Uneasy daily life

Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying) looked as if they had suffered a major blow. They tilted their heads back, letting the wall support their weak bodies, their faces full of weariness and dejection.

"What's wrong with you again?" Mai Sakurajima (Wahana) asked in a low voice, her expression unfriendly.

Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying) pursed their lips and said in a low voice, "Sister, I don't want to see them arguing, to see their ugly and ferocious appearance..."

Mai Sakurajima (Wahana) was stunned.

Is that what I... am thinking?

It's strange, how could I think like this? My mother's words are so annoying, and my father is also distant and cold. I hate them, so why would I think like this?

To be honest, it's not that annoying, is it? My dad introduced me to my sister, and then my mom helped me get into the entertainment industry and become an idol... I guess I still hate her, right? The former, can she even say thirty words a year? The latter, she probably says more than a hundred annoying things a year!

Close yet loathing, yearning for approval yet resisting control... Is this the feeling Yukinoshita was describing?

Sakurajima Mai (Wahana) couldn't help but feel a little dazed, looking at her 'self' leaning against the wall, her face gloomy and her body weak. The increasingly intense argument in the living room reached her ears, and she had the illusion that puberty syndrome had never happened—she could hear her parents arguing, but could only listen, powerless to do anything...

"I can't stand seeing how they can't even argue properly!"

In the blink of an eye, Toyohama Kazuka (Shirokage) changed her expression, exuding a scoundrel aura that made Sakurajima Mai (Kazuka)'s eyebrows twitch.

Then, taking advantage of his appearance, the jerk deliberately peeked out from behind the wall and naturally barged into the scene of the argument, spouting a bunch of crazy nonsense that made him so engrossed in scratching his slippers with his toes that he confused his parents, and dragged himself into what seemed like a very troublesome situation.

……

……

"That's right! My sister came to visit us!"

Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying) straightened their backs and urged, "Mom, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and praise me!"

"What are you praising?" Toyohama's mother was a little confused and instinctively became alert—why was Sakurajima Mai at home? Did her husband do it? Could her mother be here too? I knew it…

“Praise her.” Toyohama Kazuka (Shirokage) pointed at Sakurajima Mai (Kazuka), “You always like to praise your sister in front of me, so I specially brought her to my house so you can praise her to your heart’s content.”

Feng Bin's mother was a little confused: "Huh?"

Kazuka Toyohama (Shirokage) retorted confidently, "Is there something wrong with that?"

Mai Sakurajima (Wahana): "..."

Feng Bin's mother: "..."

It seems like nothing's wrong, yet it also seems like nothing is right.

“I understand.” Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying) shook their heads and clicked their tongues. “You only dare to praise people behind their backs, not to their faces. What a hypocritical adult, tsk tsk.”

Feng Bin's mother felt her head was spinning, and with a headache, she changed the subject: "Have you finished your homework?!"

“Of course I finished.” Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying) shrugged. “Anyway, you won’t check it. Let’s praise my sister instead. Mom, you’re really strange. You always praise my sister in front of me, but when I bring her here, you won’t praise her. You’re all smiles at first and then arrogant. It’s so confusing.”

Feng Bin's mother was getting a little angry: "I'm only doing this to save face for you..."

"So that's how it is?!"

Toyohama Kazuka (Shirokage) exclaimed in shock, "I thought you didn't praise her to her face because you didn't want Aunt Sakurajima and my older sister to see your envy and inferiority complex, making it seem like you were showing weakness."

The living room was quiet for a few seconds.

"You should take good care of the guest. Sakurajima is staying for dinner tonight, right? I need to go and prepare."

Feng Bin's mother glared at her daughter, put down her bag, and hurried towards the kitchen.

Sakurajima Mai (Wakka) was somewhat at a loss—Huh? Huh? Huh?!

Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying) looked at Feng Bin's father with lingering interest—Dad, is there anything you want to say?

