It’s normal to have skills in Wangwang, right?

The Sakaki residence appeared exceptionally tranquil in the afternoon sunlight. As Liu Lingyin dragged her suitcase through the front courtyard, she could only hear the rustling of maple leaves in the wind and the occasional chirping of birds in the distance.

While carrying her luggage up to the second-floor room, Liu Lingyin once again felt the subtle disorientation that comes with a long flight.

My body still retains the comfortable memories of first class, but my soul seems to still be wandering in the European time zone.

She opened the window of her room, letting the warm breeze of early summer blow in, and then began to pack her luggage in an orderly manner.

The phone kept beeping with notification sounds, which were particularly clear in the quiet room.

Looking at it, it was mostly the reassuring words of advice that Allen and his family gave her after she reported that she had arrived safely.

There was also a message from Faritas telling her to get some rest once she got home.

There were also a few sporadic greetings from friends and classmates.

Tezuka also asked for his opinion on whether or not to participate in this youth selection.

Liu Lingyin sat cross-legged on the floor, replying to each message carefully. She pondered for a moment when replying to Tezuka: "Your arm has just recovered, so it's best to train gradually. It's best not to participate in sudden-intensity training like in youth selections, so that your arm can recover better and avoid putting a strain on it."

Tezuka Kunimitsu: "Okay."

Atobe Keigo: "Since you just got back, you should get some rest first."

Liu Lingyin: "Okay, thank you for your concern, Xiao Jing."

Atobe Keigo: "You unglamorous woman, don't call me 'Grandpa' like that."

Liu Lingyin: "Okay, Xiao Jing."

Atobe: ...... Silence +1

Genichiro Sanada: "Don't let your guard down."

Liu Lingyin: "I need to relax! Otherwise, how can I rest and adjust to the time difference?"

Genichiro Sanada: ...Silence +2

Yukimura Seiichi: "I'm so glad to hear you're back. Take good care of yourself and get some rest."

Liu Lingyin: "Don't worry! I'm taking good care of my body now!"

Yukimura Seiichi: "Is that so! Then I hope Suzune can pass the physical fitness test on her first try at the start of the new semester."

Liu Lingyin: "..." Silence +3

Yukimura Seiichi: Hehe...o(*￣︶￣*)o

The King——Tatekai Daiyukimura Seiichi

After replying to all the messages, she silenced her phone and drew back the curtains. Sunlight streamed through the glass, casting warm dappled patterns on the wooden floor. Jet lag washed over her, and she changed into comfortable loungewear and snuggled into the soft bedding.

Her nap was intermittent. In her half-awake state, she heard faint sounds coming from downstairs—probably the housekeeper preparing dinner. When she opened her eyes again, dusk had fallen outside the window, and the room was shrouded in a gentle twilight.

Liu Lingyin rubbed her eyes and ran into Sakaki Chiharu, who was wearing a custom-made dress and carrying an exquisite handbag, as she went downstairs.

"Rin!" Sakaki Chiharu's face immediately lit up with a smile. She put down her bag and went over to hug her. "Flying must be tiring. Why don't you rest more?"

"I arrived around noon, and since you weren't here, I took a nap." Lingyin hugged her back, smelling the familiar, light perfume. "Was Chiharu's mother busy today too?"

"A schedule took up a bit of time." Sakaki Chiharu released her, carefully examining her face. "You've lost a little weight, but you look good. Did you have fun in Europe?"

"Yeah! I'm pretty happy."

As the two were talking, the sound of a car engine came from outside the door. A moment later, Sakaki Taro returned. He was wearing a well-pressed dark gray suit, and his expression was as serious as ever, but when he saw Rin, his serious face softened slightly.

"came back."

"Yes, Papa Sakaki."

"After such a long flight, are you still tired?"

"I rested for a while this afternoon, and I'm fine now."

This is a typical way of greeting Sakaki Taro, simple and restrained, yet it contains unspoken care.

After dinner, the three of them moved to the living room.

