Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　What do you know about him?

　As Bai Yuan stuffed the steaming hot meat bun into his mouth, the juices overflowed, scalding hot and making him gasp for breath. He looked at the relaxed Liya and asked her a question.

　My opponent is a strong contender for the championship in this tournament, and one of the strongest players in the competition.

　Kalia, however, was not nervous at all, and appeared confident and composed.

　They must have made thorough preparations.

　"Absolutely not."

　Leah shook her head decisively.

　"Then why are you still so relaxed?"

　Lia's words left Bai Yuan speechless, and he couldn't help but raise his hand and flick her head.

　To be so composed and capable without any preparation, this girl definitely has a big heart.

　"Things will work themselves out. My opponent is a three-star chef, while I'm only a two-star chef. Unless I perform exceptionally well, it will be difficult to win the competition under normal circumstances."

　Leah's voice was light and cheerful, as if it were something extraordinary.

　"I remember that your probability of making a top-tier three-star dish is around 30%, and it can increase to 60% for dishes of your specialty. Even if you perform exceptionally well, it is difficult to consistently make a high-quality top-tier three-star dish."

　Furthermore, based on your past competition data, the likelihood of you performing exceptionally well is not high, so don't pin your hopes on this.

　We live in an era of information transparency; it's easy to find information about someone, especially a well-known figure like Wang Qing. A quick online search will yield many video clips of his matches; it won't take much time.

　Bai Yuan wiped the grease from Lia's lips and began to speak earnestly.

　As the saying goes, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated." Back in the world of dark cuisine, he would stop at nothing to win the competition. Before each competition, he would collect information about his opponents and then launch targeted attacks.

　The results of this approach were obvious; he was able to consistently produce dishes that outperformed his opponents.

　This is also the best way to achieve victory by surprise when you are weaker than your opponent.

　Unfortunately, Leah didn't understand this.

　"Hasn't being with you caused you trouble? We should be responsible for that!"

　You're the one who should feel ashamed, Boss Bai!

　Lia was initially a little guilty, but after thinking about how she had spent the whole day with Bai Yuan yesterday, her voice instantly became confident.

　That's right, if it weren't for Boss Bai keeping her occupied, she would have had plenty of time to gather intelligence!

　"Don't put all the blame on me, okay? You could have just checked your phone when you woke up this morning and found out what happened during the competition yesterday. Besides, you were the one who invited me yesterday, weren't you?"

　Seeing that Liya was starting to shirk responsibility, Bai Yuan was not angry. Instead, he spoke in a light tone, making his point logically and with evidence.

　"The information I told you was what I just searched on my phone. By the way, I also searched for you out of curiosity, and that's how I found you on my phone."

　As he spoke, Bai Yuan pointed his phone at Liya, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

　"Oh dear! This is a video of me participating in the French Junior Chef Competition when I was 15 years old. Who filmed this and posted it online? It's so embarrassing!"

　In the video, Leah had short hair and a heroic look, a completely different style from now. Back then, her eyes were cold, giving off an arrogant feeling.

　And now...

　Looking at the girl staring at him with a silly, adorable expression, Bai Yuan couldn't help but facepalm.

　What exactly happened to transform her from a spirited and capable woman into what she is today?

　"Stop looking!"

　Seeing Bai Yuan's gaze become subtle, Liya blushed and tried to snatch his phone, but he easily got up and dodged her. Because of his height, she couldn't reach it even when she stood on tiptoe.

　"Just look, just look. You were quite charming back then, like you had unlocked a new character."

　Seeing the girl's flushed face, Bai Yuan felt as if he had discovered a new continent, a smile playing on his lips.

　"Waaaaah, Boss Bai is bullying me!!"

　Having tried her best without success, Leah's cheeks puffed out unnaturally. She put her hands on her hips, her voice filled with obvious dissatisfaction.

　“How is praising your charm considered bullying? Turning the tables is not something a lady should do.”

　Lowering his hand from the air, putting his phone back in his pocket, and sitting back down in his chair, Bai Yuan couldn't help but reach out and poke the soft little face of the girl in front of him who was puffing up in anger.

