Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　As if remembering something, Tadokoro Megumi shouted loudly while watching Yoshino Yuuki's retreating figure.

　"To the pond behind the mountain? I see! So they called us over there to be judges? Great! We can eat Chef Baiyuan's cooking again!"

　Tadokoro Megumi's words made Yoshino Yuuki fall into deep thought. Her mind raced, and after she had completely figured it out, a look of surprise appeared on her face.

　"Yes, that's it."

　Megumi Tadokoro nodded in response, then jogged downstairs to inform Ryoko Sakaki.

　After a commotion, the three of them went to the back mountain together, caught two big, fat fish from the pond, and headed towards Alice Nakiri's house.

　ten minutes later.

　The three of them rushed to their destination. Tadokoro Megumi let out a soft sigh of relief, trying to appear normal, before stepping forward and ringing the doorbell.

　The person who came out to open the door was Bai Yuan.

　Looking at the three people with fine beads of sweat on their foreheads,

　He looked surprised, then stepped aside to let them in.

　"Actually, it's okay to go a little slower. You can rest for a bit before coming over."

　Bending down and reaching for the shoe rack to retrieve shoes for Tadokoro Megumi and the other two girls, Bai Yuan spoke gently as he looked at the girls whose breathing was disordered.

　"We've got nothing to do at Polaris Dormitory anyway, and we're eager to eat your cooking. We've been so excited since we got the call!"

　Seeing Bai Yuan's change in mood and understanding his consideration for them, Tadokoro Megumi felt a warmth in her heart.

　As she spoke, she sat down in front of the entrance, bent down to take off her shoes, revealing black over-the-knee socks that covered her jade-like feet.

　In an instant, a faint scent wafted through the air and reached Tadokoro Megumi's nose, making her so embarrassed that she hurriedly put her shoes back on.

　"Sorry, I'll go back and take a shower before coming back!"

　As they were talking, Tadokoro Megumi got up in shame and indignation to leave, but Bai Yuan grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

　"It's so easy for you to go back and forth like this. Just wash it here. Alice happens to have a lot of clothes that she doesn't wear often."

　"Um...this isn't really a good idea."

　“What’s wrong with that? Alice wouldn’t mind such a small thing, but the clothes in the main store can’t be touched, those are the ones she prefers.”

　Hearing Tadokoro Megumi's hesitation, Shirobuchi shrugged indifferently and then took the fish from Yoshino Yuuki.

　"You two should go take a shower too. Alice and I have already showered. We've been traveling all morning, so we should take a bath to relax."

　"Is it okay? I was just thinking of taking a shower too!"

　"Then excuse me."

　Seeing that Ryoko Sakaki and Yuuki Yoshino were sweating a lot, Shirabuchi reached out to wipe their sweat away, then carried the fish to the living room.

　"Alice, go find them some changes of clothes, then go to the kitchen to prepare the meal."

　Looking at Alice Nakiri sitting on the sofa, who had just finished drying her hair, Bai Yuan gave her instructions.

　"Okay, you can wait here for a moment."

　Upon hearing the sound, Alice Nakiri glanced at Megumi Tadokoro and the other two, then at Shirobuchi, a smile appearing on her face.

　She then put down the hairdryer, jumped off the sofa, went back to her room, and soon returned with several sets of clothes to the three of them.

　"Xiao Hui, wear this dress, it gives you a pure and innocent look."

　Ryoko, this bodycon skirt suits you very well; I think you'll look very sexy in it.

　For Yuuki, a shirt and jeans would be a great combination; it would look energetic and cute.

　After tossing several sets of clothes onto the sofa, Alice Nakiri thoughtfully introduced them to the group, a look of excitement on her face.

　These clothes were all bought by her while shopping. She liked them at the time, but later felt they were not suitable and left them unused. Now it's just right to give them to her.

　This is a good opportunity to do someone a favor.

　"Thank you, Yuuki, Ryoko. Let me go take a shower first."

　"You go first."

