It was already three o'clock in the afternoon when Su Chen left the gym.
He exchanged contact numbers with Lin Yumeng and went to a shopping mall. It was his 17-year-old sister's birthday; he wanted her to have an unforgettable one.
He had been practicing his cooking skills secretly for a month for the birthday party. He had already boosted his cooking skills to the advanced level, so making home-style dishes was like shooting fish in a barrel. The food he made was not bad compared to that of the local cooks.
Without a doubt, he kept this from his parents and sister.
When he first started working on his cooking skills, the dishes tasted so bad he had to throw them away. He only dared to serve food on the dining table when it was slightly more presentable.
When his skill reached the advanced level, the food he made was already very much to his family's appetite. His parents and sister would ask him where he bought the food, but he'd only smile without revealing anything.
After buying some materials and ornaments, Su Chen rushed home and began decorating the house.
When it was getting darker outside, and he finished decorating, Su Chen earnestly set the dinner preparation in motion.
[Cooking proficiency plus-two]
[Cooking proficiency plus-two]
[Cooking proficiency plus-three]
[Sweet-and-sour spareribs exquisitely made, cooking proficiency +200]
He would earn corresponding proficiency points for the steps of food preparation; it didn't matter if it was cutting or washing. Even an unfinished dish would win a handsome reward.
Su Chen caught a glimpse at the dashboard in his mind.
Cooking (Advanced Level) Proficiency: 35,640/50,000
Master's Level was not far away. He wondered what skills he would unlock.
This was the first time he made such a large meal since his cooking skills had risen to the advanced level. He usually cooked only a few simple dishes.
Su Chen then texted his mother when the hearty dinner was ready.
His sister had been passionate about music since she was a kid, and she was also talented. She was attending a piano competition today with their parents, and it was about time for them to come home.
His mother, labeled as "Queen Mother" in his cellphone, soon reacted to his message.
Queen Mother: We are entering our residential area. Everything's ready?
Su Chen: Yes!
Queen Mother: Haha. Momo thought we forgot that it was her birthday. She was sulking!
Su Chen: Haha!
Queen Mother: We've parked our car; going upstairs now.
After seeing the last message, Su Chen quickly turned off all the lights in the house and hid in a room on the first floor.
Their house was a two-floor duplex. The living room, dining room, kitchen, and a guest room were on the ground floor while a couple of bedrooms and a study were on the first floor.
"Momo, you look upset. What is it?" Su Chen's mother asked.
"Nothing."
"What happened? Tell mommy— is someone bullying our Momo? Mommy will kick his ass."
"Humph!"
Su Chen promptly lit the candles on the cake when he heard his mom's and sister's voices at the other side of the door.
Just as he finished lighting up all 17 candles, the door opened.
Su Chen quickly turned on the disco lights and the stereo in the living room with his phone. The vibrant lights flickered, and the birthday song played.
"Oh!" Momo gasped in surprise.
"Happy birthday to you…"
[Singing proficiency plus-two]
[Singing proficiency plus-two]
…
By the door, a pretty girl in a white dress covered her mouth as excitement spread across her face when she looked at Su Chen.
That was Su Chen's younger sister, Su Mo, his blood and flesh. There was not an element of drama, such as her being adopted.
Their parents, standing on both sides of the girl, also started to clap their hands and sing along.
Their father, Su Wenshan, who had started with nothing, was currently the owner of a company that was worth slightly more than a billion. Although his social status might not mean much in Magic City, the city with the fastest-growing economy in the country of Hua, he was able to provide his family a wealthy lifestyle for the rest of their lives.
Their mother, Wen Xia, had worked as a teacher for a short period in her younger days. She started a business together with Su Wenshan after marrying him. She was currently also the boss and the Chief Financial Officer of their company.
"I…I thought you guys forgot about my birthday," said Su Mo with tears in her eyes while she stared at her mother.
"Haha…How could we forget?" Wen Xia opened her arms and hugged her daughter.
She poked her daughter's cheek softly and said while blinking her big eyes naughtily, "It was your brother's idea; he wanted to surprise our little Momo."
"I hate you!" said Su Mo coquettishly while she rolled her eyes at her mother.
Su Chen and his father looked at each other and laughed.
