218: Chapter 218 Improved Cooking Skills

Wen Yulan stood beside the coffee table, looking down at the bracelet in her palm, her eyes slightly reddened.

She walked to the kitchen doorway and looked at Wang Yang.

"Thank you. I really like it."

Wang Yang leaned against the stove, flipping the chicken wings with a spatula in his hand.

"As long as you like it. Go ahead and take the dishes out; we'll be eating in a moment."

Wen Yulan nodded, carefully put the bracelet on her wrist, and then walked into the kitchen to help serve the dishes.

Chen Xuemiao also ran in. Her bracelet was already on, shimmering under the lights.

"Brother Yang, look! Doesn't it look good on me? I'm going to wear it every day and never take it off! Can you buy one for Yuyan another day?"

"Let's wait until your best friend becomes my person first."

"It'll be soon, it'll be soon! Believe me! She definitely won't be able to escape!"

The two of them carried the dishes to the dining table one by one.

Sweet and sour spare ribs, braised chicken wings, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, cucumber salad, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and corn and pork rib soup.

Six dishes and one soup were arranged neatly, steaming hot.

Chen Xuemiao took a step back, hands behind her back, tilting her head to look at Wang Yang.

"Brother Yang! Come over and try it! I'm especially confident today!"

Wen Yulan stood to the side, her fingers gently rubbing against her apron.

Wang Yang walked to the dining table, picked up his chopsticks, and picked up a chicken wing.

He held it up to his eyes to inspect it, looked at Chen Xuemiao, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and shoved it into his mouth.

His movements and expression were just like an ancient death warrior drinking his final toast before execution.

Chen Xuemiao was so nervous that her fingers turned white from clenching.

Wen Yulan also held her breath.

Wang Yang chewed unhurriedly, swallowed, picked up a tissue to wipe his mouth, and remained silent for several seconds.

Chen Xuemiao grew anxious and tugged at his sleeve.

"How is it? Say something!"

"Is it still not good? I thought it would be okay this time."

Disappointment appeared on both of their faces simultaneously.

Chen Xuemiao put down her chopsticks, and Wen Yulan let out a soft sigh.

Watching their dejected expressions, Wang Yang finally couldn't help but laugh.

He reached out and pulled Chen Xuemiao into his arms, then grabbed Wen Yulan's wrist.

"I was teasing you. It's delicious. Really delicious. The sauce for the chicken wings has soaked in completely, and the meat is tender. The vegetables are cooked perfectly, and the sweet and sour spare ribs have the right balance of sweet and sour. You two have improved so much."

Chen Xuemiao was stunned for a moment, then punched him in the chest.

"You scared me to death! I almost cried just now! You bad person!"

Wen Yulan also breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is it really delicious? Don't tease us."

"Why would I lie to you? Try it yourselves."

Chen Xuemiao picked up her chopsticks, took a chicken wing, put it in her mouth, chewed twice, and her eyes lit up.

"Sister Yulan! It's actually good! It's a hundred times better than that charcoal I made last time!"

Wen Yulan also took a bite, the corners of her mouth curling up.

"Hmm. Not bad. It would be even better if the heat was a bit lower next time."

Wang Yang reached out, wrapped his arms around the waists of both women, and pulled them into his embrace.

Chen Xuemiao leaned against his left shoulder, still clutching her chopsticks.

Wen Yulan leaned against his right shoulder, her fingers resting on his knee.

"The fact that you both learned to cook for me, this sentiment is more precious than anything. No matter how it turns out in the future, I will eat it."

Wen Yulan's fingers tightened slightly on his knee.

Chen Xuemiao rubbed her face into the crook of his shoulder.

"Then Sister Yulan and I will cook for you every day from now on. I'm going to raise you to be nice and plump. I'll make everyone outside envious of you, saying you have two great chefs at home."

Wang Yang laughed and kissed each of them on the forehead.

The night view outside the window unfolded, and the six dishes and one soup on the dining table were steaming.

The two women leaned against him on either side, their laughter mingling with the aroma of the meal.

...

After the meal, the two women cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen, while Wang Yang leaned back on the sofa and scrolled through his phone.

The screen suddenly lit up with an incoming call.

Caller ID: Zhao Huan.

The corners of Wang Yang's mouth slowly curled up.

Zhao Huan, his good brother from high school.

Back then, they sat at desks in front of and behind each other, playing ball, eating, and skipping class together every day.

After graduating from high school, they both got into universities in different cities, so they had fewer opportunities to meet.

But that kind of bond between brothers where you don't need pleasantries and can start roasting each other the moment you speak hadn't changed after all these years.

Every year when returning home for the New Year, they would get together, drink, and chat about how things were going.

He swiped to answer.

"Hello, Huanzi."

A familiar voice came from the other end of the line, filled with laughter.

"Yangzi! I was just testing to see if you'd changed your number! Sure enough, you haven't! When are you coming back? I saw in the group chat that a lot of people aren't going back this year; shouldn't we get together first?"

"I'm coming back tomorrow. I should be home by the afternoon."

"Tomorrow? That's perfect! Let's get together early. Just the two of us, same old place, my treat."

Wang Yang laughed.

"Your treat? You said that last time, too, but when it came time to pay the bill, you said you forgot your wallet."

"Damn, you still remember that? What a small thing. This time it's definitely my treat! By the way, Yangzi, do you have a partner now?"

Wang Yang leaned back on the sofa, the corner of his mouth curling slightly, not answering directly.

"What, are you going to introduce someone to me?"

Zhao Huan chuckled a couple of times on the other end, sounding a bit embarrassed.

"No. It's me, I'm seeing someone. It just happened recently. She's from our town, her name is Zhou Yao, and she's a nurse at the county hospital. She's a really good person, and her personality is great, too. My parents have met her, and they're very satisfied."

Wang Yang sat up a bit straighter.

"Oh? The iron tree has finally bloomed? That's not easy. How did you meet?"

"Well, my mom went to the hospital for a checkup, and she happened to be the one on duty. My mom really liked her and insisted I add her on WeChat. We started chatting and hit it off. She's not materialistic; we go Dutch on meals, and she doesn't mind that my salary is low."

Listening to Zhao Huan's excited tone, Wang Yang felt happy for him.

Zhao Huan was an honest and steady person with an average family background, so it was a good thing he found someone who didn't look down on him and genuinely wanted to build a life with him.

"That's great. Nurses are good; they have meticulous personalities, which perfectly complements your carelessness. Treat her well, and don't let her down."

"For sure! Let's meet up as soon as you get back tomorrow. I'll bring her along, and you can meet your sister-in-law."

Wang Yang laughed.

"You're already calling her sister-in-law; it looks like you're serious. Alright, I'll meet her tomorrow. I'll call you when I arrive."

"Alright! See you tomorrow! Drive safely on the road!"

After hanging up, Wang Yang leaned back on the sofa, looking at the call record from Zhao Huan on his phone screen, a smile still hanging on his lips.

That's the bond of brotherhood; even if you haven't seen each other for a year, you can still roast and laugh the moment you start talking.

Zhao Huan was finally in a relationship, and he was happy for him.

The sounds in the kitchen gradually stopped.

The two women finished drying the last bowl, took off their aprons, and walked out of the kitchen, one on each side.

Chen Xuemiao shook the water droplets off her hands, plopped down to Wang Yang's left, and leaned her whole body against him.

Wen Yulan sat to his right, her movements much lighter, just gently leaning against his arm.

Wang Yang stretched.

"I'm full. You two worked hard today."