Chapter 21

Sheng Zexi thought his idea was a bit crazy. Even if he learned, he would still be a novice at cooking compared to experienced chefs.

But if he remained as he is now, it would be hard to solve Nuo Nuo’s problem. If he learned to cook himself, he would at least know how to adjust things when the time came.

Sheng Zexi is rarely obsessed over problems. To him, it was a pointless exercise. However, he agonized over this one for two more days.

The assistant saw him deep in thought and assumed there would be some major changes in the company. Then, one morning, Sheng Zexi suddenly told the assistant, “Find me a good teacher and sign me up for a cooking class.”

Initially, the assistant thought the boss’s recent serious demeanor, his constant internal struggle, and worried expressions were a matter of life and death for the company. It turned out he wanted to take a cooking class.

Is learning to cook the latest trend among bosses for discussing business deals?

The assistant didn’t dare to question the boss’s orders and immediately enrolled him in the best cooking class available.

The assistant worked efficiently and submitted the teacher’s profile to Sheng Zexi’s desk that very day. As he looked over the teacher’s impressive resume, Sheng Zexi hesitated. Should he spend his limited time on this? He had a professional team and plenty of people to solve his problems. Perhaps changing a few chefs would suffice.

Spending time with his child was his responsibility as a father.

However, learning to cook just so his child would eat more felt outside his usual duties.

When in doubt, consult the internet.

After some research, he found that children refusing to eat was a common issue in many families, unrelated to the chef’s quality. It depended entirely on the child’s habits.

It was clear that his little one wasn’t the self-disciplined type.

But Sheng Zexi wasn’t the kind of person to avoid challenges. He had to try to see if he could solve this problem.

He finally opened the teacher’s profile on his desk and, seeing the teacher had trained many five-star chefs, decided to enroll in the class.

The lessons were scheduled in the afternoons and were one-on-one.

Given that he paid a high tuition, the teacher taught diligently. Sheng Zexi was quick to learn, and in about half a month, he was already getting the hang of it.

During his studies, he also researched the most suitable dishes for children.

Time flew by, and before he knew it, it was almost Nuo Nuo’s third birthday.

Due to his previous oversight—forgetting Grandpa Xu’s birthday—Nuo Nuo reminded him in advance.

“Daddy, my birthday is coming up soon. Have you thought about what gift to get me?”

As the child spoke to Sheng Zexi about her birthday, he was in the kitchen studying recipes. Hearing her, he closed the book on the table, looked at her, and asked, “What birthday gift do you want?”

Nuo Nuo received plenty of birthday gifts every year and didn’t have anything specific in mind this time. So, when she heard her dad’s question, she tilted her head, then shook it, and said a bit worriedly, “I don’t know what I want.”

“How about this? You buy it but don’t tell me, and then surprise me?”

Children always look forward to surprises.

“Okay.”

Sheng Zexi thought she would leave after making her request, but instead, she climbed onto his lap, curiously trying to see what he was doing.

“Daddy, what are you looking at?”

For many years, Sheng Zexi never considered cooking a skill he should learn. But now, for his child, he had to start from scratch.

Nuo Nuo told her mom everything. Sheng Zexi, being a man of action, felt a bit embarrassed at the thought of her announcing his unfinished efforts. So, he grabbed a book and covered the recipe, saying, “Daddy is working. Go play.”

Though he felt embarrassed, he didn’t show it.

Nuo Nuo found her dad’s behavior odd but couldn’t pinpoint why. After trying and failing to see the table’s contents, she regretfully climbed down from his lap and waved, “Daddy, I’m going out to play. You keep working.”

The little one’s sweet demeanor made Sheng Zexi smile. Then he reopened the recipe book to continue studying how to make more nutritious meals.

Just as he was about to dive back into his studies, his phone on the table suddenly vibrated.

He glanced at it—it was a call from his biological mother.

Sheng Zexi was taken aback and then answered the call expressionlessly.

Since he graduated, his mother has been trying to mend their relationship. But how could a stone, frozen in ice for so many years, ever soften? Each time she called, Sheng Zexi’s voice was cold and indifferent. Mrs. Zheng, having a weak heart, eventually stopped calling him as often.

