Chapter Forty-Five: Surprise (Part One)

In front of the Senge Hotel Apartments, a taxi slowly came to a halt by the entrance. Su Ruoran, seated in the back, paid the fare and stepped out, holding a square gift box. This box was a present she had prepared for Zhang Wenhao, and she kept it close to her chest, unwilling to let its exquisite packaging suffer even the slightest damage.

No sooner had Su Ruoran entered the hotel than a domestically made BMW 5 Series stopped across the street. The driver, a young man in his twenties, watched Su Ruoran disappear through the hotel doors, then immediately pulled out his phone and made a call.

“Brother Feng, the girl you asked me to follow just went into the Senge Hotel Apartments.”

“What?! A hotel apartment?!” Chen Feng, on the other end, was nearly stunned into silence. After a moment, he asked, “Are you sure you didn’t follow the wrong person? It’s the girl I had you watch, right?”

“That’s right!” the driver replied confidently. “I saw her go in with my own eyes.”

“This is bad.” Chen Feng’s nerves tightened, his heart full of bewilderment. He hurriedly said, “Wait for me there—I’m coming right now!”

Without delay, Chen Feng grabbed his keys and drove straight to the Senge. The whole way there, a single question preyed on his mind: Why would Miss Su go to a hotel apartment? Meeting a friend? Unlikely, not at such a sensitive place. Could it be a boyfriend? What kind of boy would dare invite the young lady of the Su family to a hotel? That was practically courting death!

Meanwhile, Su Ruoran had reached the door of room 3017. She didn’t knock right away but lingered outside, trying to steady her nerves. She couldn’t quite understand why she, who was usually so composed, felt so anxious today. Was it the special setting, or the boy inside the room?

Several minutes passed before she calmed down a little. Then, lifting her hand, she gently pressed the doorbell.

Because Su Ruoran had asked him to wait, Zhang Wenhao had tidied everything up and waited for her arrival. When the doorbell finally rang, he could hardly contain his excitement as he opened the door.

Since the hotel apartment’s kitchen and dining area were open and right by the entrance, Zhang Wenhao deliberately stood in front of the stove and, smiling, asked, “Guess what’s for dinner tonight.”

Su Ruoran blushed and smiled shyly. “Whatever you make is fine—I’m not picky.” As she spoke, she playfully wrinkled her nose and asked, “I smell something fishy. Are we having fish tonight?”

“There’s crucian carp soup.” Zhang Wenhao grinned, stepping aside to let her in. Then, pointing to the neatly prepared ingredients by the stove, he said, “Here, we’ll be eating these tonight.”

Su Ruoran stared in astonishment at the orderly array of ingredients. “You prepared all this yourself? It looks so professional. You didn’t secretly hire a chef while I was gone, did you?”

“Of course not.” Zhang Wenhao feigned disdain. “Even a professional chef might not do better than me.”

Su Ruoran smiled knowingly. “That’s not fair—you’ve done all the prep work. Now I can’t help even if I wanted to.”

Zhang Wenhao teased, “You can watch TV and wait for dinner, or you can stand by me with a towel and help wipe my sweat.”

“That sounds good!” Su Ruoran agreed with a laugh, then fetched a clean towel from the bathroom. “Chef Zhang, it’s time to show off your skills!”

Zhang Wenhao nodded, tying his apron. “Tonight, I’ll show you what a real chef looks like!”

Even so, Su Ruoran didn’t have high hopes for the meal’s flavor. Though she always told Zhang Wenhao she wasn’t picky, in truth her tastes had been refined by her upbringing. Even after coming to River City for school, she only ate simple dinners in the cafeteria; for her other meals, top-tier chefs prepared the best ingredients with the best techniques. Despite her youth, she was a true gourmet, with deep and discerning opinions on every kind of cuisine.

Still, seeing the effort Zhang Wenhao had put into preparing this dinner moved her deeply. What mattered most to her was not the taste of the food, but the hard work he poured into it for her sake. Whether the dishes would turn out sweet, sour, bitter, or simply inedible, she resolved to herself: “Su Ruoran, in eighteen years, this is the first time a boy has cooked a meal for you. No matter how it tastes, you must eat as much as you can, and praise him so that he feels his efforts were worth it.”

It was Zhang Wenhao’s first time cooking, but the advantage of the Super Learning System was that, after acquiring the skill pack, even a complete novice could become a master in no time. Every movement he made in the kitchen was precise and expert, which surprised Su Ruoran more and more as she watched.

The first dish was Pingqiao Tofu. Though the only vegetarian dish, it was also the most complex and demanding. Fresh crucian carp brain can’t be exposed to air for long, so Zhang Wenhao chose to make this dish first.

Seeing the ingredients he’d prepared, Su Ruoran instantly guessed what he was about to cook, and was amazed. Judging by his selection, even if he wasn’t a skilled chef, he must at least be a true connoisseur—his attention to detail left no room for shortcuts.

Watching his deft, practiced hands, Su Ruoran felt a little dazed. She’d long admired his learning abilities, but never imagined he’d be this skilled in the kitchen too. Such seamless, elegant motions usually took years to perfect; his control of temperature, seasoning, and timing was flawless.

It seemed she had underestimated him—Zhang Wenhao might bring her more than just a pleasant surprise! The aroma wafting through the kitchen was almost too much to resist.

At last, the Pingqiao Tofu was ready. Zhang Wenhao plated it, and Su Ruoran, unable to wait, snuck a pair of chopsticks into her hand, eager for a taste. But Zhang Wenhao caught her and covered the dish with an empty plate. “No sneaking, little glutton. Wait until everything’s ready.”

“But I’m curious!” Su Ruoran pouted in mock protest, but obediently put her chopsticks down. Noticing the sweat beading on Zhang Wenhao’s forehead, she quickly stepped forward to wipe it away with the towel.

For a moment, Zhang Wenhao felt as if he were in a dream. Su Ruoran, standing beside him and so attentive even as she wiped his brow, made him long for this moment to last forever.

Through all four dishes, Su Ruoran stayed by his side. Though Zhang Wenhao focused on cooking, he never forgot her presence. Each time oil threatened to splatter, he warned her to step back and positioned himself between her and the stove, letting the oil splash onto his apron instead.

Su Ruoran noticed all of this. Standing behind him, watching his not-so-broad back, her eyes grew moist and her heart ached with a vague pain: “If today is the last time we see each other, why did you give me so many wonderful surprises?”

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Chapter Two delivered. It’s almost midnight—please recommend! Another chapter will be up at half past twelve!