Uneasy daily life

Yukino Yukinoshita wore a smiling expression, but her tone was icy and harsh. For some reason, she couldn't hold back her emotions. Her mind tried to use reason and logic to pull the white figure, who was acting like she was in an opera, back to reality, lest this guy say something that would embarrass her...

"I used to be filled with disgust and anger towards people, because they carried the vices of monsters, because monsters wore masks of humanity. The paint of lies smeared faces, creating profit-driven smiles, writing moral slogans, sculpting arrogant concern, and depicting warm-colored cold eyes. Life creates one mask after another; as people meet each other, they become both simple and fickle..."

Bai Ying's voice was dull and monotonous, which matched the words he was reciting. Yukino Yukinoshita's smile seemed to burst like a bubble that had been poked. In the blink of an eye, it vanished. Unconsciously, her face turned cold, and she quickly put her hands behind her back, saying indifferently, "You jerk, I have no interest in playing your act right now. About Mother..."

Do you hate me?

That's perfect, I hate myself too.

"I like you."

Did Yukinoshita Haruno lose her chance to dodge, or did she have no intention of avoiding it? She couldn't figure it out. She had been confused about her own feelings for a long time. It was just a vague feeling in her heart mixed with her habitual pretense, producing the words and actions of 'Yukinoshita Haruno'.

The hug that held my arms down wasn't forceful; the hands were perhaps a little larger than mine, and the fingers climbed up behind me, perhaps intertwining tightly, perhaps wrapping around me in a tight grip. I instinctively tried to break free, but my heart was so thirsty, unwilling to give up the moisture.

"Wiping away the tears and replacing them with joy, winning cheers from the audience. Demons and monsters gather in the human world, but dare not remove their smiles before the mirror."

"Feeling utterly hopeless, I would ramble on and on, finding all sorts of reasons, both true and false, to excuse myself. My tongue, thoroughly soaked in the bittersweet flavors of life, would speak of worldly, numb truths, and only when touched by a few things could I add a touch of sorrow or joy."

Bai Ying released her grip, took a step back, and met Yukino's complicated and confused gaze.

She fears her mother, fears everything she takes for granted, fears Yukino's hostility, fears... revealing her true feelings, and then being disappointed.

Is that really what I think? All those reasons, all those worries, true or false, have become excuses.

Yukinoshita habitually recalls certain scenes in her mind, mostly accompanied by her mother's cold face and admonitions of "how you should behave." This helps her calm down quickly, because calmness is the prerequisite for not making mistakes...

Stop labeling yourself with "right and wrong" – a seemingly mature description.

I'm just used to surrendering, and then finding some reasons to beautify and disguise it.

That bastard...

So that's why I like you—because you're looking at me.

Yukinoshita Haruno found that her usually effective calmness and composure seemed less efficient today. Was it because her mother already knew, and the predicament was unavoidable, so she was resorting to desperate measures? Or was there another reason?

In her distress, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a white figure politely extending its hand to Mai Sakurajima, and Yukinoshita Haruno's calming progress accelerated dramatically.

"I used to be extremely indifferent and weary of people. I speculated about others, was speculated about by others, judged others, was judged by others, unleashed malice on others, and was unleashed malice on others, until I was completely exhausted and had no desire to distinguish right from wrong. Even with my closest relatives, it was difficult to cross the chasm of misunderstanding, and it mostly added to the wounds of misunderstanding—in this vast world, where can I place my heart?"

Sakurajima Mai crossed her arms and asked quietly, "Are you out of ideas? Or do you think I'm the person you're talking about in your eyes, Hater-kun?"

"I want to distance myself from people's hearts, yet I walk with shackles on my body, and people's intentions are hard to understand."

As Bai Ying spoke softly, she reached out and pressed down on the back of Sakurajima Mai's pale hand, which was gripping her arm and where faint blue veins were visible.

Why flowers of all things? And why you of all things?

Sakurajima Mai finally revealed a complex expression, her gaze a mixture of reproach and resentment, her voice low and unreadable: "Even if there are many rivals in love, I believe you can understand my feelings, and you will accept them. As for the others, they will leave sooner or later for various reasons... Yukino's passion will eventually cool down, and Haruno has placed too many constraints on herself. The gears of time will wear down the feelings, causing them to rot at the cracks, turning into scars on the heart. I firmly believe that I am different, clearly different..."

"That's why humans are so contradictory."

Bai Ying chuckled softly: "But I like you."

"..." Sakurajima Mai returned a stunned look. It was a simple smile, yet one that couldn't be faked. From her eyebrows to the corners of her lips, it was more precise and perfect than any textbook smile. She slightly shifted her gaze. "I'm telling you, if you say this to so many people, to all sorts of people, then liking someone becomes cheap..."

"So no matter what you are like, I will always love you."

Sakurajima Mai paused, her words faltering. "Wait, that's not right, is it? Kazuha, I... Hater-kun, what kind of sophistry is this?"

