Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　His body suddenly relaxed.

　"Get some rest and recharge; that's the key to winning the game."

　Bai Yuan's voice was gentle, and his breath softly brushed against the girl's ear, making her earlobes turn bright red and her body become burning hot.

　"Then I'll wash up and rest..."

　"It's strange, but you have a really nice scent. It's not strong or pungent, just a subtle fragrance that gives you a sense of security. It's a wonderful scent!"

　I took a deep breath of Tadokoro Megumi's scent; it was the scent of a virtuous wife and loving mother, like the carefree feeling of being in my mother's arms as a child...

　"Turn off the heat first. I'll give you a simple massage to help you relax, then you can go straight to sleep and take a shower tomorrow morning."

　Bai Yuan sniffed as he spoke, then turned off the heat when the food was cooked to perfection and left it there unattended.

　He was already impatient at this moment, so he bent down, hooked his left hand around Tadokoro Megumi's knee, and lifted her up by the waist.

　"ah!"

　The sudden feeling of weightlessness made the girl gasp, and her jade-like arms instinctively wrapped around Bai Yuan's neck, holding on tightly and daring not to let go, their eyes meeting.

　The emotions that surged up in that instant, a faint sense of shame lingering in her heart, made Tadokoro Megumi's face flush red, and she turned her face away, unwilling to look at him.

　Seeing this, Bai Yuan wasn't annoyed. He smiled and carried her to the bed, then naturally placed his large hand on Tadokoro Megumi's shoulder and began to massage her.

　"Is this strength okay?"

　"Yeah, just right."

　Her blue ponytail swayed back and forth. She was a little reserved when the massage started, but when she felt an extremely comfortable pressure on her body, she couldn't help but show a look of enjoyment on her face.

　The feeling was wonderful; large hands kneading her sore muscles sent shivers down her spine, greatly relieving her fatigue.

　"Then let's use this intensity."

　Bai Yuan precisely located the stiffest parts of Tadokoro Megumi's body and massaged them with the pressure she had specified, making her close her eyes comfortably.

　"I could never have dreamed of such a scene before, not even in my wildest dreams."

　Feeling the strength in her body and the gentleness from Shiro Awakening, Tadokoro Megumi spoke from the bottom of her heart. This was a scene she had always dreamed of, but never even dared to fantasize about.

　"There's no need to keep fantasizing. After all, it's come true, and this will be our daily life from now on."

　Bai Yuan gently rubbed Tadokoro Megumi's face and sincerely said that he also felt a little happiness from it, which was something he had always dreamed of.

　Hanging out with pretty girls and getting all close.

　"Ah, don't pinch my face after you've massaged my feet, Mr. Bai Yuan!"

　Feeling the large hand groping her face, Tadokoro Megumi pouted and complained, simply because Shiro had just pressed her foot with that hand.

　"Don't worry about these details."

　"I can't ignore it!"

　Tadokoro Megumi moved Bai Yuan's hand away with some disgust. Although she didn't dislike having her cheeks pinched, the feeling of having her feet touched had a strange, subtle taste.

　"Okay, I'll turn off the light for you. Get some rest."

　There was nothing he could do about being rejected. Bai Yuan got up from the bed, ruffled Tadokoro Megumi's hair, then jogged to the door, turned off the light, and left.

　"Really!"

　Feeling her hair become a mess, Tadokoro Megumi kicked her legs a couple of times, but a happy expression appeared on her face, and she looked very happy.

　"We won't lose tomorrow! Go, Xiaohui!"

　Even for Bai Yuan's sake, she couldn't afford to lose, at least not in the first round; that would be too embarrassing for him!

　·

　·

　Good evening, dear viewers.

　After last night's intense competition, I wonder if you were still fired up and couldn't sleep a wink, just to see the next round of matches?!

　"Let's get started already, stop talking!"

　As usual, the host started to liven up the atmosphere, pointing the microphone at the audience. The audience responded enthusiastically, spreading their hands like megaphones and shouting loudly.

　"Please don't rush, everyone. Before the competition officially begins, let me introduce our two beautiful contestants."

　The woman on the left is named Zhu Yan, one of the top eight finalists in last year's Youth Chef Competition.

