make that decision. I’ll have to ask him first; I don’t know if he’s even willing to take on apprentices.”

Immediately, a very innocent-looking girl pleaded, “Please, sister, help us speak to the master. Tell him we truly want to learn his advanced carving techniques—we hope he’ll agree to see us, even if just for a moment.”

Zheng Huizhen seemed to have overheard as well. Her hand, busy sketching a floral cake design, paused as she glanced at him. He Zhixing tapped her gently on the head and said, “Don’t mind what’s happening outside, focus on your work. Don’t let yourself get distracted.”

Zheng Huizhen resumed her delicate carving. At that moment, Sister Lan entered the room. He Zhixing waved a hand and said, “I’ll step outside and have a look.”

When He Zhixing came out, he saw five or six young men and women waiting. As soon as he appeared, several of them, especially the girls, surrounded him in delight at meeting the prince of cakes they had imagined. One of the girls, overwhelmed with excitement, said, “Master, please accept us! We truly wish to learn your extraordinary carving techniques. Your skills are simply perfect! The kind of cake carving we’ve seen before can’t even compare—yours is a true step forward, a seamless blend of art and life. You’ve shattered the boundaries that traditional artistic cakes could never surpass. Only innovation that embraces the times can endure and be passed on for generations!”

He Zhixing clapped his hands lightly and said, “You’ve spoken beautifully. I’m impressed by your clear understanding of trends and the future. You’re absolutely right. Rest assured, I haven’t said I’m unwilling to teach you. But I do have some conditions—once you’ve heard them, you can decide if you still want to learn from me.”

“Please, Master, tell us,” they replied eagerly.

He Zhixing explained, “I won’t be staying here for long, and I arrange my own schedule. In fact, I might spend most of the year traveling, heading north, south, east, and west. Would you be willing to follow me wherever I go? During your training, when you’ve got the basics down, I may assign your projects on the road—seeking inspiration as we travel. When your creations reach a certain breakthrough or surpass expectations, I’ll consider you graduated. After that, you can continue working with me in one of my affiliated shops, or if you wish, you’re free to strike out on your own and establish your own brand. Are you prepared for this?”

Five of them agreed on the spot, while one young man said he needed some time to consider. Thus, He Zhixing accepted several apprentices. Including Qin Ya, Zheng Huizhen, and Sister Lan, there were eight in total. After half a month, all eight had grasped the basics of cake carving. Among them, Sister Lan was the most talented, followed by Qin Ya and Zheng Huizhen, while the other five also made swift progress, even if not quite at the same level.

During this period, a beautiful reporter from a television station came to interview him. She reported on He Zhixing, the master of the new carving-style cakes who had recently become a hot topic. He Zhixing even appeared on the city channel, with a special segment documenting his innovative cake carving techniques. Thus, the fame of He Zhixing, the artistic cake master, officially soared, signaling to the world that the trumpet of the new cake revolution had been sounded. Led by He Zhixing’s cake shop, a series of groundbreaking creations—such as cakes topped with wild strawberries and forest berries—drew crowds of dessert lovers.

Half a month passed, and the time finally came for He Zhixing to leave. Qin Ya remained behind to help Sister Lan look after the shop, while Zheng Huizhen chose to leave with He Zhixing, determined to learn at his side in hopes of one day surpassing herself and becoming a master of artistic cakes as well. The other five apprentices also expressed their willingness to follow He Zhixing on his journeys across the land, eager to continue learning from him wherever he went.