Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　"Tsk, there were three of us when we came, but how come there's only one left when we left?"

　After leaving the dessert research club, Bai Yuan couldn't help but complain that Qian Jiubo Momo had kept Li Wanwan and Huang Mei behind under the pretext of preparing club uniforms for them.

　The so-called club uniforms were actually custom-made outfits that Momo Akane called in a professional tailor to make for the new members of the confectionery research club.

　The outfits and attire of the girls they saw at the dessert research club today were all carefully selected by Momoko Akane.

　Bai Yuan felt it was too tiring to wait there, so he made up an excuse and left.

　"But this makes it a bit boring, even though it's a rare weekend."

　Wandering aimlessly through the Far Moon campus, grumbling to himself, he suddenly felt his vision broaden as he saw the beautiful scenery around him, and his mind relaxed.

　"Well, this is fine too."

　Looking at the cherry blossoms falling to the ground, Bai Yuan casually picked up one of them, held it to his nose and gently smelled its fragrance, his expression one of enjoyment.

　"These cherry blossoms are so beautiful; it must be spring now."

　This is a rare opportunity, let's make some cherry blossom mochi tomorrow.

　With this thought in mind, Bai Yuan bent down slightly, gathered his strength in his legs, and jumped up. Then, at a speed so fast that he could only be seen as a phantom, he began to pick the cherry blossoms that were about 80% ripe and in good condition from the tree.

　The cherry blossoms that had been picked needed something to wrap them, so Bai Yuan took off his coat and put all the cherry blossoms he had picked inside it.

　Before long, his coat was covered with cherry blossoms. Bai Yuan glanced at it and thought it was about time, so he prepared to go back and catch up on the sleep he hadn't had enough of that morning.

　"Teacher Bai Yuan, what are you doing?"

　Although it's the weekend, it doesn't mean there's no one outside.

　Seeing Kobayashi Rindou walking towards him with a face full of curiosity, Bai Yuan stopped what he was doing.

　"I'm going to pick some cherry blossoms to make some cherry blossom cakes. But what are you doing here? I thought you'd be sleeping in on the weekend."

　Seeing the girl with her school uniform collar unbuttoned, a bright smile on her face revealing two cute little tiger teeth, Bai Yuan asked.

　"I went sea fishing a couple of days ago and enjoyed a seafood feast. I just came back from the beach today and then I saw you picking cherry blossoms here."

　Hearing Bai Yuan's somewhat puzzled words, Kobayashi Rindou put his hand to his lips as if thinking, and then began to recount his itinerary.

　"I see. So, what are you planning to do now...?"

　"I was originally planning to go straight home to sleep, but since I saw you here and learned that you're making sakura mochi, I naturally have to come and freeload. Let me get you some sakura for you."

　As they were talking, Kobayashi Rindou took two steps forward and quickly grabbed the coat that Shirai had placed on the ground. Inside were the cherry blossoms that he had painstakingly picked.

　"Then let's go to your place."

　Seeing Kobayashi Rindou's actions, Bai Yuan smiled helplessly. Was this guy afraid that he would run away?

　"Would you like to come to my house? Mr. Bai Yuan, are you also interested in a young girl's boudoir?"

　Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, Kobayashi Rindou was taken aback at first, then said with a hint of teasing, while nudging Bai Yuan's arm with his elbow, appearing affectionate.

　"Today is a day off, so I gave the little ones a day off. If I go back to cook now, they'll probably come back, and then the day off will be wasted."

　A balance between work and rest is essential. Prolonged, continuous cooking can be counterproductive; proper relaxation is also necessary.

　Bai Yuan designated Saturday as a holiday.

　His original intention was to let them relax. If he went back now, those people would probably immediately drop what they were doing and come to watch him cook.

　That would make holidays meaningless.

　"I see. Then come with me."

　My house is a little messy, I hope you don't mind.

　Whether he believed it or not, after listening to Bai Yuan's story, Kobayashi Rindou nodded slightly and then led the way.

　"It's okay, as long as the kitchen is clean."

　Bai Yuan glanced at the coat that Kobayashi Rindou was holding in his hand and gave a wry smile.

　This guy is really outgoing. If it weren't for his pretty face, which makes it hard to get angry with him, he would have caused a lot of trouble.

　"The kitchen is alright, but don't have too high expectations, because I rarely cook at home, so it's just average..."

