Oh no! They all seem a bit off!

Chapter 160 Memoirs of My Deceased Wife

"...What did Grandpa say to you?"

After Akizuki Makoto came out of the ward, he ran into Himeyasuki, who was standing at the door of the ward.

"It's nothing, we just chatted casually..."

At this point, Akizuki Makoto paused, then smiled somewhat helplessly, and said, "Speaking of which, you can probably guess what Grandpa wants to say to me, right?"

"Grandpa, you don't need to take what he said to heart, and you don't need to worry about me. I'm not that fragile."

Ji Yexue smoothed her long hair over her shoulder, crossed her arms, seemingly trying to project the aloof and powerful image she usually displayed when dealing with others.

But Akizuki Makoto was different from the others. He had seen another side of Ji Yexue and knew that Ji Yexue was just putting on a brave face.

Actually, she was also very uneasy, after all, even her mother had been looking worried lately, let alone her.

Admittedly, she is excellent and intelligent, but her rivals who are eyeing the Ji Ye family also possess exceptional wisdom and strategy.

"Well, I believe you."

Akizuki nodded, revealing a gentle smile, and his gaze towards Ji Yexue held a hint of something indescribable.

“Come on, your mother would like to see you and invites you to have afternoon tea.”

Akizuki Makoto said with a hint of jokingness, "I'm really popular."

"Hehe, you're quite proud of yourself, aren't you? Do you think this is a good thing...?"

Ji Yexue could only sneer at this. It wouldn't be surprising if Qiu Yuecheng, with his womanizing ways, were suddenly stabbed to death one day.

After all, the women who were attracted to him didn't seem to be very normal.

From what she knew, they were mostly strange people with superpowers.

She originally thought she and Shiina Maki were together, but it turns out there are quite a few people with superpowers, and they're all eyeing Akizuki Makoto!

Needless to say, there's the philandering Qingmei. The disabled Shiraishi Rin also had designs on Akizuki Makoto before and even made a move on him.

Therefore, she didn't like Shiraishi Rin at all, and she didn't like anyone who wanted to be her rival.

……

After leaving the sanatorium, Akizuki Makoto visited Himeya's house after a long absence.

But unlike previous visits, there were many more servants, and everyone looked very serious, creating a somber atmosphere in the mansion.

When Ji Yexue returned with Qiu Yuecheng, the servants who would usually greet them respectfully simply bowed their heads and did not speak.

The same was true as we walked along; everyone maintained an eerie silence.

It wasn't until Ji Yexue led Qiu Yuecheng through the corridors, twisting and turning, until they reached the main room deep inside, that the maid waiting there finally greeted them.

"Young Miss, Young Master, welcome back."

"The patriarch is waiting inside. Please come in."

After saying that, the maid pushed open the door to the Japanese-style room and let the two of them in.

In the spacious, almost empty Japanese-style room, Mrs. Himeya sat quietly at the head of the table, dressed in a black kimono that exuded elegance and nobility, her long black hair styled with a jade hairpin.

Unlike before, the Mrs. Himeya sitting there now looked like the head of a large family, giving people a first impression of being noble and dignified, like a queen.

"Xiaoxue, welcome back."

Mrs. Himeya first greeted Himeya Yuki, then looked at Akizuki Makoto beside her and said, "Good afternoon, Akizuki-kun."

"Good afternoon, Auntie."

Akizuki Makoto nodded in response, finding Himeya's current attire and demeanor somewhat novel.

"Ha ha……"

Mrs. Ji Ye couldn't help but smile and chuckle, her attitude softening as she returned to her usual gentle demeanor.

"Please sit down and have the servants bring tea and refreshments."

At Mrs. Himeya's invitation, the two took their seats on one side, and then the servants brought out a series of exquisite tea and snacks.

Mrs. Ji Ye personally brewed tea for them, her movements skillful and elegant, displaying her charm.

"Akizuki-kun, I'm so sorry to have troubled you to take time out of your busy schedule to come here."

"It's alright, Auntie. I'm not busy at all. I have nothing to do on my days off."

"Is that so... Then I won't stand on ceremony with you, let's talk about everyday things."

Mrs. Ji Ye lifted her sleeve, covered her mouth and chuckled, then said, "I heard from Xiao Xue that you formed a band. I even watched your performance online. It was really great, so youthful and full of energy."

