Oh no! They all seem a bit off!

Chapter 82 Himeya Ryusuke's Furious Outburst
Mrs. Ji Ye looked at Akizuki Makoto, who was staring blankly, covered her mouth and chuckled, then asked, "Hehe, what do you think of Xiaoxue? Don't just look without saying anything."

"...Yes, it's beautiful, so beautiful that I almost lost my words."

After a moment of silence, Akizuki Makoto truthfully expressed his inner thoughts.

"Oh dear, that's more useful than a thousand compliments, after all, you're a great writer, Akizuki-kun."

"You're over-praised..."

While Akizuki Makoto and Mrs. Himeya were having a pleasant conversation, Himeya Yuki, who had been keeping a straight face and speaking in silence since entering, subtly raised the corners of her mouth slightly.

Although things hadn't gone well at the bathhouse, hearing Akizuki Makoto praise her like that still made her feel... indescribably happy and proud.

Thus, in this atmosphere, the banquet at the Ji Ye family began.

The screen in the Japanese-style room was pushed open, and maids dressed in identical black kimonos filed in, carrying plates of kaiseki cuisine and tea sets.

Some maids were responsible for serving the food and setting the table, while others were responsible for making tea and boiling water.

Dozens of servants arranged everything in an orderly manner, their movements clean and efficient, a sight to behold.

Once everything was finished, the servants bowed in unison and silently took their leave.

"Come on, let's begin our meal."

Ji Yelongjun raised his teacup and gave a command. Ji Yelongjun's parents and Ji Yexue, who were sitting below him, all picked up their chopsticks and put their hands together in a gesture of respect.

Akizuki Makoto was a step too late, but it was no big deal. Mrs. Himeya simply smiled gently at him and said nothing.

The Ji family has many rules, but she'll get used to them gradually. She believes that Akizuki Makoto will be able to master them after experiencing them once.

"Is it still to your liking?"

After eating quietly for a while, Mrs. Himeya asked softly.

"The taste is great, and there's a wide variety of dishes."

Akizuki Makoto put down his chopsticks and replied with a smile, "To be honest, this is my first time eating kaiseki cuisine."

"You're welcome to come and eat here more often. Just let us know in advance if you'd like to order anything."

Mrs. Hime smiled and nodded. She and Akizuki Makoto had already exchanged contact information in the main room.

To Akizuki Makoto's surprise, Mrs. Himeya also used LINE, and her profile picture was a beautiful photo of herself, which almost made him lose his composure.

"Okay, thank you very much for your kindness."

"No need to be so polite, we are family."

Upon hearing this, Akizuki Makoto, who had just picked up his chopsticks, put them down again, thinking that it was time.

Ji Yexue, who was standing to the side, seemed to realize his intention and immediately became nervous.

Unwilling to face it, she subconsciously tugged at Akizuki Makoto's kimono sleeve, seemingly to stop him from speaking.

Their actions were naturally observed by Ji Yexue's three family members, who unconsciously put down their chopsticks, sensing something was amiss.

"What's wrong?"

Mrs. Ji asked softly, her eyes filled with doubt, wondering why the two of them seemed to be having a tiff.

Qiu Yuecheng glanced to his side, shook his head slightly at him, and gently patted Ji Yexue's small hand that was still struggling, signaling her to relax.

Leave everything to him and let him handle it; that's why he came here.

He turned to face Ji Yexue's three relatives and said softly, "Actually, from the beginning I've been a little concerned. Have you... or rather, Xue, caused some misunderstanding?"

"Misunderstand?"

Mrs. Ji Ye was taken aback and asked in confusion, "What misunderstanding?"

"I don't know what Xue said to you, but I want to clarify one thing: Xue and I are not dating."

At this point, Akizuki Makoto paused, then continued, "It's true that I admire her and see her as a goal I want to pursue, but my feelings are very pure. My relationship with her is currently one of both rivalry and friendship."

His words were concise and to the point, and also subtly conveyed the meaning that he had not even fallen in love with Ji Yexue, let alone dated her; he only regarded her as a friend.

"..."

Mrs. Himeya was taken aback upon hearing this, not expecting Akizuki Makoto to suddenly say such things.

Ji Yelong, sitting at the head of the table, couldn't help but frown and said in a deep voice, "You two aren't dating? Then why are you addressing each other by name?"

In his view, only truly close people would be allowed to address each other by name.

After all, his thinking is rather old-fashioned and rigid, and he is very conservative about the etiquette and rules of the old era.

“Since you all share the same surname, Ji Ye, I can’t keep calling you Ji Ye, can I? I usually call you President at school, but it just feels weird here.”

At this point, Akizuki lowered his head and said sincerely, "I am truly sorry for causing you this misunderstanding. Please don't blame Yu Xue; I am willing to take responsibility for this misunderstanding on her behalf."

"..."

Mrs. Ji looked at her grandfather with some confusion, and seeing his face gradually darken and his brows furrow, she had a bad feeling.

"Do you know that my granddaughter likes you?"

