Oh no! They all seem a bit off!

Chapter 166 Qiu Yuecheng Admits to Having Someone She Likes
"Xiao Cheng, you're back?"

After not seeing each other for almost half a year, the mother and son did not seem particularly excited. Qiuyue's mother simply smiled at Qiuyue Cheng, and then looked at the four girls standing behind him.

As her gaze swept over the four girls one by one, a sense of absurdity arose within her.

She knew that Akizuki Makoto was bringing a friend home, and she knew that the friend was female. At that time, she even teased Akizuki Makoto with a smile, saying that he had finally come to his senses and knew to find a girlfriend.

In island nations, it's not unusual for high school students to have girlfriends, given the relatively open-minded views on relationships in those countries.

But what she didn't expect was that Akizuki Makoto brought four female friends home at once, and each one of them was more beautiful than the last!
Whether you're a cool, sophisticated woman or a petite, adorable type, you'll find it all here!

"You...you guys are Xiaocheng's friends, right?"

Suppressing her shock, Qiuyue's mother tried to maintain a gentle smile and asked softly, "Hello, welcome to our home."

"Hello, Auntie. My name is Ji Yexue. I am the student council president of Cheng's school, and he is the vice president. He is a very outstanding man. Thank you for bringing him into this world and for raising him to be so excellent and gentle..."

Ji Yexue immediately stepped forward, came to Qiuyue's mother, bowed and greeted her, and began to introduce herself in a long and detailed manner, while praising Qiuyue and her son.

When she said these words, her tone was full of sincerity, and her voice did not tremble or pause at all, as if it came from the bottom of her heart.

Others who were also preparing to greet him were stunned by what they saw.

Especially Shiina Maki, who was inwardly devastated, felt like a firefly compared to Himeyasuki.

How could a mere firefly dare to compete with the bright moon? She had absolutely nothing to offer.

Whether it's academic performance, hobbies, family background, or even the strengths or weaknesses of one's personality.

Ji Yexue brutally killed her for everything!
"She really is a very outstanding girl. She's so polite, and her words are so sweet and charming!"

Qiuyue's mother was also embarrassed by what Ji Yexue said, and she couldn't suppress the smile on her face.

She was most proud of her son, and of course she knew that what Ji Yexue said was not an exaggeration at all.

Akizuki Makoto is perfect and flawless, possessing good looks, intelligence, and personality, making him the ideal son or son-in-law that the islanders desire most.

"This is a small gift I brought as a token of my appreciation. Please accept it."

Finally, Ji Yexue took out her gift and handed it to Qiuyue's mother with both hands.

The contents inside weren't valuable jewelry, but rather genuine health supplements that could prolong life.

She did ask Akizuki Makoto what his parents liked, but she didn't get any valuable answers.

Makoto Akizuki's mother is a typical Yamato Nadeshiko, a full-time housewife who has no interest in jewelry or expensive luxury goods.

Moreover, she doesn't have any hobbies or interests, so she can't start from that angle.

Akizuki Makoto's father was even less inclined to worldly desires. He didn't touch cigarettes, alcohol, or tea, and spent his days either working or on his way to work.

Therefore, after much deliberation, Ji Yexue could only choose some health supplements to encourage them to focus on maintaining their health.

After witnessing her grandfather lying on his sickbed, looking frail and lifeless, she became particularly concerned about health.

"Thank you."

Qiuyue's mother smiled and nodded, accepting the gift from Ji Yexue, and had a very good impression of her.

"Hello, Auntie/Uncle!"

At this moment, Maki Shiina finally had the opportunity to stand up and greet Akizuki's mother.

She nervously stepped forward, approached Akizuki's mother, bowed deeply, and said, "My name is Shiina Maki, and I'm Akizuki's classmate. He's always been very kind and helpful to me, and I'm very grateful to him, so..."

At the end, she took out a gift bag she had prepared, handed it over with both hands, and exclaimed, "This...this is a gift I brought, please accept it!"

"Good, what a good child."

Akizuki's mother accepted Shiina Maki's gift with a smile, and she had a pretty good impression of her.

But if she had to say which one was better, she would definitely think that Ji Yexue was more suitable for Qiuyue Cheng.

The two are a perfect match in every way, and their relationship is a powerful alliance.

