Billionaire Biker Boy

Chapter 43 - Xmas Gifts

 

Samut followed Ranee's instructions diligently. Though he was a bit slow, he put in all of his effort. He was observant and asked plenty of questions, which only made Ranee grow even fonder of him...And so, the tone when talking to him grew gentler.

 

"O, cut two limes for me, dear? Cut them the way I showed you and make sure to remove all the seeds."

 

"Yes, ma'am!" Samut grabbed the limes, washed them, patted them dry, and cut them into three neat wedges each, avoiding the white core to prevent bitterness.

 

"O, do you know how to peel turmeric?" Varatchaya asked.

 

"I've never done it before," he admitted.

 

"Come here, I'll teach you. When you get turmeric, check the skin first. If it's thin and you can see the orange flesh underneath, like this one, you can scrape it off with a knife or a spoon. But if it's more aged, like this one, you'll need to slice it off with a knife. Oh, and if you're worried about staining your hands, you can wear gloves."

 

"It's fine, no need to waste gloves," the eco-conscious young man replied. Samut then focused intently on peeling the turmeric, staining his fingers bright yellow in the process.

 

As he continued helping, he realised that even a wealthy family like the Atcharangkuls ate simple dishes like everyone else. The difference was in the meticulous preparation. For example, even boiling shrimp for a seafood salad involved marinating them in flour first, rinsing off the flour completely, blanching them, and then resting them in ice water. For fried chicken wings, the bones were removed, the meat stuffed with seasoned pork and shrimp, then steamed until cooked, and finally coated in batter and fried to perfection.

 

Even the plating was artful, with colourful salad greens making the dishes look like they came straight out of a fine-dining restaurant. Once all the dishes were ready, Samut helped the housekeeper carry them to the dining room.

 

"P'Waew, should I bring the whole rice pot, or should we serve it here?"

 

"Bring the whole pot to the table, please," the housekeeper replied with a smile, her workload lighter than usual today.

 

When everything was set, the Atcharangkul family took their seats. Vichai sat at the head of the table, with Ranee to his left, followed by Windy in her high chair, Varatchaya, and Louis. On Vichai's right were Wonchana, Samut, and Liam, while Luca sat at the opposite head of the table to keep an eye on his two sons. Samut blended in seamlessly, even helping to look after Liam, who was quieter and shyer than his twin.

 

The atmosphere at the dining table was warm and delightful. The foreign son-in-law stood up and expertly carved the whole roasted chicken into pieces, making it easier. for everyone to serve themselves.

 

"Wow, that's amazing! The chicken is so tender," the little one exclaimed, watching the skilled carving with wide eyes.

 

Varatchaya laughed. "Normally, people use turkey, but I don't like its texture as much. Our local chicken is much tastier."

 

"I see. But why isn't it bright yellow like the ones in restaurants? Or did all the turmeric end up on my hands?" Samut raised his turmeric-stained hands in confusion, making everyone laugh.

 

"Maybe we should roast you instead," Wonchana teased, earning a glare and a pout in return.

 

Ranee, the recipe's owner, finally explained, "Restaurants use turmeric powder, and some even add food colouring: I use a lot of black pepper. If you don't like the darker colour, you can switch to white pepper, but the flavour will change."

 

"I see. I think I'd choose flavour over appearance," Samut said thoughtfully.

 

"But people are often drawn to appearance first," Luca commented in English. Though he understood Thai, he wasn't very fluent in speaking it.

 

Samut laughed and replied in English, "True. Sometimes you see a beautiful cake that looks amazing, but it tastes awful, just overly sweet."

 

"That's because some desserts require a lot of sugar to hold their shape. If you reduce the sugar too much, you have to compensate with other ingredients like flour or eggs, which changes the texture and flavour. That's why baking recipes can't be adjusted as freely as savoury dishes," the professional chef explained.

 

When Luca learned that Samut was learning to cook, he kindly offered, "Why don't you come here tomorrow? I'll be making dinner and can teach you some basics."

 

"Really?" Samut's eyes lit up, but then he remembered this wasn't his house. He turned to Wonchana with a pleading look. Wonchana laughed, already knowing what the little one wanted. "I'll pick you up tomorrow."

 

"P’Win, you're the best!"

 

If it weren't for the crowd, the adorable one would've already gotten a reward.

 

After finishing the main meal, everyone moved to the living room. Wonchana and Varatchaya brought out the prepared snacks and fruits, while Ranee went to make hot tea, with Samut trailing behind her to help.

 

The adults enjoyed fresh fruit and cheese tarts, while the twins were delighted with cream puffs, daifuku, and soft chocolate. Windy gnawed on a large Korean strawberry to soothe her teething gums, with Varatchaya ensuring the fruit didn't break into small pieces that could choke her. The 'kid-at-heart' adult was happily indulging in a large matcha-filled cream puff.

 

"Wow, this is so good...Bangkok really is amazing!"

 

The Bangkok natives laughed in unison, and Varatchaya teased her brother, "Now I know how you managed to woo O... But O, you shouldn't accept sweets from strangers."

 

"If the stranger is this handsome, I'll take them." The little one grinned brightly.

Wonchana puffed out his chest with pride.

 

"Hmph, I'm jealous of both of you!" 