Seizing the moment when the other person was stunned, the white figure pulled away, touched the other hand, closed his eyes and sighed: "In the end, I like people—enthusiastic people, impulsive and frank people, sad and messy people, narrow-minded and gloomy people, hypocritical people, fame-seeking and profit-seeking people, dogmatic and rigid people, unrestrained and free people, people who hurt others, people who are hurt... In the end, a person is just himself."

Angelina: "?"

"Huh? 9527? What are you doing here?"

Bai Ying suddenly felt something was wrong with these hands. They didn't make the Assassin Queen feel like a wild beast in her heart. He came back to his senses from his surging emotions and opened his eyes.

"Uh……"

Angelina swallowed hard and forced a dry laugh, "I...I also want to know the answer to that question..."

What an utterly chaotic scene of cheating! Sir, what are you doing?! Confessing your love to multiple girls in public?!

"It's okay, I also like you."

The white figure raised her hand and pulled Angelina up, then spun her around a few times with her bewildered expression.

Huh? Another confession?! This time it's not a misunderstanding, not being tricked, but why does it have this subtle feeling of a buy-one-get-one-free deal? But this feeling isn't very strong?

In short, I'm confused, very confused!

Before Angelina could react, she found a classic hair clip quote when suddenly her hand went empty. She realized she was being watched by others, while the white figure stood at the boundary between the living room and the entryway.

"Idiots, I've been dating you all along."

A hearty laugh from Bai Ying broke the strange atmosphere.

"What kind of scumbag talk is that?!"

Feng Binhua's face turned bright red as she slammed her hand on the table and loudly rebuked him.

"NO! NO! NO!" Bai Ying raised her index finger and shook it. "That's how dating is! Without the natural authority of parents and elders, you learn to get to know others on an equal footing, learn to know yourself, understand how to get along with others, and gradually understand your own inner thoughts in the process, and take action to become the person you aspire to be!"

"Ha..." Yukino Yukinoshita let out a soft breath, feigning indifference, and said, "Haku-kun, stop talking about such abstract and vague things. Or has your brain mutated due to a lack of inspiration?"

"OK! Let's put it in simpler terms!"

The white figure gave a thumbs-up and proudly declared as it backed away from the door, "Touching your hands, I don't have boob! This proves that my affection can even overcome Kira Yoshikage's perverted power!"

Several people subconsciously stared at the crotch... Realizing their behavior was indecent, they quickly looked away.

Kira Yoshikage, you're nowhere near as perverted as you!

"You jerk, what you're saying..." Yukinoshita Haruno, having completely calmed down, began to attack through her sister, pointing fingers and saying, "You're too much of a player! Yukino-chan wouldn't like a jerk! If you make her independent, what if the grown-up Yukino-chan stops being love-struck one day and just kicks you far away—"

Yukino Yukinoshita, who is diligently deleting pornographic material: "?!#"

Bai Ying looked at Yukino Yukinoshita and said meaningfully, "If that day comes, she should be able to be free, show a real smile, look at the world with gentle eyes, and laugh and curse."

Yukinoshita remained silent, disappointingly. Today was truly a day filled with a multitude of events, leaving her with poor combat skills and a precarious balance between offense and defense.

"Hate fan... Now that you mention it, it seems like everyone who knows you is my rival in love? Hikigaya-kun? Azusagawa-kun? That's quite an exaggerated lineup of rivals." Sakurajima Mai crossed her legs, let out a long sigh, her brows furrowed, somewhat irritated. "Perhaps we should also add Goto waiting for you outside?"

"No, no, no, in my opinion, Brave Pro is just an aspiration, wanting to become a popular person, challenging her biggest weakness, and adding some difficulty to her life trajectory." Bai Ying waved her hand casually, "She clearly knows her goals and direction, and is not lacking in the courage to move forward, but the process of moving forward is full of fun... I mean full of obstacles."

Mai Sakurajima squinted: "Where are the others?"

Bai Ying asked in surprise, "Didn't you only ask her?"

Sakurajima Mai: "..."

She said, "I want to know why you think that way."

"This story..." Bai Ying pondered for a long time, then chuckled softly, "I've thought about it for thirty million, but the words just won't come out. It's hard for me to express it to a level that you can understand. Besides, it's a long story, and it takes too much time to tell. If you want to know what happens next... it might take a lifetime."

Bai Ying waved her hand, opened the door and went out. They could faintly hear her talking to Goto Ichiri, as if they were plotting how to pretend to be her boyfriend to perfect their lie... As acquaintances, they only knew that Goto Ichiri would definitely explode.

The room fell silent.

Mai Sakurajima pondered for a moment, then looked up at Yukino Yukinoshita and asked, puzzled, "Yukino, what are you thinking about?"

"What are you thinking about..."

Yukino Yukinoshita picked up the script that Shiro had placed on the table: "Aren't you curious about how Shiro-kun is going to act?"

This show...

