"This is the big deal you were talking about?" Several girls sat around the dining table, staring at Chu Lian, who was lying flat on the tabletop, with rather complicated expressions.
"Of course. Isn't eating a big deal? In a place like Britain, finding something delicious to eat is a huge event in itself," Chu Lian replied without lifting her head. Yet, the girls could almost imagine her smug expression as they exchanged glances with one another.
"Big Sis is right. In Britain, having a good meal is definitely a major event. So Big Sis can't be wrong." As the world's number one Chu Lian chef, Chu Chu fully supported her big sister's words without reservation. Even if her sister were wrong, Chu Chu would still stand by her.
"You two..." Sitting beside Chu Lian with Fyu-Neru in her arms, Inori shook her head lightly at the scene. These sisters were truly two of a kind—even their way of acting spoiled was identical.
"Hiru, you just don't know how terrifying British cuisine can be. Anyway, I have no interest in trying even a single bite. Even if it's not as awful as the rumors say, I'd never risk my stomach to find out." Chu Chu waved her hand as she spoke. To those unaware of British cooking's infamy, her reaction might have seemed exaggerated.
"Lux, is British food really that bad?" Though she herself had never tried it, Ruriko Nana's impression came mostly from hearsay, and she wasn't particularly eager to experience it firsthand. Still, she couldn't resist asking the question—after all, there was a noble lady at the table who had grown up in Britain and could provide an accurate answer.
"It shouldn't be... that bad, I guess..." However, Lux Lyle's hesitant reply didn't inspire much confidence. Having lived a pampered life filled with refined, carefully prepared meals since childhood, the golden-haired noble girl had never actually eaten what could be called authentic British food. She really couldn't offer a reliable answer.
"Anyway, everyone's hungry, right? Let's order first," Chu Lian said quickly, doing her best to divert attention before she became the target of more questions.
Hearing her suggestion, the girls didn't argue further. They called the waiter over and took the menus in hand.
"I'll have Kung Pao Chicken and Mapo Tofu." Ruriko Nana was the first to order, after checking with Lux Lyle to ensure her choices suited them both.
The waiter jotted down her order, then turned to the others. Cai Ya, Liu Yanran, and Li Xiu'er followed suit: "We'll have Black-bone Chicken Ginseng Soup, Peking Duck, and three plates of Yangzhou Fried Rice."
"I'll have Braised Duck with Young Ginger," said Chu Lian, Chu Chu, and Inori in unison. After exchanging knowing smiles, they added another dish—Pickled Fish—and turned to look at Kurosaki Satsuki.
"I... I'll have the same as hers..." The silver-haired girl grew nervous under their collective gaze. Having no idea which dishes were good, she decided to follow Chu Lian's lead.
"Mommy, why didn't you ask Anna?" Sitting beside her, Anna tugged at Chu Lian's sleeve with a hint of grievance in her voice.
"Because Anna doesn't know which dishes are tasty. If I let you choose and we end up with something awful, it would be a waste—and even worse, it might upset your stomach," Chu Lian said, gently patting her head. The little girl closed her eyes in bliss, clearly enjoying the comforting touch.
"Mm, okay~ Then Anna will eat whatever Mommy eats. After all, Mommy's the most important person to Anna, and Mommy will always take care of Anna." Rubbing her head affectionately against Chu Lian's hand, Anna snuggled closer and rested her head against her mother's side.
"Please wait a moment. Your dishes will be out shortly," the waiter said politely after finishing the list and left the table.
Before long, the food and rice they had ordered were brought out, one dish after another, signaling that it was finally time for a hearty meal.
Though they'd ordered simple home-style dishes, none of the girls were particularly picky eaters—they just preferred what they liked, and that was enough.
"It tastes so bland... not good at all..." In the end, only Anna voiced dissatisfaction after eating, leaving the rest of the girls silently shaking their heads. What she meant by "bland" likely wasn't about the food's seasoning—it was probably because the meal lacked the special kind of nourishment her body needed.
"By the way, Anna, besides the things Mommy gave you, isn't there anything else you like to eat? It seems like you think everything else tastes bland," Chu Chu asked teasingly after finishing her meal, seeing Anna's dissatisfied expression.
"The things Mommy gave Anna are super delicious! Sister Chu Chu, do you want to try some? Anna still has some with her~" Since Chu Lian was in the restroom and the only person she feared wasn't around, Anna—though she no longer showed hostility toward the others—couldn't resist the urge to mess with them a little.
When she saw Chu Chu taking the bait, Anna's eyes sparkled with mischief. She didn't really know what would happen if they ate it, but since Mommy said those things weren't to be shared, they must have some special effects.
"Juice, bread, and jam? Alright then, a standard Western breakfast. Let's see what's so amazing about it." Chu Chu took the items from Anna's hands—a bottle of juice and a slice of bread with jam—turning them over curiously. Nothing looked particularly special. She sniffed them, and even the smell seemed ordinary. Her eyes gleamed with curiosity. If they were forbidden, there had to be a reason.
"It's super tasty~" Anna clasped her hands under her chin, smiling adorably.
Seeing her act like that, Chu Chu suddenly felt something was off. Still, since she had already said she wanted to try them, she couldn't back down now.
Pretending not to hear Anna's warning tone, Chu Chu took a big bite of the jam-covered bread. Her eyes widened instantly, and she hurriedly grabbed the juice to wash it down, as if trying to ease some kind of pain. Then…
"Thud…"
"Chu Chu! Chu Chu, what's wrong?!" Seeing Chu Chu slump face-first onto the table, the girls panicked. Li Xiu'er, who was closest, quickly rushed over, shaking her shoulders nervously.
