Food Wars!: Delicious Food of the Heavens

Chapter 109 Wild Rabbit

"sure"

Lin Yu took the mushroom with one hand and gently rubbed Yoshino Yuuki's hair with the other.

"Yuuki is amazing!"

"hey-hey!"

Yoshino Yuuki chuckled, her eyes crinkling with joy, too happy to speak, as she focused on enjoying the soothing hand that landed on her head.

"I've also had some successes."

Lin Yu showed Yoshino Yuuki the bamboo shoots in his hand.

Wow! Lin Yujun is amazing!

Yoshino Yuuki exclaimed in surprise and gave Lin Yu a thumbs up.

The girl's eyes were practically overflowing with light, making her seem even happier than if she had found it herself; the emotional value she conveyed was spot on.

Lin Yu teased, "You silly girl, all you do is giggle!"

"whee!"

Yoshino Yuuki smiled without saying a word.

"Here, pack it up."

Lin Yu picked up the bucket he had taken from the classroom and put the bamboo shoots and mushrooms into it.

At this moment, the bucket was filled with several different kinds of wild vegetables, the result of the two's hard work searching in the forest.

The most abundant item was a small bucket of wild taro, followed by water celery, bracken, wild onions, perilla leaves, and wild chives.

Zanthoxylum bungeanum buds, wild berries.

Now we've added a bamboo shoot and a few wild mushrooms.

"Is that enough?" Yoshino Yuuki asked, looking at the full bucket.

"That should be enough..."

Lin Yu also peered into the bucket, then spoke hesitantly.

"How about we stroll around a bit longer?"

Yoshino Yuuki keenly sensed Lin Yu's thoughts. "Lin Yu-kun, is there any ingredient you want but haven't been able to find?"

"It's nothing, let's talk as we walk."

Lin Yu and Yoshino Yuuki strolled through the forest, chatting casually.

"Although there are plenty of wild vegetables to pick right now, I feel like there's nothing... that really catches my eye..."

"A sudden flash of inspiration?"

Yoshino Yuuki scratched her head. "What kind of ingredient is that?"

"I just can't articulate a specific goal!"

Lin Yu sighed, "The combination of ingredients we have is pretty good, but it still feels like it's missing something... that one key element, a flavor that runs through all the ingredients in the dish!"

"Lin Yujun, don't be in such a hurry!"

Yoshino Yuuki didn't know how to comfort him, so she gently patted Lin Yu's arm and said, "Since Lin Yu can't explain it clearly, there's no need to be anxious."

"You might run into them any second now!"

Yoshino Yuuki chuckled. "Don't forget, I'm having a really lucky day!"

"Ha ha!"

Lin Yu was also amused by Yoshino Yuuki's words.

"In that case, I'll have to wait and see how lucky Yuuki is. I hope she won't disappoint me..."

'

Before Lin Yu could finish speaking, he suddenly twitched his nose unconsciously.

A faint, delicate fragrance, like an invisible thread, drifted from afar and gently caressed his face.

"Lin Yujun?"

Just as Yoshino Yuuki was about to speak, she suddenly noticed Lin Yu standing still.

"What's wrong with you?"

But Lin Yu didn't speak; his expression turned serious.

To prevent it from being his imagination, he stood still, took several deep breaths to calm himself, and then tilted his head back slightly, facing the direction from which the breeze was blowing, and took a deep sniff.

A gentle fragrance wafts on the breeze.

The fragrance seemed to have a mind of its own, gently caressing Lin Yu's cheeks with an extremely delicate touch, making him feel very comfortable and giving him a sense of peace and tranquility.

This is it!

Lin Yu's eyes widened, and a bright glint flashed in them!

"This is it!"

"Is this it?" Upon hearing Lin Yu's words, Yoshino Yuuki paused in confusion for a moment before realizing what he meant.

"Lin Yujun, have you found that... flavor that catches your eye?" Yoshino Yuuki asked expectantly.

"Yes, it's just ahead."

Lin Yu looked at Yoshino Yuuki and revealed a genuine smile of joy.

"Yuuki, you're truly my lucky charm!"

Yoshino Yuuki was a little embarrassed, but at that moment she was genuinely happy.

"Hehe! I knew my luck was pretty good today!"

"If that's the case, then what are we waiting for? Charge!"

After saying that, Yoshino Yuuki let out an excited cheer and ran ahead alone before Lin Yu could wait.

"Wait! Wait for me!"

"Silly girl, don't run so fast, be careful not to fall!"

Lin Yu found it somewhat amusing and quickly chased after them.

After passing a large patch of bushes and a group of trees, Lin Yu saw Yoshino Yuuki's back.

