Otherworldly Companions: Every Handsome Man is Extraordinary

Lin Yi couldn't stay still, so he rode his griffin out for a stroll.

His idea was to go to the Wilman family and give that arrogant Lanny a good talking-to, and ideally, find a pretext to make him leave Hollandpool and never come back.

But Fan Qingyin's words "idiot" that day really made him think.

Hollandpur is full of Xiaoyu's spies; he probably entered the Wilman's house and his whereabouts were reported to Xiaoyu almost immediately. And Xiaoyu's meaning and attitude are already quite clear.

Xiao Yu has only just accepted him, and he hasn't fully possessed her yet. He shouldn't go against the grain and let Lanny live a few more days.

This is really troublesome. We should have nipped that bastard in the bud once and for all.

Frustrated, Shaka turned in mid-air and headed straight for an obscure pastry shop in the neighboring county.

When he was stationed in Teslo, one of his adjutants, who was from the neighboring county, mentioned this little pastry shop to him many times.

"A dessert paradise in the hearts of locals! Those outsiders have no idea that none of the pastries I've eaten over the years can compare to those made by Uncle John from my hometown. Not in the Ocean Empire, not in the Forest Empire!"

"General, you must send your servants to buy some to try when you get back. I swear to the King of the Seven Seas, I will not let you down!"

Shaka was very fast, and Lin Yi arrived at the place in no time. Following the address he had asked for in detail, and after asking a few pedestrians, he quickly found the pastry shop.

The name is very simple: Uncle John's Dessert.

It's a small house facing the street in a small alley, with a tiny window open; you can't even go inside to buy desserts. It looks more like the owner's own house.

Lin Yi glanced at the selection and saw that there weren't many kinds of pastries; two hands together would be enough. He couldn't help but wonder how such a place could possibly have anything delicious. He even considered turning around and leaving.

If Jiang Yu were here, he would definitely tell him a truth: the best food is always the inconspicuous snacks found in hidden corners and back alleys that outsiders can't find. As the saying goes, good wine needs no bush.

Decades of consistent business practices, without relying on sudden popularity, are the essential conditions for the creation of delicious food that has stood the test of time. The owner's genuine skills and Zen-like dedication to craftsmanship are the key factors.

Just as Lin Yi was frantically trying to back out, a middle-aged man with a large belly walked from inside the house to the window carrying a plate of freshly baked bread.

As the rich aroma of bread wafted over, Lin Yi's patience was gradually restored.

"What would you like, sir? Would you like me to introduce you to something?" The uncle, John, the owner of the pastry shop, was somewhat surprised. The young man in front of him was dressed casually, but the ingredients were extremely exquisite, and the gemstones used to decorate the details were gorgeous and expensive. Coupled with his dazzling appearance, he did not look like an ordinary customer appearing at the corner of an alley.

His gaze then fell upon a pure gold griffin perched on the roof of a low building not far away, and he knew in his heart that a very important person had visited his small shop.

“Oh, God of the Seven Seas! My lord, if you don’t mind, please come inside. Whatever you want, I can make it for you right now.” Uncle John was somewhat flustered and hurriedly opened a small, inconspicuous door next to him.

"That would be too much trouble." Lin Yi looked at the other person's honest and simple appearance, feeling it was difficult to refuse such hospitality. Well, since he was already here, he might as well give it a try.

“One of my adjutants highly recommended your pastry shop to me, insisting that I must try it sometime. So here I am,” Lin Yi said, sitting down at the small table by the window and explaining his purpose.

"Oh dear, someone of your high status could have just sent a servant or subordinate. Why did you come in person?" Uncle John saw that the nobleman in front of him was not arrogant at all, but he did not let his guard down. He picked up a small tray and presented Lin Yi with one of the pastries displayed in the window.

"Sir, please try it and see if there's anything that catches your eye."

“I promised my wife I would be home before dinner.” This explains Uncle John’s previous question about why he came in person.

"Ah!" Uncle John immediately understood. "This, and this and this, are all kinds that ladies love. Sir, I have beautiful gift boxes here. Don't worry, my wife can weave very beautiful ribbons and I guarantee she can tie a very pretty bow!"

"By the way, sir, would you like some flowers?"

"..." Why didn't the adjutant mention that Uncle John also had a kind heart?

Lin Yi randomly picked a small, round cake, picked up a small piece with a silver fork, put it in his mouth, and then his eyes widened.

Really delicious.

It looks like a light, cloud-like substance, but it has the rich, creamy texture of ice cream that melts in your mouth. The multi-layered textures stimulate your taste buds.

The adjutant was not exaggerating.

"With such skills, why don't you work for the royal family?" Lin Yi was somewhat puzzled. If it were a job arranged or dispatched by the empire, it would be much more respectable than what he was doing now.

"When I was young, I also accepted the empire's arrangement and became a royal chef. I thought that I could improve my chances of being selected when choosing a partner through my work."

"Unfortunately, although I was selected, my pastries were so popular with the royal family that they interfered and removed me from the list. This prevented me from finding a partner for several years, whether from nobles or commoners!"

"I had already made an agreement with the daughter of a minor nobleman that she would choose me if I was selected, but unfortunately she was reprimanded by a member of the royal family."

"Fortunately, they eventually got tired of it and changed their tastes, but I didn't want to stay there any longer either. It took a lot of effort to find a chance to leave."

"I came to live in this more remote town, and by a twist of fate, I quickly found my partner, who is now my wife."

Uncle John seemed a little shy when he mentioned his wife, and didn't say much more. Instead, he touched his head and said embarrassedly.

"Oh, it's no fun listening to me talk about this, is it? To the adults, my affairs are nothing to mention. Just like how I went through so much trouble to escape from the palace, to the people in the palace, it was just the loss of a pastry chef."

But Lin Yi knew things weren't that simple. Uncle John's brief recounting of the past might seem insignificant, but as a nobleman, he understood how tight and difficult it was to break free from the empire's control.

But these are not things he, as a diner, needs to worry about. He'll just listen to it for fun, and it will be interesting to tell Xiaoyu about it when he gets back.

So he selected several delicious and beautiful pastries and bought a box. Uncle John indeed kept his word and packaged the box exceptionally nicely.

After a warm farewell from Uncle John, Lin Yi mounted the griffin and began his return journey.

I finally made it home before dinner.