"...Is that a bit too thorough?"

"Answer the question."

"It doesn't quite seem like an assumption you'd make."

Kiyono Lin didn't speak, her left hand playing with a strand of hair on her shoulder, waiting for Dubian Che to reply.

"People extol the intimacy between hearts and believe that love should transcend everything, but I think appearances are very important, so much so that in the vast majority of cases, appearance is the most important thing."

"So you're saying, if I weren't pretty, you wouldn't love me?"

"Before I fell for you," Dubian Che emphasized this point, "Now, because I'm too in love with you—"

"You don't care about my looks anymore?" Kiyono Lin asked curiously, peering up at him through her long eyelashes.

"—I absolutely won't let you become ugly!" Dubian Che declared emphatically.

His expression, as though he'd read "Das Kapital" and was determined to achieve social change, made Kiyono Lin feel both helpless and amused.

"I suddenly want to hit you," she said with a laugh.

"The only one who hits me without getting hit back is my mom."

Jiutiao Meijie liked to twist ears; the only one who had hit Dubian Che, Shizuru, had nearly been kicked in the chest.

"What do you think this is?" Kiyono Lin took out her phone.

On the phone screen was a chat history, a conversation between Kiyono Lin and Dubian's mother.

The timing was likely after Dubian Che had gone to sleep last night; his mother had delegated the "teach my son a lesson" responsibility to her.

"There's more than this." Kiyono Lin handed the phone to Dubian Che, for him to see for himself.

Dubian Che scrolled up.

"'Che sometimes cares too much about the people around him, always sacrificing himself, so he needs someone to kick his ass, to force him to take better care of himself.'"

"'Ah, Che is like a horse, Lin. You shouldn't be a novice who just holds onto the mane, letting the horse run wild. Instead, you need to firmly hold the reins and be the skilled rider who can control the horse.'"

The entire chat history revolved around these two sentences of Dubian's mother.

"My mother has always liked you," Dubian Che said.

"I couldn't tell," Kiyono Lin nodded.

"The first time I came to Tokyo, she hadn't met Meijie yet, and when she was on the phone with me, she kept asking, 'Can't you and Lin be together? Can't you figure something out?'"

"You never told me that."

"How do you say that kind of thing? She's not usually like this, but ever since she met you in Tokyo, every time she asks me how we're doing, she gets so excited I can't understand. Did you put some love potion in the tea you made for her?"

"That's the normal reaction people have when they see me. The fact you didn't fall for me the first time we met, that's what's strange."

Kiyono Lin spoke calmly, and precisely because of that, it sounded somewhat proud.

"It seems so," Dubian Che nodded. "I asked my mom, 'Do you like Kiyono that guy?' She said no with her mouth, but then immediately added, 'Lin is truly one of a kind, not someone to be compared with others.'"

After speaking, Dubian Che laughed, "She's always wanted you as her daughter-in-law."

"As long as you give them up, your mother's wish can be instantly fulfilled," Kiyono Lin said with a smile.

She never lied.

Hearing Dubian Che's recounting and understanding how much his mother longed for her to be her daughter-in-law, and recalling the New Year's visit to Iwate Prefecture, when they had prepared breakfast together and she had happily talked about Dubian Che's childhood, her heart was inexplicably touched.

"For you, I'm willing to do anything," Dubian Che returned the phone to her, "except for that."

"So what are you planning to do?"

"Recently, I've been thinking about our relationship..."

The phone rang.

Kiyono Lin glanced at the display; it was Jiutiao Meijie. She then looked at Dubian Che.

Dubian Che gestured for her to 'please' answer the call.

Kiyono Lin pressed the answer button.

"Open the door."

"You wait downstairs, we'll come down."

"'We'? Is Dubian already there?" She asked instinctively, and then Jiutiao Meijie added, "Open the door."

After that, she hung up.

Kiyono Lin sighed, "Such a troublesome person, not at all considerate of others' feelings."

Watching Kiyono Lin walk towards the entrance hall, flipping the switch to open the apartment building's main gate, Dubian Che thought to himself:

'So you want Meijie to care about your thoughts, huh... Great legs... Nice round butt...'

Midway, Kiyono Lin suddenly turned back, and Dubian Che quickly averted his gaze, calmly sipping the Lady Earl Tea in his hand.