Even if it meant marrying into the family, she had no objection. After all, she knew that Qiu Yuecheng would not stay on this small island and spend his life fishing and farming in mediocrity.

His mind is as vast as the sky, his future holds infinite possibilities, and he is like a bird, freely soaring above the river of life.

Although he occasionally gets lost, he never slips or drowns in the river.

Afterwards, Shiraishi Rin and Niijima Rie greeted Akizuki's mother, introduced themselves, and presented her with a gift.

After such a short time of getting to know each other, Akizuki's mother could clearly sense that, apart from Niijima Rie, the other three women were all interested in her son.

Shiraishi Rin was alright; she hid it well. Akizuki's mother had to observe her carefully and notice some small details before she could figure it out.

For example, her gaze would occasionally fall on Akizuki Makoto, and when she was nervous, she would subconsciously move a little closer to him.

But after seeing Himeyasu and Shiina Maki clinging tightly to Akizuki Makoto, she would subtly widen the distance between them.

Her affection wasn't as obvious as that of Shiina Maki and Himeyasu; like the person she was, she was reserved and subtle.

After chatting in the living room for a while, Qiuyue's mother invited them to come in and sit down, while she went to bring out lunch.

For today, she prepared a sumptuous meal, including seafood, river fish, and mushrooms from the mountains.

The seafood was diverse, including genuine bluefin tuna belly, which Akizuki's father had caught a few days ago while out at sea. It was perfect for entertaining Akizuki Makoto's female friends today.

While they were eating, Qiuyue's father returned, carrying two large watermelons.

“Honey, this is Xiao Cheng’s friend.”

Qiuyue's mother introduced them to her husband with a smile. Qiuyue's father nodded, greeted them, and then went into the bathroom.
He had just come back from the fields, and was covered in sweat. It didn't seem appropriate for him to sit down and eat right away.

"That's just how my husband is; he's a rather quiet person and doesn't talk much."

"Cheng's outgoing and cheerful personality comes from you, Auntie, while Dongzi's personality comes from his father."

Ji Yexue nodded thoughtfully, feeling that she understood her future in-laws better.

Qiuyue's mother said with a smile, "No, Xiaodongzi's personality is a bit different from her father's. Her father is quiet, but he has a lot of thoughts in his heart. He just doesn't like to talk about it."

"I see. So Cheng is actually quite like his father. He has a lot of thoughts in his heart too."

At this point, Ji Yexue laughed inexplicably, glanced at Qiu Yuecheng, and her expression became meaningful.

Qiu Yuecheng didn't understand what Ji Yexue was trying to express, and could only look at Ji Yexue with a puzzled expression, as if he wanted to ask her with his eyes where he was having too many thoughts.

"Hehe, you two have a really good relationship."

As Qiuyue's mother watched the two exchanging glances, her smile grew even brighter.

"Woo..."

Having witnessed everything, Shiina Maki could only eat a few more bites of rice with resentment and bitterness.

She knew that she was not as good as Ji Yexue at interpersonal communication.

Ji Yexue is very shrewd and knows how to chat and please elders. In contrast, she only has two friends, let alone how to please elders; she's already lucky if she's not disliked.

"It's okay, Maki-chan, you haven't lost yet!"

Rie Niijima keenly noticed the change in Maki Shiina's emotions and quietly leaned close to her ear, whispering words of comfort: "You still have a chance before Akizuki-senpai and Himeya-yuki start dating, so don't give up like this!"

"I will never give up!"

Shiina Maki clenched her fists tightly, her voice firm as she said, "Even if they start dating, I won't give up!"

Women like them are like that; even if the other person has a partner, they will still persist, hoping that the other person will break up so that they can take over.

Shiina Maki didn't mind being the one to take over; she figured she could just treat Akizuki Makoto as a training session.

"Well done, I will always support you!"

"Thank you, Rie-chan!"

"..."

As Akizuki Makoto listened to their conversation, his lips twitched slightly, and he fell silent.

The dining table was only so big that even though they tried to suppress their voices, he could still hear them.

Fortunately, Ji Yexue and Qiuyue's mother were engrossed in their conversation and didn't hear what Shiina Maki and Niijima Rie were saying.

On the other side of the table, Fuyuko and Shiraishi Rin quietly ate their rice, oblivious to the world around them.