　As she spoke, Kobayashi Rindou suddenly became a little unsure of herself. She rarely went home; for her, home was just an ordinary place to stay.

　"It's okay, as long as it works."

　Seeing Kobayashi Rindou's appearance, Bai Yuan felt a little curious.

　However, his curiosity was soon answered.

　"Ahem, step back a little."

　Bai Yuan wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt that Kobayashi Rindou's face was a little red, and most of his body was blocking the doorway, obscuring most of his view.

　"Even an ugly daughter-in-law has to meet her in-laws eventually. Let me see what's going on."

　As the door opened, Bai Yuan pulled aside Kobayashi Rindou and squeezed inside, where he was greeted by a magnificent sight.

　Clothes and pants were scattered haphazardly on the sofa, and even a few pairs of underwear could be seen.

　It wasn't very dirty; you could tell it was cleaned regularly. But it was really messy, yet strangely, there was a sense of order within the chaos.

　"Don't be fooled by its mess; I did it this way on purpose. If I had arranged everything properly, I wouldn't even know where I put anything."

　Seeing Bai Yuan's slightly subtle gaze, Kobayashi Rindou squeezed into the room, awkwardly scratching his hair, and whispered something to make amends beside him.

　Despite the mess in the room, she can find anything she's looking for immediately. In a sense, isn't that a form of tidying up?

　"As long as I'm happy living here, what matters is what others say. I think it's great this way; it feels like home, doesn't it?"

　Seeing Kobayashi Rindou's embarrassment, Bai Yuan waved his hand dismissively.

　As he spoke, he strode toward the sofa, looked at the underwear and stockings on it, and silently picked up the black stockings.

　"But I still put the clothes I take off in the laundry tub and wash them all at once after ten or fifteen days. Removing these clothes will make the room look much cleaner."

　"Ahem, I understand, give it to me."

　Although she appeared carefree on the outside, she felt somewhat ashamed that a handsome, physically healthy man was holding her personal clothing.

　Logically speaking, this should be a very annoying thing, but at this moment, Kobayashi Rindou not only did not feel disgusted, but also had a faint sense of smugness.

　This feeling is very subtle.

　To put it simply...

　Someone who used to be aloof and superior suddenly starts paying attention to your daily life and then tells you to be careful in a gentle tone.

　This kind of consideration from a superior to a subordinate not only doesn't make people feel uncomfortable, but also feels like a gentle breeze.

　The joy was even more pronounced when considering that Bai Yuan was a seven-star chef, a national treasure in any country.

　"I'll go to the kitchen to cook. You tidy up the dirty clothes. Consider the cherry blossom cakes your reward. There won't be any reward if you don't cook them well."

　Watching Kobayashi Rindou snatch the black stockings, and feeling the lingering warmth on his fingertips, Bai Yuan waved his hand and strode towards the kitchen.

　"Make sure to complete the mission."

　Looking at the messy living room, Kobayashi Rindou felt a little embarrassed, so he gave Bai Yuan's back an OK sign.

　She's very good at tidying up and organizing; after all, over the past three years, she has repeatedly transformed her home from a messy state into a clean one.

　Then, in less than half a month, it will return to its chaotic state.

　"Teacher Bai Yuan, you are the first person to come to my house, and you are my first love."

　As if she had thought of something and felt it was unfair that she was the only one who was shy, Kobayashi Rindou came to the kitchen door with her underwear in her arms and called out to Shirahara, who was standing in front of the counter.

　It was probably the first time a boy had come to her house, and she felt that there was something ambiguous between them.

　However, she enjoyed the feeling.

　She likes capable people because she feels safe around them, as if someone will always be there to protect her no matter what she does.

　Like a small, weak wild animal in the forest, it always wants to find a powerful backer for itself.

　Chapter 166 Bai Yuan: Xiao Lin, your legs are so stiff!

　"Really? I'm truly honored."

　Contrary to expectations, there was no panic. Bai Yuan simply smiled gently and calmly answered Kobayashi Rindou's question.

　"Tsk, you're not funny at all."

　Not hearing what he wanted to hear, Kobayashi Rindou couldn't help but click his tongue, then went back to tidy up the clothes scattered in the living room.

　"Pfft, this guy, he's just making fun of me."

