Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

　"I almost forgot if you hadn't mentioned it, Boss Bai. Don't you think we're being a bit too relaxed?"

　Feeling the gentle pats on her smooth back, Leah tilted her head, stuck out her tongue, and gave a slightly guilty look.

　"Cooking tests your daily accumulation of skills. You can't expect to regress significantly just because you relax for a day or two. In fact, a proper sense of relaxation can actually help improve your skills."

　Upon hearing Liya's words, Bai Yuan gently patted her head to tell her not to be too nervous.

　"That's true. How could you possibly regress after a day or two of indulgence? Let's kiss, it'll help me recover some of my strength."

　Bai Yuan's words completely put Liya at ease. She then opened her arms and hugged his neck, her voice carrying a hint of ambiguity.

　"If this continues, it'll be a bit too indulgent, you idiot. Get up, brush your teeth and wash your face. I'll take you to the competition later."

　Seeing that Lia was trying to press her face against his, Bai Yuan gave her a sharp rap on the head and then pushed her away.

　If this continues, it's uncertain whether she'll even be able to stand up during the competition.

　After all, when he gets into the mood, he can't just stop whenever he wants.

　"Then help me put my clothes on."

　Hearing Bai Yuan's words and watching the boy gradually move away from her, Lia couldn't help but puff up her cheeks. Then she stretched out her hand in his direction, fully displaying her most exquisite skill.

　"Do your own thing."

　"Hey! You were the one who took it off, so why do I have to put it on in the end? That's not fair!"

　"Okay, I'll help you, but you have to get off me first."

　Seeing Lia's affected manner, and worried that she wouldn't get up unless he helped her, Bai Yuan rubbed his forehead slightly, but finally agreed to her request. However, he really couldn't do it in this position.

　"Sorry, it's so warm in Boss Bai's arms that I accidentally stayed in there and didn't want to get up."

　Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, Lia belatedly moved to the side.

　"Was it really that bad last night...?"

　Looking at the clothes scattered all over the floor, the white stockings were torn in several places, and the rest of the clothes were normal, but they had been scattered to various corners of the room.

　Without a doubt, he must have just casually discarded it last night. After all, at a time like that, who would care about a couple of pieces of clothing?

　"Yes! Boss Bai's fighting power was exceptionally high last night. If I hadn't been thinking about how to cherish me, I probably wouldn't be able to get out of bed today."

　Seeing Bai Yuan's surprised expression, Lia, who was shining brightly in the sunlight beside him, nodded in deep agreement and told him the truth.

　"It seems you were under a lot of pressure yesterday. I'm sorry, Leah, I made you suffer."

　He rolled out of bed, took out the clothes he had brought with him from the closet, and, like a male mother, helped Liya change.

　"It's alright. I like a bit of wildness too. In fact, if there wasn't a match tomorrow, I would have preferred that Boss Bai not be so lenient with me."

　Hearing Bai Yuan's apology, Liya waved her hand and looked at him with bright eyes.

　"Playing this high? That's really perverted."

　"When it comes to perversion, who can compare to you? In ancient times, this would be called 'husband singing in harmony with wife,' which is a very good virtue."

　After changing her clothes, Lia shook herself, tilted her head and smiled at Bai Yuan. Bai Yuan pinched her cheek, his expression doting.

　Getting up, washing up, and going to the toilet—it all takes no more than ten minutes.

　When he arrived at the restaurant on the first floor of the hotel, there were many people dining there. Bai Yuan saw many familiar figures and was walking towards the Polaris Trio.

　Good morning, Professor Bai Yuan.

　Seeing Bai Yuan walking towards them, Yoshino Yuuki, who was sitting on the far side, raised her arm and greeted him with great enthusiasm.

　"You should cover up the red marks on your neck; they're too obvious when you go out."

　As they passed by Yoshino Yuuki and her two companions, Sakaki Ryoko suddenly spoke up. Seeing Shirabuchi's questioning gaze, she pointed to her neck.

　"Ok?"

　"Oh, this is it."

　Seeing that Bai Yuan still didn't understand, Sakaki Ryoko took out her phone from her pocket and turned on the front camera.

　In the camera's view, Bai Yuan's neck bears faint red marks, marks that would only appear if someone sucked hard. Their sudden appearance here, as fresh as if they hadn't faded yet, speaks volumes.

Chapter 268 Leah's Past

　"Since we have a match tomorrow, it's better to be a little more restrained tonight!"

　A somewhat annoyed shout came from Tadokoro Megumi's mouth as she stared blankly at the red marks on Shirabuchi's neck.

　Since arriving in Fujian, the other party has never contacted her again.

　On one hand, it was because she wasn't proactive, but the main reason was that Bai Yuan was entangled with other girls, giving her no chance at all! She was never one to be good at competing.

　Thinking of this, Tadokoro Megumi's eyes became resentful. She then got up from beside Yoshino Yuuki, quickly walked to him, and gently took a breath on his neck.

　"That makes it symmetrical."

　Satisfied with the red mark on the other side of Bai Yuan's neck, Tadokoro Megumi nodded and returned to her seat. This bold and passionate expression, as well as her dejected departure at the end, made Bai Yuan pause for a moment, and a sense of guilt inexplicably welled up in his heart.

