Oh no! They all seem a bit off!

Chapter 179 Confronting Ji Yexue, Enraged

The funeral lasted from noon until nearly evening before it came to an end.

During this time, Akizuki Makoto came to a deep understanding of the precarious situation that the Himeya family was currently facing.

Those businessmen and politicians who were qualified to offer flowers and pay their respects to Ji Yelongjun outwardly feigned grief, but inwardly they were probably overjoyed.

They came to attend Himeya Ryushun's funeral partly to maintain a semblance of peace, and partly to witness Himeya Ryushun's death firsthand.

Although they had long known that Ji Yelong was old and didn't have many months left, they had never actually seen him in person; they had only heard rumors about him.

Now that they saw Ji Yelongjun lying in the coffin, their hearts, which had been hanging in suspense, could finally be put down completely.

From this day forward, the Himeya family will face a real predicament.

The wealth they have accumulated is coveted by everyone, and everyone wants a piece of the pie.

"……Thanks for your hard work."

As the guests were leaving, Akizuki Makoto approached Himeya's family, nodded to them, and greeted them.

"Xiao Cheng, would it be convenient for you to come over for dinner later?"

As Mrs. Ji Ye watched Qiu Yuecheng approach, she nodded and said gently, "There's no one else here, just a small family dinner."

Although it was called a family banquet, it actually included people from other branches of the family as well.

If you include Akizuki Makoto, there are about thirteen people in total.

The Himeya family has two branches, one in Kyoto and the other in Osaka.

Although they cannot compare to their direct lineage, their foundation is not weak either.

In particular, according to what Mrs. Himeya knew, they had joined forces in order to get a larger share of the profits.

"Yes, if it's possible, please let me participate."

Akizuki Makoto agreed; he hadn't originally thought he could get back before evening.

Besides, he had finally met Ji Yexue and wanted to spend more time with her.

Talking on the phone feels completely different from talking in person.

"Then let's wait a little longer, until all the guests have left, then we'll go back."

Mrs. Ji chuckled, turned to look at Ji Yexue, and said, "Xiaoxue, why don't you and Xiaocheng go and rest? It's been a long time since you've seen each other, hasn't it?"

"...Okay, then we'll leave first."

After a moment of silence, Ji Yexue nodded in agreement. Although she didn't need this rest time, she still wanted to spend time alone with Qiuyue Cheng.

So the two left the main hall and went to a deserted side hall.

Although the side hall is far from the main hall, it was still decorated with white flowers, and everywhere you looked, there were white flowers.

Bathed in the warm yellow light of the setting sun, the white flowers also took on a golden hue.

"It's been a long time since we talked in person."

Looking at the afterglow of the setting sun, Akizuki Makoto sighed, "You'll probably be even busier in the future, won't you? For at least the next few months, you won't be able to escape from family matters."

Although Ji Yelong asked him to assist Ji Yexue, he would not actually interfere in the family affairs of the Ji Ye family. He would simply act as a pillar of support for Ji Yexue, ensuring that she would not be overwhelmed by the immense responsibility and pressure.

All he could do was comfort Ji Yexue and ease her fatigue when she felt exhausted.

"Lonely?"

Ji Yexue turned her head to look at his profile, and smiled, saying, "You've fallen hopelessly in love with me, haven't you? You must be feeling incredibly lonely since we haven't seen each other for so long?"

"I wonder who's lonely. Every night before bed, they keep calling me and want me to tell them stories to lull them to sleep."

Akizuki Makoto laughed. In order to be able to talk to Ji Yexue on the phone every night, he had changed his habit of going to bed early.

Moreover, he no longer slept with Dongzi; they slept on the floor instead.

After all, Dongzi goes to bed early, and if she sleeps with her, it will be inconvenient to make phone calls to Ji Yexue.

Although Dongzi was a little unhappy about this, she was still very understanding and said it was okay, as she could fall asleep by herself now.

"You... you're really competitive. Why don't you just admit it honestly? You're lonely, aren't you?"

When Qiu Yuecheng mentioned what she had done, Ji Yexue felt a little embarrassed, and her small ears, hidden under her hair, turned slightly red.

If we're talking about who's lonelier, it's definitely her, since she's the one who has to call Akizuki Makoto every day.

