After Brock left, Serena Sutton was just about to have Norbert Suttun order some takeout.
But then Mr. Sutton came back, carrying a lot of groceries, smiling broadly: "Tonight I'm going to make you all something delicious. I've already bought the ingredients, so I'm going straight to cooking."
Walking in behind Mr. Sutton, Nathan Sutton halted abruptly at these words, a crack appearing on his stern face.
He suddenly turned around, speaking in a deep voice: "I've got some things to handle at the lab, I'll head back now."
Serena Sutton grinned foolishly: "I just remembered that Brandy Quinn has asked to meet me, so I'm off too."
Norbert Suttun, with one hand in his pocket, ruffled his hair, lazily saying, "I've got a date tonight, so I'll just…"
"Stop right there, all of you!" Mr. Sutton shouted loudly, his gaze sweeping over the three siblings before suddenly sighing: "I really have improved my cooking skills a lot, I hope you won't do this. It feels like a bit of a blow."
Serena Sutton: "..." Damn, playing the sympathy card!
-
Actually, Mr. Sutton's cooking isn't that bad; it's not like in those dramatic TV shows or novels. It's just not tasty, and the main issue is it won't fill you up.
Around seven in the evening, the four of them sat around the dining table where a few dishes were laid out. Spicy fish, Mapo tofu, shredded pork with green peppers, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and spicy chicken.
"Come, come, try this spicy fish first. I used a seasoning packet this time; I tasted it as it came out of the pot. It's a big improvement from before."
Mr. Sutton smiled, his tone especially sincere.
Serena Sutton didn't move, and Norbert Suttun didn't either. Both coincidentally looked at Nathan Sutton. After all, he's the eldest, so he should be the first to try.
Nathan Sutton had no choice, hesitantly picking up his chopsticks, slowly reaching into the bowl, picking up a small piece of fish, and tasting it.
The spicy flavor struck his taste buds, causing his brow to furrow. He suppressed his discomfort and swallowed it. After getting it down, he immediately grabbed the water on the table and took a big sip.
"How is it? Not bad, right?" Mr. Sutton asked, leaning in, looking harmless, seemingly unaware of his potential destructive power.
"It's okay," Nathan Sutton said deeply, as he was still recovering from the spicy taste, his voice inevitably sounded hoarse.
Serena Sutton glanced at Nathan sympathetically, oh dear, poor big brother.
"What are you two waiting for? Try the other dishes, eat up." Mr. Sutton had great confidence in his cooking skills.
At least he thought his food wasn't bad.
Serena took a deep breath, resignedly picking up the chopsticks from the table.
After the meal, almost none of the dishes were touched. Serena hardly ate at all.
The scrambled eggs with tomatoes were too salty, the chicken in the spicy chicken wasn't fully cooked, and Old Sutton said it was better to eat tender chicken like that?!
There was also the Mapo tofu, which had a lot of Sichuan peppercorns, barely edible. The most awkward was the shredded pork with green peppers, where there was more oil than vegetables.
After dinner, Serena Sutton returned to her room, feeling lifeless, and posted an update on social media, blocking Old Sutton from seeing it.
Serena the Wealth-Seeker: "As everyone knows, a fairy must go through hardships. For example, eating the food my dad cooks."
Not long after posting this update, comments from friends started appearing.
Vino: "Poor thing, I really sympathize. How about hot pot tomorrow?"
The Terminator: "What's that supposed to mean?"
Serena paused for a few seconds at the three words The Terminator before realizing it was Caleb Lockwood.
It seemed this truly wasn't his alternate account. He saw her post so quickly. That means Caleb Lockwood isn't busy at the moment; could she bother him?
Serena's eyebrows twitched, and she decided to open the chat with Caleb Lockwood, using voice input.
Serena the Wealth-Seeker: "Just complaining a bit about my dad, his cooking isn't good. Didn't get to fill up tonight~"
Caleb Lockwood tapped on the voice message she sent. Although it was only a few seconds long, he still heard her helplessness. The girl's tone sounded so pitiful, her voice was pleasant, soft, and especially endearing when she said that last sentence.
Almost instinctively, Caleb Lockwood's long fingers pressed on the voice input, not being very accustomed to using this feature on WeChat.
After a silent moment, he finally spoke: "Why is his cooking not good?"
In Caleb Lockwood's view, cooking is actually a simple task; as long as you follow the recipe properly, it shouldn't taste bad.
Therefore, he was used to it and didn't think it was a difficult matter.
Serena held her phone, just waiting for his reply. Sure enough, he replied quickly, and it was even a voice message!
The girl was so happy she almost threw her phone away, took a deep breath to calm her excitement, and cautiously tapped on the voice message.
Caleb Lockwood's voice was clear and magnetic, and Serena was elated. Being a bit of a voice lover, she listened to it several times.
Why is Old Sutton's cooking bad? What kind of question is this?
This question asked in a way that she couldn't answer it because she didn't really know. So Serena had no choice but to change the subject.
Serena the Wealth-Seeker: "From what Dr. Lockwood said, does that mean your cooking is very good? A master chef?"
Caleb Lockwood wasn't sure how good his cooking was because he was the only one who had ever tried it.
The Terminator: "It's okay, edible."
Serena the Wealth-Seeker: "That's pretty good. I've never cooked from when I was small, but I can definitely eat."
Then, Serena sent over an emoji. Weak, pitiful, helpless, but can eat.
Caleb Lockwood looked at what she sent, thinking she must really be hungry. She seemed helpless and pitiful.
Such a petite girl, and she just got out of the hospital. Not eating properly wouldn't be good for her health.
Remembering her pale face in the emergency room before, her listless appearance, Caleb Lockwood's eyes flickered softly, a warmth growing in his heart, before sending a message back.
The Terminator: "I'll treat you to dinner."
Serena Sutton was momentarily stunned upon seeing those five words. Dumbfounded, she didn't know how to react for a moment.
Caleb Lockwood was inviting her for a meal? Didn't he refuse when she invited him before? Why is he inviting her now?
Serena's fingers trembled slightly as she replied: "But it's already almost nine o'clock, are we going for a late-night snack?"
In response, Caleb Lockwood sent over a voice message.
His voice was warm and pleasant, as if carrying a hint of warmth: "I've cooked it and will bring it over to you. Send me your address."
Serena Sutton: "..." Did she hear it right? Caleb Lockwood wants to personally cook for her and bring it over?
She had a feeling this guy's thought process was a bit unusual, asking a young girl to send her home address late at night. Is this how high-IQ people think?
If a man likes a girl, he'll certainly find ways to ask her out.
This move by Caleb Lockwood was something she was seeing for the first time.