"This could be possible," Jiutiao Meijie personally acknowledged Dubian's characterization of her.

"Facing the Jiutiao Villain, I would say with determination, 'Once, twice, even if I fail, justice will surely triumph! We march on one after another, endless in our resolve! Even in death, I'll take you down with me!' And then we would both perish."

"Third-rate script," Jiutiao Meijie said. "What about now?"

"Now, I, representing the nobles, stand opposite the commoners, raising my Supreme Wisdom Spear, the diligent and hardworking hammer, and amidst the sacred sound of self-restraint, say to those who try to break class boundaries, 'Rebellious fools, ignorant challengers of authority, any last words?'"

Jiutiao Meijie laughed heartily as Dubian Che's tone changed with the story. It was quite amusing and seemed quite credible.

"How's that?" Dubian Che said with pride.

"Umm—" Jiutiao Meijie pretended to ponder, "My dear Che, I think it's about time for you to graduate from your middle-school syndrome."

"Looking down on me?" Dubian Che turned over and pinned the Jiutiao Villain beneath him, tickling her relentlessly.

"Ha ha ha, what are you doing? Let go!" Jiutiao Meijie laughed uncontrollably as she protected herself with her hands, twisting her body to dodge.

"You evil witch, I will purify you!"

"Rebellious fool, dare to... ha ha ha! Let go, let go, stop, I give up, I give up, the Jiutiao family is all yours!"

"The victory of justice." Dubian Che stopped his hands.

Jiutiao Meijie breathed heavily, her eyes watery.

After catching her breath, she suddenly turned over, straddling Dubian Che's waist and pinning him beneath her.

"Those who defy their superiors—Dubian Che, any last words before your death?" She licked her red, enticing lips, revealing a cruel and sinister smile.

"I'm not married yet, at least let me leave an heir!"

"As the successor of the Jiutiao family, I grant your request."

Jiutiao Meijie leaned in, biting Dubian Che's lips as if to devour his tongue.

The next morning, Dubian Che returned from his jog around the "Imperial Palace" and stood in the garden teasing the "Empress."

This bird had come from the mountains to Tokyo, not at all uncomfortable, totally unafraid of people, and the villa's servants didn't bother it in the slightest.

Jiutiao Meijie had made a nest for it by the second-floor study window; it was sheltered from wind and rain, and it was free to fly out whenever—it's territory restricted to the garden.

When Jiutiao Meijie woke up, they sat down together for breakfast.

"How's the rose I gave you last time?" Dubian Che asked.

The one-year anniversary Sign-in reward [True Love Rose], he gave it directly to Jiutiao Meijie. Apart from the simple description provided by the system, he didn't know what it was really good for.

"I planted it in the garden."

"Nothing miraculous about it?"

"What's miraculous about it?" Jiutiao Meijie countered.

"I'm the one asking you."

"And I want to ask you, why did you need to draw my blood to plant a rose?"

"It will be useful," Dubian Che finished his meal and leaned lazily back in the chair, contentedly sipping his milk.

"You don't know either?"

"Wouldn't I tell you if I knew?"

"And how do you get these things?"

"Wouldn't I tell you if I could?"

Jiutiao Meijie continued eating her last few bites, eyeing him.

Done eating, she put down her cutlery and elegantly wiped her mouth with a napkin: "What are your plans for today?"

"Nothing at the moment, how about you?"

"I have classes normally, so of course I have to work on weekends."

"Can I stay and accompany you?" Dubian Che said.

"Go keep your two lovers company," Jiutiao Meijie put down the napkin and sipped her tea. "Xiaoquan Aonai's birthday is on Monday, right?"

"Yes."

"What should I gift her, I wonder." Jiutiao Meijie held the teacup, smiling at Dubian Che.

"You've already given her the best gift."

Noncommittal, Jiutiao Meijie pressed further, "What did you give her?"

Dubian Che put down his empty glass of milk and fiddled with his earlobe. "Earrings."

"Let me make myself clear so you can't accuse me of being unreasonable later. Jewelry, houses, whatever you want, but if you dare give a ring, I'll chop off their fingers," Jiutiao Meijie said coldly, smiling.