Feng Bin's father silently looked at the television, giving him a look that said, "Don't bother me"—this daughter is toxic!

"Dad, have you learned it yet?" Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying) sat down next to him with a grin and said loudly, "That's what you call effective attack! Debate should aim at the opponent's mistakes and loopholes!"

The sound of chopping vegetables in the kitchen got louder.

Sakurajima Mai (Waka) sat down next to him with a slight frown, kicked Toyohama Waka (Shirokage)'s shin, and gritted her teeth, saying, "Waka, show some respect to your aunt!"

"I was just passing on some debating experience to my dad."

Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying) argued, "Words should be powerful, concise, and directly pierce the heart, like a small knife stabbing into a tomato, 'pfft,' and juice will spill out..."

“That wasn’t a debate…” Feng Bin’s father said, bewildered. “You… how could you think that was a debate?”

"That's how debates are in schools, isn't it?"

Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying) asked in surprise, "Dad, haven't you ever experienced that? It's a debate that the teacher proposes, with the whole class participating, where both sides hold opposing viewpoints and argue against each other—of course, most of the students aren't very good at it. If you point out their arguments, they'll take it too seriously, get impatient, and reveal a lot of flaws. Compared to that, the teacher is more difficult to deal with. You have to deliberately steer the debate towards the teacher and then make a targeted statement..."

"For example, in a debate on the topic 'Are white lies good or bad?', if I were on the opposing side, I would need to steer the argument towards the issue of 'teachers lying,' then define what a white lie is, and from this, derive the following: 'A white lie is one-sided goodwill, one-sided goodwill is self-centered, and self-centeredness is arrogant and dogmatic,' using some of the teacher's statements as examples..."

The daughter talked at length about how to kill both the opponent and the referee in a debate.

Feng Bin's father's eyes twitched. Could it be that Hua's interpersonal relationships at school were really bad?

Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying) said with great enthusiasm, "To give another example, if we're talking about Dad, you should say this: You choose to lie to Mom not because you're worried that she'll be angry or misunderstand, but so that you don't have to waste your energy on these things."

Feng Bin's father quickly said, "I didn't lie to your mother..."

"Is Uncle such an honest person?" Mai Sakurajima (Wahana) snorted in dissatisfaction upon seeing this.

"...Adults have their own helplessness."

Feng Bin's father used seemingly mysterious but actually pointless words as a shield.

Why is Mai acting so strangely? Those text messages from this afternoon clearly showed her thoughts and attitude...were they about Hana?

"I've interpreted it this way: Dad means you have to forgive me, right? Since he's asking for forgiveness, it means Dad knows he was wrong, but he refuses to admit it, so he's asking for forgiveness, which means Dad will do it again next time!"

"My uncle's helplessness probably stems from being caught lying but refusing to admit it."

"What you say is very true, sister."

"Humph."

Two daughters, two more ways to hurt someone's heart.

Feng Bin's father felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, and each day felt like an eternity. When he heard that dinner was ready, he even had the illusion of being released from prison.

Dinner at the Feng family's house consisted of simple home-cooked dishes, but with an extra guest, the menu was slightly more elaborate. The atmosphere at the table remained awkward. Feng's mother and father ate as if it were perfectly normal, while Feng and Hana (Shirokage) ate while occasionally glancing at their parents.

Usually when we eat at home, my mom talks a lot and sometimes we argue... Today, my parents are like I used to be, wanting to finish eating early and go back to my room. I feel very resistant to anyone suddenly talking to me or calling on me.

Mai Sakurajima (Wahana) felt a strange and subtly pleasant feeling.

What a bastard! He's only been in his own form for less than a day, yet he's already established a powerful presence over his parents.

"Sister, have some of this egg roll..."

"Thank you."

"Your sister eats so beautifully."

"Uh?"

"Her lips moved gently, her chin rose and fell slowly; what my sister was chewing wasn't just grains of rice, but my heart filled with astonishment."

