Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　Chapter 5 Alice, is this your little boyfriend?

　"Is it all gone?"

　When she came to her senses, the plate in front of her was already empty. Alice Nakiri stared in astonishment at the plate, which she had licked until it was shiny and new, and muttered to herself in a daze.

　However, she soon seemed to remember something and looked at the baking pan not far away, where there were still two servings of cheesy baked potatoes left.

　She tasted the ingredients in front of her

　By the time Bai Yuan finished eating, he had already eaten three portions and was now preparing to put the fourth portion on his plate.

　"Here you go. Give the rest to Mr. Jonah, the bodyguard who helped me buy the clothes earlier."

　Seeing the intense gaze that Alice Nakiri cast at him, Bai Yuan hesitated for a few seconds before finally pushing his plate over and handing the remaining portion to Jonah, who had been waiting nearby.

　"Huh? For me..."

　Jonah, the bodyguard in the black suit who had just helped Bai Yuan buy clothes and given him two chocolates, said in surprise.

　"Yes, thank you for what you did earlier."

　Bai Yuan expressed his heartfelt gratitude, saying that if Jonah hadn't thoughtfully prepared chocolate for him, he couldn't imagine how unbearable it would have been to go hungry for 40 minutes without any food.

　"this..."

　"Eat it, Bai Yuan is very good at cooking, it's definitely more delicious than any cheesy baked potato you've ever had."

　"I understand, thank you, Miss, thank you, Mr. Bai."

　Noticing Jonah's hesitation, Alice Nakiri mumbled something between bites of her cheesy baked potatoes. Her face flushed slightly as she spoke, clearly remembering what she had initially said to Bai Yuan.

　"Try it, I should probably say goodbye after I finish this."

　Now that Bai Yuan has changed into a new set of clothes, and given his significantly taller stature compared to his peers, finding a job as a chef shouldn't be difficult.

　Even if things don't go well, the other party will still give him a chance to try.

　Of course, the most important thing is that after eating the cheesy baked potatoes, Bai Yuan felt that his internal energy had recovered a lot and he could use it normally again. If he got serious, he could easily deal with two or three strong adult men.

　Unfortunately, he was too young at the time, and his body was still developing. Excessive exercise might stunt his growth, so he rarely exercised specifically.

　However, he is now 13 years old and his height has exceeded 1.7 meters. In another two years, he should be able to reach 1.8 meters and can start training.

　"Are you leaving? Where are you going? If you have nowhere to go, you can stay here. I have quite a few spare rooms."

　Upon hearing that Bai Yuan was leaving, Nakiri Alice suddenly reached out and grabbed his arm, speaking anxiously with reluctance in her eyes.

　She had finally found someone she could talk to, and he was such a good cook. If possible, she didn't want to let him leave like this!

　"Staying here? It's a good option, but I still want to find a job, after all, I need to eat."

　Bai Yuan expressed his thoughts: he was penniless and would starve if he didn't work.

　"Can you please not leave?"

　Alice Nakiri pouted, unwilling to let go of Bai Yuan's sleeve. She had finally made a friend; before that, she had always been alone, which made her very lonely.

　"If you don't leave, will you support me?"

　Bai Yuan said half-jokingly, but he was indeed somewhat tempted. With the power of the Nakiri Alice family, raising him shouldn't be a big problem.

　But wouldn't that make him a gigolo?!

　"I'll take care of you!"

　Alice Nakiri blurted out those words without thinking, then immediately realized her mistake, and a blush rose on her small face.

　"I want you to be my teacher and teach me about cooking. The salary will definitely be higher than any restaurant outside!"

　Alice Nakiri hurriedly added that although she was young, she knew a lot. After all, compared to conservative Japan, the atmosphere in Scandinavia was obviously more open, especially in Denmark.

　"To be a master...?"

　Bai Yuan fell into deep thought and began to consider it seriously. The main problem was that it was very troublesome to go out and find a job, and it was also very troublesome to find a place to live. In fact, it would be much simpler to stay here and become Nakiri Alice's master.

　Teaching someone to cook and getting paid is a fairly respectable job. I'll work for two years and save enough money before leaving!

　"That's possible, but..."

　Just as Bai Yuan was about to say something, the villa's front door suddenly made a sound, followed by light footsteps, and a beautiful figure appeared in front of the two of them through the entrance hall.

　"Oh, Alice, is this your new boyfriend? Hmm, not bad, he's quite a handsome boy."

