harleyscars Page 23
Page 23
"Really? She'll be very surprised when she sees me."
Qingze took a bite of the meat in the crab claw.
The meat is incredibly tender, and even the simplest steaming method brings out the original freshness of the ocean, making it so delicious that you almost want to swallow your tongue along with it.
Yato-hime laughed, "Yes, she definitely..."
Before she could finish speaking, she keenly sensed someone approaching them.
She immediately turned her head, her icy gaze sweeping over him as if it were a physical object.
The man who had been all smiles and trying to strike up a conversation froze instantly under her gaze. He awkwardly touched his nose, silently changed direction, and wondered to himself: Why was that man able to chat and laugh with her so easily?
As for looks, I'm not bad at all...
Yatohime withdrew her gaze and muttered in dissatisfaction, "This really ruins my mood for enjoying food."
"Who told you to be so beautiful?"
Qingze joked with a smile.
To be fair, Yatohime's outfit today wasn't particularly elaborate; it was just a simple casual outfit: a white long-sleeved T-shirt paired with tight blue jeans.
But she was naturally beautiful with an excellent figure, and her unique and powerful aura made her attract attention like a magnet even when she was in a crowd.
It would be abnormal if no one of the opposite sex tried to strike up a conversation with you.
"So, what's your opinion, Aze?"
Yato-hime tilted her head, a mischievous smile on her face.
Qingze said without changing his expression, "Use your eyes to see."
"Tch, boring."
Not seeing the expected embarrassment or praise on Qingze's face, Yatohime felt bored and lowered her head again to focus on the food in front of her.
After a while, Hoshino Saori finally finished dealing with her family elders and her parents' business partners, and escaped from that palace-like house.
She immediately stood on tiptoe, searching for Yatohime's figure in the crowd.
After wandering around for a while, she finally saw her friend, and at the same time caught a glimpse of another familiar figure.
She quickly ran forward, her face showing genuine surprise, and said, "Teacher?! What are you doing here?"
She had considered inviting Qingze, but then she thought it would be strange to invite a teacher to a student's birthday party, so she gave up the idea.
Aozawa explained with a smile, "I came with Chizuru."
"Oh~"
Hoshino Saori deliberately dragged out her words, then her expression changed, and she said in a heartbroken tone, "Eh?! Even you, teacher, got in through connections!"
This world is utterly rotten, beyond saving!
"This is called recommending the virtuous without avoiding relatives."
Qingze rolled his eyes in annoyance, casually took out an exquisite gift box from his pocket, handed it over and said, "Happy birthday, this is just a small token of my appreciation."
Chapter 28 Obtaining New Magic
"Hehe, thank you for spending money, teacher~"
A bright smile bloomed on Hoshino Saori's face as she stretched out her hands and accepted the gift box as if it were a precious treasure.
She eagerly tore open the package, and inside lay a pink pencil with a cute cat pattern printed on the barrel.
A surge of joy welled up in Hoshino Saori's heart.
At her birthday parties, she always received all sorts of expensive gifts, but after the age of five, she stopped caring about them.
She knew very well that those expensive gifts were not so much given to her as they were given to her parents in her name, in order to maintain business relationships and connections.
Even at this grand birthday banquet, the real protagonists were not her, but her father, her elder brother and sister-in-law, and the guests who took the opportunity to gather and discuss matters.
Only the gifts from Aozawa and Yatohime were given purely to "Hoshino Saori" as a person, and had nothing to do with her family background.
That's what made her genuinely happy.
She carefully put the gift box away, then looked up with a sly smile and asked, "Teacher, between you and the principal, who took the initiative to pursue you first?"
"Children should stop asking about adults' matters."
"Today is my birthday! It's not too much to ask to satisfy this little bit of my curiosity, is it?"
Hoshino Saori clung to him relentlessly, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
For a philosopher, love is also an important source of inspiration.
Qingze, unable to resist her persistence, could only vaguely say, "At that time, Qianhe was the recognized campus beauty of Dongda University. Her suitors could line up from the teaching building to the school gate. Of course, I was the one who pursued her first."
"So how did you pursue her? Tell me the details!"
Saori Hoshino pressed for more details with great interest.
Even Yatohime, who had been engrossed in eating, stopped what she was doing and quietly pricked up her ears, clearly equally interested in the topic.
