"Are you planning to go alone? Wouldn't that be too dangerous..."
Hearing Alice Nakiri's words and seeing the look in her eyes, Dylan couldn't help but frown, a sense of worry rising in his heart. A girl going to China alone, without anyone to look out for her, just didn't seem right no matter how he thought about it!
"Don't worry, I'm not a child anymore. Besides, you've taught me some self-defense techniques. Three or five ordinary men are no match for me!"
Seeing Dylan's expression, Alice Nakiri's heart warmed. She then pulled up her sleeves and flexed her muscles at Dylan, putting on an "I'm strong, believe in me" expression.
"Since you've already made your decision, I won't say any more. With your current skill level, you should be able to pass the Guangzhou Special Grade Chef Examination without any problems, but you must not become arrogant. I know quite a few who had the skill but failed to pass the Special Grade Examination. For now, you should focus on learning Chinese properly."
He thought of Lia, who had presented French-style baked snails at the Dueling Kitchen but failed because she wasn't proficient in Chinese and misunderstood the theme.
"Chinese is so hard! The vocabulary is just too vast, and the same character can have many meanings. It's too difficult to accurately grasp the meaning of every word!"
Hearing that she had to learn Chinese, Alice Nakiri showed a pained expression. When she was little, she had once asked Dylan to teach her some Chinese characters. She was full of enthusiasm at the beginning, but completely gave up in less than a month.
The reason was simple: it was too difficult.
But that was when she was nine. Now she was fourteen, and her ability to accept new things had greatly increased. Continuing to learn now, with her previous partial foundation, should be much easier.
"That was just a smattering, but two months or so should be enough. Forget the written characters, just practice speaking. Practice for two hours every day from now on, and you should at least be able to reach a level of normal conversation with people."
Looking at Alice Nakiri's expression, Dylan considered many things and decided in his heart to have Lia accompany her then, to prevent any embarrassing blunders. Although children eventually have to go out and make their own way, it shouldn't be in such a careless manner.
This girl had too little social experience. If she were really allowed to go to China alone, problems would arise nine times out of ten. Rather than letting the young woman cry alone in a foreign country, it was better for him to intervene and at least minimize the risks.
"Let's study for three hours every day. I want to learn Chinese well. It's Dylan-nii's native language, isn't it?"
As if remembering something, Alice Nakiri suddenly looked up at Dylan's handsome and heroic face and said these words. Last year, Dylan left her and went to China alone.
At that time, she had really wanted to learn Chinese, because if she learned Chinese, she could go to China to find him. However, self-study was too strenuous, and with her daily culinary training, the matter was shelved. Now that Dylan was willing to teach her personally, she certainly couldn't give up!
"I'm back."
Opening the door to the empty house with his key, Dylan called out into the house as usual, then took off his shoes and walked in.
Alice Nakiri followed, her eyes fixed on his back, her fists slightly clenched. After hesitating for a long time, she finally made up her mind.
"Master, for the reward for first place in the midterm assessment, I want to challenge you!"
Quickening her pace to overtake Dylan, Alice Nakiri turned around, her bright eyes looking at his face as she spoke.
"Are you sure you want to redeem this reward now? This reward can be saved; it's not impossible to challenge me in the future."
Having just stepped into the genkan, Dylan's expression showed surprise upon hearing Alice Nakiri's words, clearly not expecting her to issue a challenge so suddenly.
"I want to duel with you right now. I feel like I've gained a lot from this midterm assessment, and I want to test the results against a strong opponent."
Facing Dylan's questioning gaze, Alice Nakiri met it without fear, a fierce fighting spirit burning on her face. A duel with her master was the final period she would put on this midterm assessment. As for saving the opportunity for later? Alice Nakiri had no such thoughts.
Unlike others, if she wanted to challenge Dylan, she just needed to act cute and coquettish. They were proper master and disciple, and Dylan favored her. She was not to be compared with those outsiders!
"Alright then, what do you want to compete with?"
