My fiancée Yukino

"It's about two square meters. Actually, the volume could be made larger, but this is for storing food, so we sacrificed the size of the space for the purpose of preservation."

"Wow! That's amazing!"

At this moment, Yang Nai nudged Hiratsuka Shizuka's shoulder and showed off the bracelet on her wrist, saying, "Hehe, see this? It's the same, and it has three square meters of space."

Hiratsuka Shizuka couldn't help but roll her eyes at Yang's smug expression.

"Alright, alright, stop being so smug. It's not a necessity for me."

After taking another bite of cake, Hiratsuka Shizuka said, "So besides this cake, there's also the meat of the Hungry Bird, right?"

“That’s right, the meat is in another box, and we’ll cook it tonight.” Luo Bai nodded. “The hungry birds were killed directly, so the meat is disposable; once it’s eaten, it’s gone. But as for the trumpet lions, the entire clan that appeared this time has been protected and will be kept in captivity. There are quite a few male lions in the clan, so they can eat trumpet lion mane cakes regularly.”

"They just started raising them!"

Hiratsuka Shizuka recalled some manga she had read before and said, "The trumpet lion, I remember it being quite big, right? Can I go take a look?"

“Sure.” Luo Bai nodded immediately and agreed. “Although it won’t be open to everyone, we can still take acquaintances with us. Once those trumpet lions have settled down, let’s go take a look together. They look quite fierce, but these guys aren’t stupid. If they have a stable place to live and food, they’re quite easy to approach.”

While chatting, everyone finished the cake on their plates.

Although it was delicious and I really wanted to have another piece, I was already full.

Since the storage boxes could preserve the freshness of the food, everyone was in no hurry and planned to wait for the ingredients to arrive in the afternoon before properly processing the cakes.

Volume 1: Chapter 243 Nangong Nayue is coming to Chiba (1/2)

After a satisfying meal, everyone spent the afternoon at home drinking tea and chatting.

Hiratsuka Shizuka also took this opportunity to ask a good question about those special beings in the world.

Upon learning that in addition to ghouls from another world and special food animals, there were even mythical creatures like dragons, Hiratsuka Shizuka was truly astonished.

Luo Bai smiled and said, "If you have the chance, you will meet Professor Hiratsuka."

Just then, Luo Bai's phone rang, and it was Nangong Nayue calling.

Could something have happened again?

Thinking this, Luo Bai pressed the answer button.

"Good afternoon, Miss Nangong. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Besides Nangong Nayue's voice, there was also the distinct sound of a car engine on the other end of the phone, indicating that someone was in a car.

"Good afternoon. I'm on my way to Chiba now. I heard about what happened here. I was wondering if I'd have a chance to come over for dinner tonight? My little assistant hasn't been to work for several days. It seems she's having too much fun to come back."

Luo Bai listened to Nangong Nayue's words and looked at Shi Yu beside him.

Shiyu stuck out her tongue awkwardly.

Although she said she took leave, it wasn't just for these few days; she had also taken leave for the past few days to work on her novel and comics.

Unexpectedly, Nangong Nayue has now come over.

Luo Bai smiled and said, "Sure, Miss Nangong, you're welcome to come over. When exactly will you be arriving?"

"It should be around five o'clock, I still have some things to do." As she spoke, she glanced at a girl sitting next to her, "I'll also be bringing a child, is that alright?"

"Hmm? May I ask who it is?"

"Hoshino Ai."

"Oh, Hoshino Ai." Luo Bai nodded, then belatedly realized, "Who?"

“Hoshino Ai, she’s a rising star in my agency,” Nangong Nayue said with a smile. “There’s an advertisement coming up, and we need to come to Chiba to film a few more scenes. It’s not a big job, and since I knew about your situation, I brought her along myself. We also wanted to have a meal together so she can meet Mai.”

"Alright, come on over, you're welcome."

After ending the call, Luo Bai looked at everyone.

"Namgong Nayue will come at five o'clock in the afternoon, and she will bring Hoshino Ai with her."

Haruno was very interested in this: "Hoshino Ai, that newly popular idol?"

"Yes, that's her. She'll be playing a supporting role in a TV series. Nangong Nayue happened to have some free time this time, so she brought her along to meet Mai first."

Luo Bai wasn't sure exactly what Nangong Nayue was thinking, but he guessed that she probably wanted Hoshino Ai to make more friends or something.

If Hoshino Ai still has the same background as in the original work, she does indeed have very few friends.

Hiratsuka Shizuka doesn't know much about these idols nowadays, and she's only heard about Hoshino Ai from other colleagues and students.

After searching on her phone, she exclaimed in surprise, "A 15-year-old idol with such high popularity?"

