Returning to the room upstairs, Naruse dropped his schoolbag and followed it behind the door, listening to what was going on below.
"Chunhai..."
Shangzi was a little helpless.
Naruse turned his head and said, "Shh."
"..."
Shangzi had no choice but to walk over and cover his right ear with one hand. The other hand went up the gap between his face and the door and covered his left ear as well.
He looked over and looked at each other face to face at close range. Shangzi's face turned slightly red.
"Didn't Harumi tell Haixing not to eavesdrop?"
"No, I'm just worried that she will say something strange..."
"No."
"...Okay."
Recalling the scene just before he came up, Haixing started to shed tears as soon as he saw Matsu Chiaki, and he probably wouldn't say anything nonsense. Naruse was not at ease but had no choice but to leave behind the door.
——The two people in the living room made very little movement, and he couldn't hear anything even if he was close to them.
He sat down in front of the desk, and Shangzi had nothing to do, so he wandered around in front of the bookshelf.
Half a year after he returned from Tokyo, there were more and more books on the bookshelf, and the new ones were all bought from Morimi Furu Honten.
"Auntie asked me to sleep here after she returns to Tokyo." She suddenly said.
Naruse was stunned for a moment, "Really?"
Shangzi stood in front of the bookshelf and looked at him with his peripheral vision, "I said it when I went to bed last night."
"That's it."
Both of them were silent for a while.
"...Is it too close?"
She was talking without any end, but Naruse felt as if his chest had been cut open for a moment, and everything inside was invisible.
"No."
He turned to look at her profile.
"If Shangzi is willing, he can sleep here...it will be more convenient."
She said nothing and nodded slightly.
Naruse looked at her for a while.
"Shangzi..."
"Hmm."
He paused, stood up, and said, "What book do you want to read? I'll help you find it."
Shangzi looked at him and smiled slightly.
"As long as it's recommended by Chunhai, it's fine."
He raised his hand to rest on the bookshelf, "Do you understand everything?"
She grabbed his arm.
"Hmm."
......
When Naruse and Naoko went downstairs again, Haixing's apology to Matsu Chiaki was over.
She lowered her head and snuggled next to Song Qianqiu. When she saw the two people coming down, she sat up a little straighter.
Song Qianqiu looked over.
"Haixing has apologized to me, and I have forgiven her. Harumi is not allowed to bully Haixing over this matter in the future."
"Hmm."
Of course he didn't want to bully her, and he was more concerned about whether Haixing had told her the specific form of "bullying".
Matsu Qianqiu's face was full of affection for her former stepdaughter, but it looked like she didn't have any.
"Haixing, come and have dinner with us today."
She glanced at Naruse first, then nodded, "Okay."
"Remember to say hello to Mr. Seiichiro."
"Yeah."
Matsu Qianqiu touched her head, and then asked Naruse: "How was the exam today, was it okay?"
"It's almost the same as last time."
"Where is Shangzi?"
"It feels quite simple... but Chunhai told me to be more careful, so I checked each exam many times, and I was a little mentally tired." Naoko smiled.
"Thank you for your hard work." Song Qianqiu smiled at her, "Leave it to me for today's dinner."
Naruse frowned immediately.
"Boy over there, why are you frowning?"
"You understand."
"I'm not ready to do it myself."
"In this season, there are almost no food delivery shops."
Song Qianqiu smiled, "So we went out to eat by ourselves."
Naruse looked out the window, "It's already this time..."
"Well, so she should be arriving soon."
"Who?"
Song Qianqiu smiled mysteriously and did not answer. After a while, the sound of a car was heard outside.
Naruse opened the door and saw a red car parked outside, and a young woman was getting out of the car.
"Long time no see, Master."
"Miss Sato..." He was a little surprised.
The visitor was Matsu Chiaki's assistant Sato Yoko. Matsu Chiaki didn't mention it, so he didn't even know that she had followed her to the Northeast.
"I haven't seen you for a few months, and he's getting more and more handsome."
Miss Sato came over and touched his head with some difficulty.
"Why are you growing so fast? In two years, I won't be able to touch your head."
Naruse lowered his head slightly and said, "Is Ms. Sato here too this time?"
"Yeah. It's rare to have a few days of rest. As soon as I got here yesterday, I went to Lake Jushoda to relax." Miss Sato said, "It's really nice, hot springs and ice sculptures."
Song Qianqiu also came out, "Is it okay over there?"