Unfortunately, Chu Chu had already closed her eyes and passed out cold, completely unresponsive. If not for the faint rise and fall of her breathing, they might have thought she was dead.
"Eh? What happened here?" Returning from the restroom, Chu Lian found everyone crowded around Chu Chu and blinked in confusion.
Then she spotted the bottle of juice in Chu Chu's hand and the half-eaten bread on the table—and instantly understood what had happened.
Glancing at the slightly uneasy Anna, Chu Lian sighed and shook her head. "Honestly... That Chu Chu. Didn't I specifically tell everyone not to mess with those things?"
She had warned them all—not just Anna—that the juice, bread, and jam were absolutely off-limits. Yet this girl just had to test fate.
"Chu Lian, Chu Chu's going to be okay, right?" The girls visibly relaxed the moment Chu Lian appeared, their tension fading. Still, they couldn't hide their worry.
"She'll be fine. She'll just be unconscious for a while. Just think of it as her taking a nap," Chu Lian assured them with a shake of her head. Her calm tone soothed everyone instantly.
"This is Misuzu Kamio's Juice," Chu Lian began, picking up the bottle. "This is Aunt Akiko's Jam, and this—" she lifted the bread, "—is Sanae Furukawa's Bread." One by one, she introduced the items with solemn reverence. "These three aren't ordinary foods. They're top-tier delicacies from the Dark Cuisine world. Compared to them, even the infamous Stargazy Pie is nothing but a level-five weakling."
"Don't be fooled by how normal they look. Unless your taste buds have completely failed or your digestive system is beyond human limits, even a Heaven-tier expert would be knocked flat by just one of these three." Chu Lian spoke with lingering fear—she knew their power firsthand.
These three had been invaluable during her first battle for survival, and even now, their potency hadn't diminished one bit. Though useless against certain monsters, as long as a person still relied on eating to sustain themselves, these foods were devastatingly effective.
"Simply put, they're equivalent to Heaven-tier powerhouses in the world of Dark Cuisine. Now do you understand?" Chu Lian concluded, giving them an easier comparison.
"So basically... those things aren't meant for humans to eat, right?" Liu Yanran asked cautiously, taking a careful step back to put more distance between herself and the cursed snacks. Beside her, Cai Ya also subtly shifted away, keeping close to Liu Yanran while nodding slightly.
"Of course they're not meant for humans. If a person eats them, at best they'll end up like Chu Chu—unconscious for a while. At worst, they'll lose their appetite for three to five days. Pretty terrifying, right?" Chu Lian shrugged. These things were never meant for human consumption in the first place. It was Chu Chu's own curiosity that got her into trouble.
"From now on, if I say not to touch something, don't touch it—no matter what. Otherwise, you'll have to deal with the consequences yourself." When 'she said deal with the consequences yourself,' Chu Lian's expression twitched slightly as she tried hard to suppress her laughter so the girls wouldn't notice.
"We'll definitely listen to you! We won't touch anything you forbid ever again!" After witnessing Chu Chu's current state, the girls were completely traumatized. There was no way they'd ever dare to try such things again.
At the same time, they gained a new level of respect for Anna. That girl actually considered those cursed items delicacies and treated eating them as an enjoyable experience. Was her body even built the same way as theirs?
"And Anna, Mommy already told you not to share those things with anyone. Why didn't you listen?" After finishing her warning to the others, Chu Lian turned to face Anna, her expression stern.
"Mommy, it was Chu Chu-sis's own curiosity~ Anna just wanted to satisfy her curiosity, that's all," Anna said, poking her fingers together innocently. No matter how Chu Lian questioned her, she wouldn't admit that she had used Chu Chu as a test subject just to see what would happen. As far as Anna was concerned, curiosity came with a price—and the curious one should pay it.
This little girl wasn't stupid—just overly attached to Chu Lian, which sometimes made her lose her sense of restraint. But when it came to self-preservation, she always found the safest excuse.
Rolling her eyes, Chu Lian could only sigh helplessly. She knew Chu Chu's personality well, and since none of the others denied it, it was obvious that Chu Chu had asked first. Given Anna's mischievous nature, it was no surprise she'd take the chance to prank her while Chu Lian wasn't around.
Well, curiosity kills the cat. Chu Chu, you'll just have to take this as a lesson learned.
"Alright then, does anyone not want to go out for a walk?" Chu Lian checked the time and decided it was about time to head out.
"I'll stay here," said the silver-haired girl, shaking her head. She had no interest in shopping or sightseeing. To her, that time was better spent training.
"Then Chu Chu's in your care, Satsuki. While we're out, please keep an eye on her for me," Chu Lian said, already expecting that response.
"Alright. I'll wait here for you to come back," Kurosaki Satsuki nodded. She bent down, gently picked Chu Chu up, and after glancing at the bottle of juice in her hand, hesitated for a moment before setting it back on the table.
After making sure they hadn't forgotten anything, the girls left the room together.
None of them noticed that, not long after they left, a foreigner who had overheard their conversation—and who understood Chinese—quietly approached their table and collected the three pieces of Dark Cuisine.
No one knew what he planned to do with them. But in the days that followed, he would ignite an extraordinary storm.
That day would later go down in history as—The Day of the Dark Cuisine's Rise.