But at that moment, Yoshino Yuuki seemed to see something incredible. She stood there, mouth agape, staring ahead in astonishment.

"What did you see?"

Lin Yu stepped forward and followed Yoshino Yuuki's gaze, and was immediately taken aback.

Beyond a small patch of grass and a narrow stream, on the opposite bank, in a small valley, several cherry blossom trees were in full bloom.

The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, their vibrant pink color filling every inch of the field of vision.

The flowers are vibrant and colorful, exuding a delicate fragrance; the pink petals on the tree are almost blinding.

Just then, a gentle breeze blew by.

The branches swayed, and a few delicate pink petals detached from the branches, dancing in the wind, twirling a few times in the air, and then slowly falling onto the water's surface, flowing away with the stream into the distance.

"So beautiful!"

Yoshino Yuuki let out a soft gasp of amazement, her eyes practically melting.

"It smells so good!"

Lin Yu couldn't help but let out a sigh, then took a deep breath of the fragrance of the flowers carried on the wind and nodded in satisfaction.

"That's right! This is the smell I detected earlier!"

"What else is there to say? Lin Yujun, let's go!"

Yoshino Yuuki excitedly pulled Lin Yu across the stream and walked to a cherry blossom tree.

"Just collect some petals?" Yoshino Yuuki looked up at the cherry blossoms covering the tree and asked Lin Yu.

"Yes, a few petals are enough."

"However, the fragrance must be strong enough, yet still gentle."

Lin Yu stood under the tree, observing it from all angles.

"It's best to collect flowers that have just bloomed."

"Unopened flower buds, or petals that have been open for too long, not only lack a strong fragrance, but also have a fibrous texture when used in cooking."

Yoshino Yuuki also observed the cherry blossom tree. "But the flowers that Lin Yu-kun mentioned all bloom at the top of the tree, or at the tips of the thinnest branches, right?"

"It seems a little difficult to pick?"

Yoshino Yuuki scratched her head, looking troubled.

In her observation, most of the delicate flowers that matched Lin Yu's description bloomed on extremely thin branches.

Even if you climb the tree, the sturdy trunks that can support a person's weight are still too far away from the delicate cherry blossoms.

Even considering the length of a human arm, it is still difficult to harvest.

"Lin Yujun, should I go?"

Yoshino Yuuki rolled up her sleeves and volunteered.

"I'm lighter, so I can step on thinner branches and get closer."

"The proposal is rejected!"

Just as Yoshino Yuuki was about to start climbing the tree, Lin Yu pulled her back and then gently tapped her on the head.

"Even if you weigh less than me, those branches will have a hard time supporting you."

"That's too dangerous!"

Lin Yu decisively rejected Yoshino Yuuki's suggestion.

Yoshino Yuuki covered her head, secretly pleased by Lin Yu's concern, but outwardly she pouted and complained, "Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Silly girl."

Lin Yu rolled her eyes at Yoshino Yuuki, annoyed. "We have this."

Lin Yu pulled out a retracted fishing rod from behind him.

"fishing rod?"

Yoshino Yuuki suddenly realized, "Oh! I know! You're going to use the fishing rod as a stick to knock the cherry blossoms down?"

Lin Yu nodded. "That's right!"

"But..

'

Yoshino Yuuki hesitated, "Will this work?"

"Won't the force from the tip of the fishing rod... smash those delicate cherry blossoms to pieces?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yu revealed a confident smile.

"It's hard to say if it's someone else."

"If it were me... just you wait and see! No problem."

Hearing the strong confidence in Lin Yu's words, Yoshino Yuuki had no doubts.

"Hmm! Since Lin Yujun says so, then there must be no problem!"

"Come and help, get ready to have your eyes opened."

"They're here!"

And so, Lin Yu had Yoshino Yuuki hold the bucket of water and stand under the cherry blossom tree, ready to serve at any time.

He extended his fishing rod to its longest length, gripped the bottom tightly, and scanned the branches quickly, searching for his target.

When Lin Yu finds a flower he likes, he will aim at it and gently cast his fishing rod.

The force of the wrist movement will travel along the fishing rod all the way to its slender end.

The slender end of the fishing rod, like a whip, left a trail of afterimages in the air.

Finally, with a short, sharp whooshing sound, the connection between the base of the flower and the branch broke off in an instant.

The delicate petals, however, remained unharmed and drifted down gracefully.

Meanwhile, Yoshino Yuuki, who was crouching under the tree, would promptly raise her bucket to catch the falling cherry blossoms.

"Yuuki, well done!"

"Hehe! I'm glad I could help Lin Yujun."

