Chapter 2465: Chapter 1649: Research (Chicken Products Online Aren’t Very Tasty)

This evening, Duanmu Huai’s kitchen is exceptionally lively.

To celebrate Hei Chuan Chi Yin moving next door, everyone planned to have a dinner gathering, originally it should have been like this......

"Miss Chi Yin, today is to celebrate your move, so leave the cooking to me."

Sakurajima Mai smiled, holding a kitchen knife, glancing playfully at Hei Chuan Chi Yin beside her.

"No need to trouble yourself, Miss Mai."

Hei Chuan Chi Yin was also wearing an apron at the moment, smiling like a virtuous wife and mother.

"As a neighbor, I should also showcase my culinary skills to Xiao Ai."

"But I’ve always been the one cooking, you might not be familiar with their tastes yet?"

"Don’t worry, I have confidence in my skills! Xiao Ai and Ruby will definitely love my dishes!"

"............sister, what’s happening over there?"

Sitting on the sofa, Ruby quietly glanced at Duanmu Huai and asked.

"Just watch your TV, don’t worry about anything, it has nothing to do with us."

Duanmu Huai sat on the sofa, looking at the newspaper in her hand, appearing completely absorbed in her reading.

"Ah, okay........."

What else could Ruby say? She could only obediently watch TV.

Thanks to this, tonight’s dinner was very lavish. Not only did Mai make potato stew, miso soup, and tempura, but Chi Yin also made hamburger steak, fried chicken, and omelet rice......

In response, what could Duanmu Huai do?

There’s really only one solution.

"Oh......this is why your lunch is so plentiful today, Xiao Ai."

Banai reached out with his chopsticks, picked up a piece of hamburger steak, and happily stuffed it into his mouth.

"Mm, so delicious———!"

"Eat as much as you like, it’s not like I can finish it all."

Duanmu Huai lay on the table, looking exhausted. Ruby last night faced so many dishes, only took a few bites before retreating to her room, citing that an idol needed to maintain her figure———in fact, who among them doesn’t need to maintain their figure?

As a result, it seemed like Sakurajima Mai and Hei Chuan Chi Yin were competing, preparing more than usual, leading to Duanmu Huai’s lunchbox today being a full three layers high.

Duanmu Huai evidently brought it for one purpose, which was to hand it over to someone who could handle it.

Yes, naturally Banai.

Incidentally, the money Banai owed Duanmu Huai was already paid off in bento form by the end of summer vacation.

"Did Miss Sakurajima and Miss Hei Chuan make these? It’s surprising to know they can cook, and it’s so delicious. Hehe, if the boys in the class found out, they’d be so jealous."

"Don’t spread it around, okay."

"Of course not, once I share, there won’t be enough for me."

"............there’s not enough, indeed."

Chitanda held the chopsticks, facing the three-layer lunchbox in front of her, having a hard time.

"Anan, aren’t you worried about eating so much while you’re trying to lose weight?"

"Of course."

Upon hearing Chitanda’s question, Banai proudly raised his head and picked up his chopsticks.

"I naturally have my reasons." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"What reasons?"

"Miss Sakurajima and Miss Hei Chuan are famous celebrities, right."

"That’s correct."

"And they manage their figures very well."

"That’s correct."

"So, since they’re good at managing their figures, it means their cooking also sustains a good figure—won’t easily cause weight gain! QED, proven!"

While saying this, Banai picked up a rice ball and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Since they eat without gaining weight, I won’t either!"

"............"

Chitanda looked at Banai with confusion, then turned to Duanmu Huai, who shrugged.

"If you think it makes sense, then it makes sense."

"Ah, well......then......I’ll go ahead without hesitation......"

At this rate, adding weight loss to Chitanda’s schedule is only a matter of time.

"Speaking of, how was the cultural festival before? I heard it was immensely popular?"

Duanmu Huai asked casually while eating lunch. Initially, the cultural festival took place a few days ago, and Duanmu Huai was also supposed to participate. However, with the body-switching incident between Sakurajima Mai and Feng Bin Hexiang, Duanmu Huai had to prioritize handling that, leaving the cultural festival unattended.

As for the article for the club magazine, Duanmu Huai found it bothersome and submitted an old food-related horror story overheard from a movie set, leaving it at that.

By the time Duanmu Huai returned from handling Sakurajima Mai’s side, the cultural festival had naturally ended.

After all, the cultural festival couldn’t wait for Duanmu Huai, right?

Despite being busy with cultural festival preparations, Duanmu Huai still participated because the Classical Studies Club only had three members. Banai had to focus on her class’s cultural performance that day, meaning Chitanda would be the only one in the clubroom. After some discussion, the three of them decided to transform the clubroom into a rest area. Undoubtedly, on the day of the cultural festival, many would visit, and they’d need a place to rest when tired.

