Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

Although she really wanted to taste the delicious xiaolongbao right away, the person making the xiaolongbao was still busy in the kitchen, and everyone else was asleep in their rooms. Erina Nakiri felt too embarrassed to eat alone, because if Alice Nakiri woke up, she would be ridiculed in public for eating alone.

Just thinking about that scene made Erina Nakiri feel cold in her hands and feet.

"No need, you eat quickly. We've finished our work. Now we just need to wait for the steamed buns to be ready so we can bring them out."

Hearing Erina Nakiri's words, Bai Yuan waved his hand, telling her to eat without worry. After all, the only task left was to serve the steamed dumplings to the table, and there was really no need to bring in another person.

"Oh, so I've lost my job...?"

Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, Erina Nakiri showed a look of disappointment, but this emotion did not last long and was quickly replaced by the rich aroma emanating from the dish.

"Gudu."

The sound of swallowing saliva rang in Bai Yuan's ears. When he turned his head, he saw Erina Nakiri looking at him with a greedy expression, which made him chuckle to himself.

This guy's attention has been focused on the xiaolongbao ever since he woke up. He said he was going to help him, but his eyes never left the xiaolongbao. He was obviously attracted by its aroma. He pretended not to care earlier, but now he's finally showing his true colors!

Having lived together for so long, Shirobuchi could guess what Erina Nakiri was thinking. Despite his best efforts to hide it, he still couldn't suppress the desire in his heart.

"Alright, stop worrying about it and eat up, or it'll get really cold."

As they were talking, Bai Yuan patted Erina Nakiri on the shoulder, calming her restless heart down a bit. She became less hesitant in her actions, then went to the bathroom to wash up quickly, picked up her chopsticks, and sat down at the dining table.

"Ah! Erina, you're eating all by yourself!"

Just then, a slightly surprised voice came from behind Erina Nakiri, which made her stiffen slightly and turn her head awkwardly.

"Yoshino, I..."

Seeing Yoshino Yuuki's "I've got you" expression, Nakiri Erina opened her mouth awkwardly, calling out Yoshino Yuuki's surname but not knowing how to continue, and could only watch her fall silent.

"No need to say anything, wait for me!"

To everyone's surprise, Yoshino Yuuki didn't blame her. In fact, there was nothing to blame her for. She simply ran to the toilet, washed up as quickly as she could ever have done, and then sat down next to her.

"I'm gonna start now."

Looking at the basket of xiaolongbao that Nakiri Erina placed next to her in a flattering manner, Yoshino Yuuki clasped her hands together with a devout expression and pointed to the lid as she spoke.

With a light touch of the finger, the steamer lid is lifted, and a wisp of steam rises out, carrying an enticing aroma.

The translucent skin of the xiaolongbao, with its shimmering soup filling, resembled a soft veil enveloping a treasure. The steam carrying the aroma of wheat wafted over, bringing a look of delight to Yoshino Yuuki's face.

Without much hesitation, she brought the steamed bun to her mouth.

I parted my lips, took a bite, and the moment the skin broke, my teeth could feel a slight resistance from the dough, followed by a delightful collapse. Scalding hot, amber-colored broth gushed from the opening, the tip of my tongue first encountering a rich, sweet flavor, mixed with the spiciness of ginger and the richness of lard.

"Pig skin jelly? No, it's not just pig skin, but also pig's trotters and chicken feet, which are rich in collagen. They are simmered together with old ginger, scallions, cooking wine and a small amount of spices to make a broth, and then frozen. No wonder it tastes so delicious."

As she savored the lingering flavor on her tongue, Erina Nakiri wore a thoughtful expression. This was practically a simplified version of soup dumplings!

No, you can’t say that.

The difference between xiaolongbao and guantangbao is quite obvious. One has a higher proportion of soup, while the other has a more balanced ratio of soup and filling, and is smaller and more convenient to eat.

"The texture of lean pork is mixed with a few unmelted pieces of tender meat jelly, and when you bite into it you can also feel the crisp bamboo shoot pieces and shiitake mushroom pieces."