The gentle and jovial Jiutiao Meijie only existed in the bed that belonged to just the two of them.

"Yeah, it's best to make things clear like this. I'm just afraid of emotions piling up inside and suddenly exploding," Dubian Che said. "Anything else?"

"It's about the kids," Jiutiao Meijie took a sip of tea. "I don't want to say cruel things to you, but you know what I mean."

"That they can't come before you?"

"Letting you support them is because I owe you twice, but that doesn't mean I will tolerate their insolence."

"It's really not a big deal," Dubian Che said. "In a marriage, couples have to accommodate and compromise to make it work, especially given our complicated situation. It's either you step back, or I step back, or they step back. Mayi and Mr. Xiaoquan don't intend to ask for more. This is completely fine, Meijie, you've already given enough."

Jiutiao Meijie glanced at him and set down her teacup.

"On Xiaoquan Aonai's birthday, just send her a gift on my behalf."

Dubian Che slightly straightened up, looking at her incredulously.

"In a marriage, partners accommodate each other. I make concessions for you so you won't be put in a difficult position; just don't disappoint me."

"Are you still thinking about what Kiyono Lin said last night?"

"You two," Jiutiao Meijie sneered, "one is sure that the other will definitely support her; the other believes that support is not just lip service, but action."

"My support does not include agreeing to marry into the Kiyono family," Dubian Che quickly clarified.

"If you did, I would have bitten off your tongue last night."

"...Speaking of which, you seem to know a lot about Kiyono Lin. Oh right, you didn't finish the story about what happened when you were young last night."

"I'll tell you next time I remember."

After breakfast, Jiutiao Meijie went to work and Dubian Che left the house, heading to Shinbashi station while walking past one bookshop after another along the road.

When he was at a small bookshop called Kobunkan, opposite the station, he received a LINE message from Xiaoquan Aonai.

"I'm at Atami."

"Having fun?"

"There's free footbaths right at the station! It's no wonder it's the top hot spring resort in the Island Country!"

"Teacher, please send me a photo of you soaking your feet. This is my one and only request in my life!"

"!!!"

Dubian Che laughed. He liked legs, not feet, he was just joking.

Atami was in Izu. Before the end of spring break this year, he and Jiutiao Meijie had gone to Hejin to enjoy the cherry blossoms and canola flowers, and in the evening they also played Dress-Up as geishas.

But they hadn't gone to Atami.

He wandered around the bookshop and, reaching the magazine section, Dubian Che picked up a magazine about recommended travel destinations in June.

The cover of the magazine featured Okinawa, introducing places like "Kamakura Hydrangea," "Izu Hot Spring," "Hokkaido·Furano."

He flipped to the page about Izu, looking through it page by page.

The pictures of Atami, blue skies, and wide-open seaside roads, with tall palm trees planted on both sides of the road.

It didn't look Island Country at all; if anything, it had a bit of a Hawaiian feel.

"Buzz~"

Dubian Che took out his vibrating phone; when he looked, there was a photo of three female teachers rolling up their trouser legs, their legs soaking in a hot spring.

"..."

Did she feel too shy to take a picture alone, so she even roped in her two close friends?

After a message saying "Thanks for the hospitality," Dubian Che sent a geisha emoticon bowing deeply with her hands on the ground.

"!"

Xiaoquan Aonai probably felt so embarrassed she didn't know what to say.

Dubian Che pocketed his phone and picked up a book set in Atami.

He paid at the counter, crossed the zebra crossing, and got on the Shinjuku Line back to Shinano Town.

There were no seats next to the doors, but there was space in the middle of a bench—like China, the Island Country has people who don't like conspicuous spots, with the edge seats usually taken first.

'Mahayana cultural sphere.' he mused inwardly as he took the vacant seat.

The train swayed and rocked, and he started reading the book he had just bought.

While transferring at Shi Valley, a sudden thought popped into his head:

Don't go back to Shinano Town, head to Atami right now, and surprise Xiaoquan Aonai with an unplanned visit for her birthday.

PS: The moment I clicked 'publish,' I heard "Fate thinks it's funny, having too many ideas, it's not up to me," I really like this sentence, sharing it with everyone, hoarse~~

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