My love index is at its maximum.

A bloodcurdling scream erupted from the room.

"Eating alone? That won't do."

"Hana-mi, I've watched you grow up since you were little. With that friendship between us, can't you lend me this handsome young man for a few nights?"

"Hey handsome, do you know any other colleagues like you? Introduce me to a few."

It's so noisy it makes me dizzy.

Tazaki Tsukasa glanced at Hoshino Hanami. Her expression seemed elegant and dignified, but the slight trembling of her hand holding his betrayed the fact that she was overjoyed inside.

As a girlfriend, the more outstanding her boyfriend is, the happier and prouder she will be.

"Tsukasa," Grandma Hoshino called out, "come sit here."

Hoshino Hanami pulled him over and sat him down at the double tea table next to her grandmother. On the tea table was a ceramic vase filled with light-colored carnations.

Tsukasa Tazaki glanced at it a few times and thought the bouquet and vase were perfectly matched. The pure white and light red flowers blended seamlessly with the glaze on the pottery, like a hazy cloud.

Grandma Hoshino cleared her throat and solemnly addressed the crowd, "I am very satisfied with Xiao Si, so please don't have any ulterior motives towards my grandson-in-law."

Only after the Empress Dowager spoke did the eager gazes of the women cool down, and they all turned to discuss the latest gossip with those they knew.

In some brothel, a prostitute was swindled out of both her money and her virtue by a male customer. Or, a few days ago, they got into a fight with a rival gang, resulting in eighteen people being hospitalized.

Besides these trivial matters of the community, there are also slightly more refined discussions, such as a certain politician who married into the family being dragged out of a brothel by his wife on a bubble bath mat, crying as essential oils on his body fell to the ground.

Tazaki Tsukasa imagined the scene and silently sympathized with the unknown senator.

After a while, Hoshino Shikami entered the tea room.

After glancing around and finding that her usual spot had been taken by Tsukasa Tazaki, she angrily sat down next to her grandmother, grabbed her arm, and complained, "Grandma~ He bullied Shikami, he bullied your most beloved granddaughter!"

His finger pointed straight at Tsukasa Tazaki.

"Is that so?" Grandma Hoshino looked at her granddaughter's increasingly beautiful face and smiled gently: "Tell me, and Grandma will help you make a decision."

"He stole Shikami's things!"

"What did they steal?"

"elder sister!"

Hoshino Hanami shifted her gaze from Tazaki Tsukasa to her younger sister: "Why did you call me?"

"No..." the younger sister shook her head vigorously, "Lu Jian said that he took my older sister away!"

"Oh, I see." Hoshino Hanami turned her head and looked at Tazaki Tsukasa again, her eyes filled with tender affection that ignored everyone else.

"Grandma, look at those two!"

Hoshino Shika pouted and said aggrievedly, "Ever since this guy appeared, my sister has been bullying me with him all the time!"

“Lu Jian is being insensible by saying that.” Tsukasa Tazaki shook his head, speaking in a tone appropriate for a junior: “Your sister and I are only strict with you because we want you to become a better person.”

Don't give me that!

Hoshino Shikami suddenly darted in front of Tazaki Tsukasa, glaring at him fiercely: "Don't think that just because you kissed my sister, she's yours. I've kissed my sister too, and more times than you!"

Their faces were so close that they could almost feel each other's gentle breath.

My sister-in-law had light makeup on, and the skin around her ears looked much fairer than usual.

Upon closer inspection, Tsukasa Tazaki noticed that the color of her pupils was the most significant difference between her and her older sister. The older sister's pupils were a deep black, while the younger sister's were a light brown.

She looks clear, innocent, and approachable.

"You have nothing to say now!" The sister-in-law glared fiercely at her brother-in-law. They were quite close, and she could feel the slightly warm breath from Tsukasa Tazaki. In a daze, the handsome man's aura rushed towards her.

As time passed, the sister-in-law's cheeks felt hot, and she lowered her eyelids uncomfortably.

Hoshino Hana laughed for a while, then leaned against Tazaki Tsukasa as if she had no strength left, and reached out to rub her sister's head: "We are sisters, isn't it normal for us to kiss?"

My younger sister kept shaking her head, her tone insistent: "It's normal for her to only kiss me!"

“Since she’s said that, just go along with her.” Tazaki Tsukasa hugged her older sister, who was practically shrinking into her arms, and said to her younger sister with a smile, “How about this, from now on, my sister and I won’t be close anymore.”

"Really?" The younger sister's eyes widened instantly, her voice filled with surprise.

"Of course." Tsukasa Tazaki nodded, his tone serious. "We'll kiss you secretly from now on."

"Ha ha……"

The older sister clutched her stomach and laughed happily in his arms.

"Grandma, look..." Hoshino Shikami turned around, her eyes filled with tears: "Those two often bully Shikami like this."

Grandma Hoshino's brows relaxed as she watched the three of them bickering, her eyes filled with warmth. In her heart, she thought, "Children and grandchildren have their own blessings; this old woman won't join in the fun."

The tea room was filled with a peaceful atmosphere.

Throughout the event, people kept coming up to greet him, and Hoshino Hanami introduced them to Tazaki Tsukasa one by one. However, they were all wearing brightly colored kimonos, and Tazaki Tsukasa's eyes were getting blurry, so he didn't remember any of them.

Grandma Hoshino also asked him some questions, about his family and his school.

Tsukasa Tazaki didn't hide anything; he told everyone the good and the bad.

