"You scoundrel, bullying me!"
A misty look seemed to appear in her eyes. This feeling of wanting to hit him but not being able to was truly maddening. This guy was clearly taking advantage of Merchant Xingchen lying on her, making her afraid to make any sudden moves.
"So what if I'm bullying you?"
A smile was hidden deep in his eyes. Seeing Erina Nakiri's embarrassed yet powerless expression, a strange sense of excitement welled up in Hoshino Sora's heart, and his actions became even more excessive.
Erina Nakiri, worried about being discovered by Merchant Xingchen, could only passively endure. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and, filled with indignation, got up and walked towards the door, giving him a provocative look as she went, as if asking if he dared to follow.
Naturally, Hoshino Sora was fearless. He smiled and got up, then tiptoed to the door, closed it after stepping out, and immediately pinned Erina Nakiri against the wall with a wall-slam.
"I've really been living like a monk these past few days!"
This was Hoshino Sora's first sentence, his voice full of resentment. He then lowered his head and kissed Erina Nakiri, his movements so fast that the girl's lips were already covered before she could even react.
"Mmm... Xingchen is here, and you still dare to act so recklessly? Aren't you afraid of her finding out?"
After a while, Erina Nakiri said, her chest heaving violently, her eyes revealing a seductive allure. Clearly, Hoshino Sora wasn't the only one who had been holding back during this time.
"So what if she finds out? Can a little girl like her stop us? Besides, as long as you keep your voice down, she might not even know we're gone."
Hoshino Sora gently exhaled near Erina Nakiri's ear, then actively launched his attack. Faced with the sudden assault, Erina could only grit her teeth and accept, while trying her best not to make a sound.
But was it truly possible not to make a sound?
Inside the room, Merchant Xingchen's cheeks were flushed. She had woken up the moment Erina Nakiri got up to leave.
Because she lacked a sense of security when sleeping and was afraid of being abandoned by her master in her sleep, she always stayed in their arms at night. When they woke up, she would wake up too.
This time was no exception. She woke up as soon as Erina Nakiri got up, and Hoshino Sora also went out. She originally thought she was going to be abandoned, and just as she was getting up in a hurry, preparing to go out and beg them not to leave.
Faint conversations drifted from the doorway, followed by sounds that were either low or high-pitched.
Although she was still an innocent little girl, her mother had taught her when she was young, so she knew very well what was happening outside. Therefore, she lay in bed with the blanket over her head, her face flushed.
She understood that Hoshino Sora and Erina Nakiri weren't abandoning her; rather, the two of them needed their own private space to do things that could only be done in private.
This battle lasted for a full three hours, mainly because Erina Nakiri couldn't endure it anymore. Finally, she was carried back to the room by Hoshino Sora in a princess carry, utterly exhausted, and lay down beside Merchant Xingchen.
And Merchant Xingchen? She had received quite a lesson. Her body temperature was indeed a bit high at this moment, but to avoid being discovered, she could only pretend to be asleep. Fortunately, Hoshino Sora didn't notice anything unusual, or rather, he didn't want to notice anything unusual.
As for Erina Nakiri? The moment her skin touched Merchant Xingchen's, she noticed something was off, but because her body was too exhausted, she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
It's hard to imagine that a supreme expert with Gourmet Cells could be so exhausted! One can only imagine the intense battle she had experienced earlier!
Thus, the three of them slept until nine in the morning. It wasn't until the downstairs filled with people and noise drifted up from below that Hoshino Sora and the others woke up. Erina Nakiri rubbed her eyes, still a bit sleepy, her eyes full of confusion.
"You all... is there something you need? We haven't started business today yet."
Merchant Xingchen, dressed in her pajamas, got up and rubbed her eyes as she went downstairs to open the door. As soon as she opened it, she saw a large crowd gathered outside. She was still a bit half-asleep at the moment, so her face was full of bewilderment.
"Hmph! Didn't you say it yourselves, to challenge heroes from all over the world with cooking utensils as the stake? Now I've brought my cooking utensil, are you afraid to accept the challenge?"
Hearing Merchant Xingchen's confusion, a burly man in the middle of the crowd slowly stepped forward, his voice like a booming bell, carrying a hint of dissatisfaction. In his hand, he held a spatula made of ancient wood, on which light seemed to flow, clearly a very good cooking utensil.
"If you want to challenge me, I will accept. Since I've set up this arena here, I naturally cannot be afraid."
Hearing the sound from the doorway, Hoshino Sora immediately understood what was happening. He stepped forward generously to the restaurant entrance, his expression indifferent as he observed everything before him.
"It's almost noon now, so let's make lunch the theme. There are no restrictions on what dish to make, and we'll randomly select an odd number of judges from the people here on site, who will vote to determine the winner."
His voice paused. Hoshino Sora looked at the people behind the man who were watching the show, an unusual glint in his eyes. Weren't these the best judges?
"That's exactly what I had in mind!"
A hint of surprise appeared on his face, as he had thought the same thing. He truly hadn't expected their ideas to coincide so perfectly. Since the other party was so impatient, then let's fight as soon as possible!
"Those willing to be judges can enter the restaurant and wait. The competition venue will be our restaurant's kitchen. The time limit is two hours. Ingredients are all available inside, or you can bring your own."
"I have no problem."
Leading the burly man into the kitchen, Hoshino Sora briefly explained the rules. Simply put, it was to make a lunch using the ingredients available in the kitchen, and then have the customers evaluate it.
Hearing their conversation, pedestrians at the doorway with plenty of free time poured into the restaurant. At a glance, the number of people definitely exceeded ten, which was more than expected.
It seemed that people in this world truly loved gourmet food.
Despite being a competition between unknown individuals, people still gathered to witness the outcome of the match.
If lunch was the theme, then it couldn't just be a single dish; at least for Hoshino Sora, one dish with white rice for lunch would be too meager.
Facing so many customers at once, the most correct approach was to prepare a set meal, combining several dishes into one meal, ensuring that all the side dishes complemented each other in flavor.
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