　Looking at the doorway suddenly

　Bai Yuan couldn't help but scoff at Kobayashi Rindou, who appeared and then left in a hurry.

　He shook his head and refocused his attention on the kitchen counter in front of him, where the cherry blossoms and cherry blossom leaves that had been wrapped in his clothes were now laid out.

　The first step in making cherry blossom cakes is to process the cherry blossoms by washing some of them with water and then drying them in the sun.

　The remaining leaves are cleaned, dried in an oven at a low temperature, and then salted together with the cherry blossom leaves in brine.

　After doing all that, the remaining task is to make the red bean paste filling, which is relatively simple to make, but it still takes time.

　After rinsing the red beans, put them in a pressure cooker, add an appropriate amount of water, and pressure cook for 35 minutes.

　"Hello, Alice? Have someone bring your molecular gastronomy machine to Kobayashi Rindou's house for me. I need to use it to cook something."

　After finishing with the red beans, Bai Yuan glanced at the cherry blossoms basking in the sunlight, then walked to the window and dialed Alice Nakiri's number.

　To extract pigments from cherry blossoms, some chemical methods are required, and all of them take more than a day.

　However, he needed to use it now, and after thinking it over, the most convenient option was still Alice Nakiri's molecular gastronomy machine, which could perfectly meet his needs.

　"Kobayashi-senpai's house? Where is that... Also, Baiyuan-ge, weren't you taking the transfer students to visit the clubs? How did we end up at Kobayashi-senpai's house?"

　After a few seconds of silence, Alice Nakiri's voice, tinged with doubt and questioning, came from the other end of the phone.

　"We bumped into each other on the street. It's a holiday today, and I wasn't thinking it would be suitable to cook at home, so I came to her place. We can talk in more detail when you come over."

　After giving a brief explanation, Bai Yuan hung up the phone and strode into the living room, where the previous mess had vanished without a trace.

　Although the items are still scattered here and there, they are noticeably neater now.

　"Are you done?"

　Hearing the noise from the kitchen, Kobayashi Rindou, who was holding a dishcloth, immediately looked over with shining eyes, his voice filled with excitement.

　"Starting from scratch won't be quick, it'll take at least another hour, just wait patiently."

　Seeing how anxious Kobayashi Rindou was, Bai Yuan felt a little helpless. He tapped her on the head and then sat down on the sofa.

　"So slow..."

　Look how clean I've made it!

　He sat down next to Bai Yuan, tossed aside the rag in his hand, and put his feet up on the table, resting his arms on the edge of the sofa.

　"It's quite clean, but your posture is so ungraceful; you've been completely exposed..."

　Turning his head slightly, Bai Yuan could see the light gray bra strap of Kobayashi Rindan's underwear, which made him frown slightly, unsure whether to look or not.

　It would be embarrassing if we were discovered if we looked, but it would be a shame not to look at such a beautiful view, so Bai Yuan offered a word of advice.

　"What's wrong? Could it be that Teacher Bai Yuan is embarrassed to see these things?"

　Her shapely, straight legs were propped up on the coffee table. Her black stockings had long been removed by Kobayashi Rindan and put into the laundry tub, leaving Bai Yuan with only a patch of fair skin.

　Amidst that expanse of fair skin, perhaps from being stared at by intense gazes for too long, her toes curled slightly with a hint of shyness, like a young girl reluctant to be seen.

　“I’ve seen this kind of scene many times, how could I possibly feel ashamed?”

　Seeing that Kobayashi Rindan didn't seem to care much, Bai Yuan said stubbornly, his gaze lingering on the girl's jade feet.

　"You've been looking at me for so long, why don't you give me a massage? I've been on the fishing boat these past two days, walking back and forth non-stop, and it's really tiring. My legs are so sore."

　Being stared at like that made even the usually carefree Kobayashi Rindou feel awkward, but she was never one to take things lying down.

　Since Bai Yuan likes to watch it, she'll use some drastic measures to completely correct his bad habit.

　Perfect timing! She hasn't washed her feet since she got back, and the boots she's worn for two days smell really bad. That should shatter Bai Yuan's beautiful fantasy.

　"Hmph, try to escape in a sorry state!"

　She placed her delicate, small feet on Bai Yuan's lap, braced herself on the sofa, and moved her feet toward his chest, attempting to humiliate him with this move.