Chapter 41: Hey, System!

"What are you planning to make?" Mikami Ai asked.

"When I was learning to cook, my father once told me, 'Don't start with the simplest, start with what you like most.' For the Bunny Girl competition, of course I'll make my favorite dish!"

"Oh? What is it?" Mikami Ai said curiously.

The Ono Sisters listened attentively.

"You might think my favorite dish is something my father made," Senior Ando said.

Everyone indeed thought so.

"Actually," Senior Ando continued, "compared to my father's fancy dishes, my favorite has always been the Salmon Three-Color Bento my mother made for me!"

"For ordinary people, home cooking is still the most relatable," Mizuguchi said.

"The smiles that bloom when family picks up their chopsticks~ are the standard of Mom's cooking~, and also the highest realm of cooking~" Kisue's self-composed and self-sung song.

"Senior, victory!" Mizuguchi and Kisue said simultaneously.

"Wow~" Ono Mizuki clapped lightly, "It's just like they rehearsed it."

"They did rehearse it." Kisue raised her chin, very proud.

"It was Senior's order," Mizuguchi said somewhat embarrassedly.

"Classmate Aoyama, Senior Ando's cooking tells a story. What about yours?" Mikami Ai said, looking like a neutral judge.

"All nonsense," Qingshan Li said coldly like the system, "Food that doesn't taste good, even if made by Mom herself, children won't eat it—deliciousness is the only standard of cooking."

"How dare you say that?! Do you think you're worthy of the mother who cooks for you every day?!" Senior Ando roared angrily.

"I don't have a mother," Qingshan Li said coldly.

". Uh, that, may I ask, what does 'don't have a mother' mean?"

"My mother passed away."

"Sorry!" Senior Ando bowed nearly 180 degrees.

"Compared to Senior Ando's warmth, Classmate Aoyama's determination seems even better. I can't wait to taste your cooking now—start!" Mikami Ai announced.

Senior Ando quickly took action.

Salmon Three-Color Bento.

The salmon flakes were made on site: steam the salmon, remove bones and skin, mash with a fork, then stir-fry.

As for the so-called "three colors," besides looking good, it was also out of nutritional consideration.

It is said that if there are five colors of dishes on the table—must be natural—almost all the nutrients the human body needs can be replenished.

Senior Ando paid attention to details, especially in expressing love.

It was a bento made thoroughly "just for you."

—System, make seven Hamburg Steaks.

【Guidance Begins】

The system had very strict requirements for ingredients, but it could also be said to have almost no requirements.

The ingredients used by students in home economics class were all the system needed, just fresher.

Even the sauces used, the system did not crave anything higher-grade.

So, in Mikami Ai and their eyes, Qingshan Li's side was ordinary.

"Not right," Mizuguchi said uncertainly.

"It's just like playing music," Kisue said, staring.

Needless to say, the Ono Sisters who had seen it before, Mikami Ai gradually also sensed a feeling.

A magical feeling, hard to describe.

If I had to say, it was that Qingshan Li cooking now was exactly what she considered, the ideal image of cooking.

Materializing what she already knew and had always pursued, this is the current Qingshan Li.

Without deliberately paying attention to anything.

Nor was he focused as if eyes grew all over his body.

Casual?

No, there wasn't a single unnecessary movement.

In seemingly simple cooking, every spoonful of seasoning was a decisive moment, but he was very composed.

It naturally didn't look like cooking, but like doing a puzzle, assembling a mortise-and-tenon structure.

Every move of Qingshan Li at this moment had already surpassed his appearance, attracting everyone with a mysterious charm.

The Ono Sisters watched him, entranced.

Both had personally seen Qingshan Li make Hamburg Steaks, but they had never said it: actually, just watching him cook was already enjoying delicious food.

Thud, thud, thud, onions chopped.

Half put into the pot, stir-fried over low heat, slightly golden then sprinkled with salt, plated and set aside.

Meat stirred until elastic, add breadcrumbs, eggs, pepper powder, onions, etc.