But with Nuonuo’s birthday approaching, she was calling for a reason.

As expected, once the call connected, Mrs. Zheng said, “Nuo Nuo’s birthday is coming up. Sheng Zexi, I hope you can take some time to spend with her. It would be best if you could bring her back here to celebrate.”

In previous years, busy with work, he would have given a noncommittal response. But this year, missing Nuo Nuo’s birthday was not an option.

His voice didn’t change much from its usual cold tone, “I will take her out to celebrate.”

Although his tone remained as icy as ever, Mrs. Zheng sensed a difference. Unlike previous years, he wasn’t dismissive but rather committed to celebrating with his child.

Mrs. Zheng was genuinely happy about this change. She was excited but unsure what to say.

Her husband divorced her for true love, and she, wallowing in self-pity for years, refused to see her son. When she finally woke up, her son was already an adult. Her regret was profound but futile.

The wounds inflicted during his childhood and adolescence would likely never heal.

When he got married, she felt a glimmer of hope. His willingness to start a family might mean he still yearned for warmth.

Mrs. Zheng sincerely wished her son could forget the pain of his childhood and find happiness in the future.

Unfortunately, things didn’t turn out as she hoped. The image of her son finding happiness in his own family never materialized. His personality was as cold and unfeeling as his father’s.

She thought that was the end of it, but to her surprise… he finally realized he was a father.

Apparently, the rumors she heard about him bringing his child to work weren’t false. She had heard people laughing, saying Sheng Zexi brought his child to the office, but she thought they were joking.

Mrs. Zheng tentatively asked, “Do you want to come back for dinner?”

Of course not.

Sheng Zexi’s goodwill towards Nuo Nuo didn’t mean he had forgiven his parents.

Their selfishness was something he could never forgive.

He refused without hesitation, “No, I’ll take her out to eat.”

Mrs. Zheng’s tone was noticeably disappointed, but she knew it was unlikely her son would forgive her. She said, “Have fun.”

Shortly after, she transferred money to Sheng Zexi, a birthday gift for Nuo Nuo.

Mrs. Zheng often bought things for Nuo Nuo, which Sheng Zexi was unaware of. However, every year she transferred money for the child’s birthday, Sheng Zexi would return it, as he didn’t need it.

But this time, he hesitated. This was a gift from Nuo Nuo’s grandmother. No matter what, it was a gesture of kindness. Would returning it be rude?

After a moment’s hesitation, Sheng Zexi accepted the transfer and forwarded it to Xu Ai.

When Xu Ai saw the transfer notification, she was stunned. Sheng Zexi usually gave her a bank card, so this was the first time he transferred money. She quickly received a message from Sheng Zexi.

“It’s from my mother for Nuo Nuo’s birthday.”

Xu Ai had met Sheng Zexi’s mother a few times. She lived abroad most of the time and only came back to see Nuo Nuo, always bringing lots of gifts. She had mentioned once that their mother-son relationship was strained and that Sheng Zexi would always return the money she sent for Nuo Nuo.

But even after returning it, Mrs. Zheng continued to send money through Sheng Zexi. Xu Ai felt that while giving a red envelope was one thing, Mrs. Zheng probably also wanted to communicate with her son.

Sheng Zexi’s family background was quite complex. If not for the accumulated hatred from childhood, things wouldn’t have ended so tragically. From the perspective of wanting the best for the child, Xu Ai hoped Sheng Zexi could remain prosperous, though she doubted he would listen to her.

If he could repair his relationship with his parents and gradually move past his childhood traumas, wouldn’t the future be better?

Thinking this, Xu Ai felt she might be naive. People’s mindsets couldn’t change with just a few words of advice. She decided to stay out of it.

However, Sheng Zexi had helped her.

So she decided to take things one step at a time.

Even small amounts matter. Since it was Nuonuo’s birthday money, Xu Ai accepted it without hesitation. Then she heard Sheng Zexi ask, “Where do you want to celebrate Nuo Nuo’s birthday?”