"?"

"My sister's posture when holding chopsticks is so graceful."

"??"

Undeniably, we also face extremely strong deterrence!

At the dining table, Toyohama Kazuka (Shirokage) diligently served food to Sakurajima Mai (Kazuka) next to her, while her mouth was also busy, constantly spouting words that would kill anyone who ate the meal.

Sakurajima Mai (Wahana) suppressed the urge to kick someone, her face full of black lines, watching the food in her bowl grow higher and higher.

"Ahem." Feng Bin's mother couldn't help but cough. "Hehua! Eat quietly!"

“I’m praising my sister. If Mom doesn’t praise her, then I’m the only one who can do it,” Feng Binhe Hua (Bai Ying) snorted. “You’re usually the one who praises her the most.”

Feng Bin's mother looked at Feng Bin's father and said, "Aren't you going to say something?"

Feng Bin's father pretended not to see it, as if he were calculating how many grains of rice a human needs to eat for one meal.

Feng Bin's mother was furious. "You're just going to stand by and watch?!"

“Ahhhhhhhh…”

Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying) put down their bowls, clapped their hands together, and exclaimed, "I'm full! Next up is the second round of the debate competition! The judges rush onto the track, cheers! Clap clap clap~"

She clapped her hands in a mock clap above her head, accompanied by applause that the girl (?) was making her own voiceover.

Feng Bin's father asked warily, "Hehua, what are you planning to do now?"

"The Family Debate Competition is now officially open." Feng Binhehua (Bai Ying)'s expression suddenly turned serious. "I've always had some doubts about how my parents really see me, and that's the topic of this competition. First, our debaters will state their views."

“For my mother, Toyohama and Hana are her weapons to prove herself.”

Sakurajima Mai (Waka) widened her eyes, suppressing the anxiety on her face, and kicked several times with her calves under the table.

Are you a husky, you bastard?

No, this is more than just demolishing my house, it's practically trying to take my household registration book!

Chapter Sixty-Two: This Imperfect World

"Wahana! What are you saying?!"

Feng Bin's mother almost choked on her food and spat it out. What's wrong with her daughter today?

Feng Bin's father vaguely sensed that the fire would spread to him, and quickly tried to stop it: "Kazuka, we..."

"Indeed, stating the conclusion directly can be confusing. Our debater's reasoning is as follows..."

With her hands crossed and chin resting on her hand, Toyohama Kazuka (Shirokage) spoke calmly and steadily, while her legs moved back and forth under the table. After taking a few kicks from Sakurajima Mai (Kazuka) to stop and warn her, she lured her in and then sandwiched her from both sides, trapping Sakurajima Mai (Kazuka)'s left foot as she kicked back and forth.

Sakurajima Mai (Waka) forcefully pulled her foot away, her eyes frantically signaling her to stop causing trouble.

“My mom always compares me to my older sister’s achievements. So why my older sister? There are plenty of people my age who are more capable than me. You can easily find a bunch of them by searching online. Even if they don’t exist, as long as my mom is dissatisfied with something about me, she can always fabricate a satisfactory person to make me feel ashamed, resentful, and motivated to improve.”

Kazuka Toyohama (Shirokage) looked at Toyohama's mother and repeated the question: "So, why is it the older sister? Why is the role Mom uses for comparison always the older sister?"

Sakurajima Mai (Wahana) paused for a moment.

Toyohama's mother was also taken aback for a moment, and subconsciously retorted, "Didn't you say you wanted to be an idol like Sakurajima Mai? You..."

“There are many celebrities in the entertainment industry, and many people become famous at a young age, but Mom, the only person you ever use as an example is my older sister.” Feng Binhe Hua (Bai Ying) suddenly smiled, her indifferent smile revealing estrangement and self-deprecation, making Feng Bin’s mother feel unfamiliar. “I’ve recently come to a conclusion—because my older sister is Auntie’s daughter.”

