You Are Not Worthy of Carrying Zane's Shoes

"Ah!"

Suddenly, Erina screamed.

Her pretty face turned red in an instant, and she hurriedly covered it with her hands, then quickly turned around and left.

Maybe she never imagined that the kind of accidental encounter in the bathroom that happens in manga would one day happen to her too.

"What should I do?"

"I... I didn't mean to see his body, but his figure is as perfect as a male model in a manga!"

"Long arms, a slim waist, firm abs, and strong muscles..."

"Oh no, what am I even saying?"

Back in her room, Erina sat on her bed, breathing heavily. Every time she recalled the scene she just witnessed, she blushed even more.

Was it embarrassing?

Definitely very embarrassing.

But inside, she also felt a trace of guilty happiness.

She was a bit confused. Why did seeing Zane's body make her so excited?

If someone else were there, they would notice that her eyes had become misty, emitting the charm of a girl in love!

...

Not long after, about ten minutes later, thinking that Zane should be done with his bath, the restless Erina carefully walked back into the bathroom.

After a while, she came out wearing a bathrobe.

It is said:

A woman is most stunning right after she takes a bath.

This saying is indeed true.

Erina's skin was tender and smooth after her bath, and her beauty was unparalleled. A tiny drop of water slid down her cheek and fell to the floor like a pearl dropping on a jade plate, making one exclaim, "She is naturally beautiful!"

As she returned to her room, she saw Zane coming in with a heavy quilt.

"Erina, your room is missing a quilt, so I brought you one."

With that, Zane gently placed the quilt on the bed.

Suddenly, he noticed a faint fragrance in the room, like jasmine.

He quickly realized it was from Erina, who had just taken a bath. Unable to resist, he glanced at her.

In this world, there was no shortage of beautiful women, like:

Rindo.

Miyoko.

Sonoka.

Ikumi.

Leonora.

Alice.

...

All these women were stunning in both looks and figure.

However, to Zane, in terms of pure elegance, Erina's beauty was unmatched and unblemished, unlike anyone else!

"Zane."

"You've been a great help lately."

Feeling Zane's gaze, Erina blushed even more and turned her head, speaking softly.

"It's nothing."

"I should be the one thanking you."

"If it weren't for you working part-time at the tavern, helping me and Sonoka with some tasks, things would be much harder... Anyway, it's getting late, you should get some rest."

"Don't worry too much. If you need anything, I'm right next door. You can come find me anytime."

"I promised Megumi that I would take good care of you."

"Hmm, well... good night!"

"Good night!"

After chatting with Erina for a few minutes, Zane shrugged, stretched, and left the room.

Finally, the tavern fell silent.

Erina's room soon became dark, but a pair of eyes were still shining in the darkness.

She couldn't sleep, clearly thinking about Zane, reflecting on all the events that happened in just two days since she moved into the tavern.

Whether it was sleeping together out of fear of thunder or accidentally seeing him in the bathroom...

Maybe, the more time she spent with him, the deeper her feelings would grow?

"Sigh!"

"What should I do?"

Tossing and turning, Erina's mind was a jumble of thoughts.

Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night for her!

...

Morning came, and everything woke up from its slumber.

A drop of morning dew fell from a leaf onto the ground, as if washing away the darkness.

Since Rindo's reprimand, Kuga's behavior had been calm, and he even temporarily gave up on expanding the Chinese Cuisine Research Society!

But regarding Miyoko, he never gave up.

"Miyoko, have you thought it over?"

"Joining our Chinese Cuisine Research Society isn't a bad idea."

"If you agree now, I won't force you to learn spicy Sichuan cuisine."

"You can learn Shandong cuisine or Cantonese cuisine, it's up to you!"

Kuga immediately began persuading Miyoko as soon as he found her.

When the same thing happens repeatedly, it becomes annoying, and Miyoko was clearly annoyed.

Sometimes, she wondered if Kuga was a Leo because he was so persistent.

"How many times do I have to refuse before you give up?"

"We both specialize in Chinese cuisine, but our paths are completely different. You can't persuade me, and I can't change you, so why force us to be on the same team?"

"Besides, in Chinese cuisine, you might be the best at Totsuki."

"But outside, there's someone whose cooking will always be above yours. He is the true master of Chinese cuisine."

"And you, who only know spicy Sichuan cuisine, even as an Elite Ten, can't compare to him."

"Before him, you aren't even worthy of carrying his shoes!"

Miyoko felt a great sense of relief after expressing her thoughts.

She no longer wanted to talk to Kuga and turned to leave.

"Who?"

"Who is this master of Chinese cuisine?"

Kuga was taken aback and suddenly curious.

After all, Chinese cuisine had a low presence at Totsuki and wasn't very prominent in Japan. So, hearing about a master of Chinese cuisine piqued his interest.

"The owner of the tavern, Zane."

Leaving this sentence behind, Miyoko walked away without looking back.

"A tavern?"

