"No problem! I'll take care of everything for raising Rina!" Aoi Natsuki immediately replied, but anyone would say that in a moment of excitement, so she quickly calmed down and said with a firm gaze,
"I know that at my age, Mom and Dad might not believe me when I say this, because I'm still too young and haven't experienced the hardships of society. I'm worried that I'll pay the price for these words in the future."
Mom and Dad, I understand your concerns very well. I know deeply that raising a child is different from raising a pet; it requires your whole heart and soul, to the point of being completely open and honest with them.
After all this time, I've come to consider Lina completely family, and I can't possibly send her away again.
"But raising another child means you'll basically have to take care of them entirely. Can you handle that?"
"Yes! I will do my best." Aoi Natsuki bowed deeply to her parents on the screen.
What followed was a silence that was neither too long nor too short.
All Aoi Natsuki could hear was the ticking of a clock and her father's coughing on the screen.
"Summer Tree".
The father suddenly spoke on the screen.
Aoi Natsuki immediately looked up: "Yes!"
How have you been lately?
"This... is not bad, I guess."
"Is your allowance not enough? There are more people in the family."
"Yes, so last week I started working part-time to earn money, and I also do some design work online. So far I'm making a profit."
"Oh? I didn't realize you were so capable." On the screen, the father pulled out a tissue to wipe the sweat from his palms, then said, "My son has grown up quite a bit..."
Aoi Natsuki smiled knowingly: "Dad, the hair around your head is all white."
"Haha, I've been white for a long time. I used to dye my hair a lot when I was at home, but now that I'm out, I don't care about that anymore. Remember to eat three meals a day, and don't eat junk food all the time. Eat less fried food, it's unhealthy."
"Yes, I usually cook for myself now."
"Yes, cooking for yourself is healthier, but you also need to consider a balanced diet. Don't eat too poorly. If you don't have money, tell Dad. Dad will ask Mom for it."
Natsuki Aoi laughed out loud.
The previously heavy atmosphere was immediately relieved.
"Okay, that's settled then. Your mother and I will probably be back around Chinese New Year. See you then," Dad said.
The mother beside him was stunned, then turned to look at the father: "That's it?"
"Oh, what else is there to talk about? The light show downstairs is about to start, let's go down and watch it."
"Mom and Dad, are you at the hotel?" Natsuki Aoi asked.
"Yeah, the night view here in China is beautiful. Your mom has been dragging me out for walks these days, hahaha. Anyway, I'm hanging up now."
"Wait a minute." Aoi Natsuki suddenly interrupted. He hadn't even spoken a single word to his mother during this call, and he was filled with doubts himself.
"Mom, are you very disgusted by what I'm doing?"
When he asked that question, his heart was undoubtedly in his throat, and his eyes were fixed on his mother on the screen.
"A little, but..." Mom sighed deeply, "What mother wouldn't support her child?"
“…” Natsuki Aoi was stunned.
Dad then smiled, hugged Mom who wasn't very happy, and shook her before hanging up the video call.
The dining room fell silent once again.
It wasn't until Rina tugged at his sleeve that Natsuki Aoi realized what was happening.
By this time, his eyes were already red.
Yes, what parent wouldn't love their child?
Natsuki Aoi sniffed and turned to look at Rina, who looked completely bewildered. She clearly hadn't grasped the situation.
He burst into laughter through his tears, reached out and pinched Lina's cheek, and gave her a sign.
Upon seeing this, Lina was first stunned, then shrank her neck, and the next second, tears quickly welled up in her eyes, and she burst into tears.
It might only take three or four seconds from start to finish.
Aoi Natsuki hugged her tightly, one comforting the other while the other cried.
The sound of crying echoed throughout the dining room and living room.
Ji-chan outside also perked up her ears and quickly ran to the glass window of the balcony to look back and forth.
Aoi Natsuki felt a warm glow and kept wiping away her tears with tissues as the two looked at each other.
"Welcome to my family, Lina..."
-------
P.S.: The author must be an office worker, otherwise, with two updates a day and full-time work, I think I wouldn't be able to afford a single dish for three days. Thanks again for your support, love you all.
Chapter 59 Fireworks Festival, Everyone Gathers
The two were so happy about today's events that they cried for a long time. The tissues piled up on the table, forming a small mountain. Lina's nose was red from crying, and she slowly pulled away from the embrace.
Aoi Natsuki gently tidied her messy bangs, and was about to tell her to take a shower first when Rina picked up the writing board on the table and quickly wrote a few words.
