Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

Whether it was a boy's or a girl's room, deafening snoring filled the air at that moment.

"Boss Bai, you're finally back."

Inside the room, Lia had changed into a kimono at some point and was sitting upright at a small table, with plates of exquisite dishes in front of her.

Upon seeing Bai Yuan enter, he immediately greeted him with a smile and stood up to welcome him.

"Where are the peanuts you fried?"

Looking at the dishes on the table, Bai Yuan didn't see what he wanted, and asked Liya in confusion.

"My cooking is not worthy of this table."

Looking at the shimmering dish in front of her, and thinking of her own utterly ordinary plate of peanuts, Leah couldn't help but chuckle to herself.

She had just felt that she had performed well and that she could satisfy Bai Yuan.

But now, seeing him casually create large quantities of luminous dishes, he suddenly became somewhat insecure and therefore refused to show his own cooking to others.

"What's this about being worthy or not? I just want to eat your peanuts, I really, really want them, please bring them up quickly."

"All right..."

Upon hearing Liya's words, Bai Yuan sat down opposite her and tapped the table as he spoke, asking her to bring out the peanuts he had prepared.

Seeing Bai Yuan's reaction, Lia finally took out the peanuts she had hidden under the table.

"Isn't this pretty good?"

Seeing Liya hesitantly offer him some peanuts, Bai Yuan picked one up and popped it into his mouth, chewing it twice and making a crunchy sound.

"But compared to this table of shimmering, dazzling dishes, it's utterly ordinary."

Hearing Bai Yuan's words, Liya couldn't help but mutter to herself. She knew he was trying to comfort her, and although she was grateful, it really wasn't necessary.

The difference between the dishes was like heaven and earth.

"Don't worry about whether it glows or not, whether it shimmers or not, those are just appearances."

The most important thing about cooking is the chef's heart—the heart that wants the customer to show happiness when they eat the food. If you have this thought, you are a truly great chef.

Bai Yuan picked up the wine glass on the table, took a sip, and said with a slightly darkened gaze.

He had drunk quite a bit outside and was already slightly tipsy. He actually quite liked this dizzy feeling.

"Do you want him to have a happy expression when he eats the food? If you cook with that in mind, will it make him feel happy?"

"I don't know, but I can feel the emotions you put into the dish, and you must have put a lot of thought into it."

Hearing Liya's murmurs, Bai Yuan picked up another peanut, closed his eyes, and began to savor the experience.

Crispy in texture and savory in flavor, the peanuts exude a strong aroma of liquor due to the addition of baijiu (Chinese white liquor), making them even more delicious when paired with alcohol.

"Have a drink with me, Leah."

Bai Yuan began, swirling his wine glass.

"Yes, Boss Bai!"

Upon hearing Bai Yuan's voice, Liya realized what was happening. She then looked at his empty wine glass, stood up slightly, and gracefully poured him a drink.

She learned this a few days ago, and although the movements weren't perfect, they had a unique charm when paired with her delicate and adorable baby face.

Bai Yuan was enjoying himself, but unfortunately the girl's figure wasn't very good. Even if she deliberately loosened her neckline, she couldn't show much allure. Instead, she gave off a naive and innocent feeling.

This feeling is quite appealing.

Bai Yuan at least liked her. He had seen many gentle, charming, and stunning women, but someone like Lia was rare in this world.

She looks like a delicate porcelain doll.

Time passed slowly, and with each glass of wine she drank, Leah's face flushed, and she looked slightly tipsy.

"Boss Bai, I...I like you!"

Sitting in Bai Yuan's arms, Lia's eyes were glazed over, and she could only utter this one sentence.

I like you very much too.

You're a little drunk, let me take you home to rest.

As Bai Yuan spoke, he prepared to help Liya up and take her back to her room to rest, but the girl clung to him like a boneless water snake.

"I'm not going back, let's sleep together."

Her voice carried a hint of coquetry, but her eyes were half-closed in comfort.

"Let's sleep together then, but you have to let go of me first so I can get the bedding down. We can't sleep under the open sky."

"You're so cool, it feels so good to hug you. I'm so hot, I need to cool down, hiccup... so I can't let go."

Lia spoke incoherently, her words completely disorganized, like a young child, clearly indicating that she was somewhat incoherent due to alcohol consumption.

"I should have recorded it so you could hear what you said tomorrow. Luckily, you didn't go on a drunken rampage, which shows you're not a bad person."

Bai Yuan sighed helplessly, lifted Liya up by her bottom, held her with one hand, and took out bedding from the closet with the other, then spread it out on the floor.

After finishing all this, he turned off the room light and then crawled into bed.

