Transmigrated to Another World and Doted on by Everyone!-Chapter 42: Dinner with Fourth Brother

Chapter 42: Dinner with Fourth Brother
He turned to head toward the kitchen, but then heard Rong Zishan’s puzzled voice behind him.
"Cook? Since when do you know how to cook?"
Rong Xingyu froze mid step.
Crap. He had forgotten, the original body had been a pampered young master who never lifted a finger. The guy probably couldn’t even tell soy sauce from vinegar. How was he supposed to cook?
He didn’t dare turn around. Gripping the hem of his shirt nervously, he stammered, "I-I’ve been interested in it lately. The housekeeper’s been teaching me."
He couldn’t see his brother’s expression, but thankfully Rong Zishan didn’t press the issue. In fact, he seemed impressed.
"Really? Then I definitely have to taste your cooking."
Only then did Rong Xingyu quietly exhale in relief.
He quickly prepared a few simple home style dishes and deliberately holding back his real skills so it looked more like the work of a beginner.
But as soon as Rong Zishan took a bite, his expression suddenly changed.
He set down his chopsticks and the cheerful smile vanished from his face.
In an instant, the lively playful brother was gone his gaze sharp and serious.
"You’re not Xiaoyu." Rong Zishan frowned, his tone firm. "Who are you?"
"!!!"
Rong Xingyu went pale.
His hand trembled, and the spoon he was holding slipped into the bowl with a crisp clink.
Rong Xingyu slowly picked up the spoon again gripping it tightly.
He forced a small smile and looked at his brother. "F-Fourth Brother, what are you talking about? If I’m not Rong Xingyu, then who else would I be?"
Rong Zishan folded his arms while looking him skeptically.
Just when Rong Xingyu was about to crumble under that piercing stare, Rong Zishan suddenly slapped the table with a loud thud.
"You’re not the Xiaoyu I remember! Since when did you learn to cook like this?"
Then he picked up his chopsticks again and grabbed another bite of food. "I haven’t had proper home cooked food like this in forever! You know what, Xiaoyu? If you can’t get into college, just open a restaurant. Your fourth brother will definitely be your first customer."
Rong Xingyu: "..."
His face twitched.
"...Thanks," he managed weakly. "But I think I can still get into college."
Honestly, if his mental endurance had been just a little weaker, he might’ve died of shock right there.
"Can you stop talking while gasping like that, Brother?" Rong Xingyu thought helplessly.
Meanwhile, Rong Zishan still looked very proud of himself. He continued confidently, "Isn’t there that saying... uh, when one window closes, another door opens or something like that—"
"You mean, when God closes a door, He opens a window?"
"Yes, yes, that one! Anyway, even though I’m totally fine taking care of you forever, you still need to have some hobbies, right? When the others see you, they’ll think, so what if only the two of us are bad at studying? I still managed to bring home another championship trophy this time!"
Rong Xingyu: "..."
At that moment, he suddenly understood why the original Rong Xingyu had gotten along fairly well with this brother, it turned out they were both bad at studying.
He didn’t know how to tell Rong Zishan that his grades were actually pretty good now and that the only "poor student" in the family might be him.
Maybe because Rong Zishan had been living abroad for a while, it had really been a long time since he’d eaten such authentic home made food. By the end of the meal, he’d cleared every dish on the table.
After eating and drinking to his heart’s content, he leaned back in his chair with satisfaction, then suddenly grew curious.
"When did you learn to cook like this?" he asked.
"I practiced at home when you guys weren’t around," Rong Xingyu replied calmly. He felt he was getting better and better at making up believable stories.
Finally getting an answer, Rong Zishan scratched his head, feeling a little uneasy.
He wasn’t a very observant person and he rarely thought too deeply about others’ feelings, but realizing that he’d been too busy to pay attention to his younger brother before made him feel a pang of guilt.
So Rong Zishan stood up and said, "I’ll help you clean up."
Rong Xingyu blinked his eyes, watching as his brother actually stacked the plates quite neatly and started walking toward the kitchen.
A faint sense of dread crept up inside him.
But... it should be fine, right?
"Hey, Xiaoyu, should I just put these in the dishwasher or Ah! Damn it!"
The two sharp sounds of shattering porcelain echoed from the kitchen.
Rong Xingyu’s temple twitched.
A moment later, Rong Zishan appeared at the doorway with foam still clinging to his hands and smiling sheepishly. He had just broken two brand new white porcelain bowls and a plate that Rong Xingyu had recently bought.
With a dark expression, Rong Xingyu promptly kicked him out of the kitchen.
Rong Zishan called out as he backed away while smiling, "Xiaoyu, tomorrow I want to eat braised ribs! And spicy shrimp!"
"...Got it," Rong Xingyu replied helplessly.
Despite himself, his mood lifted a little.
Having a brother like this... wasn’t so bad after all.
Rong Zishan’s sudden arrival completely disrupted Rong Xingyu’s plans for the evening.
Because, among the luggage Rong Zishan had dragged in, one entire suitcase was filled with gifts for him.
When he opened it, the inside was packed to the brim.
The beautifully wrapped local specialties, designer branded items and even a few strange and interesting little trinkets.
It was as if, during his time abroad, whenever Rong Zishan saw something fun or unique, he’d buy it just to bring it back for Rong Xingyu.
Rong Xingyu bit his lower lip as he looked at the open suitcase on the floor.
He knew that all of these gifts had originally been bought for the original Rong Xingyu.
If he said he wasn’t moved, that would be a lie.