[Location: Pinheiros District, São Paulo]
The unrelenting afternoon sun of São Paulo baked the asphalt outside, but inside "Lu's Sweet Stop," the air was sweet and gentle, like a page out of a fairy tale.
Luciana "Lu" Santos, wearing a floral apron faded from wash and wear, had hair as fluffy as freshly spun cotton candy. She was currently crouching on the floor, offering a warm, fresh Brigadeiro to a little girl who looked like she had just been crying.
"Shhh, don't cry, little princess," Lu's voice was soft and soothing, like she was coaxing a frightened kitten. "This is my magic chocolate ball. Take one bite, and your tears will turn into pearls, okay?"
The little girl broke into a smile through her tears. Lu stood up, watching the mother and daughter leave, her eyes overflowing with genuine warmth. She was known as the "Little Sun" of the street. Though just a common girl selling pastries, she seemed to possess a magic that could heal anything.
As the door chimed shut, leaving her alone, Lu let out a soft sigh. Her adorable, bubbly smile faded slightly, replaced by a look of focused determination. From behind a sack of flour under the counter, she pulled out a tablet covered in cute stickers.
On the screen was a holographic 3D map of São Paulo's traffic grid.
"Oh no, Rafa is lost again," she murmured, her brow furrowing in worry as she watched the little red dot representing the courier spinning in circles. "That silly boy. If he's two minutes late, the system will automatically deduct his pay. He still needs to pay his little sister's tuition..."
This was her secret. To the world, she was Lu, the kind-hearted baker. But in the digital underworld, she was "Queen L." She didn't hack the massive logistics system to control the world, but to act as an invisible guardian angel, quietly clearing the way for the hardworking couriers struggling at the bottom of the food chain.
Her fingers flew across the screen, modifying the duration of a traffic light at the upcoming intersection. "Run, Rafa. The light is green for you now."
Ding!
A special "Priority Order" notification popped up on the app.
[Customer: Mr. Silva]
[Address: Silva Tech Tower, Penthouse, Faria Lima Financial Center]
[Order: 1x Traditional Honey Bread (Pão de Mel), 1x Cheese Bread]
[Note: Less sugar. And... how about packing yourself in the bag too? Just kidding. Keep the scent of the chef.]
Lu read the note and jumped like a bunny whose tail had been stepped on.
"What is this..." Her face flushed red all the way to her ears, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her apron. "Pack myself too? Is this person... is he flirting with me?"
She stared at the name. Silva Tech. That cold, unfeeling AI giant. Rumor had it the boss there was a money-making machine with no emotions.
"A big shot like that is definitely just making fun of me." Lu bit her lower lip. Although her heart was fluttering with a mix of panic and shyness, she obediently picked up a packaging box. She was naturally innocent and had absolutely no resistance to this kind of direct teasing.
She picked up a honey bread, but her mind involuntarily pictured the man who typed those words—maybe a bad boy with a deep voice and intense eyes?
Thump-thump.
Overwhelmed by shyness, her heart rate spiked instantly. The world before her eyes suddenly rippled like water.
[System Triggered: Heartbeat Rewind]
<< REWIND 5 SECONDS <<
Lu blinked. She found herself standing back at the moment she held the box.
"Eh?" She tilted her head in confusion, looking adorable. "I thought... I just put the bread in? Why is it still in my hand?"
She patted her burning cheeks. "Lu, pull yourself together! You can't blush at a customer's joke! It's too embarrassing!"
She took a deep breath and reached for the bread again. But the moment she thought of the phrase "keep the scent," she couldn't help but sniff the vanilla on her wrist, then wanted to bury herself in a hole from shame.
Thump-thump.
<< REWIND 5 SECONDS <<
Outside of her perception of time, in the physical world, her flustered, clumsy state caused her to repeat the "packing" action three times.
Shy. Hands shaking. Stuff one bread. Rewind.
Blushing harder. Stuff another bread. Rewind.
Face red as an apple. Stuff a third bread.
When time finally stabilized, Lu was completely unaware of what she had done. She only felt her face burning and her palms sweating. She carefully sealed the bag and even stuck a hand-drawn "Fighting Ducky" sticker on it.