Kuga murmured, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

But then his expression changed, and he shouted loudly in the direction Miyoko left, "Hey, don't leave! Tell me the address of that tavern!"

...

At 7 PM.

The tavern had just opened and welcomed its first customer, Mana.

She wore a white kimono embroidered with delicate cherry blossoms. Even the sleeves and hem were adorned with light pink tassels, making her look elegant and graceful. Despite appearing tired, her demeanor was still dignified and elegant.

"Mom!"

"You... you came?"

As soon as she entered, her daughter Erina called out.

This surprised Mana, but then her eyes softened, and she smiled, "Is that you, Erina?"

"Are you here on time for Zane's cooking too?"

"Mom, you misunderstand. I'm just working part-time at the tavern during the break after the residential training."

Erina quickly explained.

"Part-time?"

"Hmm, being around Zane isn't bad. At least you get to eat his cooking every day."

Mana chuckled, covering her mouth with a fan, "I wish I could be like you, staying at the tavern every day!"

"Mom, I'm not here for his cooking. I want to improve my culinary skills."

"I understand."

"With the God Tongue, how could I not understand your thoughts?"

"Mom, it's not like you think."

The hurried departure years ago left wounds that wouldn't heal quickly.

The relationship between this mother and daughter was still distant and cold, but it was better than before.

Seeing this, Zane, who was quietly observing, couldn't help but feel a bit comforted.

...

"Mana, you look tired."

"Remember to rest. Your body is weak and can't handle much strain."

Zane then made a cup of hot tea and placed it in front of Mana, expressing his concern.

Faced with Zane's enthusiasm, Mana could only sigh, "I can't help it. There are so many things to handle lately. Just organizing the next WGO THE BLUE world-class culinary competition keeps me busy!"

"Is that so?"

"I thought you were exhausted from dealing with the underground chefs."

Zane said meaningfully.

"Huh?"

"You have such keen insight?"

"It seems there's no hiding things from you."

Mana was surprised but then pretended to be calm and murmured softly.

"Well, I don't want to worry about those things. Since you're here, let me serve you my latest dish."

Zane said nonchalantly.

"New dish?"

Mana's interest was piqued, "What kind of dish?"

"Treasure Mountain Dragon Pot!" Zane replied.

"From the name, it must be like the Flaming Ice Snapper Mountain, Golden Ratio Shumai, or Reborn Spring Rolls. Alright, I'll have the Treasure Mountain Dragon Pot."

"Okay, wait a moment."

With that, Zane adjusted his clothes and started cooking.

...

He prepared mushrooms, mini king oyster mushrooms, soybean sprouts, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, carrots, and other vegetables.

He simmered these vegetables for nearly an hour to make a broth, blanching the soybean sprouts and bamboo shoots beforehand to remove their raw taste.

Then, he prepared several sheets of traditional rice paper.

He folded them into the shape of an ordinary pot and added water, placing it on the stove to heat.

Surprisingly, the paper pot didn't catch fire despite being heated on the stove!

This scene naturally astonished all the diners present.

Zane continued by adding all the ingredients except the greens into the paper pot.

Then he poured in the vegetable broth, simmering it over low heat for 25 minutes, and seasoned it with salt.

He smashed the shrimp with the side of his knife, then chopped it into shrimp paste, adding egg white, salt, white pepper, and a bit of cornstarch, beating it until it was firm, and then made shrimp balls.

These raw shrimp balls were the soul of the Treasure Mountain Dragon Pot.

Since they were light, they floated on the surface like beautiful pearls, attracting everyone's attention!

Finally,

 keeping the pot at a gentle simmer, he cooked the shrimp balls until done.

At this point, Mana finally understood why Zane used a paper pot to cook the ingredients.

"Using the paper to absorb impurities and oil ensures the broth remains clear, keeping the simmering ingredients fresh and delicious."

"In other words, the broth stays clear without any scum or impurities!"

Amazing!

Absolutely amazing!

This creativity seemed very bold to Mana, making her even more expectant.

...

Time passed slowly.

Soon, the Treasure Mountain Dragon Pot was ready.

Ignoring the reactions of the diners, Zane lifted the lid without hesitation, and a more magical scene unfolded.

The steam from the pot rushed out like a flock of caged birds, filling the tavern with mist.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

In the midst of the intense sounds, the whole dish began to glow!

Amidst the dazzling golden light and swirling mist, Mana's eyes widened.

She vaguely saw a golden dragon emerging from the paper pot.

It soared through the mist, its strong claws, powerful tail, and delicate whiskers moving in the air, leaving everyone in awe!

"A golden dragon?"

"Am I really seeing a golden dragon?"

Mana's face was full of shock.

Even though she had seen similar scenes at the tavern before, it was still astonishing!

Gradually, as the mist and golden light faded, the ethereal golden dragon disappeared from Mana's sight.

"Alright, this is my new dish, Treasure Mountain Dragon Pot. As you can see, the main feature is the special paper pot, and most of the ingredients are vegetables."

Zane said nonchalantly, glancing at the stunned Mana.

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