Dylan didn't know Alice Nakiri's thoughts, but even if he did, he would just laugh it off, as her thoughts were also his thoughts. As his disciple, Alice Nakiri did indeed have privileges that others didn't.
Of course, having privileges didn't mean she could abuse them. He wouldn't accept frequent challenges. He would only have a match with Alice Nakiri when her skills had significantly improved, to let her understand her own standing. Other than that, if Alice Nakiri wanted to challenge him, she would need to pay a corresponding price.
Living in seclusion at Tōtsuki, Dylan teaching beautiful girls. At night, giving them a certain degree of punishment for their mistakes during the day—this was his simple idea. Of course, winning over so many girls was also a skill. At least for now, he had no clue, let alone where to start.
Speaking of which, if he knew what to do, he wouldn't have been single his entire past life.
"Sigh, if only falling in love were as simple as cooking."
Walking towards the kitchen, this thought appeared in Dylan's mind, and his expression became somewhat melancholic.
"It's almost noon now. What would you like to eat, Master?"
Seeing Dylan stop at the kitchen entrance, Alice Nakiri also stopped, standing beside him and asking.
"Let's do fish then. Coincidentally, the first event of this midterm assessment was held by the river. Using fish for this match brings things full circle."
Hearing Alice Nakiri's words, Dylan didn't stand on ceremony and stated the theme of this test. For him, he was proficient in all types of cuisine—those that fly in the sky, swim in the sea, run in the mountains, and grow in the ground.
As long as it was an ingredient that existed in this world, he had basically cooked it. Especially during that one year in the Dark Cooking Society, his subordinates presented him with many rare ingredients and brought many niche recipes.
He learned the cooking methods, mastered them, and then created new dishes from them. After a year of filling in the gaps, there was no longer any ingredient in the world that could stump him! Now, he could very well be a biologist; his knowledge reserve was more than sufficient.
"Fish? That works. Speaking of which, the place I used to live was near a port, which was also a land rich in fishery."
Hearing Dylan's words, Alice Nakiri tapped her cheek, an expression of approval on her face. Fish, as the theme for their duel, was very suitable!
"Alright, then I'll call someone to bring some up."
After getting Alice Nakiri's agreement, Dylan took out his phone and dialed Megumi Tadokoro's number.
"Hello, Dylan Sensei."
Two seconds later, a gentle female voice came from the other end of the line. Megumi Tadokoro had just returned to her room, put down her luggage, and answered the phone without even a pause, sitting on the bed as she spoke.
"Megumi, go to the pond behind your Polaris Dormitory and catch two fish to bring over. Alice and I are going to have a cooking competition. Also, call Yuki and Ryoko to come over as judges."
Dylan's voice came from the other end of the phone. Megumi Tadokoro lay on the bed, holding the phone in one hand, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"Okay, I'll be there in 20 minutes then."
Hearing Dylan's words, Megumi Tadokoro felt a bit tired, but she still agreed. How could physical fatigue be more important than tasting top-tier cuisine? Moreover, Dylan Sensei had finally asked her for a favor for once. Even if her leg were broken right now, she would rush over in a wheelchair!
"Okay, I'll be waiting for you."
After he finished speaking, the sound of a water droplet came from the other end of the phone. Megumi Tadokoro placed the phone on her chest, feeling the warmth it emitted, and closed her eyes to rest for a moment.
"Let's go!"
Opening her eyes, Megumi Tadokoro sat up from the bed, then jogged downstairs and immediately found Yuki Yoshino, who was holding clothes and preparing to take a shower.
"Yuki, don't shower yet. Dylan Sensei asked me, you, and Ryoko to go over now."
"Huh? So suddenly!"
Hearing Megumi Tadokoro's words, a surprised expression appeared on Yuki Yoshino's face. She then glanced at the clothes in her hand: "Then I'll put my clothes back. You go call Ryoko. We'll leave in five minutes."
