"Oh?" Yuanfeng raised an eyebrow, amused. "But you said to make it flat."
"Flat, not squished!" she huffed, glaring adorably.
He chuckled, his usually cold, work-worn expression softening. "Understood, boss."
As they worked, the kitchen filled with the sweet scent of lotus paste and sugar syrup. Flour dust danced in the air, catching the golden light from the ceiling.
At some point, Yuanfeng found himself laughing more than he had in months.
"Daddy, look!" Huaijin exclaimed, holding up a slightly uneven mooncake mold. "It has a bunny on top!"
"Oh? That's cute," he said. "You chose it because of the Jade Rabbit?"
Her eyes sparkled. "Yes! The rabbit makes mooncakes on the moon, right? So it'll bless ours!"
Yuanfeng smiled faintly. "Then let's make sure they're good enough for the Moon Goddess herself."
"En!" She nodded, determination lighting her face.
By the time the first batch went into the oven, the two were covered in flour from head to toe.
