Chapter Forty-Four: Meticulous Preparation

In Yanjing, Qingwu stood before the lady of the house, watching her brows knit together in a deep frown. Anxiety rose in Qingwu’s heart; she knew exactly what weighed on the lady’s mind. The lady had already told the young miss that if her exam results or ranking slipped even a little, she would be summoned back to Yanjing. But now, the young miss’s score had soared by more than ten points—a nearly inconceivable feat in Qingwu’s eyes. Yet, what was even more astonishing was that, despite scoring 723 points, she still failed to retain her first-place standing.

That Zhang Wenhao was truly extraordinary! Rumor had it that, because schools were unsure whether this year’s college entrance exam would be especially difficult or easy, most had been drilling students with extremely tough practice papers. For Zhang Wenhao to achieve a score of 736 was simply unimaginable.

Qingwu’s concern was that the lady might be displeased, or, unwilling to retract her prior words, might insist on bringing the young miss back from Jiangcheng. The young miss had always disliked the stifling environment of the family household. Forcing her to return at such a critical moment could only harm her prospects in the upcoming national exam, though, in the Su family’s eyes, even the college entrance exam was no great matter.

At that moment, the elegant woman finally spoke softly: “Qingwu, go to Jiangcheng on Sunday and bring Ranran back.”

“My lady!” Qingwu blurted out. “Miss has improved by over ten points this time. It’s obvious that after your advice, she’s been working extremely hard. Only, that Zhang Wenhao is truly a prodigy—otherwise, Miss’s ranking wouldn’t have fallen. If she’s brought back now, I’m afraid she won’t be able to accept it.”

“And what would you have me do?” the lady countered. “Should I take back my own words? Besides, she’ll have to come back sooner or later. Even if I don’t call her back now, once the exams are over, she’ll return anyway.” After a pause, she added, “Ranran isn’t one to make excuses or seek justifications for herself. If she didn’t achieve it, then she didn’t achieve it—she knows that well. For all we know, she’s probably already packing her bags.”

Qingwu sighed softly and nodded. “Very well. I’ll fly to Jiangcheng on Sunday.”

A rare warmth flickered across the lady’s face, and she smiled faintly. “Truth be told, I’ve wanted Ranran back by my side for a long time. This is as good an opportunity as any—it may not be the most glorious reason, but what can I do? That child’s temperament is just as stubborn as ever.”

Only then did Qingwu feel a little relieved. She smiled, saying, “You’re the same—you and Ranran both rarely give way to each other openly.”

“A mother and her daughter,” the lady replied with a gentle smile. Rising from her seat, she said, “I’d better go and think about what dishes to cook for her when she comes, and what gift to give her.”

At noon on Saturday, Zhang Wenhao informed his parents that he wouldn’t be home for dinner that night. Then, in a hurry, he left the house—first stopping by the bank to withdraw two thousand yuan to carry with him. After that, he took a taxi straight to the hotel apartment he had already reserved online.

The meeting with Su Ranran was set for seven in the evening, so Zhang Wenhao still had five or six hours to prepare. Once he checked in, he headed to the city’s Walmart to buy all the necessary ingredients and seasonings.

He had already planned the dinner menu: since there would only be two of them, he decided on four dishes. With so many options in the grand culinary tradition of Chinese cuisine, it had taken him a while to choose. In the end, he settled on three meat dishes and one vegetable: poached shrimp, Pingqiao tofu, salted egg yolk crab, and spicy fried chicken cubes. Each dish represented a different regional style, yet none were overly complicated to prepare.

Authentic Pingqiao tofu required the use of carp brains to achieve that delicate, silky flavor, so he bought a few fresh carp—enough to make a delicious fish soup as well.

Though it was just four dishes and a soup, the ingredients filled an entire shopping cart. Even many high-end restaurants would balk at such an elaborate and authentic approach, but Zhang Wenhao was committed to excellence. He meticulously followed the culinary principles he knew by heart, determined to make these simple dishes as perfect as possible.

With the groceries and seasonings ready, he selected a decent bottle of red wine costing over five hundred yuan, then hurried back to the hotel apartment. He immediately began the prep work: cleaning, slicing, and making stocks. Zhang Wenhao’s knife skills were exceptional—three lively carp were cleaned with remarkable precision, and the brains carefully extracted. The rest would be simmered for a rich, flavorful soup.

By six o’clock, all the preparations were complete. Every ingredient was ready, so it would take only a short time to transform them into dishes bursting with color, aroma, and taste.

Because he had chosen a hotel apartment, Zhang Wenhao worried that Su Ranran might feel awkward or uneasy about it. To reassure her, he called in advance.

All afternoon, Su Ranran had felt distracted, not understanding why she was so absent-minded until Zhang Wenhao’s call came. Only then did she realize she’d been waiting for this very moment all day.

Zhang Wenhao, brimming with excitement, said, “Ranran, I’ve started preparing dinner. Let’s meet at seven o’clock, Room 3017, Senger Hotel Apartments.”

“Hotel apartment?” Su Ranran asked, a little surprised. “Why did you choose that place for dinner?”

At the mention of a hotel apartment, she felt a bit puzzled. This would be her first proper date with Zhang Wenhao, yet their relationship was still so innocent; it was just a meal together. But for some reason, he’d booked a hotel apartment in advance—what was he thinking?

Afraid she might misunderstand, Zhang Wenhao quickly explained, “I wanted to cook you dinner myself, but as you know, it’s hard to find a suitable place, so this was the best option.”

“You’ll cook for me?” Her eyes lit up, and any lingering worry vanished at those words. “Really? You’re going to cook?”

“Yes,” Zhang Wenhao replied, laughing. “It’s almost six now—I’ll start cooking, so when you arrive around seven, everything should be just about ready.”

“I’m coming right now!” Su Ranran couldn’t help but laugh. “Wait—don’t start yet! I want to watch you cook from start to finish, otherwise I might be too scared to eat it!”

Zhang Wenhao laughed awkwardly. “Alright, I’ll wait for you before I start.”

Su Ranran had been curious all along about how Zhang Wenhao would host this dinner. Now, knowing he would cook himself, she felt a surge of excitement. This was, in fact, exactly what she’d hoped for. Even if his food turned out to be unpalatable, it would mean more to her than the finest delicacies. She realized that what she had been waiting for was not a meal, but his heartfelt intention.

She picked up the gift she had prepared for Zhang Wenhao, declined the chauffeur’s offer to drive her, and left the house on her own. Flagging down a taxi, she headed straight for the Senger Hotel Apartments.

Sitting in the car, Su Ranran’s thoughts ran wild. She felt both nervous and overwhelmed, longing for a surprise—a surprise she would remember for a long, long time.

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After midnight tonight, a new week begins and it’s time to charge up the new author rankings! The Captain earnestly asks everyone to cast a recommendation vote for this book after midnight, so it can climb higher on the new release charts! Three chapters tonight! Brothers and sisters, let’s give it our all!