But now was not the time to look into that.
Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped through. When the door opened again, the outside world had transformed into the bustling streets of China, with the roar of cars clearly audible.
"What amazing metal boxes; they move so fast! Where are we?"
Merchant Xingchen's eyes were filled with curiosity as she watched the metal boxes speeding along the road. She began looking around at both sides of the street, taking in all the novel sights.
"This is China. Let's head back to the Oriental Academy first."
The restaurant was located near the Oriental Academy and was not officially open for business; it served only as an anchor point for cross-dimensional travel. After leaving the restaurant, the three of them hailed a taxi and drove towards the Oriental Academy.
They soon arrived at their destination but were stopped at the gate. It wasn't until Hoshino Sora produced his student ID that they were allowed through. They quickly returned home. The house was empty, but there were clear signs of life.
Clearly, Yumeko Jabami and the others had continued living together after they had left, unable to bear moving out.
"They must all be in class at this hour."
Hoshino Sora glanced at the wall clock and speculated. The house was tidy, suggesting it was cleaned frequently.
He went upstairs to check the rooms. Two of them were quite clean, but the bed in the last room was covered in underwear—he couldn't tell if they were clean or had just been taken off.
He glanced outside; Merchant Xingchen was likely still with Erina Nakiri and wouldn't come up. Thinking of this, Hoshino Sora picked up the items and sniffed them. Sure enough, they had been worn.
He leaped onto the bed, his mind uncontrollably drifting to the "battle" that would take place tonight. They hadn't seen each other for two months; they must have missed him dearly, and the "combat" would likely be quite intense.
They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Hoshino Sora couldn't help but touch his waist. Thankfully, he was still in good shape!
"Hoshino-kun, come down for dinner."
"Alright, coming right away!"
Erina Nakiri's voice floated up from downstairs. Hoshino Sora shuddered, hurriedly tossed the items aside in a panic, and then shouted back down.
"It smells so good, you actually made so many dishes."
Arriving downstairs without delay, Hoshino Sora's face showed surprise as he looked at the table full of colorful, fragrant, and delicious dishes.
"These were all made by Merchant Xingchen. She was startled the first time she used a modern kitchen, but she quickly got the hang of it."
Placing the last dish, stewed winter melon with spareribs, on the dining table, the lunch personally cooked by Merchant Xingchen was complete. Although many of the dishes looked a bit unrefined, this was already the result of the young girl's best efforts.
"These were all made by Merchant Xingchen? That's amazing! Let me taste Little Merchant Xingchen's cooking skills~"
Looking at the somewhat reserved Merchant Xingchen, Hoshino Sora first smiled and ruffled her little head, then proactively pulled out chairs for the two of them, sitting himself between them.
"The heat for this dish was a bit off, but the taste is still good. It has already reached the level of some popular restaurants. To achieve this in two months, your talent is truly remarkable."
While tasting the dishes on the table and praising Merchant Xingchen, Hoshino Sora employed an encouraging teaching method. Of course, this little girl indeed had great talent and handled the details of the cooking very well.
"That's right, reaching this point in two months is already very impressive. It's comparable to my progress when I was young. In just a few years, the culinary world will have another rising star."
Erina Nakiri also gave Merchant Xingchen a very high evaluation. If she continued to grow at this pace, she would become incredibly formidable in a few years, possessing the strength to be ranked on the Oriental Cuisine List.
"It's all because Master and Mistress taught me well."
Hearing the praise from Hoshino Sora and Erina Nakiri, Merchant Xingchen shyly touched her head and chuckled sheepishly, her heart brimming with joy. Nothing made her happier than receiving praise from her master and mistress!
"Your comprehension is also good. Keep up the good work."
While commenting on Merchant Xingchen's cooking, Hoshino Sora also encouraged her. He knew she carried a deep-seated vendetta, but he had no intention of stopping or dissuading her; on the contrary, he strongly encouraged her to seek revenge.
Of course, all of this depended on Merchant Xingchen herself. At most, he would protect her safety at critical moments, but he wouldn't personally help her get revenge, as that would not be conducive to her growth.
After lunch, Hoshino Sora opened his computer to check the afternoon classes. Finding nothing of interest, he decided not to go. However, why hadn't Yumeko and the others returned yet? Weren't they eating at home for lunch? What were they doing in the middle of the day...
He felt puzzled, but Hoshino Sora didn't call to ask. He wanted to give them a surprise, so he went back to tidy up his room, then went out to buy some cosplay clothes, and finally jumped onto the big bed to wait quietly.
Erina Nakiri, on the other hand, had classes she was interested in that afternoon, so she left early after eating. Merchant Xingchen also followed her, wanting to learn more things to seek revenge sooner.
Time passed. Because the bed was very soft, Hoshino Sora fell asleep on the bed, sleeping soundly.
He didn't know how much time had passed. His consciousness gradually returned, and he heard the girls' whispers. He wanted to get up but found himself firmly tied with ropes, unable to move at all.
"Oh, you're awake, Hoshino-kun. You came back so suddenly, after being away for so long without any contact in between. You've really grown, making us worry ourselves to death at home, thinking about you every day!"
Hearing movement from the bed, the girls who had been talking turned around and looked in unison at Hoshino Sora, who was tied to the bed.
Alice Nakiri, who was at the forefront, puffed out her cheeks and spoke angrily, furiously complaining about his irresponsibility. As she spoke, she lifted her foot and stepped on his face, as if that could alleviate her anger.
He had been out for so long and hadn't even bothered to say hello. He clearly had the Gourmet Manor where he could be contacted at any time, but he hadn't entered it once, nor had he left any messages. He had just disappeared like that.
Is the Other World really that wonderful?! Does it make him so reluctant to return home?! There are so many beautiful women waiting for him at home; it's simply too much!
"It's not that I was delayed by something. It won't happen next time."
Hoshino Sora said awkwardly. At that time, because he had just taken Merchant Xingchen as his disciple, he didn't trust her much and was worried that his identity as a person from the Other World would cause some trouble.
Additionally, the other party lacked a sense of security and was very afraid of him leaving her sight, so he didn't go to the Gourmet Manor in front of her.
But as their time together increased, Hoshino Sora and Erina Nakiri gradually came to trust Merchant Xingchen, treating her as their own. Finally, he also gave her a token to the Gourmet Manor, allowing her to come to Huaxia with them.
"Next time? You still want a next time! That's too much. You ignored us for two months. Do you know how lonely we were staying at home?!"
Shiina Mahiru's voice rose a notch, filled with resentment. She had agreed to Hoshino Sora's long journey at the time precisely because of the Gourmet Manor, thinking that no matter what, they could meet. But she hadn't expected him to disappear without a trace, gone for two whole months!
"There won't be a next time. We'll go together from now on!"
Looking at the girls whose faces showed more or less dissatisfaction, Hoshino Sora awkwardly tried to scratch his head, but his hands were restrained, preventing him from moving. In the end, he could only offer an awkward smile.
Of course, it would be easy for him to break free from these ropes; a little muscle effort would suffice. But Alice Nakiri was clearly angry at the moment, and he saw no need to provoke them.
However, just as he was thinking, a beautiful little foot suddenly landed in front of his nose, carrying a strongly stimulating scent that made one feel excited from the bottom of their heart.
"Hmph! You came back without even saying a word. This afternoon, we were still discussing cutting off your ******* if you didn't come back."
Alice Nakiri looked at a certain part of Hoshino Sora with burning eyes and said fiercely. Hearing her words, the surrounding girls' faces also flushed, but they didn't deny it.
"Ah, this… *cough cough*, didn't I come back in time?"
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right nobut who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/TripleCrown
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"