The dusk is getting darker and the teahouse is quiet.
The plum rain in May is like silk, and the bamboo forest outside the house is swaying in the rain, full of greenery. The breeze passes through the open balcony of the teahouse and fills the luxurious round table with a white air, spreading a fresh atmosphere.
Sakakibara drank the expensive hot tea specially prepared for him by Sakura and remembered something.
He raised his head and asked Ying Guizhong, who was standing sideways:
"By the way, Uncle Ying, I've always wanted to ask you something."
Uncle Ying has always been an amiable old man in this family, neatly dressed, with a kind face and gentle eyes.
When he faced Raku Sakakibara's inquiry, he first expressed respect through his actions, and then replied with a smile:
"Young Master, please speak."
Sakakihara took a sip of hot tea and frowned slightly. After thinking for a moment, he said:
"I have been to Tianhai's house twice, and I have seen very few people. It seems that no one comes here as a guest."
Uncle Sakura listened to Sakakibara's question and agreed with his statement:
"The Tianhai family is indeed very quiet now."
"What's the reason for the silence?"
"." Uncle Ying paused.
Sakakihara asked curiously: "Is it inconvenient to say?"
Uncle Ying shook his head and said respectfully: "Of course not. For the young master, there is nothing to hide in this family. The hesitation just now was due to my personal emotions. The reason why the Tianhai family is too quiet, or
Because the old lady is no longer here."
"."
This sentence made Raku Sakakibara freeze in his drinking tea.
Uncle Ying's answer can be understood if you think about it carefully.
A large mansion without a mistress, and the owner is often away from home, how can such a home not be peaceful?
"The master can't go home because he's too busy. The young master doesn't like it here, and all the ladies have their own lives. Ever since Miss Zi went to study in France more than ten years ago, this home is just like what the young master perceived.
, becoming more and more deserted."
Uncle Ying seemed to be feeling something, staring at the empty space in the other half of the tea room, filled with memories.
"In the past, when the young ladies and young gentlemen were all here, there were twenty-six servants in the house. Every evening during tea time, you could often see the old lady reading here, and the young master and the young ladies sitting around a big round table.
The scene of doing homework in a few words and having tea. Speaking of which, I also miss it a little."
Listening to Sakura's words, Sakakihara stared at the empty red carpet over there.
No wonder he always felt that Tianhai's family was cold, while Uncle Ying was very warm.
It turns out that there used to be a warm atmosphere here, but now the people who made up this atmosphere have all gone their separate ways.
The old lady passed away.
The young master and the ladies left separately.
Even the master rarely comes back here.
From Uncle Ying's perspective, this is probably the change of things and people.
"Grandpa, will you come here often when you come back?"
Uncle Ying was surprised, "The young master is really thoughtful."
Sakakihara smiled, "Did I guess it right?"
Uncle Ying nodded and replied: "Although the master will not walk in, every time he passes by here, he will take a look inside. Alas, those days for the master were also the most tender time for the entire Tianhai family." p>
Sakakihara nodded, understanding what Sakura said, and understanding more about what kind of person the old man was.
He suddenly remembered something, frowned again, and chased Uncle Ying and asked:
"Then the snow came?"
"." Uncle Ying understood what time period that was and hesitated for a moment before replying, "Yes, Miss Zhixue will arrive soon."
Zhixue's birth means the death of the old lady
This is also the warm end of the Tianhai family
Raku Sakakihara asked curiously: "Uncle Sakura, can you tell me more about this period of time?"
Uncle Ying looked bitter, probably because he didn't want to recall that time.
But he still replied respectfully:
"Young Master, compared to other ladies, Miss Zhixue has never participated in the kind of daily life of a big family where everyone gets together. Also after the old lady left, the other ladies didn't like Miss Zhixue very much. I understand that this cannot be blamed at all.
Miss Xue, but all the ladies, and even the master, blame Miss Zhixue for the end of the daily routine.
"This has resulted in Miss Zhixue being alone since she was a child, and because of her birth defects, she has always faced the cold eyes of the ladies and the indifference of the master.
"I often see Miss Zhixue coming out of the kitchen alone in the middle of the night to find bread to eat."
"Often?" Raku Sakakihara captured a key word, "Uncle Sakura, why is it often? Logically speaking, isn't the meal of the lady determined by the helpers in the kitchen? Zhixue should not be in such a big family.
It’s better to be hungry.”
"Young Master, the servants must obey the young lady's orders."
"." Sakakihara was silent for a long time, "Who?"
Uncle Ying didn't answer anymore, he just shook his head.