"No, we're just amateurs. This was all just a spur-of-the-moment thing for Xue."

Akizuki Makoto scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly, feeling rather ashamed that his elders knew he was in a band.

It's like when you suddenly feel inspired and write a sad little essay, only to have your parents find it one day.

"That's amazing even for an amateur. Akizuki-kun's guitar skills are really high, even though he'd only been playing for less than a week back then, right?"

"Maybe I'm more talented at playing the guitar."

Akizuki Makoto laughed and made a joke, after all, he knew very well that his guitar skills were nothing short of monstrous among a week-old beginner.

A novice guitarist can play a song accurately after only one week of playing; he's the only one in the entire island nation who can do that.

Ji Yexue didn't find it strange; it was perfectly normal for the man she had her eye on to be able to fly or teleport.

However, to others, this talent seemed dazzling.

Mrs. Himeya was curious about how Akizuki Makoto had managed to do it; it couldn't be something that could be explained away by pure talent alone.

However, she did not intend to pry into the matter and force Akizuki Makoto to reveal his secret.

She mentioned it casually and didn't intend to delve into it further, because that wasn't her purpose; it was just a setup.

"Has Qiuyue already visited your father? I heard from Xiaoxue that he wanted to talk to you alone."

Qiu Yuecheng nodded and answered truthfully, "Yes, I talked to my grandfather alone for a while, and he entrusted me with some things."

"The matter your father entrusted to you must be quite difficult for you, right? I'm so sorry."

Mrs. Himeya was well aware that there was only one thing her father would entrust to Akizuki Makoto: he wanted to bind Akizuki Makoto to the Himeya family.

"That's not true, I'm not bothered by it."

Akizuki Makoto shook his head and smiled slightly, "Grandpa didn't entrust me with anything that would bother me. Later, we even talked about snow. He asked me what snow looked like to me."

"Oh, is that so?"

Mrs. Himeya was somewhat surprised. She raised her sleeve to cover half of her face and asked curiously, "So, what was Akizuki-kun's answer?"

"This one……"

Akizuki Makoto glanced at Hime Yuki, who was silently sipping her tea beside him, and hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't. He felt that revealing his impression of someone in front of them was something that would make both of them feel ashamed.

Ji Yexue noticed that Qiu Yuecheng was looking at her, and immediately understood what he meant. She said calmly, "It's nothing, go ahead and say it. It's just a bunch of polite words anyway."

She could imagine that Akizuki Makoto would definitely say some flattering things to her grandfather.

They said she was excellent and beautiful, just like when Akizuki Makoto first came to the Himeya family as a guest, and Mrs. Himeya asked him that.

"Is that so...then I'll tell you."

Seeing that Ji Yexue, the person involved, had the same opinion, Qiuyue Cheng felt relieved and shared his impressions of Ji Yexue.

"The first time I saw Xue was when I had just transferred to this school. The teacher asked me which club I wanted to join. I just wandered around and then came to the student council."

"...?"

Ji Yexue frowned slightly, wondering how such a good impression had turned into a memoir?
But seeing that Akizuki Makoto was speaking very seriously and that his mother was listening with great interest, she refrained from interrupting and continued listening.

"I remember it was a sunny day. I visited the student council room during my lunch break, opened the door, and then I saw Xue."

"She sat at the desk by the window, wearing a uniform unlike any other girl I'd ever seen. Her beautiful face, cool demeanor, and unique style made a deep first impression on me..."

"and many more!"

Upon arriving here, Ji Yexue could no longer sit still. Her fair face flushed slightly, and even her delicate earlobes beneath her hair were tinged with a faint blush.

Clearly, she was captivated by Akizuki Makoto's description of their first meeting and felt incredibly shy.

"What kind of impression is this? Isn't this a recollection? It's like you're writing a novel."

"Oh my, now that you mention it, it really does seem true. Qiuyue-kun truly lives up to his reputation as a great writer; even his impressions are described so vividly."

Mrs. Ji Ye stroked her face with one hand and said with a smile, "Even as an observer, I can feel the scene. It's such an enviable youth."

What should have been an ordinary first encounter was transformed into the kind of meeting between the male and female protagonists in a romance novel by Akizuki Makoto's vivid description.