"Even though you're a bad guy who likes to tease people, work must be hard," she mumbled softly, her tone revealing her innate kindness. "I'll give you a little extra sweet energy."
Just then, the glass door crashed open. Rafa stormed in like a gust of wind, his helmet crooked on his head.
"Boss Lu! Help me! Urgent order from the Big Boss!" Rafa shouted, sweating profusely. "Sister Vivi said if I'm late, she'll flatten my motorcycle tires!"
Lu couldn't help but giggle at his disheveled appearance. She walked over, stood on her tiptoes, and gently straightened Rafa's helmet. Then, she took a bottle of cold passion fruit juice from the fridge and pressed it into his hand.
"Don't rush, Rafa," her voice was pure healing. "Drink some water before you go. Be careful on the road, don't get hurt just to save time. Safety first, okay?"
Rafa was so moved he almost cried. "Lu, you really are an angel! I'm going!"
Watching Rafa's back, Lu clasped her hands together in prayer: "I hope Mr. Silva eats my dessert and feels a little better, so he won't give Rafa a hard time."
[30 Minutes Later - Silva Tech Tower, Penthouse]
Lucas Silva sat in his office, which was as cold and sterile as an operating room. He pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, his brow furrowed tightly.
Known to outsiders as the "Living King of Hell," he was actually just grumpy due to low blood sugar. He looked at the paper bag on his desk, adorned with a childish cartoon sticker, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
"Fighting Ducky?" He read the words on the sticker, his voice flat. "What kind of childish marketing tactic is this?"
He opened the bag.
His movement stopped abruptly.
The bag was stuffed full.
Not one portion.
There were three honey breads. Three cheese breads.
And on every single package, a tiny smiley face had been drawn. Attached was a pink sticky note, the handwriting delicate and cute:
[Mr. Silva, thank you for your hard work! (｡･∀･)ﾉﾞ]
[I thought you might be starving (since you wanted to eat the chef), so I prepared a little extra for you!]
[Please remember to eat on time! — Lu]
Lucas froze.
He had seen countless women try to please him, sending luxury watches, vintage wine, and expensive gifts. But no one had ever foolishly stuffed him with triple the amount of bread because they thought he was "starving," or told him to eat on time.
The rich, warm scent of vanilla hit him, as if that clumsy, gentle girl was standing right in front of him.
Lucas's heart, usually as cold and hard as stone, inexplicably softened.
"Heh," he chuckled low in his throat, his long fingers tracing the sticky note. "Eat the chef? ...That's actually a decent suggestion."
He picked up his phone and dialed the number. Not to complain, but because he suddenly really wanted to see what the woman who dared to act cute in front of the "Living King of Hell" looked like.
[Lu's Sweet Stop - Video Call Incoming]
Lu was feeding a stray cat some canned food when the tablet rang. She jumped, saw it was Mr. Silva, and instantly panicked.
"Oh no, oh no, did I pack it too slowly?"
She took a deep breath, trying to force her most professional (but actually looking like a startled deer) smile, and accepted the call.
The screen lit up.
That devastatingly handsome face appeared. Lucas Silva was resting his chin on his hand, looking at her with an amused expression.
"Miss Luciana?" His voice was magnetically deep.
Lu's face exploded into red instantly. She stammered, "Y-Yes! Mr. Silva! Is the bread not good? Or... or did you not like the 'Fighting Ducky' sticker?"
Looking at the girl on the screen—face flushed red, eyes as clear as spring water, obviously trembling—the smile in Lucas's eyes deepened.
He held up the overflowing bag, his tone carrying a hint of doting affection that even he didn't realize:
"I just wanted to ask... are you trying to feed me to death so you can inherit my company? Dummy."
Lu's eyes widened as she stared at the triple portion of desserts. Her brain went BOOM.
"Eh? Eh eh eh?! Why is there so much?"
She covered her mouth, the 'Heartbeat Alarm' triggered by extreme embarrassment ringing loudly in her head again.
It's over. My five seconds... did I cause trouble again?