Living in Tokyo, all I want to do is laze around.

It's hard to connect her current appearance with the lively and cheerful little girl she was last Friday.

At this moment, it's more like being immersed in my own world, forcing myself to adapt to something.

"Go home with your sister first. She got caught in the rain while looking for you. If you don't go back, she'll still be waiting outside."

Kai Uesugi pointed to Chii standing above, but because the grass was slippery from the rain, she didn't let her come down with her.

Ai Yi shifted her gaze from Mr. Reflection, and after seeing her sister on the shore, she hummed in response.

Kai Uesugi felt that she was still very obedient, and she would try her best to care about her sister's affairs.

Aiyi stood up, held onto the shoulder straps of her schoolbag with both hands, and carried the rain-soaked red schoolbag on her back.

"Be careful when you go up, don't slip." Uesugi Kai held the umbrella over her head, carrying a slightly heavy schoolbag in his hand.

“Okay.” Aiyi hid under his umbrella and looked up at him.

My original intention was to go home after finding Qian Aiyi's younger sister, but carrying this slightly heavy schoolbag, I thought I should take them both home first and make sure they don't catch a cold.

......

This is an apartment building. The decor and hallways are very clean, and the door latches are card-operated.

It looks like a high-end apartment, but Uesugi Kai always feels that something is missing.

It seems so clean that it lacks any sense of everyday life?

As she stepped into the elevator, Kai Uesugi saw a man in a suit.

Judging from his appearance, he's probably in his 30s; he was still wearing a tie when he came out of the elevator.

Wearing a tie in an elevator?

Japanese people usually have their wives do such small things, let alone when they live in such a high-end apartment. They are obviously high-level professional elites with high salaries.

Qian Aiyi led the way to the entrance of their house.

As soon as Aiyi took off her shoes, she ran to the bathroom to change her clothes.

When Qian Aiyi reached for her slippers, she noticed that her younger sister's shoes were messy, so she helped her tidy them up.

Knowing that the two sisters' mother hadn't taken care of them for six months, Uesugi Kai was a little surprised to see the living room so tidy when she entered the house.

"Does Qian Aiyi usually tidy up the room?"

"No, no... Ai-yi sometimes helps out too..."

Seeing him looking around the room, Qian Aiyi said nervously, "Big brother, please sit down for a while."

Uesugi Kai assumed she was going to change her wet clothes with Ai, "Okay, go ahead."

A moment later, Qian Aiyi carefully placed a steaming teacup in front of him.

"Didn't you change your clothes first?" Uesugi Kai noticed the tea leaves floating in the cup.

"Aiyi has gone."

I'm talking about you.

Qian Aiyi looked like a child who had done something wrong in front of him. "I... I felt I couldn't let my brother wait here idly. He'd been out in the cold wind so much just looking for Aiyi, so it would be better if he had some hot tea..."

It was just talk; there was no real storm brewing.

Uesugi Kai paused for a moment, accepted her kindness, and then said, "Go change your clothes quickly, and it's best to take a shower to avoid catching a cold. I used to have to take care of your Hanabi-neechan for a while when she had a cold, so if you..."

Hesitant to speak.

He originally wanted to say that catching a cold would worry your parents, but when he caught a glimpse of Qian Aiyi's small beauty mark under her left eye, he suddenly remembered the things she had said to him.

—No parents care whether they have a cold.

Afterwards, Chii went to change her clothes and take a shower, while Uesugi Kai sat in the living room, picked up the cup of hot tea, and took a sip.

The tea leaves are fragrant, but they have lost a certain flavor.

It's probably because the tea wasn't properly steeped.

That makes sense, though. What would a teenage girl know about waking up tea? Maybe she learned how to serve tea to guests from TV.

Thinking of something, he went to the kitchen and saw a tea canister on the counter.

The jar is new, and only one tea bag has been used.

This means that the tea canister was newly purchased, and his cup of tea was the first one.

But the two sisters don't drink tea, so who are they serving this tea that was bought not long ago?

Kai Uesugi also noticed that there was instant coffee next to the tea canister, which was also new.