"We have made a reservation and will stay there tonight."
"That won't work. Chunhai and the others have exams tomorrow and have to come back in the evening."
"Eh-" Ms. Sato was obviously disappointed, "I was really looking forward to it."
"Then you send the children back and drive there."
"It takes more than an hour to go back and forth..."
"Where are you going?" Naruse asked.
"A high-end restaurant at the foot of Mt. Iwaki." Ms. Sato said, "It's difficult to make a reservation at this time. I had to give Ms. Matsu's name before I made the reservation."
Matsu Chiaki asked several children to get on the bus, while Miss Sato was still trying to persuade Naruse: "Stay one night, and I will take you to school tomorrow morning."
"Can you get up? My son is going to take the first grade exam tomorrow." Song Qianqiu sat in the passenger seat and said, "Get in the car quickly."
Ms. Sato had no choice but to drive up and pass by the Maki Hotel. Haixing went down to say hello to her father and came back quickly.
"That's Miss Song's ex-husband."
"Ex-ex-husband."
"Looks pretty ordinary."
Song Qianqiu smiled calmly and said, "He is a good person."
She turned around and said, "Starfish."
"Eh..."
Starfish sat in the middle, leaned forward, and was hugged by her.
"This is my precious daughter. Yoko must have never seen her before."
Stopping at the intersection, Miss Sato turned around and looked at her for a while, "She's so beautiful, she looks like she was born by you. Have you considered coming to Tokyo to debut?"
"..."
Starfish was stunned.
"Ignore her."
Naruse pulled Haixing back and sat down, "Does Miss Sato still only know this one compliment?"
"I'm serious."
Although there was not a single car on the road, Ms. Sato still waited patiently at the red light.
"The same goes for the young master. This condition is completely sufficient for his debut. There is also the young master's girlfriend."
"..."
Naoko was still in a daze, but when Naruse glanced at him, his face suddenly turned red.
"...Don't talk nonsense."
"Ah, I'm so shy."
"You are harassing minors."
Miss Sato curled her lips.
Song Qianqiu sat aside and glanced at the rearview mirror. The three children in the back seat were looking in different directions with different expressions.
The starfish sitting in the middle has a particularly complicated expression.
Nearly half an hour later, the group arrived at the high-end hotel at the foot of Iwaki Mountain, Xusenzhuang.
The sky has darkened, and the surrounding trees are tall and dense, and the nearby Yanmu Mountain cannot be seen.
Entering the hotel, Ms. Sato performed her job and took care of everything. Naruse was quickly taken to the huge room on the second floor of the hotel.
The window is open, and there is a vast sea of snow outside, and the hotel lights can only illuminate a small area.
"There are hot springs here." Ms. Sato said, "Before enjoying the food, let's go and soak in the hot springs for a while."
"Okay." Song Qianqiu greeted a few children and went downstairs to soak in the hot spring.
"Towels and yukata are here. Come and get them."
When it was Naruse's turn, Miss Sato smiled slightly: "Young master wants to go alone, no problem."
"What's the problem?" Naruse took the towel and yukata and walked to the men's bath.
"Let's go in too."
Song Qianqiu pushed the two girls, "It seems that we are the only ones at this time, let's enjoy it."
After changing his clothes and rinsing his body, Shangzi put his hair up and sat in the hot spring pool surrounded by stones.
The hot spring pool is surrounded by three walls, and the remaining side is connected to the private mountain forest. There are snowflakes outside, which melt the moment they fall into the pool.
"It's so comfortable..."
Obviously the final exam is still taking place today, and it will continue tomorrow, but she came to a hot spring so far away tonight...
Leaning against the edge of the pool, enjoying it for a while with his eyes closed, Shangzi opened his eyes and looked at the other three people in the pool.
Song Qianqiu and Haixing were close together and had been chatting with her.
After Haixing apologized, the two seemed like their biological mother and daughter who had reunited after being separated for many years. They were so close.
This made her suddenly feel like she had been forgotten.
"Haixing, please stay at my house tonight and sleep with mom."
"..."
Shangzi pursed his lower lip.
"No... let's forget it." Haixing was stunned for a moment, but still declined.
"Okay."
Song Qianqiu didn't force it, "My bed is very big, it can sleep three people without any problem."
"Three people..." Haixing turned to look at her.
"There is also Shangzi."
Song Qianqiu asked Shangzi to sit over, "It has nothing to do with anything else, it's just my selfishness."