Mai explained, "There's no way around it. Her talent is truly outstanding. She has an excellent appearance and figure, and her singing skills are also top-notch. Even if she doesn't debut as an idol girl group, if she is trained as a solo singer, she can definitely achieve the same or even greater success. Well, I just don't know what her personality is like in private, but Miss Nagatsuki is willing to personally mentor her, so it must be quite good."

Since we have guests coming, we definitely need to make some more preparations.

After glancing at the ingredients in the refrigerator, Shinobu Kocho asked, "Will I not have enough groceries? Even though Mitsuri and Iguro won't be back tonight, there are still quite a few of us!"

Luo Bai stood aside and looked around, then nodded and said, "Yeah, it seems like most of it is meat. We're fine, but Hoshino Ai's main job is being an idol, so she definitely has to manage her diet. I'll go buy some vegetables and fish and shrimp later."

Shinobu Kocho nodded: "Then I'll go too."

After closing the refrigerator door, Luo Bai and Shinobu Kocho returned to the living room and discussed their upcoming trip to the supermarket.

"That's it. Is there anything you need me to buy?"

"Let's buy snacks!" Yang Nai was the first to raise her hand and say, "If we don't have enough snacks, we'll have ice cream too!"

"OK, I'll buy it."

Hiratsuka Shizuka patted her pockets, but ultimately swallowed back what she wanted to say.

Although she did it very discreetly, Yang Nai still saw it and said with a smile, "Xiao Jing, you should smoke less, especially since there are a few kids here. I think it's because of these hobbies that you keep failing at blind dates."

Hiratsuka Shizuka's expression instantly froze. Seeing everyone around her looking at her, especially Kanzaki Aoi and Kanao looking at her with curious eyes, made her feel even more uncomfortable.

"Hey, can you please stop saying things like that? Is it my fault that I failed at blind dates? It's because those men have no taste!"

"Ah, yes, yes, it's all their fault." Yang Nai naturally knew how to deal with Hiratsuka Shizuka's stubbornness. While nodding, he reached into Hiratsuka Shizuka's pants pocket and pulled out a cigarette case with two cigarettes left.

"So, I've been telling you about smoking for two years now, why can't you quit?"

She snatched her cigarette back, put it back in her pocket, and said helplessly, "Being a teacher is very stressful, okay? You have to deal with a bunch of little brats all day long, and all sorts of troublesome things. Not to mention now that I'm a homeroom teacher, I not only have to consider students' grades, but also their mental health and interpersonal relationships. Then the school gives teachers quotas and we have to submit all sorts of reports regularly. I have to find something to relieve the pressure, right?"

Shinobu Kocho tapped her chin with her finger and said, "Smoking, some people smoke where we're from, including the Demon Slayer Corps. But because we all know breathing techniques, we can regulate our bodies better, so the effects aren't as great as for the average person. But it's still not a good thing, and even the Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen who smoke will still try to control themselves."

"Don't worry, I don't smoke all the time. Didn't you see I haven't taken out a cigarette since I came over?"

Hiratsuka Shizuka calmly waved her hand and said, "Besides, I've always been working out, so I won't ruin my health by smoking."

Yang Nai agreed, saying, "Yes, that's true. Xiao Jing has always been known for her martial arts skills!"

"...I have a feeling that what you're saying isn't a compliment."

Shaking her head, Hiratsuka Shizuka looked at everyone and said, "But no matter what, there's no need to learn to smoke. Yeah, don't follow my example."

Volume 1: Chapter 244 Hoshino Ai's First Meeting (2/2)

Half an hour later, Luo Bai and Kocho Shinobu went out.

On the bus, the two headed to the supermarket. Shinobu Kocho looked out the window and said, "I'm planning to start learning to drive these days. The training ground organized by the organization has a place to practice driving, so I don't need to enroll in a driving school or anything. After learning, there's an internal test, and once I pass, I can get my driver's license directly."

"That's quite convenient. You can finish your exams first, and then you'll have someone to drive you around," Luo Bai said with a smile. "As for me, I'll have to wait until next year. By the way, have you thought about buying a car or anything?"

Shinobu Kocho leaned gently on Luo Bai's shoulder, her eyes crinkling with a cheerful expression, and said, "Not yet, and we don't need to buy one. We can just apply for a car later. Considering we have a large family, we'll probably choose one with more space."

After considering it for a moment, Luo Bai said, "Well, we can choose one to drive first. When Xiao Kui turns 18 next year, we can let her get a driver's license too. With two cars, it will be enough for you to go out together."

"That sounds great!" Shinobu Kocho said expectantly. "When we both have cars next year, let's drive out together to see the cherry blossoms in the spring!"

"Sure, I didn't go this year."

While chatting about plans for the second half of the year and next year, the car arrived at the station, and the two went to the supermarket to start shopping.

