"Wow, this place is amazing!" exclaimed the young middle school girl.

"Rika, Mom chose this especially for you," said the man, who resembled a father, smiling.

"Thank you, Dad, thank you, Mom!" The little girl's voice was as cheerful as a lark.

"If you don't understand something at school, you can ask your sister," said their mother.

"Sure!" The little girl smiled at Mayi Asuka, "Mayi, I'm counting on you!"

Mayi Asuka nodded gently.

The waiter led the four of them to their reserved seats, not too far from Dubian Che and his group.

"Speaking of which," Kiyono Lin turned her attention away from Mayi Asuka and looked at Dubian Che in front of her, "you haven't told me about your relationship with Mayi."

"..."

"Don't want to tell me?"

"It's not that," Dubian Che said, "During the winter camping trip, I told you: anything you want to know, I'll tell you."

"Are you hinting at me, reminding me of what I said? 'If you don't want to talk, I won't ask'?"

"Whether I want to talk or not depends on if you want to know."

Kiyono Lin cut her steak with a knife, "Go ahead, tell me."

"Guess first?"

"Lovers?" Kiyono Lin put a piece of steak in her mouth and glanced up at Dubian Che.

"..."

Too fast.

"Yes," Dubian Che nodded.

Kiyono Lin was just his friend, there was no need to feel guilty... right?

Kiyono Lin chewed rhythmically, continuing to cut her steak.

After three seconds of silence, Dubian Che couldn't help but speak up, "Don't you have any questions?"

"It's Jiutiao Meijie who should be worried, not me," Kiyono Lin continued eating her steak.

Though it had nothing to do with her, still...

"Can I talk about my situation with Mayi?"

"You don't need to report everything to me, there's no need."

"Are you angry?" Dubian Che felt happier now, as opposed to before.

"I never get angry; I just get sulky occasionally," Kiyono Lin took a sip of water, "Don't mind me."

"Kiyono, give me some time, let me explain."

"I'll be leaving once I'm done eating." Kiyono Lin continued eating the remaining half of her steak.

"The thing between me and Mayi started with the dispute over the Northern Four Islands..."

Dubian Che told her everything—obviously glossing over the details of the night—and Kiyono Lin listened intently.

By the time he finished, the steak had already been eaten.

Kiyono Lin wiped her lips lightly with a napkin, her voice flat as she confirmed,

"You went that far, rejected her so many times, and she still doesn't want to give up?"

"If it weren't for that, I would never betray my family's K-san. To stick to my principles, I've only been... well, friends with you."

Kiyono Lin thought back to the winter camping trip, the two lying on the advanced ski slope, and the words Dubian Che had said.

"If there's a next life, let's meet sooner."

Someone who had rejected even a beautiful girl like herself surely had no reason to go after others.

Dubian Che was a gentle man; she knew that since their time at the Shinagawa Aquarium.

Choking, pretending to be afraid of Jiutiao Mei, greedy, sacrificing his own reputation to save others—that was just the kind of person Dubian Che was.

But Mayi's actions also surprised her.

Knowing the other person wanted to "kill" her, not only did she not resist, but she also reminded him to use the amber alkaline so as not to leave any traces. Such an incredible event had actually happened around her.

Speaking of unbelievable, wasn't she even more so...

"What do you plan to do now?" she asked.

"Since we've decided to be together, naturally I can't let her down."

"What about Jiutiao Meijie?"

Dubian Che took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

"There will always be a way. In any case, I won't let either of them leave me."

"So you mean if it's not discovered, you plan to keep it a secret from Jiutiao?"

Dubian Che felt a little awkward.

True to her name, God Kiyono, who saw through lies, always seemed to grasp the deepest thoughts of people's hearts.

"Yes," Dubian Che could only nod.

"You can actually say something like that?"

"Good or bad, I don't want to hide anything from you."

The corners of Kiyono Lin's mouth curved into a smile.

But trying to find joy in that expression was like seeking water from the surface sand of the desert.

"So..." Dubian Che looked straight at Kiyono Lin, "what are your thoughts now?"

"What thoughts could I possibly have?" Kiyono Lin put away her smile that held no joy.

Her expression returned to calm.

After a long time, she asked,

"If one day you find out you like me more than Jiutiao Meijie, you kneel down and beg me to be with you, and I ask you to break up with them, would you be willing?"

Kneeling to ask to be in a relationship...

Dubian Che understood her meaning, but this sulky manner was quite unique.

"That day will never come; we are forever closest friends," Dubian Che said.

After speaking, he explained, "After this incident with Mayi, I decided not to smile at any other girls, not to interact with other girls."

"Sounds nice," Kiyono Lin nodded, "Can you guarantee you'll never kneel and beg me to be with you?"

"I'm determined to do so, but I indeed can't guarantee it."

"If you can't guarantee it, then it's possible," Kiyono Lin said, "When that day comes, what do you plan to do?"

She raised her right index finger, and her left index and middle finger, "Which side will you choose?"

"Right," Kiyono Lin spoke again, "Do you have anyone else? Just say it all now."

"There's no one else! Really, there isn't! I'm a good person!"

"Good person?" Kiyono Lin scoffed, "Choose."

Dubian Che felt her calm tone was very frightening, but there was also a sense of being indulgently spoiled. What exactly was this feeling?

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