Rin quickly shielded her potato chips. "Hey! Senior Sister Fufu! These are my emergency rations I brought up the mountain! Why don't you go buy your own?"
"What does it matter? Junior Sister should learn to be filial to her Senior Sister. You put the potato chips in Senior Sister's mouth, and Senior Sister will put you in her heart. Come on, let this Senior Sister have a taste, just a tiny bit!"
The two immediately started bickering playfully.
Ran looked at them, smiled helplessly, and walked over to mediate.
"Rin, you should also eat fewer snacks. We're going to have lunch soon. If you eat too much now, you won't be able to eat the food Pan-san and Rina-nee worked so hard to make."
Rin's mouth was full of potato chips, and she mumbled indistinctly.
"I just know... Mmm... It's fine... You'll all know later... I need to fill up first..."
There was a kind of pity in her eyes, like someone who had been through it before.
Just then—
"Bang!! Clang!!"
"Boom—!!"
Two consecutive strange thuds, accompanied by a slight tremor, came from the direction of the kitchen. They didn't sound like normal cooking noises.
"Wow! What was that sound?!" Sonoko jumped in fright.Ran's face also paled a little, "Was that an earthquake?"
"Could it be a bomb attack?" Conan made an even bolder guess.
Rin was used to it. She took a potato chip and stuffed it into Ju Fufu's mouth.
"Oh, it's nothing, nothing. This is normal when Rina-nee cooks. It's no big deal."
The others were still worried and decided to go to the kitchen to check.As soon as they reached the kitchen door, they saw Pan Yinhu run out, his face smudged with smoke and fire, a little flour on his forehead, and a look of utter despair on his face.
Alexandrina followed him, wearing an apron, with her usual gentle smile, though her hair tips seemed a bit singed.
"Just... what was that sound just now?" Ran asked cautiously.
Alexandrina smiled and waved her hand, her tone relaxed,
"Ah, I'm sorry to have worried everyone. It's nothing, just a small accident during the cooking process.
It's my first time using this kind of traditional stove, so I didn't control the heat well, and then the live fish jumped a bit too much when I was preparing it... But it's all fine now.
Please wait a little longer, lunch will be ready soon!"
Pan Yinhu silently wiped his sweat at the side, his eyes hollow, not saying a word.
It wasn't until Alexandrina said that Pan Yinhu had helped her a lot during the cooking process, and that half of the dishes she made were thanks to Pan-san efforts, that Pan Yinhu hurriedly waved his hand and said.
"That's not true! Rina-san dishes... are entirely her own effort, it has little to do with me."
Ran, "..." Why did Pan Yinhu-san seem a little flustered, not at all like he was being humble?
Sonoko was still full of anticipation. "Wow! That sounds so exciting! Rina-nee cooking must be full of surprises!"
Conan looked at Pan Yinhu's expression, then remembered Ju Fufu's warning about not eating and Rin's frantic potato chip eating, and suddenly felt like his stomach... wasn't that hungry anymore.
Finally, it was lunchtime.
Everyone gathered around a large square table in the side hall of the Taoist temple.
Pan Yinhu brought out several dishes he had made, translucent char siu bao, enticingly red braised pork, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and a pot of fragrant mushroom soup.
They all looked very normal, even delicious in appearance, aroma, and taste, making everyone's mouths water.
"Wow! Pan-san is amazing!" Sonoko exclaimed.
Pan Yinhu forced a smile and didn't speak, just quietly served rice.
And in the interval while Pan Yinhu was serving the dishes, Rin, with lightning speed, quickly filled her bowl with char siu bao and braised pork, then began to eat voraciously, as if she hadn't eaten for three days and three nights.
"Rin! Eat slower! That's not good for your stomach!" Ran couldn't help but advise again, "Rina-nee dishes haven't been served yet!"
Rin lifted her head from her bowl, her mouth bulging, and chuckled, mumbling.
"Mmm... It's fine... I'm too hungry, you don't need to worry about me.
If you're not hungry, you can save some room for Rina-nee dishes..."
After speaking, she continued to bury her head and eat diligently.
Ran and Sonoko exchanged glances, finding Rin strange today.
Just then, Alexandrina came out carrying a large, lidded soup bowl, a proud smile on her face.
"Sorry for the wait~ This is my masterpiece—'Stargazy Pie'! I hope you like it!"
Sonoko excitedly rubbed her hands, "It's finally here! I've been looking forward to Rina-nee dish for a long time!"
Seeing this, Rin immediately put down her already clean bowl, stood up with a whoosh, and clutched her stomach.
"Oh dear! I suddenly remembered that Master Yi Xuan seemed to be looking for me! You all eat slowly! Don't wait for me!"
After saying that, without waiting for anyone to react, she dashed off and disappeared.
Sonoko looked at her retreating figure and grumbled, "Rin is really... Why run so fast? Rina-nee dish has just been served, she's missing out~"
Alexandrina also showed a slightly regretful expression, "What a pity... I specifically made it in the sweet dessert flavor that Rin likes..."
As she spoke, she placed the Stargazy Pie in the center of the table, and then, under everyone's expectant gaze, she lifted the lid.
Instantly, the entire side hall fell silent.
What they saw was the so-called "pie," whose base was a slightly trembling, translucent pink gelatinous substance, somewhere between jelly and mousse.
And in the center of the Stargazy Pie, several whole fish heads were embedded, their eyes wide open, their mouths still slightly opening and closing.
The fish heads' eyes seemed to be still moving, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Even more chillingly, countless tiny, slowly wriggling and curling squid tentacles protruded densely from the edges of the Stargazy Pie.
They even occasionally squirted a little ink, staining the surrounding pink gelatinous substance with black spots, making it look extremely bizarre.
"..."
Sonoko's smile froze on her face.
Ran's face instantly turned pale, and she instinctively covered her mouth.
Conan was so scared his glasses fell off. Only then did he fully understand the value of Ju Fufu's warning about not eating and why Rin desperately ate potato chips and then Ran away... This wasn't food at all... It was a gift from Cthulhu!!!
Alexandrina looked at the stunned crowd, a smile of anticipation for praise on her face, and enthusiastically greeted them.
"Don't be shy, everyone! Eat up! Guaranteed authentic flavor, 100% nutritious!"
Pan Yinhu silently turned around, his shoulders seeming to tremble slightly.
Ju Fufu, being quick, had already filled her stomach with Pan Yinhu's dishes.
She patted her round belly and said apologetically, "Oh dear, I accidentally ate too much and am stuffed. It seems I'm out of luck, I'll go take a nap now."
After saying that, Ju Fufu scrambled out the door.
She happened to see Rin holding a bag of cookies, hiding in a corner, nibbling and snickering.