 

Varatchaya huffed, though she couldn't help but smile when little Liam offered a piece of nama chocolate to Samut, who accepted it with a wide grin. She teased, "Oh my, does this mean my Liam is super handsome, too?"

 

"O, don't accept food from other men," Wonchana said in a mock-whiny tone. With his mouth full of chocolate, Samut turned to glare at him.

...You get jealous of your own nephew?!

 

Luca then entered with a bottle of wine and five glasses, excluding Varatchaya, who was still nursing Windy. Wonchana told Luca that he and Samut would pass on the wine. "O is probably allergic to fruit-based alcohol, and I plan to take my Hat Yai boy out to see the Christmas lights later. We'll skip this time."

 

That left Vichai, Ranee, and Luca to enjoy the wine together. Then it was time to exchange gifts. Ranee handed Samut a small, beautifully wrapped rectangular box, concealing a brand logo. "Here, O. This is from your uncle and me, including a reward for helping me last time."

 

"Thank you so much, Uncle and Auntie!" Samut said, bowing politely. He accepted the box and handed them his own gift in return. "This is for you. I wish you both happiness and good health."

 

Everyone exchanged gifts, and the last two bags Samut had bought were revealed-one for Wonchana and one for P'Waew, who beamed with joy at receiving an extra gift. Everyone unwrapped their presents with excitement, especially the kids. Samut soon realised that the 'fun gift exchange Wonchana had mentioned came with a price tag that left him wide-eyed and slightly overwhelmed.

 

Vichai gave Ranee a luxury handbag worth over seven figures. Luca gifted Varatchaya a dazzling diamond necklace. The other gifts included branded clothing and accessories. Wonchana gave matching designer sunglasses to his parents, sister, and his brother-in-law. But no one who received a gift from Samut showed any disappointment or disdain for its value. 

 

Vichai happily remarked that he hadn't had swallow nests in ages. Ranee said she loved the scent of the candles. Varatchaya and Luca praised the quality of the towels, saying they'd been meaning to replace their old ones.

 

The kids, of course, were thrilled. The twins even kissed Samut on the cheeks, their lips smeared with chocolate, delighted with their toys.

 

Samut, however, nearly fainted when he discovered that the 'Christmas and thank-you gift from Vichai and Ranee was a five-baht gold bar, given as compensation for the value of the bag that had almost been snatched.

Varatchaya and Luca's gift was the latest iPad Pro, complete with a stylus and wireless earbuds.

 

And finally, there was the gift Wonchana had secretly bought for him. A silver bracelet from a famous brand, adorned with charms spelling out: 'OCEAN•WIN'

 

Wonchana immediately helped him put it on and asked, "Is it too heavy? The salesperson said it might feel heavy for someone who's not used to wearing one. They suggested reducing the number of charms, but I thought I'd get them all for now since they can be added or removed. If you like it, I'll take you to pick out other bracelets, too."

 

"Let me try it first. I'll probably get used to it," Samut replied, clearly pleased, unaware that the seemingly simple silver bracelet was worth as much as a one-baht gold bar. Wonchana, on the other hand, was equally delighted with the orange tie Samut had given him. Though it wasn't a high-end luxury brand, it was still a quality item, and the material and pattern suited him perfectly.

 

"That tie's gorgeous. P'Win, you love orange, don't you? You must be thrilled," Varatchaya teased

 

"I do love orange. It's my lucky colour, especially the orange vest you gave me last year. It helped me land a future boyfriend, after all," Wonchana responded and turned to give the little one a tender look. "Thank you, O."

 

Samut could only smile shyly.

...So that vest is actually from P'Vick?

 

Then Varatchaya interrupted the romantic mood by asking, "Hey, so what's the story behind the vest? Tell me about it."

 

The request made Samut even more embarrassed, but he nodded, allowing Wonchana to recount the grand tale of his ridiculous misunderstanding.

 

"So, it was a Thursday, and I decided to wear that vest because, honestly, I didn't know when else I'd get the chance. Then, as I turned onto Silom, I stopped to buy a sandwich from my usual vendor. After paying, someone came running up to me, yelling loudly, 'Excuse me, can you take me to the Atcharangkul Building at Narathiwat Intersection?!' I was still stunned when he grabbed my shoulder and hopped onto the back of my bike. When I hesitated, he started scolding me, asking if I was refusing a passenger and that he'd report me to the police. I didn't know what to do, so I ended up driving him there. And I got paid twenty baht for it."

 

When Wonchana finished his story, everyone burst into laughter. Honestly, they were laughing more at Wonchana than at the little one, but Samut thought they were laughing at his own cluelessness. Not knowing how to react, he buried his flushed face into the shoulder of the man beside him.

 

"Mmmph, but I didn't know! I'm from Hat Yai, and the vest looked just like a motorbike taxi driver's vest"

 

"Oh no, my Balenciaga vest!" Varatchaya laughed so hard until tears streamed down her face.

 

"Forget Hat Yai, even a Frenchman wouldn't have guessed! Hahaha!"

 

"Then why didn't you just tell me you weren't a Silom motorbike taxi?"

 

Samut tried to shift the embarrassment onto Wonchana, puffing his cheeks in mock indignation. Seeing this, Wonchana couldn't resist and gently pinched both cheeks with his hands. "Because you're so adorable."

 

And then, in front of the entire family, Wonchana added, "So adorable that I want to give you a ride everywhere for the rest of my life."