　And the one on the right, 'codename' Hui, is also one of the strongest in the world of dark cuisine. I'm now really developing a strong interest in the world of dark cuisine."

　As they spoke, the contestants from both sides entered the arena one after another.

　Chapter 239 A Difficult Showdown, Tadokoro Megumi's Determination!

　"Hui? The Dark Cuisine World? That's ridiculous. Wearing a mask to compete on stage? Do you all like to hide like rats?"

　Zhu Yan, true to her name, has fiery red hair, striking features, big wavy curls, bright red lips, sexy clothes, and a healthy tan complexion.

　She is from Quanzhou, Fujian. Because she lived by the sea, she loved running barefoot on the beach and catching shrimp from a young age. Later, she showed exceptional culinary talent and was given special training by her family.

　Born at the age of twenty, she was already a top-tier expert, having defeated three veteran top-tier masters in succession, earning her the nickname "Red-Haired Female Asura" in the culinary world.

　Looking at the blue-haired girl with braids who was a head shorter than her, Zhu Yan mocked her without any restraint. This kind of girl didn't even dare to show her face, only daring to appear behind a mask.

　She utterly despises those lowly creatures!

　"If all you're good at is talking, then I've already won this match!"

　Tadokoro Megumi was not to be outdone. She was no longer the timid Megumi she used to be, and naturally she was not to be outdone in the face of Zhu Yan's sarcasm!

　"I hope you actually have a chance of winning, otherwise it'll be too boring. Ms. Hui from the world of culinary disasters."

　"I'll go back the way I came!"

　As Zhu Yan spoke, she sized up Tadokoro Megumi, her eyes filled with a hint of disdain.

　She had never heard of any "dark cuisine world" before, and with such a ridiculous name, it must have been founded by some young person.

　They call themselves the dark forces, but in reality they are just a nobody, not worth paying attention to.

　The host stood in the center of the stage, watching with keen interest as the tension between the two contestants gradually escalated. He cleared his throat and continued:

　"It seems that the two contestants are not convinced by each other, which is normal. After all, all the contestants are geniuses, and geniuses should have the arrogance of geniuses!"

　So let's wait and see who will emerge victorious in this intense and fierce battle of geniuses!

　"Please come forward and draw the theme for this round of the competition."

　As the host finished speaking, he turned his attention to Zhu Yan and Tadokoro Megumi, waiting for one of them to step forward and spin the wheel to draw the theme for this round.

　"Go ahead, little one. I'm a bit older than you, so I'll let you have your way in this respect. Just keep the pointer on what you're good at!"

　Hearing the host's words, Megumi Tadokoro still hesitated. Zhu Yan's voice rang out at the right time, urging her to step forward and spin the lottery wheel.

　"it is good."

　Without saying much, Tadokoro Megumi stepped forward, her gaze falling on the rotating table in front of her. The table displayed various themes, but her specialty was undoubtedly local cuisine.

　"let's start!"

　Without much hesitation, she glanced briefly at the contents of the spinning wheel and began to spin it vigorously. Everyone's eyes instantly focused on the rapidly spinning pointer.

　Drones hovered in the sky, broadcasting real-time footage to a large screen, providing a clear view for viewers in the distance.

　The spinning wheel gradually came to a stop, the blurry image became clearer, and the pointer finally stopped on "dessert".

　"Desserts! This round's theme is desserts!"

　Someone shouted, and a cheer erupted from the crowd. Everyone's face beamed with excitement, leaving Bai Yuan and the others somewhat bewildered. It's just a dessert theme, right? Why are they so excited...?

　"Dude, what's going on? This is just a normal theme, why is everyone so excited? Are dessert themes really that popular?"

　Bai Yuan raised his hand and touched the shoulder of the man next to him. The man had also been cheering, so he probably knew the reason behind it.

　Asking questions when you don't understand is Bai Yuan's greatest strength as he has grown up.

　Aren't you locals?

　Upon hearing Bai Yuan's question, the man glanced at him with some surprise, clearly not expecting that someone would actually be unaware of this matter.

　This is the Fujian Youth Chef Competition, a tradition that has continued for thirty years!

