The story begins in Food Wars, when Alice took him home.

"Radiant-level cuisine! How can this be? Every single pot is radiant-level cuisine? This is radiant-level cuisine, not some common, everyday stuff..."

Her voice was filled with disbelief, and she stood up from her chair, strode forward, and came to the edge of the kitchen counter.

With practiced skill, Bai Yuan lifted each plate of "Mountain and Sea Tempura Ultimate" from the oil pan with chopsticks and placed it steadily onto a silver plate.

The sauce was placed in a large bowl, and both were distributed by Megumi Tadokoro and Mieko Tadokoro. Each person could only take one serving and could not take more than one.

"Everyone line up in front. Each person can only take one serving. Once you've taken your food, please leave quickly so as not to continue blocking the traffic."

Looking at the crowded townspeople in front of him, Bai Yuan raised his hand and tapped the kitchen counter. The sound contained internal energy, which sobered up the townspeople who were full of longing.

Then they obediently lined up in two queues.

Although everyone was eager to try it, they were also worried that overcrowding would annoy Bai Yuan and cause them to lose the chance to enjoy the Flowing Light cuisine, which was something they absolutely could not accept. So it was better to behave themselves for now.

Soon, thanks to the efforts of everyone in Zhuang Huiyuan, the tempura was distributed to the townspeople in an orderly manner, and the crowd gradually dispersed in the process.

Even the staff of the Hyakuryuu Torii gate across the street, under Mieko Tadokoro's murderous gaze, each received a portion.

“This is truly a breathtaking dish. I apologize for my rude words earlier. I was blind to its value and mistook a pearl for a fish eye.”

After tasting the dish that Bai Yuan personally handed him, Wang Zhi's face showed an expression of admiration. Even if he practiced for another 100 years, he would still be far from being able to cook this dish!

Once your culinary skills reach a certain level, every further improvement becomes incredibly difficult!

The most obvious example is the Special Grade Four-Star and Special Grade Five-Star. Although there is only a one-star difference between the two, they have trapped Wang Zhi for thirty years.

However, this is not without its advantages. Thirty years have been spent accumulating strength for a top-tier five-star, hoping that one day it can transform into a dragon and soar into the sky.

Unfortunately, this day is just too hard to wait for.

Chapter 229 Xiaobai, you and Xiaohui can share a room.

“Your cooking is actually good in every way, and you pay great attention to the details, but there is one obvious problem: the dishes are disjointed and not well-integrated.”

Seeing Wang Zhi's convinced expression and his humble demeanor, Bai Yuan stopped making things difficult for him and instead pointed out the shortcomings of his cooking.

Although he hadn't tasted it, he could still keenly discern the shortcomings in Wang Zhi's cooking from the aroma wafting in the air.

By addressing these shortcomings, the dish can be taken to the next level. If every detail is then perfectly executed, it can reach the pinnacle of culinary artistry.

"Fusion..."

Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, Wang Zhi fell into a brief moment of contemplation. If an ordinary person had said these words to him, he would have simply smiled and remained silent.

But the person who said these words was Bai Yuan, and the young man in front of him, as a chef who could make luminous dishes, must have his reasons for saying so.

What exactly is this so-called integration?

Wang Zhi was completely baffled. If he were truly that intelligent, he wouldn't need anyone to tell him; he would have figured it out on his own.

"Think it over carefully. Once you've figured it out, the probability of your cooking reaching the glowing level will exceed 50%, at which point you can reach the special five-star level."

Some things can only be understood intuitively. If you don't realize it yourself, you'll never take that step in your entire life. So Bai Yuan doesn't intend to explain it explicitly.

"Thank you for the reminder. It has given me a clear direction. It's getting late, so I'll take my leave now."

Although he couldn't understand the meaning for the time being, Wang Zhi kept Bai Yuan's words firmly in mind and planned to study them carefully when he got back.

"Walk slowly without sending."

Watching Wang Zhi's departing figure, Bai Yuan gave a cold reply. Since the other party had come because of the Food War, even if his attitude was good now, he couldn't completely hold a grudge, so he put on a smiling, enthusiastic facade.

"And you, everyone else has left, what are you doing here?"

He turned his gaze back and finally it landed on the pure-looking girl in front of him.

Standing at the entrance of Zhuang Huiyuan, the other person, with a lollipop in their mouth, was looking at him with an inquisitive gaze, as if they were looking at some novel toy.

"Isn't this a hotel? You're staying here to check in, of course."

Kawanoka smiled sweetly as she walked inside, preparing to check in.

Putting everything else aside, her pink outfit, paired with her slightly chubby yet delicately pretty doll-like face, is incredibly adorable.

"Unfortunately, we are fully booked and cannot accommodate any extra guests at the moment. If you had come a day earlier, you might have been able to get a table."

Bai Yuan pursed his lips, somewhat helpless.

Although he had already guessed this, the hotel was full, and even if he allowed her to come in, she would have nowhere to stay.

"How could this happen! Otherwise, I'll make do with you and we can share a room. I don't mind at all, I trust you completely, and we can squeeze in."

"No way, I despise you, and I'm afraid of what you might do to me."

Seeing Kawahime winking at him, Shiro deliberately put on a scared expression, then got up and silently stood next to Tadokoro Megumi.

He always felt that this girl was not proper; she seemed normal but was somewhat eccentric. Besides, free things are always the most expensive, so there was no need to get too close to her.

"Don't say such unromantic things!"

Seeing Bai Yuan waving his hands repeatedly in refusal, Chuan Linghua stopped pretending to be cute and instead complained speechlessly, "Is she really that unattractive?"

"If you really want to stay, come early tomorrow morning. Xiaohui and I will be leaving then, and the room will be available."

