It was at this point Ning Ran realized she might have underestimated Nan Chen’s capability. It didn’t even take him an hour to prepare four dishes.
Erbao applauded enthusiastically and shouted, “Daddy is amazing!”
“Have a taste,” said Nan Chen as he appeared to be delighted. It was really rare for him to show such emotion.
“I’ll go first!” Erbao extended her chopsticks towards the stir-fried bitter gourd with eggs.
After putting the egg into her mouth and chewing for a few times, the enthusiasm on her face slowly faded. It was replaced by a solemn expression.
Eventually, Erbao stopped chewing altogether and did not swallow her it. She merely looked at Ning Ran, hoping Ning Ran would come to her rescue.
Looking at Erbao’s expression, Ning Ran knew that there was no way Erbao would have continued eating.
However, Erbao had learnt about proper manners and didn’t dare spit the food out. She had no other choice but to keep it in her mouth and wait for her mother to bail her out.
Unfortunately, Ning Ran couldn’t do that.
She couldn’t just outright deny Master Chen’s effort. If Erbao were to spit out the food he had cooked, there was no doubt it would hurt his pride.
Nan Chen and Dabao noticed something was off about Erbao, and so they each placed a piece of egg into their mouths.
Nan Chen instantly ran towards the rubbish bin. The food wasn’t just bad; it was abysmal.
After watching Nan Chen spit out his own food, Ning Ran gave Erbao the green light.
It couldn’t have been that bad… Ning Ran thought to herself.
Ning Ran then took a piece and put into her mouth. She couldn’t take a second bite after.
It tasted salty, but there was also some strange ingredients in it, causing it to be not only bitter but slimy as well.
Ning Ran spit it out too.
Nan Chen was unwilling to admit defeat, and so he tried out the other dishes.
If it wasn’t too salty, it was too sweet. Either way, those flavor combinations were not what you would like to find in your food.
The soup was the best out of all of them. Perhaps because it tasted like nothing.
Sure enough, Master Chen was more suited to manage his own corporation. Making food for his kids just wasn’t his forte.
As the four of them had stopped eating, they were engulfed in deep silence.
“I think there’s still room for remedy. Maybe if we add some onions, lards and soy sauce into the rice we can make a delicious meal out of it!” suggested Ning Ran.
“That’s a great idea!” cheered Erbao.
But little did they know, the rice was inedible due to insufficient water.
The undercooked rice had a strange white hue.
They turned silent once again.
“Is it time for some clear soup noodles?” Ning Ran suggested once again.
“No.”
Nan Chen stood up and unfastened his apron, before continuing, “We’ll eat out.”
“It’s okay, we can settle this…” Ning Ran tried to console him.
“Let’s go.”
You could see the sense of defeat in his eyes.
Ning Ran thought it was hilarious, considering how someone as prideful as him was brooding over something trivial like this.
While Ning Ran and Dabao had anticipated this to happen, the ‘tragedy’ had been way worse than what they imagined.
Ning Ran glanced at her watch. Although the family dinner ended up as a failure, it was still early in the day.
Hence the suggestion to eat out was reasonable.
“What do you want to eat?” Nan Chen bent over and asked the gluttonous Erbao.
“Hmm…steak and cakes!” Erbao responded enthusiastically.
“Then I’ll have someone make reservation for us,” said Nan Chen as he began to make a call.
Erbao began to panic. “Mommy, could you please give me a minute? I have to dress up if we are going to a restaurant.”
“Honey, you look just fine. There’s no need for you to change your clothes. Who taught you all this anyway?”
“My teacher gave me some lessons on etiquette. She said that I would bring shame to my family if I were to neglect my personal appearance,” said Erbao as she was undoing her clothes.
No wonder her actions are kind of elegant these days. Has the Nan family given Erbao a tutor on etiquette or something? Ning Ran thought to herself as she drew in a cold breath.
My god, why are they teaching etiquette to someone of her age? She is just a child! Can’t they just let her behave carefreely? Now it just feels so distant.
“There’s no need to do so, Erbao. You really don’t have to.”
“I must! If mommy is not helping me, I’ll do it myself!”
Ning Ran let out a sigh. People are indeed easily influenced by their environment, especially children.
The environment shaped the way people behave.
Erbao had only been living with the Nan family for such a short amount of time, but their impact on her was apparent.
If this were to persist, would she eventually feel that I’m a crude peasant?
Ning Ran was terrified by the thought.
But this might be a good thing after all. Ning Ran tried to console herself.
With the help of his mother, she looked like an adorable little princess when she came back out.
She was already good-looking, to begin with. By dressing up nicely, there was no doubt she would be able to captivate the hearts of everyone.
After cleaning up the ‘aftermath’, they prepared to depart.
The whole floor of the restaurant had been reserved; there was no one other than them.
The piano that was usually situated at the corner of the restaurant was nowhere to be seen.
Candlesticks had also been replaced by bright lights.
Erbao, with the help of Nan Chen, sat elegantly on the kids’ chair.
She couldn’t sit on the normal chair, as it would be uncomfortable for her due to her height.
Neither could she fit into a chair that was too low.
The kids’ chair had been specifically designed with the children’s safety and comfort in mind.
Dabao and Erbao both ordered a kiddy meal. It was marvelous, and Erbao took a liking to it.
While they were in the midst of eating, the phone in Ning Ran’s bag suddenly rang.
Nan Chen directed his vision towards Ning Ran who was trying to pick up her phone. His gaze was as sharp as a knife.
The call was from Zheng Lunlun.
As Nan Chen and Zheng Lunlun were relatives, she didn’t feel the need to reject the call, and answered it immediately.
“Where are you, Computer Guru?” asked Zheng Lunlun.
Ning Ran gave him the name of the restaurant.
“Oh my, what a coincidence. I’m hanging out with my friends over here too, and was about to invite you over for a drink,” said Zheng Lunlun.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to pass on that.”
Nan Chen’s gaze was icy cold, to the point where Ning Ran started to feel a little guilty.
“Come now, since we are already here, there’s no need to be shy. Which room are you in?” asked Zheng Lunlun.
“Maybe that’s not a good idea. I came here with the kids…”
“Aha! Someone has already reserved the second floor for themselves. We’ll find out who it is, won’t we?” said Zheng Lunlun before he hung up the phone.
Soon enough, there was a ruckus coming from outside the door. “Sir, I would really appreciate it if you could stop. You shouldn’t be bothering our customer.”
“Don’t worry, I’m a friend of theirs.”
“So there you are…” said Zheng Lunlun cheerfully.
Zheng Lunlun’s face turned pale as soon as he saw Nan Chen. It didn’t take long for the smile on his face to dissipate.
“I’m sorry, I think I mistook you for someone else,” said Zheng Lunlun as he attempted to escape.