It's no wonder that Ji Yexue felt shy, because in that instant, she sensed Qiuyue Cheng's feelings for her.

Although she subconsciously rejected this feeling, the thrill she felt at that moment still makes her heart pound and her emotions run high.

"Grandpa was asking about Ji Yexue as I see her, and that's how I answered him."

Akizuki Makoto looked completely innocent and spread his hands like a bear. He had clearly given Ji Yexue a hint beforehand, but what he was about to say was embarrassing.

"Akizuki-kun, please continue. Don't worry about Xiaoxue."

Mrs. Hime chuckled and urged Akizuki Makoto to continue, as she hadn't had enough yet.

"no!"

Ji Yexue immediately protested, saying that if Qiuyue Cheng continued talking, she might feel so ashamed and happy that she wanted to die.

Her heart rate is probably close to 120 right now. I don't even want to think about how high it will go if she listens for a little longer.

"What does it matter? Anyway, if you don't want to, Xiaoxue, I'll have Qiuyue-jun talk to me privately..."

At this point, Mrs. Ji Ye paused, then changed to a teasing tone, jokingly saying, "Back then, you couldn't hear Qiu Yue-jun personally say what his impressions of you were, could you? Is that alright?"

"Mother, you—"

Ji Yexue was speechless, feeling very unwilling.

She really wanted to hear what impressions Akizuki Makoto was going to share next.

If we stop Akizuki Makoto now, she probably won't have another chance to hear it.

She was definitely too embarrassed to ask Akizuki Makoto to explain it to her, so this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

If she misses it, she'll never have the chance to hear it again in her life.

"Akizuki-kun, please continue."

Mrs. Himeya smiled triumphantly and urged Akizuki Makoto to continue, as she couldn't wait to hear more.

"Ahem, then I'll continue."

Akizuki nodded, coughed twice, and then continued his story.

"Later, I found out that he was the president of the student council, and then I became a regular visitor to the student council room during lunch break."

"One reason I came here is to find a quiet place to have lunch, and another reason is that I feel inexplicably at ease here."

"Xue tacitly allowed me to have lunch in the student council room during lunch break. I don't know what she was thinking. At that time, Xue and I didn't communicate much, except when we were handing over work."

"At that time, my impression of Xue was no different from that of others. I felt that she was both proud and omnipotent, a perfect being in every aspect."

"The turning point for this impression came at the end of May, with a series of letters from students about paranormal events."

At this point, Akizuki Makoto paused and subconsciously glanced at Ji Yexue beside him.

At this moment, Ji Yexue could no longer remain calm and composed, and began to feel restless.

She knew, of course, what the so-called end of May and the student's letter meant.

This forced her to recall the past when she had hurt Akizuki Makoto, causing her emotions to spiral out of control.

“From then on, I realized that Xue was not as she appeared on the surface; she was exceptionally sensitive and delicate inside.”

"She had an extremely girlish side, being willful, arrogant, and even a bit wicked, which gave me a period of unbearable memories."

As he spoke, Akizuki Makoto couldn't help but reveal a slightly troubled and helpless smile.

Looking back, it feels like a long, long time has passed, even though it was only a month and a half ago, making one sigh with emotion.

"It was from this time that I came to know the true side of Xue and entered her heart."

"I have longed for and admired snow, and I have also hated it. I cherish all these feelings."

"Now, in my eyes, Ji Yexue is a strong, beautiful, and proud girl, but also fragile, sensitive, willful, and wicked."

"Her most beautiful feature is not her appearance, but her heart. Her sincerity is the most magnificent jewel in the world, absolutely beautiful."

"...Haha, it's really embarrassing to say this in front of the person involved, it's like being executed."

Finally, Akizuki Makoto laughed awkwardly, scratching his head sheepishly, his face showing utter distress.

He no longer dared to look at Ji Yexue's reaction.

Unbeknownst to him, Ji Yexue's cheeks were already flushed, and steam was faintly rising from her head. The surging emotions in her heart made her chest feel as if it were about to explode.

"Really amazing..."

Mrs. Ji Ye was also at a loss for words. She stared in astonishment, once again feeling that in this world, only Qiu Yuecheng was the only suitable match for Ji Yexue.

If they cannot be together, Ji Yexue will never love anyone again in her life.

(End of this chapter)