Qingze was too embarrassed to tell the two female students about his romantic history, so he could only say perfunctorily, "How else could I pursue them? It was just like that."
"Hey, Hoshino, your dress is so pretty today!"
He abruptly changed the subject, drawing attention to Hoshino Saori's outfit.
Today she wore a warm yellow dress with a fitted bodice that accentuated her slender waist, and a voluminous, umbrella-shaped skirt adorned with gorgeous accessories, making her look like a princess straight out of a medieval painting.
"Teacher, your technique for changing the subject is really lame."
"On an occasion like today, don't you have any new philosophical insights or famous quotes coming to mind?"
Qingze took the lead in the conversation on his own.
This statement hit Hoshino Saori's sore spot perfectly.
She immediately gave up asking about her teacher's love life and instead began to eloquently expound on her latest philosophical thoughts.
To be honest, Qingze wasn't very interested in those abstract philosophical theories.
But Saori Hoshino's voice is clear and melodious, possessing a magical quality that makes even boring content engaging when narrated by her.
……
Time slipped away quietly during the conversation.
At night, a grand fireworks display is held over the manor, with dazzling lights illuminating the night sky.
The banquet then moved to a luxurious indoor ballroom for a formal ball.
Qingze naturally dances with the thousands of cranes on Moon Island.
After the dance, they left the birthday party venue.
Chizuru Tsukishima drank some wine with the ladies, her face flushed with a slight intoxication, so naturally she couldn't drive anymore.
The responsibility of driving fell on Qingze's shoulders, who had not touched a drop of alcohol.
He has never liked drinking alcohol, believing it to be far less refreshing than juice or cola.
Aozawa drove the tram out of the manor's grand gate and merged into the traffic heading back to downtown Tokyo.
Back in Takadanobaba, Shinjuku Ward, we parked the car downstairs at the upscale apartment building where Chizuru Tsukishima lived.
Qingze remotely controlled the vehicle via his mobile phone, allowing it to automatically drive into and park in its designated parking space.
He then helped the slightly unsteady Chizuru Tsukishima into the apartment building.
"No need to help me~ I'm not drunk~"
After drinking, Chizuru Tsukishima's voice became softer and more alluring than usual, as if it had a hidden hook.
Her voluptuous body leaned against him, and the warmth and softness she exuded stirred Qingze's emotions.
"Okay, I know you're not drunk."
He responded gently, not as a consolation, but because of his enhanced senses, he knew perfectly well that Tsukishima Chizuru was faking being drunk.
Her purpose was obvious: to entice him to "make a mistake."
This pesky little devil!
Qingze inwardly complained, but could only forcefully help her into the elevator and press the button for the fifth floor.
After the elevator doors opened, the two walked to the door of room 503.
Aozawa took the key out of Tsukishima Chizuru's handbag and held it close to the smart lock.
With a soft "beep", the door lock opened.
Qingze pushed open the door, and the living room inside was dimly lit.
He fumbled to turn on the light, closed the door behind him, and asked, "Do you want to take a shower?"
"You little rascal~"
Chizuru Tsukishima whispered in his ear, her warm breath brushing against his earlobe, sending a shiver down his spine. "I'm not going to give you a chance to help me take a bath~"
She raised her hand and gently poked his cheek with her fingertips, her eyes glazed over, looking drunk and dazed.
Qingze felt that he was about to lose control if things continued like this, so he almost forcibly helped her into the bedroom, laid her down on the soft bed, and helped her take off her bright red high heels.
As Chizuru Tsukishima "unconsciously" swung her legs, her right toe seemed to "accidentally" lightly kick him.
The force was light, yet it was enough to stir the heartstrings.
"hiss--!"
He gasped and instinctively grabbed the malfunctioning ankle.
"Hmm~"
Chizuru Tsukishima let out a soft, ambiguous hum. The flesh-colored stockings she wore were extremely smooth, and with just a slight pull, her foot slipped out of his palm like a fish.
She pretended to be drunk and rolled over, mumbling in a languid, nasal voice, "Lord Qingze~ what do you intend to do to a drunken, weak woman?"
"Don't think about anything, just go to sleep!"
Qingze replied curtly, displaying astonishing "backbone".