　"I was a bit too pretentious back then, not suitable for watching..."

　Seeing Bai Yuan put his phone away, Liya finally breathed a sigh of relief, but a guilty look appeared on her face.

　"No, that's just a normal match video. What's there to embellish?"

　Upon hearing Liya's words, Bai Yuan showed a puzzled expression.

　The video I just saw showed Leah's impressive performance in the competition from beginning to end, and every angle perfectly showcased her beauty. Was she pretentious back then?

　But there's nothing wrong with putting on a little show, right? He became famous at a young age and is a nationally renowned chef. It would be abnormal if someone like that didn't put on any show at all.

　"Huh? It's just a battle video?"

　Upon hearing Bai Yuan's answer, Liya's pupils dilated in shock.

　When she realized something and prepared to snatch Bai Yuan's phone again, she found that he quickly turned his back, leaving her only with his back view. Then, an extremely chuunibyou-esque voice came from the phone.

　"Then let me ignite a culinary revolution with the spirit of fire!"

　"Crimson Devil Stew!"

　"Hahaha! Mr. Claude, this is no ordinary cooking performance! This is a holy war that stakes on my title of 'Crimson Chef'!"

　“Food without soul is nothing but fodder!” Leah points to the ceiling in the image: “But today, I’m going to show you the ultimate cuisine that blends the essence of French cuisine with the spirit of Japanese style!”

　A demonic voice capable of manipulating Leah's mind emanated from the screen, causing her hair to stand on end and her face to contort in indescribable rage.

　"Aaaaaaah! Turn it off! Turn it off right now!"

　In the blink of an eye, her legs wrapped tightly around Bai Yuan's waist, her hands slipped around his neck, and finally, realizing she couldn't grab him, she simply covered his eyes—anyway, as long as he couldn't see!

　"I understand the logic, but what exactly is this Wind Spirit?"

　Bai Yuan's voice held a hint of doubt and seriousness. He hadn't expected there to be cooking styles in this world that he didn't know about, and he certainly hadn't expected that Lia would be able to use them. But why hadn't she used them since they met? Was she hiding her talents?

　Thinking of this, Bai Yuan looked at Liya seriously and asked her what the Wind Soul was.

　"Don't ask anymore. This is like that thing I heard at the maid cafe—writing 'love' on an omelet makes it even more delicious, like it's been given a magical twist. It's a really mystical ability..."

　Hearing the question, and such a serious one at that, Leah's toes practically dug out of their sockets. To lower her body temperature, she could only bury her head in Bai Yuan's neck, her voice deep and resonant.

　"In short, it's just something imagined. Young Lia is surprisingly interesting. What about the bandages wrapped around her hands? Could they be sealing a dark dragon inside?"

　The hand in front of him loosened considerably due to Lia's hesitation, allowing Bai Yuan to see the bandages wrapped around Lia's hand in the video, which immediately aroused his strong curiosity.

　"How could that be? It's not important! It's just a regular bandage!!"

　Hearing Bai Yuan's question, Lia blushed again, then waved her hand in front of him, her body already...

　It became incredibly hot, and Bai Yuan could clearly feel it even through a layer of clothing.

　It's clear that this time, Leah has truly reached the Red Temperature level.

　"Really? I'll order..."

　Bai Yuan expressed strong skepticism. Looking at the recommendations below Lia's video, one of them was a pure audio version of Lia breaking the seal, which instantly piqued his interest. He then pressed his thumb and clicked on it directly.

　"don't want!!!"

　When Leah saw this, her pupils contracted slightly, but the video still loaded.

　"Hmph...you think this is just an ordinary bandage?"

　In the scene, Leah slowly raises her bandaged right hand, her eyes suddenly turning sharp.

　"Beneath these bandages... lies a forbidden power capable of overturning the culinary world!"

　With her hand raised in front of her and her eyes filled with a strong warning, Leah in the picture is slightly bent over, her head hanging low, and her voice reveals an undeniable intimidation.