"Mm, we need to catch two fish from the pond later. Dylan Sensei is having a cooking duel with Alice; it should be the reward for the midterm assessment."
As if remembering something, Megumi Tadokoro called out loudly to Yuki Yoshino's back:
"Go to the pond behind the mountain? I see! So he's calling us over to be judges? Great! We can eat Dylan Sensei's cooking again!"
Megumi Tadokoro's words made Yuki Yoshino pause in thought. Her brain worked quickly, and after fully understanding, a look of joyful surprise appeared on her face.
"That's right, that's it."
Megumi Tadokoro nodded in response, then jogged downstairs to notify Ryoko Sakaki. After a bout of commotion, the three of them went to the mountain behind the dorm together, caught two plump, large fish from the pond, and headed towards Alice Nakiri's house.
Ten minutes later.
The three of them rushed to their destination. Megumi Tadokoro gently exhaled, making herself look more normal, then stepped forward and rang the doorbell. The person who came to open the door was Dylan.
Seeing the three with fine beads of sweat on their foreheads, his expression was surprised. He then stepped aside to let them in.
"Actually, it's okay to be a little slower. You could have rested for a while before coming over."
Bending down to reach for the shoe rack to get shoes for the three of them, and looking at the girls' disordered breathing, Dylan spoke in a gentle voice.
"It's fine, there's nothing to do at the Polaris Dormitory right now anyway, and we also wanted to eat your cooking as soon as possible. From the moment we received the call, we were so excited!"
Noticing the change in Dylan's mood and understanding his consideration for them, Megumi Tadokoro felt a warmth in her heart. As she spoke, she came to the genkan and sat down, bending over to take off her shoes, revealing her jade-like feet wrapped in black stockings.
In an instant, a faint sweaty smell wafted through the air and into Megumi Tadokoro's nose. She hastily put her shoes back on.
"Sorry, I'll go back and take a shower before coming over!"
As she spoke, Megumi Tadokoro bent down and prepared to leave, but was stopped by Dylan, who grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"Isn't it a hassle for you to come all this way? Just wash up here. Alice has plenty of clothes you can wear."
"Eh... that's not really appropriate, is it."
"What's not appropriate about it? Alice wouldn't mind such a small thing. But don't touch the clothes in the main wardrobe; those are her favorites."
Hearing Megumi Tadokoro's hesitant words, Dylan shrugged nonchalantly and then took the fish Yuki Yoshino was holding.
"You two go take a shower too. Alice and I have already washed up. After a long morning of travel, you should also take a bath and relax properly."
"Is that okay? I was just thinking of taking a shower!"
"Then we'll be imposing."
Looking at the sweaty Ryoko Sakaki and Yuki Yoshino, Dylan reached out to wipe the sweat from their brows, then carried the fish to the living room.
"Alice, help them find a change of clothes, then go to the kitchen and prepare for cooking."
Looking at Alice Nakiri sitting on the sofa, having just finished blow-drying her hair, Dylan instructed.
"Okay, you guys wait a moment."
Hearing his voice, Alice Nakiri glanced at Megumi Tadokoro and the other two, then at Dylan, a smile appearing on her face. She then put down the hairdryer, jumped off the sofa, went back to her room, and soon came back holding several sets of clothes in front of the three of them.
"Megumi should wear this dress; it has a pure feeling."
"Ryoko, this hip-hugging skirt suits you very well. I feel you'll look very sexy in it."
"As for Yuki, a shirt with jeans. It looks full of energy, going for a cute style."
Tossing the several sets of clothes onto the sofa, Alice Nakiri thoughtfully introduced them, an excited expression also appearing on her face. She had bought these outfits while shopping before. She liked them at the time but later felt they didn't suit her and set them aside. Now, giving them to these girls was just right.
A good opportunity to do them a favor.
"Thank you. Yuki, Ryoko, let me go wash first."
"You go first."
"Take your time, we're not in a hurry."