So, after lunch, Akizuki's mother suggested that they look at the photo album that Akizuki Makoto had kept from childhood to adulthood.

This proposal naturally received unanimous approval, with one vote against it.

A group of girls, led by Hime Yuki, were very interested in Akizuki Makoto's photos from childhood to adulthood, and even Niijima Rie was no exception.

Although she didn't have feelings for Akizuki Makoto, everyone appreciates beauty, and she wanted to look at him with admiration.

"I'll go get it, please wait a moment."

Ignoring Akizuki Makoto's protests, Akizuki's mother got up and went back to her room to retrieve the photo album.

"I'm so excited! I wonder if I can handle Akizuki-kun from when he was little."

Shiina Maki placed her hand on her chest and could clearly feel the throbbing in her palm.

Ji Yexue glanced at her and reprimanded her mercilessly, "Don't be in heat all the time."

"Who, who goes into heat anytime, anywhere? I don't, it's just... just an exaggeration."

"It's just a childhood photo, is it really that exaggerated?"

"..."

Shiina Maki fell silent, forced to shut her mouth in frustration. She could never muster any backbone in front of Hime Yuki.

There was nothing she could do; what could she do when she was so subservient?
Even though she had regained some confidence and become more lively, she still lacked any confidence whatsoever in front of a high-level winner in life like Ji Yexue.

Qiuyue's mother returned quickly, carrying a thick photo album.

The album's records begin in kindergarten, and includes some photos of Dongzi.

Akizuki Makoto hadn't seen Touko as a child in a long time, and feeling a bit excited, he came over to take a look.

"So this is what Akizuki-kun looked like when he was little! He's so cute, I'm about to get a nosebleed!"

Looking at these photos, Shiina Maki fully understood why the priest favored the little boy.

"Auntie, may I take a picture?"

Ji Yexue took out her phone and said seriously, "One photo for one hundred million... no, one trillion yen, is that alright?"

"That's an exaggeration, kid. You should ask Xiaocheng what he thinks."

Qiuyue's mother waved her hand with a smile, thinking that Ji Yexue was joking.

What she didn't know was that Ji Yexue was serious, and that she really did have that much money.

"What kind of fetish do you have, taking pictures of people when they were little?"

"What does it matter? Haven't you seen my childhood photos?"

"I didn't take any pictures either."

"Don't think I don't know, your mother gave you a photo album."

"..."

Akizuki Makoto immediately fell silent, and could only awkwardly scratch his head, remembering that there was such a thing.

The key point is that he didn't refuse at the time; he simply accepted the photo album and took it home to keep.

"Okay, okay, go ahead and take the pictures..."

Knowing he was in the wrong, Akizuki Makoto agreed to Hime Yuki's request to take a photo.

Their natural conversation, however, had a unique charm to it when heard by others.

Shiina Maki was shocked, disappointed, anxious, and uneasy, but she could only remain silent, hanging her head dejectedly.

So, without her knowledge, Akizuki Makoto and Hime Yuki's family had already developed such a good relationship.

This is something she can't do; her family will probably never be able to sit down and chat with Akizuki Makoto.

After looking at the photo album, Qiuyue's father cut open the chilled watermelon, and everyone began to enjoy it.

Taking advantage of this moment, Qiuyue's mother called Qiuyue Cheng away, saying she wanted to talk to him and ask him some questions.

Akizuki Makoto didn't think much of it, said "Oh," and got up to follow his mother into the courtyard corridor outside the central courtyard, away from the living room.

After all, they hadn't seen each other for almost half a year, so it was normal for his mother to have some private things to say to him.

What's more, he brought four girls home with him today.

"Xiao Cheng, is there anyone you like among those four girls?"

As expected, the first thing Qiuyue's mother said was to ask Qiuyue Cheng directly about his feelings.

Akizuki Makoto had anticipated this, and nodded in reply, "As for whether I like it or not, there are definitely some I like."

"Really?"

Akizuki's mother was somewhat surprised; she had originally thought that Akizuki Makoto would deny it.

"Of course it's true. Don't you believe me?"

"I'm just a little surprised, after all, you've never seemed interested in love. That girl from the Shimizu family next door has been pestering you, but you haven't felt anything."

(End of this chapter)