　"Take your time washing, we're not in a hurry."

　Her feet had been soaked in shoes all day and had developed a slight odor. The moment she took off her shoes in the entryway, she really wanted to die.

　Fortunately, Teacher Bai Yuan was very gentle and did not show any dislike towards her.

　"Thank you."

　Thinking of Bai Yuan, Tadokoro Megumi blushed slightly. After taking the dress from Alice's hand and thanking her, she rushed into the bathroom without looking back.

　After closing the door and leaning against the wall, Tadokoro Megumi breathed a sigh of relief.

　What happened just now was so dramatic. I should have washed my feet and changed my socks before coming over, otherwise it wouldn't have been so embarrassing.

　"Ugh..."

　Tadokoro Megumi clenched her fists and waved them twice in the air. She sighed with mixed feelings, then put the clean clothes into the basin next to her.

　But soon, her eyes were glued to it.

　The reason was that when putting away the clothes, a pair of boxer shorts was found in the basket next to it.

　This is Alice Nakiri's house. There are no other men here besides Shirai. It's obvious who owns these boxer shorts!

　"Gudu..."

　Thinking of this, Tadokoro Megumi swallowed hard.

　Her moral compass, honed since childhood, told her she couldn't, but her inner desires made her unable to control her steps, gradually moving closer until she finally reached for the basket.

　"Can't!"

　Suddenly jolted awake from her reverie, her inner moral compass kicked in, and she grabbed her right hand with her other hand, a look of struggle appearing on Tadokoro Megumi's face.

　"But... even a slight sniff wouldn't be noticed, and there are no security cameras in the bathroom, so no one would know about it."

　As she struggled, this thought came to Tadokoro Megumi, and she moved her right hand a little closer, the blush on her face spreading to her ears.

　"But if I do that, I feel really bad for Professor Baiyuan. It would be like I'm doing something weird to him... I'd be terrible."

　Thinking this, Tadokoro Megumi withdrew her hand, then began to undress, quickly bringing herself to a state of...

　The state of absolute territory.

　Turn on the shower, and the steam from the hot water instantly fills the entire bathroom. At the same time, turn on the bathtub next to it, adjust the water temperature, and start running hot water.

　After finishing all this, Tadokoro Megumi went to the changing room and neatly folded the clothes she had taken off.

　While folding clothes, I sniffed and imagined that a smell was coming from the changing basket next to me.

　This self-deceptive behavior may seem ridiculous to outsiders, but it is the balance she has found between her inner desires and morality.

　She likes Bai Yuan.

　She loved everything about him, but because of the constraints of their social status and the fear of rejection, she dared not confess her feelings and could only secretly admire him from afar.

　·

　·

　"Your fish are fed really well. Even in fish farms, it's rare to see grass carp this big. It's clear you're taking a lot of care in raising them."

　Looking at the plump grass carp swimming happily in the iron basin, Bai Yuan couldn't help but praise them.

　"Of course! I personally raise these little guys. They eat broad beans every day and live in the best quality spring water."

　Every morning I get up to tell them stories to help them feel better and grow up healthily.

　One day, I will breed the Polar Star Grass Carp, which will rival the Crispy Grass Carp!

　Upon hearing Bai Yuan's praise, Yoshino Yuuki spoke with pride, revealing the considerable effort she had put into cultivating grass carp.

　"I think so too. Then look forward to its taste. You'll definitely feel that everything you've put in to raise it was worth it!"

　Hearing Yoshino Yuuki's words, Shirabuchi rolled up his sleeves, picked up the grass carp, and walked towards the kitchen counter, saying to her as he did so.

　"I will also cook a meal that will live up to your hard work."

　Upon learning how hard-won these two grass carp were, Alice Nakiri patted her chest, a confident smile on her face.

　"It's almost lunchtime. Let's make a quick dish for this competition, within half an hour."

　"I have no opinion."

　Alice Nakiri nodded, agreeing with Shirayuki's opinion.

