Page 447
Bang, bang, bang.
Raindrops kept hitting the umbrella.
Fujii Itsuki looked past the eaves of the umbrella and saw a few leaves in front of him that were washed down by the occasional rain and stuck wetly to the corner of the wall by the road. The rain was getting heavier and the air was filled with the scent of grass and soil, as if the whole world was immersed in an inescapable gray.
Fujii Itsuki didn't know how long he stood there. He only saw a faint light coming through the shop window across the street.
".Let's go back."
Jiuhuayue on the swing suddenly spoke, and Fujii Itsuki was a little surprised.
“I’ve been sad enough today.”
Fujii Itsuki tilted his head slightly, and seeing her embarrassment, he felt distressed, "I thought you would ask me more questions."
"Ask questions? What can I ask?" Jiu Huayue lowered her head and gently swayed on the swing, with a hint of weakness in her tone.
"I can answer anything you want to know."
Jiuhuayue did not respond, but asked in a low voice while gently swinging on the swing:
"Uncle, what do you think I look forward to most in my life?"
Fujii Itsuki looked up at the gray sky and thought for a moment, "I want to have a complete family."
"Uncle, do you think I have it?"
"No."
"Can you give it to me?"
"."
Fujii Itsuki was silent, the emotions surging in his heart were difficult to express in words.
Silence fell over the two of them once again, with only the swing swaying gently in the breeze.
"Let's go home."
"Xiao Yue."
Jiu Huayue suddenly chuckled, "Uncle, you are almost thirty years old, don't you feel embarrassed to call me a little girl like this?"
At this time, Fujii Itsuki looked at Jiuhuayue's smile again, feeling sad. He wanted to speak, but after opening his mouth, he couldn't think of any words to keep her.
He knew that no matter what he said, as long as he still cared about Matsumae Shinchun in his heart, he was destined to be unable to respond to Jiuhuayue's expectations.
"It's okay, it's okay!"
Jiu Huayue showed that familiar smile again, "I'm not a fragile person. I'm used to it. If I'm sad, I can just sit alone. As for being rejected, I should have expected it. How can I, who is cold and always has a bad face, be liked?"
"Don't say that." Fujii Itsuki reached out to comfort her, but didn't know where to start.
Jiu Huayue stood up and walked out from under the umbrella. Leaving the umbrella's shelter, the rain immediately soaked her shoulders and school uniform.
Fujii Itsuki wanted to follow her with an umbrella, but the child lowered her head in the rain, turned her back to him, lowered her shoulders and suddenly spoke:
"Uncle, please don't follow me. I'm just a little tired and want to go back and rest."
"I follow you."
"Need not."
"I'll follow you back."
"Need not."
"I'll follow you back."
Jiuhuayue sighed softly, her tone revealing weariness, ".It's up to you."
She picked up her soaked schoolbag and walked towards home. Fujii Itsuki followed closely behind her, holding an umbrella beside her.
All Fujii Itsuki could do now was to stay by her side and hold an umbrella for her.
It's ironic that she was smiling when she held an umbrella for herself at school.
But after school, she held an umbrella for her, and her heart was sad all the time.
The rain gradually intensified, and the drizzle covered the streets like a mist, blurring the lights in the distance. Fujii Itsuki followed Jiuhuayue silently, holding an umbrella over their heads to keep the cold rain out.
The dim light of the street lamp passed by them, lengthening and shortening their shadows. Jiu Huayue lowered her head, her footsteps heavy, and the soles of her shoes made a slight "puff" sound on the slippery road. Her shoulders were already wet by the rain, and her school uniform was tightly attached to her thin body, making her look embarrassed and thin.
Fujii Itsuki followed her, trying to find a suitable topic, but the words that flashed through his mind were stuck in his throat.
"You know what, uncle," Jiu Huayue suddenly broke the silence, her voice muffled by the sound of rain, "Sometimes, I feel like a fallen leaf on this street, scattered by wind and rain, stuck in a corner, and no one will care about me anymore."
"But you are not a fallen leaf." Fujii Shu looked at her and said in a gentle tone, "Xiaoyue, don't you have your own direction and meaning?"
"Is there any?"
"Of course, you want to participate in the national competition with a trumpet—"
Fujii Itsuki only finished half of his words.
"Uncle, you are very clear about this, right?"
Jiuhuayue didn't say anything else, but just quickened her pace a little when she lowered her head again.
Fujii Itsuki silently adjusted his pace, always keeping a distance from her.
The two walked in silence, passing through several alleys until they saw the familiar door light of Jiuhuayue's house.