Aoi Natsuki was curious, but when she saw the contents of the writing board, she was immediately startled.
"dad?"
"No, no, no, I'm not your father. Even if I were twenty years older, I still couldn't be your father. In terms of our relationship, I should be your older brother," Aoi Natsuki quickly explained.
Legally speaking, for a man to adopt a girl, the minimum requirement is that the age difference between the two parties is more than 35 years. Other factors include employment and the evaluation of relatives and friends. Age is the primary red line.
Rina paused for a moment, then continued writing on her whiteboard: "Onii-chan?"
“Yes, I’m your Onii-chan.” Natsuki Aoi said with a slight smile.
Lina's face lit up with surprise, and she threw herself into his arms, the scent of jasmine shampoo filling the air.
"Alright, it's almost nine o'clock, let's go to bed early."
"Awoo awoo!"
Lina smiled and responded.
Aoi Natsuki lifted her to the ground, put on her cotton slippers, and then prepared to go upstairs to his room to sleep. The events of the night had really drained his brain cells, and he desperately needed sleep.
"Awoo awoo!"
Lina suddenly shouted from behind.
Natsuki Aoi stopped and turned around.
Lina pointed her right hand to the balcony window, where Ji-chan was pacing back and forth on the wooden walkway, her big tail wagging incessantly.
Natsuki Aoi thought for a moment, then opened the weather app on her phone. It was already 3 degrees Celsius, and the cold air was gradually arriving. She believed that it would snow in less than a month.
"Alright, let Ji-chan sleep in the living room. Rina, bring out the blanket it used to sleep on and spread it out. I'm not going to bother with you anymore."
"Awoo!" Lina suddenly stood up straight and saluted Natsuki, looking quite adorable.
Aoi Natsuki also turned and left the dining room, going straight upstairs to wash up and go back to her room to sleep.
It wasn't until he lay down on the bed that he habitually turned on his phone on the cabinet to see if there were any important text messages. That's when he discovered that Long Ying had sent him a message.
Upon opening it, his expression also froze.
"Can I come with you to the fireworks festival in two days?"
Concise and clear, getting straight to the point.
Aoi Natsuki was a little confused. She wanted to ask how she could go when she was injured, but this explanation sounded like she was accepting Hayakawa's request. Aoi Natsuki had already promised Hayakawa, so she wanted to avoid causing too much misunderstanding.
Then he replied like this:
"I'm sorry, I already have an appointment that day."
He didn't ask her anything about her foot injury in his reply, because such concern would inevitably lead to the same result. It had only been two days; did he expect her to be fully recovered? Since it was impossible, why say so much? Aoi Natsuki always felt that less talk meant less mistakes when communicating with the opposite sex.
He then lay back down on the bed, and the other party did not send any more text messages. He slowly drifted off to sleep.
……
Two days later.
The day of the promised fireworks festival has finally arrived.
Aoi Natsuki took Rina to the location early in the morning. It was a riverside area with many stalls selling different snacks, and the number of passersby gradually increased as night fell.
With so many people, the lively atmosphere was created, and the environment no longer felt cold. Walking among the crowd, one could even feel a touch of warmth.
Aoi Natsuki pulled Rina along and bought her a skewer of meatballs, which she ate with great relish. She then arranged a meeting place with Hayakawa via text message and soon arrived at a bridge.
Occasionally, a few homemade fireworks will be set off, briefly appearing on the horizon.
Aoi Natsuki slowly raised her head, and there stood a girl in a yukata on the bridge.
Her pale orange yukata was rather simple and elegant, with goldfish patterns on it. Her hair looked like it had been carefully styled, and she wore light makeup. Her gaze was fixed on the direction of the river downstream, where a glimmer of light occasionally flashed by.
What a nice view……
This is how Aoi Natsuki views it.
"Hayakawa!"
He called out the other person's name.
Keiko Hayakawa on the bridge paused for a moment, then turned around and saw Natsuki below. Although she had prepared herself, her cheeks still flushed red when she actually met her, and her head began to feel heavy again.
"Cheer up! Your sister was amazing today!"
Her brother's encouraging words before she left echoed in her mind once more, and a force of belief slowly grew within her.
Her hands clenched involuntarily, but she finally raised her head, which had been slightly lowered, and met the gaze of Aoi Natsuki below the bridge.
follow closely,
I waved and greeted him in a friendly manner.
The smile that unconsciously appeared on her face was heartwarming to passersby.
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