Sakakihara Raku could only sigh.
Treat each other with cold eyes and dislike.
When these emotions arise, bullying her will be the right choice.
It’s not surprising to do such a thing.
Sakakibara glanced at Uncle Sakura inexplicably. Yuki had never been really hungry before, so he probably had this old butler secretly helping him.
"If Miss Zhixue had been complete since she was a child, then she might not be living as well as she is now."
Is it the white paper emerging from the mud?
yuki is indeed a unique person.
Alas.
Thinking back to these days, yuki always said to herself that she wanted to eat.
The more I heard about her experience, the more reluctant I was to drive Yuki away.
While eating afternoon tea, Tianhai Jiuliuli and Tianhai Zhixue just came back from using the bathroom.
After having tea, it’s leisure time with nothing to do.
Amami Nozuki said that she would take the two of them to visit the room where she used to live, so Sakakibara Raku and Amami Kuruuri followed.
The room is very large, with a large bed covered by gauze curtains in the middle. The decoration of the room is very exquisite. There are also many guitars and electronic music equipment scattered in the corners of the house.
Jiu Liuli knew about it, but she rarely went back to Tianhai's house and never came to Zhixue's room.
Strictly speaking, the two are just acquaintances from the past. They have met but their relationship is not deep.
So Tianhai Zhixue introduced the things in her room to Tianhai Jiuliuli one by one.
"Miss Zhixue has become so lively."
Standing at the door, Raku Sakakihara heard Uncle Sakura's emotional words behind him.
He immediately asked:
"Is this Zhixue's room from the beginning?"
Uncle Ying shook his head, "The small room in the corner where I lived before."
"Le, this is for you." Tianhai Zhixue came over holding a jar.
"What?"
Sakakihara stood there, stretched out his open hand, and took what she handed over.
——A paper crane that doesn’t look like a paper crane.
"Thousands of paper cranes. Have you folded them before?"
"I stacked a can," Tianhai Zhixue held the head-sized can in front of him, and then poked her face out from the side of the can to look at him, "Originally I wanted to give it to my mother after I met her, but now I can all
Give it to me."
Sakakihara smiled and said, "Then your mother will definitely be angry."
"If you give it to me, my mother won't be angry."
This sentence.
It made Sakakihara Raku's heart waver again.
Her actions, demeanor, and words. Which of them is not trust?
Even Uncle Sakura smiled and said after Sakakibara took away Amami no Yuki:
"It seems that Miss Zhixue has indeed trusted you, young master."
"I know, but sometimes, I feel like I can't live up to her trust. At the same time, I feel bad that she put this trust in me."
"There is nothing wrong with you, young master. Miss Zhixue is lucky to meet you. I have never seen Miss Zhixue do something so proactively. This not only means her growth, but also means
As she began to construct her concept of the world."
Sakakihara looked at Uncle Sakura: "Is this why the old man wants me to marry Zhixue?"
"Not only," Uncle Ying shook his head, "it also has to be mixed with some of my current care for Miss Zhixue and his guilt for Miss Zhixue. My master, he will definitely become soft-hearted now because of Miss Zhixue."
*
Time to prepare for rest after dinner and bathing.
Sakakihara Raku was thinking about what happened between him and Zhiyue, and was a little absent-minded.
This attracted the attention of Ruri who came to Sakakihara Raku.
Seeing that he didn't react at all, Liuli didn't even ask anything. She came directly behind Sakakibara Raku who was still thinking and took the initiative to help him squeeze his shoulders.
One after another, one push and one squeeze. Her shoulders became softer with her gentle movements.
"Sometimes, you don't have to think about things that don't have a solution yet."
Only then did Raku Sakakihara suddenly realize that there was someone behind him pinching his shoulders.
When he turned back, Liuli's delicate face looked over her shoulder and smiled at him.
"Liu Li."
Sakakibara took the initiative to reach out and cover the small hand on his shoulder.
"Why does it feel uncomfortable to press?"
"Of course not. On the contrary, I feel comfortable and dreamy."
"Where is the dream?"
"My beautiful wife is pressing my shoulders."
Tianhai Jiuliuli looked at him dissatisfied: "You are poor-mouthed, and I am not your wife."
"If you're not a wife, it's better than a wife. Ruri is really gentle when she massages her shoulders." Raku Sakakihara squeezed her hand directly and looked into her eyes.
Looking at her beautiful face, I couldn't help but smile.
"What are you laughing at?"
"Nothing. I just think it's interesting to see Liuli like this."