Fujii Itsuki stopped and tilted the umbrella slightly to block more rain from her head.
Jiuhuayue took out the key, opened the iron gate, and was about to enter the room along the path in front of the house, but on the other side of the yard, she saw Mrs. Jiuhua with her back to them.
Jiuhua Zhenling stood under the pavilion, her eyes fixed on the rain curtain, holding a mobile phone in her hand, and seemed to be talking to someone.
Perhaps because of the sound of rain, she did not notice any movement outside the door.
"Ah, I've already told Xiaoyue about this." Jiuhua Zhenling's voice came faintly, revealing a familiar indifference. Fujii Shu was about to speak, but was stopped by Jiuhua Yue.
"Yes, the Matsumae family is indeed very interested in Fujii."
"Yes, yes, of course, the relationship between the two of them is of course important. I have been following the steps since arriving in Otaru. Long Yi, don't worry."
Jiuhuayue frowned and took steps closer to the pavilion.
"Xingchun's attitude is also very firm. It seems that she has decided on Fujii."
"No need. Xiaoyue is still surnamed Jiuhua after all. As long as Xiaoyue gets along well with Fujii, he will be the son-in-law of the Matsumae family in the future. Won't you get what you want sooner or later? Hey, Longyi, why rush it now?"
Jiuhua Zhenling's words were intermittent, mixed with a hint of helplessness.
When Fujii Itsuki heard this, his brain stagnated for a long time because the amount of information was too much.
What does Mrs. Jiuhua mean by this?
What does it mean that in the future I will become the son-in-law of the Matsumae family, and Jiuhua Ryuichi will be able to get what he wants?
What does he want?
Is Jiuhua Longyi a resource of the Matsumae family?
But even if he got engaged to Xinchun and became a son-in-law, how could Jiuhua Longyi get help?
Fujii Itsuki thought for a long time and finally came up with only one point.
That is.
He subconsciously turned his gaze to Jiu Huayue.
Unexpectedly, Jiuhuayue already had a sullen face at this time and started walking towards the pavilion.
Jiuhuayue's footsteps were hurried and powerful in the rain. She walked towards the pavilion without saying a word, and water drops fell from her wet school uniform. Fujii Shu was startled by this sudden movement, thinking that something was wrong, and could not help but quicken her pace.
"enough."
Jiuhuayue suddenly stopped in front of Jiuhua Zhenling, her voice trembling and suppressed but full of anger.
Jiuhua Zhenling was stunned for a moment, then quickly put down the phone, with an unnatural smile on her face, "Xiaoyue, why are you back? It's raining so hard outside, aren't you still rehearsing at school at this hour?"
Fujii Itsuki stood behind her, unable to interrupt, and could only witness the confrontation between mother and daughter.
"What did you mean by what you just said?"
Jiuhuayue interrupted her mother, her hands clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white from the effort.
"That was just now."
"I finally know why you suddenly came here, mother. I was wondering why you were so kind and wanted to come here to get my forgiveness. It turns out that you and Long had planned this all along. You were just lying to me about coming to see me and help me. You just wanted to trick me into obeying your wishes."
"of course not."
There was a flash of panic in Jiuhua Zhenling's eyes, mixed with a trace of genuine reluctance.
She sighed softly, looking helpless:
"Xiaoyue, you misunderstood. Father just wants to find a good future for us. Your father needs the help of the Matsumae family in Tokyo. You and Mr. Fujii get along so well, which is good for everyone."
"benefit.?"
Jiu Huayue almost yelled, tears mixed with rain running down her face. The pain and disappointment in her eyes poured out like a tide, "You never asked me what I really wanted! You only care about the interests of the family and your father's plans! Until now, I am just a pawn in your eyes, right!"
"how come."
"I, I, I."
Jiuhuayue was so angry that she sighed.
She held her head tightly.
She didn't know what she should do.
She didn't know who she should trust.
She didn't even know where she should put herself at this moment.
She wanted to cry so much, but something was weighing on her heart, so she couldn't cry at all. She could only feel the pain in her heart.
The next second, she suddenly let go of her hands holding her head, immediately snatched the phone from her mother's hand, and shouted angrily at the other end of the phone:
"I've had enough of you! You lied to me every time, every time, every time, every time! When did you ever treat me as your real daughter? I've really had enough of you! I know it! In your eyes, I will always be nothing more than a worthless tool! Enough, enough, really enough!"
Jiuhuayue's voice was tearing. After she finished speaking, she turned around abruptly and ran towards the door, tears in her eyes, just wanting to escape from it all.
Fujii Itsuki didn't have time to think and immediately chased after him, throwing his umbrella aside.