Fengbin's mother was unable to say anything in defense for a moment. She felt that her daughter was completely different from usual. Even the tone, expression and words of her arguing and debating were so unfamiliar that she could hardly respond.

"My aunt is quite an amazing person. She divorced my father and raised my older sister on her own, turning her into a household name as a child star. She herself became a well-known agent in the entertainment industry. Her achievements and career progress are enough to write something like a self-help book."

Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying) suddenly changed the subject: "Mom is very envious, isn't she? Not envious of the other person's achievements and career, but envious of Auntie herself, a woman who has truly made a name for herself and seems to be the epitome of strength and independence. Because it is something that I cannot do and have, it is so dazzling and therefore I admire her very much."

"Compared to that, Mom has nothing, right? I heard Dad say that you used to be a weak person..."

"I meant gentle and cheerful!" Feng Bin's father interrupted, his eyes twitching. "Kazuka, you might have misunderstood something..."

“There’s absolutely no misunderstanding!” Feng Binhe and Hua (Bai Ying) interrupted Feng Bin’s father’s interruption, and sneered without any attempt to hide it. “Mom met Dad while working at the family company. Dad later married into the family, but Mom was still in charge of the company’s affairs. Later, Dad left the family company to work for another company… This is a very obvious thing in itself.”

"She can only inherit the family business, and she can't make a name for herself on her own. Maybe her elders think that her future is to marry a capable man and settle down as a rich housewife? My mother is not content with that, right? That's why she envies my aunt so much. They are both human beings and both women, but the other woman still stood out despite being in such a difficult situation!"

Feng Bin's mother managed to calm down somewhat, though she wasn't sure if she was truly calm. Her chest heaved as she tried to defend herself against her daughter's questions and speculations: "She is indeed very capable, but..."

"But it's also annoying."

Feng Binhe and Hua (Bai Ying) said quietly, "After all, she is Dad's ex-wife, and can be considered your rival in love. If your aunt and sister were not doing well, you could still sympathize with them and help them from a superior position. But your aunt succeeded, and you find that you can only look up to her and envy her."

Feng Bin's mother couldn't eat anymore and scolded him sharply, "Hehua! You've said enough..."

"You're jealous! You're resentful! You're filled with the fear of being outdone by your aunt! You're also afraid that this divorced man and your aunt will rekindle their old flame!"

His words were sharp as swords, cutting open old wounds in my heart.

Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying)'s eyes had already turned red without them realizing it, but despite her strong tone, she still appeared remarkably calm: "And I was that stupid idiot who walked right into the line of fire!"

"She can do it? Why can't I? Mai Sakurajima can do it, so why can't Kazuka Toyohama? Kazuka has already said so, so why don't I just agree to her? You convinced yourself so easily—convinced yourself to take up the weapon called daughter!"

"Toyohama Kazuka is your weapon to prove yourself, to prove that you can be like Sakurajima Mai's mother!"

Feng Bin's mother's face paled slightly, and she subconsciously stood up and squeezed out of the chair: "Hehua, I didn't mean it that way..."

“You do.” Feng Bin and Hua (Bai Ying) raised their heads slightly, looking up at Feng Bin’s mother who had stood up. Their eyes, which were calm but contained a hint of self-mockery, easily saw through the other’s excuse. “I’ve been working very hard lately, forcing myself to do things I’m not used to, just to meet your demands and see what happens… Your attitude has changed, which is very reasonable. Your daughter, who has been behaving badly and rebelliously, has become obedient, sensible and capable. You will naturally be very happy.”

"In my opinion, this only proves one thing - Feng Bin and Hua are your weapons. If the situation does not meet your expectations, you will blame the weapons for the disadvantages. If the situation gradually meets your expectations, you will attribute the advantages to yourself."

"The weapon just needs to meet the standards, fulfill your ideas, and let you prove that you are as good as Mai Sakurajima's mother."