[You thought that your mother's straightforward nagging was already very troublesome, but you never expected that your father's urging would be even more damp, like a slightly damp quilt on a rainy day, with a slight chill that stung your skin.]
[The father sighed as he looked at the pairs of chopsticks, touched the lonely doll on the sofa with pity, and quarreled with his wife because one sock was missing, and talked about the saying that there is no such thing as only one sock.]
[You pretended not to hear anything and pinched your sister's face as she was giggling.]
[You tried to reduce your presence and avoid doing anything that might irritate your parents. Because of this, although you noticed the subtle changes in Mayu's mood, you did not investigate immediately.]
[On New Year's Eve, you thought your parents would finally calm down and that your hard work would finally pay off.]
[You didn't expect that your mother actually invited Nao and the others to your villa, and Nao and the others actually came as invited. ]
[You talk to them normally, they understand your determination and get along with you as a friend. ]
[After the dinner, your father and mother took their beloved ones and went out to watch the fireworks, leaving you and them alone in the room.]
[You went upstairs, using the excuse that you couldn't drink enough Coke, and left the girls and Moyu alone in the room. Moyu's grandparents wouldn't be home until very late, so they simply left her with you.]
[Before leaving, you made a guess based on your understanding of Moyou. You thought the girl would definitely leave like you and come to your side. You could ask her about her recent strange behavior.]
[However, Mayu did not leave. She sat at the dining table, holding her sweet milk, watching the five women drinking sake. The sake was brought by Kazumi and Yuko.]
[They were slightly tipsy, their faces were all rosy, except for Yi Mei, the others seldom drank.]
[Moyou sat between them and felt that as they became drunk and silly, the temperature in the room rose. The sake evaporated into steam and then condensed back into water droplets in the vanilla milk in the girl's hand. The sweet milk, without knowing when, became a little spicy.]
[That day, after listening to Grandma Haruna's words, she left in a hurry. She didn't want to face the future of separation that Grandma Haruna talked about, so she took the initiative to invest most of her energy into the core of the conversation that day - love and marriage. ]
A series of doubts emerged in Nan Youxi's mind.
This is Mayu's doubt transmitted through the simulator, and it is the girl's trouble.
What is love? Is it a feeling? Why do we have to have that feeling
What is marriage? Is it a kind of proof? Why is there a need for proof
Why did Grandma Haruna force her brother to fall in love and get married
Could it be that love and marriage are just like going to school? No matter how much you dislike it, you have to go to school
Dad said that going to school is for a better life. Is the same true for falling in love and getting married
Did mom and dad live a better life after they got married
If you think about it carefully, whether it’s your parents, grandparents, or the teachers in school, they are all married.
As expected, my brother is a bad boy who tried to skip school, right
Grandma Haruna said, I will also find a boyfriend, this is love, but why should I leave my brother after I have a boyfriend
[This morning, she asked her mother this question during a video call with her parents.]
[Shagui asked the reason, and when she found out that you were being urged to get married, she smiled happily. She used her own understanding to try to explain love and marriage in a simple way.]
[The mother's explanation could not solve Mayu's doubts. This simplicity discarded the complicated secrets of love. The girl wanted to understand this topic even more. ]
[So, when Nao and the others talked about this, Mayu gave up the idea of leaving. ]
[Nao and the others did not avoid Mayu at all in their conversation. Mayu shrank back and pricked up her ears, pretending not to care while listening carefully and not missing a word.]
[Girls hear love, companionship and dependence, peace of mind and purification of thoughts, faith and good memories, and the future they look forward to in their hearts.]
[Some of the words her Chinese teacher had not taught her yet, so she had a hard time listening to them. The speaker was confused mentally and his words were incoherent, which made her mind a mess.]
[However, this combination of sentences that she could not understand was like the scriptures of monks in the temple. Although the words were obscure, the solemn feeling in them was very straightforward.]
[The girl used her own feelings and her limited knowledge to define love: it is the time spent together, closeness, joy, and unwillingness to be separated.]