　"When the triple seal is broken—'Master Chef Mode - Full Activation'!"

　Speaking fluent French, with subtitles beside her, Leah suddenly ripped off the first layer of bandage with her left hand.

　"First Seal - Lock to Taste - Released!"

　The bandages fell off, and my right hand began to tremble slightly.

　"Second Seal - Right Hand of God - Release!"

　Another layer of bandages unfurled, and an invisible shockwave suddenly surged around Leah's imagined surroundings.

　"The final seal... O soul of cooking, answer my call!"

　Lia's voice was low as she tossed the bandage into the air, and it burned and dissipated into specks of light.

　Of course, this was just a scene in her imagination; in reality, she fell to the ground.

　The video then shifts to a scene where Leah is looking at her opponent and saying something during the duel.

　"Look closely! This is the legendary 'Touch of the God of Cookery - Modified,' which can turn the rotten into the miraculous!"

　In the video, Leah suddenly raises her right hand, her face radiating intense confidence.

　"Oh no... the power is about to go berserk... this curry... has been infused with too much divine will..."

　Lia suddenly stopped cooking, looking bewildered, because she had added too much salt.

　"Damn it... Did the premature release of the seal cause a backlash of divine power...? Next time... next time I'll definitely show you the true secrets of the God of Cookery..."

　After losing the match, he suddenly knelt on one knee, startling everyone present. Then, while trembling, he re-wrapped his right hand with bandages, and muttered something darkly to himself as he looked at the floor.

　"Your life used to be... quite colorful."

　After the video finished playing, an eerie silence fell over the scene. It took Bai Yuan a long time to awkwardly reply.

　"You've seen it all? Oh no, don't you think there's something wrong with my head?"

　Bai Yuan had already watched the video, and there was no point in trying to stop her. So Liya simply got off him, lowered her head, and asked the question that had made her uneasy.

　"To be honest, it's a little bit."

　Bai Yuan nodded and voiced his thoughts.

　"really."

　Hearing Bai Yuan's words, Liya's expression turned bitter; the bitter fruit of the past was finally coming back to haunt her.

　She had completely forgotten about it, but who would have thought that Bai Yuan could find a video from seven or eight years ago!

　"But I think it's quite cute. It's such a small thing, but it's dressed so smartly. Yet it says things that are completely inconsistent with its appearance. Don't you think it's a great contrast?"

　A sense of contrast is the best gift for a man, especially since I like both the Leah in the video and the Leah we know now.

　Pointing at the girl on the screen, a hint of affection flashed in Bai Yuan's eyes.

　It is said that if you love someone, you will love all of them. It's just that I was a bit immature when I was young. I didn't do anything heinous, so Bai Yuan naturally couldn't dislike me.

　"To be honest, I thought I was very handsome back then, the most special person in the world."

　Until one day, after waking up, I suddenly realized that I seemed to have no friends at all because of this. With the influence of other people's opinions, I gradually returned to normal.

　I belatedly realized how shameful those things I did were!

　Hearing Bai Yuan's explanation, Liya breathed a sigh of relief and rested her head on his shoulder before pouring out her heart to him.

　"Special people can never coexist with ordinary people, so they disguise themselves as ordinary people and then look at the special things they did from the perspective of ordinary people, and naturally they will find it strange."

　But in a sense, isn't this a special kind of memory?

　Feeling the weight on his shoulder, Bai Yuan slowly spoke.

　He was actually quite surprised to discover a different side of Leah today.

　Because it means he knows her better now.

　"So I'm not an abnormal person?"

　Although she already had the answer in her heart, Lia still wanted Bai Yuan's confirmation.

　"No, look at these comments. Everyone is smiling when they look at you. Not a single person looks disgusted, right?"

　What you did was simply to make yourself happy at the time; there's no need to care about what others think.

　The opinions of others are shackles. The day you can truly ignore them and do what you want without hesitation, that's when you've grown up.

　Thinking of the strange looks he had received in the world of culinary disasters since childhood, Bai Yuan gently put his arm around Liya's shoulder, letting her lean against him, patiently...