Ji Yelong asked in a deep voice, his tone becoming more stern and oppressive.

After considering his words, Akizuki Makoto replied in a low voice, "...I have a vague feeling, but I can't be sure, because I have very few opportunities to spend time with Yuki, and my understanding of her is also limited."

"Hmph." Ji Yelong snorted coldly, his sharp, hawk-like eyes narrowing as he looked at Ji Yexue, who had lowered her head and dared not face him, and asked, "How did you invite others?"

He may be old, but his mind isn't so dull that he can't see what's going on.

Akizuki Makoto's behavior was very proper; he shouldn't be the culprit who caused the misunderstanding.

"Just... invite him to your home and tell him you want to meet him."

Ji Yexue lowered her head, her voice trembling slightly as she responded, her body also shaking slightly.

"There was no explanation as to why we needed to meet?"

Ji Yelong asked again, getting straight to the heart of the matter.

"……No."

After a moment of silence, Ji Yexue gently shook her head, already anticipating that Ji Yelongjun was about to unleash his fury.

As expected, Ji Yelong slammed his hand heavily on the table, the loud noise startling everyone present.

"father……"

Mrs. Himeya quickly tried to intercede, but Himeya Ryujun angrily shouted, "Still so immature! You haven't grown up at all! You can't even speak clearly, and you can't express your own thoughts properly. Is that something to be ashamed of?!"

"..."

"..."

In an instant, Ji Yexue and Ji Ye's parents shut their mouths, lowered their heads, and accepted Ji Ye Longjun's reprimand, not daring to say another word.

"Grandpa, please calm down."

Only Akizuki Makoto was still speaking up for Ji Yexue, because he had said he would share the burden with her.

"This is not Xue's fault. She is a woman in her adolescence. It is normal for her to feel embarrassed to express her feelings directly."

"Even so, she should explain to you why we want to see you!"

Ji Yelong Falcon emphasized his words, stood up, and fiercely flicked his sleeve, conveying a sense of utter fury.

"Now that this blunder has happened, isn't it too late to explain? It's really unbecoming."

"And the reason you're only saying this now is probably because my stupid and good-for-nothing granddaughter said something to you while you were taking a bath, right?"

"She wouldn't be begging you to pretend you're dating her to appease us, would she?"

"That really disappoints me. I didn't expect it to be so childish, to come up with such a method."

Ji Yelong knew his granddaughter's character all too well, so when he saw Ji Yexue tugging at Qiuyue Cheng's sleeve and shaking her head at him, he had already seen through everything.

To be honest, he was really disappointed and didn't know how he could have raised such a granddaughter.

It's not a complicated thing at all, but it's been made complicated.

He didn't care what status Akizuki Makoto had as a guest. In his view, Akizuki Makoto was a smart man, and his granddaughter was also excellent in every way. The two of them just needed to work on their relationship more, and they could make it work.

Under these circumstances, Ji Yexue had many ways to avoid the current situation, but she chose the wrong one, which made him furious.

"grandfather."

At this moment, Akizuki Makoto stood up and faced Himeya Ryusuke with a resolute gaze.

The two looked at each other from a distance. Although one was standing above and the other below, they gave the impression of being at the same level, looking at each other at eye level.

Neither of them was inferior to the other in terms of imposing presence, and both displayed their own sharpness.

"Please forgive Xue. I am willing to take all the blame for her mistakes and be responsible for her actions that offended you. This is what I promised her."

He spoke with a firm tone, showing no sign of fear, even though he was facing the biggest tycoon in the island nation, a figure who could decide his life or death with a single word, and who stood at the pinnacle of power and wealth.

This courageous spirit moved Ji Ye's parents, who couldn't help but look up at Qiu Yuecheng in astonishment.

Is it fair to say that ignorance is bliss?

Or does Akizuki Makoto truly possess such a noble character, remaining unmoved even when Mount Tai collapses before him?

Ji Yexue stared blankly at Qiuyue Cheng, her mind completely blank, unable to think of anything.

At this moment, all she could see was that resolute figure.

He did just as he had promised, fighting bravely against Ji Ye Long Jun, even though Ji Ye Long Jun was furious and might take his anger out on him at any moment.

"You are indeed very arrogant."

Ji Yelong's face was ashen as he stared intently at Qiu Yuecheng, who was several times younger than him but whose aura was in no way inferior to his. A sense of absurdity suddenly arose in Ji Yelong's heart.

How many years has it been since anyone confronted or defied him when he was angry?

He couldn't remember the exact year, but he knew that since he took over as head of the family, no one had dared to do it again.

Now, a mere young boy is standing in front of him, confronting him. If word gets out, it will probably seem ridiculous and outrageous to everyone.

"Are you truly prepared to bear the consequences, Qiu Yue Sang?"

Ji Yelongjun narrowed his eyes and questioned in a deep voice, addressing Akizuki Makoto by his surname for the first time.

This also means that he is serious and wants to hold Qiuyue Cheng accountable for the responsibility he should bear for Ji Yexue.

(End of this chapter)