Tianhai Jiuliuli didn't want to talk nonsense with him, so he took the initiative to ask: "Were you thinking about Zhixue just now?"
"Yes," Sakakihara Raku also became melancholy when talking about this, "You and Yuki stayed for a long time in the afternoon, and you also overheard some of the conversation between Sakura and me."
"Yuki used to be quite pitiful."
"Not just her past, but also the expectation and trust she has in me now"
Sakakihara Raku was silent again.
Tianhai Jiuliuli took another look at him and asked, "Do you feel quite stressed?"
"Yes." Raku Sakakihara responded with emotion.
"Lejun, although I can't give you any good advice on this issue. But——"
Amami Kuruuri got out of bed, knelt down in front of Sakakibara Raku, and raised her head to look at him.
"What?" Raku Sakakihara didn't understand for a moment.
"But I can still help you share some of the pressure."
"."
Sakakihara was happy to see her being so serious. He was stunned at first, and then accepted it graciously, "As long as Liuli you don't mind what happened that day anymore."
"Of course you have to mind, it's just a privileged time."
"Privilege time? I think Ruri-chan is just hungry."
"Please don't use this term." Tianhai Jiuliuli blushed.
"Of course, of course."
*
In order not to make Liuli hungry, she insisted on her request for dessert.
Sakakihara took a piece of ice cream from the refrigerator for her to eat, and then sat on the bedside and watched her eat the ice cream.
It should be said that Liuli deserves to be the eldest lady?
Very cultured and cultivated.
Even eating ice cream is very serious.
Meticulous.
Sakakihara Raku could see her serious face while eating ice cream, and she reached out to twist the hair behind her ears.
That upright and beautiful look, that solemn look looking at the ice cream.
Rather than eating ice cream, Raku Sakakihara felt that she was enjoying the food respectfully.
Let yourself better appreciate the flavor and texture of the ice cream, and let the ice cream exude more layers and flavors in your mouth.
She also tried to control the speed at which she ate the ice cream, allowing herself to slowly enjoy the fun. It seemed that the ice cream was too cold, so she took a break between every few bites to allow her mouth to slowly adapt to the temperature of the ice cream before continuing to eat.
.
The eldest lady is the eldest lady, and she can eat ice cream in so many ways.
Sakakihara admired him very much.
"Are you full?"
Tianhai Jiuliuli savored the taste of ice cream in his mouth and was confused, "Why does it feel like the amount is less than before?"
"What kind of unscrupulous profiteer is cutting corners on something like ice cream that has no cost? I asked my uncle to sue him."
Tianhai Jiuliuli flew over with a resentful look.
This makes Sakakihara Raku feel a little embarrassed.
". By the way, Liuli, shall we sleep together today?"
"Who said that?" Tianhai Jiuliuli stood up from a half-kneeling position with graceful movements.
".Isn't it possible?"
"No, this is Tianhai's house, grandpa's house."
Sakakihara Raku approached Amami Kuruuri and put his arms around her soft waist, "Ruri, as I said before, I miss you very much~"
"Heng Lejun's mouth has become more and more slippery recently. I don't want to believe it anymore." Tianhai Jiuliuli half pushed and half resisted in his arms.
"What does it mean to be slippery? It's so unpleasant. This is a sweet talk that only happens between male and female friends. Do you think any other boys would say this to you?"
"This sentence is also very slippery, okay?"
"Liu Li~"
"No." Tianhai Jiuliuli turned around.
"Liu Li~~"
"No." Tianhai Jiuliuli turned around again.
"Really not?"
"No."
Raku Sakakihara looked helpless, "That's such a pity."
"There is nothing to be sorry for."
"Indeed, I originally said that Liuli and I would try out the new skills I learned from playing games with Qiyue."
"." Tianhai Jiuliuli turned his head back silently and asked curiously, "What is that?"
"Well, who knows. Anyway, we have a lot of fun every time we play in Qiyue. I'm happy, and she's even happier. The game is so fun."
Tianhai Jiuliuli punched him resentfully: "You are not allowed to eat alone! You have to let me try too"
"Then let's sleep together tonight?"
"." Tianhai Jiuliuli hesitated for a while, ".I'll come find you tonight."
"Why are you looking for me?" Sakakihara asked deliberately.
".It's not that I haven't seen you in the past few days. I want to play games with you."
"That's great."
"Liu Li, I actually like the spiral staircase in the hall here. It's very gorgeous and spacious. It's also quite nice under the chandelier in the middle. The decoration there has a sacred feeling. We can use the carpet as a bed to sit on."<