　Her gaze swept over Bai Yuan from top to bottom. The newcomer had long white hair, a gentle and intellectual appearance, and was dressed in a sexy and playful black dress.

　Judging from her appearance, it's not hard to tell that this must be Alice Nakiri's mother.

　"Who is this beautiful lady? You look so much like Alice, you must be her sister."

　"Oh dear, you've misunderstood. I'm Alice's mother."

　Upon hearing Bai Yuan's address to her, the white-haired mature woman instantly became shy, waving her hands and saying "Oh dear, oh dear" while making no attempt to hide the joy on her face.

　"How could that be! You're so young, I thought you'd be the older sister!! By the way, my name is Bai Yuan, and I'm Alice's friend."

　Bai Yuan's face also showed a suitable expression of shock. If Oscar were here, he would definitely present him with an Oscar.

　"Friends? What a pity, you two look so well-matched. But do I really look that young?"

　"Of course, time hasn't left a single mark on your face! Otherwise..."

　From now on, I'll call you "sister." With a face like that, I'd feel guilty calling you "auntie!"

　"Okay! Then you can call me 'older sister' from now on. And really, how about considering Alice? She'll be just as beautiful as me someday~"

　Bai Yuan flattered her with a smile, but half of what he said was true, because Nakiri Leonora looked really young. It's good to be rich; there were no signs of aging on her face.

　As for the other half, Bai Yuan already knew Nakiri Leonora's identity, so theoretically he shouldn't have called her by the wrong name.

　This demonstrates Bai Yuan's high emotional intelligence. He is very concerned about his age, as a woman who is already a wife and mother.

　At this point, as long as you sincerely describe her as younger, even if the other person knows that you may be faking it, the effect will be outstanding!

　In order to stay in this family and become Alice Nakiri's teacher, Shirabuchi decides to first win over Leonora Nakiri through words.

　"Mom, what nonsense are you talking about!"

　Hearing the two of them talking back and forth, when Nakiri Leonora immediately sold her out and wanted to marry her off to Bai Yuan, Nakiri Alice stomped her foot, her face turning red, to express her protest.

　"Haha, Alice is shy. I clearly saw you grabbing his clothes just now, so why did you let go when you saw me coming?"

　Seeing Alice Nakiri's performance and recalling what she had seen when she entered the room, Leonora Nakiri couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.

　That's why she helped her daughter find a partner. What kind of young girl grabs a boy's sleeve for no reason? That's something only couples do!

　Chapter Six: Leonora's Trial

　"So, do you want him to be your cooking teacher?"

　Looking at Alice Nakiri's serious expression, Leonora Nakiri repeated what she had just said.

　"That's right, Mom, I want Bai Yuan to be my cooking instructor!"

　Alice Nakiri said excitedly, "It's a pity that I just finished the last piece of cheese-baked potato, otherwise I would definitely let my mother see Bai Yuan's cooking skills."

　"This is no child's play. At the very least, I should see how strong Brother Bai Yuan is."

　After the introduction, Leonora Nakiri learned Bai Yuan's name, and because of his praise earlier, she felt a great liking for him.

　However, this does not mean that she is willing to let Bai Yuan be Nakiri Alice's cooking teacher, after all, she has always been the one to do this before!

　"What would you like to eat now, Nora? I'll prove myself with my cooking."

　Bai Yuan's voice was filled with boundless confidence. If it were anything else, it would be one thing, but if he were to prove himself with his cooking, he would have countless ways to do so!

　"Let me think..."

　Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, Leonora Nakiri's eyes narrowed, and she put her finger to her lips, seriously considering the matter.

　"I want a meal with vegetables and soup that I can eat my fill. I don't have a time limit, but the taste must satisfy me."

　Looking at Bai Yuan's face, Nakiri Leonora smiled and stated her request. Because of Bai Yuan's sweet words earlier, she had deliberately relaxed her conditions.

　"Isn't this just a bowl of noodles? No, if it has soup, it would be more appropriate to call it ramen."

　In that case, let's create a classic in the world of Japanese ramen: tonkotsu ramen!

　Upon hearing Nakiri Leonora's words, the image of ramen immediately popped into Bai Yuan's mind. A dish that combines vegetables, soup, and a filling meal, ramen is undoubtedly the perfect choice!

　"Tonkotsu ramen? Surprisingly ordinary."