Her feet had been stuffy in shoes all day and smelled a little. The moment she took off her shoes in the genkan just now, she really wanted to die. Fortunately, Dylan Sensei was very gentle and didn't show any disgust towards her.
"Thank you."
Thinking of Dylan, Megumi Tadokoro's face reddened a little. After taking the dress from Alice's hand and thanking her, she rushed into the bathroom without looking back. Closing the door and leaning her body against the wall, Megumi Tadokoro let out a sigh of relief.
That was so dramatic just now. If she had known, she would have washed her feet and changed her socks before coming over; otherwise, it wouldn't have been so embarrassing.
"Sigh..."
Clenching her fist and punching the air twice, Megumi Tadokoro sighed with a complicated feeling, then placed her change of clothes in a basin beside her. But soon, her eyes were glued to something.
The reason was that when she was placing her clothes, she found a pair of boxer shorts in the adjacent basin. And this was Alice Nakiri's house. Apart from Dylan, there were no other men. The owner of these boxer shorts was obvious!
Gulp...
Thinking of this, Megumi Tadokoro swallowed. Her morals from childhood told her she couldn't, but her inner desire made her unable to control her steps. She approached bit by bit, finally reaching her hand towards the basin.
"You can't!"
Suddenly waking up from her fantasy, her sense of morality sounded an alarm. Her other hand grabbed her right hand, and a struggling expression appeared on Megumi Tadokoro's face.
"But... just a little sniff, no one will find out. There are no cameras in the bathroom; no one will ever know about this."
Struggling, this thought appeared in Megumi Tadokoro's mind, so her right hand moved a little closer, the blush on her face already spreading to her ears.
"But if I do this, I feel like I'm letting Dylan Sensei down, like I'm some kind of pervert... This version of me is so terrible."
Thinking of this, Megumi Tadokoro withdrew her hand, then began to undress, soon reaching a state of absolute vulnerability. Turning on the shower, the steam from the hot water instantly filled the entire bathroom. At the same time, she turned on the bathtub beside it, adjusted the water temperature, and began to fill it with hot water.
After finishing this, Megumi Tadokoro came to the changing area and neatly folded the clothes she had taken off. While folding her clothes, she twitched her nose, imagining a scent wafting from the laundry basin beside her.
This act of self-deception might seem ridiculous to outsiders, but it was the point of equilibrium she found between her inner desires and morality. She liked Dylan. She liked everything about him, but due to the constraints of their status and her fear of rejection, she didn't dare to confess, only daring to like him silently from behind.
"The fish at your place eat really well. Even for a fish farm, grass carp this big are rare. It's clear you put a lot of care into raising them."
Looking at the plump grass carp swimming happily in the iron basin, Dylan couldn't help but praise.
"Of course! I personally feed these little guys. Every day they eat egg and bean feed and live in the best quality mountain spring water. Every morning I have to get up to tell them stories, to regulate their moods so they can grow up healthy. One day, I will cultivate a Polaris Whale that is as famous as any high-quality meat!"
Hearing Dylan's praise, Yuki Yoshino spoke with a proud expression. It was clear she had put a lot of effort into cultivating the grass carp.
"I thought so. Then look forward to its taste. It will definitely make you feel that all the effort you put into raising it was worth it!"
Listening to Yuki Yoshino's words, Dylan rolled up his sleeves, then lifted the grass carp and walked towards the cooking station, speaking to her at the same time.
"I will also make a dish that won't let down your efforts."
After learning that the two grass carp before her were not easily come by, Alice Nakiri immediately patted her chest, a confident smile on her face.
"It's almost lunchtime. For this trial match, let's make some complete dishes. Let's set the time limit to half an hour."
"I have no objection."
Alice Nakiri nodded, agreeing with Dylan's suggestion. Coincidentally, she was also a bit hungry now. Ending the battle early and eating early was good. She had plans to go shopping 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 indeed improved quite a bit, after all, they often cooked together.
Speaking of which, all of this was thanks to Dylan.
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