Brush Up Your Proficiency

This aroma wasn't merely the scent of food; it was more like a catalyst, urging one to eat, stirring the most primal desires deep within the soul.

"With just the aroma of these dishes, one could guarantee the rise of a restaurant," Father Cheng murmured, a hint of amazement in his voice.

Mother Cheng nodded, agreeing with her husband's assessment. She imagined the sheer pleasure of combining such an aroma with the delicious taste upon entering the mouth.

A feeling called anticipation welled up in both of their hearts.

It had been a long time since they had felt such emotions toward a meal, as if they had returned to their youth, filled with curiosity for unknown delicacies.

In the kitchen, Cheng Yufei told the two who were busy working about Father Cheng's return.

Upon hearing this, Wang Hao sped up the preparation of the dish he was working on, completing the final steps.

He took off his apron, straightened his clothes, and followed Cheng Yufei to the living room, ready to meet Father Cheng.

After all, Father Cheng was both an elder and a major shareholder of the company. He felt he should be more polite, which would make things easier for Cheng Yufei.

They stood quietly in the living room, waiting for Father Cheng to appear.

After a moment, Father Cheng and Mother Cheng walked out of the room.

Seeing them together, Wang Hao couldn't help but exclaim in his heart, "These two are a perfect match!"

Wang Hao's gaze first fell upon Mother Cheng, who gave off a gentle and spring-like feeling, as if she could embrace everything.

However, when he saw the man standing beside Mother Cheng, he felt a sense of majesty and solemnity, like a towering mountain.

Between the mountain and the water, they complemented each other, enhancing each other's beauty.

However, Father Cheng's first impression of Wang Hao wasn't very good, especially when he saw his daughter standing with Wang Hao, an inexplicable sense of annoyance welled up in his heart.

Despite having smelled the aroma of the dishes Wang Hao had made and roughly understanding Wang Hao's abilities and value, he still felt irritated.

Wang Hao looked at Father Cheng's serious face, feeling inexplicably confused. Unable to understand, he could only attribute it to Father Cheng being a serious person by nature.

"Dad, this is Wang Hao I told you about. Wang Hao, this is my dad, a major shareholder of our restaurant!" Cheng Yufei introduced the two.

When she mentioned "a major shareholder of our restaurant," she deliberately raised her voice. At the same time, she playfully patted Father Cheng's shoulder, easing the awkward atmosphere caused by their first meeting.

Father Cheng gently brushed off his daughter's hand. His gaze fell upon Wang Hao, and although he maintained a serious expression, he spoke directly and frankly:

"Hello, Wang Hao. I often hear Yufei mention you. This time, having you come over is also to check on my daughter, to see what her partner is like. There's no other meaning!" He emphasized the last sentence, as if conveying some kind of message to Wang Hao.

Having been in society for so many years, Wang Hao had learned a lot about observing people's expressions and words. Realizing Father Cheng's meaning, Wang Hao couldn't help but smile wryly. He didn't say much, only smiled slightly and nodded, indicating his understanding.

Hearing her father's words, Cheng Yufei's brow furrowed slightly. She looked at her father with a slightly dissatisfied gaze, then averted her eyes.

Mother Cheng stood aside, unable to help but chuckle.

Looking at her husband's childish behavior, she pondered in her heart, 'This is just the beginning, and he's already reacting so strongly. What will happen when something really happens in the future?'

Father Cheng nodded in satisfaction at Wang Hao's performance, thinking that this kid was quite sensible, so he was relieved.

After Wang Hao exchanged a few words with Father Cheng, he turned and returned to the kitchen to continue preparing the final dish.

At this moment, only Cheng Yufei and her parents were in the living room. Cheng Yufei pouted her small mouth, and her tall nose tilted slightly upward, revealing a hint of displeasure.

She stared at her father, but her father pretended not to see her expression and chatted with Mother Cheng on his own.

Seeing that her father was ignoring her, Cheng Yufei simply went to the dining room and sat down, waiting for the food to be served, while also feeling sulky.

"Congratulations, Advanced Cooking Proficiency + 2, Current Proficiency: Advanced Cooking 930 / 10000."

Not long after, the kitchen door opened once again, and Wang Hao and Aunt Liu walked out, chatting and laughing, carrying the dishes and placing them on the dining table.

The strong aroma wafted over, and Cheng Yufei immediately forgot that she was still angry and quickly went into the kitchen to help serve the dishes.

When the last dish, fish head soup, was placed on the table, all the dishes were ready. Cheng Yufei hurriedly called her parents to eat.

Having long been attracted by the aroma, the couple responded to their daughter's call as they walked towards the dining room.

As the aroma grew stronger, nine exquisite dishes were presented before them.

The tempting colors made them both salivate.

Judging from the colors alone, if the full score was 100, Father Cheng would give at least 95 points. These dishes completely exceeded his expectations.

"Wang Hao, you've really worked hard, making so many dishes," Mother Cheng said to Wang Hao with a satisfied smile on her face as she looked at the beautifully plated dishes on the table.

The politeness in her eyes when they first met had long disappeared, and now only sincerity remained. She had naturally seen Wang Hao busy for so long. He made these dishes not only because of his daughter's sake but also out of respect for their family.

Hearing Mother Cheng's praise, Wang Hao felt warm in his heart. He quickly replied modestly, "It's all I should do. Without your support, Fei Fei and I wouldn't be able to open such a big restaurant. This meal really isn't anything!"

His tone was very sincere, allowing Mother Cheng to feel his inner sincerity.

Seeing the delicious food in front of them, Cheng Yufei couldn't help but feel a little anxious that the two were still talking. She hurriedly urged, "Oh, let's eat first. My stomach is growling from hunger!" With that, she playfully touched her stomach.

Looking at her daughter's impatient appearance, Mother Cheng didn't say much and turned to see that Father Cheng had already sat down, so she beckoned Wang Hao and Aunt Liu to sit down together.

Aunt Liu obviously had a good relationship with Cheng Yufei's family and usually ate at the same table.

Although Wang Hao was present this time, she didn't avoid it and sat down at the dining table generously.

After all, in the kitchen, her appetite had already been piqued, and she also wanted to taste Wang Hao's cooking!

Father Cheng simply said a few words of thanks, and seeing that the chopsticks in his daughter's hand were already eager to move, he quickly ended the topic and announced that they could start eating.