　"The deliciousness of a dish lies in the control of details. Even the same dish will taste completely different depending on who makes it."

　"Alright, then let me see your cooking, Brother Bai Yuan."

　Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, Leonora Nakiri was taken aback for a moment, but quickly nodded. Tonkotsu ramen did indeed meet her requirements.

　However, making popular Japanese dishes taste to her satisfaction is much more difficult than making some niche dishes that she has never tried before!

　Take fried rice for example. Since anyone can make it, the chef's skills must be high to sell it at a higher price and to create a unique flavor.

　"No problem, but I need some time to prepare the ingredients before that."

　Bai Yuan slightly cupped his hands in greeting and stated his request. Because Japan was geographically close to China and both belonged to Asia, he would not hesitate to request more from Japan.

　I've learned how to cook, including tonkotsu ramen, from a recipe.

　I just don't know if recipes from a hundred years ago can suit modern tastes.

　If we calculate the time, "Chuka Ichiban" should have a history of about 100 years. In those 100 years, I wonder how much modern Japanese tonkotsu ramen has developed.

　"Jonah, assist Brother Bai Yuan in purchasing the ingredients he needs at the nearby market."

　"Okay, ma'am."

　Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, Nakiri Leonora immediately instructed her bodyguard Jonah, who was a local and more familiar with the nearby market than they were.

　Immediately afterwards, Jonah left the Nakiri family with Bai Yuan. Seeing them leave, Nakiri Leonora also turned her gaze to Nakiri Alice.

　"Alice, where did you meet Brother Bai Yuan? Can you tell Mom?"

　With a gentle and serene smile on her face, Leonora Nakiri pulled up a chair and sat down, clearly preparing to hold a small family meeting.

　Leonora Nakiri felt there was a big problem with her daughter bringing a strange man home. She wondered what kind of spell Bai Yuan had cast on her, that made Alice, who was always proud of her cooking, ask him to become her cooking teacher.

　·

　·

　“Mr. Jonah, I need a bit more than I need, and I don’t have any money on hand right now. Consider this money a loan from me, and I will definitely pay you back in the future.”

　After leaving the Nakiri family villa, Bai Yuan spoke to Jonah beside him, saying that he disliked owing people anything.

　"You're too kind. Madam asked me to come with you, which means I should pay the bill. I can get reimbursed through the finance department. Just buy whatever ingredients you need."

　Jonah hurriedly said that since he learned that Bai Yuan was a highly skilled master chef, his attitude towards him had become even more respectful than before, because chefs have a very high status in this world, especially master chefs, each of whom can be considered a national treasure of a country!

　Of course, what truly made him respect Bai Yuan from the bottom of his heart was that piece of cheesy baked potato. The other party did not look down on him because he was a bodyguard, which made him very happy!

　Respect between people is inherently mutual.

　"Understood. Take me to the nearby market; I have quite a few things to buy."

　"Okay, come with me."

　Upon hearing Jonah's words, Bai Yuan didn't say anything more. He wasn't very good at communicating with people, and the main reason he was talking so much was because he didn't have any money.

　The two headed to the market together to make tonkotsu ramen, the most important part of which was naturally the broth.

　To make a flavorful tonkotsu ramen broth, you need chicken carcass bones, pork leg bones, pork spine bones, a whole chicken, and pig's trotters.

　In addition, the char siu pork, seasoning sauce, ramen noodles, sesame oil, soft-boiled egg, back fat, and braised bamboo shoots are all important ingredients.

　Because it was a test, Bai Yuan decided to refine every detail to the extreme, purchase the basic ingredients for making these elements, and create a qualified tonkotsu ramen from scratch!

　This will take at least ten hours.

　Upholding the most basic respect for cooking, if you're going to do Baiyuan, you have to do it the best, striving for perfection until there's nothing left to improve!

　At this moment, Leonora Nakiri had no idea who she was testing, nor did she know the power of the dish that Shirai Abyss had prepared!

　After half an hour.

　After purchasing the ingredients, Bai Yuan returned to the Nakiri family villa. Nakiri Alice was already waiting at the door. Upon hearing the noise, her eyes lit up and she ran up to the door.

　"You're finally back! You bought so many groceries! Mom asked me to come and help out. Just tell me what you need and I'll do it."

　Alice Nakiri looked at Bai Yuan with bright eyes, and took the ingredients from his hand as she spoke. Ever since she had eaten his cheesy baked potatoes, she had been looking forward to his cooking!