Not wanting to offend anyone, Bai Yuan pulled Tadokoro Megumi along, preparing to leave, but they were stopped.

"Leave? Where to? According to Japan's holiday schedule, shouldn't we be on holiday now? Shouldn't we be home resting..."

Kawanoka mumbled a bunch of things, and Bai Yuan understood what she meant. She basically said that once you mention your hometown, you shouldn't wander off.

"That's not your concern."

They argued idly, and although Bai Yuan didn't know why the other party refused to leave, he was a very timid person. He casually replied with a few words and prepared to leave, but the other party acted as if he would not give up until he achieved his goal.

"Can I stay by your side for a while?"

Kawanobi revealed her purpose: it would be a waste not to make good use of such a powerful master chef!

"No."

Bai Yuan refused without even thinking.

Although the guy in front of me is pretty and has a great figure, he looks like a troublemaker. He's already feeling annoyed after just a short time here. If I keep him around, who knows what kind of trouble he'll cause.

"Huh!? Such a beautiful young girl in the prime of her life asked you to take her out and play with her, without you having to do anything for her, and you just refused like that!!"

Looking at Bai Yuan's merciless attitude, Chuan Linghua stood there in disbelief. From childhood to adulthood, she had never been rejected by anyone. Because of her looks and status, everyone would obey her.

Now, someone is actually refusing.

He still spoke in that absolutely decisive tone.

For some reason, a strange emotion welled up in Kawahime's heart. If her previous feelings were about exploring his cooking skills, now she was becoming interested in him as a person.

Thinking of this, Kawanobi ran up again, displaying her shameless and persistent spirit.

Seeing that she was a girl, Bai Yuan suppressed his dissatisfaction and did not take action. In the end, it was Tadokoro Mieko who stepped forward and came up with a solution.

Simply put, Shirobuchi and Tadokoro Megumi stayed there, leaving the room empty for her.

It wasn't that they were missing this one customer; it was just that Tadokoro Mieko had been standing there watching for a long time and noticed that Tadokoro Megumi looked like she wanted to say something but couldn't.

As someone who's been through it all, Mieko Tadokoro boldly guesses that Megumi Tadokoro must have had those kinds of thoughts, but she was just shy and embarrassed to say it directly since it was her first time.

As her mother, Mieko Tadokoro felt she needed to give her a push, otherwise, given her shy and timid nature, she probably wouldn't be able to hold her grandson in her lifetime!

"Alright, since it's been decided, you two should go back and get some rest."

Seeing her daughter and son-in-law still standing there like wooden blocks, Mieko Tadokoro pushed them in exasperation.

Only after the two figures disappeared from her sight did she wipe away non-existent sweat from her forehead and turn to look at Kawanishika.

"Ah this..."

"Girl, come with me."

Seeing the strange expression on Kawahira's face, Tadokoro Mieko gave her a friendly smile and then invited her to the room where Shirabuchi had previously stayed.

the other side.

Bai Yuan arrived at the door of Tadokoro Megumi's room, but instead of going in right away, he looked around curiously.

A faint fragrance wafted from the crack in the door, a blend of citrus and some soft floral scent, both unfamiliar and strangely familiar.

"Let's go in."

Beside her, Tadokoro Megumi saw that Shiro hadn't moved for a long time, but was just closing his eyes and smelling the fragrance in a blush.

Although she was genuinely grateful for her mother's help, she couldn't help but tremble with a mix of nervousness and anticipation when the moment actually arrived.

"Well, this is the first time I've been to Xiaohui's room, whether it's in Totsuki or here, even though I've been here for two days already."

Bai Yuan also sensed the atmosphere in the air, so she took the initiative to open the door and start a conversation. The room wasn't big, but it was filled with her presence.

The bookshelf in the corner was filled with books, and several open notebooks were casually spread out on the table, the handwriting messy but still bearing her style.

The bed was covered with light-colored sheets, and next to the pillow was a plush teddy bear that looked quite old, yet it was still cherished and placed there.

Next to the bed was a windowsill with several small plants on it. Moonlight streamed in through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the entire room.

"Please have a seat, I'll get you some water."

Tadokoro Megumi felt embarrassed and wanted to leave, but Bai Yuan grabbed her arm, pressed her down, and dragged her to the soft bed.

"I'm not thirsty right now, so you don't need to pour me water. By the way, I've helped your family so much, doesn't Xiaohui have any thoughts of gratitude?"

It wasn't about taking advantage of someone's kindness; it was just a little interaction between lovers. Bai Yuan leaned closer and looked at Tadokoro Megumi's incredibly cute and innocent face, and his heart started racing.

"Yes, but I don't know what you need. Can you tell me what you want, Brother Bai Yuan?"

Bai Yuan thought Tadokoro Megumi was cute, and Tadokoro Megumi thought Bai Yuan was handsome. Especially when they were looking at each other at such close range, their heartbeats were both a little fast.

Being constantly on the offensive is not a pleasant experience, especially when the other person's face is close to yours; your heart rate can be incredibly fast.

"Haven't you always known what I want?"

Having been trained by Alice Nakiri and Sonoka Kiko, Hakugen was no longer the greenhorn he once was.

Faced with Tadokoro Megumi's question, which he already knew the answer to, he naturally suppressed it, keeping his gaze fixed on her eyes.

"Are you ready?"

Although they didn't go to the mall for their date, their intimate interactions in the kitchen were no different from a regular date.

Since they were already boyfriend and girlfriend, Shirabuchi became quite flirtatious with Tadokoro Megumi while they were cooking in the kitchen, taking advantage of her in many ways.

Although Tadokoro Megumi appeared very shy, she was actually quite happy inside.