In the early morning, as the first rays of sunlight streamed through the window, Leah rubbed her slightly throbbing head and sat up alone from under the covers.

The pain from the hangover left her clutching her head, unable to speak for a long time.

When she came to her senses, she realized that her kimono was loose and baggy. She panicked and hurriedly checked herself.

However, when she thought about how she had been drinking with Bai Yuan last night, her panic subsided like a receding tide.

Instead, a faint sense of melancholy prevailed.

Even after what I did yesterday, Bai Yuan remained unmoved. Judging from the sensations I felt, he only got a little bit of his kicks.

Am I really that unattractive?

Impossible. If that were the case, Bai Yuan wouldn't have resorted to violence. The faint strange sensations coming from several places on my body couldn't possibly be as simple as an accidental touch.

"Because of that apprentice..."

When the image of Bai Yuan's apprentice, whom she often mentioned when she was in the Dark Cuisine world, came to mind, a strange feeling arose in Lia's heart, and a bitter smile appeared on her face.

The other person knew Boss Bai earlier than her, and had even saved his life. The title of "Lady of the Dark Cuisine World" should rightfully belong to her.

Her words...

"As for me, I'd be content just to be by Boss Bai's side!"

Lia changed her clothes and quietly revealed her true feelings.

"Hurry up, hurry up! Anyone who dares to stop for even a second will get a beating! Why are you all so weak? You haven't even swung the iron yet? How are you supposed to control a kitchen knife!"

Watching the young men and women jogging slowly in the mountains and forests, practicing with two iron balls in their hands, Bai Yuan urged them on in a cold voice.

For a chef, both strength and endurance are important.

Yesterday, I had these guys practice flipping the wok. Besides honing their skills, it also helped them develop their strength.

After a night of exercise, these guys' arms were sore to varying degrees, making them unsuitable for further weight training.

But it wouldn't do to just sit around doing nothing, so Bai Yuan found a whip and started training their endurance. The best way to increase physical strength is to jog, a long-term aerobic exercise.

"Don't stop! If you want to stop, wait until it's completely burned out!"

"Yes, Professor Bai Yuan!"

Seeing that the men and women behind him were moving slower and slower, almost walking, Bai Yuan frowned slightly and immediately brandished his whip to catch up.

When the men saw him approaching and saw the long whip lashing down on them, they turned pale with fright and immediately sped up.

"Boss Bai."

Seeing this, Lia, who had changed her clothes and came out of the room, greeted him and then jogged over to his side.

"Oh, you're awake."

Perfect timing! I've been supervising them here all morning; the rest is up to you.

If someone stops or slows down and you want to chase them with the whip, but they really can't keep going, let them stand and rest. Remember to find the right balance.

Seeing Liya standing beside him, Bai Yuan raised his hand to greet her, then handed the whip to her.

"I understand. I know that sitting down suddenly after strenuous exercise is bad for your health!"

Lia nodded. Although she didn't know why Bai Yuan could hand over the whip so naturally, she accepted it nonetheless.

She was already very grateful that the other party didn't disturb her sleep in the morning and let her sleep until she woke up naturally.

"Then I'll go back to the kitchen first."

"Okay, be careful on the road."

"Get running, all of you! I'm talking to you guys in the back! Don't think I'm easy to talk to just because I'm here. I'll be even stricter than Boss Bai!"

Watching Bai Yuan's departing figure and the few people behind him slowing down, Lia frowned, brandished her whip, and followed after him, her tone stern.

"Yes, Ms. Leah!"

I thought I could take a short break, but when the whip grazed my face and knocked off a piece of bark from the tree in front of me...

They discovered that Leah was even more ruthless than Bai Yuan!

"It smells so good! Looks like these little guys are in for a treat."

Smelling the fragrant aroma in the air, Bai Yuan couldn't help but speak. He then looked at the short-haired, pinkish-purple girl who was moving among the many clay pots, her brows slightly furrowed, constantly checking the heat and occasionally adding hot water.

"Teacher Bai Yuan, you're back! Please save me! Preparing over a hundred pots of stew at the same time is simply inhuman!"

Hearing a noise at the door, Hisako Shinto looked up in alarm, only to find it was Shirai. She immediately ran over with a long face.

If you look closely, you can see that the girl's face looks a little haggard.

"Being cute won't work. This is a test for you. During the Food Battle, you can't just cry to him and he'll admit defeat."

Reaching out, he ruffled Hisako Shinodo's smooth short hair, and said with a half-smile.

"Tch, I knew you wouldn't agree. You've wasted my feelings."

The delicate look on her face vanished, replaced by an expression that said, "I knew you'd say that."

"Knowing it already and still trying it, you're just asking for a beating."