When talking about living alone in a cramped rented room and drinking "chicken bathwater," the old man's eyes reddened slightly. He held the man's hand and comforted him, saying, "My dear child, it's all over now. Everything will be alright."

At eight o'clock in the evening, the maid finished washing the tea set and brought it out to place on the tea table with a stove in the middle of the tea room. The water jug, small tea spoon, and other tools used for making tea were arranged in an orderly manner.

Tazaki Tsukasa looked around and asked curiously, "Who's going to make the tea?"

“She has to be a dazzlingly beautiful girl.” Hoshino Hanami, her mouth full of snacks, glanced at her watch: “It’s about time.”

Just as he finished speaking, the beautiful girl walked in from the doorway.

At the age of fifteen or sixteen.

She wore a light blue kimono with a sash decorated with irises. A floral blouse could be seen through the neckline, and the narrow neckline made her fair neck appear slender and beautiful.

She was carrying a small pink cloth bag with a white crane painted on it; it was absolutely beautiful.

Tsukasa Tazaki paused for a few seconds, then blurted out, "How old are you?"

A breeze blew in through the window, causing the long ponytail to sway gently.

Kuriyama Sakura tilted her head and gave a perfectly measured smile: "I'm still three months away from turning sixteen."

Chapter 144 Sakura's Tea, Hanami Haiku, and a Brief Account of My Mother-in-Law's Deeds

It was still drizzling outside, but the lights inside were bright.

The light blue kimono, paired with Kuriyama Sakura's cool and aloof demeanor, gave off a subtle chill reminiscent of ice in the sweltering summer heat.

Hoshino Hanami glanced at the charcoal fire in the stove, then turned to her with a smile and invited, "How about you make Grandma a bowl of tea first? It's been almost a year since I last saw you make tea."

"it is good."

Kuriyama Sakura, carrying a white crane bundle, responded and knelt down by the tea table.

Tazaki Tsuyoshi stared at her curiously.

Kuriyama Sakura stretched out her hand, her delicate fingertips holding the teapot, and poured out the warm water to wash her hands. Viewed from the side, her unadorned earlobes had a dewy, almost pitiful quality.

After washing my hands, I saw that the water on the stove was boiling, so I poured some out to warm the cups.

She pursed her lips very seriously, her slender shoulders shrinking and leaning slightly forward.

This movement made her long, fair neck even more eye-catching.

Wisps of steam rose, reflecting a soft light, creating a hazy atmosphere. Around the girl, it seemed as if gardenias were blooming, or tiny white cranes were gracefully flying.

Tsukasa Tazaki is also quite familiar with the tea ceremony.

In my past life, I knew many Chaoshan friends who carried tea sets with them everywhere except when going to public restrooms. They were very familiar with the tea-making process of Chaoshan Kung Fu tea. Moreover, the Japanese tea ceremony culture originated from Chaoshan Kung Fu tea.

However, compared to the grand style of Chaoshan Kung Fu tea, Kuriyama Sakura's movements have clearly been modified by local culture, making the tea-making process much more delicate.

The tea-rinsing, skimming, pouring, sprinkling, and whisking process is performed with simple yet elegant techniques. The hand movements and body postures are all correct and without any flaws.

After brewing a cup of tea, Kuriyama Sakura bent over and presented it to Grandma Hoshino.

"Please have some tea."

Grandma Hoshino nodded and drank the tea she had personally brewed.

"Grandma, is the tea that Sakura ordered good?" Hoshino Hanami asked.

"very good."

Grandma Hoshino smiled gently and said to Kuriyama Sakura, "I had tea with you once last year on Takeo's birthday. In the year since I returned to Kyoto, I have often thought of you."

"If you really miss her, you should tell Sakura."

Kuriyama Sakura chuckled softly, "Tokyo and Kyoto aren't far apart, I can come visit you."

The daughter of a cabinet minister, facing an elderly lady from a yakuza organization, was in a confrontation between white and black. The lady, who should have been high and mighty, instead displayed the complete demeanor of a junior.

Tsukasa Tazaki pondered the reasons behind it.

The core principles of Japanese tea ceremony are "harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility".

The respect shown here refers to respect for elders, as well as respect and affection for friends and peers. But besides tea ceremony etiquette, there must be other reasons that drove her to do this.

Regardless of the reason, her current respectful demeanor made Tsukasa Tazaki feel like laughing.

It's not that I felt it clashed with her temperament or was discordant, but rather that it was the first time I'd seen her so humble, and I was quite pleasantly surprised.

She even started imagining in her mind that Miss Kuriyama, dressed in a catgirl maid outfit, would blush and serve her a cup of milk tea. She would say in a tone that sounded like she wanted to kill herself, "Master, please drink the milk tea that I made myself."

Just thinking about it is exciting.

Kuriyama Sakura returned to the tea table and continued preparing tea, drawing everyone's attention back to her.

Some were captivated by her elegant demeanor, while others were awestruck by her youthful beauty.

The second cup of tea was served to Hoshino Hanami, and Kuriyama Sakura paused briefly in front of Tazaki Tsukasa for a few seconds.

In the bright light, he examined her figure.

Bathed in the light of the sliding door reflecting the shadows of tender leaves, the cool, aloof girl's face, her pale blue kimono, and even her hair shimmered brilliantly.

As a tea room, this room seemed a bit too bright, but it perfectly highlighted the girl's delicate beauty. Especially her slender waist, tightly bound by a belt, made her look like a delicate flower branch that would break at the slightest touch, evoking a feeling of tenderness and pity.

The third lamp was lit for Hoshino Shikami.