Backstage at the concert, dressing room
Under the warm yellow makeup lights, Jing Liuli turned her little bag upside down over the vanity. Hairpins, mint throat lozenges, half a pack of dolphin-shaped strawberry cookies spilled out with a clatter, and even the crumpled concert rundown hidden in the inner compartment fluttered onto the floor.
Yet even after emptying her little bag completely, she still could not find the strawberry cream cake she had been longing for.
"How could it be gone?"
Jing Liuli slumped lifelessly into the velvet chair, poking at the empty little bag before her. Even the pale purple ahoge atop her head drooped with her dejection, leaving her whole body drained of color.
Gone. It was really gone. The little cake she had deliberately saved had truly vanished.
Just then, Caroline entered carrying two steaming cups of green tea.
The moment Jing Liuli saw Caroline, she was instantly restored to full health.
She lunged over and wrapped herself around Caroline's arm, tears glimmering in her eyes as she said aggrievedly, "Caroline, my cake is gone! The one I specially asked the dessert shop to make yesterday, with the dolphin chocolate on top!"
Hearing that, Caroline's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, and she instinctively licked the corner of her lips.
Good. No cream had gotten on her when she ate the cake earlier.
After making sure there were no clues, Caroline handed one cup of green tea to Jing Liuli and bent down to help her gather the things scattered across the table.
"Don't panic. Think carefully—who would steal your little cake for no reason?"
"Who?"
Jing Liuli tilted her head, unconsciously winding a strand of pale purple hair around her finger as she muttered softly.
Then her eyes suddenly lit up, and she slapped her thigh as she