Moreover, she has recently gotten used to falling asleep to the sound of Akizuki Makoto telling stories, otherwise she cannot fall asleep.

"Then I guess I'm just lonely."

Akizuki Makoto turned around to face Ji Yexue, a gentle smile on his face.

"You look like you're struggling."

Ji Yexue muttered to herself and turned around to stand face to face with Qiu Yuecheng.

At that moment, they seemed to be telepathically connected, understanding each other's next move.

Ji Yexue opened her arms and rushed into Qiu Yuecheng's embrace, hugging him tightly, and said in a muffled voice, "Every day I can't see you, I miss you."

"Ah."

Akizuki nodded, but his feelings were complicated, because he had thought of what he had decided to do.

He could already imagine how Ji Yexue would react if he proposed this idea to her.

"Cheng, I originally wanted to wait until everything was settled and I had resolved my family matters before formally confessing my feelings to you and getting engaged, but now it seems I can't wait any longer..."

Ji Yexue spoke softly, peeking her delicate face out from Qiu Yuecheng's embrace, tilting her chin up to look up at him.

At this moment, her eyes were gentle and affectionate, like a pool of autumn water, so soft that they seemed to melt Qiu Yuecheng.

"Cheng, although it's a bit inappropriate and sudden to say this now, could you please date me with marriage in mind and spend your life with me?"

When Ji Yexue asked this question, her face was filled with uncontrollable sweetness and happiness, and the corners of her lips were slightly upturned, clearly indicating that she was extremely happy.

Because she was now certain that Akizuki Makoto had fallen for her and that he would no longer reject her.

Her long-cherished wish was finally about to be fulfilled at this moment, how could she not be happy?

but……

That feeling quickly vanished without a trace.

She had assumed that Akizuki Makoto would respond immediately, and she was even prepared to close her eyes and exchange vow kisses with him.

But Akizuki Makoto didn't respond to her for a long time, and the expression on his face was extremely complicated.

"Xue, listen to me."

Akizuki Makoto took a deep breath, knowing it was time to voice his absurd and greedy desires. He had originally intended to wait a few days before bringing it up with Ji Yexue, since today was Ji Yelongjun's funeral, and he didn't want to hurt her feelings.

But since Ji Yexue has already taken the initiative to reveal her feelings, he can't keep running away, otherwise it will only make things more complicated.

Now, all Akizuki Makoto can do is apologize to Himeya Ryushun in his heart for hurting his beloved granddaughter's heart on his death anniversary.

"What...what do you want to say..."

Ji Yexue's eyes widened, her body trembling uncontrollably. Her once gentle and affectionate eyes were now filled with fear, astonishment, and confusion.

It makes sense. Anyone would feel this way if something they thought they had a sure thing about suddenly turned out to be unforeseen.

Moreover, the fact that Akizuki Makoto's smile had vanished filled her with even greater fear.

She was afraid that Akizuki Makoto might suddenly change his mind, or rather, suddenly regret his decision.

“A week ago, Shiina’s mother suddenly fell ill and was diagnosed with late-stage HIV.”

Upon hearing this, Ji Yexue was even more astonished, mainly because of the cause of the disease, AIDS.

At the same time, something suddenly occurred to her, and she blurted out instinctively, "You're not thinking of saying that Shiina has HIV and then infected you, are you?"

It's no wonder she would think that way, because if it were Akizuki Makoto, that possibility really exists.

He had already lost his virginity due to an "accident," so it wouldn't be surprising if Ji Yexue said that he had also had a relationship with Shiina Maki.

"No, no, no, that's not how it is!"

After a moment of hesitation, Akizuki Makoto quickly shook his head in denial and explained, "Don't rush me, listen to me first, I haven't finished yet."

“…Go on.”

After a period of silence, Ji Yexue nodded in response, having calmed down during that time.

If she wasn't infected with HIV, why would Makoto Akizuki bring up Shiina Maki's mother at this time?

If I wanted her to help pay for medical treatment or find a doctor, I probably wouldn't have chosen this time to say it.

Just find a time to tell her, and she'll make the arrangements.

Although she and Shiina Maki are rivals in love and don't get along, they are not entirely without affection for each other, as they have a relationship of living together and forming a band.

Moreover, Akizuki Makoto considers Shiina Maki a friend, and she will definitely lend a hand out of respect for him; it's just a matter of a word for her.