[She felt that this definition was somewhat familiar, as if she had seen or felt this kind of thing somewhere. She drank the sweet milk in the cup in one gulp, frowning and thinking hard.]
[She thought about the people around her, her grandparents, her classmates at school, and the school bus driver... She was like a fool who was grabbing a key and looking for it. After giving up the search, she suddenly realized that the answer was in her body.]
[Yes, this is how she felt that day, behind the light green paper sliding door.]
[At that time, she stared at the familiar pattern on the tea room door, thinking of the days she spent with her brother, the closeness of their relationship, and the joy of their emotions. She felt wronged and shed tears, not because she was wronged by Grandma Haruna. That was not an injustice, but a fact that would come soon. What made her sad was the emotion of not wanting to be separated.]
[But this is not love.]
[Moyu is very sure.]
[She thought that every child would feel this way when they parted with their older brothers and sisters, and she was no different.]
[Is this what love feels like? Is this a scam like potatoes are sweet potatoes? ]
[She raised her head and looked at the five women around her.]
[She saw that Nao-sama was drunk and lying on the ground, her entire face was red, and even the skin of her arms exposed from her sleeves was pink;]
[Sister Xizi hung her head, looking sleepy and confused, but her eyes, which occasionally glanced at other people's cheeks, were exceptionally clear. Her skirt was wet, and she had cheated;]
[Reina blinked her eyes, leaned to the left to support the table, then to the right to support the floor. She was clearly sitting on a stable cushion, but it felt like she was riding a boat on a rough sea.]
[Miyue rolled under the table, hugged her knees, curled up like a baby, her eyes were closed, tears were still wet;]
[A beautiful lady lies on the ground with her arms and legs spread out. At first glance, she seems to be sleeping soundly, but looking at her furrowed brows, one can tell that she is not as relaxed as she appears.]
[Moyou suddenly realized that there was something that all five aunts had, but she didn't have.]
[In her little head, she took that as the true meaning of love, which was sadness.]
[This made her a little scared. She thought, no wonder her brother refused to fall in love. She didn’t want to fall in love in the future. She didn’t want to be sad.]
[After calming down, she helped the four drunk women and an actor to the bedroom next door. There were not enough rooms in the house, but there were enough beddings. She spread out the bed on the floor and let the five people squeeze into one room.]
[This was her small revenge, revenge for the trouble they had caused her, and revenge for their failure to explain clearly.]
[After she had packed up and settled the girls, she ran to your room and explained the situation to you.]
[You walked downstairs and looked at the women who were drunk and unconscious in astonishment. You remembered that they were still sober when you went upstairs. You wanted to ask Moyou why they were so drunk, but your intuition stopped you and told you that some things are better not to know.]
[You had planned to wake them up soon after they had fallen asleep for a while, but no matter how you called them, they didn't seem to be awake.]
[You then called Nakajima Yohei and asked him and Honoka to pick up your two daughters. ]
[Nakajima Yohei agreed at first. After waiting for an hour, you couldn't see him anymore, so you called him again. He hesitated and said he was delayed by something. Half an hour later, you called again, but Nakajima Yohei's phone was turned off. You called Honoka, but her phone was also turned off.]
[You feel complicated, and your eyes scan the bodies of Reina and Yuko, wondering whether Nakajima Yohei and Honoka believe in your determination or not. ]
[You are not familiar with Yimei and Miyue's parents. You don't even know whether the two girls have their parents' permission to come out today. You give up the idea of sending them back.]
[You called your beloved and lied to her that the five girls had already gone home, and asked her to come back soon. When she came back, you entrusted the women in the house to her and drove Moyou home.]
[The Chaowu family had just prepared the New Year's Eve dinner, and the two old men invited you to have a drink. They often invited you like this, but you rarely agreed before. Even if you agreed, you really just had a few drinks. Today, you thought about the troubles at home, accepted their invitation, and fell asleep at the dinner table without knowing it.]