He couldn't be blamed for this.

As a normal seventeen-year-old high school student, it would be strange not to look.

'I must win Kiyono Lin's heart.' The tea he swallowed was hot, yet it was not as hot as the desire in the depths of his heart.

Indeed, appearances are extremely important.

The hands of the clock pointed to two o'clock in the afternoon when Jiutiao Meijie walked in.

She wore a thin T-shirt, covered by a figure-hugging short black coat, with a skirt and black stockings below.

Her delicate face, full chest, slender waist, and long, beautiful legs—as she walked with her hands tucked into her coat pockets, she looked like all the temptations of the world beckoning to you.

"Did you come early?" she asked Dubian Che with a smile.

"I wanted to meet up with you all sooner," Dubian Che said.

Jiutiao Meijie snorted coldly and didn't keep her eyes glued on him anymore.

She had been in a good mood lately, and it wouldn't be wrong to say she was quite pleased with herself. No matter what Dubian Che did, thought, or planned, she could maintain her composure.

Of course, there was an absolute bottom line that she would not allow, and Dubian Che would certainly not do such a thing.

The longer he spent with her, the more he adored her instead of taking her for granted or becoming indifferent. He wanted to be close to her every day.

If it had been in ancient times, Dubian Che would have been utterly enchanted by her, ready to build palaces or light signal fires to entertain the lords for her.

Jiutiao Meijie was just that enchanting.

"Where are we going today? Shopping for clothes again?" Dubian Che asked.

"No, I just want to stroll around," Jiutiao Meijie said, sitting next to him.

Dubian Che naturally took her left hand into his palm.

"Which places have you and those two been to?" Jiutiao Meijie inquired.

"Liberty Hill, Shimokitazawa, Daiguan Mountain, Haode Temple... speaking of Haode Temple, there were a lot of lucky cats there."

"You've been to a lot of places," Kiyono Lin said, with a smile.

"... I suddenly feel like your smile and Meijie's smile are somewhat alike."

"Who's prettier?" Kiyono Lin asked.

Jiutiao Meijie also looked at Dubian Che with a playful smile.

This was the price for daring to enter their world.

"There are all kinds of smiles, and if we're talking about who has the prettier smile, it's definitely me. But the smile from earlier was just putting on airs—Meijie wins that round," Dubian Che said.

"Putting on airs?" Jiutiao Meijie said with a feigned smile.

"The point is that it's pretty."

"He just told me he'd be willing to do anything for me," Kiyono Lin blurted out suddenly.

Jiutiao Meijie's smile was no longer feigned; it now carried a real edge.

"For Meijie, I'd also be willing to do anything," Dubian Che said, hastily gripping Jiutiao Meijie's delicate hand tighter.

"The same old sweet nothings," Jiutiao Meijie said, taking her time.

"Give me three seconds!"

"One, three, go ahead."

"What's everything in the world, as long as I have you."

"Smooth talker," Jiutiao Meijie commented disdainfully, then, looking bored with Dubian Che, she turned to Kiyono Lin and said, "Should we change clothes? Hurry up, let's start by going to Liberty Hill today and overwrite those two's memories."

Dubian Che: "..."

"Wait a moment," Kiyono Lin headed towards the bedroom, "I'm going to change out of these jeans. You've been staring at them since earlier."

Dubian Che: "..."

When Kiyono Lin was gone, he turned his face, and Jiutiao Meijie was watching him with a feigned smile.

"Meijie," Dubian Che said, his hands resting on Jiutiao Meijie's splendid shoulders, his eyes earnestly on her.

"Go on," Jiutiao Meijie said lazily.

"You have to believe my obsession with your body."

"How obsessed?"

"With you, I don't want anything else, I don't need anything else, because I have everything with you—that's how obsessed."

"How many people have you told this to?"

"Only you," Dubian Che smiled, "I've dedicated most of my sweet talk in this life to you. Couldn't you say something sweet to me too?"

"Next year—"

"Next year?"

"Propose to me," Jiutiao Meijie said with a laugh.

"Wait..."

"Meijie, come help me choose some clothes," Kiyono Lin called as she opened the bedroom door, showing only her likable little face.

Jiutiao Meijie looked at her, then cast an amused glance at Dubian Che before getting up and walking over.

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