Slap, slap, slap, both hands slap the meat patties, then smoothly into the pot.

Sizzle, the aroma of frying meat spread.

The magical reaction gradually exerted its power, the surface color of the meat gradually darkened, transforming carbohydrates and amino acids into various tempting aromas and flavors.

Plated, scoop a spoonful of sauce and drizzle over.

Serve with a bowl of steaming hot white rice.

Silently, seven Hamburg Steaks were done.

—System, step back, let me do the most important finishing touch!

"Poor hospitality!" At this moment Qingshan Li's appearance was especially gorgeous, not even describable as the prince of the culinary world.

From the moment he started cooking, his appearance won out over his talent for the first time, attracting everyone's attention.

Ando-senpai's seven bento were also finished, arranged in a row on the desktop.

"I have a sense of happiness." Mizuguchi couldn't help but say.

"This is a real cooking competition." Ando-senpai unconsciously smiled, "There's no winning or losing, only the joy and excitement of witnessing more delicious food."

"Can we eat now?" Kisue already had her chopsticks ready.

"Please, go ahead!" Qingshan Li said.

"Stop!" Ando-senpai suddenly let out a beast-like angry roar.

Everyone about to move was startled, freezing in place like a game of Red Light Green Light where the statue suddenly turned around.

"Let me take a photo first!" Ando-senpai took out her mobile phone, with an aura that dared anyone to refuse, as if she'd stab them on the spot.

"Please."

Only after the mobile phone and the fans finished eating did it become their turn.

"Let's start tasting." Even Mikami Ai, who had eaten countless delicacies, couldn't hold back a little.

Qingshan Li stared at her.

Taking the first bite of hamburg steak, Mikami Ai's eyes shone with waves of brilliance.

【Campus Mystery, Main Ability is Beauty: 94.3%, 94.4%】

Equivalent to reading a mystery novel!

— Well done, System!

【Campus Romance Daily Life: 81%】

— Hey

【Campus Romance Daily Life: 82%】

— Hey!

Qingshan Li absolutely did not think the Mikami Ai enjoying the food was cute.

Nor did he think that just watching her enjoy the food would satisfy him.

"I admit defeat." Ando-senpai sighed, the kind of sigh from being immersed in delicious food and finally coming back to her senses.

"So cooking has sound too." Kisue spaced out.

"In China, there has always been a tradition of sacrificial offerings; the people there believe that even heaven and earth, gods, and ancestors can be pleased, even persuaded, with food — this hamburg steak can control gods." Mikami Ai exclaimed in admiration.

She looked at Qingshan Li: "Classmate Aoyama, you've controlled me, though only my stomach."

"Are you really praising me, or praising yourself?"

"If you can't find a job in the future and don't want to make a living off your appearance, you can come be my chef."

This isn't an olive branch, it's a curse.

"Junior Student Qingshan, may I ask where you learned your cooking skills? Please tell me!" Ando-senpai bowed and pleaded.

"Right here."

"Right here?"

Qingshan Li pointed at the distant cooking counter: "In Home Economics class, I was at that spot, learning from the Home Economics Teacher."

"Our Advisor Teacher?" Mizuguchi couldn't believe it.

"That Advisor Teacher who, when guiding us, taught us more about how to cover up failures through editing and how to photograph food to make it look good?"

When saying this, Ando-senpai's eyes didn't blink even once.

As if 'incomprehension' had solidified into two small wooden sticks, propping up her eyelids.

"Mhm." Qingshan Li nodded.

"God of Cooking~, why is your voice~, only audible to Qingshan~, Kisue can't hear it at all! Even though I sing to you every day! I'll commit suicide!"

Amidst the heart-wrenching self-composed singing, the showdown between the Cooking Club and the Yaken Club came to a close.

Cooking Club wins!

Athens Philosophy Research Club didn't lose either!

Thank you for Cross-Dream Dimension's donation!

Thank you everyone for your donations, votes, and reading!

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(Chapter End)