It was quite strange that a mature and graceful man like Su Wenshan could fall in love with a woman like Wen Xia, who seemed carefree and still behaved like a little girl even though she was in her forties.
Moreover, there was hardly any trace of aging on Wen Xia's face, possibly because of her attitude toward life. She looked like she was in her twenties. People often thought that she and Su Mo were sisters when they went shopping.
Whenever this happened, Wen Xia would happily brag about it when she came home.
Su Mo walked toward Su Chen and gently hugged him. She was touched by what he had done for her. She looked up at him and said, "Thank you, brother."
"Silly girl, you don't need to thank me." Su Chen smiled indulgently at her. He then took a gift box from a little trolley and handed it to her. "This is for you. I know you've always wanted the garage kit of an empress."
"Oh, really? Wow, thank you, brother!" Su Mo received the gift box, her heart raging.
Their parents then walked to them and handed Su Mo the presents they had already prepared. The girl was over the moon.
Afterward, Su Mo made a wish, and they started eating the delicious cake. The cake was not made by Su Chen but ordered from a bakery he liked.
"Argh! Bad mom, what are you doing? I still need to go out with my friends later!" Su Mo screamed and glared madly at her mother, who ran away after "ambushing" her daughter by smearing cream on her daughter's face.
"Haha. You shouldn't only focus on eating," Wen Xia teased, laughing.
"Arghhhhhh…" Su Mo went ballistic. She ran small hands through the top layer of the cake, taking the cream with her and ran after her mother.
The mother and daughter played together.
Su Chen and Su Wenshan looked at each other, not knowing whether to laugh or to cry.
"Slap!" A piece of cake flew over and landed right on Su Chen's face.
The corners of his mouth twitched. He pulled a long face and looked in the direction the cake came from. His mother was making a face with her tongue out, acting like a child.
"Momo, I'll help you!" Su Chen grabbed a chunk of cake and rushed fiercely toward his mom.
"Ahhhh! Hubby, come help me! The kids are teaming up against me!" Wen Xia called out to her husband for help.
"I'd rather not. That's so icky!" Su Wenshan's face contorted in disgust.
"If you don't help me, you are gonna sleep in the study tonight!" Wen Xia threatened, her voice filled with anger.
"I..I'm coming." Su Wenshan attentively rushed to help.
The battle of cake officially began. It lasted for more than ten minutes before the "soldiers" pulled back. They were all panting while cream covered their faces, bodies, and hair.
They stared at each other and laughed out loud at the same time. Their laughter was filled with happiness and joy.
"Urgh! It's all Mom's fault. It's so dirty!" Su Mo's laughter faltered, and she glowered at her mother.
The grin on Wen Xia's face, on the other hand, spread wider.
"All right, that's enough. Let's clean up after dinner. The food is getting cold," said Su Chen while massaging the bridge of his nose.
The family stood beside the dining table. When they looked at the dishes, the fragrance of the food made their mouths water.
They felt even hungrier since they had not eaten much of the cake and had been running and frolicking for quite some time now.
"Wow, they look delicious!" Su Mo couldn't wait any longer. She sat down and grabbed a piece of rib right away with bare hands.
Su Chen immediately smacked her hands with a pair of chopsticks, gaped at her, and said, "Don't use your hands, and wash them before you eat!"
However, he had forgotten that there was another baby at home whose behavior did not match her age.
His mother had already laid her hands on a chicken wing. She praised how delicious the chicken wing was while heading to the kitchen to wash her hands. Soon, all of them were seated.
The mother and daughter started devouring the food right away. They did not at all care about their appearance in front of the family.
Su Chen shook his head as a wry smile registered on his face. He raised his glass, which was filled with fruit juice, and said, "I'll first propose a toast. Happy seventeenth birthday to Momo."
"Thank you, brother!" Su Mo put down her chopsticks, and with a big smile on her face, raised her glass.
"Happy birthday!" all four glasses clinked.
"Chenchen, the food is delicious. Where did you buy it?" Wen Xia asked curiously.
"It's not bought. I made it," Su Chen replied, smiling.
"Oh! Stop kidding around! Tell me which restaurant was it. We'll order takeaway from this restaurant from now on." Wen Xia kept eating and mumbled without even lifting her head.
Su Mo nodded along while she struggled with a chicken thigh.
"For real, I made it." Su Chen was speechless yet amused.