Liu Lingyin took out the gift she had prepared long ago. For Sakaki Chiharu, it was an exquisite velvet gift box containing an antique brooch she had found in an old shop in the Saint-Germain district of Paris—an amethyst snowflake set in fine silver, elegant and understated.

"It's so beautiful." Sakaki Chiharu carefully picked up the brooch, her eyes sparkling with surprise. "It goes perfectly with my gray dress."

The gift for Taro Sakaki was a set of limited edition vinyl records of the complete Beethoven symphonies, with a night view of the Berlin Philharmonic Hall on the cover.

"I heard this is the latest digitally restored version, and the sound quality is closer to the original recording," Liu Lingyin explained.

Sakaki Taro took the record, examined the cover carefully, and nodded slightly: "Thank you for your thoughtfulness."

Finally, two dark blue glass bottles were brought out. The bottles had a simple design, with no labels, only small Roman letters engraved on the caps.

“This is a perfume I made myself.” Liu Lingyin handed a slightly larger bottle to Sakaki Chiharu. “This one for Chiharu’s mother has bergamot and English pear in the top notes, white floral notes in the middle notes, and sandalwood and musk in the base notes.”

Chiharu Sakaki opened the bottle and gently tapped it on her wrist. A delicate floral and fruity scent slowly unfolded, carrying a perfect balance of sweetness and calmness. "Fantastic, Rin! This is far more special than any of the commercial perfumes in my collection."

He handed another smaller bottle to Taro Sakaki: "This one, Dad Sakaki, has top notes of bitter orange and cedar, middle notes of light tea and smokiness, and base notes of amber and vetiver."

Sakaki Taro showed a rare, obvious surprise. He took the perfume, but instead of smelling it immediately, he carefully examined the bottle: "You mixed this yourself?"

"I consulted a perfumer in France to create these two fragrances, which were specially blended based on my impressions of you." Although Liu Lingyin was skilled, she was also a little embarrassed, "They might not be professional enough..."

Taro Sakaki lightly sprayed a fragrance into the air. The cool yet warm scent spread, like the silence before the start of a concert hall, or the lingering aftertaste of a musical movement—complex and profound, which truly suited the feeling he gave off.

"Excellent, I like it very much, thank you," he concluded, which was already extremely high praise.

Sakaki Chiharu was already playing with the perfume bottle with great affection when she suddenly remembered something. She took a card out of her handbag and stuffed it into Liu Lingyin's hand: "Don't spend money to buy us gifts anymore. Buy more things you like for yourself."

Almost simultaneously, Sakaki Taro handed over a card: "No need to save."

Liu Lingyin stared at the two high-quality bank cards in her hand, speechless for a moment. This kind of "rich man's care that doesn't care about money" was so direct that it was both laughable and pathetic, but the care it contained was genuine.

"Okay, thank you..." She finally accepted it. Refusing would only make the atmosphere awkward, and she knew that the couple genuinely wanted her to have an easier time.

The three sat down again, and the butler brought over freshly brewed Gyokuro tea. The aroma of the tea mingled with the lingering scent of perfume in the air, creating a warm and cozy family atmosphere.

"Did you gain anything special from this trip to Europe?" Sakaki Taro asked casually, picking up his teacup.

Liu Lingyin recounted her experiences in Germany, omitting the specific details of Tezuka's treatment and only mentioning that she went to visit an injured friend; she also mentioned the artistic atmosphere in France; and she talked about her gathering with her uncle's family in England.

Liu Lingyin laughed humorously, "The study tour report can be very rich in content, and there might not even be enough space to write it all down."

Sakaki Taro and his wife couldn't help but smile when they heard this.

Liu Lingyin said enthusiastically, "I also collected a lot of interesting things and had a lot of fun."

Taro Sakaki nodded, also relieved that Rin was truly happy.

After a moment of silence, Sakaki Taro suddenly said, "I might be quite busy for a while."

