A reversal of fortune and victory in a world hated by all girls!

That silhouette is unmistakable.

Aoi Natsuki breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hayakawa, it's you."

Hayakawa Keiko was just thinking about what to say when she met Natsuki later when he suddenly appeared in front of her, shattering all her plans.

"Uh, um..." Hayakawa Keiko quickly lowered her head, still holding a paper bag in her hand.

Aoi Ryu also came over, immediately joining Natsuki in paying attention to the newly appeared girl.

Although she wasn't as stunning as the two girls in the room, she was still quite sweet and petite, with a great sense of style.

High-waisted linen flared pants paired with clean white canvas shoes, and a black and white striped knit top that makes the wearer look exceptionally slim. Tucking the top into the waistband makes a girl who is only 1.5 meters tall appear to be 1.6 meters tall.

She wore a mid-length, thin down jacket with a hood that looked like it was made of pure wool. The whole outfit was very fluffy, and she also had a dark orange bucket bag slung over her right shoulder. It was quite a sophisticated everyday outfit.

“Friend?” Aoi Ryuya turned his gaze back to his son.

Looking at her father, who was leaning over the doorway and speaking cautiously, Aoi Natsuki said, "Yes, he's a friend too."

"Eh..." Hayakawa was quite surprised by the sudden appearance of the middle-aged man, covered her mouth, and took half a step back.

This was a huge blow to Aoi Ryuya.

Aoi Natsuki then explained, "My friend is just a little shy, it has nothing to do with you, Dad. Hayakawa, this is my dad, today is the day my parents just got back from their business trip."

"Yes, that's how it is..." Hayakawa's eyes darted around, unsure where to look, his hands gripping the paper bag tightly, turning red and white in patches. "Uncle, Uncle, hello..."

"Hello, is this Hayakawa? Please come in, it's chilly outside." Aoi Ryu quickly made way for her, pulled his son to his side, and then invited her in.

Keiko Hayakawa was so shy that she couldn't speak. But when she was looking for Natsuki, she suddenly ran into his parents, which completely changed the situation!

Just like...

She tried hard not to let her mind wander.

His gaze drifted, intentionally or unintentionally, toward the balcony door in the garden, hoping to find Lina's help there.

Aoi Ryu walked ahead with his son. He also sensed that the girl seemed particularly reserved, so he leaned down and whispered in his son's ear, "This girl looks quite well-behaved, but she's a little shy."

"Dad, don't talk about other people so close by, or they'll hear us."

"Ah, yes, it seems so, her ears are even redder than before..."

The three returned to the dining room, and a warm current flowed up to the soles of their shoes. Underfloor heating really is the nemesis of winter.

Hayakawa walked all the way to the dining room door before noticing that there were other people inside. Ayano was in the living room, and when he peeked into the kitchen, Ryuzakura, wearing an apron and cooking, was particularly eye-catching.

call……

Upon seeing an acquaintance, her mood instantly eased considerably.

"Please have a seat."

"Yes!" Hayakawa Keiko tensed up again, picked up the paper bag with both hands, and found a chair to sit down.

"Hayakawa, did you bring anything else with you?" Aoi Ryuya asked, looking at the paper bag in her hand.

Hayakawa bit her lower lip, nodded blankly, put the paper bag on the table, and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz: "Last time, Natsuki gave me a bottle of plum jam, so my dad asked me to prepare a return gift."

“Hey, but the plums I used to make plum jam were a gift from you. Your dad is being way too kind.” Aoi Natsuki looked surprised.

Then, glancing at his father, he already wore a "what a good boy" expression. Here we go again? You think it's great every time a girl comes along, huh!

"Hayakawa! Oh, you're here too!" Ayano in the living room also noticed her arrival and greeted her warmly. After all, Hayakawa was currently her personal manga artist assistant, so who else would she dote on if not her?

"Awoo!"

Lina hadn't seen her house so lively in a long time, and excitedly held up the doll in her hand, shouting.

The atmosphere in the whole house was harmonious and joyful.

During the subsequent ten minutes or so of conversation, Hayakawa also felt Natsuki's father's enthusiasm. It could be said that she saw the shadow of her own father in him. Originally, she had always thought that Aoi's parents were too busy with their careers to come back for such a long time, but now she saw that Natsuki's father was a particularly active person.

A smile gradually appeared on Hayakawa Keiko's face, and she was no longer as reserved as before.

When it was time to eat, Natsuki Aoi gave Li a chance and went upstairs to call her mother to come down for dinner.

After what happened in the car, Lina had already taken a liking to Natsuki's mother. She immediately agreed, picked up her writing board, and rushed out.

The last dish served was beef that had been stewing for over an hour. It was completely tender, and the broth was a deep red color with a thick consistency. It looked incredibly delicious.

Aoi Ikuko arrived late, holding Rina's hand. As they entered the dining room, their gazes fell on the newly appeared, unfamiliar girl.

Why is there one more?

She glanced at her son with a suspicious look, and Aoi Natsuki could only shrug helplessly.

"Sigh." She sighed and didn't ask any more questions. After all, her son had grown up.