　"Yes, we just came from out of town."

　Bai Yuan remained calm, but his inner surprise grew stronger. The others living around him were also intrigued and all turned their gazes toward the man.

　"A tradition of more than thirty years..."

　Erina Nakiri murmured softly, her gaze falling on Megumi Tadokoro, who looked slightly bewildered on the stage, unsure of what to say.

　I don't know whether to call this luck good or bad.

　"Congratulations to Hui for drawing the dessert theme! The last time we drew this theme was three years ago in the second semi-final."

　The host's voice was full of passion, brimming with barely concealed excitement. He then explained to Bai Yuan and the other bewildered viewers:

　"According to tradition, the contestants who draw the dessert theme need to create a dish that can satisfy the entire audience, and the audience will vote to select the winner."

　Those who make it to the Young Chefs Competition and become spectators are all well-known figures in the culinary world, and their standards for food are extremely high. Satisfying these discerning palates is no easy task.

　"The entire audience is the judge..."

　Ryoko Sakaki frowned, her gaze sweeping across the venue. There were at least a thousand people in the audience.

　In other words, the contestants need to make 1,000 desserts in just two hours!

　This is undoubtedly a huge challenge.

　"How is that even possible! You have only two hours to accommodate a thousand guests. Even a god couldn't do it!"

　Yoshino Yuuki couldn't help but complain.

　No wonder this is called a hidden tradition; if every dish were this difficult, the contestants wouldn't even need to compete.

　"If it's stir-frying, it's indeed a bit difficult, but desserts are different. Desserts only require grasping five elements: texture, flavor, appearance, and creativity."

　Even if you only make one cake, you can break it down into a thousand small desserts. Although the portions are smaller, this is still a viable solution.

　However, since it's a competition, such shortcuts shouldn't be allowed. That means there are strict requirements regarding the weight of each dessert.

　Bai Yuan's voice was calm and steady. As soon as he finished speaking, the large screen in the sky immediately displayed the detailed rules of this round of the competition:

　1. Each serving of dessert must weigh no less than 20 grams.

　Grams.

　2. Each dessert must be a complete dessert, and there should be no significant differences between desserts.

　3. The cooking time is 2 hours. Contestants are advised to make the most of their time and complete the cooking within the allotted time.

　"You really drew a torturous theme. The last contestant who completed this theme couldn't even lift his arm afterward."

　Looking at the content on the big screen, Zhu Yan couldn't help but complain, her face full of helplessness.

　If I had known this would happen, I would have let her draw the answer; maybe she would have gotten an easier theme.

　"To prepare meals for a thousand people in two hours, the first step is to avoid complicated procedures, and then optimize the production process..."

　Megumi Tadokoro bit her finger, her eyes fixed on the big screen, her brain racing as she pondered the best solution to this topic.

　Zhu Yan's expression returned to calm.

　"The most difficult part of this theme is not choosing a dessert to make, but being able to choose only ten types of ingredients from the dozens provided by the organizers, while also preventing your competitors from taking away the ingredients you need."

　Developing a dessert that can be quickly prepared yet satisfy the audience under various constraints is the real challenge.

　Bai Yuan's voice rang out, revealing the true difficulty of this match.

　Because the cooking rules are so strict, many people subconsciously overlook a crucial premise—the competition doesn't allow for the arbitrary use of ingredients; cooking must be done within a limited set of ingredients. This further increases the difficulty.

　Soon, as arranged by the organizers, staff members pushed carts full of dessert-related ingredients to the competition venue.

　Flour, potato starch, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, butter, milk, chocolate...

　A variety of basic ingredients for making desserts were neatly arranged on the table for both contestants to choose from.

　The moment Zhu Yan saw the ingredients, she swiftly grabbed the eggs as her first food. Tadokoro Megumi was a beat slower, but she also quickly snatched the milk. Seeing this, Zhu Yan immediately grabbed the flour, while Tadokoro Megumi also took the yellow candy at the same time.

　Just a few minutes later, ten ingredients for desserts were placed in front of both Tadokoro Megumi and Zhu Yan, thus concluding the ingredient selection process.

　"Ingredient selection complete."