So, they decided to turn the Classical Studies Club directly into a rest area, where visitors could relax and taste delicious food while appreciating their culinary and classical literature research. This way, Chitanda wouldn’t have to do much beyond handling cash and selling club publications.

Most of the setup work for the clubroom was done by Duanmu Huai, given his strength, while putting up those research reports on the walls was Banai and Chitanda’s task.

"Hmm hmm."

Upon hearing Duanmu Huai’s inquiry, Banai proudly puffed up her chest.

"Very successful!"

"Oh?"

Next, under Banai’s gesturing explanation, Duanmu Huai learned about the situation of the day.

It was pretty much as they anticipated. Many parents brought their kids and used the clubroom as a rest area, thanks to the complimentary refreshments and the various food items paired with classical tales. Additionally, the research reports on the walls even highlighted the food vendors. This piqued the parents’ interest considerably, and they inquired with Chitanda about these places. Upon learning that these were based on their personal visits and research, the parents were eager about some restaurants, even taking photos with plans to visit them later on.

As for the club publications, they sold out entirely, and in the cultural festival’s survey ranking, the Classical Studies Club also made it into the top five. Even the teachers were full of praise for them, deeming it quite a success.

"So, I think we should start considering our next club activities!"

"Do you have any suggestions?"

Clearly buoyed by the cultural festival’s success, Banai was ambitious, while Duanmu Huai was enjoying the omelet rice made by Miss Chi Yin, and inquired further.

"Hehehe, this time, after discussing with Ai Liu, we decided our next research theme will be—Demon Stories!"

"Demon Stories? Why?"

The theme wasn’t surprising, but hearing this from Banai was peculiar. Knowing Banai, she wasn’t someone typically interested in demon stories.

"It’s simple."

"Alright, go on."

Duanmu Huai put down his teacup, ready to hear Banai’s high-flying discourse.

"I thought about it after seeing a manuscript submitted by Xiao Ai, realizing there are many demon stories in classical literature, right?"

"That’s true."

Just like how China has ’Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio’, there are many similar ancient demon stories in Japan.

"For example, Ozaki Yakyu’s monster, even I know it."

"Yes, quite well-known."

Ozaki Yakyu’s monster is indeed a famously known demon story in Japan, about a merchant returning home late at night who sees a woman crying as if she intends to drown herself. Concerned, he approaches her, only to find the woman’s face is smooth like an egg without any features, prompting him to run in fear. Soon, he encounters a soba vendor, to whom he narrates the encounter. The vendor then asks, "Did the woman look like this?" When the merchant looks up, he also sees the vendor’s face smooth like an egg, fainting from fright.

The story abruptly ends there, essentially describing a demon capable of taking human form to play tricks, whose true form lacks facial features, with a face like an egg.

"Then I started wondering, how delicious must the soba be at that vendor in the monster story? Why sell soba instead of something else?"

"............"

Indeed, that’s so very like Banai.

Hearing this, Duanmu Huai clearly understood what Banai meant.

"So, you’re suggesting investigating the foods in demon stories?"

"Exactly!"

Banai picked up the last piece of tempura and stuffed it into her mouth.

"Demon stories are frightful tales, so what’s the relationship with the food in them? You see, don’t we also have tales abroad like vampires being afraid of garlic? I think it has significant research value."

For Banai, munching on garlic is no problem, not even with green peppers.

Banai’s parents have really raised her to be a healthy child.

Duanmu Huai figured out that as long as it’s food-related, Banai’s IQ shoots up exponentially.

Though this, strictly speaking, is as meaningful as when your college exams ask what "the fish’s eyes gleam with a cold light" signifies – utterly meaningless.

But for Banai, as long as there’s food, she’s not picky at all.

Look at her, she’s already on the third box at the bottom.

And that doesn’t include the bento Banai brought herself.

"I don’t mind, what about Chitanda?"

Duanmu Huai genuinely doesn’t mind, classical literature is all about interpretation, whether the ancients wrote whimsically or not. Who cares if Li Bai wrote "The water cascades three thousand feet, as if the Milky Way fell from nine heavens" while drunk in the bathroom.

"I think it seems quite interesting too!"

At this moment, Chitanda’s eyes also sparkled, though not quite to the "I’m curious" point, but it indeed piqued her interest.

Actually, Duanmu Huai is quite intrigued too. Coming up with the idea of finding food in demon stories is something only Banai could think of—no one else would come up with it even if they tried.

If done well, it might even be a plan for a variety show.

Duanmu Huai thinks that in the future, if Banai goes to college, she’ll definitely major in food science.

"Then it’s settled."

Duanmu Huai finished his last bite of omelet rice.

"The next research theme for the Classical Studies Club is demon stories and food."

"Great! Ah, can I eat that rice ball over there?"

"Help yourself."