Chapter 20: Instinctive Escape

  She put down the hand that was stroking the painting, gave a mournful smile, "Is it because I'm too weak...that's why I feel so uneasy...what do you want to tell me...but no matter how much I think about it...nobody will give me an answer...how stupid...this is what I am..."

  Quietly gazing at the half-written calligraphy, a wisp of golden hair floated into her line of sight, carried by the breeze. Lin Xiang gently grasped the strand of hair, and two warm faces flashed through her mind...

  Akane sighed quietly in her heart, why did she have to torment herself? Thinking too much was useless, weren't there still people waiting for her? She should believe that they truly existed, right? Even if she really disappeared in the future, at least she had existed and possessed something before, wasn't that enough?

  She smiled faintly, still bewildered and sorrowful, but no longer desperate. Not far away, there were two warm figures waiting for her, and that was enough...

  She withdrew her gaze from the calligraphy and painting, turned around, and met the frightened and worried eyes of the crowd. A warm current flashed through her heart, thinking that she had just scared them with her previous appearance.

  "Sorry, Kiyotsugu. I just lost my composure for a moment. I'm hungry, can we eat now?" The concern and complex emotions in the eyes of this proud young man made her feel somewhat unnatural. His gaze was exactly the same as that of the regulars, a gaze she couldn't understand, and subconsciously, she felt averse to trying to understand it.

  Ji Bu sighed inwardly, feeling that he shouldn't have revealed his thoughts so obviously. The fleeting flash of shyness in her eyes made him decide to slow down and not rush into things, or else he would scare her off. He couldn't bear to pressure her either. Collecting his emotions, he gave her a gentle smile, "Alright, let's go downstairs for dinner."

  The other suitors thought the same as Traces, they couldn't push her too hard, she seemed to be evading such feelings, and to win her heart, they had to plan for a long time!

  A long dining table, set with all sorts of dishes, and yet they still had to sprinkle rose petals on the side? It was a serious underestimation of Tsubaki's love for roses. With elegant movements, she picked up her utensils and began eating, savoring the delicious food in front of her, not needing to think too much, besides, her stomach was indeed very hungry.

  The onlookers couldn't help but sigh in admiration, her movements were even more elegant than those of the young ladies they had seen before. Could it be that she also came from a large and influential family? Although they knew that Qian Mu's family background was good, they didn't know how powerful they actually were. But being able to cultivate such a talented young lady, they probably wouldn't be weak either.

  After filling their stomachs, she began to impart her Chinese knowledge to them. The on-site teaching made it easy for them to remember, and sometimes they would even act out roles, making it more vivid and unforgettable. They found that the originally daunting Chinese books could be so simple and easy to understand, and learning Chinese wasn't a painful task after all. Looking at her elegant face, occasionally lifted by their comedic performances, revealing two dimples, made them feel full of motivation! They believed this was due to her efforts and charm! Without her, how would it have been so easy? How great would it be if they could spend the rest of their lives watching her speak and laugh? At that moment, they didn't realize that their subconscious had already accepted each other's presence around her.

  After the study session, everyone stayed at Tsubaki's house except for Kiriya who left in her driver's car. Originally, Tsubaki wanted to send her home personally, but she was very firm and didn't want him to go through the trouble of sending her back and forth, telling him to just rest at home instead. They didn't need to worry about her safety, so there was no need to consider face-saving measures. The others felt helpless about this; they also knew that Kiriya wasn't a weak and delicate girl who would cry easily - her inner strength surpassed any other girl's. Still, they couldn't help but worry, but since it was Kiriya, they could only let her have her way!

  Night falls... The silhouette of the shadow that swallowed their thoughts, they find that they cannot tolerate a day without her by their side, how dark it would be...

  ……

  Akane's car drove into the Akane family's inner residence, where Mr. and Mrs. Akane were waiting at the door for her, letting her warm up her chilled body from the night wind with a gentle smile that warmed her heart, she tightly hugged the two benevolent figures standing in the night wind waiting for her to return home.

  "Dad, Mom, I'm hungry. Did you save me some food today?" Akane asked with a blinking expression, her voice soft and gentle. Although there was already a prepared late-night snack, she still wanted to eat the meal they had made themselves.

  Qin Mu poked her nose, "Of course! Your mom has already warmed it up for you!"

  "Yes! Let's have a midnight snack together again!" Shizuka Ryoko smiled gently and took her hand.

  "Let's eat together." Akane Mochida led the two of them towards the dining table.

  In the darkness, they did not see a pair of eyes watching them all along.

  His hands grasped the railing tightly, with bulging veins and pale joints! Where did she go? Why did she stay out so late before coming back? Who made her open up like that? He waited for her for a long time, and she finally came back... She still had that warm smile, but the person who made her smile like that wasn't him!

  In this home, there was no room for him among the three of them. His heart was icy, cold, painful and panicked! Not because of his parents, but because of her, there was no place for him by her side...

  These days he has been thinking of her appearance, her smile, and her eyes... whether it's towards him or his parents... all swirling in his mind.

  Every time he thinks of her, his heart beats wildly because of her smile! Also, it aches with pain because of the way she looks at him!

  Why... Why did she have such a great influence on him? Why did he start to crave the warmth and purity of her smile like a lotus flower? Why does he now desperately want to squeeze in beside her? Why is he jealous that his parents make her so happy? Even jealous of the person who makes her return home late at night? Why... Why... Ling Mu... Xiang Fu... His... Why...

  He started caring about her, yet still couldn't acknowledge her as his sister. That word that seemed to pierce his heart and make him anxious the moment he said it out loud... Why was it so hard to say?

  The night wind blows again, but the figure of Lin Feng stands there... for a long time... a very long time... that back view looks so desolate and sorrowful.