Wang Hao quickly selected several homely stir-fries, and then the three of them began their big shopping trip.
By the time they returned home, it was almost one in the afternoon; buying ingredients had indeed taken up some time.
As soon as he got home, Wang Hao told his guests to make themselves comfortable, while he, carrying the groceries, plunged into the kitchen. There was no other way; he was too hungry and needed to prepare quickly.
Cheng Yufei, on the other hand, was looking around the small two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment. Having grown up in a privileged environment, Cheng Yufei had never lived in such a small house.
When she first entered the complex, the overall feeling was a bit messy, so she didn't have high expectations for Wang Hao's apartment.
However, once inside, she discovered that although the apartment wasn't very spacious, it gave off an exceptionally neat and clean impression, not at all as cluttered as she had imagined.
This pleasant surprise significantly improved her impression of the siblings. If the apartment was so tidy, surely the owners couldn't be too bad.
"Xiao Lan, you're really amazing! You can keep the apartment so clean; it hardly feels like a rented place!" Cheng Yufei exclaimed to Wang Lan admiringly while looking around the room.
"Oh, not at all! This wasn't me, you know; it's all my brother's doing! I just occasionally come to stay for a few days," Wang Lan quickly replied.
Immediately after, she seemed to open a floodgate, beginning to chat with Cheng Yufei about matters at home.
After all, she was still a young girl with little experience in the world, speaking without reservation, daring to say anything.
Fortunately, Cheng Yufei was not a malicious person.
Cheng Yufei did not interrupt Wang Lan's incessant talking.
Instead, she was filled with curiosity: What kind of person was Wang Hao? Why was he so indifferent to fame and fortune? And looking at the complex they rented in, it didn't seem like they came from a wealthy family either.
As Wang Lan narrated, a rural youth, fresh out of graduation, resolutely took on the heavy burden of his family, with all his earnings going towards covering all of his sister's educational expenses.
This strong sense of family responsibility and commitment deeply impressed Cheng Yufei, and in her heart, a tall, shining, and responsible image of him gradually formed.
Cheng Yufei had met many people who worked hard for their livelihoods, but most of them struggled merely for survival. Few had their own ideas like Wang Hao, making him unique and impressive.
Cheng Yufei also knew that this uniqueness required a prerequisite: a skill to rely on.
If it weren't for Wang Hao possessing superb and exquisite Cooking skills as his fallback, he would probably have become just another ordinary person.
Cheng Yufei finally asked the question she had been most curious about:
"So, who did your brother learn his Cooking from? The food he makes tastes so unique and delicious!"
When Wang Lan heard Cheng Yufei's question, she almost blurted out everything Wang Hao had told her about that mysterious old man, but the words caught in her throat and she swallowed them back down.
Wang Lan secretly pondered: Brother had warned her to keep that extraordinary encounter a secret, and she absolutely couldn't break her promise.
Moreover, even if she told Cheng Yufei about such a magical and fantastical matter, the other party might not believe it, so it was better not to say too much.
Therefore, Wang Lan decided to keep her lips sealed and not mention it again.
Then, with a slightly mysterious look, Wang Lan softly said, "Well, that's a little secret, you know. If you really want to know, you'll just have to ask my brother!"
Cheng Yufei couldn't help but chuckle at Wang Lan's adorable, feigned mysterious expression and didn't press further.
After all, everyone has their own secrets, and there's no need to pry too much.
At this moment, the two in the living room were chatting happily, while Wang Hao had already swiftly and skillfully begun to display his solid Cooking fundamentals.
On the way, Wang Hao had already decided on the dishes he would make, including refreshing cucumber shrimp, rich and delicious tomato potato beef soup, fragrant squid stir-fried with snow peas, spicy and tempting spicy chicken, tender and juicy stir-fried large shrimp, and a simple yet tasty scrambled eggs with chives.
Among these dishes, handling the live shrimp was slightly troublesome, but only a little, and overall, the Cooking difficulty wasn't too great. They would be ready quickly, satisfying the hunger of all three.
If it were just the siblings eating together, they certainly wouldn't make so many dishes, because leftovers would be wasteful, which Wang Hao could not accept.
However, with Cheng Yufei visiting today, and from what he had learned previously, Wang Hao knew that this girl, whose online name was Dawei Feifei, had quite an appetite.
Therefore, he specially prepared a total of six dishes to satisfy his guest's appetite.
"Do you need us to help with anything?" Cheng Yufei asked softly, peeking cautiously around the kitchen door.
But before Wang Hao could reply, a rich aroma suddenly wafted out, instantly enveloping her.
It turned out that while the two were happily chatting in the living room, Wang Hao had already started stir-frying, and his movements were swift and skillful, a surprising speed that left Cheng Yufei amazed.
"No need, it will be ready in a moment," Wang Hao replied, focusing on stir-frying the dishes in the pan, meticulously controlling the heat and seasoning.
Wang Hao had two stoves going simultaneously, yet he still appeared at ease and unhurried.
The warm sunlight streaming in from the kitchen window fell perfectly on his face, as if adding a beautiful filter, making the otherwise ordinary-looking Wang Hao appear exceptionally handsome and charming at this moment.
Cheng Yufei stared blankly at the scene before her, unsure if she was mesmerized by the aroma of the food or something else, momentarily forgetting to respond, simply gazing quietly.
It wasn't until Wang Lan's clear and sweet voice broke the silence: "I told you my brother doesn't need help Cooking, but you wouldn't believe me, hmph."
Wang Lan walked briskly to the kitchen doorway, playfully patting the somewhat dazed Cheng Yufei, a hint of a smile in her eyes.
Wang Lan's pat instantly jolted Cheng Yufei from her trance. Her body trembled slightly, and a blush involuntarily spread across her face, as radiant as a sunset.
She quickly lowered her head, her gaze somewhat evasive, murmuring softly, "Where's your water?" Her voice was so faint that only she could hear it.
Then, like a startled fawn, she hurried towards the living room, attempting to hide her inner unease.
However, Wang Lan seemed oblivious to Cheng Yufei's unusual behavior. She straightforwardly said, "You go sit down; I'll get you some water."