Why is my journey to the world of anime a strange tale of rules?

Lowering her head, Zhenfei muttered softly, her voice growing softer and softer until the last sentence was so faint that only she could hear it.

"Alright then, how about we go to that place we visited before?"

Gao Hai said nonchalantly, and walked forward with Zhenfei in his hand.

Is this really how things are going to go on?

The girl beside Gao Hai asked herself this question in her heart.

I still feel very unwilling.

However, there was really no way to just turn around and leave.

I'm so pathetic...

However, at least for now, it seems we can continue to enjoy it a little longer.

Anyway, this bastard probably won't let me go, so... it's not my fault, I was just forced into this situation...

……

Walk from one street to another.

I ate a few skewers of street food.

I tried playing various games.

I watched a newly released movie.

Just like before, the days we spent holding hands.

It's still the same kind of captivating experience that makes you smile involuntarily.

"Hmph, it seems I'm still the better one."

On the indoor court, Maki swung her racket, and after defeating Takahashi, she couldn't help but show a proud expression.

"Yes, yes, that's really impressive. Would you like something to drink later?"

Gao Hai picked up the tennis ball that had fallen to the ground and then asked.

"Whatever, you know my taste anyway. Hmm, let's go check out the next place."

Zhenfei smiled as she took off her hat, walked to Gao Hai's side, and instinctively put her arm around him, saying with a smile.

After leaving the stadium, I wandered around the streets for a long time.

The girl seemed to have completely forgotten her previous unpleasant feelings.

She laughed happily, enjoying his presence by her side, and played until dusk. When it was time to part, she realized something, stopped on the street, and looked up at Gao Hai in a daze.

"How are you feeling now? Are you in a slightly better mood?"

Seeing her expression, Gao Hai raised an eyebrow and then asked.

"I...I'm not happy at all."

Zhenfei said angrily, took a step closer, and gently punched his chest.

The force used was slightly too strong; it would cause Gao Hai some pain, but it certainly wouldn't cause injury.

"It's all because of you that I'm unhappy every day now..."

She was still the same girl who couldn't be honest, and buried her head in Gao Hai's chest.

In the end, I couldn't hold back my tears.

Why do I even like this jerk...?

Why get dragged into this deadly game, why live this kind of life...?

Overwhelmed with pent-up frustration, Zhenfei clung tightly to Gao Hai and burst into tears in his arms.

Gao Hai reached out and hugged the girl, shielding her as they hid in the alley, leaving her trembling in his arms.

This feeling... it really makes you feel guilty.

However, I won't regret it.

Looking up at the setting sun on the horizon, Gao Hai felt a slight sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing both emotion and reflection).

……

Half an hour later, Zhenfei and Gao Hai said goodbye and went home.

You can sense that the girl's emotions have recovered a lot. Although there are still many uncertainties in the future, her attitude of staying by Gao Hai's side is now clear.

That being said, if things continue like this, I feel like Shinomiya will become somewhat out of place with our group.

As Gao Hai thought to himself, he headed towards home. Although he was alone in that house, it was empty and there was nothing to miss, but as a place to sleep, rest, and play games, it was still luxurious enough.

Thinking this, Gao Hai slowly walked to his front door, looked up, and saw a girl sitting in front of the door, yawning and about to fall asleep.

"Haaah, Ahai, you're moving so slowly."

Fujiwara Chika stood up, stretched, and smiled at Takahashi.

"Why are you here?"

Gao Hai was stunned, completely unprepared for this turn of events.

"Hey!"

Chika is being cute again.

"Stop lounging around here, it's almost dark, you know. What are you planning to do... uh, could it be..."

Gao Hai first instinctively complained, then suddenly realized something.

"As my family knows, I'm staying at Kaguya's house tonight, so, Hai, it's fine for me to stay until tomorrow morning. So, what do you think? Aren't you super excited? Hehehehehe~"

The girl, who had covered her mouth with her hand, let out a devilish laugh at that moment.

Gao Hai had to admit that his heart was indeed stirred after hearing Qian Hua's words.

Interlude 2-05: The Young Lady's Actions to Make Men Fall in Love with Her

"Kaguya-sama, it's time to take a bath."