I bought snacks first.

They didn't buy any drinks; instead, they planned to buy some fruit to make fresh juice at home.

After finding all the snacks that everyone had requested to eat first, the two went to the seafood section and bought some fresh prawns, and then went to the vegetable section to buy some vegetables.

After paying at the supermarket, the two went to a nearby fruit shop and bought a lot of fruit.

Then, I put everything except the live shrimp into the bracelet, and carrying the bag of shrimp, I took a car back to my apartment.

I left at 2 PM and returned at 4 PM, which was just the right time to start preparing dinner.

The high-grade cream used to make the trumpet lion's mane cake has also been delivered, and Yukino and Mai are already working on it together in the kitchen.

Neither of them had learned how to make a cream cake, but it wasn't particularly complicated, and they only made it for their own family.

After studying the recipe, the two spent some time and finally managed to whip the heavy cream successfully.

Looking at the large dollop of whipped cream in the bowl, Mai nodded in satisfaction: "Hmm, it looks pretty good! Now, can we spread it on the cake?"

"Okay, let's give it a try."

After tasting a little to make sure the flavor was okay, Yukino took out a large piece of cake, cut it into layers starting from the middle, carefully spread cream on top, and then added some diced fresh mango.

"Okay, that's done. Finish the rest and save them for dinner."

In addition, Yukino plans to send some to Yuihama and Komachi tomorrow.

After finishing the cake, it's time to prepare dinner.

Since there will be quite a few people tonight, and unlike lunchtime when we just ate casually in the living room, we need to take this seriously. Besides Luo Bai's kitchen, Kocho Shinobu also took some ingredients back to her own place and got busy, with both sides working together.

Around 5:00 PM, at 4:50 PM, the car carrying Nangong Nayue and Hoshino Ai arrived safely at the apartment building.

After getting out of the car, Nangong Nayue glanced at the somewhat wary girl beside her and said, "Relax. I told you, there won't be any paparazzi here."

"Is that right?"

Hoshino Ai asked in confusion, "Is it because of the Yukinoshita family?"

"The Yukinoshita family is part of it. As for the other reasons, I'll tell you when we get up there."

Nanami Natsuki had never told Hoshino Ai that she was a guardian of the Tokyo area.

However, as Hoshino Ai's talent and abilities are gradually revealed, Nanamiya Natsuki plans to nurture her properly and also intends to tell her about her background.

Bringing Hoshino Ai along this time was also partly due to this consideration.

They took the elevator upstairs, pressed the doorbell in front of the apartment, and then heard a slightly excited voice.

"I'm coming!"

The door opened, and Nagatsuki and Ai Hoshino saw Mai Sakurajima standing in front of them.

"Natsuki-nee, it's been a long time!" After greeting Nagatsuki, Mai looked at the girl beside her and said with a smile, "Nice to meet you, Hoshino Ai-san, I'm Sakurajima Mai."

Hoshino Ai immediately stood up straight, bowed, and said, "Hello, I am Hoshino Ai. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"No need to be so serious." Mai waved her hand and looked at Hoshino Ai, saying, "This is private time, relax and come in."

After letting the two in, Mai handed them indoor slippers.

"There are quite a few people at home, so it's going to be lively today."

As they were talking, the kitchen door opened, and Luo Bai and Xue Nai came out.

"Oh! You're here."

Luo Bai nodded to Nangong Nayue and then looked at Hoshino Ai, saying, "Welcome, Miss Hoshino Ai. I am Luo Bai."

Yukino looked at Hoshino Ai with a hint of curiosity in her eyes, and then said, "I am Yukinoshita Yukino."

Hello, sorry to bother you today!

Looking at Hoshino Ai, Luo Bai realized that this fifteen-year-old girl did indeed have a natural charm and was born to be an idol.

"Mai, I'll trouble you to introduce everyone to them later." Luo Bai said to Mai, "Yukino and I will continue preparing lunch. Miss Nagatsuki, is it alright to start lunch at 5:30?"

Nangong Nayue nodded: "Of course, we are guests today, so we will listen to you, the host."

Then, Mai led the two to the living room, while Luo Bai and Yukino continued preparing dinner in the kitchen.

Hearing the faint sounds of commotion outside, Luo Bai asked with a smile, "What do you think of this girl named Hoshino Ai?"

While chopping vegetables, Yukino pondered, "Hmm, even though she's supposed to have received special training, you can still vaguely see a hint of deliberate effort in her smile. But I can only tell because I've been outwitting my sister so many times; most people probably wouldn't be able to tell."

"Yes, just as I thought. She seems to be a child with a complicated past." Luo Bai said with emotion, "There aren't many people that Nangong Nayue is willing to personally take care of. She really values ​​her. And I think she also wants Hoshino Ai to go solo."