Aoi Ryuya also invited his wife to sit down next to him and introduced her to Hayakawa, emphasizing that the girl was Natsuki's schoolmate.

He almost completely repeated what Hayakawa had just said to Yuko.

Keiko Hayakawa blushed, sensing the imposing aura emanating from Aoi's mother. She was worried that something she overheard might leave a bad impression; after all, these were Natsuki's parents! What if they looked down on her…

Hayakawa's face turns red in a funny way; it goes all the way down to her ears and even her neck, like she has an allergic reaction.

Her short, neatly combed hair clung to both sides of her face, and by slightly lowering her head, it effectively concealed her facial features.

The group then began to eat lunch.

“Dad, Lina can eat by herself. She’s eight years old, not four.”

"Ah? Sorry, sorry, I couldn't help myself when I saw how cute Rina was." Aoi Ryu also tilted his head and smiled, trying his best to look cute. "Huh?"

"Hmm!" Lina responded by tilting her head as well.

My dad is really like an old child who never grows up.

"Hayakawa, how is Natsuki doing at school?" Aoi Ikuko suddenly asked.

"Very good, very helpful, and has made considerable progress in her studies..."

"Speaking of studies, Hayakawa must be a good student, right? What's his ranking in the grade?"

"It's not bad. In the last monthly exam, we ranked twenty-first in the grade."

"Oh, that's not just good, it's excellent. I remember that the admission score for Lin Dong High School isn't low. So, Hayakawa, what are your future university aspirations..."

Ikuko Aoi is very concerned about her studies.

"Well, that depends on the cutoff scores at the time. I'd lean towards Keio University..."

"Huh?"

When she said this, not only did Ikuko Aoi exclaim in surprise, but Natsuki Aoi also immediately raised her head.

Hayakawa, unaware of what had happened, quickly looked around at their expressions, thinking she had said something wrong.

The next second, Aoi Ikuko covered her mouth with her hand, laughed elegantly, and said, "What a coincidence. I graduated from Keio University. Do you have a major you want to study now?"

"Yes, I want to study literature."

"Oh, that cutoff score isn't low. You'll have to work even harder, Hayakawa." After learning about Hayakawa's situation, Aoi Ikuko relaxed her previously aloof demeanor and showed exceptional friendliness.

This immediately left the other two girls feeling neglected, but fortunately, one of them was thick-skinned and the other was a bit naive, so they didn't take it to heart and continued eating.

On the contrary, Aoi Ryu also sensed something was wrong. In his eyes, although Hayakawa was a good girl, Ryuzakura was far superior to Hayakawa in most aspects. He still hoped that Ryuzakura could become Natsuki's girlfriend in the future.

However, the mother seems to prefer Hayakawa...

He stole a glance at his wife, his expression remaining calm.

I, as a father, am really worried sick about my child.

This won't work; we need to increase Longying's popularity with the child's mother.

"Longying, where are you going to school now?"

"I dropped out of school two years ago to come back and help my grandfather run the martial arts school. To be precise, my current education level is only junior high school graduation," Long Ying said truthfully.

Upon hearing this, Aoi Ryuu felt a chill in his heart. He had just brought up the very thing he shouldn't have said! Now, Ryuu's reputation in her mother's eyes would only drop further.

Sitting opposite her father, Natsuki Aoi noticed the changes in his expression and quickly guessed what he was thinking. Her father didn't know anything and was always busy with something he didn't understand.

He didn't say a word, just shook his head slightly, picked up his rice bowl, and stuffed two mouthfuls of rice into his mouth.

Suddenly, the second doorbell rang in my ears.

This time, Natsuki Aoi really couldn't hold back anymore.

Because at the same moment, almost everyone turned their attention to him.

Was it because I was sitting in the seat closest to the aisle? Yes, that must be it.

Dad's gaze was undoubtedly the most intense; if Aoi Natsuki could understand inner thoughts, she would probably already be saying more than twenty sentences.

The entire dining table fell silent because of the doorbell ringing.

Before her father could make a move, Aoi Natsuki put down her chopsticks and bowl first: "I'll go open the door."

He got up and walked into the corridor.

They all came on days they shouldn't have come.

At this moment, Natsuki Aoi began to pray that the person outside would be a deliveryman, a takeout courier who had delivered to the wrong address, or an unemployed missionary.

He placed his hand on the doorknob, let out a long breath, and then opened the door.

He immediately noticed Sakurajima Anne breathing warm air onto his palms at the doorway.

Good heavens, this is it.

When Sakurajima Anne saw him open the door, she raised her right hand from afar, spread her five fingers in a wave-like shape to greet him, her smile as beautiful as ever.

"Sigh." Aoi Natsuki let out a breath, stepped out of the door, and a chilly wind rushed into his collar, making him shiver. The switching between cold and heat was bringing his body to a strangely comfortable balance.

Why are you here?

Aoi Natsuki opened the iron gate.

Sakurajima Anne raised an eyebrow, noticing the difference in her tone. She then stepped through the iron gate, glancing sideways at the balcony in the distance, her penetrating voice reaching Aoi Natsuki's ears.

"What? Did I arrive at the wrong time?"