　She was a little hungry right now, so she wanted to finish the fight sooner and have a meal. She had a shopping appointment with Erina Nakiri in the afternoon, which was something to look forward to.

　Although they often bickered and seemed to be at odds, their relationship had actually improved quite a bit, since they often cooked together.

　Ultimately, all of this is thanks to Bai Yuan.

　Chapter 127 Night Run, Senzaemon Nakiri's Admiration

　"In that case, let's make that dish."

　Watching the grass carp swimming actively in the basin, Bai Yuan stroked his chin and began to think. Then he took the Seven Star Knife off his back and placed it on the cooking table.

　Seeing that Bai Yuan had entered cooking mode, the people around him fell silent, and Nakiri Alice also came to a cooking station next to him.

　"Seven Star Instant Severing Blade Dance - Part 1"

　Looking at the lively, crisp grass carp in front of him, a cold glint flashed in Bai Yuan's eyes, and then he gave a soft shout.

　The next moment, Yoshino Yuuki and Sakaki Ryoko saw Shiro pick up the Lianzhen sword on the table, get into position, and then a white light flashed, and slices of fresh and tender fish flew out of the basin where the crispy grass carp was, landing on the plate in his hand, neatly filling the plate.

　"Fuck."

　Seeing the scene before her, even though she was mentally prepared, Yoshino Yuuki couldn't help but exclaim "Holy crap!" and ran over to check the crispy grass carp in the basin. Looking at the sight before her, she didn't know what to say for a moment.

　"Is this something a human can do?"

　Ryoko Sakaki's lips twitched, equally at a loss for words. The fish in the basin were still swimming, but the fish meat inside had completely disappeared.

　The fish scales, bones, and internal organs are clearly visible, while the fish skin and flesh inside are cut into slices that are slightly thicker and slightly thinner and arranged on a plate.

　Alice Nakiri was so focused on her cooking that she didn't notice any of this.

　Even if she notices it, she won't say anything.

　Over the years, she had witnessed Bai Yuan display even more formidable techniques.

　What we see here can only be described as conventional.

　"Is Teacher Bai Yuan going to make sashimi? But judging from the thickness of the fish, it seems unlikely."

　Looking at the fish slices of varying thicknesses on Bai Yuan's plate, Yoshino Yuuki couldn't help but mutter to herself.

　If you want to cook fish quickly, sashimi is definitely the best choice.

　However, river fish often contain a lot of parasites, and even with special processing, some will remain. In addition, the thickness of the fish slices varies, so the possibility of them being raw fish is not high.

　not to mention...

　After obtaining the sashimi, Bai Yuan did not immediately prepare the sauce. Instead, he added starch, egg white, and freshly made scallion oil to the fish slices, and quickly stirred them in one direction until they became sticky. Then, he took a thick slice of fish from the plate and placed it in his palm.

　"Look, the fish fillet is rolled up, and it looks like something's been put in the middle..."

　Ryoko Sakaki pointed at Shiroyuki's hand and exclaimed in slight surprise.

　Yoshino Yuuki followed her gaze and saw that Shirabuchi had rolled the fish slices into the shape of flowers.

　In the middle of the fish slice, surprisingly, was something resembling a flower stamen.

　Because the object was too small to see clearly, Yoshino Yuuki squinted and observed it for a while before saying uncertainly, "That should be shredded red pepper."

　"I see, so you're using red pepper strips to simulate flower stamens? And the fish slices are shaped like peony flowers. I guess the next step is steaming..."

　It's deep-fried.

　Looking at the fish slices of peony in Bai Yuan's hand, Sakaki Ryoko pinched her chin and began to guess, her mouth involuntarily drooling.

　Such exquisite dishes must taste amazing!

　Make six fish-slice peony shapes using the same method, then bring out a clay pot.

　Wash a dozen or so shallots and spread them all over the bottom of the pot. Place the shaped fish fillets on the onion rings and secure them in place.

　Next, arrange the fixed fish fillets in the casserole in order and steam for six minutes.