The base flavor of slightly sweet soy sauce is suddenly enhanced by the rich aroma of Shaoxing wine, and the dish finishes with a warm, spicy kick of black pepper, perfectly balancing the richness.

As Erina Nakiri spoke, she closed her eyes, and one ingredient after another appeared before her, forming a circle around her. These were all components of xiaolongbao (soup dumplings).

"Erina, Erina, you should try this dish of vinegar. No, it should be said that you should dip the xiaolongbao in vinegar. The combination of the two will taste even better!"

Hearing Erina Nakiri's remark, Yuuki Yoshino casually pushed the vinegar next to her over. Erina Nakiri saw the vinegar and didn't hesitate, picking up a xiaolongbao, dipping it in, and putting it in her mouth.

The next moment, the sour taste pierced through the greasiness, and the spiciness of the ginger suddenly awakened the dulled taste buds, making the subsequent umami impact even clearer.

This taste-rebooting mechanism means that you won't get tired of eating even if you eat a lot.

"Gone?"

As she was pondering, Erina Nakiri reached out towards the steamer in front of her, only to find it empty. A belated realization crossed her face.

"There's more, but it's still in the steamer. I made a lot today, enough for you to eat as much as you want."

Upon hearing Erina Nakiri's voice, Shirai brought out the other baskets of xiaolongbao that were to be steamed later.

The moment the lid was lifted, a rich aroma filled the room, causing Yoshino Yuuki and Nakiri Erina's eyes to light up.

"Then I'd rather be respectful than obey your orders!"

Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, Erina Nakiri's joy was palpable.

Yoshino Yuuki, standing next to her, didn't say anything. Instead, she expressed her desire by picking up two xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) from either side, dipping them in vinegar, and enjoying them immensely.

"Wait for me!"

Watching the steamed buns disappear quickly in the steamer, Erina Nakiri's face showed an anxious expression. Then, disregarding her manners, she picked up a steamed bun and started eating it.

Seeing this scene, Bai Yuan suddenly found it somewhat amusing. Even the dignified young lady of the Nakiri family had this side to her, turning into a starving refugee because of the cooking. So he took out his phone and snapped a picture of the lively scene.

"Click."

The crisp sound of a camera shutter rang in the ears of Erina Nakiri and Yuuki Yoshino, causing them to forget the dirt on their faces and look up in the direction of Shirai.

"Huh? What are you doing?!"

A look of panic flashed across Erina Nakiri's face as she subtly wiped the grease from her lips.

"Taking a picture, can't you tell?"

Upon hearing Erina Nakiri's question, Bai Yuan raised his phone and answered with a relaxed expression.

"Of course I know they're taking pictures, but why now...?"

Erina Nakiri's voice sounded a little aggrieved and resentful. She hadn't wiped the oil from the corners of her mouth, and her posture was not upright. She was eating a small steamed bun in each hand in an exaggerated manner, without a trace of ladylike demeanor.

If Alice Nakiri saw this photo, she would definitely laugh at her to death!

No, we absolutely cannot let the photos get out!

Thinking of this, a determined look flashed in Erina Nakiri's eyes. Then, ignoring the unfinished xiaolongbao in front of her, she got up and went to Bai Yuan.

"Teacher Bai Yuan, let me see the photos you took. I'm sure your photography skills will not disappoint us."

Erina Nakiri's voice carried a hint of coquetry, showcasing all her skills in using coquetry at this moment.

As soon as she sees the photos, she'll snatch the phone and delete them. Then even Bai Yuan won't be able to save them!

"I won't show it to you. I'm going to keep this photo as my screensaver."

Bai Yuan said with a wicked smile, having finally managed to capture a relatively authentic side of Nakiri Erina, he was unwilling to let it be deleted.

"What's the point of keeping such an ugly photo? If you want my photo, let's go outside and take one another day."

Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, Erina Nakiri immediately became anxious.

Using such an ugly photo as your screensaver, staring at it every day, won't that subtly lower your impression of her?

Don't do this kind of thing!