Chiharu Sakaki chimed in, "It's more than just busy, it's non-stop. The Japan-US Friendship Junior Tennis Tournament was moved up at the last minute, and the Japanese side needed to select representatives from schools in the Kanto region. Taro was appointed as one of the main coaches, and with the company's support, everyone's been incredibly busy."

Liu Lingyin blinked: "Ahead of schedule?"

“The schedule on the American side changed, so it was brought forward.” Sakaki Taro’s tone was calm, but there was a hint of fatigue between his brows. “The Kanto Tournament just ended, the National Tournament is just around the corner, and now this selection training camp has been squeezed in... Time is very tight.”

"What is the selection method?" Liu Lingyin asked curiously.

"Through school recommendations and ability tests, eight representatives were ultimately selected," Sakaki Taro summarized briefly, taking a sip of tea.

"Uncle Sakaki, you also need to take a rest," she said softly. "The coach's workload is even greater than the athletes'."

Sakaki Taro glanced at her and nodded slightly: "Yes, I know."

Chiharu Sakaki looked at the two of them and suddenly laughed: "You two, one is worried about the players and the other is worried about the coach, you're quite in sync."

She turned to Liu Lingyin and noticed the lingering weariness in her eyes. "Lingyin, you just got back from a long flight. Are you still jet-lagged? Don't keep us waiting. Go and get some rest."

She got up and walked over, giving Liu Lingyin a gentle hug: "We really love the gifts. But right now, what you need most is to get some rest and adjust to the time difference."

Liu Lingyin did indeed feel a slight dizziness and fatigue. She nodded obediently, said goodnight to the two of them, and turned to go upstairs.

Back in her room, she stood by the window, watching the deepening night in the courtyard.

Because of the time difference, Liu Lingyin was worried about not sleeping well at night, so she lit some sleep-inducing incense she made herself.

The homemade sleep-aid incense burned quietly on the bedside table, the slender incense stick flickering with a dark red light at the tip, wisps of smoke winding upwards, spreading a gentle herbal scent in the air. She had blended this incense with lavender, valerian root, and a touch of chamomile, adjusting the proportions several times to ensure it soothed the nerves without causing drowsiness the next day.

The fragrance, like a pair of gentle hands, soothed the jitters that had disrupted her body's rhythm. Liu Lingyin nestled in the soft pillow, the European scenery, the airport's hustle and bustle, the hum of airplane engines gradually fading into the depths of her dream. She dreamt of the church bells of Munich mingling with the sounds of the Seine in Paris, and of tennis balls arcing through the air like musical notes on a score.

When she woke up, sunlight was already streaming through the gaps in the curtains, casting bright bands of light on the floor. Liu Lingyin blinked, her consciousness slowly rising from her slumber. There was no headache, no fatigue, only a long-lost sense of refreshment—as if every cell in her body had received ample rest and renewal.

She reached for her phone; the screen showed: 10:47.

"I slept until almost noon..." she muttered to herself, but couldn't help smiling. This kind of luxurious sleep-in was almost impossible during a trip. She slowly sat up, stretched, and her joints cracked slightly. The birdsong outside the window was crisp and melodious, and the summer breeze carried the fresh scent of grass and trees into the room.

The sleep-aid incense had long since burned out, leaving only a small grayish-white trace in the white porcelain incense holder. Liu Lingyin carefully poured the ash into a special container—these herbal ashes could also be used to make simple dehumidifying sachets, and she never liked to waste anything.

Breakfast and lunch were combined into one meal. The housekeeper thoughtfully prepared light porridge, perfectly fried tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet), and several side dishes. Liu Lingyin sat in the sunlit dining room, slowly eating and savoring the pleasure of the food awakening her taste buds.

After dinner, she returned to her room and began to confront the biggest "legacy issue"—the gift.

Opening her suitcase and the cardboard boxes that had been mailed back in advance, she found the carpet covered with beautifully packaged items. Liu Lingyin sat cross-legged on the floor and began to sort them: items for the tennis team's regulars, items for her classmates, items for her friends in the music club... While in Europe, she would buy anything she liked or that suited her, and before she knew it, she had accumulated so many.

