"What did you say?"

"Someone's personality should after all..."

"Don't stop."

Dubian Che got tired of arguing and focused on his own work.

"Compared to her, isn't my personality good enough? Who else but me would agree to let you keep two lovers?"

"Fine, you're the best."

"And it's not about personality; it's about reconciling. Just look at how she treats me versus how I treat her—that should tell you enough."

"...Makes sense. You two definitely can't be friends with anyone else."

"Now do you know how to stay cool and see her objectively?"

"Actually, I started thinking about it this afternoon, and now my thoughts have broadened."

Jiutiao Meijie sighed comfortably, "What do you plan to do?"

"Make her reconcile with you on her own."

"Make her do it on her own? If you can manage that, I'll give you a back rub."

"You're so eager to help me, want to reconcile with her that badly?"

"Yes."

Dubian Che stopped.

"What's up?" Jiutiao Meijie turned to look at him.

Looking at her flushed face and sweaty bangs, Dubian Che gazed at her.

"Meijie, trust me, you don't need to worry about our relationship."

Jiutiao Meijie turned her face away: "I think you're about to give up everything for her."

"Give up anything, but I could never give up you. I will always belong to you."

"Hmph, who knows."

"If anyone can't see objectively, I can't see you objectively right now."

"Not saying my temper is bad and I'm troublesome?"

"Your temper, it's cute, and you always make concessions for me when I ask. Your troublesome obsession with cleanliness, there's nothing better than that, I wish you wouldn't touch anything else but me."

"Really think so?"

"Yeah."

Dubian Che hugged Jiutiao Meijie from behind, his face buried in her beautiful hair.

"From now on, no matter how hot the weather, I will wear a coat; no matter how cold it is, I will take my clothes off."

"...Can we continue? Otherwise, I'm going to sleep."

"Shy?"

"Sleeping... uh—"

◇

After breakfast, on the villa terrace, Little Lian was learning foreign languages with Kiyono Lin.

"A dragonfly is called 'dragonfly' in English, spelled d-r-a-g-o-n-f-l-y."

"Dragonfly."

"Say it again, dragonfly." Kiyono Lin's English was beautiful and standard.

"Dragonfly." Little Lian mimicked her accent.

While learning, she kept glancing at the pathway leading to the villa's road.

Last evening, when separating, Kazuki had promised to come over to play early in the morning, but it was almost eight and she still hadn't arrived.

After learning three more English words: "lawn," "finger," "friend," the sound of bicycle bells approached, "ring-ring."

"Lian!"

A bunch of kids, all about the same age, came swarming in on their bikes.

"Kazuki!"

"Going out to play?"

Little Lian looked at Kiyono Lin: "Lin, I want to go play with Kazuki."

Kiyono Lin checked the time, which was exactly eight o'clock.

"Don't go to secluded places, and remember to call if something happens," she told Little Lian.

"Okay!"

Little Lian left the terrace, pushing her children's bike from inside the house.

She approached Kazuki and the others, dressed in fashionable pretty clothes bought in Karuizawa, just like everyone else.

"Kazuki, where are we playing today?" she asked methodically.

"Today, I need to teach these people how to ride a bike first," Kazuki pointed to a child with training wheels behind her, speaking in a mature tone, "not sure if they are smart enough, I hope they don't trouble me too much."

"I'll be the first to learn!"

"No, I will be the first!"

A group of little girls started chirping and chattering.

"Lian, you know how to ride a bike too, you can be a teacher as well."

"Oh! I can ride, I want to be a teacher!"

The group of kids left noisily, and the sounds of the forest birds came flowing back.

Mrs. Kiyono came out, checked the three people on the terrace: "Lian has gone? We had planned to go horse riding today."

"Resting for the day," Kiyono Lin said, already picking up a book to read.

"Why not?" Mrs. Kiyono suddenly seemed to have a great idea, "How about playing tennis? We'll have a match, and the loser will handle today's lunch and dinner."

"All this month's lunches and dinners," Dubian Che said.

"You're quite confident, Mr. Dubian," Mrs. Jiutiao emerged from behind Mrs. Kiyono.

"It's just because I don't want to, otherwise winning the world championship wouldn't be a problem," Dubian Che said lazily.

"Since you're the world champion, the four of us can pair up in doubles and rotate playing against you, no problem, right?" Mrs. Jiutiao slapped Dubian Che's shoulder.

Jiutiao Meijie glared at her mother's hand.

"Lin," Mrs. Kiyono said cheerfully, "do your best, I'm counting on you."

"In school PE class, he had to resort to underhanded tactics just to manage me alone, let alone doubles," Kiyono Lin said indifferently while looking at the book.

"I let you win," Dubian Che remarked, "Later you will know what despair means, d-e-s-p-a-i-r."

"Lin, are you going to let him keep being so arrogant? I can barely stand it anymore," Mrs. Jiutiao's hand still rested on Dubian Che.

She spoke to Kiyono Lin, but it sounded more like she was siding with Dubian Che.

Kiyono Lin closed her book: "Who's on my team? Meijie?"

"I would like to arrange that, but Meijie probably wouldn't agree," Mrs. Kiyono said.

"I'll be on Lin's team," Jiutiao Meijie insisted, still staring at her mother's hand.

"After defeating Mr. Dubian, it will be a mother-daughter duel, go change into tennis outfits!" having said that, Jiutiao Zhengji patted Dubian Che's shoulder, turned around, and went into the house with Kiyono Youko.

Dubian Che dusted off his shoulder as if there was something dirty on it.

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