Mai Sakurajima quietly sorted out her thoughts.

"Someone who claims that life is the answer and that they're in complete control doesn't seem as determined and composed as they appear," Yukino Haruno said casually. "According to you, not only is Hana-chan your rival, but your mother could also be your rival?"

"#!"

Sakurajima Mai said with a straight face, "It's just an analogy as a prelude. Haruno will definitely understand what it means. I'm more curious about how you'll deal with the interrogation from your mother."

"#!"

Slightly guilty, Yukinoshita Haruno decisively expanded her attack range: "Where are the others? How about we plan how to sink this jerk into Tokyo Bay!"

Feng Bin and Hua dared not speak, looking slightly timid.

“I gained some inspiration from… Mai-senpai’s thoughts, but it’s Mai-senpai herself who’s in trouble.” Yukino Yukinoshita gently brushed her hair aside and said softly, “It seems that Mai-senpai’s feelings will rot first? Shiro-kun is really guilty of a lot.”

Sakurajima Mai was speechless. What kind of grudge was this...?

"That, that..."

A small sound emerged, attracting the attention of others.

Angelina raised her hand tremblingly, closed her eyes, and swore, "I just happened to be passing by... I don't know anything about today! I was just drinking milk tea and helping out, and suddenly I've fallen into this love triangle! Anyway, it has nothing to do with me! Can I go now?"

So there were two more than just Yukino Yukinoshita and Mai Sakurajima?

They might even be their sisters?!

Is the officer out of his mind?!

Yukino Yukinoshita spoke up: "Anshinin-san..."

The habitually cold voice made Angelina feel a sense of fear, as if she might be committing a crime!

She quickly tried to establish a connection: "Please call me Angelina!"

Yukino Yukinoshita asked, "Angelina, I remember you're a member of the Crimson Troupe, right?"

“Just a reserve…” Angelina said suddenly, “You want to ask about the commander’s past? Okay! I have Phantom and the mouthpiece’s phone numbers here, I’ll call them right now!”

Angelina quickly pulled out her phone, her face full of self-conscious seriousness, behaving exactly like a general asking her to take this side path.

Who's bothering me while I'm producing actors?

A deep voice came from the phone's speaker.

"My superior, this is Angelina!"

Angelina felt the pressure of the gazes around her and had a premonition that their lives were in danger. She immediately said, "There are a few girls who like you, Commander, who would like to know about your past!"

[Before? He was the same as when I first met Xu Bai, and he's still the same now.]

Angelina exclaimed in shock, "Huh? Didn't the commander become mentally ill after joining the Scarlet Troupe?"

No, he was the one who integrated the fastest among all the members, which means he was a mentally ill person like you before joining.

I've been slandered?!

Oh... is this the culture of a troupe that talks badly about each other?

Because she needed their help, Angelina swallowed her complaints.

The mouthpiece continued: "[Similarly, he was the only one who said he wanted to leave the troupe.]"

"Huh? Didn't you and Puppet Master come to the formation last time, along with the prop master and Bai Yinghua..."

[A business trip doesn't count as leaving, and we have no interest in leaving the troupe, nor is it possible for Xu Bai to leave. We're all betting on when Xu Bai will return to the troupe—by the way, I'm betting three years.]

"Ugh?"

Back to the theater troupe?

Angelina froze, realizing she was surrounded by others.

Eavesdropping together.jpg

Chapter 110 My Sister is Giving Me Money

Humans have voices, so they can speak; humans have eyes, so they can see; humans have feet, so they can walk.

Communication, understanding, hostility, and elimination—more leads to consensus, less leads to demise.

The existence of various factors such as region, culture, language, customs, and values ​​determines the underlying nature of how society functions.

Being a superpowered person means being out of step with society; to ordinary people, they are an anomaly. No matter how convincingly they disguise themselves, they cannot change their abnormal nature.

The voice from the mouthpiece was exceptionally deep: "The superpowered individuals will gather at the Crimson Troupe; this is the guidance of destiny..."

Angelina muttered under her breath, "Is it really that exaggerated? I've never seen the commander use Killer Queen before..."

"If he actually used it, it means he's already dead." The throat tongue sneered. "Superpowers are as natural as breathing, which also means they're very easy to lose control of. A moment of impulsiveness can easily lead to irreparable mistakes. Even if the power is relatively controllable, living among people inevitably brings desires, and desires inevitably bring dissatisfaction. Ultimately, it will all point to the question of 'how to safely use superpowers for profit'—what do you think will happen then?"

Angelina was shocked, her pupils dilating in disbelief: "Could it be that the president and prime minister are all superpowered individuals?!"

What does political ability have to do with superpowers? Reading less novels is really lowering the cultural level of the theater troupe!

The mouthpiece pointed and continued, "[The more one relies on and uses it, the more deeply one will feel the difference between oneself and others. Leaving aside the potential accidents caused by superpowers themselves, loneliness alone is enough to distort a person's soul.]"