"The opportunity for me to meet Shiina and become friends was when she took leave from school and her homeroom teacher asked me to deliver her handouts. When I went to her house, I discovered that she had been suffering from long-term domestic violence."

At this moment, Akizuki Makoto continued speaking, but Ji Yexue became increasingly confused, not understanding what Akizuki Makoto was trying to express.

Why did they start bringing up old grievances and his past with Maki Shiina?
just like……

Akizuki felt sorry for Shiina Maki and couldn't bear to see her suffer, which led him to have some terrible thoughts.

Thinking about this, Ji Yexue felt puzzled and uneasy at the same time.

This unease made her feel like she was sitting on pins and needles, and she couldn't listen anymore. She couldn't help but say, "Okay, get to the point. Don't tell me about Shiina and what happened between you!"

"...Is it important?"

Akizuki Makoto was abruptly interrupted. After a moment of silence, he sighed softly and said, "Yuki, if I said that I also want to save Shiina and support her in her life, what would you think?"

"You—"

Ji Yexue's eyes widened in an instant, her mind going completely blank as if struck by a thunderclap.

Her unease had indeed come true, and in the worst possible way.

Rather than having Akizuki Makoto ask her such unrealistic and absurd questions, she would rather Akizuki Makoto had AIDS.

At least in the early stages of AIDS, it can be controlled and there is a chance of a complete cure, but how can she control or cure a change of heart?

"What...are you saying?"

Ji Yexue muttered to herself, staring at Qiu Yuecheng in disbelief, and couldn't help but shout, "You're asking me what I think?!"

"I need to ask you what you're thinking before you can ask me what I'm thinking!"

"Are you out of your mind to ask me what I think?"

As expected, just as Akizuki Makoto had thought, Ji Yexue's reaction was intense, to the point that she was furious.

At this moment, she gritted her teeth and glared angrily at Akizuki Makoto, her eyes filled with a terrifyingly gloomy expression.

"I……"

"Snapped!!!"

Qiu Yuecheng opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Ji Yexue shoved him hard, followed by a loud slap that echoed throughout the area.

Now, he could only silently cover his burning left cheek and watch Ji Yexue, whose chest heaved violently and who was furious.

"What a joke!"

"Are you kidding me? Huh!"

"How dare you ask me that? Do you really think you can save everyone? Do you think you're some kind of savior?!"

Faced with Ji Yexue's hysterical questioning, Qiuyue Cheng took a deep breath, suppressed his guilt, and said, "I have made up my mind. I'm sorry, I am a greedy person. I can't give up either you or Shiina."

"You really are... insane."

Ji Yexue stared blankly at Qiu Yuecheng, only then realizing his true intentions.

She had thought that Akizuki Makoto had suddenly changed his mind and wanted to abandon her in favor of the more pitiful Shiina Maki.

But she didn't expect that Akizuki Makoto wanted to have his cake and eat it too, choosing both of them at the same time.

"Yes, I'm crazy, but I'd rather be crazy than give up any one of you."

"Do you think this is reasonable? Do you think I would agree to this? Do you think I can't live without you? Do you think I really love you so much that I'd rather share you with someone else than give you up?"

Ji Yexue's barrage of questions bombarded Qiuyue Cheng's heart like cannonballs, leaving him speechless.

No matter how he explains, no matter how impressive his excuses or how helpless his reasons, he cannot hide his inner greed and selfishness.

His desire to save two people at the same time, to take responsibility for the lives of Ji Yexue and Shiina Maki, was purely out of his own selfishness.

"Xue, I know this is unreasonable, and you won't agree to it. I'm not so presumptuous as to think you can survive without me..."

Qiuyue Cheng answered Ji Yexue's questions one by one seriously, and finally said, "I won't explain anything to you, because this is just my own selfishness. But I just want you to understand that now it's not you who can live without me, it's me. Although this is a bit of an exaggeration, this is my determination. I will try my best to change your mind and make you agree with me."

From now on, he will spend his whole life atoning for the sins he committed against Ji Yexue and Shiina Maki.

He knew that what he was doing would not be recognized by society, nor would it be accepted by the two women.

But he couldn't give up; he would exhaust every means and method to give the two of them happiness.

(End of this chapter)