The tea canister and coffee reminded him of himself, but he had never told Qian Aiyi or Aiyi what he liked to drink.

Was that a question directed at Hanabi?

He casually opened the refrigerator, where there were some small cakes and puddings packaged in transparent boxes on the top shelf.

There was a note placed in a conspicuous spot, warning Ai Yi not to steal snacks, or her older sister would definitely find out.

Below, besides the cold bento box bought from the convenience store, there were two plates of... food?

It must have been overcooked; it looks so dark and unappetizing that just looking at it makes you lose your appetite.

Kai Uesugi felt that if he were to make this kind of dish, he'd be better off eating instant noodles.

No wonder Aiyi always complains about her sister's cooking.

However, Qian Aiyi is very meticulous, so cooking shouldn't be too difficult for her.

The current problem is probably that no one is teaching them.

After restoring everything to its original state, Uesugi Kai returned to the living room.

This is the 14th floor, so it looks like we're closer to the dark clouds outside.

Each raindrop hitting the window seems to transmit its sound into the heart; staring at the wind and rain for too long will make one feel a chill.

He picked up the teacup again, the aroma flowing into his mouth, the hot tea sinking into his stomach, and a warm feeling spreading through his body and mind.

In the living room, he could hear the two little girls talking in the bathroom.

Basically, the older sister was asking Ai Yi if something had happened, but Ai Yi was saying strange things like "Mr. Reflection".

The tea in the cup was gone.

Aiyi changed into her pajamas and came out of the bathroom, her little feet pattering on the floor as she ran to him.

"Aren't you going to take a bath a little longer?" Uesugi Kai asked, looking up from replying to Hanabi's message, noticing that her hair was still wet.

Why take a bath?

"It promotes blood circulation and makes you sweat a lot. If you get caught in the rain, you are more likely to catch a cold."

Ai Yi let out a curious "oh," and then ran back to the bathroom on the floor.

Her sudden opening of the bathroom door startled her sister.

This should be considered a unity of knowledge and action.

Uesugi Kai's plan to say hello and leave was ruined, so she had to wait until the two sisters finished showering before saying goodbye.

While waiting, he looked at the apartment layout.

It's strange, it only has one bedroom, one living room and one kitchen.

It also features an open kitchen, which is technically integrated with the living room.

The decor is exquisite, and the location is good; there are many companies nearby.

Houses like this...

Uesugi Kai was quite bothered by the man who had tied his tie alone earlier. If this was a one-bedroom apartment... then this must be a studio apartment...

The trend of not getting married is prevalent in Japan.

Young men tend to be passive and unwilling to take the initiative in dating, while young women are more inclined to choose men with a certain annual income, which is generally not the case for most young men.

Once young people have been working hard for a long time, many of them feel that they can persevere on their own, so why bother trying a relationship that is likely to fail?

News about divorces is everywhere online, which fuels the fear of marriage among single working professionals, causing them to gradually forget about finding a partner amidst their busy work lives.

'I can take care of myself'

'I can entertain myself'

My family only needs me.

'It's not that I'm enough on my own, but that I can live very well on my own.'

This kind of house is practically tailor-made for those who choose not to get married; it's a one-bedroom apartment designed for only one person.

Of course, for some people, this is also a good place to keep a mistress...

So... these kinds of apartments don't have a good reputation. It's okay for men, but for women...

It's not appropriate for two little girls to live here now.

As the two sisters emerged from the bathroom, Uesugi Kai felt it was time for her to say goodbye as well.

"Sigh~ Is my brother leaving already?"

"You still want me to stay here?"

"It's just my sister and me at home. If my brother were here, I'd have someone else to chat with."

"Wouldn't it be better if I invited Hanabi-neechan along?"

"Really?" Ai's arched eyebrows lifted happily.

Uesugi Kai did not give a direct answer, "Aren't you feeling unwell?"

"It's better now."

"What happened to you this afternoon? Why did you go to a place like that by yourself to look at Mr. Reflection?"

"Because Mr. Reflection will look at me, I will also look at him."

It was a strange remark that perfectly matched Ai's personality.

Who is Mr. Reflection?