"Let's continue then, let's hurry up."

Just as Lin Yu was focused on finding the right cherry blossoms, Yoshino Yuuki suddenly spoke up.

"Lin Yujun..."

'

"Um?"

Lin Yu stopped what he was doing and looked at Yoshino Yuuki.

"Yuuki, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, it's just..."

'

Yoshino Yuuki hesitated for a moment, then slowly spoke. "I've always been bothered by something Lin Yu said before."

"It's alright, ask if you want to. There's no need for us to hold back," Lin Yu said in a gentle voice.

"Well, then I'll ask..."

'

Yoshino Yuuki looked at Lin Yu, "What you meant by what Lin Yu-kun said before about Chef Inui... what about his real intentions, traps, and perverse tastes?"

"To be honest, I only thought of this question after seeing those fishing students."

Lin Yu patiently explained, "Think about it, after Chef Qian mentioned the only supplies in the classroom, he only said that we could take any fishing rods we wanted, and then announced that the project had begun."

"Looking back now, Yuuki, don't you think that reminder was a bit too deliberate?"

"It's almost as if... she's deliberately guiding everyone's thinking toward the 'fishing' option."

"The facts now prove that this forest is rich in food, with a wide variety of wild vegetables and animals that are not limited to fish."

"And as you saw, the riverside scene was noisy and chaotic, making for a terrible fishing environment."

Lin Yu expressed his thoughts in a very confident tone.

"When I saw that all the students had almost filled both sides of the riverbank, I realized in that instant that this scene was definitely the result of that senior student, Qian, deliberately creating this situation!"

At this point, Lin Yu suddenly chuckled.

"Senior Inui, this woman appears to be a gentle Yamato Nadeshiko on the surface."

"Now it seems... haha, if you cut open her heart, it's probably all black!"

"Wow~ How scary!"

Upon hearing Lin Yu's words, Yoshino Yuuki shuddered.

Before long, Lin Yu's eyes started to ache from staring at the petals, but fortunately, he had collected enough.

"Let's go, Yuuki. We've collected almost all the side dishes. It's time to check the traps we've set."

"Um!"

Yoshino Yuuki carried the bucket of water and jogged after Lin Yu.

"Lin Yujun, do you think our traps will catch any prey?"

Hearing the slight worry in Yoshino Yuuki's voice, Lin Yu couldn't help but laugh and say, "What's wrong? Didn't you keep saying you were very confident about your luck today?"

"Hehe~ I was just trying to cheer myself up!"

Yoshino Yuuki smiled sheepishly, but then changed the subject, saying worriedly, "But what if... I mean, what if! If we don't catch the prey..."

'

"It's fine!"

Hearing Yoshino Yuuki's hesitant words, Lin Yu reached out and placed his hand on Yoshino Yuuki's head.

"Even if we don't catch any prey, I will still help Yuuki pass the test."

"You can trust me unconditionally on this point."

Yoshino Yuuki nodded vigorously. "Yes! I believe in Lin Yujun!"

Seeing the unwavering trust in the girl's eyes, Lin Yu was in high spirits, and a smile appeared on his face.

"And Yuuki can also have some confidence in herself."

"I believe we'll definitely catch our prey, after all... Yuuki, you've had pretty good luck today! Haven't you?"

Hearing Lin Yu's encouragement, Yoshino Yuuki smiled happily, her eyes crinkling.

"Um!"

When they got close to the trap, Lin Yu and Yoshino Yuuki both heard rustling sounds coming from the bushes.

As the two approached, something seemed to be disturbed by their footsteps, and the commotion in the bushes grew louder.

Lin Yu and Yoshino Yuuki exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with barely suppressed joy!

There's prey!

"Charge!"

Yoshino Yuuki was even more excited than Lin Yu and rushed over first.

When Lin Yu arrived, he saw Yoshino Yuuki lying on the ground, pressing down hard on a struggling rabbit with both hands.

"Lin Yujun, it seems I'm really lucky today!"

Yoshino Yuuki beamed with joy, raising the lively rabbit high in her hand.

"Look!"

"This rabbit is still alive!"

Lin Yu walked over, took the rabbit, and gave it a quick check.

"They must have just fallen into the trap, or perhaps the lasso didn't hit a vital spot?"

Lin Yu weighed the rabbit in his hand, feeling its warmth and soft fur.

Seemingly sensing that the rabbit in his hand was trembling slightly, Lin Yu gently stroked its fur to soothe it. After a while, the rabbit calmed down and stopped trembling.

"Click!"

Lin Yu twisted his hands together and forcefully broke the rabbit's neck.

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