Thinking of this, Erina Nakiri reached out and hugged Shiro's arm, rubbing her soft flesh against him repeatedly, hoping to lure him into a state of tenderness so that she could delete the photos.

"Okay, I've finished setting it up."

The photos aren't as bad as you think. In fact, they have a kind of back-to-basics, everyday feel to them, which I quite like.

Seeing that Erina Nakiri was really getting anxious, Bai Yuan stopped teasing her and handed her the phone with the screen saver changed. When the screen was turned on, her picture was the first thing you saw.

It was a photo of a young girl eating with her head down, greasy meat filling stuck to the corners of her mouth, her face full of happiness, charming yet adorable.

"So ugly."

Looking at the photos on Bai Yuan's phone, Nakiri Erina couldn't help but complain, then returned the phone, no longer having any intention of deleting them.

Having this photo of her daily life on Bai Yuan's phone, which he would glance at every now and then, was a happy thing for her.

Should I delete it?

At this moment, Bai Yuan also saw through Nakiri Erina's thoughts, and spoke with a hint of teasing, shaking his phone as he spoke.

"No need, just keep the photos to yourself and don't show them to others."

Erina Nakiri said with a slightly flushed face, "Shiroyuki's photography skills are indeed quite good. At least he didn't make her look ugly, even in that pose."

"What? There should be a picture of me in there, right? Let me see how well the photo turned out."

After swallowing the last bite of the xiaolongbao, Yoshino Yuuki came to the side of Shirabuchi and Nakiri Erina, her big eyes filled with curiosity.

"Isn't this a great photo? I really like these vibrant photos, and they have a very down-to-earth feel to them."

Upon seeing the photos on her phone, Yoshino Yuuki's eyes lit up, and she turned to Nakiri Erina and spoke.

It's as if they're saying, "Teacher Bai Yuan has filmed it so well, what else could you possibly be dissatisfied with?"

"Right! I told you my photography skills are unparalleled, it's just that you, Erina, don't know how to appreciate them."

Upon hearing Yoshino Yuuki's agreement, Shirabuchi revealed an expression of "I knew it," while Nakiri Erina, through Yoshino Yuuki's figure, saw that the xiaolongbao on the table had been completely devoured.

"Where are the xiaolongbao? I had such a big basket of xiaolongbao! You ate them all?!"

Looking at the now empty desktop, Erina Nakiri showed a surprised expression, then grabbed Yoshino Yuuki's shoulders and shook her.

"When you suddenly got up and ran to Teacher Bai Yuan shouting, I thought you were full and ate the rest, hehe~"

Upon hearing Erina Nakiri's words, Yuuki Yoshino felt guilty and avoided eye contact with her, while simultaneously pretending to be cute and acting adorable.

"Hey my ass! They really didn't leave me a single one."

Seeing Yoshino Yuuki trying to act cute towards her, Nakiri Erina wasn't buying it at all. She then looked pitifully at Bai Yuan, her eyes seeming to say, "Are there any xiaolongbao left for me in the kitchen?"

"Wait a few minutes. There were seven or eight baskets that were just put into the pot. Go and wake Alice and the others up. They'll be ready to eat in about ten minutes."

Looking at Erina Nakiri's appearance, Bai Yuan found it somewhat amusing. He then pointed to the room and asked the two of them to wake up the others who were still sleeping for dinner.

"Yes~"

Although somewhat reluctant, Erina Nakiri went to the room to act as a human alarm clock to wake everyone up, all for the sake of eating delicious xiaolongbao (soup dumplings).

Before long, the girls dressed in loose-fitting clothes came out of the room.

Because of last night's pillow fight, they all changed into pajamas, which are characterized by comfort and looseness.

After a night of playful fighting, and with their casual sleeping habits, their pajamas were now wrinkled and revealed a large expanse of beautiful scenery.

"Good morning, Brother Bai Yuan."

With her hand in front of her mouth, yawning, and looking at Bai Yuan sitting at the dining table watching them, Nakiri Alice, wearing a white lace nightgown, stepped forward to greet him.