In the Shinomiya mansion at night, a maid with long golden hair slowly walked up behind Shinomiya Kaguya and spoke in a calm tone.

"Well, I see..."

Standing by a window on the second floor, Kaguya Shinomiya nodded slightly, her voice sounding somewhat absent-minded.

As Kaguya's servant who has been with her for many years, Hayasaka Ai can tell that Kaguya is currently burdened with heavy thoughts.

And she also knew exactly what was troubling her young mistress.

Or to be more precise, it's about knowing who the root cause of this series of changes lies with.

Gao Hai.

A person whose identity and resume are almost entirely blank, who seems to do nothing but stay at home and has no interpersonal relationships.

Last month, Kaguya suddenly became involved with this man, meeting him privately several times. And it wasn't just Kaguya; Shijou Maki, the eldest daughter of the Shijou family, also went further, almost taking things to the next level.

Then, a couple of days ago, Fujiwara Chika, the second daughter of the Fujiwara family, also came into contact with the other party, and her intimate behavior seemed to be showing signs of surpassing that of Shijo Maki.

Incomprehensible.

Hayasaka Ai simply couldn't understand this situation.

Why would a man who shows absolutely nothing special suddenly attract the attention of Kaguya-sama, as well as the Shijou and Fujiwara families, in just one month? This is too abnormal to understand or believe.

Who exactly is he? Why was he completely invisible for so long, leaving no trace, and yet suddenly he's become so high-profile, instantly winning the hearts of so many daughters of prominent families?

And... why does Kaguya-sama not want me to continue investigating him? It's as if continuing to do so will lead to something bad happening.

Hayasaka Ai was somewhat uneasy.

But her unease wasn't just because Kaguya was entangled with that strange man.

Another reason for her unease was her secret identity. She was actually the eldest brother of the Shinomiya family in this generation, a spy under Shinomiya Hikari. She was arranged to grow up with Shinomiya Kaguya, the youngest daughter of the Shinomiya family, and served her. In reality, she was also constantly monitoring her and reporting her every move to Shinomiya Hikari's forces at any time.

When she first reported Takami's situation to her superiors, they simply told her to remain still and keep an eye on things. However, in the last few days, after learning that the Fujiwara family's daughter was also involved, they seemed to have some ideas. They seemed to believe that Takami had exceptional social skills, which was why she could bewitch so many people, and they were starting to consider having Hayasaka Ai try to contact Takami to confirm her specific situation.

This was something that Kaguya had warned her about several times, saying that she absolutely must not do it. Although Hayasaka Ai herself didn't know the reason, based on her understanding of Kaguya, she could naturally understand that Kaguya was doing this to protect her, to tell her not to get too involved with Takami, otherwise she might encounter danger.

However, I'm afraid I won't be able to obey this order.

As his thoughts raced, Hayasaka suddenly snapped out of his reverie and realized that Kaguya hadn't moved and was still standing there looking out the window at the sky.

"Miss Kaguya?"

She seems to be carrying a lot on her mind today.

Hayasaka took a step closer and called out to Kaguya, who was lost in thought.

As if suddenly awakened, Kaguya raised her head, turned to look at Hayasaka, hesitated for a moment, and then looked at her and spoke.

"Hayasaka... I have a question I'd like to ask you."

Kaguya Shinomiya's expression appeared extremely solemn.

"I am here."

When Hayasaka Aimi saw Kaguya's expression, she knew Kaguya was about to say something important, so she adopted a serious attitude as well.

What could it be?

For the past few weeks, I've had a feeling that Kaguya-sama is hiding something from me. Is she finally going to tell me now?

With a mix of trepidation and excitement, Hayasaka Ai heard Kaguya's words the next moment.

"Hayasaka, do you know... how to charm a man?"

Kaguya, her face flushed, asked in an embarrassed tone, her fingers intertwined.

what?

Hayasaka Ai's expression froze at that moment.

Finally mustering the courage to seek help, Kaguya took a big step forward and reached out to grab Hayasaka Ai's hands.

"So, Hayasaka, do you know any way to make a man completely infatuated?"