[Two drunken old men wanted to help you, but Moyou pushed them away. Two old ladies with rough hands and feet wanted to pull you, but Moyou pushed them away again. The girl used her narrow shoulders and slender arms to drag you to the next room, spread out the bedding for you, and sent you in.]
[The girl called your studio, and Minami Haruna answered the phone. After knowing that you abandoned the women at home and ran to Mayu's house to get drunk, she sighed helplessly. ]
[She told Moyou that the only two people who had not drunk alcohol at the dinner table were her and you. You were already drunk, and she would not drive.]
[There was an apology in her words, but before she could say anything, Mayu took the initiative to ask you to stay at her house.]
[She is very happy to have you at home and is happy to take care of you.]
[Grandma urged Moyou to go to rest and asked her to watch you. The girl refused the proposal and pushed her grandmother out.]
[Grandpa wanted to stay with her, but she firmly refused. She wanted to take care of you alone. She wanted you to see her when you woke up in the morning, not someone else.]
[She thought that when you woke up in the morning, you would thank her, and she would say you’re welcome. The imagination of these two conversations kept her alert in the middle of the night.]
[You woke up in the middle of the night. You were not very drunk. If someone had shaken you and wiped your face before, you could have gotten up and left on your own, but Mayu forgot this method.]
[Rubbing your slightly aching head, you look around. Your eyes, which have just opened, have not yet adapted to the work. The bedroom is dark and you cannot tell what is going on.]
[You thought you must have returned home, you didn't consider the situation at Asagiri's house. ]
[Looking to your side, you see a small figure sitting quietly.]
[You call her with hesitation.]
[The moment you woke up, Moyou noticed it. She wanted to hold your shoulders, talk to you, and let you touch her head to thank her for taking care of you.]
[Before she took action, a sudden impulse, a sudden rise of mischief, made her remain silent. She wanted to see what you would do if she just sat there, not helping you or talking to you.]
[In her expectation, you will take the initiative to approach her, talk to her in a more friendly manner, and thank her. ]
[Her childish prank was answered by fate's prank.]
A memory scene flashed before Nan Youxi's eyes.
In the darkness, Nan Youxi sat up and looked at the short figure beside her.
His eyes had not yet awakened from a deep sleep, and the darkness confused him, so he could only barely make out the outline of the figure.
He could tell that it was a short girl, and his standing up did not cause the girl to move.
If he were at home, there would be only one woman who met these characteristics.
"Yuko?" he asked.
After a while, a shy and angry voice came from the darkness: "Brother, you idiot! It's obviously me!"
"It's Moyu." Nan Youxi put away his hands that were checking his clothes. He thought it was Yuko just now and was shocked.
"Brother, lie down for a while. I'll go get you some water." The girl's voice sounded again.
Nan Youxi rubbed her eyes and her vision became much clearer. The curtains in the room were not drawn, and the moonlight shone through the glass, barely illuminating the surroundings.
He watched the girl's hair swaying in the moonlight, and soon it swung out the door.
He lay back down under the covers.
So you’re still at Asagiri’s house
Fortunately, Moyu is here, I must thank her properly.
In the kitchen, Mayu wasn't feeling alright.
She pulled out the cork of the kettle with force, then shoved it back in again, over and over again.
What Yuko? I was clearly the one taking care of you, why did you call me Yuko when you woke up!
Her movements became faster and faster. The cork fell to the ground with a thud. Freed from her torture, she puffed up her face again and glared at the pool in front of her.
Finally, she suppressed the emotions surging in her heart. She poured hot water into the cup, poured cold water from her small kettle, mixed it to the right temperature, and took a sip to confirm.
As she walked towards the bedroom with the cup of water, all the anger in her heart turned into sadness.
Even though she was still young, she knew what marriage represented, and it was the middle act of separation between her and her brother.
Sister Yuko
Sister Xizi is very smart and cute. She is a quiet girl, unlike me who is always chattering and climbing around.
When will they get married? After they get married, they will have a daughter that their brother likes!
She felt a little happy and a little disappointed.
(End of this chapter)