"A woman's shopping desires can be truly terrifying sometimes." She shook her head and said with a self-deprecating smile.

Since many of the people she knew in Japan were tennis players, Liu Lingyin didn't discriminate and simply bought a bunch of wristbands from a sporting goods store in Berlin, intending to use them as matching gifts. Of course, there would be others among her closer friends.

For example, Yukimura Seiichi received a book of French modern art with a close-up of Monet's Water Lilies on the cover; Sanada Genichiro received a fine German-made knife, along with Atobe's perfume, Yanagi's fountain pen, and so on...

As she was tidying up, Liu Lingyin suddenly remembered that their Rikkai University's Xiao Haidai had suffered a great injustice during the selection competition. Although it seemed that the injury was not serious, it was still an injury.

Thinking of this, her brows furrowed slightly.

Falling down the stairs can be a minor or major incident. The fact that Xiaohai was only slightly injured is a testament to her luck. Now, with her getting involved in another direct confrontation, it remains to be seen whether that girl named Juxing will strike again, or how severely.

Thinking about it this way made her even more worried.

No, she has to go and see for herself to be at ease.

Just as I was thinking this, my phone rang.

The screen displayed "Sakaki Papa," wow! He arrived just in time.

"Hello, Sakaki-papa?"

"How was your rest?" Sakaki Taro's voice came through the receiver, with the faint sounds of hitting a ball and shouting in the background—he was clearly already at the training ground.

“Great, I slept until noon.” Liu Lingyin said truthfully.

"That's good." Sakaki Taro paused. "You've just returned to the country, so take a few more days to rest."

“I know. But…” Liu Lingyin hesitated for a moment, her fingers unconsciously stroking the gift box containing the wristband, “Dad Sakaki, are you at the training ground for the selection trials right now?”

Yes. What's wrong?

"Can I...go and take a look?" As soon as the words left her mouth, Liu Lingyin herself was a little surprised, but some kind of intuition pushed her to continue, "It won't disturb the training, I just want to...take a look."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone. The sound of the ball hitting the shuttlecock and the boy's shouts seemed clearer.

"Of course." Sakaki Taro paused for a moment when he heard that Liu Lingyin was going out, then said with relief, "I'll send you the address. Contact me when you get there."

"Thank you, Mr. Sakaki! I'll be there in a bit!"

After hanging up the phone, Liu Lingyin immediately got to work. She picked out a simple and comfortable outfit from her wardrobe: a beige polo-neck short-sleeved top in a breathable and soft fabric; light blue cropped slim-fit jeans that weren't too tight or too loose; a pair of clean white sneakers; and her signature black backpack.

The summer afternoon sun was quite scorching. Liu Lingyin, holding a parasol, walked towards the well-known cake shop nearby, following her memory.

Exquisite desserts were displayed in the glass window: strawberry cream cake, chocolate mille-feuille, matcha Mont Blanc... She carefully selected several kinds, ordering two of each, and asked the staff to pack them carefully.

"Is this a gift for a friend?" the young female shop assistant asked with a smile as she packaged the item.

"Hmm, let's go visit some...people who are training hard," Liu Lingyin said. "Sweets should provide some energy, right?"

"Of course! We use only the best ingredients, so it's not too sweet or cloying, making it perfect for eating after exercise."

Carrying two delicate cake boxes, Liu Lingyin walked towards the tram stop. The tram arrived on time, and the carriage wasn't crowded. She found a window seat and sat down. Carefully placing the cake boxes beside her, she looked out the window at the rapidly receding street scene, her unease still lingering.

A twenty-minute drive isn't long. When Liu Lingyin found the training base according to the address, the first thing she heard was the rapid sound of balls being hit.

Staff at the entrance were checking visitor information. After Liu Lingyin gave Sakaki Taro's name, she was politely guided inside.

After passing through a tree-lined path, a bright and open view suddenly appeared: a row of standard tennis courts, with a dozen teenagers practicing rallies or doing physical training on different courts.