　"Xiao Hui..."

　Tadokoro Megumi was clever; she didn't directly ask for Shiro's favor because she knew that what was begged for would never truly belong to her. Only by making the other person feel...

　Only by feeling guilty can you gain genuine care.

　Of course, all of this is based on the premise that both parties love each other.

　Otherwise, the condition of feeling sorry for someone won't be met, and no one will care or pay attention, no matter how wronged you appear.

　That would actually make people feel awkward.

　"I'll stay with you tonight. I'll do whatever you want with you."

　He reached out and squeezed Tadokoro Megumi's palm, his eyes softening. This was their secret code. Then he waved and left with Lia.

　Today is Lia's match, and he has some things to tell her separately before the match.

　Although he knew that even this couldn't make up for Tadokoro Megumi, it was the best solution he could think of. He wanted to soothe the girl's wounded heart with his actions and bring their somewhat skewed relationship back on track!

　"Buy a bouquet of flowers when you come back tonight."

　Holding Liya's hand, Bai Yuan walked to a corner of the restaurant and pondered the flowers he had brought that evening.

　Roses are suitable for passionate couples, but Xiaohui might prefer sunflowers over roses.

　Although sunflowers are usually given to friends, this restriction can be broken if the recipient particularly likes them. Moreover, someone who loves you will be happy no matter what you give them, and vice versa.

　"Xiao Hui, why did your face suddenly turn so red?"

　A questioning voice came from Yoshino Yuuki, who placed her hand on Tadokoro Megumi's forehead.

　Could it be that Teacher Bai Yuan said something to her just now? But she was right next to him and didn't hear anything.

　"Nothing, let's eat."

　Of course, Tadokoro Megumi couldn't reveal her little secret with Shiroyuki, so she gave a casual reply and buried her head in her food.

　It's a rare date, I need to go back to my room and get ready after dinner!

　Looking at Shirayuki's back as he sat side by side with Leah not far away, Tadokoro Megumi felt a surge of fighting spirit. Tonight, she would use her charm to make him unable to resist her!

　"Oh, okay."

　Seeing the expectant look in Tadokoro Megumi's eyes, Yoshino Yuuki was certain that she had a secret.

　But since the other party didn't want to talk, she naturally wouldn't force them to do something they couldn't, as that would be too tactless.

　"These two are just like usual."

　On the other side, Bai Yuan glanced at Nakiri Erina and Nakiri Alice, who were eating not far away, and whispered.

　"Perhaps it's the calm before the storm."

　Holding Bai Yuan's arm tightly with both hands, resting her head on his shoulder, and gazing at the two sisters who were not far apart but clearly separated by a clear dividing line, Lia said meaningfully.

　"Even if it's the calm before the storm, at least it's calm now. Long live peace!"

　Bai Yuan sighed from the bottom of his heart, then opened his arms and faced the ceiling, making a gesture of embracing peace.

　"That's a bit childish. If you keep acting like this, Boss Bai, I'm going to pretend I don't know you."

　Feeling the gazes around her, Lia sprang away from the chair with some disgust, only sitting down next to Bai Yuan again after he finished his actions and calmed down.

　"Ahem, let's eat, let's eat."

　Coughing twice, Bai Yuan urged Liya, belatedly realizing he was a little embarrassed.

　"Speaking of which, your opponent this time is Wang Qing, a strong candidate for last year's champion. It is said that he is good at fried dishes. Last year, he lost the final by one vote because the theme was steamed dishes."

　What do you know about him?

　As Bai Yuan stuffed the steaming hot meat bun into his mouth, the juices overflowed, scalding hot and making him gasp for breath. He looked at the relaxed Liya and asked her a question.

　My opponent is a strong contender for the championship in this tournament, and one of the strongest players in the competition.

　Kalia, however, was not nervous at all, and appeared confident and composed.

　They must have made thorough preparations.

　"Absolutely not."

　Leah shook her head decisively.

　"Then why are you still so relaxed?"

　Lia's words left Bai Yuan speechless, and he couldn't help but raise his hand and flick her head.

　To be so composed and capable without any preparation, this girl definitely has a big heart.

　"Things will work themselves out. My opponent is a three-star chef, while I'm only a two-star chef. Unless I perform exceptionally well, it will be difficult to win the competition under normal circumstances."

　Leah's voice was light and cheerful, as if it were something extraordinary.

　"I remember that your probability of making a top-tier three-star dish is around 30%, and it can increase to 60% for dishes of your specialty. Even if you perform exceptionally well, it is difficult to consistently make a high-quality top-tier three-star dish."

　Furthermore, based on your past competition data, the likelihood of you performing exceptionally well is not high, so don't pin your hopes on this.

　We live in an era of information transparency; it's easy to find information about someone, especially a well-known figure like Wang Qing. A quick online search will yield many video clips of his matches; it won't take much time.

　Bai Yuan wiped the grease from Lia's lips and began to speak earnestly.

　As the saying goes, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated." Back in the world of dark cuisine, he would stop at nothing to win the competition. Before each competition, he would collect information about his opponents and then launch targeted attacks.